Holiday Season A Busy One

This is a great time of the year to be a sports fan. There is a little something for everyone. You are treated to maybe a little bit more if you are a hockey fan, so this may be more directed to those in Canada and the upper East Coast. First we are right in the midst of the college football Bowl season. Granted with some 30 Bowls or something silly like that there are a lot of meaningless games out there but If you are just going to watch for the entertainment of the game or just want something to keep gambling on then you are in luck. All of the real important games don’t begin until New Years there is still plenty to fill the schedule.

You then have the regular season for both college basketball and the NBA. Both regular seasons are just a matter of jockeying for position for the playoffs and for the NCAA Tournament but there are still some entertainment to be had in watching either of these two distinctive versions of the same sport.

The final week of the NFL schedule is hear and teams are making the final push to make the playoffs, gain home field and to either rest star players or keep their foot on the gas. It can be a week where it is a real crap shoot of games. It depends on what teams come to play. 2 great teams facing off may become the worst games of a weekend. 2 terrible teams with players playing for jobs next year may be the most entertaining. Every year in the NFL the elite teams have nothing to play for...so they don’t. It is games like that that rob the fans of not only specific teams but the sport in general. This is the reason why an 18 game schedule is a bad idea....just more meaningless games.

Then there is hockey. Everywhere you look there is something to take in. You have the NHL regular schedule and it’s array of games, the Spengler Cup which most people in Canada don’t even realize that Canada has a team in that tournament. It is probably one of the most under the radar Major International Tournaments. It is a huge deal overseas but seems to get lost in the shuffle over here. Even with names like Alexandre Daigle and a coach like Craig McTavish. Then of course there is one of my personal favorites, the IIHF World Juniors Tournament. This is one event that I very much enjoy watching. I will be honest, it is a bonus that Canada is prolific and more often then not are one of the teams to win year in and year out (as shown by the 5 straight gold medals) but the style and tempo of play is enjoyable to watch. To see the stars of tomorrow in a competition where they are playing the most elite competition from each country is fun to watch. Sure when you beat a Latvia 16-0 that is not the greatest of games but good for the national pride. It is the games against the USA and the Swedes and the Russians that are the most fun.
And this year we get the added bonus of having the Team Canada Olympic Roster announced before New Years...

All of that equals an embarrassment of riches for the sports fan, whether your interest is sport specific or you just love them all and are a fan of the games

Team Canada Final Roster Prediction

Noon on Wednesday will be the much anticipated time for Steve Yzerman and Team Canada. It will be at that time when they will unveil their final choice on who has made the Olympic squad. Well, in actuality, since it is a list and we are in Canada it will quickly turn to who didn't make the team. When you have enough quality to send 2 very capable medal contending teams there will be some deserving people left off.

Sure this "Final Team" will not be the team that suits up for Canada when the games begin but it will be close. You have to figure that there will at least be a few injuries that will effect the roster.

My final roster is who I think should be on the team but not necessarily whom I believe that Team Canada will select for their final roster.

As you can compare from my from my Last Update there has been some movement in just over a month and that one changed fro the orientation camp from August.

Forwards:
Jarome Iginla - Sidney Crosby- Jonathan Toews
Rick Nash - Ryan Getzlaf - Dany Heatley
Martin St. Louis - Joe Thornton - Steve Stamkos
E. Staal - Mike Fisher - Corey Perry
Brad Richards

Defence:
Scott Niedermayer - Shea Weber
Chris Pronger - Dan Boyle
Brent Seabrook - Drew Doughty
Duncan Keith

Goal:
Roberto Luongo, Martin Brodeur, Marc-André Fleury

Taxi Squad:
Mike Green, Jeff Carter, Patrick Marleau

How close I am will be interesting to see, I am just putting Fisher in as a long shot sentimental pic. If I was going to be completely objective he would not be on my list but I want to give him a little extra credit so I will include him. I think that it is more likely that Milan Lucic has a better chance of making the team, even with his recent string on injuries he serves a similar role but may be a little grittier. Maybe even a Mike Richards but without knowing how he gets along with Chris Pronger I amy not want the two of them in the same room.

We will just have to see what Stevie Y and his team has in mind on Wednesday...then we can begin the criticism.

Not So Perfect

If there is any question that Peyton Manning is not only the MVP of the league but he is also a half decent actor. I guess that most of his endorsement commercials have prepared him for yesterdays game. Manning was taken out of the Jets game while the Colts were leading 15-10 in the third quarter and backup Curtis Painter was not up to the challenge and looked like a JV QB or worse, like JaMarcus Russell. Sure he didn’t look pleased but managed to maintain a decent demeanor on the sidelines, unlike Brett Favre and Brad Childresss the week before. You could tell by his face that he was not impressed with being taken but hid it fairly well. It only looked like someone injured his dog but not killed it. In the end he towed the company line and said that he knew it was a possibility that this could happen. Guess he figured that If he was going to come out they would have a greater then a 5 point lead.

Jim Caldwell, Colts Head Coach made the decision to "rest" at least 5 of his top offensive players, Manning included. There were also a few on the defensive side of the ball as well. Ordinarily I would agree with the concept that you won your games and you have the right to play the last 2 however you want. If resting players, you believe is in the best interest of your teams chances to win the Super Bowl then so be it. The only thing is that this was a different set of circumstances this was a 14-0 team that had a legitimate chance on going 16-0 and becoming the first team to do so and win the Super Bowl. New England came within a hair of achieving that a few years ago and would have done so had it not been for one of the luckiest BS catches of all time by David Tyree. Going undefeated in the regular season did not prevent them from winning, the team that was on a roll and got hot at the right time and then they just didn’t play well enough in one game at the end of the season.

I have made it clear in the past that I am a fan of history being made. A great story didn’t even make it off the ground because of a pre-emptive move by a rookie coach. This is a huge deal too, just look at how people remember the Dolphins team from the 70’s. People still talk about that team and how great they were and what they accomplished. Peyton is a guy who understands the history of football and he knows what it would have meant for his team to reach such a record. Caldwell also made the comment that they never had plans of going 16-0. ???????? That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard, what team doesn’t try to win every game? If you aren’t planning on going 16-0 you are planning on loosing, not the right attitude for one of the elite teams in the league.

With an offence like the Colts, they rely on timing and repetition. Staying in a flow and working like a well oiled unit is what they do, taking that away from them will likely hurt the teams chances going forward. You will have spotty work in the last 2 regular season games and then a bye then you have a rusty team entering a 1 and done elimination game versus a good team... a very dangerous situation, on that the Colts may live to regret.

Week 16 NFL Picks

Another week and another 10-6 record. I am becoming the epitome of consistency. It was a tough week and will only get tougher as the season moves forward. Some teams have everything to play for and others have nothing...unless you count pride. We don't count pride. It is this dilemma that makes it tough to decide what team is going to show up for each game, what teams are going to rest players and who will keep the foot on the gas pedal. Lets see how my prognostication (guessing) works out this week

AP Athlete Of The Year

It is nice to know that the The Associated Press has the pulse on the sports world when they named Jimmie Johnson as Male Athlete of the Year. They are at least better then the people at SI. SI named Derek Jeter as Sportsman of the year, I guess that is slightly different then Athlete of the Year but not relay that much. After not just winning the NASCAR title not Once, Twice or even Thrice but nailed down an unprecedented quad title to his resume. Finally that was enough to be recognized for what he managed to accomplish. Johnson received 42 votes from editors at U.S. newspapers which are members of the AP. Tennis star Roger Federer (30 votes) and Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt (29) were the only other athletes with totals in the double- digits.

