What's Shakin'?

A short hiatus, but nothing to be concerned about. Big week for North America; Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. No matter what your politics, it's tough to not argue that he represents hope for a nation desparately in need of it. Sports fans take note: Obama is unwavering in his belief that his success is the direct result of his involvement in basketball throughout the course of his life. It may sound simple, but those who stick with athletics are handed the tools to a prosperous existence, regardless of their wealth.

Ok, that sounds way too academic for some sports guy... here's a couple of other things on my mind.

1) I have an uneasy feeling about the BC Lions this off-season, and I'm waiting to see how it all shakes down. The past few years, players viewed BC as the franchise that would give them the best chance to win, but it seems as though that belief is weakening. Don't get me wrong; the Lions are still a top-notch orgnaization. But this year will be a big test, especially if they lose Rob Murphy and Jason Jimenez. Walter Stith could step in for one of them, but losing both would sting. That said, I believe at least one of them will be in BC, but I can't say the same for those Saskatchewan linebackers the Lions covet. Anton Mckenzie has re-upped with Gang Green, and Maurice Lloyd, the guy Wally Buono really wants, is rumoured to be heading to Edmonton with his former defensive coordinator Richie Hall. The next few weeks are going to be interesting as free agency approaches. I still maintain it was a MISTAKE to cut Jason Clermont, but time will tell.

2) Did you see the front page of the Vancouver Sun today? The Olympics are going to cost us $6 Billion. I hope most people made their way topage A9, which broke that figure down. The actual dollars were $5.84 billion, but $3.88 of that cost was for the following projects: $1B for the Sea to Sky highway project, $0.88B for the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre, and $2B for the Canada Line. NEWSFLASH: this province/city needed those things done. How many senseless deaths and accidents have there been on the Vancouver-Whistler highway because it was not equipped to handle the volume? How much business has been turned away because the downtown corps could not accommodate the amount of corporate interest that exists to bring conferences and events to Vancity? And what kind of metropolis does not have efficient mass transit from its airport to its centre? These initiatives should have been in the works long ago, and I'm glad something acted as a catalyst in getting them underway.

3) The fighting debate in hockey is only getting started. Another ugly incident tonight in Philadelphia, where Garret Klotz convulsed on the ice after Kevin Westgarth of the Monarchs drilled him with three heavy blows to the head. Klotz didn't hit his head on the ice, but the optics are not good in the wake of Don Sanderson's death. Both players removed their helmets. The fight was off the opening faceoff, meaing it was orchestrated rather than the result of emotion within the game. The chances of this producing a ban on fighting in hockey are slim, but the pressure from non-hockey fans is going to be intense for awhile. I firmly believe that a rule prohibiting players from removing their helmets or undoing their chinstraps will be instituted in all levels of hockey by next year. There's not a quality counterargument against it. "We don't want to cut up our hands on visors and helmets." Oh, I see. You think its ok to protect your hands, not your heads. When I see an MRI that shows a brain located at the end of hte arm instead of in the skull, we can talk. Until then, keep your bucket on your melon.