Gospel According To Gridiron

Eskimos coach surprises Saskatchewan church

It's not every Sunday that parishioners come to morning worship service and discover that the minister for the morning is none other than a professional football player from the CFL.

But that's what happened on one Sunday in May in Neilburg, Sask., when those attending Manitou Evangelical Free Church received the morning message from Richie Hall, head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos and a former Grey Cup winning Saskatchewan Roughrider.

Hall told the congregation it's important to set goals for their lives.

"If I don't have goals for direction, it feels like I am aimlessly running around in a circle," he said.

In football, Hall says, the team is "striving to win every game." He said goals must be both short-term and long-term.

"Just because you WANT it to happen, doesn't mean it is GOING to. God never said it was going to be easy. When you come to a fork in the road, you need to keep pursuing."

Hall noted that God can take us through adversity and cited the example of Jesus, who kept going forward and didn't lose sight of His goal or purpose.

"If you think you are beaten, you are," he declared as his second point. "Have faith in what you do. Believe in yourself and in your Heavenly Father. If you have a negative attitude, it is hard to achieve anything. People don't want to be around you. Lift people up!God supports us each and every time."

Hall also asked, "What are you willing to do and put in to achieve your goals?

"Effort is about ACTION. Put your heart into it. The reward is eternal, but it is important that you work and put forth the effort. Good things WILL happen, but we just don't know when. Keep fighting! Keep pushing forward. When you give up, the only time you experience failure, then you truly have failed. Keep working to overcome and to win. Adversity gives us hope!"

Finally, Hall encouraged the congregation to have fun.

"Your greatest commodity as a person is your time. Enjoy what you do."

And it was apparent that Hall enjoys doing what he does. He wore a special football jersey with the Saskatchewan colours on the front and the Edmonton Eskimos trademark green and gold on the back.

Born in San Antonio, Texas, Hall came to Canada play in the CFL in the early 1980s. He played college ball at Colorado State University before joining the CFL and playing defensive back for the Calgary Stampeders. Hall was later traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He was selected as an all-star in 1983, played on the 1989 Grey Cup winning team, and he won the Tom Pate Memorial Award in 1990.

Hall was also influential in Saskatchewan's 2007 Grey Cup win as he was defensive co-ordinator. Hall is the first African-American head coach in the history of the Edmonton Eskimos.

Rena Porter is a freelance writer living in Neilburg, Sask., population approximately 500, located 80 kilometres southeast of Lloydminster.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

From what I’ve seen, I think Richie Hall would make a good ‘man-of-the-cloth.’

‘It’s Not Going To Be Sunny Every Day’

Esks support Whitlock after terrible debut

The Edmonton Eskimos were doing their best Tammy Wynette impersonations on Friday.

It was Stand By Your Man time as the Eskimos supported rookie Arkee Whitlock's struggles in a 50-16 whipping by the Alouettes at Molson Stadium in Montreal on Thursday.

One by one they showed support for the running back's shaky Canadian Football League debut.

"I'm sure he looks within himself. We've all had those quicksand nights where things compound on you quick," said Esks receiver Kamau Peterson. "He's a talented kid, he's going to be fine. I'm not worried about him.

"He's got that one out of the way," Peterson added. "Those butterflies, or whatever it was, will be gone. You don't even have to say something to him. You don't beat a dead horse."

Peterson was maligned early in his CFL career for such drops, and was even dubbed Kamau Incompleterson at one stage. But he turned it into a top Canadian season in 2008 through being mentally tough and aware.

"It's the nature of what we do," Peterson said. "It's not going to be sunny every day.

"You find a way to dial yourself into each play and focus and forget about the other ones," he continued. "It's easier said than done, though. If you have a dropped ball, how do you get to the next play and rule that out? That's what you have to get through."

Maurice Mann, who led all Esks receivers with seven catches for 139 yards in Thursday's loss, took the same route, as it were.

"I really don't say much because Arkee understands what he has to do. He understands what happened and he just has to go out there and do it," said Mann. "I told him, just let the game come to you. It's like playing football in your back yard. Have fun with it, trust your hands and play ball, really."

The Eskimos will get back to work on Sunday and try to put the effort behind them, not just Whitlock's but their own as a whole, as the lopsided pounding can hardly be blamed on one man.

More from the Edmonton Journal.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

It’s not just Whitlock that has to pick it up a few notches. From what I saw on Thursday, it’s the whole dam team.

Oilers Haven’t Given Up On Dany Heatley

Sniper's trade demand may not be satisfied until September, or later

Dany Heatley voluntarily jumps into Okanagan Lake every morning over the summer, so the Oilers would derive precious little satisfaction from telling him to go do it.

