The Toul Box

COOKE SKATES AWAY

2010-03-10T16:30:00.000-08:00

As a guy named Scott, I have a question? Can we now change the expression to “He got off Matt free”?

What a joke.

It’s about consistency?? That’s the company line you’re going to tow, NHL? You have a repeat offender that took advantage of a player in an extremely vulnerable position and you decide that you’re going to go with “Consistency”. I’m sorry – I was under the impression that Campbell was the NHL’s Justice Minister, but apparently he’s in chanrge of Consistency.

Guess who Colin Campbell and the NHL just put in jeopardy? Not Cooke. That’s the obvious and easy answer; that the next time these two clubs get together, Cooke’s got a target on him. No, this ruling puts two of the biggest stars in hockey in jeopardy.

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

Eight days from today, the Bruins host the Penguins. And while Campbell and Gary Bettman will be sure to warn everyone involved that there had better not be any shenanigans, the Boston market will be demanding blood.

Cooke took out what little offense the Bruins had in the lineup. Marc Savard may very well not play again this season – for a team that has scored fewer goals than any team in the league. And while all eyes will be watching Boston’s tough guys in an attempt to prevent a “Bertuzzi-like” incident, answer me this.

Based on the ruling that came down yesterday, what it to prevent a Bruins’ forward from blindsiding Crosby in the head the same way Cooke blindsided Savard? I am by NO means advocating such action… but if that were to happen, how could Campbell and the NHL turn around and discipline the guy who snuffed out Sid? After all, it’s all about consistency.

And while nothing might happen next Thursday, what about in the playoffs? These two teams have a decent chance of meeting in the first round. You think Boston’s chances aren’t significantly improved without Crosby or Malkin in the lineup?

And let's not forget, when the NHL really wants to suspend someone, they can find a way. Sean Avery's infamous "sloppy seconds" comment doesn't violate any particular NHL rule, but it made the game (and Avery) look awful. It was enough to prompt the league to suspend Avery for six games under the guise of "conduct detrimental to the League or game of hockey". There was no appeal because the NHL did the right thing, which is exactly what they failed to do today

Nice job, NHL. You have done exactly what the Canadian Justice system is often accused of doing – you’ve protected the criminal instead of the innocent.

Why should Cooke or anybody else respect the other players in the league? The NHL has just shown that it doesn’t.

Oh Boy, Auger

2010-01-12T15:22:00.000-08:00

I wasn't there. Neither were you. In fact, only two people know the truth.

Alex Burrows has accused Stephane Auger of a very serious offense - of intentionally affecting the outcome of an NHL game because of some personal resentment that he harboured for the feisty Canucks' forward. Burrows claims Auger told him he was going to "get him back" prior to last night's tilt between the Canucks and Predators because Burrows embarassed him last month in Nashville. The accusation provides a very plausible explanation for what can only be described as a phantom call when Burrows was assessed an interference penalty late in the third period.

Now Stephane Auger has a very important decision to make. He can choose to tell the truth, or he can choose to lie. I don't know what he said to Burrows, but he does.

It's not often that an adult has such an opportunity with the spotlight focussed so brightly. Mark McGwire had the opportunity a few years ago when he was called before Congress to provide testimony on steroid use in baseball. Our logical suspicions were confirmed yesterday when he explained that he didn't tell the truth because he feared the impact it would have on those closest to him. It's understandable, but it's still not the truth.

Earlier this year, soccer star Thierry Henry had a chance to tell the truth and also chose not to. Henry's hand ball led to the winning goal for France in a winner-take-all qualification match against Ireland, and France advanced to the World Cup as a result. Henry was not directly questioned at the time, but he could have very easily called the foul on himself. He chose not to, however, because we live in an era of "if you're not cheating, you're not trying" and while Thierry is generally regarded as one of the most honest players in the game, he didn't do the right thing.

Auger now has that opportunity. All he has to do is tell the truth, whatever it may be.

Sure, it's easy for me to sit here and type these words; I'm not in Auger's shoes, or those of McGwire or Henry for that matter. There is plenty of motivation in each of these cases for the person in question to act in a manner that benefits himself, his family and his organization. It's easy to argue in any of these situations that more harm that good could come from simply telling the truth. Plenty of other players made millions of dollars using steroids, but will never be questioned like McGwire because they didn't hit enough homeruns. Diego Maradona's "hand of God" won Argentina a World Cup, so maybe Henry's palm will become a celebrated story for generations if France wins this summer's global event.

There's plenty of justification for doing the wrong thing. Often it's financial, sometimes it's to save face. As the old saying goes, "everybody has their price". So what's it worth to look in the mirror every morning a see someone with a dirty conscience?

If Auger did what Burrows alleges, I'll never respect the act. But if he admits to having done it, I'll have a lot more respect for the man.

Let the Sun Shine...

2009-05-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

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.

Flip Flop, Slap Shot

2009-04-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

Like I needed another job, but these days you can often find me chillin' at my wife's new shop down on West 4th and Burrard - Flip Flop Shops. We had the grand opening this past weekend and though it was a long day, it was a cool break from the world of sports that I normally exist in. Don't get me wrong - I'm not quitting my day jobs anytime soon, but it's fairly relaxing to immerse yourself in the world of surf, and and flip flops for awhile.

That all said, what a wild first round of NHL playoffs! From sweeps to suspensions to surprises, there's been no shortage of talkable topics. Here's a few things that have stood out to me so far...

1) Roberto Luongo has been the best player in the NHL playoffs to this point. You can say it's a homer pick if you want, but check the facts. He has the best goals against average and save percentage in the postseason to this point, but most importantly, he has been the difference between wins and losses for the Canucks. His play against the Blues in game four was the type of performance that separates the good players from the great ones. By the end of the series, the Blues might as well been firing pucks at a 4x6 piece of plywood.

2) Who knows whether protocol is actually followed in such situations, but I wonder if Mike Gillis and JP Barry have used this time during the Canucks' layoff to discuss contract extensions for the Sedins. Both sides said they would wait until after the playoffs to talk deal, but no one anticipated more than a week in between games after a sweep in the first round. To me, the Sedins have answered any questions that previously existed about their abilities in crunch time, and there's no way that's been lost on a guy as sharp as Gillis. I wouldn't be surprised if a pact is being talked about even as type this.

