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.