You know, should they actually get up off their knees and move along like the proud, professional franchise they ought to be.

Instead, as their management waits by cellphones, BlackBerrys, pagers and computer monitors for the slightest utterance from Heatley, the erstwhile Ottawa Senators sniper seemingly controls the fates of two National Hockey League franchises with his silence.

The truth is only slightly different than that widely held perception. Heatley could in fact force the Oilers to get on with their lives by issuing a blanket refusal to waive his no-movement clause for a trade to Edmonton. But in the absence of such reason and benevolence, the only man who can push these follies to a logical dropping of the curtain now is Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray.

That's the reality.

Murray does not hold all the cards, only those left to him after Heatley's trade demand went public and the pending swap with Edmonton went sour at the last possible moment. Though Murray still deals from a position of undeniable weakness, he knows he has to ante up again.

Despite owner Eugene Melnyk's laughable musings earlier this week about having a contrite and welcome Heatley at training camp, there is a far better chance that Heatley will ride the Ogopogo through the streets of Kelowna.

Heatley has not changed his mind about the issues that provoked the trade demand, which was sent to Murray in the guise of a formal request. He isn't going to tuck his tail between his legs and slink back into Ottawa, where he tops even the Bloc Quebecois, Canada Revenue Agency and Prime Minister Stephen Harper's myopic PR man on a list of pariahs.

The only resolution is an acceptable trade proposal and the waiving of Heatley's no-movement clause, in that order. That sequence of events won't occur unless and until Murray presents the Heatley camp with at least two more potential destinations in addition to Edmonton.

As luck would have it, a source close to the situation said Friday that Murray is in fact dealing with two other teams who have a genuine interest in acquiring Heatley, but neither team had formalized an offer.

There is no need to wonder why the saga continues to lurch along into the dog days of summer. NHL general managers have almost as much money as the fourth-liners they overpay, so they spend it on lake houses that must be used after the free-agent frenzy and prior to training camp. That suggests September as the new deadline for a resolution, but even that's not a hard and fast date.

The frenzied activity that produced the ill-fated, three-for-one swap with the Oilers was provoked by a$4-million salary payment the Senators, or his new team, were contractually obligated to pay Heatley on July 1. That cheque was written by Melnyk and cashed by Heatley, effectively putting a deal on the back burner.

Suddenly, it's July 11 and there is a bear market for malcontent millionaires. Heatley was surely expecting an auction for his services, not a garage sale, so it sucks just a little to be him, far worse to be Murray. One minute he had an enforceable contract with a franchise player, the next he had a public dispute with an almost-untradeable $7.5-million US salary cap hit.

When he managed to trade it for Dustin Penner, Andrew Cogliano and Ladislav Smid, the cap hit balked, the Senators' plans for July 1 were put on hold, they missed out on overpaying Mike Cammalleri and settled for overpaying an older, even more enigmatic Alexei Kovalev.

Most other teams with holes on left wing beefed up, too, and the pair of allegedly interested GMs are under almost no pressure to advance the, ahem, Dany derby.

Unless they get bored at the lake.

The source also said the Oilers had not imposed an internal deadline for a firm resolution of this ridiculously untenable situation. Nor had they communicated such an ultimatum to the Senators or Heatley. That rumour had been floated last week by a TV analyst and at least one Internet site.

"Could be a week, could be a month," said the source.

So what's a 28-year-old, basically teamless millionaire going to do over the summer in Kelowna? If a popular YouTube video is to be believed, Heatley emerges from the lake to spend much of each sunny Okanagan day shooting pucks in his backyard. He also skates in the morning with his brother and some NHLers who also call the place their summer home.

Heatley lifts weights, runs on a treadmill, hangs with his buds on his fancy boat and acts as if his petulance has not in fact made life miserable for the Oilers, Senators and their fans.

Ignorance and summer in Kelowna are apparently the same thing.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

My question, in response to the above headline, is why?

Al’s Keron Williams Was A Handful For Esks

Keron Williams may as well have quit at the half.

In an outstanding defensive performance, the six-foot-one, 261-pound Montreal Alouettes defensive tackle recorded two quarterback sacks and two fumble recoveries before Thursday's 50-16 drubbing of the Edmonton Eskimos was even 30 minutes old.

He was a handful all night as was Montreal's entire front four, which gave the Eskimos offensive line and quarterback Ricky Ray fits.

The Als finished with five sacks and forced five turnovers--two on turndowns, two fumbles and one interception for a touchdown.

"They executed. They won the one-on-one matchups," said Eskimos head coach Richie Hall.

The Alouettes dominated the lines of scrimmage.

"It's an important thing," Williams, who led the Als with 10 sacks last season and already has three in 2009, told the Montreal Gazette.

