Start as you mean to go on then? Hardly. Cheap Jerseys . Bookies were offering odds of 13/1 before kickoff that the home team Houston Dynamo would prevail by three goals to nil. Ominous odds. We should have seen the warning. What price, we wonder for three players to be red-carded from the same team in blue? Drooping off the pitch with heads hung shamefully low, only eight men in tow? The Montreal Impact had just made MLS history. No, not the type which would have been in the January power point presentations. In the 20-plus year history of MLS, no team - and there has been many rough-edged ones, has ever had three players dismissed in the course of a playoff match. At least one from the Impacts Podium of Shame had the calmness of thought about him only minutes after reaching the dressing room to offer up an apology just before dipping into that icy cold early bath. And it was Romero taking to social media, typing out, "Sorry for my reaction in the game tonight. I felt great impotence [sic importance] and no I couldnt control. excuse me!" Ill leave the jokers amongst you to play off Romeros spoonerism of impotence. It could of course be the best describing word to detail the last 10 matches this season from MLSs 19th franchise. Displaying though a certain PR savvy, Romero was canny enough to aim his tweet at not only his employee but also to those who have sacrificed both their hard earned money and valuable time to the Impact cause for over a decade - UM02. Better known in MLS Supporter Group Culture as the Montreal Ultras. I am not going to waste any time on searching for any quotes where Impact head coach Marco Schällibaum would perhaps have offered up apologies. For all I know, he may have already been fired. Schällibaums almost monthly apology address have worn mighty hallow over the course of a very lengthy season. How many have we heard already? Tiresome. As Keith Richards reminds us, "Talk Is Cheap." Only our actions count, be the direct inference from Rock and Rolls bad boy. Its not form to blame Schällibaum for his actions. Or more precisely, his inactions. Blame Rivas, Romero and Di Vaio all you like. But the last time I checked, football was still a team sport. Every team instructed and bought together in football harmony by the technical staff - under the guidance of management. Youve let everyone down. Every single stakeholder. From top to bottom. First and foremost your supporters. Or as one of the games canniest of business minds, Peter Kenyon, ex-CEO of Manchester United and Chelsea FC, once infamously described football fans as customers. Kenyons only crime? Brutal honesty in his forthright choice of words. Sticking with the money theme all those club partners which have invested both marketing dollars basis will feel a sense of been had. Each of the club partners buys in with the expectation of success. The reward system providing, as the money men refer to as the ROI. To the uninitiated, the Return On Investment. Success on the pitch leading to success off of it as the cliché goes. The partner group is the sub species of a football club which makes available a significant percentage of the capital to allow for investment and upgrades to the playing pool. The risks the partner group buy into happened during 90 minutes of Houston Hell last night. The clever ones will have though built such scenarios into their strategy planning models. After all, what is that they say about, out of all bad comes good. Not wanting at all to place club partners above Impact employees, volunteer or paid but they as well are another group of hapless victims. Those travelling to Houston will have an easier time dealing with last night than those who will have gathered at Impact pubs, cafés or even in each others homes to take in what came billed as an historic moment for the Impact, their employer. How shell-shocked are each of them as they arrived into their offices at Stade Saputo Friday morning? Wonder what their conversation round the ample water coolers was? I bet none are on 2014 Season Ticket drives. Yet another opportunity cost of 90 minutes in Houston Hell. The League will demand and receive all the answers they require. Newly minted VP of Operations and Security Ray Whitworth just witnessed quite the baptism of fire. As he took in the match, Whitworth more than anyone else would have been fully aware of the quite explosive potential attached to Romero and Di Vaios actions. Mercifully unlike Whiworths native England - which gave birth to football hooliganism - the English disease has not migrated across the Atlantic. At least not yet. Imagine for one moment Thursday night was a crucial West Ham vs Millwall encounter, one made all the more incendiary as it welcomed in a night time sky. There would be still be fires smouldering in Houston as its health services continued the enormous task of saving limbs, if not precious life itself. MLSs Peter Walton, another veteran of the English trenches, in his role as GM of the Professional Referee Organization has a sizable task ahead of him. What will the MLS Disciplinary Committee be munching on as they eat their muesli for breakfast this morning? Many across the Impacts micro and macro worlds will find opportunity here to bring to task Impact President Joey Saputo. Some will lay the 90 minutes of Houston Hell blame fully at him. As you do, remember it was Saputo who made the decision to commit the significant money the club made available this time last year so as to be in place to significantly upgrade the 2012 talent pool. In addition to that, consider the millions of dollars of red ink hemorrhaging from the 2012 accounts. Saputo also placed significant personal money to the 2013 cause. It was the Impact Class of 2013 who took to the pitch last night. Not Saputo. Nor the stadium that bares the holding company name. More opportunity cost when factoring in the money now swirling around MLS naming rights deals. Saputo will be inconsolable right now. Not only in his role as club president, but as a fan. No one lives, breathes and kicks the Impact quite like him. There was though some comfort for me to be found from last night. Ill take any crumb under these conditions and circumstances. They actually come from what wasnt. Reading between the lines as Dickens may have uttered. One comes in the considerable global football force that is Alessandro Nesta. Mercifully spared from anything connected to last night by injury, or more likely the toll of multiple injuries in a quite all together remarkable career which spawned into life as an eight-year old in a Roman suburb. Di Vaio a teammate. That and the pending birth of a third child down