andPOP » Sports

Lil’ Wayne Starts His Own Sports Show

andPOP Staff — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:45:56 +0000

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Lil Wayne is expanding his empire even further with a sports show. The weekly talk show will be called ”Weezy’s Sports Corner.”

“I don’t know if you’re familiar, but when I was locked up, I was blogging,” he says in his announcement video.

The show will be unscripted conversation about sports, with other sports personalities each week as panelists.

Do you think Weezy knows anything about sports?

WEEZY’s SPORTS CORNER 12/24/11 1 OF 7 from DERICK G on Vimeo.

David and Victoria Beckham Expecting a Girl

Christian Allaire — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:45:39 +0000

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David and Victoria Beckham are welcoming a baby girl into their family, a source tells Perez Hilton. The two stars have three boys, Brooklyn, 12, Romeo, eight, and Cruz, six, but will welcome their first daughter into the family. I have no doubt in my mind that Victoria will dress her in Chanel and Prada baby clothes.

David made the announcement at an LA Galaxy press conference on Friday, March 11. Earlier, on Wednesday, David made a visit to the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital and said his wife is feeling good in her fifth month of pregnancy.

“She’s great, she’s very healthy. She’s feeling good. She’s in London at the moment working,” the Daily Mail quoted David. ”We’re very excited. It’s an exciting time for the family,” he added.

I’m so happy that they got a girl, I’m betting they really wanted one to balance out their three younger boys. Every parent says “oh, it doesn’t matter what sex it is!” but I know they are lying. Victoria, without a doubt, wants a little girl to dress up and go shopping with. I can just imagine the luxurious and brand-filled closet that little girl will have. Either that, or the daughter will be a true daddy’s girl and be into sports. Then, she will have the best coach to help her improve her game. So either way, it’s a win-win for this baby!

Victoria hardly looks pregnant, though. I mean – she’s in her fifth month of pregnancy and has only the slightest bump (if you can call it that). I don’t understand, does she not eat? Is this pregnancy a scam? Put on some weight, posh, it’s in style to have a belly during pregnancy!

Mark Wahlberg Produces a New Comedy

Megan MacKay — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:55:50 +0000

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It looks like Entourage producer Mark Wahlberg stopped talking to animals long enough to make a new comedy pilot!

The project, called Home Game, was purchased by mega network CBS and should launch into production soon. The show is loosely based on the life of the show’s co-producter, Superbowl vet and NFL pro Mark Schlereth.

Sports! Comedy! Together! Very inventive Mr. Wahlberg. Say hi to your mother for me, ok?

Any thoughts on the new pilot? Is this a money grab on Wahlberg’s part or do you think the show actually stands a chance?

John Mayer – Apparently Not A Fan of Sports or LeBron James

andPOP Staff — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:13:05 +0000

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John Mayer was stopped by TMZ camera guys where they started talking about sports and LeBron James. It turns out John is not that big of a sports fan.

“I play music … we don’t like sports … we got beat up by guys like LeBron James.”

He also claims to fake interest in sports regularly when around “alpha males.”

And even though he talks a big game, John also told TMZ, “Whatever the next sport is, I’ll pretend like I know that too.”

Game Review: NHL 2K10

sarge-ak47 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:49:52 +0000

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The Play offs have started.

The last hockey game I bought for full price was Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey for the N64, since then I haven’t really fallen in love with any new hockey games. Sure, I’ve played my share but nothing has captured the frenzy of the old hockey games and has left me wondering if maybe my expectations are a bit too high. No, I haven’t been under a rock or anything, I’ve played and kept up to date on the newer NHL games but nothing has really stood out enough for me to merit a purchase.

When talks were brewing about NHL 2K10 utilizing the Wii Motion Plus accessory I was really excited to see how evolutionary this title might turn out to be. This excitement was due to the fact that the last sports title I played that utilized the Motion Plus was the excellent Tiger Woods 10. In the end it’s the actual utilization of this little gizmo that will either make or break this title.

So does NHL 2k10 have what it takes?

Gameplay
I’m rather glad that we have this healthy competition going for NHL games. When two or more developers take on a sport you really get to see the creativity come out in each iteration. Where I would call the “other developer” one that goes to fine tuning the gameplay experience, I will give 2K the edge in providing sheer value. Bonus points for 2K for being first to bring hockey to the Wii. What clearly separates the 2K series in the end is its pick up and play arcade-like feel, where as I find the other hockey game out there has become more of a hockey simulator. Now don’t get me wrong, if you feel that the sim approach is what you love then you can certainly replicate that here. One of the features is the ability to tweak every aspect of the game (the 2k sliders) which makes the 2K10 a more robust offering.

Score!!!

In terms of modes you have your normal assortments- starting with season mode, franchise, mini rink, play offs, online, and pond hockey. With the option of having a no hassle quick match online or off, things are kept simple for those of us who might be overwhelmed with the options. There is even a mode to have your Mii become a seasoned hockey player. The actual bevy of play modes are sure to keep the fans of the sport hooked. The game does a great job of offering an auto sign in option the moment the disc is booted but despite all its intentions I found match making to be a frustrating waiting game almost any time of the day. I suppose the real blame lies in the fact that a large majority of Wii owners are not online nor divulging their attention to other fine games on the platform. Elaborating on the Mii integration the title offers themed motion controlled games that focus on the actual play mechanics of hockey. Modes that showcase goalie skills, shoot outs, passing, and dekeing get their own motion controlled challenge. I hate to call any of these mini games since they are far from a party offering; the reason being most of these motion controls are not as simple to grasp and master as you would want for a mini game. Add in also the fact that really there are just 5 different types of games that don’t beckon multiple replays. I know we all hate mini games as a stand alone concept but I believe almost any sports game on the Wii could benefit from a couple of light party style mini games thrown for variety online or off. Online wise there is nothing better than having a league match where you control just one player. Having ten people play with you is a rare achievement in online hockey. It’s a shame though that the Wii Speak isn’t being bundled with this game since most people online are mute.