"You start early and (the sacks) tend to have a domino effect. I was grateful to get one against (Henry) Burris in the first game. But it's not just me. It's the defensive backs giving me time to get there and defensive linemen taking two guys on so I have a one-on-one matchup."

RAY OFF TO SLOW START

Esks quarterback Ricky Ray is off to a slow start this season. He didn't get much help on Thursday, when he completed 19 of 33 passes for 280 yards, but the team didn't generate a touchdown until backup Jason Maas relieved Ray late in the game.

"When we got down in there, we weren't able to score. If we turn some of those missed opportunities into touchdowns, it's a totally different game. They played solid all game long and we didn't," said Ray.

The scary part was the Esks were still in the game at the half and trailed only 19-9 after three quarters before the Als rattled off 31 straight points in the fourth quarter.

"As much as we didn't take advantage of what we had in front of us, we still came out of halftime with a shot. We moved the ball well, we just didn't finish our drives," said Ray.

"Three times inside their five or 10 and to come up with three field goals, that's not going to be good enough against this team at home," said Esks receiver Kamau Peterson. "To me, that was the testament of the game. Even with the turnovers, I felt like we could overcome some of those if we capitalize in the red zone a little bit."

MAURICE WAS DA MANN

One positive for the Eskimos was Maurice Mann's electric performance as he hauled in seven catches --including several spectacular receptions-- for 139 yards.

Mann was shaken up on a play in the dying minutes that resulted in an interference penalty against Joel Wright. The penalty set up the only Esks TD--Arkee Whitlock's one-yard run with 1:12 left in the fourth quarter.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

The Eskimos played on Thursday like they have completely lost all confidence in their offensive line. Not only did Keron Williams give the line fits all night, but twice inside the Al’s 10-yard line with first downs, they passed the ball. They also passed the ball on a third down and two gamble later in the game. And, the run blocking from the line was absolutely brutal. If they don’t get the problems with their offensive line ironed out, it’s going to be a very, very long season for the Esks.

And, never mind Arkee Whitlock, but Ricky Ray has been just terrible, too. He has to pick it up more than just a few notches if this team is going to have any success this year.

Picturesque Turnberry Set To Host 138th Open

Turnberry is defined by great vistas and great champions, quite an identity for only being part of the British Open rotation the last 32 years. Move it to America and it might as well be called Pebble Beach.

Catch coverage of the 138th Open Championship from Turnberry, Scotland on TSN and starting Thursday with the Preview Show (6:30am et/3:30am pt), followed by the Opening Round.

It curves around the rugged Ayrshire coast, with nearly half of the holes positioned along a section of the Irish Sea known as the Firth of Clyde. The landmark is a 100-foot lighthouse that was built in 1873 and sits off the ninth fairway, not far from what remains of a castle inhabited by Robert the Bruce, king of Scotland in the early 14th century.

Looming out to sea is the Ailsa Craig, an island whose conical summit rises 1,000 feet from the water. Locals are fond of saying that if you can't see the Ailsa Craig, then it's raining. And if you can see it, then it's about to rain.

Enhancing its young reputation are its British Open winners, all of them in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

This is where Tom Watson matched scores with Jack Nicklaus for three rounds in 1977 and beat him with one last birdie, a duel that ranks among the best in golf. Greg Norman won his first major in 1986 behind a 63 in blustery conditions on the second day. Nick Price finished birdie-eagle-par in 1994, the last time the Open was held at Turnberry.

"It's a tremendous golf course," Colin Montgomerie said. "It's a golf course I think we all would agree has the most character of any links course in Britain, especially on our rota. Just a fantastic place to be."

So what can be expected when the British Open returns to Turnberry for only the fourth time, and the first time in 15 years?

More from Canadian Press.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

I’ll never forget that classic duel between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson in 1977 at Turnberry in the Open Championship, where Watson beat the ‘Golden Bear’ by one stroke. If this year’s Open can be anything like 1977, it will be one of the most entertaining Open Championships of all-time. I’ve always compared the Open Championship to playing golf out in a farmer’s field anyway.

No Female Flight At Vancouver 2010

B.C. Court rejects ski jump bid

For 10 years, beginning from her first leap off a hill at the impossibly young age of eight, ski jumper Katie Willis has dreamed of being an Olympic athlete. Not any more.

The heartfelt hopes of Ms. Willis and a dozen other women ski jumpers to compete at next year's Winter Olympics came to an almost-certain end Friday when a B.C. Supreme Court judge dismissed their high-profile bid in a lawsuit to be part of the Games, a right that male ski jumpers have had since 1924.

When the news came across her home computer screen, Ms. Willis, 18, was devastated. She dissolved in tears.

