WHERE'D THE YEAR GO... AUGUST

As 2006 draws to a close, we are reminded of a few of the events that brought us closer to you: Dick Cheney shooting a guy in the face, premium ice cream price wars, dogs that were mistakenly issued major credit cards, and others who weren't so lucky ... In our continuing quest to secure a lower rung on the inferno, Out of Left Field looks back at the wild 'n' nutty month of August.

Ross Rebagliati apparently thinks a stoner snowboarder character on a TV show is based on him. Yeah. He's the only one out there.

That's what you like to read about: A sketchy character such as David Frost (the agent for imprisoned former NHLer Mike Danton) being involved with a juice bar in your hometown.

If there's a God, Lloyd Eisler will one day find out if there's ice dancing in hell.

Greg Marshall, welcome back to CIS football... but Western's bigger athletics budget and (ahem) admissions requirements won't save you from getting your ass handed to you by the Queen's Golden Gaels. (You know we're all friends, right Mustangs? I mean, we belong to the same country clubs, metaphorically speaking.)

The Colbert Report takes a shine to the OHL's Saginaw Spirit. Surely this just a passing fancy.

Ah, New York baseball sex scandals. And meet Ryan Leli, the apparent long-lost son of Jerry Seinfeld who's met every celebrity except Jerry Seinfeld.... and got busted for allegedly impersonating a journalist. As D.C. Sports Chick noted, 'There aren't many guys who are shorter than Tom Cruise!"

OK, so the Green Bay Packers didn't finish dead last and they went on to sweep the Vikings this year. The Mean Girls analogy used in the NFC Norris preview still stands.

Good thing that Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby came out the very weekend the Blue Jays faded from the wild-card race, because the laughs came in handy.

If NHL players should be really PO'd after this season, Al Strachan did warn us about it.

Apparently, it's not a steroid scandal if the NFL's involved.

The Ottawa Lynx are going-going-gone, but all hope is not lost that Ottawa could support some form of minor-league baseball.

Hey, someone had to stand up for those poor-sport Little League coaches in Utah.

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.