3) The Columbus Blue Jackets may end up being the most important factor in another Cup run for the Red Wings should the defending champs get back to the big dance. The BJ's lack of scoring was just what the doctor ordered for a struggling Chris Osgood who looked anything but consistent in the month leading up to the playoffs. Osgood isn't out of the woods quite yet after giving up five goals in his last outing, but he looks far more confident than he did in March.

4) Tortorella vs Brooks might be the best rivalry since Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas "the Hitman" Hearns. The Rangers' head coach and the New York writer are already into after Tortorella refused to answer questions about his one game suspension for throwing a water bottle at a fan in Washington. Tortorella likes to dictate the course of conversation with the media, and Brooks is like the little brother who just doesn't know when to stop bugging his older sibling. Their first memorable encounter came a few years ago in the playoffs and it looks as though the two will butt heads for the foreseeable future should Tortorella have a long tenure with the blue shirts.

One NFL note for you as well... THANK YOU AL DAVIS. The Raiders' controversial owner and GM decided to pass on prolific pass catcher Michael Crabtree with the 7th pick in this past weekend's draft, which allowed Crabtree to fall to a certain 49ers squad that I've been known to root for. The best part about this? Davis can watch from the other side of the bay while Crabtree rips it up for the franchise that Raiders' fans have envied for the better part of the last three decades.

I Smell Playoffs...

2009-03-31T20:46:00.000-07:00

It might have been the most boring game of the season, but Canucks' fans couldn't care less. Henrik Sedin's overtime marker tonight sent the Canucks to the top of the Northwest Division, one point up on the floundering Flames. It hasn't gone exactly the way I thought it would, but I feel a lot better about my December blog that called the Canucks the team to beat in the Northwest.

Over the past two months, the Canucks have a record of 20-5-1 on the heels of a Jauary that saw them win just twice in twelve outings. The win all but clinches a playoff spot for the Canucks, which leads me to the following observations...

1) The Matchup

Too many Vancouver fans are caught up in whether Chicago is a better opponent than Columbus in the postseason. Did you not see the numbers I just posted? If those aren't good enough, then how about the 11 straight wins at home? It's not as though the Canucks are without flaws, but at this point, the only way you care about who the Canucks face in the opening round is if you would consider one playoff round a success. Based on preseason expectations, that result would be acceptable, but I'm thinking Canucks fans shouldn't be settling for the second round. I'm not saying a Stanley Cup awaits, but this team is playing well enough that fans should have some confidence in this group. If it were me, I'd be more concerned with keeping this team rolling and healthy.

2) The Captain
He might not be getting the recognition he did in previous years, but Roberto Luongo looks to be in playoff form. He's won 19 of his last 24 starts and has goals against of 2.19 during that stretch. As well as the offense is playing compared to Luongo's previous seasons in Vancouver, he is still the key to success in the postseason. He doesn't have to win playoff games by himself this year, but if he is playing up to his potential, the Canucks have a goaltending advantage over every single playoff team in the Western Conference.

3) The Third Line
Kyle Wellwood, Steve Bernier and Mason Raymond (for the most part) were supposed to be a defensive liability - they've been anything but. The trio has held it's own when opposing coaches get their top offensive players out against them. No one is confusing them for the Red Wings' grind line of Draper, Maltby and McCarty, but they haven't been pushed around the way that many anticipated. The "BMW line", as it's been called, doesn't have to be a shutdown line so long as it isn't a "light up" line for the opposition.

Training Update:

I'm three months into my Ironman training and still no injuries! Hard to say exactly where I'm at, but I have made some decent progress in the cycling and swimming departments. This week's a recovery/evaluation week for me with the crew at Innovative Fitness, but next week I get back at it big time. Powerbar is keeping me fueled and Dr. Gerry Ramogida is keeping me healthy. However, the main motivation behind this endeavor is raising money for cancer research. If you're interested, check out my page at BC Cancer:

http://donate.bccancerfoundation.com/site/TR?pg=fund&fr_id=1250&pxfid=5090

One more thing:

My pal Willie Cromack is involved in a fundraiser for Cyclebetes this weekend. The goal is to raise money for Juvenille Diabetes and Willie is putting his reputation and body on the line for the cause: Willie is willing to cycle on a spinner for 24 hours straight if a company or individual will sponsor him.

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW TOUGH IT IS TO SPIN FOR 24 CONSECUTIVE HOURS?

The cost: $2400 ($100 per hour) and he will wear advertising, do interviews and extoll the virtues of your business in exchange for the sponsorship. FOr more info and to get involved in a great cause, follow this link:

http://www.cyclebetes.com/ or give Willie a call at 604-808-8547

Rockin', Rollin' and Ridin'

2009-02-23T20:13:00.000-08:00

Watched the Oscars for the first time in years - I usually just catch the highlights - and Ben Stiller was hilarious. His reprisal of Joaquin Phoenix's bizarre appearance on Letterman was massive. If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself and favour and YouTube both interviews. Guaranteed laughter.

As for the weekend in sports, Mats Sundin's return to Toronto went the way everything is going for the Canucks these days - perfect. The Leafs, the crowd and in the end, Sundin himself played their roles to perfection. His shootout winner on the 10th anniversary of the ACC will go down as one of the unforgettable moments in his Hall of Fame career.

In a complete contrast from Januray, the Canucks can do nothing wrong thus far this month. Even when they don't play well for the bulk of the game (like in Toronto), they find a way to pick up a win. Even when Roberto Luongo allows a soft goal by his standards (like in Calgary), he shuts the door the rest of the way and backstops the Canucks to victory. And even when one of the top two lines isn't going, the other seems to carry the mail for the night.

The big question right now is... what do the Canucks do at the deadline? Mike Gillis has repeatedly stated that he's already made his big move by getting Sundin; it's his way of taking a preemptive strike against the inevitable "when are the Canucks going to make a move?" question that surfaces at this time each year. On one hand, the Canucks could use a defenseman to bolster what has been an inconsistent powerplay or an all-around forward that provides equal parts scoring and size. However, this organization isn't currently deep enough to trade away high draft picks or one of the few prospects it has in order to get a rental player. If prices are high to get the likes of Keith Tkachuk, don't expect much - if anything - to happen in the next nine days unless Vancouver deals for a player they can sign going forward.

IRONMAN UPDATE

Some exciting news in my quest to conquer this summer's Ironman Canada in an effort to raise money to fight cancer. A donation page has been created and the link is now posted on the right hand side of this blog. And I've got a big donation to kick things off!