What this title lacks in the game play department is a true identity, it begins as an arcady experience that tries to dive into sim territory with somewhat fair motion controls. It’s a decent effort but nothing really revolutionary let alone evolutionary. The real drawback is that the package is almost identical to the other consoles offerings save for the small Mii features and that just won’t do.

The controls require the use of a nunchuck as expected with the alternate option going to the classic controller. New this year is the Wii Motion Plus which technically should offer added precision and take this game to exciting heights.
The key word there was “should” since the application of the Motion Plus peripheral is a mixed bag. Flicking the controller to pass is horrendously inaccurate and trying to poke check and tackle someone by thrusting the controller feels ridiculous. What they did manage to nail is the goalie controls that have you face the Wiimote and nunchuck at each other to stop some speedy shots. Granted it’s not as fast of a reaction time as I would have wanted but does the job well. Taking a shot however feels amazing, the further you draw back the remote the more power you can expect to utilize. It is very subtle but just enough to make you appreciate it.

Another good application is the slight stick control you achieve by holding down on the D-pad and using the Wiimote to move your stick to evade incoming attackers. This creates a type of dekeing that is unrivaled on any console. No longer are you limited to idiotic button presses, now your control of the puck is all in your wrists. These applications are far from excellent but do lay out the framework which should help create a more immersible experience next year. The rest of the controls are fairly well laid out with movement allocated to the control stick while shooting and passing respectively being kept to the A and B buttons; finally turbo and backward skating are assigned to Z and C. With respects to passing and shooting you still have to hold the button down and flick the Wiimote to complete the move, honestly I would recommend you turn on pointer passing for your offline sessions since it feels more like an evolution than the motion controls.

At the end of the day it seems like the game really can be played with the same level of immersion without the Motion Plus however the dekeing controls are just so delightful that you might as well try it for yourself.

Now motion plus enhanced.

For the next iteration they should focus on the soccer control blue print ala the fine Winning Eleven series. There are small elements of that here such as pointer passes but unless they treat this sport for what it is (fast paced strategic game play) these problems may repeat year after year.

I will warn you about the Wii Speak utilization, the peripheral is tied to a 16 digit code so go ahead and invest in it. Chatting during a game is smooth and the Wii Speak channel gives you all that in-game access. You’re never really disconnected at any point during team selection to the moment the puck drops. The best moment seems to be when you’re in an online 10 player league match and then are sent to the box to chat with your rival for fighting. Online hockey deserves voice chat! It’s a shame that the peripheral is tied so strongly to a serial code.

Graphics
Things are kept really simple here which is somewhat sad. I find it amusing where other sports titles go out of there way to push the graphical limits of the console, the only game that truly lacks behind is hockey. I’m not just speaking just of the Wii offering, I’m talking about all the console versions. We have seen football, soccer, basketball, baseball, and countless other sports improve drastically each year but the hockey games just seem to get a better reflection mapping on the ice.

Who has a Wii here and is Online??

The Wii version seems to have horrendous cut out crowds and horrible reflection maps. Players do look like the real life counter parts albeit some stiff facial animation. Moving on the positive side of things the shadow works and player animations are very impressive. In fact all those gripes are forgiven once you see and entire arena in motion. For what it’s worth the animation saves this title from looking truly last gen. Still this is a bare minimum and things need to be stepped up drastically next year.

Sound
The standard array of sound effects you’d hear in any hockey game are here. With decent crowd reactions and fairly well done commentating. I found it impressive that they do a recap at the end of each period, despite sounding a tad bit vague it’s definably an extra effort that is appreciated on the Wii. The sound effects are sharp and well done except for the post ricochet which ends up sounding a bit too loud and fake. Musically the game has a decent selection of tracks that are catchy and mainstream. Nothing like hearing Lupe Fiascos’ Superstar the moment you score the first goal.

There should be a drinking minigame in every hockey game

Replay
The sheer amount of things to do will keep you occupied for some time, with tons of modes designed to test your hockey skills. Obviously creating a well rounded online experience with leader boards insure this is an exceptional offering on the Wii. I only wish there were creative Motion Plus themed mini games designed outside the constructs of the game that were more geared towards a party expierence (I can’t believe I just wrote that). Maybe I just expected a bit too much but a good example was how Tiger Woods 10 handeled these options. It’s just about the quality of the offerings.
Another mention to the spectacular online mode despite its horrendous match making option. If you know 10 people who own a Wii (by now we all know at least 50) get them to buy this game and play as a league, I believe this is the greatest online experience on the Wii since Smash Bros. Brawl.

Verdict
NHL 2K10 is a hockey game without an identity. It dances around the fine line of arcade vs. sim without leaning to any one side. It’s a big deal they broke ground on the Wii with a more than decent effort but things need to improve as far as controls and graphics. The list of options and production values won’t win any awards but do deliver a good hockey game. If you own just a Wii and are a hockey fan then this is a must buy; however if you own any other console you might want to rent and see if the 2K series is right for you. Either way give this game some of your attention.

Gameplay          3/5
Graphics        2.5/5
Sound                  3/5
Replay                 3/5

Game Review: NHL 10

Josh Salem — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:55:27 +0000

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There are two things I have never done. 1) I have never gotten so into a sporting event that I yelled for (or at) a team or player. 2) I have never gotten so into a video game that I jumped up, yelled at the screen, and swore. NHL 10 for the Xbox 360 made me do both, and I have to admit, I liked it.

I’ve never been an emotional gamer, and I’ve never been that much into sports (then again, as a Canadian, I feel there’s a default certain level of national pride we all share with hockey), but when playing as the Toronto Maple leafs and winning 2-1 on game seven against Ottawa for the Stanley Cup and with less than 1 minute left in the third period you can’t help but get a little into it when Ottawa scores the tying goal with seconds left on the clock. Yes, I jumped up, yes my voice got loud and shrill, and yes I did say some things that would make a sailor blush. I think this was the most rewarding aspect of NHL 10, that after 17 past NHL titles, EA still has what it takes to make a casual hockey fan into a raving sports fanatic, and I didn’t see it coming.

