Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 9/5/2012 (3175 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
FORMER Winnipeg Blue Bomber middle linebacker Joe Lobendahn appears set to join the Calgary Stampeders.
According to the Calgary Herald Wednesday afternoon, Lobendahn was on the verge of inking a deal with the Stamps in time for training camp -- pending the results of a physical.
Joe Lobendahn
The 29-year-old passed the physical, he said, but as of Wednesday night had not signd with the team.
"It went well. I'm just keeping my options open right now," Lobendahn said, reluctant to discuss details on the negotiations with the Stamps or why the two sides haven't come to an agreement. "I feel good. We're talking... we'll see what happens next."
The hang-up in contract discussions, one suspects, is money. With his veteran status, Lobendahn would stand to collect his salary even if he were to go down with an injury during camp. Lobendahn has had three separate surgeries on the same knee, the latest coming after tearing his ACL in the Banjo Bowl last season.
Graves boosts rugby team
TRANSPLANTED Winnipegger Evan Graves helped Shawnigan Lake (B.C.) school to Canada's best-ever finish at the Sanix World Rugby Youth Tournament in Japan.
CP
Tim Finchem
The invitational event featured 16 teams from the around the world and Shawnigan Lake finished 10th after recording four victories in six matches. No Canadian squad at the tournament has ever won more than once.
One of the school's victories was a milestone 17-15 decision over the eventual tournament champions, Kelston Boys High School of New Zealand.
Shawnigan Lake won two of its three pool matches but placed third in the pool standings.
Graves, born and raised in Winnipeg, played for the U16 team in Manitoba and also captained the U18 team at the national championship.
Masters staying put
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said Wednesday the Masters is "too important" for the tour to take it off its official schedule, even though Augusta National has never had a female member in its 80-year history.
"We have concluded a number of times now -- and we have certainly not moved off of this -- that we are not going to give up the Masters as a tournament on our tour," Finchem said. "It's too important. And so at the end of the day, the membership of that club have to determine their membership. They are not doing anything illegal."
Finchem spoke at a news conference that featured The First Tee announcing a new corporate partner. The First Tee tries to attract kids of diverse backgrounds to golf.
The tour policy is not to co-sanction a tournament played on a golf course that does not allow women or minority members. Among the courses it lost when the policy was created included Cypress Point in California and Butler National outside Chicago.
The tour does not run the Masters or any of the other three majors.
Finchem said because the tour does not have a contract with the Masters, it has no leverage to enforce tour policies.
"We can choose to recognize them or not," Finchem said. "We feel like it is overly important for us as a sport that that tournament, which is so important to the history of the game, continue to be part of the PGA Tour. So we made that decision."
NFL disappoints lineman
NEW ORLEANS -- Suspended former Saints defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove says he's disappointed his sworn statement regarding the NFL's bounty investigation was leaked.
Hargrove said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press Wednesday by his agent Phil Williams that he hoped the NFL would not discuss the signed declaration publicly.
Hargrove says the NFL "grossly mischaracterized" his words, which made the declaration a "hot item" that was subsequently leaked to media.
Hargrove's sworn declaration explains how ex-Saints defensive co-ordinator Gregg Williams and current assistant head coach Joe Vitt told him to deny the existence of a bounty program in New Orleans when he was interviewed by NFL investigators in March 2010.