"All that hard work, all that passion for the sport that's been part of me for 10 years, just flashed before my eyes," the slight Calgary teenager said. "It's been my whole life. It was everything, really, the chance to represent my country in 2010."

Madam Justice Lauri Ann Fenlon ruled that the women ski jumpers were indeed discriminated against by the International Olympic Committee's decision to keep them off the 2010 Olympic calendar, but added that the Switzerland-based IOC was beyond the reach of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), which was the target of the ski jumpers' lawsuit, is duty-bound - despite the Charter - to abide by IOC decisions, Judge Fenlon concluded, a situation she confessed was "somewhat distasteful."

More from ctvolympics.ca

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

It’s interesting to find out the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms doesn’t apply to outside groups such as the IOC.

Mickelson To Skip British Open To Be With Wife

LUSS, Scotland -- Phil Mickelson has decided not to play the British Open next week so he can be with his wife as she starts her recovery from breast cancer.

Mickelson said last month at the U.S. Open that it was "highly unlikely" he would play at Turnberry for the British Open.

He said Friday on his website that winning majors is his main objective, but that family comes first. His wife, Amy, had surgery on July 1 and Mickelson said they are awaiting more test results. Mickelson also learned that his mother has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Mickelson has played the last 61 majors, the longest active streak in golf. He'll be replaced in the field by Ben Crane.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

We wish both Amy and Mary Mickelson full and speedy recoveries.

Weir Snags Michael Jordan For Celebrity Golf Tourney

OAKVILLE, Ont. -- Hoops legend Michael Jordan will be teeing off at the inaugural Mike Weir Charity Classic.

A golf enthusiast ever since his days with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan joins an already impressive list of celebrities that includes hockey stars Martin Brodeur and Rick Nash, two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash, Canadian rocker Tom Cochrane, American comedian George Lopez and film star Kevin Costner.

"I'm thrilled Michael has agreed to play. He's become a good buddy and has always gone out of his way to support community and charitable activities. He'll be a tremendously popular draw for the fans," said Weir in a statement.

The Royal Canadian Golf Association also announced Friday that Charlottetown native and LPGA Tour regular Lorie Kane has joined the field.

The charity tournament will be held on July 20 to kick off the Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

This is quite a coup, indeed, for Mike Weir.

This Page Has Moved. To visit our new site, point your browser to http://mybirdie.ca/

Link to new page here.

Airport Closure Will Not Impact Edmonton Indy

Edmonton's Indy race will not have its wings clipped by the closure of a runway at City Centre Airport.

Officials with the airport and Northlands, the race operator, confirmed Thursday the event will go forward as planned July 26 and again in July 2010.

"We have an agreement with Northlands through 2010 and we will honour that agreement," said Traci Bednard, the airport's vice-president of communications. She said the closure of runway 16-34 will have no impact at all on the race this month or next year.

The three-year sanctioning deal between Northlands and the Indy Racing League expires after the 2010 race and there have been no discussions yet on an extension, according to IRL and Northlands officials.

However, Northlands president Ken Knowles said on Thursday that Northlands would talk to the IRL when they get here for the Rexall Edmonton Indy later this month.

"We will be sitting down with the IRL when they're in town," Knowles said. "We do have one year remaining on a contract and we will be negotiating on a go-forward basis with the IRL to try to bring some longevity to the race.

"I do think it's too premature to speculate on what might happen down the road.

"We'll be working very closely with the city of Edmonton to find out what the plans are and the timing of the schedule (of closing the airport)."

Edmonton city council voted 10-3 Wednesday to shut down the airport in stages, beginning with the closure of runway 16-34, which runs parallel to NAIT. The Indy track does not incorporate or intersect that runway. The track uses a portion of runway 12-30 which will stay open for the time being.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

Um, hmm, . . . sure. Let’s see what happens after 2010.

Danica Patrick Shifts Into Victory Mode

Danica Patrick has been cruising along in the fast lane since the Indy Racing League got underway.

Of the nine starts she has made on the open wheel race circuit this season, seven have turned into top-10 finishes.

Of those seven finishes, five have been top-five results, including a third-place finish at the prestigious Indianapolis 500.

Close has been good enough to keep her thinking another victory could be around the next corner.

"Running consistently every weekend says you are going to have a chance at that win at some point. If you consistently run in the top five, the odds should be in your favor. You should have that opportunity to come across the line first," said Patrick, who is in Toronto preparing for the first Canadian race of the season.

In two weeks time, she'll be back in River City to challenge the City Centre Airport track at the Rexall Edmonton Indy.

"It is quite rough at Edmonton, so you have to hang on and be on top of that car but it makes for better racing on tracks like that are more open. You have an opportunity to pass," Patrick continued.