Basically what’s new from last year to this beyond some new features such as playing the boards, first person fighting, and last ditch attempts at shots is the focus of the game, which now has a much stronger scope on the intensity and fierceness of playoffs and winning the Stanley cup.

For those new to video games, NHL 10 is a hockey simulator (more so than a game as each year passes) in which you are presented with a myriad of gaming options beyond just playing a game of hockey (oh Blades of Steel, how I miss you). How many game modes you ask? well there’s: Battle for the Cup Now Mode in which you are sent straight to the finals of the playoffs, Playoff Mode where you can take part in any type of post-season play from any of the leagues available (NHL, OHL and more), Season Mode in which you choose a league type customize your season preferences and decide if you want to take part in a fantasy draft with all new full roster control mode. We are also given one of my favourite features, Be A Pro Mode in which you create your own character and control only that player as he is drafted, trained and even sent back to the minors based on your personal performance. I found this mode to be extremely interesting as it seemed to be the most realistic, heck, if you get a penalty you have to sit in the box and watch from the side as you feel shame (Slapshots reference anyone?). Performance Tracker Mode shows off your hockey cards (bonuses and achievements… kind of), stats, and milestones related to your profile career. Tournament mode allows for 8 or 16 teams in a world tournament to see what country is the best, and apparently the Montreal Canadiens Centennial team is the one to beat. Create a Play mode allows you too… well, create a play, Practice mode gives you a minimal tutorial (sure it shows you how to play, but no matter how much I practice, I still suck at the game). Online play mode allows for multiple online variations of the game including league play, My NHL 10 mode allows you to create your own custom player, manage rosters, deal with media via the media hub, and more. My Pro mode allows you to go into the hockey shop and buy new equipment, track your performance, and edit attributes. Finally my favourite mode in the game, Be a GM Mode.

Rock'em Sock'em Hockey!

Now, as you can see, there are ALOT of ways to play NHL 10, and as my favourite is the new Be a GM Mode I guess you can decipher that I’m just not that good at the actual hockey playing. I can hold my own (in rookie mode), but for the life of me I rarely ever score goals. In comparison to other sports GM modes however, I found NHL 10′s to be lacking, aside from making trades with your Blackberries (the higher your rank, the more Blackberries you get to use) and drafting there really isn’t much more else involved, you can increase your employee stats but from what I found in the 5 years of being a GM, it doesn’t really make a difference. The good news though, is that if I become the GM of the Maple Leafs, they will win the Stanley Cup in 2014!

We’re not here to read all about the different modes and what I thought of them though, we’re here for hockey! so lets talk about how it actually plays out. The default controls are intuitive, left stick controls your skates, right controls your stick for easy deking and aiming shots. If it gets a little complicated there are many other control schemes to choose from, my alternative favourite being NHL ’94 mode with the only buttons being B to shoot (or check) and A to pass (or switch players), simple. Now otherwise the only other control schemes I think worth talking about in this review would be the wall play and fighting. Wall play if you have the puck and are near the wall push Y and you brace yourself against the wall so that you may kick the puck to a teammate. Alternatively if you are near someone doing just that, you can force a player onto the walls and steal the puck from them. Now fighting is by far my favourite part of actually playing the hockey game, first person fighting, after the whistle action, instigation, it’s all improved in such a way that you can fight almost whenever you want. When fighting you’re brought into first person mode: left stick moves your body, right stick aims your fists of fury; as well you can tug on your opponent’s jersey, perform upper cuts and if you want to chicken out, you can pull both shoulder buttons and turtle.

Graphically NHL 10 is superior to NHL ’09, but then again, isn’t that always the case? Smooth animations, motion captured skaters, reflections and now especially crowd interactions (banging on the windows, swinging team colours around during playoffs and whatnot). This is EA Sports, the annual NHL title, it’s got to be the best of the best, the most polished out there and as such it has a lot to live up to. I’m here to tell you that it does live up to it’s expectations, amazing realistic graphics and not a single glitch to be found.

Dragon Force just screams hockey anthem, doesn't it?

Music is another story. While NHL 10 has a number of big songs from the likes of Green Day, CKY, and Dragon Force; and they’re all great songs, I found they didn’t really mesh with the game. Especially when playing in non-hockey modes like Be a GM the heavy strong songs just keep playing over and over and while I enjoy the tunes, songs that pump you up for a game, kind of confuse you when negotiating a trade. Grunts and whistles are standard fair but what I feel most players are interested in would be the voice commentary? Is it annoying? Does it repeat often? Luckily the answer to both is no. As Gary Thorne and Bill Clement come back from NHL ’09, NHL 10 has similar banter from great voices in hockey and there are enough specific commentary calls to keep players interested in what they have to say time and time again.

Overall if your a fan of hockey games, you probably already own NHL 10, however, if you’re like me and haven’t really gotten into a hockey title since NHL ’99, this year is as good as any to dive back in due to the many options in terms of difficulty and control. However, I have to warn you, there is quite a steep learning curve for those new to the title, trust me, I’ve been playing for a while now and I still suck (yes, I guess it could be that I just overall suck but… let’s not go there). With a plethora of options, game modes, and online play (I was just invited to an online team for online league play) this title will keep you busy for a long long time… or at least until NHL 11 comes out. Hopefully then the GM mode will expand to something more in depth, more in line with other GM modes like Madden and other GM specific titles.

Gameplay: 5/5

Graphics: 5/5

Sound: 4/5

Replay Value: 5/5

P.S. I’ve never given a game Editor’s Choice before, congrats EA Sports!

