Let the Sun Shine...

Solid weekend in Vancity… sun, fun and bbq in the air. Nothing quite like kickin’ back on the deck for some meat off the grill and a cold one in the summerlike rays. That said, the world of sports continues spin, even if the Canucks are at a standstill until the Fall…

The puck dropped on Round 3 yesterday in Detroit and the Wings smacked the Hawks 5-2. GET USED TO IT. Chicago is fast, fun, and very talented, but they’re not ready for the Cup yet. I would love to see the Hawks get there – it would be fantastic to watch and Chicago is arguably the best sports city in North America. But the Wings can skate with the Hawks, they’re more responsible defensively and they’re best players get it done at both ends of the ice. Chicago reminds me a lot of Philadelphia last year, which means I could also see them taking a step back next season unless they have a great summer in free agency.

Is anyone buying Bettman’s assertion that he’d rather see the Coyotes back in Winnipeg rather than move to Hamilton if they relocate from Phoenix? Really, Gary? Do you have any stocks in BreX or Enron to sell me while you’re at it? Look, we all know Balsillie is that kid that screws around in class, skips school to go to the beach and still aces every test you hand out. We get that you don’t want to give him the scholarship even though he has the top GPA. But Winnipeg instead of southern Ontario? If it was feasible, I’d say make it happen. Unfortunately, the Peg’s arena is too small which means the ticket prices would have to be high and the chances of getting enough corporate support in that market are questionable at best. Throw in a Canadian dollar that’s well below par and there are too many obstacles for a city that once had a proud NHL tradition. I’m not against getting NHL hockey back in the Peg, but it’s not a better option than southern Ontario at this point.

I know there are a lot of Toronto haters on the left coast, but I am lovin’ the early season run the Blue Jays are on. Grew up on a steady diet of Jays on the tube and it’s been WAY too long since they were legit. I’m guarded with my optimism at this point because they haven’t played the Bo Sox yet, but if we hit June and they’re still cruisin’… I might actually believe that October is a possibility.