For anyone who missed yesterday’s amusing photo of Steve Nash’s new hairstyle, here it is again:

Due to attending the Toronto FC and Argonauts training facilities this week (more on this in the coming days), together with flying overnight, I’ve not had an opportunity to prepare a decent column.  (Obviously some of you would say this is a daily occurrence anyway.)

In any event, this is my lame attempt at an apology for today’s blog, where I’ve basically decided to use Nash’s new hairstyle as an excuse to look at some other disastrous sporting dos.  Enjoy.

1) We start off with one of Toronto sports great underachievers…..Oh, hold on, there’s quite a few of them isn’t there?  I guess we better narrow it down.

Basically, it’s former Blue Jays pitcher A.J. Burnett who inexplicably decided to attempt a ‘Dennis the Menace’ haircut during his stint with the Yankees:

2) Staying with former Toronto athletes but definitely more of an overachiever rather than an underachiever, here’s Chris Bosh:

To be honest, this has nothing in particular to do with Bosh’s chosen hairstyle and everything to do with my continued sports-hate for the ex-Raptor.  Regardless, he still looks ridiculous.

3) Next, not that we ever need any excuse, but here’s the much-adored Gary Bettman, circa. 1994:

Suave, sophisticated and trendy.  None of these are words you’d associate with the above picture.  Instead, try clueless, ridiculous and smug.  (And let’s be honest, he may as well be holding his middle finger up at us all.)

4) It’s a well-known un-factual fact that virtually every black/African American man has more style than the average white male.  This includes their ability to sport afros better than, say, David Hasselhoff.

But I have to draw the line at this:

Seriously, is it Coco Crisp or Coco the Clown?

5) Further to the previous point, David Beckham is often perceived as one of the few white guys who can pull off most styles.  However, even he is susceptible to making bad decisions:

6) I thought we’d end with one of the most polarising mullets of all time.  You either love it or hate it, but I have to give kudos to Jarmoir Jagr for even attempting this:

It actually make’s Kelly Gruber’s mullet from his Blue Jays playing days almost look acceptable.

Enjoy your weekend and keep an eye out for blogs over the coming days in relation to my visit this week to the Toronto FC and Argonauts training facilities.

• By paul.taylor
• October 5, 2012
• Comment

I appreciate that none of you give a flying fadoo (copyright Bob McCown) but I will be flying overnight, hence this week’s top pictures and stories come to you a day early.

1) We start off with Steve Nash’s new hairstyle, which was debuted at the Lakers media day on Monday:

Look, I know everyone loves Nash and he does come across as one of the good guys, but can we all just agree that he looks ridiculous?  Thank you.

2) Talking of media day, the Raptors also held theirs this week:

Unless my eyes are deceiving me, DeMar DeRozan appears to have a pink scarf wrapped around his neck.  I prey this isn’t just the latest example of today’s metrosexual male.*

Whatever DeMar’s wearing, Kyle Lowry doesn’t look too impressed while Landry Fields appears to be doing his best to simply ignore it all together.

(*I long for the good old days when men used to go to the barber’s instead of hairdressers.  Guaranteed, whatever you asked for, you would come out with a short back and sides.)

3) Turning to the Blue Jays, Yunel Escobar has been doing his best to turn around the negative perception of him ever since his infamous eye black sticker incident.

(For what’s it’s worth, I still don’t believe he fully realised what he was doing.  Right or wrong, there was definitely a cultural aspect to what happened.)

Now I’m not showing you the above photo to make some cheap joke at the expense of Escobar or the gay community.  Instead, I want to make a cheap comment about how skinny that guy’s legs are to the immediate right of Escobar.  Seriously, they look like they’ve been photoshopped into the picture.

(N.B. Just to pre-empt any potential negative response, let the record state that I do in fact have gay friends.  However, it should also be noted that a woman cuts my hair and I do my own decorating.)

4) Sticking with the Blue Jays, yesterday represented the end of a disappointing season that started off with so much promise.  Not to kick a team when it’s down, but here’s a picture from the Yankees series that proves once and for all that it’s time to put natural grass in the Rogers Centre:

5) As was to be expected if he didn’t perform well, Mark Sanchez has been getting a rough ride this past week from the New York Media.  (To be fair, he doesn’t exactly have much to work with on offence.)

However, just to stifle any pity any of us may have for the guy, I now present reason number 879 why we should never feel sorry for sports athletes:

6) Actually, that last photo has made me so devoid of sympathy for Sanchez that I suddenly feel compelled to also share this photo with you:

And before you all start accusing me of just being jealous……………..you’re totally right.