NHL ’10 Crashes the Party Sept. 14 Across Canada

Brett Caron — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:07:51 +0000

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Are you excited for EA Sports NHL 10? If you’re Canadian, probably. The #1 selling console game in Canada has it’s launch parties in Toronto and Vancouver Monday, September 14. The Toronto party will be at the Yonge and Dundas Future Shop with Wendel Clark and Ian White (of Maple Leafs fame) from 9pm to 11:45pm, and in Vancouver’s Granville and Robson Future Shop with Trevor Linden of the Canucks. The Future Shop locations will be open until 1am, so check it out if you’re not too busy… and on a Monday night, what’s your excuse?

Cheers!

Game Review: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10

sarge-ak47 — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:14:02 +0000

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Get the version that includes the motion plus!

A Glorious Swing!

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10

You know a little more than a decade ago I remember golf breaking into the gaming scene. Back then Tiger Woods was fast on his way to becoming a worldwide recognizable sports icon, which meant we were going to get a new game franchise thrown our way. Besides the Hotshotz series of games, we had nothing really serious and cool on the consoles… well Mario Golf was definitely one of the better titles out there on the N64.

My first Tiger Woods PGA Tour experience was with the 2004 edition. I was amazed at how gorgeous this game looked running on a ps2, it played like a deeper, realistic version of the famed Hotshotz golf games. Suddenly we had an alternative to the arcade-like golf games on our consoles.

Over the years I found that with each new offering things seemed to improve just barely so it wasn’t worth picking up essentially the same game year after year. I stopped playing the Tiger Woods PGA Tour games simply because of two reasons; a golf game could only offer so much back then (being a rather slower paced sport than most) and secondly, the series was becoming tiresome and most of the newer itirations pretty much offered the exact same experience. The 2004 edition was good enough for me to hold on to.

I kept tabs on the series thanks to some die hard golf friends of mine, but in terms of actually returning to the world of Tiger Woods PGA Tour. I wasn’t even sure if that would be a possibility. I’m going to tell you right up front, I never dreamed of actually loving a golf game. My friends, I love this golf game. This is one of the most rewarding sports title out there and the finest golf game thus far. The reason? Motion Plus.

Imagine everything great about the series and then add a control scheme that creates such an immersive experience that you end up dragging 6 of your buddies who hate golf and golf games to try it out. That’s exactly what I did and we collectively as a group could not believe how much fun could be had with this new iteration on the Wii.

Game play

Firstly you’ll notice that the game boasts half a dozen new locations and two new golfers for the fans, a decent selection of golfers can be unlocked through the single player season mode and challenge mode. Courses are earned in similar fashion, however a lot of them are available from the get go. Noteworthy editions on the disc such as the Banff Springs course ( A ps3 and 36- DLC) is already included on the Wii version of the game.

Single player offerings have tons of modes from which you can play, of which the primary one being PGA Season mode, which has you creating a custom character of your choice to take to the greens. Sadly the options in create-a-character felt like a step backward from previous iterations. Gone are the days where you could create goofy misshaped abominations. This time around the parameters have been tweaked as to give you a more humanesque character; its deep enough but no where near as complex as it had once been. Now once you’ve created your character you have some personalized style swings to choose from and plenty of golf related attributes to keep track of. You can then level up these attributes and increase areas such as luck, drive distance, spin and more. I must say over the course of the entire PGA tour (some 50 events) you will grow a lot and end up spending most of your hard earned points tailoring your character.

Now the other main single player option is the FedEx cup, a four event finals session designed for those who don’t want to play the entire PGA Tour. I am very pleased that they included this option since some players won’t have the patience to go for the entire season. Most sports games should include such an alternative.

Great moments in Tiger history.

Lastly you can take on the Challenge mode. This mode is extremely cool and has you play through certain famous moments in the sports history to either recreate that moment or rewrite PGA history; with three difficulties to choose from, you will be playing this one over and over. I loved challenge mode since it takes a simple game of golf and adds creative objectives. It made things more interesting and further opened up the real stars of the PGA and some of its most memorable moments. You are treated to a short video of Tiger himself explaining any back story for his own challenges; a beautiful touch that I wish incorporated all of the other famous golfers into the mix.

If you want to play right away either by yourself or with friends the Play now option lets you dive into any standard game of golf with any number of players, chose the front or back 9 or the full 18 holes.

Now from the main menu the Game Modes options lets you pick up different options and categories of golf games for 1 to 4 players. It divides these categories into Traditional, Arcade, and mini-games.
Traditional houses a total of 9 serious golf modes, everything from skins(player with the lowest score takes the money for that hole), to bloodsome, greensome, match play(each hole is its own contest), stableford (entire structure is based on points earned during each hole) and more.

Arcade mode houses its own brand of fun with 6 available games modes that include elimination, battle golf (surprising twist with each holes winner taking any one of the losers clubs!), one ball (where in you all play with one ball and the one to sink it wins the round!), team one ball, disc golf and rings (precision shots through various rings to earn points). Fun for the hardcore and casuals alike.

The last mode is the Minigames, which includes mini-golf, T I G E R (a variation of horse with a shot for shot competition), targets (hit the targets), capture the flag (zone style capture play) and target to target. Strickly designed for the casual although its not limited to.

If thats not enough then the Online mode will let you take your skills around the world via EA LIVE and from there you have ranked/un-ranked games, daily, weekly, and monthly tournaments to play through, casual and advanced lobbies, to create the most advanced online infrastructure ever imagined on the Nintendo Wii.

See the genius is the EA Live account which logs you into their servers, from there you are free to look for games and actually send chat messages to people you just played or people on your Wii address book. With the click of the 2 button you can navigate this organizer service and then decide to go forth and enjoy all the online game play you can handle. There is a drawback however, while playing online you can’t see your opponent and are only treated with shot tracking and other statistical information such as strokes and running score. This is what they call “simultaneous play” and it sort of makes sense, yet I just really wanted to see my opponent online and his avatar interacting. It’s strange when playing some random person online and only being able to see their shot trails but that is the nature of the game online.