"There's somewhere to go if you go into the corner and maybe get sideways. On other tracks, you'll hit the wall."

Last July, in her first go-round in Edmonton, Patrick was 13 laps from the finish line when she was bumped by teammate Marco Andretti. Left with a flat tire and a car in need of a restart, she had to make an unscheduled pit stop, which cost her all the ground she had made up earlier in the race.

She was 18th by day's end. She had started in the 14th spot.

That was then. That was in the midst of a season where Patrick, now 27, had taken the checkered flag in Japan in April 2008, becoming the first woman to win an Indy race. She turned more heads with some of her pit lane arguments--most notably the post-race debate she had with Milka Duno.

This season hasn't been without controversy either. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Patrick was asked if she could take a performance enhancing drug that would enable her to win Indy but not get caught, would she do it.

"Well, then it's not cheating, is it?" she responded. "If nobody finds out? . . . In motorsports we work in the grey areas a lot. You're trying to find where the holes are in the rule book."

She later issued an apology and said again on Thursday used the defence that she was just kidding.

"I know from now on that it's something I won't be joking about," she said.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

It will be great to have Danica in the field for the Edmonton Indy on July 26. Wouldn’t it be great if she made the Edmonton Indy her first victory in 2009?

Aussie Masters Tickets Sell Quickly, Tiger In Field

MELBOURNE, Australia - Tiger Woods' first scheduled appearance in Australia since 1998 is already paying dividends for Australian Masters organizers.

Tournament officials said Friday that premium grandstand seating on the 18th hole had sold out for every day of the Nov. 12-15 tournament at Kingston Heath.

All daily passes have been purchased for Friday's second round, and less than 10 per cent of daily passes for Sunday's fourth round remain to be sold. Organizers have placed a limit of 20,000 spectators per day on the course to ensure high security.

The Victorian state government, which is contributing to Woods' reported US$3 million appearance fee, welcomed the news of the ticket surge.

"Melbourne is the only place fans will see the world's greatest golfer compete in Australia for some time so I'm not surprised at the unprecedented level of interest," state Premier John Brumby said.

"Thousands of tickets have been sold to interstate and overseas tourists who will come to Melbourne helping to boost tourism and securing jobs for Victorians."

It will be Woods' fourth tournament appearance Down Under and first since the 1998 Presidents Cup, when the U.S. lost to the International team at Royal Melbourne.

His first visit was at the 1996 Australian Open on The Australian course in Sydney, where Woods finished tied for fifth, 12 strokes behind winner Greg Norman.

He played in the 1997 Australian Masters at Hungtingdale in Melbourne, where he finished tied for eighth in the event, seven shots behind winner Peter Lonard of Australia.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

I think if I had the chance to watch Tiger golf live, I’d snap up a ticket too. As a matter of fact, I’m going to make that one of SWIVEL HIPS’ new priorities. It looks like the $3 million appearance fee the Australian government is giving Woods is already starting to pay off.

Fans Line Up To Pay Respects To Steve McNair

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Steve McNair's pastor and close friend cautioned against judging the ex-NFL quarterback Thursday, reminding people who gathered for his memorial not to cast the first stone when talking about his life off the field.

McNair, who was married, was shot to death at his condo early Saturday by his 20-year-old girlfriend, Sahel Kazemi, who then turned the gun on herself.

"Drop your stone the next time you write about Steve McNair. Drop your stone the next time you text somebody. Drop your stone the next time you twitter.

"Drop your stone, those of you in the barbershops, the beauty shops. Those of you walking the streets on the corner, drop your stone," Bishop Joseph W. Walker III told thousands of people, among them family members, fans and more than 50 former teammates, gathered at Mount Zion Baptist Church.

"What I do know about this man was that he loved God though he was just like us: imperfect," Walked said. "But he knew God."

Among those in the audience was McNair's wife, Mechelle, who later left wearing sunglasses. Walker called her an amazing woman.

"You have inspired us all to endure hardship as a good soldier," he said.

It was her first public appearance since her husband died, and news photographers were asked not to take pictures of her or other family members.

Fans had lined up starting Thursday morning to view McNair's closed silvery-gray casket at a funeral home and later outside the church.

A helicopter provided live TV footage as McNair's body was moved by hearse, and three of four local TV stations showed the memorial service live.

McNair's casket was on display at Mount Zion Baptist Church, where he had attended services since moving to Nashville in 1997. It was flanked by a large photo of him posing with his 2003 NFL MVP award on the right and another of him holding a football on the left.

The program included a statement from the McNair family.

"Today in our loss, our hurt, and our pain we recognize our gains in you our friends and loved ones ... They have all been a source of strength and comfort at this time to our family," it read.

Titans owner Bud Adams, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean all attended.