It was too bad that SI couldn't get their lips off the "Ace" of the New York Yankees long enough to appreciate exactly how special Jimmie Johnson has been to not just his team but to the sport as a whole. This is probably even more impressive then winning all 4 Grand Slams in either golf or tennis in one year but for whatever reason does not get the same love in the media. Jimmie had the hurdle of proving that it wasn't just a car winning the award but that he was a worth candidate.

After NASCAR made up so much of the gap between itself and the rest of the main stream sports over the years you would think that it would be above being treated as a second class citizen. In the US it raised itself into the top 4 in the major Pro Sports landscape both in terms of fans but also main stream media and sponsors. I is also nice that New York City mayor’s office designated a "Jimmie Johnson Day" earlier this month, the champion suggested "everyone should have the day off and go have margaritas."

In any event I am glad that Jimmie is finally getting some good pub outside of just his sport and is being rewarded for just how special the run that he is on truly is. Congrats to Johnson and the entire Lowes 48 Team...with a special nod to Crew Chief Chad Knaus who is the architect of this dynasty. Perhaps Chad is overlooked in this whole thing but he is the driving force and the relationship between himself the owner the team and the driver.

Week 15 NFL Picks

Last Weeks Picks would have probably gotten me into the playoffs. I went 10-6 vs the spread. It was a tough week for picks but i managed to fair not too bad. This weeks there are some very tough games to pick and I can say right off the top that I am not confident in these picks, so much so I am not even going to try to play Proline. That probably means I will go 16-0 but I just don't like the match ups. Lets see what Sunday brings.

Sad End To A Troubled Player

This time the story about a pro athlete involved in a domestic disturbance/traffic incident has become more of a real story and more serious then that of the Tiger Woods situation. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have said that Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry has died, one day after suffering serious injuries upon falling out of the back of a pickup truck. Authorities have describe the events that led to the accident as a domestic dispute with his fiancee.

Henry was suspended in 2007 for half of the season -- as part of a toughening of the league’s conduct policy. This came on the heals of his a fifth arrest. He had had trouble with the law and character issues dating back to his time in college. Throughout his career, his temper and poor decisions got him in trouble.

Henry was not with the team after he broke his left forearm during a win over Baltimore on Nov. 8. He had surgery and was placed on season-ending injured reserve following the game. That was the reason that he was in Charlotte at the home of his fiancee’s parents, where it is believed that the incident began.

It is sad at anytime that news like this happens, especially to a high profile athlete. Sure this type of thing probably happens a lot in one way or another in society and doesn’t even get second mention. Just because it was some what of a celebrity that it happened to that it gets the extra exposure but it is still a shame. For a player who had all the potential in the world to be a real star in the NFL he just couldn't shake his demons and maybe that could have ultimately led to this tragic end. Leaving behind his young children is also overlooked. It is also too bad that he will not be remembered for much of what he did on the football field but all his off field indiscretions and arrests. His tarnished image are unfortunately what people are going to remember.

Best And Worst Of The Weekend

Best: The Indianapolis Colts passed two dynasties with one win. They have now won 22 straight games in the regular season Passing the New England Patriots and won their 114th this decade passing the mark set by the San Francisco 49ers. The only difference is they have won 1 Super Bowl vs a few more by the other 2 combined.

Worst: Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys lost again in December and are perfectly miserable in the most important month of the regular season. Maybe it is history repeating itself or maybe it is because the NFL wants teams to be in contention until at least Thanksgiving and give out more favorable beginnings of the schedule to have a bunch of wins stockpiled early and then they play better teams in December and are exposed. In any event a loss is a loss and the criticism of Romo are already starting to rumble and gain steam.

Best: Brandon Marshall snagged a record 21 catches. Marshall said after "I believe it was one of those games where, whenever you accomplish something like that, it definitely feels good," he said. "But we have goals, and our only goal is to win games. I’d definitely trade in a couple of those catches for a win."... I’d definitely trade in a couple of those catches for a win?? What does that even mean? I would give up the catches that didn’t go for touchdowns? I know he just meant that it would have meant more had his team won, but that doesn’t do much to change the perception that a Wide Receiver can be a bit of a diva.

Worst: It is basketball season and all I can find on TV is 1 Kentucky Game on Saturday and a Raptors game vs Houston on Sunday?? Granted that NCAA regular season basketball is a nameless and faceless sport, usually until March Madness come around but sometimes there are some engaging games on before that. You watch and game at Cameron Indoor at Duke or the Dean Dome in North Carolina and just the atmosphere of the crowd is enough to keep you interested. Yet another reason that we should have the option for ESPN to be shown or optioned in Canada and not have to purchase a specific pay per view NCAA package. Every time this issue comes up.

Best: NHL Center Ice free preview on Bell ExpressVu. Managed to take in 6 games at the same time on the TV Saturday night with the Ottawa game streamed on the Computer at CBC.ca. With the multi screen option that is offered, it gave a nice variety and options without having to change the channel. Sure each frame is a bit small then one might like but being able to see all the games live at the same time is cool. Having the little goal light with real time updates was an added benefit. It is still very sad that it was clearer to watch the Sens game on the computer then on the Standard Def feed on CBC Ottawa.

Worst: There were 2 scary injuries that were suffered by a couple athletes over the weekend. Former Senators goaltender Martin Gerber suffered a serious injury playing for Atlant Mytischi of the KHL. Apparently Gerber was involved in a collision during a game against Vityaz Chekhov and left the ice on a stretcher. He was diagnosed with a compression fracture of one of his cervical vertebra and could be in hospital for two months. Then there was Cowboys defensive stalwart DeMarcus Ware who was carted off the field on a stretcher during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Chargers with a reported sprained neck. He had full movement and gave several hand gestures but was otherwise immobilized for safety reasons. Both are collision games but you never want to see a stretcher on a playing surface.

Week 14 NFL Picks

Last week I clawed my way to a solid 8-8 record. Not great but If this was baseball I would be up for the Hall of Fame. So with that said I will go for a second consecutive .500 or better record this week. Lets see how it goes

Tail Of The Tiger

Like I said before, right after Tiger had that early morning accident and some of the tabloid stories that were floated just before that incident that it was something that was fine to mention in the news but that everyone should just let him be and deal with it internally. The only reason that this should even be brought up is when it affects him as a pro golfer. Unfortunately that happened late this week. This went from tabloid garbage and fodder for the night time talk shows to becoming a legitimate sports news story. With a number now up to a bakers dozen of woman that h has been linked to is now at a level that is irrelevant as 1 is too many, 13 shows a real either addiction or at least pattern of poor decisions as a married man.

His decision to take an indefinite leave from the game of professional golf again legitimizes this as a true sports story. Granted he needs to deal with all this in a private way but there now needs to be some public statements. A post on his website is nice to get the info out but he needs to make an in person public statement if nothing else but to show that he is actually remorseful and sincere. Tiger stated "I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person," which is the right thing to say...but it needs to be said and not written.

Slowly some of his sponsors are now slightly distancing themselves from Woods and the story by ‘pulling back on marketing’. They are not dropping him right away just limiting some of the exposure that he gets. Some of his major sponsors include Nike, Gillette, AT&T, Gatorade and Tag Heuer. Of those 3 have already made some sort of modification regarding Woods.

It is interesting when you think of it. Maybe it is just poor decision making if you are a professional athlete to get married before you are 35. The likleyhood of there being ‘transgressions’ has got be be higher then that in regular society. sew your wild oats while young and rich...then settle down. That might lessen the sting of acting like a playboy.