7) Here’s an example of the different ways the Maple Leafs continue to maximise merchandising profits, as shared by either a loyal fan or a pyromaniac this week on Twitter:

Actually, the lighter represents an accurate reflection of what’s to come for Leafs Nation.  Whether the NHL plays games this year or not, the Maple Leafs hopes of a good season appear destined to go up in flames.

8 ) And finally, for any Raptors fan that’s fearful of another losing season, look away now:

That’s right, head coach Dwane Casey has been putting in some extra hours at a local call centre.  If he gets fired, Casey is now fully trained up and ready to persuade customers to claim back for PPI which they never took out in the first place.

• By paul.taylor
• October 4, 2012
• Comment

With the Los Angeles Lakers media day taking place yesterday, we now interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you this message from Canada’s very own Steve Nash:

Inspiring words hey?  That’s what I thought as well until I remembered what happened during the summer.  Now I’m wondering if the ‘game’ Nash is talking about is actually free agency and the ‘other people’ he’s referring to are Raptors fans.

While it’s admirable that Nash considered his children when deciding where to play, it’s a pity Shawn Kemp and Antonio Cromartie aren’t his off-court role models.

• By paul.taylor
• October 2, 2012
• Comment

Well it’s been another eventful week in sports, meaning we were spoilt for choice with photos and stories to pick from:

1) We start with one of the most iconic pictures you’re likely to see…well this week anyway.

It captured the farce surrounding the replacement referees perfectly, leading to numerous jokes such as how Seattle’s Russell Wilson was the first quarterback in NFL history to throw a game-winning interception.

Ironically, the resulting outrage surrounding the game actually provided the impetus for the NFL to finally get a deal done with the regular officials.

2) Unfortunately for the NHL, the focus of negative attention is now firmly on them.  No prizes for guessing who Blue Toro is putting the pressure on to get the lockout resolved:

3) On the lighter side of the NHL lockout (if it’s possible), this was my favourite image of the week:

Initial reports indicated that sales of the NHL 13 Lockout Limited edition were low, most likely because you only get to play as Gary Bettman.

4) Turning to baseball, the latest summary of a Blue Jays season that continues to lurch from one disaster to another came in the unlikely form of a Jose Bautista toy:

As per the label on the left, this is indeed an extremely rare version of the figure.  Actually, this would at least explain why the team has struggled offensively of late.

Maybe this is what the media means when they say the Jays have been running around like a bunch of headless chickens?  (I could go on all day, but I’ll spare you.)

5) With the NBA season just around the corner, the Raptors mascot accompanied new point guard Landry Fields to deliver season tickets to a couple of fans:

Is anyone else slightly pissed off by the lack of concern and indeed effort by the fans to try and get their tickets from Fields?  Are Raptors fans really that unmotivated for the coming season?

6) Sticking with Fields, the following photo of him and Alan Anderson was accompanied by the announcement that training camp is only six days away:

Judging by how drenched their t-shirts are, training camp obviously can’t come soon enough.  Let’s hope Dwane Casey can kick these guys into shape before the regular season begins.

7) Toronto FC has shown some improvement since Paul Mariner took over as coach.  However, after going 10 league games without a win, he’s decided to go back to basics with the team:

I trust going back to basics does not extend to Mariner having to explain to Luis Silva that the round object he’s looking at is in fact called a football.

8 ) And finally, it only seems fitting to end with hockey.  Despite being a Maple Leafs fan myself, the following cartoon still made me smile:

Unfortunately, when you consider that Leafs Nation will come flooding back to the ACC whenever the lockout ends and continue to pay for the most expensive tickets in the league, it’s hard to argue with the caption.  And yes, I include myself in that group (unfortunately my stupidity is not just limited to my passion for sports.)

NB. Look out for the next Blue Toro mailbag this coming Monday.  Any questions, send them to: [email protected]

• By paul.taylor
• September 28, 2012
• Comment

It’s Monday and it’s the first day of the working week so you deserve a break. As such, I decided to pull out all the stops to produce a slightly bigger Blue Toro mailbag, which meant going into extra-time.

(Yes TSN, that’s right. It’s called extra-time, not double-overtime as you referred to the Canadian Women’s semi-final soccer match against the U.S.)

Q. I see the Toronto Argonauts released Cory Boyd, the CFL’s leading rusher.  Have they lost their minds?

Kyle – Vancouver

I’m going to do something totally out of character here and consider this rationally, (admittedly a tough proposition.)  Do you REALLY believe GM Jim Barker would release Boyd just for the hell of it?

Barker said the move was made purely for football reasons, to help improve the offence.  However, former offensive line-man and resident head-case Rob Murphy tweeted that Boyd was a fraud and not a good team-mate.

As for Boyd himself, he seemed surprised, saying his life had taken a huge 360-degree turn.  Which confused me because surely this would have involved the Argonauts actually re-signing him?!