Among those speaking was Titans coach Jeff Fisher, who recalled a hit McNair took to his chest in September 2000 that had the NFL quarterback ready to quit the game.

He was in so much pain that he spent a bye weekend with the team's former chaplain in Houston.

Then McNair, who struggled to breathe, watched his backup knocked out of the Titans' next game. Fisher said McNair looked at him, winked, tossed two passes and then drove them down the field to a game-winning touchdown.

Fisher said he caught up to McNair walking off the field that day in Pittsburgh and started to talk when the quarterback interrupted and pointed to the sky.

"No more turf toe, no more sacks. No more shoulder problems, and no more interceptions, only touchdown passes. I'm going to miss you No. 9," Fisher said.

More from Canadian Press.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

McNair was one helluva quarterback.

Witt Gets Roll In 2018 Munich Olympic Bid

MUNICH - Two-time Olympic figure skating champion Katarina Witt will have a leading role in Munich's bid for the 2018 Winter Games.

The 43-year-old Witt was presented Thursday as the head of a 23-member board of trustees for the bid. The board also includes soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer, who brought the 2006 World Cup to Germany, and former Olympic skiing champion Rosi Mittermaier.

Other members include interior minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Richard von Weizsaecker, a former German president.

Witt, a former East German, won gold in Calgary in 1988 and in Sarajevo four years earlier.

Pyeongchang, South Korea, and Annecy, France, are also in the running for the 2018 Olympics. The International Olympic Committee will choose the host in 2011.

"I promise that we in the board of trustees will do everything so that the IOC can only say in 2011: 'The Games must go to Munich,'" Witt said.

Munich is aiming to become the first city to host both the summer and winter Olympics. The 1972 Summer Games were held there.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

Katarina Witt is the main reason I started watching women’s figure skating. She had some real nice 'outfits' in the late-1980s . . .

Judge Blocks Suspensions Of Vikes Kevin, Pat Williams

MINNEAPOLIS -- A judge on Thursday blocked the NFL's plan to suspend Minnesota Vikings linemen Kevin Williams and Pat Williams for violating the league's anti-doping policy, a move their lawyer said should let them start the season.

Hennepin County District Judge Gary Larson granted the players' request for a temporary restraining order that keeps the NFL from suspending them until their case is decided. The order also prohibits the league from subjecting them to extra drug testing.

The Williamses "would suffer a significant loss of playing time" without the restraining order, the judge wrote, and they have shown "some likelihood" of winning their lawsuit.

Peter Ginsberg, a lawyer for the two players, called the order a "major victory" and said that at a minimum it should allow them to play for the early part of the upcoming season. He said it also protects them from stepped-up drug testing that they consider to be retaliation for standing up to the NFL.

The NFL had intended to enforce the players' four-game suspensions at the start of the season. The first pre-season game is Aug. 14 and the season-opener is Sept. 13 at Cleveland.

The NFL still wants to enforce the players' four-game suspensions at the start of the season. The first preseason game is Aug. 14 and the season-opener is Sept. 13 at Cleveland.

The judge also scheduled a July 22 hearing on whether he should put the state court proceedings on hold while a federal appeals court considers other issues in the case. The federal appeals process could take several months and could further delay any suspensions if Larson decides to wait.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the court order "effectively exempts" the Williamses from the league's collective bargaining agreement.

It also "illustrates the critical importance of a uniform policy for all teams in the league and why this matter should be governed exclusively by federal law," Aiello said. He said the NFL believes its federal appeal, which argues that the players' state claims are barred by the union contract, should be resolved before the start of the season.

Ginsberg said he and the Williamses are ready to go to trial. He said it wouldn't be fair to anyone to have a trial that conflicts with the season.

The defensive tackles, who are not related, tested positive last summer for a banned diuretic that can mask the presence of steroids, though they've never been accused of taking steroids. They took the weight-loss supplement StarCaps, which contained a diuretic, bumetanide, that wasn't listed on the label.

The NFL has acknowledged it knew StarCaps contained the banned drug, and the players say the NFL wrongly failed to share that information.

U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson last month dismissed most of the Williamses' original lawsuit and a related case filed by the NFL Players Association, but sent the Williamses' case back to state court to resolve two remaining claims under Minnesota law. Those claims involve whether the NFL violated the players' rights under a state law that regulates drug and alcohol testing in the workplace, and under another state law that governs disciplining employees for consuming legal products off their employer's premises during non-working hours.

The Williamses, the players union and the NFL are all appealing various parts of that order. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals has tentatively scheduled oral arguments for Aug. 18 in St. Paul.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

I think the Williams’ should forget these ‘stall tactics’ and take their punishments like men.

