PARANORMAL EXPLANATION FOR WHY BLUE JAYS WERE DOOMED IN '06

(Yes, Deadspin is all over The Daily Show's Carl Monday send-up. And Monday retaliated.)

Items for your Friday afternoon:

• Batter's Box has a somewhat paranormal explanation for what went wrong with the Blue Jays, whom ultimately are going to end up about 8, 9 wins shy of a playoff spot.
• Another Gretzky may be trying his hand at politics: Wayne's brother Glen is rumoured to be running for mayor of Brantford. What's really amazing, though, is that the intrepid Brantford Expositor editors didn't catch the misspelling "Gretkzy" midway through the story. Granted, it's not like you should know how to spell the name of the most famous Canadian alive just because you work in his hometown. (The Expositor does show some odd news values when The Great One's family is concerned. By the way, an uncle of Wayne's, Al Gretzky, ran unsuccessfully in the January federal election.)
• As the great Henry (Gizmo) Williams prepares for induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, yours truly remembers his abortive 1989 NFL stint with the Philadelphia Eagles. In hindsight, it pointed out what a killjoy sport football south of the border can be; the NFL back then just had no place for little guy with crazy moves, unless he was Barry Sanders, who was on another level entirely. In Canada, though, Williams was practically a force of nature.
• Well, at least he wouldn't need to buy new undershirts: The Baltimore Sun's unfortunately named Peter Schmuck says, tongue in cheek, the Orioles should sign Barry Bonds... "The Orioles are one of the few franchises in baseball that would not damage its national reputation by signing the insufferable slugger." If not the Orioles, then who else is there? The Devil Rays? (Via Baseball Musings.)
• Baseball geeks, keep Buck O'Neil in your thoughts. The Negro Leagues icon, 94 years young, is in hospital and his friends are very concerned.
• Thanks again to Deadspin for linking to this a.m.'s post, Colbert Report In Hockey Spirit.
• Having an average weekend: With the Kingston Frontenacs now No. 2 in the Canadian Hockey League rankings, yours truly plans to check out his hometown team on Sunday against the Ottawa 67's.

Back with more later. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.