Swedish garage rockers the Hives are touring North America, and their stop in Vancouver included some time on the ice against the Canucks:

[T]he photogenic fivesome… put a hockey challenge before three Swedish members of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks…

Somehow, amid the clattering of sticks, the swooshing of air, and the slicing of ice skates, the Hives managed to put up five against the highly-trained Canucks. But, alas, it would not be enough, as the professionals– though outnumbered– emerged with a 6-5 victory over their garage-rocking opponents.

Man, this is bringing up of all sorts of old memories for me.  The Hives part of the story takes me back to 2002, when the music world was abuzz over them, the White Stripes, the Strokes, and — to a comically undeserving extent — the Vines.  Meanwhile, the Canucks part of the story takes me back to… ummm… a previous life where I toiled in the icy purgatory of Canadia?

[FanHaus] 

There's some soccer-related news about Man City midfielder Stephen Ireland possibly returning to the pitch for the national team of his eponymous home country.  Why hasn't Ireland played for Ireland of late?  Dead grandmothers and new rides, yo.

Ireland, who recently took delivery of a £90,000 Range Rover customised with pink wheels, grille, seats and accessories, has not played for his country since inventing the death of two grandmothers to engineer his way home from an international double-header last season.

Using my amazing Google-Fu skills, I learned that that Range Rover cost Ireland $178,911.  (Probably an even $179K by the time I finish writing this post.  Thanks a lot, economy.)  And worth every farthing.  I just hope for his sake that the UK doesn't have the "gay tax" that makes home furnishings and Broadway shows so expensive in America.

[Fan IQ] 

I've been known to make generalizations about people or places in order to disparage them.  This list includes but is not limited to the South, wealthy people, drunk drivers, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, hippies, hobos, religious types, politicians, scientists, non-Marine Corps branches of the military, Ohio, Florida, most European countries, and New Jersey.  And they pretty much all deserve it, especially New Jersey.  But I'm not irrational in my hatred.  I'll give the propers when they're due.  And in New Jersey's case, Morristown is quite lovely, and Bruce Springsteen is an American hero.

All of this is a long introduction to the clip above, in which John Buccigross and Neil Everett dropped ten song titles from the Boss — according to Awful Announcing — during the first minute and change of Wednesday night's 11 p.m. SportsCenter.  And AA's right: the 11 o'clock SportsCenter, especially when helmed by Buccigross and Everett (or Scott Van Pelt) has quietly not sucked for some time.  Could this be a return to the glory days of Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann?

Well, no.  But it's a step in the right direction. 

"Saint Andrew's Net" is With Leather's daily link dump, written by assistant editor/Chicago native KD. Expect sports and tits.

• The Ghosts of Wayne Fontes offer a fantasy baseball survival guide.  Rotisserie leagues are tough because you have to pay attention every day, and with my hobbies, I often experience periods of missing time.
• Larry Brown Sports knows Tony Dungy doesn't like Bill Belichick.  Cheat codes? In my day, you played until you had worn your thumbs to the bone or had a seizure.
• The Mid-Majority examines senior night.  This is a much better idea than writing my phone number in various ladies rooms.  
• Flotsam Media publishes a plea from some Cincinnati Reds.   My plea is to leap around with lovely Vanessa.
• 35 Seconds listens in on an awkward conversation.  I always know it's going to be a strained talk when an ex-girlfriend shouts, "How did you get this number?"

Send your submissions for Saint Andrew's Net to withleather@gmail.com. 

Big ups to the fine people at Machochip for digging around in the Vargas portfolio to turn up these photos from a calendar titled "Bodypainting the World Cup 2007."  Up there is what appears to be the vertical blue-and-white stripes of Argentina's classic jersey, although I'm not sure if it's entirely authentic — Diego Maradona always wore shorter shorts.

Authenticity is a common beef with these interpretations of the uniforms, as very few national teams' jerseys actually have plunging necklines and booty shorts (I think Italy is the one exception).  But if you can suspend your disbelief about these girls playing soccer in inauthentic body paint uniforms long enough, I guess they look okay. 

And what a surprise, the Brazilian girl looks the hottest.  Sheesh, just go ahead and keep reinforcing stereotypes, Vargas.  Might as well have the French chick restricting the freedoms of indigenous Muslims while you're at it.

I don't care if he's a former NHL coach turned hockey commentator, there's no resume Pierre McGuire could have that would make it okay to stand that close to me on national television (or more accurately: TSN, which is national TV in Canadia). He just stands at a 90 degree angle from the camera and stares at his partner from 10 inches away.  It comes off like an SNL skit.  Except, y'know, funny.

And right when you think, "Okay, maybe he's just someone who doesn't understand personal space," (about the 1:45 mark) he comes STRONG with the sexual innuendo to his fellow commentator.  Mmmm… sports and gay innuendo.  Goes together like sticks and balls.

[The Sporting Blog]