Ex-NFL Great Bruce Smith Convicted Of Drunk Driving

VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia -- NFL great Bruce Smith was convicted of drunken driving on Thursday by a judge who rejected his claim that old injuries, not alcohol, were responsible for his poor performance on field sobriety tests.

Smith declined to answer reporters' questions after his trial in Virginia Beach General District Court. He promptly appealed the verdict to Virginia Beach Circuit Court, which set a hearing in the case for Aug. 27.

Smith also was convicted of speeding and refusing to take an alcohol breath test. Judge Teresa McCrimmon gave Smith a 90-day suspended jail term and fined him $350 for drunken driving. She also suspended his driver's license for a year for refusing the breath test and fined him $90 for speeding.

The appeal is scheduled less than three weeks after Smith's Aug. 7 induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Smith, 46, ended a 19-year career with the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins as the NFL's all-time sacks leader. The defensive lineman played in 11 Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro selection nine times before retiring after the 2003 season.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

Is it just me, or are there a lot of former and current NFL football players getting themselves into hot water with the law these days?

Phelps Erases World Record In 100-Metre Butterfly

INDIANAPOLIS - Michael Phelps has broken the world record in the 100-metre butterfly at the U.S. national championships.

The 14-time Olympic gold medallist swam the two-lap final in 50.22 seconds at the Indiana University Natatorium on Thursday night. He lowered Ian Crocker's mark of 50.40 set at the 2005 world championships in Montreal.

Phelps had once owned the 100 fly mark for a day at the 2003 world meet in Barcelona. But Crocker took it from him a day later, then lowered it twice more.

Phelps' victory gave him a spot in the event at the world championships later this month in Rome. He already qualified in the 200 fly and 200 freestyle as he continues his transformation from swimming middle distances to sprints.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

Ho, hum . . . another world record bites the dust, courtesy of Michael Phelps.

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TSN 25: The Trade That Shocked The Nation

In honour of TSN's 25th Anniversary, TSN.ca is taking a look at some of the top sports stories over the last 25 years. Next up, the Edmonton Oilers' trade of Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings.

On August 9, 1988, Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington shocked the sporting world when he traded superstar centre Wayne Gretzky, along with defenceman Marty McSorley and left winger Mike Krushelnyski to the Los Angeles Kings for centre Jimmy Carson, left winger Martin Gelinas, three first-round draft picks (in 1989, 1991 and 1993) and $15-million in cash.

The trade sent shockwaves through the sporting world. Not since Babe Ruth had the best player in the game been sold off in his prime and the fan outrage was immediate; not just from Oilers fans, but from Canadian hockey fans in general, who felt that a national treasure was being lost as a result of the trade.

In the aftermath of the deal, Gretzky's wife, actress Janet Jones, who Gretzky had married in an extravagant ceremony less than a month before, was labeled as the Yoko Ono to Wayne's John Lennon; the public assuming that Jones was responsible for pulling Gretzky away from his team in Edmonton and down to Hollywood, a location that was more advantageous to her career.

In hindsight, economics were at the heart of this trade, as Pocklington was swimming in debt and knew that selling Gretzky, his most valuable asset, could help him in that respect.

Conversely, Kings owner Bruce McNall was a mover and shaker in NHL circles and saw the potential of Gretzky as an investment. (Of course, McNall had his own financial troubles, but those wouldn't come to light until years later.)

The fallout of the Gretzky trade has, not surprisingly, been dramatic.

One of the obvious realizations that came out of the Gretzky trade is the knowledge that if the best player in the league can be traded, then anyone could be moved.

"There's no player in any sport that isn't trade bait," said McNall, and that principle now comes up seemingly every year as high-profile players simply can't dismiss the thought that they could be traded.

After all, if Wayne Gretzky could be traded, it takes a special kind of audacity to think that would make a current player exempt from that same kind of treatment and that may, in some small way, be the incentive for so many current NHL players to seek no-trade or no-movement clauses in their contracts.

Perhaps the most notable long-term result of the Gretzky trade was providing the impetus for the NHL's southern expansion, with new teams in Anaheim, San Jose, Dallas, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Florida, Atlanta, Nashville and Phoenix all owing some measure of thanks for their existence in the league to the profile that The Great One brought to hockey in Southern California.

"I remember the first weekend I was in L.A.," Gretzky told TSN. "I was going by these tennis courts and I stopped the car and told my friend, 'If we were in Canada, people would be playing inline and ball hockey here.' A year later there was a sign on the fence that read, 'No Inline Hockey Allowed.' It's come a long way; there are minor hockey teams in California now and in Arizona that can compete with the top teams in Canada and they're very good. There aren't as many, but we are getting to that point."