The Vancouver Giants invited me and other media types to gather as many loonies as we could in one minute on the ice last Friday. All money I grabbed was then doubled and will be donated to teh BC Cancer Agency. I WAS ABLE TO GATHER THE MOST MONEY - $645 - WHICH MEANS $1290 IS GOING TO THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER!!!

Sponsors are also beginning to jump on board; Powerbar is going to support this endeavour and we're just working out the details as to how that will happen. I'll be posting a training log on the Powerbar website in the near future. Until then, I'll be training my assets off as gameday is only six months away.

And So It Begins... IRONMAN!

2009-02-16T14:15:00.000-08:00

You may have been listening this morning when I made the announcement on the air - I am trainging for Ironman Canada. This is easily the most daunting physical challenge I have ever attempted, but there's a very good reason for it.

Like many of you, my life has been significantly affected by cancer in recent years. If you've been in the BC Cancer Agency or similar treatment facilities, you know that there are so many people that need help in battling this disease.

After watching these people confront the challenge of their lives, it has inspired me to challenge myself. I will train to swim 3.8km, cycle 180km and run 42km on August 30th in an effort to raise money for cancer treatment.

In the next couple of days, I will have more information for you. There will be a link to a donation page should you choose to support this cause, and there are some exciting announcements on the horizon with regards to some corporate sponsorships.

Stay tuned!

Fun in the Sun

2009-02-02T14:42:00.000-08:00

Jetted down to California for the weekend to hang out with my wife while she undergoes some training for her new job. I love Canada, but you can't beat the sunshine after so many days of cold in the Great White North.

Couple of things for you as I post this from poolside down in Irvine:

Super Bowl
Great finish to what was shaping up as a lackluster game. Kurt Warner will be haunted by James Harrison in his dreams for years to come; the Cardinals could very easily be gripping the Lombardi trophy today if not for what will go down as one of the biggest defensive plays in the history of the Super Bowl. I thought a couple of the calls during the game were borderline at best (roughing the passer for a little push in the back on a qb as big as Roethlisberger?!?), but I'm glad the Steelers had to make a big play to win it. That grab by Holmes was unreal, and it was worthy of the game that it won.

Commercials
I was a big fan of the Pepsi Max ad where guys were getting hit in the head with golf clubs and being electocuted only to respond "I'm good." I also enjoyed the E-trade commercials with the babies that talk like adults -"Shankopotamous" is entrenched in my vocabulary now. That said, the freaky Conan O'Brien Bud Light ad was outstanding, and I'm going with that as my favorite. I know Doritos won the popular vote, but Conan made me howl with that Swedish commercial spoof. If you missed the Super Bowl ads, go to www.hulu.com and check them out.

Cranky Canucks
Shane O'Brien sounded off after practice today. Apparently he is none too pleased with his role as a healthy scrtach for back-to-back games. Alain Vigneault says he needs O'Brien to cut down on the needless penalties he's been taking. That's reasonable, but O'Brien has a case for himself too - he was +7 in the atrocity known as January in which the Canucks won two of twelve games. Mattias Ohlund was -10 during the same stretch and Kevin Bieksa was -8. Vigneault can sit whomever he wants, but he'd better hope the beaking by O'Brien is just an isolated incident. If more players start voicing their displeaure with their individual roles, start planning tee times. This team has NO chance of winning if they all start worrying about their personal agendas.

What's Shakin'?

2009-01-23T21:52:00.000-08:00

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.

And then there were four...

2009-01-12T17:39:00.000-08:00

Great weekend of football, not such a great weekend for the Canucks. Mats Sundin is going to need some time to get up to speed. The thing that makes it tough for him is that expectations are in mid-season form while he is in pre-season form. Though most fans are willing to cut him some slack while he knocks off the rust, it's understandable that there is frustration in Vancity as the losses continue to mount in Roberto Luongo's absence. Looks like he'll be back between the pipes later this week, but the Canucks can ill afford to watch Luongo go through a similar reacclimation process.

As for the NFL, a couple of things that caught my eye in the divisional round with the teams that lost:

Philip Rivers: forget what the stat line says, he didn't step up with the spotlight focussed squarely on him. He threw for 103 yards in the first quarter and ended with a 62 yard touchdown once the game was already out of reach. Too bad the game was lost in the meantime. Rivers did not deal with defensive pressure well against the Steelers - he either pulled the ball down too early and conceded a sack or he looked rattled and just threw the ball away. If he wants to take the next step, he'd better learn to deal with pressure in his face in big games.

Eli Manning: Despite last year's Super Bowl MVP trophy, he still isn't in the same class as his brother or Tom Brady. Those two can win games by themselves, making average players play above their normal capabilities. Eli still needs outstanding talent in his receiving corps to win in the playoffs. You might think Plaxico Burress is an idiot, but he's also a game breaker and the Giants missed him badly. With that running game on his side, Eli should have been able get more out of his receivers than he did.

Panthers defense: how do you let Larry Fitzgerald abuse your secondary like that when you don't have Anquan Boldin to worry about? Fitzgerald was quite clearly the biggest weapon on the Cardinals offense, yet he ran uncovered for most of the first half. I'm sure John Fox and company are wondering why they didn't have their best cover guy follow Fitz wherever he went and play zone over top of him as well.

Keep it real and I'll check in later this week.

Five Golden Rings

2009-01-06T21:45:00.000-08:00

All right, so they're medals, not rings... But the feat of Canada's World Junior Teams is no less impressive... Once again, our guys saved their best for last... Way too many memorable performances to list, but this year's squad provided a number of memories that have been indelibly burned in my brain...

But it's about time I make something clear: CANADA IS ALWAYS THE FAVORITE

I don't know how many times in the last five years I've heard that either Russia, the US, or Sweden was the pundits' pick to win the tournament only to hear O Canada played once the final whistle had sounded. Canada has won 10 of the last 17 tourneys and finished with the silver four times. Every other country that competes has won three less golds and Canada isn't named the favorite every time around?

Ask any other team which country they measure themselves against and they'll answer Canada every single time. There are teams that consider it a successful tournament if they lose in respectable fashion to Canada. That doesn't mean that our kids will be golden every single year, but when you are the benchmark fo success, that is the real definition of "favorite".

Playing for Keeps

2009-01-03T23:03:00.000-08:00

What a day in sports...