It is a sad story all in all. Who would have thought that it would be a marriage and scandal that is going to derail one of the greatest careers of anything we have ever seen in sports. You would have thought that injury was the only thing that could stand in Tiger's way... Not even close, he won a Major title on a BROKEN LEG and this is what brings him down. It will be interesting to see what takes a bigger hit, Tiger's image or the PGA Tour without Tiger (bad economic times on tour is not going to be easy to overcome).

Building Towards October

Phase 1 complete. The Atlanta Braves have shed $7M from the payroll after closer Rafael Soriano surprised the team by accepting salary arbitration. The Braves expected to let him go and pick up an early draft pick for him but instead had to find a trading partner. Tampa Bay Rays needed a closer and got one for a very reasonable price. The Rays only had to give up 26yr old Jesse Chavez. Hopefully with his addition and the recent signings of closer Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito that will help round out a bullpen that needed to be more consistent.

Hopefully that will free up GM Frank Wren and allow him to focus on other possible trades, most likely a starting pitcher for hopefully a decent and consistent bat. That can come in the form of a first baseman and/or one of the corner outfield positions. Those are the 3 positions that require the most immediate attention and upgrade.

The starting rotation was one of the best in baseball last year (surprise, surprise the Braves had a good rotation). It looks like they will have to give up some of that depth in attempts to either gain a player or free up some money to be able to go sign one from the free agent market. Right now it looks like it will have to be Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez that have the most value but Lowe’s contract may be a bit tougher to move. It would have been great if one of the young prospects were a little closer to cracking the lineup and that would give more options to Wren but it looks like there are a few more holes to plug. Hopefully during the winter meetings that are going on that there is some ground work for possible deals being made.

I want to get back to the days that My Braves were rattling off 14 Division titles and not seeing the Phillies representing the NL East year after year. They had their run, now it is time for the market to self correct and go back to the way it should be.

Quick Hits

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and his supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen have had a baby boy. Although the child is but 1 day old it already has the Brady 3 day beard growth.

Chad Ochocinco will be parting ways with some of his dinero as he has been fined yet again.
Ochocinco is being fined $30,000 for his latest "wardrobe malfunction". He was on the sidelines after scoring a touchdown donning a poncho and sombrero. Not sure if it was $15,000 per prop or just a standard 30G’s.

Danica Patrick recently announced that she will be joining NASCAR to race in the Nationwide series. While on the Dan Patrick Show today she was asked if she knows if she can race a NASCAR car, her response was a little surprising. "Nope, but we’re gonna find out," Patrick said. Danica said that she doesn’t know NASCAR-style cars, and that she drove one once seven or eight years ago she tried it out on a small track. One would think that before signing a two-year deal that one may hop into a car for a little ride, especially seeing that the deal is probably a fairly lucrative one.

The NBA seems to be getting a pass on the Tim Donaghy referee scandal. I guess if it isn’t sexy it won’t get covered. Donaghy has a book coming out soon and it is getting little or no press. He is linked to the Mob, how can that not be a big deal. David Stern must be loving that Tiger Woods is stealing all the highlights and newscasts and this seens to be slipping through the cracks. It is funny that the actual news story is buried and the one that should be left private is the one that went viral.

A guy told his Facebook friends that they could shoot his 60-inch television if the Redskins blew their lead against the Saints last Sunday...a 23 yard chip shot field goal that would have cinched the victory was missed by Shaun Suisham. Final Score: Saints 33 - Redskins 30 in OT. See What happened to the TV set here.

Best and Worst Of The Wekend

Best: Toronto Raptors guard Jarrett Jack’s brought the ball up the court when he noticed that his shoelace was undone. At that point he tucked the rock under his arm while the clock continued to run, bent over and tied it back up... not a single Bulls player tried to steal or knock the ball away. No Bulls player even made an effort to approach him. The Bull wound up losing the game by 32 points. I guess they were lacking a little bit of hustle.

Worst: Colt McCoy of the Texas Longhorns who not only probably cost himself a Heisman Trophy after a very average game but almost cost his team a shot at a National Championship opportunity. At the end of the game Saturday night versus Nebraska, Colt lost track of time or something and ran an ill-advised play before throwing the ball out of bounds. He, by the slimmest of margins, managed to stop the clock with at best 1 second on the clock. They did get the chance to win the game with a field goal but had he held it for a fraction of a second longer the huge underdog Cincinnati would be in the BCS Championship game.

Best: Although it happened on Friday, the 100th anniversary for the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre was what it was expected to be...Well done, moving and a great tribute. The Ceremony was about 90 minute but did not seem overblown or drawn out at all. It was great to see all of the Old Time Greats that have played on that historic teams over the years. In addition to the celebration they also retired 2 numbers to two of the most elder members of the Canadians hockey family. Elmer Lach’s No. 16 and Emile (Butch) Bouchard’s No. 3. (In a class move Ryan O’Byrne pulled off his #3 jersey and gave it to Bouchard as he changed his number to #20). Having Mr.. Hockey Gordie Howe come out with a "Rocket" Richard jersey was great. It was interesting that only 3 got a special intro. Jean Beliveau I get, even maybe Guy Lafleur but Patrick Roy? He got his own and received one of the biggest ovations. I agree that maybe he deserves it as I was and still am a huge Roy fan but it just seemed interesting that he would get special attention.

Worst: Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a fracture in his left patella. First off are there many injuries that sound more painful then a fractured patella? Secondly this looks like it is going to be an ongoing issue as he has already had some major issues with his legs. Oden, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft, missed the entire 2007-08 season due to a micro fracture surgery on his right knee. He then missed time last season with foot and knee injuries. I though going into his draft year that he was a risky pick, especially so high just based on his play and his perceived potential. I thought the was going to be brittle at the NBA level but that isn’t even the case, it was just doing average moves. You never will expect to jump and break your leg.

Best: Blue Jays Pitcher Roy Halladay, who only has one year left on his contract and doesn’t seem to want to re-sign with the club. He has a no trade clause. He has said that he only wants to go to a team that trains in Florida so he can be close to home. He wants to be moved to a winner/contender. If there isn’t a deal done by spring no deal. Those aren’t very restrictive demands now are they?? By my math that pretty much just leaves Boston New York, New York Mets and maybe Philadelphia. Granted he may be more up-front with his reasons to want to move but is what he is doing really that much more different then what Dany Heatley did in Ottawa? Sure the optics are a little better for Doc but in the grand scheme of things the two are very similar. It happens is all pro sports, it is the nature of the beast. Heatley was a lot more secretive and that was the main difference but all things considered it is all very similar. I say Dany is now vindicated in his move.

Worst: Philadelphia Flyers fired coach John Stevens and replaced him with Peter Laviolette. In his first game behind the bench the Flyers managed to rise to the occasion and lose 8-2. Granted that was aided by Dan Carcillo who was just suspended four games for his role in a fight that earned him 19 penalty minutes and a game misconduct. The 9 min. power play given to the Capitals may have helped seal the fate of the Flyers. Something tells me that Carcillo may already be in Laviolette’s dog house and may not be on the roster for much longer, especially if he pulls a stunt like that.

Week 13 NFL Picks

After a a 7-9 Week 12 I hope to do just that little bit better and get over that hump and at least switch those numbers around and get up and over that .500 mark. I am beginning to hate the spread more and more every week. I keep getting the short end of the stick and need a good week this week to rebound. Only time will tell.

Tiger Jokes- Don't Want To, Have To

I apologise but before I can take the moral high ground this evolving issue I must go low brow on the Tiger jokes. I don't want to have to do it but, here we are. I can only hope that this will get it out of my system and we can move on to some actual sports related stories and comments.