While the success of the southern expansion is certainly fair game for debate, there's no denying that Gretzky's impact in L.A. was the reason it has gained any traction whatsoever.

The trade of Wayne Gretzky, just months after the league's best player led his team to its fourth Stanley Cup championship, also disillusioned Canadian sports fans to the point that it could be considered the sporting equivalent of the JFK Assassination a generation before - everyone seemed to recall where they were when the heard the news.

For all the major trades that have occurred in sports over the last 25 years, there isn't another that comes close to resonating the same way for so many people.

So, where were you when you found out about the Gretzky trade? How did it make you feel? What has been the long-term effect? Have your say using the Your Call feature.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

I’ll never forget where I was on that day.

Joe Sakic Retires After 20 NHL Seasons

DENVER - Stoic Joe Sakic finally cracked, allowing for a rare show of emotion.

Delivering a speech that had kept him up most of the night fretting, the longtime Colorado Avalanche captain broke down, his voice betraying him as he stared into a room packed with family, friends and teammates -- even the governor of the state.

Sakic officially hung up his skates Thursday, ending his standout 20-year career. Try as he might, he simply couldn't get through his prepared speech without choking up.

"So many great memories," Sakic said, fighting back tears.

The pride of Burnaby, B.C., Sakic had hoped to play one more season, possibly culminating his career by suiting up for Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

His body simply wouldn't allow it.

Sakic missed most of the 2008-09 season with an aching back that required surgery to repair a herniated disk. He tried to make his way back onto the ice before the end of the season, but couldn't.

That's when he suspected his career was finished.

"I didn't think I could be the player I wanted to be," said the 40-year-old Sakic, who has been the face of the franchise since the team moved to Denver in 1995. "I always said to myself that the minute I thought I'd slipped, and not be the player I wanted to be, it was time for me to go."

Sakic announced his retirement in the same room of a Denver hotel where John Elway did. Only fitting, since both were icons in the Mile High City.

"We can't put into words what he meant to this franchise and to our hockey fans," Avalanche president Pierre Lacroix said.

Sakic's No. 19 sweater will also be retired, getting raised to the Pepsi Centre rafters during a ceremony at the season opener, which is not yet scheduled.

It will be just the third in the 14-year history of the Avalanche, joining Patrick Roy (33) and Ray Bourque (77). The organization also retired four when they were the Quebec Nordiques.

"He's such a great leader. He made the team top-notch," Paul Stastny said.

Sakic once played alongside Paul Stastny's father, Peter, the two on the same power-play unit in Quebec.

"He was a complete player and one of the greatest in history," Peter Stastny said in a statement.

Sakic certainly had an impressive resume.

He wore the captain's "C" for 16 straight seasons and guided the team to Stanley Cup titles in 1996 and 2001, won league MVP honours in 2001, was a 13-time all-star and led Canada to an Olympic gold medal in 2002.

Sakic also won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship in 2001, showing his true character by handing the Stanley Cup over to Bourque after winning the title and letting the longtime defenseman hoist the trophy.

It was a moment that friend and longtime teammate Adam Foote mentioned in his speech Thursday.

"A humble superstar that you are, you stood back, you let a gray-bearded, 22-year seasoned veteran, who was waiting patiently like a young boy on Christmas morning, hoist his first Stanley Cup," Foote said.

"That class act of yours might go down in history as one of the NHL's most memorable moments that united the entire hockey world."

Foote will remember Sakic as much for his class as his clutch play on the ice.

So will Lacroix, who choked up repeatedly when giving his speech. Sakic waited to announce his retirement until Lacroix was healed following complications from a knee replacement surgery.

"My family and I are privileged to know you. We're better people because of that," Lacroix said. "You make everyone around you so much better."

Known for his lethal wrist shot and precision passing, Sakic leaves the game among the NHL's career scoring leaders. He's eighth in points (1,641), 11th in assists (1,016) and 14th in goals (625).

He was never an intimidating presence -- he's only five-foot-11 and 195 pounds -- but made up for it with determination and intelligence.

There are only four players in league history that have scored more points with one franchise than Sakic: Gordie Howe (1,809) and Steve Yzerman (1,755) with Detroit, Mario Lemieux with Pittsburgh (1,723) and Wayne Gretzky with Edmonton (1,669).

Sakic was originally taken by Quebec with the 15th pick in the 1987 draft. He made his NHL debut on Oct. 6, 1988, picking up his first assist against the then Hartford Whalers. Two nights later against New Jersey, he scored his first goal.

That would be a familiar occurrence for the quiet superstar.

"I'm sad to see him leave the game," former teammate Peter Forsberg said in a statement. "I'm glad I got the chance to play alongside him for many years ... He's a very classy person and a great team leader."

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

What a classy guy and what a great leader.