By no means is the online play boring, in fact its interesting and fairly competitive. For your consideration a shot timer is always ticking ensuring that you aren’t left waiting on someone to finish a hole. The online component is designed to make the most of the Wii and it definitely does not disappoint. A minor problem I found was that the lobbies have connection problems, online games however ran smoothly (with good reason) and disconnection during game was very rare. Rounding the list Leader board features further ensures this will be a well visited component.

you'll love disc golf.

But if you want to play offline and want to just play the minigames only then a party minigames option is there to satisfy you cravings. It was a bit redundant at first to see minigames in the other game select options and have it as a standalone in the main menu but on closer inspection youll realise these minigames are for multiple wii motes and are structured as a party mode. This mode includes gems like golf cart collector and a game that has you juggling a golf ball with your club. Truly some of the most fun games exist on this mode that will have you battling your buddies for hours.

Control

The Wii Motion plus assisted controls are the real star of this game and the reason to own Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10. Honestly if you don’t have the motion plus GO OUT AND GET ONE! There is little to no doubt in calling the Wii version the better golf game of its console brethren simply because of the accuracy of the motion plus unit. All you need to play this game is the Wiimote and Wii motion plus attachment.

The real core game play deals with you picking one of three types of control styles. All Play, Standard and Advanced. All Play disables any hook or slice you can do (whilst twisting your wrist), shows you the balls flight path and eliminates any of the advanced functionality of the Wii motion plus. If you have never ever ever ever swung a golf club or have no control over your own hands then this mode is for you. It trades the games challenge and innovation for accesibility. Standard is the mode most people will be playing under. With no flight trajectory visual aid your left with an estimate marker of where the ball might land. You have control on fade and draw (slice and hook) just by twisting your wrists. When you’ve struck the ball you can add spin whilst in the air via the D-pad and shaking the Wiimote to achieve the desired curve on landing. Advanced mode removes the later two options and takes out any manual preset spin control and draw/fade tweaking. Absolute control is given to your swing and how you position your wrists when hitting the ball and how you follow through with your swing. It’s note worthy that each of these styles showcases 1:1 motion for the backswing and front follow through making this a very rewarding game to control.

Once on the tee you can use the A button to check your projected landing spot and move it left and right to adjust your aim. When using any club you can view how much percentage of a swing (judged by power and follow through) you require in order to make it to the selected area. Most of the time when you peak at 100% and try to push it farther the game will automatically pick the best club that will give you even more distance, keep going lower and the game will pick a suitable club that will be optimized for the shorter distance. In the end you’re seeing how much power you need to exert to reach your desired marking. To take a swing simply hold the Wiimote facing down and press and hold the B trigger and swing, however if you want a practice shot then hold both A and B and you can see the hypothetical trajectory of your actual swing.

If you do not have the motion plus the game takes into account just the Wiimote accelerometer and how fast you swing, you can still try and curve the ball but these options are handled via games hud and result in what I think is a very scripted game – similar to the first Wii Sports golf offering. I can tell you the game works well without it, but lacks the total control one gets with the accessory. New to this series is an over haul of last years putting, aptly titled precision putting. This option takes your back swing into account and applies your forward swings speed and power. It’s harder and in my opinion more accurate. Lastly putt preview is available with the press of the minus button.

At this point you must be overwhelmed with the sheer depth and variety of the controls, fret not and know that once you begin the game simple tutorial messages will help you pick the best style of controls and then in detail explain them to you via Hank Haney, who is someone Tiger trusts to get his swing just right. It’s a great touch that you can listen to him or read up on the tutorial.

The high point of the visuals.

Graphics

If there is one area where this game is somewhat lacking it has to be with some visual touches that are not up to standards. The animated crowds are somewhat polygonal and enjoyable only at a great distance, up close you can see the blurry and jaggy models and in some cases sprites far off. Some blurry textures sometimes even find their way into some distant trees and building units that make for an ugly site. It’s a sham too since most of the game looks outstanding.

The actual character models are decent and animate as you would expect them to be, with the create a player model looking fairly decent compared to the games all-star cast. There is a good amount of facial animation in regards to shot reactions and small gestural animation to convey the feelings appropriate for each shot. Most of the background elements could use some work since we all know the Wii can create some beautiful visuals.

The courses are different altogether, with lush environments and articulated contours of the land; these are the real stars of the show. The textures on the courses are sharp and most obstacles are modeled very well with tons of foliage around. It’s not the best looking game on Wii but it has its bright points, namely when you pick a course and the sun is out. I find that the bright sun soaked (and cloudy with sunny breaks) weather really showcases the games visuals and pushes these dynamic weather effects to a higher level.

On the opposite end when things are cloudy and rainy for some reason the visuals look very dated. It’s as if the light engine is turned off, any depth of field is disabled and suddenly the environment is dull,not because of the weather, but a whole set of other visual reasons. The rain looks downright awful and most particle effects are such as blowing grass or leaves are from last gen. Trust me I’ve seen more scenic rainy conditions replicated beautifully on other Wii titles. Besides the horrible portrayal of overcast weather things still look pretty decent.
A long over due edition is Dynamic weather, where the game will connect with the Weather Network to replicate accurate live conditions on the famous courses across the globe. That’s insanely cool!

There are no out of this world effects to speak of since the game is carried out in a very controlled environment, but you’ll be happy to see slight water splash backs when raining, sand trap dust bursts, and even where the ball hits the ground the grass getting slightly dented . The small subtle visual cues are nicely done and never break you away from the game’s world.

Vs the low

I’m also glad the visuals did not take the simplified style approach as in Grand Slam Tennis because the game can push realistic visuals fairly well. It’s what the Tiger Woods series is known for and they should keep raising the visual bar as far as I am concerned and not opt out to what we have seen Madden and Grand Slam.

Sound.

