12/21/24
September 06, 2009
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
Canadian [NHL] teams scramble as U.S.A. bans their charter air flights.
OTTAWA -- Canada's six NHL teams are scrambling to find alternative travel arrangements south of the border after the U.S. Department of Transportation banned Air Canada's charter fleet from flying between U.S. cities.
In a furious exchange with the Obama administration over the mid-August ruling, Canada has launched its own investigation and will soon close its skies to U.S. sports team charters in retaliation, warns Transport Minister John Baird.
posted by rumple at 10:52 AM on September 06, 2009
Adding to rumple's post: - Air Canada ban by U.S. leaves NHL teams angry, panicked - A really great forum thread on this topic
posted by NoMich at 11:53 AM on September 06, 2009
Dang it. The two links should each be on their own line. That's the way it previewed.
posted by NoMich at 12:09 PM on September 06, 2009
Maradona was always a strange choice as manager to me. His post-playing days life has been, well, wacky and his team selection no less strange. As one pundit put it, he seems to be out to prove that the players who stay home are as good as those who go to Europe. If the Albicelestes do not get three points at Paraguay Wednesday I'll give good odds for his dismissal.
posted by billsaysthis at 01:06 PM on September 06, 2009
I think banning the US teams up here is going to hurt us more than them.
posted by Drood at 05:03 PM on September 06, 2009
Good to hear that Canadian charter flights were the REAL cause of the economic crash. Very relieved that's settled. Now, I'm off to pick up a few sub-prime mortgages!
In other news, Little Randy Ruiz becomes the first player in baseball history to be named PCL MVP and beaned in the face on the very same day.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 06:26 PM on September 06, 2009
In other news, Little Randy Ruiz becomes the first player in baseball history to be named PCL MVP and beaned in the face on the very same day.
That must be the first time Little & Randy Ruiz have been used in the same sentence since he was 11 .
posted by tommybiden at 07:32 PM on September 06, 2009
In international soccer news, USA won 2-1 against El Salvador last night (SpoFi discussion here), and Argentina didn't help their qualification cause by losing 3-1 to Brazil (minute-by minute report here). With three matches left in South American qualification, Argentina is fourth with 22 points, safe at the moment (top four auto-qualify, fifth goes to playoff), but with Colombia and Ecuador both breathing down their collective neck with 20 points apiece, they're nowhere near safe. Their last three matches are home to Peru (last in group) and away to Paraguay (3rd in group) and Uruguay (7th in group).