I thought I was headed for an early divorce with my yelling and screaming at the end of the Canada/Russia game at the World Juniors. Like most of the country, I thought Canada had blown it with that weak goal by the Russians with less than three minutes to go in the third. But Jordan Eberle - WHL product I might add - cemented his place in World Junior history by not only scoring with 5.4 seconds to go in regulation, but by undressing the Russsian goaltender in the shootout. Kudos to John Tavares for scoring the clinching goal in the shootout and for his last-ditch assist on the tying goal. The New Year's Eve game against the US and this most recent win over Russia are right up there with the most dramatic wins in Canada's World Junior history. Can't wait for the Monday night finale.

Solid start to the NFL playoffs as well. Hands up if you thought Arizona's defense was going to be the difference against Atlanta. Yeah, I know the Cards scored 30 pts, but 14 of them came off of turnovers. Good for Zona for winning a playoff game, but you get the sense that it's all over next week when they go on the road. As for the Chargers, will LaDanian Tomlinson be a part of the future in San Diego? It seems like a bizarre question to be asking after his record breaking season of two years ago, but Darren Sproles took over tonight's game against the Colts. 328 all-purpose yards?? In the playoffs?? Unheard of. That said, this game was lost on a 3rd & 2 from the Indy 8 yard line with 2:29 to go in regualtion. I can't remember the last time Peyton Manning needed a short conversion on 3rd down and didn't get it. I still don't dig the overtime rules in the NFL, but when a team marches 75 yards on you with the season on the line, you don't have much to complain about.

By the way, if you're looking for a good restaurant with very reasonable prices in the Main Street area, check out Le Faux Bourgeios. Had dinner there tonight with my wife and we thought it was great. Good atmosphere too, but make a reso.

New Year, New Plan

2009-01-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

So................ it's been a while to say the least. Sometimes life doesn't stop for blogging and there were a few challenges in the past three months that got in the way of posting. I'll leave it at that except to say that things are looking up in that department.

I also have figured out that quick posts more often is the way to go, so that's the plan for '09. There will be the occasional lengthy diatribe, but I'll be making a concerted effort to chime in on the Toul Box more frequently.

That said, here's a few thoughts as we kick off the New Year:

1) Mats Sundin - I firmly believe he's going to have a significant effect on the Canucks. He'll make whomever he plays with better, and take pressure off the Sedins to carry the scoring load. He also symbolizes to Roberto Luongo that this team is willing to make moves to win now. That's an important gesture in the process of getting Luongo signed to an extension this summer. I also expect Mike Gillis to go after an offensive defenseman and perhaps another scoring winger now that Vancouver is poised to save anywhere from $1.75-$2 million in salary cap room because of Luongo's injury.

2) World Juniors - How jacked were you watching that game against the US the other night? What an effort from the number one nation in hockey after falling down 3-0 early. Tavares' second goal was ridiculously good and Dustin Tokarski came up HUGE after a shaky start. Russia and Sweden are still scary, but once again, Canada is the team to beat. Bring on Gold #5!

3) NFL Playoffs - I can't remember a playoff season that has featured so much mystery, as to which teams will be in the Super Bowl.

Who's the favorite in the AFC? Tennessee doesn't make me think they've got the chops to win more than one round if any, and Pittsburgh had better get its offense figured out if they want another shot at the Lombardi trophy. The hottest squad is Indy, and given who handles their quarterbacking that might be the team to beat despite the fact the Colts are the #5 seed.

If you had to pick a favorite in the NFC, I guess you'd go with the Giants, but something tells me they won't have enough to get it done without Plaxico Burress, who was the big play receiver that scared opposing secondaries. Carolina has thrashed teams on the ground, but can Jake Delhomme beat a quality defense through the air if need be? The team with the potential to shake up that playoff bracket is the Philadelphia Eagles, who are hot at the right time of the year.

4) Bowl Games - love 'em. You don't have watch many of them if you're not a college football fan, but it's a great way to become one. USC looked awesome in the Rose Bowl yesterday and tonight's Sugar Bowl should be interesting with most people getting their first look at Utah. The Utes game against Alabama is one of the things I love about college football - a chance to find out just how good a "little team that could" is by pitting them against one that has received tonnes of media coverage all season long.

Are you Ready for some...

2008-09-16T14:03:00.001-07:00

Football. It was all football, all the time this past weekend and I was treated to three terrific contests live.

It started with SFU (a university team I help coach) knocking off the second-ranked University of Saskatchewan 27-17 at BC Place on Saturday. Pretty significant win for our team for a couple of reasons. First, SFU hadn't won a game since 2004, and have now won two of three to start the season to jump into a four-way tie for first place in the Canada West. Second, this was the first time the Clan have ever defeated the Huskies; getting over that mental hurdle against a perrenial powerhouse is immeasureable in terms of confidence for these kids. Especially when you consider our guys outscored the Huskies 24-1 in the 2nd half to erase a 16-3 deficit.

Later that night, I witnessed a hard-hitting affair between the Lions and Roughriders under the dome. The Leos won 28-23, the most significant thing to come out of this game was the utter disdain these clubs have for each other. Don't get me wrong; each team has a tonne of respect for the other. But these guys don't like each other and it shows. Rob Murphy and Kelly Bates were pushing and yapping with Scott Schultz and Maurice Lloyd. Tyrone Williams accused Glen January of punching him in the junk. This Saturday's rematch should be a brawl in Regina, and I can't wait to see it.

Sunday I was bookin' it down the I-5 in my speedy RX-8 in order to take in the Seahawks home opener against the 49ers. If you haven't been to an NFL game in Seattle, make plans to change that. The atmosphere is electric, the stadium is gorgeous and each game is choreographed so well from an operations standpoint. The weather was brilliant and so was JT O'Sullivan, the quarterback for my beloved 49ers. I couldn't believe I was watching this undrafted journeyman scorch the Seahawks secondary to the tune of 321 yards. Joe Nedney's winning field goal in overtime capped a perfect day in the Emerald City.
(Sidenote: Alice in Chains played with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra at halftime. They collaborated on Led Zeppelin's Kashmir and it was outstanding.)

So here's what I've got for ya heading into this week:

The Jones Index

There are 27 guys playing in the NFL with the last name Jones. Here's how I rank the cream of the crop right now:
1. Felix Jones (DAL)
2 td's in his first 2 NFL games, one on a kickoff. He's a more explosive and versatile version of Julius Jones, who left Dallas in the offseason.

T-2. Julius Jones (SEA) and Thomas Jones (NYJ)
Think these guys are brothers by any chance? Each has a 100+ yard game this season and each has scored 1 touchdown. The scary part is they are separated by exactly 1 yard rushing through the first tow weeks of the season.