For the most part sound is handled very well, with commentary handled just as it would on a PGA broadcast. The commentators are standard affair, with their pointers and critiques sounding delivered with conviction and humour. It’s all normal until you start playing with other friends and then depending on how each of you are doing the commentators will start picking apart or supporting each character. I’m not sure if this was intentional or not but in our group session one of our friend was getting really lucky with her shots which prompted some vicious commentating when she made a mistake, where as the other friend was playing consistently well and received an appropriate tone via the commentators for the entire play session. It wont blow your mind but some of the things these guys had to say ranged from standard golf banter to out right dissing. This, in a group play session is hilarious to tune into. I never knew golf could be such a ‘playa’ haters sport.
The ambient sound effects are also handled rather well thanks to the Dolby Digital set up. Using Pro-logic II on the Wii things feel just as they would when utilizing surround sound. The ambient noise is perfect and the crowd knows when to cheer and when to shut up.

Now when we are talking about actual in game music, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 has not equal! I know it’s not normal to have a golf game with exceptional music unless it’s a Mario golf game, but the soundtrack ranges from the appropriate almost Celtic vibe tunes to some insane beats. The cool soundtrack covers a wide range of electronic music from ambient electro, to down tempo, to drum and bass. I found myself jamming to the music before each swing and somehow it felt right.

Replay

I’ll keep this short since most of the play mechanics and options were already elaborated on. It’s a sports game, the replayability is nearly endless (until next year’s game comes out). The games single player season mode boasts 50 full events and it will take you a full week of hardcore playing or a month of normal play sessions to get to the top. Add in challenge mode that will help you improve your skill while immersing you into the history of golf and you already have a sports title that’s longer than most other games. The sheer number of modes available in traditional and arcade play extend the life span of this title. Add in minigames for those crazy multiplayer sessions and you’ll be amazed at how much fun these silly additions can be (specially the golf cart one) There’s nothing revolutionary but definitely make this game more than just a golf simulator. This game was designed to be played with friends so almost all the modes (except season, challenge and FedEx cup) are multiplayer friendly.

Add to that an online leader board system and ranked matches with daily live tournaments and you’ll be glued to this title for months on end. I have never played a sports title that had so much to offer offline and online. The competitive nature of the sport is translated perfectly through the myriad modes and creates what I will call the best buy for sports games. This is especially evident on the Wii and its inclusion of these Wii specific minigames and multiplayer options that leaves the other platform versions trailing behind.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 is a simple game to get into yet hard to master (much like real golf), it’s innovative, intuitive and a blast to play either single player or multiplayer. The online network is outstanding for a Wii title and with the plethora of modes and game play options you’ll never put this title down- Unless you hate golf in which case why are you even reading this review? This is the most value packed version of the game and worthy of a ton of praise. I honestly believe there is so much to do in this game. It would be just as good of a game without the motion plus, in terms of sheer value for your money, yet thanks to that little gizmo the game play soars above anything on the market as of this review.

Game play 5 / 5
Graphics 3.5 / 5
Sound 4.5 / 5
Replay 5 / 5

Michael Phelps Is ‘Sorry’ For Drug Scandal

Joelle Tomlinson — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 12:45:25 +0000

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Olympian champion Michael Phelps made a public apology on Wednesday after being photographed inhaling from a marijuana bong.

In the picture, 23-year old Phelps is captured engaging in illegal drug activity at a South Carolina party nearly three months after his record-breaking performance at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Stephen Marche from the National Post commented online that ‘the real anomaly in Phelps’s life isn’t his marijuana usage, it’s his 12-litre lung capacity and 12,000-calories a day diet’. The editorial included Phelps’s apology.

“I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment,” Phelps said in the statement released by one of his agents. “I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again”.

The consequences of Phelps’s actions are yet to be determined. The Richland County Sheriff released a statement saying that it was going to look into pressing charges, and embarrassed corporate sponsors might be looking into retracting their deal with the swimmer.

As of today, the only sponsor to drop Phelps is Kellogg’s. There was speculation over Phelps’s big deal with Subway, but according to Perez Hilton’s online blog, a publicist for Subway has refuted claims that Phelps will be dropped as a sandwich spokesperson.

Brian Williams Goes to CTV

andPOP Staff — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 07:36:38 +0000

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Not only will CTV be airing the Olympics in 2010 and 2012, but they will also have a familiar face reporting on them.

CTV announced yesterday that Brain Williams of CBC will be joining the network in the new year.

“Brian Williams has been the face of the Olympics for Canadians for decades and we’re delighted that he will bring this legacy to CTV for 2010 and 2012,” says Rick Brace, president of CTV Inc.

Williams will also be featured on TSN, as well as other sporting assignments and will be the network’s primetime anchor for the 2010 and 2012 Olympics.

“For more than 30 years, I’ve enjoyed tremendously my role with the CBC. Now, I look forward to joining the CTV/TSN team and the opportunity to play a role in shaping coverage for Vancouver 2010,” Williams said after the announcement had been made.

Sports Column: Is Nike Killing Equality in Sports?

andPOP Staff — Sun, 21 May 2006 11:43:50 +0000

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Rob Parker of the Detroit News recently reported that LeBron James? deal with Nike (currently at $100 million) will double if he leaves the Cleveland Cavaliers and opts to sign with Chicago, New York or Los Angeles.

Now, I?m sure legally and logistically that?s acceptable, but just what are we promoting here? With David Stern?s adamant rejection of all things to do with sports gambling, including turning down the possibility of an NBA franchise in Las Vegas until the city agrees to take NBA games off the agenda (good luck!), this should be raising many eyebrows. However, to this point, it hasn?t.

Maybe it?s because we?re so used to corporations affecting sports, or maybe it?s because we?re just so jaded at this point? with the sex boats, steroids and spoiled athletes. But it seems as if we simply do not care anymore.

I?ve yet to read an article on how this is one of the most blatant examples of big business interfering with the equality and competitiveness of professionally sports. Maybe that?s because most of the big sports writers live in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles.

Stern?s overly concerned with bookies and point-shaving, but really what is the difference? Dictionary.com defines point-shaving as: ?The illegal practice of deliberately limiting the number of points scored by one’s team in an athletic contest, as in return for a payment from gamblers to ensure winnings.?