in Miami rendered Nesta un-travelable. The other comfort comes in the quite considerable form of IMFC original MLS homeboy, Patrice Bernier. Yes he travelled, made it to the bench but was spared the embarrassment of being one of that final whistle gang of eight. Bernier has been playing through the pain barrier just as the Impacts season began taking the shape of a pear. We dont need to remind you how Berniers star has shone since December 2011, when on a wet and windy Monday morning the media gathered at the Impacts then downtown offices as club president welcomed the Brossard native back into the Impact bosom. Not content with personal accolades in the form of 2012 MVP the man elevated his game this season. Then factor in he was asked (or was it told) to play and perform to his high standards in a most unfamiliar role by his new head coach. I wont claim to know Bernier, Im still coming to terms with myself. But what I do know is what I have witnessed first-hand on and off the Impact pitch. I dont need to get into what I have been told. From my lookout post - which extends all the way back to them Claude Robillard days - Bernier has been the exception to the football rule. Ooze the stuff he does, the utter personification of class. Something totally lacking from his club last night Bernier, as Nesta, will both feel immense guilt by association. With no word on any contract extension seeping from Saputo Stadium as the focus was four square on Di Vaio - if Im Berniers agent, hometown discount has just been taking off the table. What will be on the minds of Impact Legends this morning? Especially the class of 94, those the club paid a terrific tribute to as part of the ceremony introducing the 2013 version. All season long we witnessed wonderful pre match scenes as those most deserving which helped build the club towards its MLS moment, were introduced to supporters many of whom not even born during those halcyon Claude Robillard days. Somewhere, Jesse Marsch is getting his laughter on. Change of Coach? Change of culture needed more like. More on the Impact - TSN 690 Saturday morning during a special edition of oranges @ halftime - Pulp Free, Freshness Guaranteed. Kick Off at 10am et/7am pt Listen Live: TSN690.ca You can reach and follow Noel Butler at:Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter cheap nfl jerseys . Holcomb, the reigning Olympic gold medallist, guided his team of Curt Tomasevicz, Steven Langton and Chris Fogt to a two-run time of one minute 48.56 seconds at Canada Olympic Park. Germanys Maximilian Arndt and Russias Alexander Zubkov finished tied for second place in 1:48. . Not all the credit can be given to Mariota, Mark Helfrich has orchestrated a seamless transition from Kelly at head coach, but the redshirt sophomores performance has allowed the Ducks to pick up where they left off in torturing opposing defences on a weekly basis. [url=http://www.orgcheapjerseys.com/]http://www.orgcheapjerseys.com/ . -- David Frost and Michael Allen birdied nine of the first 13 holes and combined for a 9-under 63 on Saturday for a share of the second-round lead with Tom Purtzer and Brad Bryant in the Legends of Golf. Che... Toronto Maple Leafs Jerseys . Congratulations to those two organizations. Montreal will play Hamilton in the East semifinal and BC will play Saskatchewan in the west semifinal. .Y. -- The New York Islanders are showing theyre capable of winning on the road. CALGARY -- The Windsor Lancers proved they dont need home-court advantage to win a national womens basketball championship. Guard Miah-Marie Langlois scored 19 points as the Lancers defended their CIS title with a 69-53 win over the top-ranked UBC Thunderbirds at the University of Calgarys Jack Simpson Gymnasium. Windsors first national title came on its home floor in 2011. The Lancers steamrolled UBC 18-6 in the fourth quarter to break open a close championship game. "It feels better than the first time," said Langlois, who was named the tournaments most valuable player. "I have just a better feeling inside me . . . just to experience the feeling again." Langlois scored her 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting in the final. She also grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out six assists. Langloiss backcourt mate, Bojana Kovacevic, also had a big night and was named to the tournament all-star team. She had 14 points, nine coming in the first-quarter from behind the three-point line. Jessica Clemencon added 16 points for Windsor "It was harder (this year) because it was on the road," said Windsor head coach Chantal Vallee. "We had to beat a really tough (Calgary) Dinos team (in the semifinal) and tonight UBC played really well. Im so glad my girls didnt lose their composure and they got it done. "Im very proud of my team." The Bronze Baby trophy will return to its spot in Vallees office at St. Denis Centre, the Lancers home gym. Joining Kovacevic on the all-star squad was UBC guard Kristjana Young, Ottawa Gee-Gee forward Jenna Gilbert and Caalgary Dinos guard Jenna Kaye. [url=http://www.cheap-nhljerseys.us.com/en310/]Cheap Columbus Blue Jackets Jerseys. Young led the Thunderbirds with 16 points on Monday. Zara Huntley added 13. Windsor opened up a 35-22 first-half lead but was held scoreless over the final 2:20 and UBC got to within 35-26 at the break. The Thunderbirds outscored Windsor 17-5 during a seven-minute stretch and had two opportunities to take the lead in the third quarter but couldnt. Langlois converted a key three-point play with 2:50 left in the third quarter to get Windsors lead back to four points at 47-43. The quarter ended 51-47 in favour of the Lancers. The Thunderbirds were looking for the schools seventh national title and fourth under coach Deb Huband. They claimed the CIS crown in 2004 and 2006 and are now 6-2 all-time in the final. Their most recent appearance in the national final came in 2008 when they beat the Regina Rams 67-46. "Windsor upped the pressure (in the fourth quarter). They have some athletic girls that guard very tightly and aggressively," Huband said. "There were a lot of bodies on the floor. I think at times their physicality and athleticism caused us some problems." Windsor had a 20-12 lead after the opening quarter, thanks to the shooting of Kovacevic who hit three shots from right in front of the UBC bench. Earlier, Gilbert scored 19 points and Hannah Sunley-Paisle 16 to lead the Ottawa Gee-Gees past the host Calgary Dinos 79-73 in the bronze medal game. Jessica Franz scored 19 for the Dinos. The Regina Rams, who were the top seeds, edged provincial rival Saskatchewan Huskies 64-60 in Mondays fifth place game. ' ' '