Tiger's New Trophy

Gatorade and Tiger ask "IS IT IN YOU?"

Apparently, the only person who can beat Tiger Woods with a golf club is his wife

Ping just offered Elin Woods an endorsement contract pushing her own set of drivers. They said to named Elin Woods..."clubs you can beat Tiger with."

Tiger Woods is so rich that he owns lots of expensive cars. Now he has a hole in one.

What's the difference between a car and a golf ball? Tiger can drive a ball 400 yards.

What were Tiger Woods and his wife doing out at 2.30 in the morning? They went clubbing .

Tiger Woods crashed into a fire hydrant and a tree. He couldn't decide between a wood and an iron.

I always said golf was a dangerous game...all this happened because Tiger picked up another birdie.

What club did Elin use to 'rescue' her husband? A "bitching wedge".

(Politically incorrect): What do Tiger Woods and baby seals have in common ?? They're both clubbed by Norwegians !

Tiger Gate - The Saga Continues

Ok. So it is time to get out ahead of the Tiger Woods saga and then maybe we can move on. Sure this is not a good situation that he put himself into. Any difficulties that he is incurring or going to incur in the upcoming weeks and months are of his own doing and he must deal with that. First and for most this is a private matter that needs to be dealt with.. .In private. The only thing that people need to know is if any of the issues are going to affect his golf game. The rest should be irrelevant. Obviously that is not going to happen and people love sensationalism. The way society is now with its stars they will build you up and put you on a pedestal, but at a moments notice they will be more then happy to knock you down and tear you up.... Only to then be more then happy to build you back up as a reclamation project. Britney Spears I am looking in your direction.

Are we to believe that all of a sudden Tiger Woods has become the first celebrity or athlete who has ever had an affair or "transgression"? I am shocked that someone would do such a thing! agghhh maybe shocked may be a bit of an overstatement... Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Shaq just to name a few internationally known superstars. I am sure in due time that this will pass and Tiger will be able to put this time behind him. How long that will be is anyone guess but we are only in the beginning of this story and who knows what other info is out there just ready to be leaked to the media but it will all come out in the wash. But again to be fair business on the fairways and greens should be fair game... business with the family should stay within the family, if nothing else but for the kids. It is too bad that the TMZ’s of the world won’t let that happen.

For those who have not seen his release here it is, it is a very tough read and clearly a tough thing to have to put out to the public. Especially for someone who has held his private life so quiet and closely shielded from the public for so many years...now I guess we know why.

Tiger comments on current events
I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.
Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means. For the last week, my family and I have been hounded to expose intimate details of our personal lives. The stories in particular that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious. Elin has always done more to support our family and shown more grace than anyone could possibly expect.
But no matter how intense curiosity about public figures can be, there is an important and deep principle at stake which is the right to some simple, human measure of privacy. I realize there are some who don’t share my view on that. But for me, the virtue of privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one’s own family. Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn’t have to mean public confessions.
Whatever regrets I have about letting my family down have been shared with and felt by us alone. I have given this a lot of reflection and thought and I believe that there is a point at which I must stick to that principle even though it’s difficult.
I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology.

It doesn’t help that fellow golfer Jesper Parnevik (who first introduced Tiger to Elin) had this to say about the situation: "I’m kind of filled with sorrow for Elin since me and my wife are at fault for hooking her up with him, and we probably thought he was a better guy than he is.
"I would probably have to apologize to her and hope she uses a driver next time instead of a three-iron."

So with that said lets get it all out of our system now and then we can start fresh. Yes, more people on the course will be yelling "Get in the hole!" after each of his shots. Yes, all of his clubs and balls are well polished. Yes, his equipment is top of the line. Yes, his favorite shot is the knock down shot. No he did not shank it and ask for a mulligan. No he was not following company orders from NIKE to Just Do IT when he was approached with the option of engaging in any of the alleged "Transgressions". I am sure that there are many other jokes to be had but I think that the main ones are covered and now it is time to move on.

If Tiger is really guilty of anything other then "transgressions" it is that of being greedy. He has a Swedish model wife with a twin sister already. Now he is out with other women...that is just overkill dude...share the wealth.

Quick Hits

USA A-OK: Martin Brodeur embraces the Stars and Stripes. Anyone else concerned that the potential number one goalie at the Olympics this February for Team Canada just passed his test to become an American citizen? Nothing like having the pride of wearing the Maple Leaf on the chest of your jersey that was brought to you by a Bald Eagle. I know the dual citizenship thing is just a paper and legal issue but the timing could have been better. Maybe doing this after you play for you country would look a little better. There is no question that he is a true Canadian but this close to a major international competition is questionable. Either way we will see Marty in Vancouver this winter.

Tiger accident over and done with: All Tiger Woods has to do is pay a US$164 fine and accept the deduction of points on his licence then case closed. What led up to this point is nobodies business but he and his wife. The only thing that we should be concerned about is when this affects his play. Since he pulled out of his own tournament we as fans deserve to know the extent of the injury, but the events that led to the situation is a private issue and that should be respected. Gossip is so big in our society and always has been and as much as we all like to hear the dirt there needs to be some level of privacy involved. If there are issues at home, lets hope it gets worked out, nobody wants to hear a Phil Hartman type story. Maybe there is no fire near this smoke and it is just a misunderstanding. Only real issue is that keeping quiet only fuels idol and damaging speculation.

Jets bring in Yanks manager Girardi to teach Mark Sanchez how to slide: Seriously? There is no one in the Jets organization that knows how to slide correctly. And even if there isn't the best you could do is Girardi? I guess Jeets is busy with his Sportsman of the Year award but there must have been someone better. Even in media driven New York this is a weak attempt to get a good public relations story...this is not good PR it is just weak.

Take that! Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun had to leave the game on a stretcher after his teammate, Keith Ballard, whacked him across the head with his stick in frustration after an Ilya Kovalchuk goal. If that hits Kovalchuk and not his teammate he would be looking at a 20 game suspension. I don't think that he should be let off the hook. The league wants players to be responsible for their sticks, should it matter who gets hurt during a reckless and careless act? What if it was the ref? At the very least the team needs to do something publicly to show that that kind of behaviour is not to be tolerated.

2009 Sportsman Of The Year

Derek Jeter has just been named as the SI 2009 Sportsman of the Year. I will submit that he is a worth candidate and is the captain of the team that won the World Series, he is the ultimate team player, his numbers are either holding steady or are better now at an advanced age then when he was in his prime which is remarkable PLUS he is a very likeable figure. All that said I do not think that he should have been given this award. Perhaps it is more of a "lifetime achievement award" but even still I think there were some more deserving people.

Tim Tebow is one that comes to mind. He has the Heisman, he has the National Championships he has the looks the leadership and that is just what he does on the football field. When you add onto all that with his humanitarian work and everything he does and has done off the field it is hard to saw that he is not deserving of the award. The fact that there are questions about how he will be as a pro should have been a factor as well. This may be the only time where he will be in a position to win the award and that is now gone.

My vote would have gone to Jimmie Johnson. He has done what no one has ever done in the history of NASCAR winning 4 consecutive Championships. He is doing something that in any other sport would be deemed as super-human and the coverage is weak and the fact that he was overlooked as SI’s Sportsman of the Year is just another bit of proof that there is a double standard. Maybe it is because he is only part of the equation and technology is a big part of it. I find that a weak explanation or excuse, it is a team sport where he uses what he is given, the car is only a small part of what makes him so great. I am guessing that the voters have held his sport against him. When you are at the top of the mountain and not getting the respect that should come with it must be at least a little frustrating. Guess the millions of dollars and the trophies and the super attractive wife make up for that.