If LeBron were to snub a smaller market team simply because he?d make more endorsement money if he went to New York, L.A. or Chi-town (not that he?d ever admit that, of course), I?d call that team-shaving? a much more egregious offense. In my dictionary, team-shaving is defined as: The reprehensible practice of deliberately limiting the competitiveness of small to medium sized market teams in a professional athletics league, as in return for a payment from big business.

And if we let that slide, why even hold a draft lottery? Why not just give preferential draft positioning according to the size of a given team?s market? Ohh right, because that wouldn?t be fair!

In an age where salary caps are becoming reality and the dream of your team having a shot to win a championship is sold to gullible sports fans, this is a step backwards and simply unacceptable. Why step in on the issue of gambling, and not on this? Does Nike have David Stern in their pocket as well? Perhaps that old tale of Stern freezing New York’s lottery ball, back in the Patrick Ewing draft, to ensure the Knicks would land the first overall pick was more fact than fiction.

Sports Column: NBA Season Full of Surprises ? Playoffs Likely Will Not

andPOP Staff — Sun, 08 Jan 2006 02:51:32 +0000

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With most teams having played 30 or more of their 82 game schedule, the NBA landscape is becoming clearer. The good teams are separating themselves from the average and poor teams, and despite some interesting surprises, the outlook for the NBA Finals in June looks pretty much like what we predicted prior to the season. The San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, and Miami Heat are still the clear favourites to win it all.

The Detroit Pistons are dominating the league and have many people not only talking about a Finals appearance, but also a regular season MVP award for their floor leader, Chauncey Billups. Some even see the Pistons challenging the record for most wins in a season. That record is currently held by the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls who won 72 games that year.

Miami is the only other legitimate contender in the East. They are still struggling with the transition from former coach Stan Van Gundy to new coach Pat Riley (who is also the team President and likely the reason for Van Gundy?s departure) and also with team chemistry after making significant roster moves in the off-season. Did Pat Riley tinker too much? After all, they would have beat Detroit in last year?s Eastern finals if it hadn?t been for key injuries to their star players, namely Shaquille O?Neal. Even if the moves were a good idea, will Riley be able to turn this club of self-centered players into a championship team? The regular season record doesn?t matter much for the Heat; as with most good teams, it?s all about preparing for the playoffs (in Miami?s case, preparing for the Pistons).

The Indiana Pacers have underachieved so far and are facing yet another media circus surrounding their troubled star wingman Ron Artest, who has publicly asked for a trade. Management has decided not to play Artest and have asked him to stay home until a trade can be arranged.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and New Jersey Nets have been positive surprises with their early season play and may be capable of a playoff upset.

The New York Knicks have been a huge disappointment this season after numerous questionable off-season moves to both their coaching staff and player roster. The Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards have also struggled much more than expected.

In the Western Conference the San Antonio Spurs continue to quietly and professionally go about their business of dominating the conference. Perennial MVP candidate Tim Duncan leads one of the deepest and best coached teams in the league. It is difficult to see anyone stopping a healthy Spurs team from reaching the Finals.

The Phoenix Suns have been a big surprise in the Western conference. The Suns have been without Amare Stoudemire the entire season and lost two key starters this summer. Reigning MVP Steve Nash is proving that award was well deserved by leading an entirely new club to third best record in the West. Yet surprisingly Nash has garnered no MVP buzz this year?

The second best record belongs to the Dallas Mavericks who are showing an astounding commitment to defense, along with their traditional high powered offense. Underachievers in the West include the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Seattle Supersonics, and Sacramento Kings who would all miss the playoffs if the season ended today.

Overall, it has been a very interesting NBA season to date? and we?re not even at the all-star break. The playoffs should prove to be worth the price of admission.

Sports Column: A Word Of Advice

andPOP Staff — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 14:43:48 +0000

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It?s now 2006, and because everyone is either hung over or just really tired , I?ll give you a nice quick-hitter column. Instead of doing clich? new years resolutions, I?ll put on my Dr. Phil hat and dish out some advice for our beloved sports celebs.

? Mike Tyson- For the love of all that is good in this world, please do not appear in Playgirl (as has been rumoured for some time). You can imagine what a slippery slope that is…

? Phil Jackson- Next time you decide to come back into coaching, try not to do it with a player you called ?uncoachable.? Oh, and maybe you could learn a thing or two from Pat Riley? your chances of success greatly increase when you have a guy named Shaquille O?Neal on your team.

? Lenny Wilkins- It?s over Lenny. The only thing you should be allowed to coach now is an octogenarian bingo team.

? Rudy Gay- Thought by many as being the best prospect in the next NBA draft, Rudy Gay should consider changing his last name. Many NBA players have openly stated they wouldn?t be comfortable with a homosexual teamate, which sets the tone for a very anti-gay sport. This trickles down to the fans, many of whom have already laughed at the potential purple Raptors jersey with Gay across the back. A Nightmare for marketing. I?m not saying it?s right, but it?s a reality.

? Minnesota Vikings- Sea a Ho, Land ahoy. I don?t blame the Vikings for the notorious ?sex boat? incident. I blame the sea; there have been many tales of what the sea can do to weak-willed men. Stay on land me matees.

? Larry Brown- Who leaves the Detroit Pistons to coach the New York Knicks? Larry, my advice to you? seek professional mental help, something?s not right there.

? Ron Artest- Call Larry Brown and ask for his psychiatrist?s number ASAP.

? Latrell Sprewell- Call Ron Artest for Larry Brown?s psychiatrist?s number ASAP. Or just see a financial advisor and learn how to feed your family on only tens of millions of dollars a year. Poor Sprewells.

? Michelle Wie & Annika Sorenstam- Not that they can?t compete at a high level in the PGA, I just don?t think they should. If I?m not mistaken, there is a LPGA, is there not? This just reeks of reverse-sexism. If they?re allowed to play in the PGA, I think NBA bench warmers should be able to play in the WNBA. It?s only fair.

