Xavier wins Shootout over Bearcats

Missed a few days when things were slow,so lets clean up a bit today.

The New Jersey Devils lost in Washington to the Capitals 3-2 on Monday.
It was a Kevin Weekes start in goal,so to a certain degree,one doesn't expect to win the backup starts anyway.
However,the Devils scored early on a John Madden (8) goal.
Cannot tell you much about it as a video miscue caused the tape to start 10 minutes (game time) into the game,but the Capitals pretty much controlled all but a few minutes of the game that I watched.
The only Devil flurry came in the middle of the third after David Clarkson trimmed the margin to the eventual final of 3-2 with his 4th goal of the season.
After that,the Devils played better,but were unable to tie the game.
New Jersey travels to Boston for a battle with the Bruins tonight at 7.

I don't watch nearly as much basketball as used to,so the coverage here will be sporadic.
Actually outside of Maryland,Xavier,Ohio State and Wake Forest,I hardly watch any until the conference tournaments.
So last night,I settled in to watch probably my favorite regular season rivalry between Xavier and Cincinnati.
As a big Musketeer fan (my dining room is painted in Muskie Blue),my loyalty is clear,even though I do not dislike UC at all.
Actually I have no problems with the Bearcats,which is likely blasphemy to the average Muskie fan!
Anyway,in a closer game than expected,Xavier took home the win 64-59.
The first half was very sloppy by both teams,but the second half was as good as it gets.
Between lead changes,Up tempo basketball,technical fouls and both teams losing a starter to injury-there was not much missing from the second half.
But in the end,the 17th ranked Musketeers had one thing the Bearcats did not in Derrick Brown.
Brown was the difference in the end with 11 of his career high 17 points coming down the stretch to enable Xavier to pull away in the waning minutes and improve to 8-1 on the season.
Fun game to watch and be looking for more Musketeer coverage as the season permits.

The Crosstown Shootout is always sponsored by Skyline Chili and if Skyline wants to get into the ad business on the blogosphere,they can feel free to start here!
We would be more than willing to deal in product for the sponsorship!
We can see it now=Thoughts of RS brought to you by Skyline Chili............

The Orioles had the right idea in dealing the faded and high priced Miguel Tejada.
And it always is an added bonus when you deal him to the other league,but only 1 player seems to have huge potential of the 5 players that they acquired from Houston yesterday.
So basically,the Orioles may have botched yet another personnel move.
Of course,less than two years ago,they could received Roy Oswalt for Tejada.
One can see that this package was worth the wait (eye roll here).
Luke Scott could be a helpful fly-chaser next season and I do like lefty Troy Patton a lot.
Third sacker Mike Costanzo (who the Astros just picked up in the last month) needs more minor time,but could be a 25 homer man,while pitchers Matt Albers and Dennis Sarfate have question marks.
Albers does not strike me as special,but Sarfate has a great arm,but little control of it.
Nice try by the Orioles,but the jury is still out on this one.

Texas added former Cleveland first baseman Ben Broussard for minor leaguer Tug Hulett.
Seems like a nice pickup for the Rangers for a reasonable cost.

Cannot say the same for the San Francisco Giants in their signing of Aaron Rowand.
I like Rowand a lot as a player,but 5 years and 60 million?
And his power numbers by the Bay will not be near what they were in the hitter friendly Philadelphia park.
I see the desperation by the Giants to add a bat to their weak lineup,but long term-they might regret this one.

But on the topic of 12 million a year outfielders,at least Rowand has a track record.
The Chicago Cubs gave Kosuke Fukudome the same 12 million per year as Rowand,but over 4 years to patrol right field for them.
The lefty swinger could be cheap or over priced.
When it comes to Japanese players,one always gambles.
We will try to find out more on Fukudome.

The Angels (no long name for us) declined to tender once hot prospect Dallas McPherson a contract and made him a free agent.
McPherson missed all of 2007 with a bad back,but is the type of player that at low risk and cost that Neal Huntington and the Pirates should be taking a look at.

Purchased the DVD on World Class Championship Wrestling and I will post a review on it here on an upcoming slow day.

On the signing front-2 EBAY purchases for reasonable prices in
former Cleveland Cavalier World B.Free and current WWE Champ Randy Orton.

Back tomorrow with Devils-Bruins.

Photo Credits
Hockey-Nick Wass-AP Photo
Brown-Bruce Crippen-Cincinnati Post