4. Walter Jones (SEA)
Cleared the way for Julius to rack up 127 yards and didn't allow a sack.

5. James Jones (GB)
First TD catch of the season gets James into the Top 5.

Fancy the Freshmen

Looks like a trio of rookies is going to get an extended look at Canucks training camp. Cody Hodgson has been the apple of Mike Gillis' eye since he drafted the 18 year-old in June. Hodgson stood out during prospects' camp and will be given every opportunity to crack the lineup. Same goes for Michael Grabner, although Grabner's a triggerman while Hodgson is all about the dishes. Third on the list of young guns to watch at camp is Jannik Hansen, who the Canucks have been waiting on since that impressive debut in the 2007 playoffs. Hansen was talked up heading into last year's camp, but broke his thumb and spent the rest of the season trying to thumb a ride back to Vancouver.
The interesting speculation has to do with who gets the boot if those youngsters can crack the roster. Gillis has barely whispered Taylor Pyatt's name during the offseason, so I wonder how high he is on the former triplet. Matt Pettinger's name has also been conspicuously absent from discussion, although he's a more natural fit on the 3rd line and could wind up playing with Kesler and Burrows.
Defensively, it looks like Lukas Krajicek's days are numbers. Maybe that's just how I see it, but Gillis said he wanted a tougher team and that's not exactly Krajicek's forte. Rob Davison appears to be the guy brought in to replace Krajicek, as he plays the rough and tumble game that Gillis is looking for. Also keep an eye on Kevin Bieksa as he is potential trade bait. I really like Bieksa's game and hope for the sake of Canucks' fans they keep him, but he's the only top four d-man without a no-trade clause and the Canucks are probably confident that Edler can slide into that slot.

Fall is in the Air...

2008-09-03T09:56:00.000-07:00

So here's the summer in a nutshell. Got married, took a bit of time off, started coaching football at SFU. That pretty much sums up the last two months other than slaving away at my job - yeah, I know, it's pretty demanding to talk for a living.

But now, my sports senses have been revitalized. It's September. CFL's in full swing, college football is started and the NFL kicks off. Throw in baseball's stretch drive and NHL training camps and you've got reason to be invigorated if you have any sort of sports pulse whatsoever. Here's what I know right now:

Showtime

With all due respect to the Giants and Redskins scrimmage, the NFL kicks off in earnest on Sunday. Brett Favre makes his Jets' debut in Miami, Aaron Rodgers begins filming The Replacement in Green Bay, Tom Brady starts his rehab from last year's Super Bowl loss against a JV team from Kansas City, while NFL Hollywood (aka the Dallas Cowboys) visits the Dawg Pound in Cleveland (no, that's not where Michael Vick is incarcerated). The best thing about the NFL is that you can make a solid case as to why 22 of the 32 teams have legimate reason to be thinking postseason. Here's who I'm picking to make the playoffs:

AFC NFC
1. New England (13-3) 1. Dallas (14-2)
2. San Diego (12-4) 2. New Orleans (11-5)
3. Jacksonville (11-5) 3. Green Bay (11-5)
4. Pittsburgh (11-5) 4. Seattle (10-6)
5. Indianapolis (11-5) 5. Philadelphia (10-6)
6. Denver (9-7) 6. Carolina (10-6)

I know there are way trendier picks like Minnesota, Buffalo and Cleveland to consider, but I'm playiing a couple of hunches on this one. As for my guys in San Francisco, the 49ers will be better than people expect them to be, but it won't be enough for a playoff spot. I'm saying they win between 6-8 games and are back in the hunt for the postseason in 2009.

Scrambled Dave
Somebody needs to take the ball out of Dave Dickenson's hands. I've trusted this guy's judgment over the facts for the past couple of seasons, but he's been speaking from his heart instead of his head. Dickenson has been placed on the 9-game injured list with post-concussion symptoms following some big hits against the Eskimos on Monday. That outing marked the first real game action for Dave since last November. If you get concussed AGAIN in less than a half of football after resting for nearly ten months, you are not fit to play no matter how much you love the game. If Dicksenson had absolutely no life outside of football and was doomed to wander the earth in vain after his playing days, I might understand him playing until he couldn't stand up anymore. But we're talking about one of the brightest and most thoughtful guys I've ever met in professional sports, and he's got a young a family to boot. His brother is a coach in Calgary. Craig, take away his jersey, please.

Sundin = Pipe Dream
How many different ways does Mats Sundin have to say he's not coming to Vancouver without actually saying it? I can't believe that there are actually some fans who believe this is even a possibility (if any of you are reading this, I have some investment opportunities at a little firm called Enron to talk to you about). Mike Gillils made his best pitch to get Sundin and the big Swede said "no". He said it very politely, and the words were much more complimentary, but it ain't happenin'. Expect a team with much younger faces than you saw last year which should resutl in more excitement if not wins.

I've Still Got a Pulse...

2008-08-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

Other than getting married this summer, I've got no real excuse for the lack of activity on this blog. Those of you who've gotten hitched will probably cut me some slack, the rest of you will tell me to shut it. Either way, this blog is more outdated than Bmac's record collection.

I will fire the keyboard up immediately after Labour Day weekend. The Toul Box will be back and better than ever starting next week. Hope you're all enjoying your summer - even though these last few days have felt like winter.

The Young, the Old and the Beautiful

2008-05-27T16:06:00.000-07:00

Summer, summer, summer time. I'll just sit right back and unwind.

Looks like summer is just around the corner, which is always a great excuse to quote the Fresh Prince. My bbq and patio are ready to rock, and I'm getting married in less than two months which means theres isn'ta whole lot of time for bloggin' but here goes...

What looked like a dream matchup for the NHL could quickly turn into a nightmare unless the Penguins can muster some sort of comeback on home ice. Just three years after the NHL lockout, everyone was buzzing with anticipation for a showdown between the Red Wings and Penguins - two teams full of skill and speed, not clutch and grab. The proof that folks were geeked? Versus had its 2nd highest audience EVER for game one of the Stanley Cup, trumped only by Lance Armstrong's final ride at the Tour de France. But that interest is sure to wane (if it hasn't to a certain degree already) if the Pens don't start competing in this series. Blowouts are very rarely compelling, so I'm hoping that the flightless birds can win a pair at the Igloo to push this series to at least six games even though I picked the Wings to win it all at the start of the post season. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have yet to score (along with everyone else in a Pens uniform), but Malkin is far more concerning that Crosby, who at least seems to be generating chances. Malkin looks like a shadow of the player that dominating his competition for the better part of 90 games this season. Is he hurt? Is he tired? Is he just a young player learning what it means to compete on the biggest stage in hockey? Whatever the answer is, you've got a better chance of finding Malkin on the back of a milk carton that in the scoring summary right now.