‘New’ Players in the ‘New’ NHL

andPOP Staff — Sun, 06 Nov 2005 06:32:23 +0000

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New York Rangers? forward Jaromir Jagr is the cover boy of this week?s issue of the Hockey News with the headline that reads: ?I Love New York.?

The last time fans saw Jagr, it would be hard to convince anyone he loved playing in the Big Apple. It seemed the passion Jagr displayed during his years in Pittsburgh was gone.

However, with a full NHL campaign lost due to a labour dispute, it is out with the old and in with the new.

Jagr is one of the many NHL players who have embraced the rule changes implemented by the League to allow the offensive, skilled players the time and space to be crafty with the puck to boost scoring and create excitement for fans.

During the lockout last season, Jagr re-gained his love for the game of hockey when he played for Avangard Omsk of the Russian Super League. Jagr even agreed to return to Omsk if the lockout would have continued on into this season as well.

Prior to the start of the season, the question surrounding Jagr was: ?Which Jagr would show up? Would it be the Jagr who played in Pittsburgh or the Jagr who played in Washington and New York??

Along with the ?new? NHL, fans and reporters alike have seen a ?new? Jagr lead his team with 23 points in only 15 games. The Rangers as a team have been a pleasant surprise as they current sit atop of the Atlantic division in the East. If the Rangers keep up their winning ways, they could be poised to make the playoffs for the first time since 1997.

Alexei Kovalev, Jagr?s former team mate in both Pittsburgh and New York, is also proving critics wrong with his play thus far this season.

Kovalev, who re-signed with the Montreal Canadiens after testing the free agent market this summer, cleared up any thoughts that he did not enjoy his brief stint with the Habs after being traded from the Rangers in March 2004.

After a slow start with Montreal, Kovalev showed what he was made of during the playoffs as he was a key player in helping the Canadiens upset the Boston Bruins in the first round.

With the crackdown on obstruction, Kovalev has been given the room he desires to hold onto the puck and cycle dangerously around the opposing net. This season, Kovalev has 16 points in 15 games and has seemingly been a positive role model for rookie Alexander Perezhogin.

Montreal fans have been treated to an Alexei Kovalev who not only scores goals, but passes the puck, doesn?t over-stay his shifts, delivers hits, blocks shots, plays defensively to kill off penalties and so far has yet to give up on plays like he has done in the past.

Both Jagr and Kovalev are surrounded by skilled linemates, [Michael Nylander & Martin Straka for Jagr and Saku Koivu & Richard Zednik for Kovalev], which helps enhance their play as first-line players and also being a part of winning teams helps boost their confidence.

Prior to the start of the season, Kovalev, eager to bring another championship home to Montreal, was quoted as saying playing in New York messed up his career and the Rangers in the last few years are notorious for ruining careers of star players.

That may have been the case since the Rangers, who had the highest payroll in the pre-salary cap era of the NHL, were New York?s greatest under-achievers; however, Jagr and a younger Rangers squad are proving that anything is possible in the new NHL.

Sports Column: Young, Exciting, and Frustrating

andPOP Staff — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 13:23:54 +0000

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Young, Exciting, and Frustrating? Your 2005/2006 Toronto Raptors

With the pre-season behind them, the Raptors seem to have overcome much of the negative reaction towards this year’s draft and actually have many fans excited about the prospects for the team in the near future.

Not only are rookie forwards Charlie Villanueva and Joey Graham looking like very solid first round picks, but free agent pickup Jose Calderon could be the first true point guard the team has had in several years. Jose was one of the top point guards in Europe but is a rookie to the NBA game. And even the embattled Rafael Araujo, the big center picked in the first round last year, has shown signs of improvement after a good summer workout program.

With Chris Bosh, an emerging young superstar, as the centerpiece, the Raptors have a nice core of talent, which also includes fan favorite Matt Bonner, Morris Peterson, Jalen Rose, Eric Williams, Mike James and the return of the most beloved Raptor ever ? Alvin Williams.

On top of this, the team holds the rights to two exciting players currently playing in Europe, big man Uros Slokar and guard Roko Ukic.

Rebuilding brings the youth, energy, skill, and excitement fans crave, but will also likely deliver inexperience, inconsistency and frustration throughout this season. It could be a roller coaster of emotions. Fans with a vision to the future should enjoy watching the group of young players evolve and learn to play together this season. More casual fans who just want a winning record and the excitement of a playoff series may not enjoy this year as much, although the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference could be attainable for the Raptors.

The Eastern Conference

Miami and Detroit will both certainly challenge for the Eastern Conference title again this year. Don?t overlook the talent, depth, and coaching of Indiana, who are poised for a great season, after all the struggles with injuries and player suspensions following last season’s infamous “Brawl at the Palace.” These three teams are tested and proven.

Two other teams have improved themselves on paper, and look ready for breakout years. The Cleveland Cavaliers have surrounded LeBron James with great shooters and may be on the verge of playoff success. The New Jersey Nets have great talent on the perimeter and should also have a solid season. Both should make the playoffs if no significant injuries hit them but neither team would appear to have what it takes to truly compete with the three main contenders.

Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Washington should also make the playoffs but their talent is thin enough that one key injury could drop them out of the race entirely. So realistically, there are one or two spots left up for grabs with teams such as Chicago, New York, Boston, Toronto, and Orlando all fighting for the right to be beaten badly in a first round playoff series against a top Eastern club. At this point, there does not seem to be significant separation between any of these teams. Most will end up in the draft lottery next summer. The team that gets the best draft position may be the true winner among this group.

The Western Conference

The West is all about the San Antonio Spurs. They clearly have the best talent, most experience, and most capable coaching staff in the West. And with big question marks surrounding the next best teams from last year, Phoenix and Seattle, there just doesn?t appear to be a legitimate threat to knock off a healthy Spurs club. The Houston Rockets could be the wild card team in the West and get as high as the second seed if Phoenix struggles without Amare Stoudemire for several months.

If the Spurs struggle and somehow get upset in the playoffs, look for the East to regain the title. The Eastern teams are just more complete than any Western club other than the Spurs.