Other people that were in consideration were Manny Pacquiao, Kobe Bryant, Usain Bolt and Roger Federer. All these guys deserve to be in the conversation but just didn’t have enough to take the title.

With all that Tiger Woods did over this past year he very well could have been in this list. Imagine if he had won and was going to be honored at the awards night and on the cover after what has gone down regarding himself his wife and his very secretive car accident. That could have made for a very awkward situation for all involved.

Grey Cup 2009

Since it is Canada and it is Grey Cup time I will enter my prediction for the game.
Montreal is favoured by 9.5 points. I presume that they should be able to cover this with ease.
The only problem with that is that they always seem to play close games in the Grey Cup regardless of how big a miss match the game looks on paper. Montreal I think will still win but covering the 9.5 is not likely.

The game is in Calgary but the stands will be a sea of green and if anything it is a home game for the Roughriders. Why Montreal is always so good until the Finals then they struggle. Maybe it is that they never have any adversity during the regular season. The East is so bad they they have 1st wrapped up by Thanksgiving.

Either way enjoy this Canadian Tradition. It is the only game of the CFL that most people will watch and that isn't a bad thing.

Tiger In Trouble?

Tiger Woods appears to be in a bit of hot water right now. After it took nearly 12 hours before his accident to be reported (especially in a world of Twitter and such) lends itself to many questions. At this point all there is is questions and really no answers. The say that alcohol was not a factor, and that may well be true but in the absence of information from either Woods or the police who knows. Maybe there was a domestic situation that led to him leaving after 2am, hitting a fire hydrant and then a neighbours tree.

When it was first reported it said he was seriously injured which made you wonder how this would affect his run at Jack Nicklaus and his records. As probably the best golfer ever it has been widely assumed that the only thing that could de-rail him is injury. I am sure there was a collective gasp when the news was first reported.

They say that his wife, Elin Nordegren aided him out of the automobile by using a golf club to break out the back window...possible, or maybe she broke it out during a fight. We don't know, no one is talking. How bad is he injured? We don't know he is held up in his gated community home. he is usually known for being a man of few words but now it is making him look a lot worse.

I do feel a little bad about the exposure that this is getting but I guess that is the price of being a celebrity. This is also coming at an interesting time as the usually squeaky clean woods has had some bad press in the Tabloids regarding his involvement with another woman (Rachel Uchitel) . Does this have anything to do with the situation...maybe, maybe not. Again we won't know until someone talks.

It is expected that Woods will talk to State Patrol today (Sunday) and the 911 call will likely be released Sunday as well. Maybe that will shed some light. This will be interesting to follow as information trickles out. I am just glad that everyone involved is still alive. Sometimes, not only in sports but society in general it is a much more tragic story.

Week 12 NFL Picks

After Thursday's games hopefully Sunday will provide us with not only better results but closer and better games. The bar has been set pretty low as the Turkey classics were far from that. Football fans deserve some games that are watchable.

With that here are the pics for week 12...fingers crossed.

Volleyball And My TV

Recently, as there usually is on TV , the provider gives you a free preview of new channels or featured channels that may be struggling or are perhaps unknown. In the grand scheme of things all it comes down to is a drug dealer "offering you a free ‘taste’." You accept an bang! Next thing you know you are on A&E on an episode of Intervention.

This is what Bell ExpressVu did with the Centre Ice Package. They give it to you for a month, get you hooked then when you get accustom to having every game at your fingertips they rip it from you like you were a breast feeding baby forced to go bottle. You still get some games via TSN and the like, but not everything. You don’t get all the goodness of total variety but you get a good mix. 1000+ games was tempting but I choose to pass, maybe game centre on NHL.com next year (especially after I adopted not 1 but 2 Western out of market teams to my favorites list).

Bell has decided to do this to me again with the introduction to the CBS College Sports station. Right now the main focus is College Football but they also have gotten my attention by throwing some NCAA Woman's Volleyball (the A-10 Conference Championship and the Conference USA Championship). Outside of an hour and a half of beach volleyball maybe 3 or 4 times a year on NBC when they show the AVP or if it is an Olympic year you might get a little more coverage...but just a little, there is not a lot of volleyball to be found.

The beauty of the game is that it is fast paced, strategic, athletic and entertaining. What is not to like about that? Also because there really isn’t a Pro League, at least not in North America you aren’t spoiled by having 1 big name or team. You can enjoy the game for the game and even if you don’t know the participants you can still be entertained by the game and not be blinded by the hype of a name.

It is because of this that I will have to put some serious thought into adding this channel to the package. It is sad that it has to get to this point just to see volleyball on TV but what can you do. Anything to get just a little exclusive American sports on my TV has to be taken VERY seriously.

Thanksgiving Or Football Day?

It may not be as good as a day off but I suppose it is the next best thing. It is that time of the year where the traditional Thursday football games are on the radio during the day. Sure it would be better to be watching the game but there is something to be said for the good ol’ days when the theatre of the mind was where it was at. At least in the NFL there are not two teams in the league with the same name like there was in the CFL for so many years...just imagine listening to a game on the radio and what you hear is " Rough Riders have the ball, here is the snap, there is a fumble Roughriders and the Rough Riders are in a scrum...Roughriders recover". How does your head not explode?

It seems that the majority of the games over the last few years have been stinkers but almost any NFL football is good...even if it is the Lions. The their credit they did try to give the game some hype this year after a good comeback win versus the hapless Browns in a shoot out but even with that it cost them the health of Matt Stafford and there is questions on if he will be able to play. Likely it will end up being Dante Caulpepper and that does not scream exciting game even with the Packers on the other side of the field. Gotta figure that the Pack will be back and on track and take this game with ease.

Then you look at the next game on the sched and after just a horra-awful game last week managing a 1 point victory versus a team they should have pummeled. Playing the Raiders who are coming off an upset themselves should make this game closer then it should be. Only problem with that is that a close game is a far fetch from a good game...especially on the radio so that should prove to be interesting.

In a welcome addition the game on the NFL Network for the more recent 8pm game addition should be the game of the day with the Giants taking on the rapidly falling Denver team. After such a strong and surprising start Kyle Orton and Co. have fallen back to earth and look like the team we thought they were before the season started....a very bad one. Hopefully Eli and the G-Men can light it up, they may be the best bet to see a team move the ball into the opponents end of the field.

So get your Swanson TV Turkey dinner with all the trimmings ready and take thanks for a triple header of football. Happy US Thanksgiving.

To Honor Or Retire?

LeBron James wants NBA players to give up their No. 23s to honour Michael Jordan. "King" James has worn 23 since he was a high school sophomore and stated recently that he believes players should pay tribute to Jordan for the Hall of Famer’s impact on the game. I have no issue with that. There is no denying that Jordan was the force that has marketed the game of basketball internationally and grown the NBA in popularity so If players want to honour that he is probably the greatest player even then so be it. Do I think that the number should be retired? NO.

He may be at the top of the mountain now but to be fair the only reason there is a mountain to be on top of is because of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. That 1on1 rivalry and the Lakers-Celtics rivalry all but saved a league that was in major trouble and in need of a major image change. If their numbers 32 & 33 aren’t retired 23 should not be either.

