racingmeridian.com

Does Amanda Rodrigues, wife of the late Arturo Gatti, now claim the pugilist’s considerable financial assets? Early reports had Rodrigues literally “luring” Gatti to Brazil on the pretence of reviving their relationship. Looks like she knew what she was doing. The contrast between the initial police report, which lead police to arrest and imprison the women, and the autopsy results, which introduced the concept that the body had been “suspended”, are so stark and alarming that the integrity of the Brazilian process must be questioned…one of the saddest aspects of the Gatti case is the recollection of friends and family of their adamant opposition to his marrying the Brazilian. Loved ones pleaded with Gatti to take a pass. I don’t know why, in affairs of the heart, we tend to ignore the advice of those who care for us…I don’t believe many of the mob stories that circulate through society’s casual conversations. I believe the Sopranos and the Godfather are works of fiction. I noted that snitch Sammy “The Bull” Gravano left the witness protection program and lived unmolested until he chose to return to a life of crime. But, I’ll tell you, I have a passing knowledge of some of the people who moved in Gatti’s social circle and I think at some point, not this week, not next month, probably not even this year, but at some point, Ms Rodrigues will find herself “sorted”…did Lorne Rubenstein, golf columnist for the Globe and Mail, really go there? In Wednesday’s column, a petty, churlish condemnation of Tiger Woods recurring tantrums, Rubenstein wrote an account of a child tossing his club after botching a shot. When his father questioned the actions, the kid replied it was okay because Woods did it. Rubenstein professes horror at the corruption of the young fellow. Gosh, it’s all about the children. It’s all about being a role model. Woods must stop his antics or the young all across the world will be emulating his histrionics. The Globe should surely expect a more robust line of reasoning from one of their scribes…dumbest column of the week, however, is safely awarded to Vinay Menon of the Toronto Star. In a diatribe of breathtaking stupidity, Menon explained why he was withdrawing his support from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Huh? Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment have handed finally put a hockey man in charge of their operations and Menon decides now is the appropriate time to bail? The writer claims to be a Leaf die hard but it simply is not credible to have hung with the Buds through the distasteful Ferguson Jr/Peddie years and now, as sunlight drenches the blessed crest, to take ones leave. Well, unless you’re a phony…I am the Prodigal Son, returning to Leaf Land after a long sojourn abroad. I will eat the calf, drink the wine, rejoice and revel in the new regime. The evildoers have been usurped and Brian Burke shall deliver us our enemies on a cold white slab of ice…one QB never mentioned  among the NFL’s elite is David Garrard of the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaggies signed him to a big bucks deal in 2007 and have been underwhelmed by his subsequent production. Your position on Jacksonville this year really boils down to an assessment of Garrards ability to return to his stellar 2007 form. If he can’t, these cats are going to drown…get ready for the Dallas Runnin’ Cowboys. Reports indicate the Boys will look to minimize Tony Romo’s aerial assaults by utilizing a bone crushing ground game. With Coach Wade Phillip’s job on the line, it is very interesting that he is opting to take responsibility away from Romo…the Boston Red Sox 2004 World Series win now looks to have been propelled by a pair of drug cheats; Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz. I can guarantee you the sports loving world is going to be eagerly anticipating ESPN columnist Bill Simmons take on this turn of events. Has the purity of that wonderful moment been sullied to the point of being irredeemable? Or do people blithely mumble, hey, everyone of consequence was juiced, so who cares?… the Boston Globe on Ortiz, “It seems safe to say his entire career with the Red Sox is a lie”…Sultan Ibragimov, the tubby guy who engaged in one of the worst heavyweight title fights in history last year, has decided to retire. Ibragimov lost a 12 round decision to Vladimir Klitschko in a fight where the combatants mainly used extended arms to slap at each others fists. Boxing won’t miss him…Rachel Alexandra meets Belmont Stake winner Summer Bird in Sundays Haskell Invitational. The mile and an eighth distance means the wonder filly will be very difficult to run down…