Damon Allen will announce his retirement tomorrow and leave the CFL with a very interesting legacy. Statistically, he is the greatest quarterback in the history of the game; he's passed for more yards (72,381) and run for more yards (11,920) than any other pivot to ever lace 'em up. But ask CFL fans where he ranks on the alltime list, and he might not even make the top five. Doug Flutie, Ron Lancaster, Russ Jackson, Warren Moon and Matt Dunigan are often held with more regard in the minds of Canadian football aficionados. The reason? Allen was not nearly consistent enough on a game to game basis for the liking of most fans. When he was having a good day, he was as good or better than any quarterback that has ever played because of his amazing athleticism and veteran poise. I once played in a touch football game against him and watched college level athletes struggle to even put a hand on him as he glided around the field. But when he was off, he made you wonder where he was throwing the ball. My personal opinion? He deserves to be in the discussion of the all-time greats, but he doesn't come out on top. The one thing I will say about Damon Allen - he was money in the Grey Cup. His teams may not have advanced to the league finale as often as they should have, but Allen never disappointed in the CFL's showcase event. He played in 4 Grey Cup games, won them all and was named MVP in 3 of them. Tough to beat that championship resume.

I don't follow soccer as religiously as the diehards, but I have to admit that I'm stoked for Euro 2008. Part of that has to do with the fact that it's the largest event in the beautiful game next to the World Cup, but part of it has to do with last week's Champion's League Final. I'm neither a supporter of Manchester United nor Chelsea, but any sports fan couldn't help but be captivated by Man U's 6-5 shootout win. That game had it all; goals, chances, animosity, heroes, villains and goats. Falling on penalty kicks might be the toughest way to lose a championship, but it also makes for high drama. You think John Terry (Bill Buckner) is going to sleep much this summer after slipping and hitting the post on what should have been the winning strike for Chelsea? I PVRed the game and will watch it again before Euro '08 gets started next week just to get fired up again. By the way, I'm picking Italy as I do every international event, although I'm concerned that the sqaud isn't hungry enough after winning the World Cup. Yeah, I know; how does a redhead support Italy? My grandma's Italian and you can take it up with her if you want, but I don't like your chances. She's tough.

I Can't Grow a Playoff Beard

2008-04-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

Still can't get rid of a couple of bare patches on my face, so it's a good thing I'm just watching the playoffs, not participating in them. I've already spilled enough ink on the Dave Nonis firing, so if you want my take on that situation, check out my Metro Columns from this week.

As for recent rumours on who the next GM in Vancity might be, I keep hearing people whispering the name Mike Gillis. Gillis is a big name agent who has represented the likes of Markus Naslund, Bill Guerin, Curtis Joseph, Bobby Holik, and Pavel Bure just to name a few. He's a tough-as-nails negotiator who successfully sued Alan Eagleson in the 80's after Eagleson tried to cheat him out of over $4ok of Gillis' injury settlement at the end of his NHL career. He doesn't have any GM experience, but he is very connected and obviously a great negotiator.

But I digress since there's actual hockey being played these days. Here's a few things that have jumped out at me in the first week of the postseason:

For as much as we talk about the veteran goalies needed to take a team to the promised land, it's a pair of still-wet-behind-the-ears puckstoppers that have impressed me the most. Carey Price and Marc-Andre Fleury have both been fantastic thus far. Price isn't that much of a surprise given his superb play at the World Juniors 16 months ago and his stellar form en route to being named MVP in leading Hamilton to a Calder Cup in his first two months of pro hockey last spring. Plus when guys who played with Dryden and Roy think you're ready to backstop the Habs as a rookie, you're doing something right. Fleury, on the other hand, was a big ol' question mark heading into the playoffs. He was great down the stretch but wasn't exactly consistent in lat year's playoffs for the Pens. But he allowed just 5 goals in a first round sweep of the Senators, and if you watched that series, he was a big reason for the broom.

Can anyone figure out what's going on in the Sharks/Flames series? I haven't seen ol' Mo flip flop this much since Sihota's days in Victoria. Just when you think one team has the other figured out, the struggling squad rises up and snatches control of the series. San Jose's win in the final seconds in Game 4 makes me believe the real Sharks are back to win the series, but that probably means the Flames will look like the '89 Cup winners in Game 5.

Unlike the way the Flames came back with Mikka Kiprusoff in game 4, I would leave Dominik Hasek on the bench in Detroit. Hasek hasn't inspired any confidence whatsoever in the past two games, and looks to be a bigger hurdle than the Nashville Predators. Chris Osgood was as good or better during the season, and deserves a chance to prove the same in the playoffs.

If you think that playoff teams have to manufacture dislike for each other, check out the Avs and Wild. Those dudes should be in the Octagon this Saturday for UFC 83 in Montreal. There is genuine rivalry in that series, and the intensity seeps through the television screen. Advil should jump on board to sponsor this first round matchup.

As pissed off as Canucks' fans are right now, would you rather be in Ottawa? That team was actually expected to do something this year and they were brushed aside like a bantam team by the Penguins in the first round. If you had to deal one of the big three to shake it up in O-town, who would it be? Alfredsson is the oldest, but arguably the most productive of the bunch right now. Spezza's passing could make an allstar out of an average winger, but some are questioning his fire. And Heatley is a sniper to be sure, but was he even dressed in the playoffs? Chances are they'll stay together, but Brian Murray probably isn't resting to comfortably right now in the GM's chair.

One final thing, for those of you who like your rock 'n roll but haven't played Guitar Hero - get in the game. I went to a GH party a few weeks ago and rocked out in a Bret Michaels' costume. And I'm not alone; I've heard a tonne of NHLers and other pro athletes swapping scores and stories in the locker room. Enjoy the pics, grab an' axe and grind!

Case #03-02-08

2008-03-03T16:10:00.000-08:00

"Hello, police? Yes, I'd like to report a theft. The Vancouver Canucks just stole two-and-a-half hours of my life this afternoon and I'd like it back."