Lebron is not the first to either change a number or even think about doing so. For years you would see #8 Bryant Lakers jerseys everywhere. Then as part of his image re-birth after his off court - court issues he re-invented himself and his image and boom now he is 24. Lebron has said that if he were to change his number it would be to 6. That Maybe not the best idea either as Bill Russell was #6 and he has the most rings and is regarded as one of the best team players of all time...can you honor one and snub another and not be a hypocrite? I guess if anyone can it is the King. Also lets be clear, he will change his number. That is the beauty of merchandising, all the Lebron followers will be ready to make the switch too. They will embrace the change and purchase the new swag.

What is the true motivation, a tribute to MJ or a padding to Lebron’s increasingly rising pocketbook? Probably a little from column A and a little from Column B.

4th Championship In A Row - The Best Ever?

So in breaking with tradition and I suppose superstition I bit the bullet and decided to watch the NASCAR race from Homestead Miami Speedway yesterday. Ordinarily when there is as much at stake and I was as emotionally invested as I was in something happening that I would tend not to watch. Sometimes it comes down to a case of what I don’t know won’t hurt me, especially in an event where something so small as a loose wire could de-rail a performance of historic proportions. I was rewarded with my decision when Jimmie Johnson made his successful run for a unprecedented and record 4th consecutive NASCAR CUP Championship. Other drivers may have more (Earnhardt and Petty with 7), but one has to argue that the quality of the fields are not comparable. The drivers that have come before and paved the pay are legends but even at his young age Jimmie has to be put into the same level as those other drivers if not even above.

Jimmie Johnson made history on Sunday with a 5th place finish at Miami which clinched the title and solidified him and his team as one of the best ever. No one in the sport has won 4 in a row, only 1 other had won 3 and a half dozen at best has ever won back to back. Even with that Jimmie’s should be viewed even more impressive as he is doing it in a time where the quality of the other drivers week in and week out are far better and much more even. In addition to that, the equipment that is being used is all so regulated by NASCAR to be similar and universal to ensure parody in the sport. That is what separates the 48 Lowes Impala SS from others over the course of history. There is such little wiggle room to make adjustments under the rules that gaining any advantage is more difficult then any other time in the sport. Granted the 48 team in the past has been known to bend the rules a bit or toe the line as close as possible but that is what any championship team has to do...sprint to the wall but manage to stop right before you crash into it.

What made this last win even better is that he WON this championship, he didn’t just coast and play it conservative and raced the race not raced to protect a lead in a prevent defence (Similar to how Matt Kenseth did the year he won the championship). With 3 races left in the season an early crash saw him land a mid 30th place finish, cutting greatly into his lead. After that terrible run he managed to re-focus and come back in the last 2 races and win one and got a top 5 in the next. There was no let up just business as usual...get in the car and race to win, just like a true champion. Not only was it the 4th for Johnson but Hendrick Motorsports went 1-2-3 atop of the Cup standings (Johnson - Mark Martin- Jeff Gordon...the first time that has ever happened).

This victory is one of the greatest feats in sports in some time and sadly is not getting the recognition that it deserves. For how monumental a 4-peat is the appreciation in the media just doesn’t seem to be what it should be. This is as great or greater then winning all 4 Golf or Tennis Majors in one year yet the hype just isn’t there. It is too bad that If it was Tiger or Federer that did the equivalent in their respective sports it would be everywhere on TV, in the papers, on the Internet, Twitter’d, Facebooked the whole 9 yards. On TSN.ca it was 3rd behind 2 featured results from the CFL..that is just mind boggling and on Sportsnet it wasn’t even a foot note. Foxsports, ESPN mentioned it and SI at least had it one of the leads. The only redeeming factor is that there is the likelihood that SI will name him Sportsman of the Year. They almost have no choice, If Favre could take it last year there is little or no excuse not to have Jimmie take it this year. That is the one problem with the way NASCAR does it and there is really no way to avoid it. You can’t have a big must see one day production like a Super Bowl or a best of 7 Playoff Series when points are the measuring stick (Denny Hamlin actually won the race yesterday but that is overshadowed by the coronation of a champion...the Must See TV Pizzazz just can’t be done with this format).

Regardless of any of the outside factors Jimmie has done something that has not and may not ever be done again and it was and is a pleasure to be witnessing it while it is going on.
Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus and the entire Hendrick 48 Lowes Team

Week 11 NFL Picks

This week if an interesting week. Not only for games but of the point spreads that are in play.

A lot of the games have very inflated spreads...9.5 and greater. Of late even the high scoring teams are having trouble covering the high numbers. Some of the better teams seem to be satisfied with just a comfortable win but not going for the big kill and running up the score like they may have earlier in the season. Probably a way to try to keep players healthy as we get closer to the playoffs.

With that said here are this weeks picks!

Home Sweet Dome

Are you a Detroit Lions football fan? Or Want a piece of history? Got $583,000? If so then maybe the Pontiac Silverdome could be for you. Not unlike what Rogers did when they bought the Jays and the SkyDome (now Rogers Centre) at a huge discount a Canadian Real Estate company won an auction and are now the proud owners of an old arena with no tenant right now for the price of a decent home, depending on your location.

The Silverdome was the home of the Lions from when it was built in 1975 at a cost of $55.7 million. To put that into perspective, if that were to be built today it would cost in the neighbourhood of $220,000,000. The stadium obtained the name "Silverdome" due to a silver-like reflection caused by the sun, mainly noticed from the sky. The roof was constructed with Teflon-coated fiberglass panels, and supported by air pressure inside the stadium. It remained the teams home until they moved into Ford Field in 2001. The stadium could hold 80,311 for football games..the largest stadium until 1997 when FedEx Field opened. It was also the home of the Detroit Pistons of the NBA from 1978–1988. They then moved to. The Palace of Auburn Hills.

There were many events that were hosted there over the lifespan of the dome, most notably the home of some USFL Teams and various NCAA Bowl games. It did also host four first-round games during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where they used real grass over the Astroturf that they grew on pallets and in between games they would take the grass outside into the sun and would be watered and cared for until the games then brought back in for the matches.
The Silverdome’s largest crowd was on March 29, 1987 for WrestleMania III, with a reported attendance of 93,173. This was followed by an April 30, 1977 concert involving Led Zeppelin with 76,229 in attendance, which at the time narrowly outdid The Who who had 75,962 people.

The dome was recently sold to Canadian investors for the previously mentioned $583,000 which goes to show a) How expensive the upkeep on a venue that size but also the state of not only the economy but the Real Estate Market in Detroit. The new developer intends to use the Silverdome to host Major League Soccer games. A few years back there were proposals of upwards of $19 million to sell a few years ago but those were rejected. In hindsight maybe thy should have taken that offer.

Champions Crowned

Shae-Lynn Bourne and Claude Lemieux versus Craig Simpson and Jamie Salé. Clearly the battle that everyone probably expected and were rooting for to be crowned as champions of the Battle of the Blades. After Monday’s results show the winners were announced and it was Sale and Simpson...and I could not have been any more pleased. They were both my pick and my choice to win. Perhaps it had something to do with my continuing crush on Jamie Salé but they were the best and most creative pair in the competition.

As for the concept and the show itself, looking back at it was a good idea and turned out to be much more credible then I would have thought. The Hockey players did a good job to adapt to the sport of Ice Dance. They were far less awkward then I would have thought. That speaks volumes about the level of commitment and effort that they put into it. The fact that the winning pair took home a cool $100,000 for their charity of choice (Salé and Simpsons was spinal cord research.) is a huge bonus. I don’t know exactly what the ratings were for this but it appears that it was fairly well received by the public.