So to summarise, the Argonauts either released Boyd because;

a) He didn’t fit into the new offensive scheme instigated by head coach Scott Milanovich

b) He was a disruptive team-mate

c) He’s an idiot

I’m going for a mixture of all three.

Q. With Gary Bettman saying there will be a lockout if no agreement is reached by September 15th, is there any hope of the season starting on time?

Danielle - Brampton

A. It’s unlikely isn’t it? I’m afraid I can’t be as objective for this question. I’m struggling to accept the audacity of Bettman and the owners.  They’re basically saying the current system is broke, when it’s what they fought for, making the players and fans suffer through a lost season in 2004-05.

While I accept a salary cap was necessary, why have a salary floor (at least one so high) when roughly one-third of NHL teams are struggling to survive?!?!  And as these ridiculous long-term contracts prove, the owners just want saving from themselves.  No one made them agree to pay out the money.

This time the players have to hit Bettman where it hurts most, especially after his derisory opening offer.  As the great philosopher Triple H once said; ‘Do to the man what he would do to you………..but do it first!’

Donald Fehr and the NHLPA should say if a deal can’t be reached before October 11th, when the season is meant to begin, they won’t play in the Winter Classic.  And before you say this hurts the players as well, you’re right, but they’ll get screwed over regardless, so return the compliment.  (Remember, two wrongs DO make a right.)

Bettman is desperate for the league season to start by January 1st at the latest.  Cancelling the Winter Classic would be a PR disaster for him.

Q. Dwight Howard traded to the Lakers? That makes the starting five: Howard, Gasol, Bryant, Nash and who cares. See you in the finals in June…

John – Toronto

A. The Howard trade offers another example of the adage that sport reflects society.  In this case, the rich continue to get richer while the poor become poorer.  Steve Nash must really be regretting picking the Lakers now.

With Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant , Pau Gasol and Nash, the Lakers have arguably the best foursome available.  Unless you can get Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Charlize Theron and Erin Gray in her Wilma Deering days on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

Okay, I suddenly feel a bit faint for some reason.  We better stop.  Look out for Jamie Hoffeldt’s first blog tomorrow.  Thanks to your votes, Jamie’s jumped up from fourth place to second (even leading at one point) in the battle to make the Toronto Raptors Dance Pak.  Click here to continue voting for her every day.

NB. Any questions for Jamie or the mailbag send to: [email protected]

Photo credit: Jim McIsaac - Getty Images

• By paul.taylor
• August 13, 2012
• Comment

Okay I think we’re all a bit down today after the Blue Jays traded away fan favourite Travis Sinder and somehow managed to lose two-straight to the supposedly inept Seattle Mariners. As such, I think we all could use a change of pace.

How about having fun at Steve Nash’s expense after his totally irrational decision to turn down the Toronto Raptors? Yes, I thought you’d like that.

Apparently Mr Nash’s reason for picking the Los Angeles Lakers has absolutely nothing to do with all that heart-tugging, emotional bull-crap about remaining close to his children. Rather, it appears that he’s gone all Hollywood in the pursuit of having an acting career once his playing days are over.

Don’t believe me? Here’s the evidence:

To be fair, that’s actually almost funny, but it turns out he’s being doing ‘acting’ for a while now and it get’s worse:

You still with me? Okay, we have time for one more:

Hopefully that’s helped you forget about the Blue Jays current woes. Dammit, I just reminded you again! Err, enjoy the rest of your day.

PHOTO CREDIT: THESMOKINGSECTION.COM

• By paul.taylor
• August 1, 2012
• Comment

Having always had a problem accepting new technology, something that only becomes harder as you get older, I’m only a recent convert to Twitter. (@EnglishPaul07 in case you’re interested………thought not.) Hell, it took forever to buy a mobile (cell) phone and join Facebook.

However, much like those other technological advances, now that I am on board, I’ve quickly become infatuated with the whole tweeting phenomenon, thus adding to an ever-increasing list of addictions. (Don’t worry, just the usual stuff like alcohol, drugs, gambling and poutine.)

As someone who (mostly) sees the funny side of life, there are numerous things about Twitter that amuse me. For example, I love that even though Brian Burke finally relented and created an account, he shows his disdain for social media by not actually following anyone.

Or that Ron Wilson’s has posted no tweets since February 5th, coinciding with the Maple Leafs going on a 2-9-1 ‘tear’ that resulted in his firing. (Actually, maybe that final tweet gave a clue that Wilson was about to screw up, given that he predicted a Patriot’s 35-24 win in Super Bowl 46, with Tom Brady being named MVP.)