I know you run the risk of being disappointed with your program selection every tie you sit down in front of the tv, but that loss in Chicago should have been censored. There wasn't even a warning prior to viewing. How do you not even show up for a game at this point of the season? I'm not offended as a Canucks' fan, I'm offended as a sports' fan. Alain Vigneault canceled practice today in Colorado, almost as if to say "go up to your room and think about what you've done".

That said, the Canucks can right a lot of wrongs with a win tomorrow night in Colorado. Given the way they've lost their last three games, the local lads look like big underdogs heading into what should "Welcome Back Foppa" night in Denver. But they did shock all of us back in early November when they went into the Pepsi Center, where the Avs were perfect at the time, and pull out a 4-3 victory. That win was on the heels of what was previously the low point of the season (since trumped by Sunday), a 3-0 loss on home ice to Nashville that saw the Canucks also lose Sami Salo and Kevin Bieksa to ugly injuries. Either way, tomorrow's tilt will say a lot about the internal fortitude of this year's group.

As for other stuff...

Have you ever been this excited about watching a pair of Russians try to outdo each other in order to win the NHL scoring race? I'm as proud a Canadian as you'll find, but the excitement generated by Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin transcends any borders that some of you might have in the hockey world. The latest offering - Ovechkin's first period hat trick en route to a 5 point night that saw him reclaim the lead for the Art Ross Trophy by two points over his countryman. Ovechkin has been must-see-tv for almost three years now and Malkin has vaulted himself into that category in just his second season.

If you get a chance to see CBS golf announcer David Feherty speak in public, find time in your schedule. We interviewed him live on the morning show prior to his address before the PGA of BC and he did not disappoint. I asked him about rumours that he has farting contests on the course with Tiger's caddie Steve Williams during tournaments. He not only confirmed it, he also implicated Tiger himself, saying that you "might be in for a crop dusting" if you pass behind the world's best golfer.

If Randy Moss hadn't re-signed in new England, he would've been a bigger idiot than he appeared to be in Oakland. The trade to the Patriots probably salvaged his legacy as one of the greatest receivers to ever play the game despite his sometimes unsavory temperament. Moss converted numerous fans that doubted his ability to buy into a team-first approach, but if thinks that he'll enjoy the same type of success wherever he goes, he's mistaken. Yes, there are other quarterbacks that can get him the ball, but there aren't many organizations that will insulate him from media scrutiny the way the Pats did. That may have had as much to do with his success as the offense he played in.

American Gangster - enjoyed watching it on the weekend. Another great performance by Denzel Washington and a very intriguing story about the way Harlem was governed on the streets in the late 60's and early 70's. I'm recommending it if you're looking for a rental any time soon, although I would warn those of you with kids to think twice about the violence and language.

Last but certainly not least, I wanted to post a couple of links based on some emails I received. Some of you asked about my columns on Canucks.com which are published biweeky, so I've set up a new link on the side for those interested. Also, one of my listeners did the Canuck Place Adventure Challenge last year and has set up a blog to let you know what's up with both the race and Canuck Place itself. His name is Malcolm and I would encourage you to check it out when you've got a minute - it's a phenomenal charity and a worthwhile place to contribute to if you have some extra money to give.

www.canuckplaceadventurechallenge.blogspot.com

Frustration in Canuck Nation

2008-02-26T15:29:00.000-08:00

Well, you've got your answer to the question "Deal or No Deal?" Canucks' fans. With all due respect to the Matt exchange (Cooke for Pettinger), Vancouver basically stood pat on trade deadline day and that isn't sitting well with most in the lower mainland.

But make no mistake; this is not an isolated incident. The lack of a deal to land a significant upgrade to the Canucks' offense on deadline day is simply the culmination of nine months of waiting for such an announcement. Dave Nonis made it perfectly clear after seeing his club get downed by the Ducks' last spring that three elements were lacking: grit, speed and scoring. Byron Ritchie, Brad Isbister (to a lesser extent) and Aaron Miller upped the sandpaper quotient, while Ryan Shannon and Mason Raymond have increased the team's speed. But nothing was done to address the need for secondary scoring.

That's not to say that Nonis didn't make an effort to do so. He went so far as to knock on Peter Forsberg's door in Sweden as early as last July, and I have no doubt that he tried to acquire both Brad Richards and Olli Jokinen. Unfortunately, none of those efforts yielded the scoring that the Canucks need to give them a legitimate shot at a deep playoff run. Stranger things have happened (like Anaheim and Minnesota in the 2003 Conference Final), but the cards are stacked against the Canucks in the West right now. Should Vancouver contend for a Cup in a year, this will all look like part of the master plan. But based on what last year's team did in getting to the 2nd round, this year's squad deserved a better chance to go further.

Other stuff I don't quite get:

1) Is a 2nd round pick really the best that the Habs could get for Cristobal Huet? Considering the Leafs picked up a 2nd & a 5th rounder for Hal Gill, Bob Gainey and company appear to have been shortchanged by the Capitals. That deal makes the least sense to me out of any that were made at the deadline.

2) Why are people asking the players and the NHLPA to limit no-trade clauses in contracts? And wasn't it also the owners and GMs crying about the big $$ being handed out to players during the NHL lockout? So what do these teams do immediately after the work stoppage - they hand out long-term deals for massive amounts and throw in a few no-trade clauses for good measure. Last time I checked, GMs are also involved in the negotiation process. To quote Brian Burke, "maybe we should just say no [to a few of these conditions] instead of asking a bunch of lawyers in New York to fix things for us". I don't agree with everything you say Burkie, but amen.

3) Is Jason Jimenez suspended or not? I know that we are in the middle of the CFL's off-season, but how big of a joke is it that a ruling has not been made on a guy who committed a transgression last November? Not that there's a game any time soon, but it's this type of foot-dragging on logical issues that gives non-CFL fans another reason to dub it a "bush league". I love the product and admire the skill of the players, but the management of the league drives me insane sometimes.

Final Point: If the Richard Zednik incident made your stomach turn, don't go renting Eastern Promises anytime soon. Great movie that was worthy of the praise it received at the Oscars, but the Russian mob handles their "business" in a very similar manner to the way in which Zednik was nearly fatally wounded.

Back In the Saddle

2008-02-06T21:08:00.001-08:00

All right... I've been downright negligent with this blog over the last two months, but that all stops now. Here's what's been happenin'. December was, well, December. Holidays, family, skiing and all the great indulging in good food and drink just like the rest of you.