The way I look at this is the same way I look at other "reality" shows and many movies for that matter. The original is usually best and should end with that. The first editions of - Survivor, Paradise Island, The Apprentice - I watched and enjoyed. Had they ended there I would have been laughing, but sadly they did not and continued to churn out season after horrible season of crap. They are not going to top what they have done and it can only go down hill from here. Just like Dancing with the Stars is experiencing now they will run out of stars. That just hurts the credibility and the watch ability.

If this could be a one hit wonder and end there they I think everyone would be better off. Sometime it is best to do the Seinfeld thing and go out on top and not end up having to "Jump The Shark".

Just Another Classic

Football and Hockey and NASCAR, Oh My!

This weekend marked a great weekend in sports. There was a good lineup on Saturday with a good spread out schedule of hockey beginning with the Sens game at 2pm and ending with the Canucks game at 10pm with the meat in that sandwich being a Calgary victory over the Leafs. Throw into the mix some very good NCAA college football games where USC was made to look like UC Chattanooga versus Stanford where Stanford was accused of running up the score...since when does USC not do the same thing in that situation??? There was alos a Florida game versus The South Carolina Game Cocks where the Chosen One Tim Tebow was playing.

Where things got the most interesting was that Sunday schedule. Granted the quality is going to ramped up when you have the NFL involved but there were some very compelling storylines throughout the day. There were a lot of games that must be classified as surprises. Either teams that should have won but didn’t, teams that had no right being in the game but making things very interesting and a ton of injuries to some very big name key players. Dallas should not have played so poor versus Green Bay, New Orleans should not have had the difficulty with St.Louis.

The two best events of the weekend without a doubt were of the Championship level. If we can get this much excitement come Super Bowl time we as sports fans will be laughing. Jimmie Johnson took his Lowes 48 Chevy Impala to Phoenix International Raceway and took the race, led the most laps and got max points to extend his lead in the race for the Sprint Cup and his 4th Consecutive Championship. With the win Johnson added to his lead over teammate Mark Martin and the 5 Car. What Johnson needs to do now is finish the race in one piece in 25 place or better at Homestead Miami Speedway in the last race of the season. If he is able to do this he will have to be considered one of the greatest of all time.

Now onto the NFL Game of the year. Not since the Patriots were on their run to go undefeated has there been so much hype for any regular season game. Even the Brett Favre-Green Bay game and storyline wasn’t at this level. This was one of the better games you are going to see, either regular or post season. The game from start to finish was entertaining but it had one of the wildest finishes you are going to see.

The Patriots, who were up 6 in the 4th late in the game when Bill Belichick made the decision to go for a 4th and 2 on the thier own 28 or whatever...deep in thier own end anyway. Instead of punting and putting the Colts probably back on thier on 40 yard line or so, they decided to go for it and came up a few inched short when Kevin Faulk bobbled the ball and was knocked back. The Pats have been slammed since then for that decision. "How can you give the ball to Peyton Manning on the 30 and expect to win?? I have to say I can’t say it was the worst thin in the world. If you actually look at the situation it isn’t as bad a call as it would appear at first glance. The Colts were basicly unstoppable in the 4th quarter, the Patriots defence (who played well all game up to that point) were gassed with hands on thier hips and knees and showing signs of being worn out. The Colts had just scored in under a minute and a half and were rolling. Manning was in a rhythem and carving up a tired defence. Many commentators are saying that Belichick’ showed no confidence in his defence and that would be a bad thing in the lockeroom going forward. I don’t see it like that. I think that he showed the ultimate vote of confidence in his franchise and one day Hall of Fame quarterback (with Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Kevin Faulk) to pick up 2 yards. What I saw was if you give the NFL MVP the ball anywhere on the field you are going to lose. Like Herm Edwards said " YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!" Tom Brady’s arm gives you the best chance to do that, couple that with a tired defence...why not? Maybe they were saying If we can’t get 2 yards then maybe they don’t deserve to win. They can aford the loss in that divison so the risk reward made it woth it.

It is just like in racing do you race for points and go concervative or do you roll the dice and try to win, even if you run the risk of running out of gas on the back stretch. Sometimes you just have to go for the win.

Week 10 NFL Picks

Still looking for that undefeated week. It is not looking too good for that to happen so I will try to keep my eyes on a .500 record each week.

Lets see how things shake out this week!

Team Canada Roster Update

We are only 3 months out from the Olympics and closing in on that 20 game evaluation mark in mid November where NHL Teams will begin to evaluate just how good, or bad their teams are. I think I will take the time to update my proposed roster for the Canadian Olympic team. Back on August 28th I submitted a list during the Hockey Canada Evaluation Camp outlining who I though may be early favorites to make the squad. In that time things have changed slightly based on both play at the beginning of the season and some injuries and injury concerns.

Steve Yzerman has come out recently and announced that the team will be unveiled on December 31st, likely during the Word Juniors as part of those festivities. That will either make this list something of a mid season report. I may have 1 more after this before the 31st deadline but this should be a good measuring stick on what direction I think the team is going to look like and be shaped. Just as they did during the 2006 Olympics I will also include a 3 man Taxi Squad or Black Aces as it were. Lets see how much different this team looks before the next revision.

Forwards:
Jarome Iginla - Sidney Crosby- Steve Stamkos
Rick Nash - Ryan Getzlaf - Dany Heatley
Martin St. Louis - Mike Richards - Jonathan Toews
Shane Doan - Brenden Morrow - Corey Perry
Patrick Marleau

Defence:
Scott Niedermayer - Shea Weber
Chris Pronger - Dan Boyle
Jay Bouwmeester - Drew Doughty

Goal:
Roberto Luongo, Martin Brodeur, Marc-André Fleury

Taxi Squad:
Mike Green, Joe Thornton, Jeff Carter

Still on the radar I have James Neal and Dion Phaneuf

For the record the players that have changed/ been dropped from either the team or the Taxi Squad from my early evaluation in August include: Simon Gagné, Eric Staal, Dion Phaneuf, Milan Lucic and Jordan Staal I have taken off the team with Vincent Lecavalier off the taxi squad. In nets, up until this past week I would have had Marc-André Fleury being the starter but have gone back to Brodeur as the # 1. There has been a lot of turnover already in my list. It will be interesting to see what changes I will have next time.

Pigskin Thursday

It may not be a marquee match up like Colts and Patriots but tonight kicks off the NFL mid week game with the Bears and 49ers facing off. Granted that these games are scheduled on Thursdays on the NFL Network so they can help bolster the ratings for a station that on the whole doesn’t get a whole lot of viewership. In Canada, even though we have that channel we can’t watch it there, we get it on Sportsnet. I will leave that alone for now as every time there is some sort of TV availability issue I get a little riled up about the lack of options that Canadians are given. It has become a big pet peeve for me, so I will drop it...for now and just this time.

Having this Thursday match up just means that we are getting close to the American Thanksgiving and the Lions and cowboys traditional double header. Good times.

It makes for a nice option to have on a Thursday, there will be lots of flipping with football, plenty of hockey (Sens-Flyers), some good NBA games (LA Lakers & Phoenix) and if there is time between periods and quarters mix in some of the comedy shows on NBC. One thing for sure is more football is not a bad thing. When you can get Pro Games on Monday, Thursday and Sundays and some NCAA games on Saturdays, that ain’t not bad. You know you are going to miss it when it is gone in February.

Thankfully the CFL is in playoffs and not eating up valuable TV time on Friday nights (however the only good thing about the CFL, the Grey Cup will be happening soon).

