The Link Train: Where the bell tolls for thee

Welcome to the final edition of The Link Train for this week. It will return Monday, so feel free to send me anything you come across this weekend, either in the comments or via Twitter, Facebook or e-mail. I'll also be live-blogging the B.C. Lions - Winnipeg Blue Bombers game here tonight at 7:30 p.m. Pacific (4:30 p.m. Eastern), so come join me then!

Video of the Day: Metallica - For Whom The Bell Tolls




This is a classic. It's tough to go wrong with a song based on my favourite Hemingway novel, and this one is a perfect combination of the best parts of metal; a thumping bass line, killer guitar riffs, a solid drum beat and a generally dark but meaningful overall feel. One of Metallica's best in my mind, and they've had a lot of good ones over the years.

My Links:

- A piece on Ryan Kesler, David Backes, the American Olympic hockey team and why you might not want to insult the wives of future teammates [Canuck Puck].

- My story on Jimmy Camazzolla, who's played in the BCJHL, the WHL, the AHL and the NHL, as well as leagues in Germany and Italy. He's the new coach of the Junior B Delta Ice Hawks [South Delta Leader].

The Best of the Intertubes:

Football:

- Jack Bedell breaks down tonight's CFL games [The Red Zone].

- B.C. Lions Den writer Vanya Tucherov weighs in on what it's like to follow the CFL from the States [CFL.ca].

- Richard Zussman previews the University of Saskatchewan Huskies [The CIS Blog].

- Steve Sheiner (who I interviewed earlier this month) has some good thoughts from Dolphins' training camp [Blog With A Porpoise].

- Brad Gagnon has an interesting piece on the new-look Buccaneers [Goal-Line Stand].

- Hustler of Culture looks at the Dallas Cowboys [Style Points].


Baseball:

- Jonah Keri makes the case for Joe Mauer, AL MVP, and looks at the NL MVP race [jonahkeri.com].

- Matt Clapp on how the Cubs should try Angel Guzman at closer [The Friendly Blogfines].

- Eyebleaf looks at the increasing success enjoyed by wealthy MLB teams [Sports and the City].

- Drew Fairservice on how poor the Blue Jays are defensively these days (partly thanks to the departure of the amazing Scott Rolen and the decent Alex Rios, which I panned here and here) [Ghostrunner on First].

- Ian Hunter takes another look at Brandon League vs. Jesse Carlson [Blue Jay Hunter].


Soccer:

- Steven Cohen has decided to end World Soccer Daily after a boycott campaign [Last Minute, Second Leg].

- A statement on the matter by the Liverpool Football Club New York, which led the boycott [Empire of the Kop].

- Landon Donovan to France? [Jason Davis, Match Fit USA]

- thefuseproject previews this weekend's MLS games [Avoiding The Drop].

- Duane Rollins looks back at Canada's failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup and what it all means [The 24th Minute].


Hockey:

- Erin Nicks weighs in on Dany Heatley's press conference and his demands for options, attention and pancakes. Made me think of this video [The Universal Cynic].

- Vance on the differing perceptions of this year's Sabres [Double-Edged Sabres].

- James Mirtle on the comments on character flying back and forth in the Coyotes/Balsillie case [From The Rink].


Basketball:

- Henry Abbott on the LeBron-Shaq dynamics in Cleveland [TrueHoop].

- Steve Nash: also good at Who Wants To Be A Millionaire [J.E. Skeets, Ball Don't Lie].

- John Stockton: Hall-of-Fame inductee, but still unrecognized [A Stern Warning].


Other Sports:

- Matt Clapp on why his blog's namesake isn't quitting tennis or becoming irrelevant any time soon [Sharapova's Thigh].

- Tiger Woods' real feelings about losing [The Gally Blog].