Overall though, Twitter is basically an extension of someone’s personality. By that, I mean some people have more to say and have more interesting lives. (Yes, I realise I’m near the bottom of the list, hence my propensity for addictions.)

To prove this point, I thought I’d perform a social media experiment by comparing the Twitter accounts of some athletes we’re all familiar with.

First, here’s Ricky Romero showing some support for a couple of fellow Toronto-based athletes:

Great game by the @torontofc had a lot of fun. Happy I got to see my boy Luis Silva score. #EastLAPride Keep doing work homie.

— Ricky Romero (@RickyRo24) July 12, 2012

Congrats to my boy @Encadwin on his new deal. Very well deserved and happy he’s gonna continue to be part of the @BlueJays family. #Jays

— Ricky Romero (@RickyRo24) July 12, 2012

Next, there’s a slight possibility Steve Nash isn’t regretting picking Los Angeles over Toronto:

Waiting for queen Lauren Hill at the espys after pizzyyyyyy. No big deal!!!

— Steve Nash (@SteveNash) July 12, 2012

Thank you big brother! RT @MagicJohnson: Welcome to LA @stevenash.Laker Nation is excited to have you!

— Steve Nash (@SteveNash) July 13, 2012

And finally, here’s the most recent offerings of the Leafs Phil Kessel:

Big win tonight. Merry Christmas everyone.

— Phil Kessel (@PKessel81) December 24, 2011

Happy new year everyone!

— Phil Kessel (@PKessel81) January 1, 2012

I can only assume they don’t celebrate Easter in the Kessel household.

Photo: Brian Kersey – UPI

• By paul.taylor
• July 14, 2012
• Comment

• By paul.taylor
• July 12, 2012
• Comment

The Canada Day weekend in Toronto was a busy one. Besides the city being engulfed in celebrations for the countries birthday, there was also Pride celebrations, an Iron Chef Poutine challenge and RibFest. So, if you were busy attending any of those events, you might have missed out on a busy sports weekend. Here is a recap, in case you missed it…

- Hockey free agency opened yesterday with a bunch of mid-level players signing contracts that they will have a tough time living up to. The Leafs got in on the action by signing former Colorado Avalanche C Jay McClement to a two-year deal worth $3 million (Pension Plan Puppets)

- Brian Burke wasn’t in the office yesterday, he was attending the pride parade in honour of his late son. Some fans were upset that he wasn’t working the phone lines for free agents. Those fans are idiots

- Lots of former Leafs changed teams as well if you are keeping tabs and want to boo them on their return. Recently released Colby Armstrong signed with the Montreal Canadiens and goalie Jonas Gustavsson signed with the Detroit Red Wings

- Remember our friend Joffrey Lupul? He was back on twitter yesterday speaking on the big Sidney Crosby deal (12 year, $104.4 million). He said that it is normal for players to take the team out for dinner after signing a new contract, he thought Crosby should treat the entire league! (LINK)

- Toronto Blue Jays lost on Canada Day to split a 4 game series with the LA Angels. The bullpen imploded, blowing a nice start by Aaron Laffey spoiling Canada Day for the almost 35 000 fans in attendance

- Jose Bautista is the lone Blue Jay going to Kansas City for the All-Star game. Bautista was selected by the fans as a starter. He makes his third straight all-star game appearance (Toronto Star)

- Toronto native and Cincinnati Reds slugger Joey Votto was voted a starter for the National League all-star squad

- Bautista was happy to have been honoured with the all-star selection. He was upset that Edwin Encarnacion was snubbed since he carried the team for the first couple of months of the season while he got on track

- Jose Bautista also confirmed that he would like to participate in the home run derby during all-star celebrations. He hasn’t been officially asked, but will be a part of it when the invite comes

- NBA free agency also started on July 1. A few low key signings around the league, but the Toronto news is that the Raptors brass met with free agent Steve Nash and have reportedly offered him a 3 year $36 million dollar contract (TSN). Nash also met with the Knicks yesterday. He will also explore a few other options and make a decision in the near future

- Toronto Argos opened their season on the road against the Edmonton Eskimos. It wasn’t the fairy tale ending that former Eskimo wanted in his return to Edmonton. The Argos fell 19-15

- The odds of a positive result were not good with first place New York Red Bulls coming to BMO Field to play the last place Toronto FC. After giving up an early goal, TFC fought back and tied the game and then held on to salvage a point and 1-1 draw

- Canadian Track and Field Olympic trials were held this past weekend. A set of Toronto brothers, Justyn and Ian Warner finished 1-2 in the 100m finals (CBC Sports)

- If you ever wanted to live out your childhood fantasies, you need to check out the X-Games Hot Wheels action

Photo: hc916 flicker

• By ben.trattner
• July 2, 2012
• Comment