Winter Meetings

With World Series just beginning to fade in your mind, MLB GMs are already focusing on next season. The baseball GMs have come together in Chicago for thier winter meetings and it is no different then any other year. Sure they will talk about the business of baseball but unless there are some huge changes in schedules or rules or maybe even the expansion of instant replay most fans don’t relay care or pay attention to it. What they do pay attention to is the time in between and after the "formal meetings". This is a great place will all the big decision makers to get to talk 1 on 1 and perhaps get a positive dialogue going in terms of making a possible off season deal.

With the World Series over we now know who is available on the Free Agent Market and teams will have a good idea on who is out there and who they may need to target from other teams. Last year my Braves dipped their toes into both areas in getting some new players. Unfortunately they chased a few that got away and were shunned buy some others but that is all part of the game. They worked on the starting rotation last season, now it looks like they are looking for a bat and may be willing to move one of their top starters to get someone to help bolster the lineup. That has been the knock on the Braves for years, always known for a strong rotation but maybe not the most consistent lineup top to bottom.

The Blue Jays are also in an interesting position at these meetings. With a new young GM this will be his first meetings while leading the team. The team is in shambles and the direction unclear at this time, not a good position to be in. That being said, if he want to put his mark on the team now may be a great chance to do that. With Roy Halladay only signed to the end of the year, the opportunity for a deal involving some major prospects or quality talent may be out there and at these meetings may be an opportunity to get some talks going. There are also some other players that if they are able to purge somehow could start a positive rebuild. Lyle Overbay could be on the move and is movable, Vernon Wells needs to be moved but is unlikely to be able to be moved because he has so much money owed and so much time remaining that he may be virtually un-moveable.

We will all watch with interest and see how things shake out.

Hockey Hall OF Fame

Last night the Hockey Community came together to celebrate the great careers of 1 great broadcaster, 1 great front office/builder and 4 of the creme-de la-creme in terms of players. John Davidson, Lou Lamoriello, Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille and Brian Leetch were all honoured in Toronto at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The Hall opened its doors to possibly one of the best cast of characters that the Hall has ever let in in a single year. Next to the Messier group a few years ago this would have to rank right there. It is a different type of players this year but their contributions to the game can not be denied. Not only can you look at the body of work in the NHL but also what they have done on the international stage with various national teams and tournaments. That is one thing that people often forget to realize, it is the Hockey Hall of Fame not the NHL Hall of Fame. That is why it is a shame that there are so many players out there that are probably deserving to be in even if they either didn’t play in the NHL or had a limited career in the league. Getting more Russians in that may be deserving will be a start (Igor Larionov was a good start) and the eventual inclusion of women who will be inducted hopefully will happen in due time.

One thing that kind of jumps out with this years group is the American influence that is going in this year 3 of the 6 name mentioned above are from the USandA...provided you count Hull as full American. This is a bit of a shift as we often see more Canadians inducted each year.

Also it is interesting to notice that in this group 3 of the inductees played together on the same team and won the Stanley Cup. There are as many as 10 players from that group that could one day be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame -- and that doesn’t even include coach Scotty Bowman who has already been inducted. That has to rank right up there as one of the best teams ever assembled.

Best And Worst

Best: Mark Martin caught a lucky break when on lap 3 a "less experienced, non cup contender lost control of his car and caused front runner Jimmie Johnson to crash out and wind up well over 100 laps back in 38th place. Johnson was in the garage as his car was pretty much rebuilt over the course of 1 hour plus. Watching the pre race interview with martin it looked like he wasn’t too worried about being as far back as he was. Kinda makes it look a little suspect. I am sure that it was in fact an accident but for Johnson to go down lap 3 and Martin to snag a solid finish and close the gap to well under 100 points. I am sure there are going to be some conspiracy theorist out there, I just hope that everything is on the up and up.

Worst: Cam Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes. He was helped off the ice and sent to hospital where he stayed for observation. Ward was accidentally cut in the leg by Rick Nash’s skate. As he left the ice he left a nice clear trail of blood that was so visible that Hansel and Greddle could have followed it. Ward will be out for several weeks at lest forcing the Canes to sign Many Legacy. Any outside hope that he may have had for a shot at the Olympics is now gone.

Best: The Tampa Bay Bucks shocked the Green Bay Packers an managed the first and probably only win of the year. No worries about matching last years 0-16 season posted by the Detroit Lions. After the high and then eventual low of the loss to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings it looked like all the wind was out of their sails. It was probably more the lack of good play by the Packers then plays made by the Bucks.

Worst: This worst may actually be best. Woman’s soccer is possibly one of the furthest thing to legit sports and just because it is soccer - let me be very clear on that, not because it is woman, because it is soccer. After the recent video that has made its way around between BYU and New Mexico where Elizabeth Lambert, recently suspended, after grabbing a BYU player’s ponytail and slamming her to the ground. On the heals of that there is another story about 2 girls in a high school game in Rhode Island getting into a post game brawl who threw punches, pulled hair and sparked a brawl in the bleachers. The fact that these girls got up and are actually hitting each other is commendable. Usually in soccer they flop around without ever being hit and cry foul for no reason or because they didn’t get their half time oranges.

Best: Peyton Manning - nothing else, he’s Peyton Manning how is that not a best

Worst: Jaroslav Halak’s agent Allan Walsh. Walsh Twittered "Interesting stat of the night....Price is 10W, 32L in last 42 starts. Hmm.". This is why I find Twitter so stupid. It is one thing to say some funny comments but what the real purpose of it is I just don’t know. The fact that these people still don’t realize that what they put up may actually be read by the public is mind blowing. You have to figure that people are going to have a issue with an agent slamming a clients teammate is not good and neither is using gay or racist slurs. It is funny that the celebrities and sports people who hate all the extra attention and photographers will Twitter and tell all about what is going on...crazyness.

Week 9 NFL Picks

So after just a terrible week of picks I hope to rebound this week, even if just a little.
It is getting difficult to handicap these games as there are so many real good teams out there and an equal number of real bad teams. It is just a matter of deciding who is going to keep the foot on the pedal and who is going to just coast to a victory. The spreads are so high in many of the games that it makes things tough. Lets see how this week goes.

Dazed And Hilarious

San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum is facing misdemeanor marijuana charges following a traffic stop in his home state of Oregon. When I heard of this I was almost giddy with joy. For those of you who remember my post a few months back (Thursday, July 09, 2009 - The Underrated All Star) on how good Lincecum is and his unbelievable likeness to the actor who played Mitch Kramer (Wiley Wiggins) from Dazed and Confused. This cult movie favorite is a classic and has had some classic quotes and scenes. The fact that the movie had such a connection with the use of marijuana makes this storey even better.

Wooderson: "Say, man, you got a joint?"

Mitch: "Uhhh, no not on me man."

Wooderson: "It’d be a lot cooler if you did."

An officer approached Lincecum’s 2006 Mercedes and smelled marijuana as the pitcher rolled down his window. The police spokesman said. Lincecum immediately complied with a request to hand over the drug and a marijuana pipe from the car’s center console. The amount measured was 3.3 grams which was deemed it in the range for personal use, well below the maximum of 40 grams before possession is classified differently and carries a more severe penalty. The police said "It’s not really out of the ordinary. It happens every day," in regards to the amount that was seized "It was about the size of a thumb, the whole thumb."

I am not here to pass judgement, as a professional athlete maybe he should have known better then to be driving around and smoking the stuff in a high priced car but in the grand scheme of things not a huge deal. Other players are surely doing a lot worse more often. All I am saying is there is a time and a place so you avoid this bad pub...HOWEVER of all the star athletes to have this happen to Thank You Mitch...errrrr...Tim you have made my day!!

Lincecum is currently scheduled to appear before a judge on Dec. 22