January, on the other hand, was all over the map. Bmac and I took the show on the road to Mazatlan for a week. Good times were had by all and it looks like we're doing another Mexico trip next year (get your tickets NOW!). Upon my return, I had the first surgery of my life when I had arthroscopy on my right knee. No big deal, just a bit of torn meniscus, but it's pretty cool watching your own surgery. I elected to take a local anesthetic instead of a general, so that I could watch all the slicin' and dicin'. Bottom line, I'm back running again and feelin' good, so here's what's on my mind these days.

Canucks
Call me a homer if you want, but I still think this group makes the playoffs. The resolve I've seen from Markus Naslund to Alex Burrows in the past week makes me think they'll play hard enough to earn the requisite amount of points prior to getting healthy. Once they get a few bodies back, this team makes the post-season cut with Roberto Luongo being the biggest reason.

Shaq
So many people are ripping the Suns decision to trade Shawn Marion and Markus Banks for the Big Diesel. Two things: 1) Marion is extremely talented in every area of the game (despite his grade 3-looking shooting stroke), but he wasn't happy in Phoenix anymore; and 2) the Suns have tried to win in the playoffs without a true center for three straight years and it hasn't worked. Unfortunately, this year wasn't going to be any different. Shaq might not end up being the answer, but kudos to Steve Kerr and Mike D'Antoni for getting a guy that can defend the big-time big men in the West.
footnote: Shaq apparently told Steve Nash, "I won't let you down." He's a tough man to beat when he's motivated.

Roger Clemens
Think he's more pissed at Brian McNamee or Andy Pettite for opening their respective mouths? The Rocket can deny, deny, deny all he wants, but if this "evidence" that McNamee has turned over has any credibility whatsoever, he's in trouble with way more people than the Baseball Writers of America. A spot on the doorstep to Cooperstown sounds a lot more comfortable than one in a jail cell with an angry man named Tito. But Pettite's decision to come clean after he'd been called out for using HGH hurts Clemens as much as anything. Are we to believe that McNamee was telling the truth about one former pinstriper but not the other? What could he possibly have to gain by doing that? Innocent until proven guilty, but my gut tells me that Clemens is paddling against a pretty strong current.

Hugh Hefner
He's 81. His playmate girlfriend is 28. They are trying extremely hard to have a baby and telling anyone who'll listen. God bless America. Is there anyone out there that believes Hef actually wants another kid (he's got 4 already)? I'm thinking this has a whole lot more to do with the trying than the baby itself.

That's all for now, but as always, feel free to drop me a line with your 2 cents.

NEGLIGENT!

2007-12-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

That's a nice way of putting it. Man, between the morning show, Canucks' games and a couple of columns, I've found a way to utilize the most minutes on most days. That being said, there's no excuse for not blogging for over a month, so instead of apologizing any longer, here's what's on my mind:

There's no I in Team
While the team concept is still the one that wins championships, this era of parity in the NHL has me ore interested in individuals than teams. The salary cap appears to have snuffed out any hopes of a dynasty although if the Pats can do it in the NFL, theoretically it should be possible in hockey as well. My point is this - I'm more interested in seeing an elite player than an elite team these days because the gap between individuals is bigger than the one between teams. The worst team in the league has at least a chance of beating the Stanley Cup champs because the salary cap limits how many great players you can keep together. It also means teams are forced to sign guys who make the league minimum in order to get under the cap, and these are the players that end up on the wrong side of highlight packs when they face elite talent. An era that was designed to keep teams competitive may also end up bringing back the forgotten idea of real Superstars.

Guaranteed Regurgitation
Is there anything more played out than the "guaranteed win" by a player leading into a game or a series? I'm not talking about promotions that minor league ball teams do in order to get fans out to the yard; at least those clubs are putting their money where their mouths are. I'm talking about guys like the Steelers' Anthony Smith, who "guaranteed" a win over New England this Sunday. How many times have we heard this from athletes who barely ever back it up? Joe Namath, Mark Messier... pretty short list of guys who actually step up. And what do the rest of them say when they fall flat of their faces? "I was just trying to motivate the team." Here's an idea - pick off Tom Brady twice on Sunday and take one of those to the house. I "guarantee" that will motivate your team a hell of a lot more than some empty promise with absolutely no repercussions.

Minority Report
Is the National League becoming a farm system for the AL? Yes, I'm well aware that the Cardinals and the Marlins have won World Series titles in the last five years, but all of the big names seem to be flocking to where the designated hitters hang out. The Yankees, the Red Sox, the Tigers, the Angels... they all have star power that is so rare in the NL. Don't get me wrong; I was pulling for the Rockies just like a lot of you were. But it's like going from Harry Rosen to the Bay. You can still find some nice things at the Bay, but you have to look a LOT harder.

That's it for now, but jump in with your own thoughts and I'll be posting again sooon.

Spare Some Change?

2007-10-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

Some things will never change; Kid Rock just got arrested again for a fight in a Waffle House. But for the love of Tom Brady (who's as close to the other guy as you can get right now), can somebody change some of these rules that are tarnishing their respective games? These tweaks seem so obvious to me that I can't understand why they haven't happened yet:

NHL: 4 or 5 minutes for Blood
Is this not the most illogical rule in hockey? If a player is cut by a high-stick the penalty is more severe despite the perceived intent. So I can try to lift a guy's stick, miss and wind up in the box for twice as long as a player who's clearly reckless with the lumber? Makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. How about doling out minutes based on the actual action instead of the result? Last time I checked, you don't get five minutes in the sin bin if you rip a guy's sweater when you hold him.

CFL: Conceding Safeties and The Rouge
So let me get this straight. We create a rule that forces a team to return the ball every time it's kicked, but we still allow punters to take a knee in the endzone so that the opposition doesn't get good field position? It's boring, fans hate it and it doesn't truly reward a team for pinning it's opponent deep. Yeah, I know that you get two points and the ball as well, but if you're not going to amend the safety rule, at least make midfield the automatic field position instead of your own 40. That would make coaches think twice about conceding the deuce. And as for awarding a single point on a missed field goal, gimme a break. You shouldn't be rewarded for failing.

NFL: Allowing Coaches to call Timeouts
This rule is what's allowed the bench bosses to call timeouts a fraction of a second before a kicker attempts a field goal. If a team can get the snap and kick off before we actually hear the whistle, there's a problem. I'm not saying you shouldn't be able to freeze the kicker, but make a player on the field call for a break. Is it that tough for a coach to signal in to his team that he wants a timeout in that situation? I guarantee those timeouts get called a couple of seconds earlier, and we don't have to sit there and wonder if the game-winning attempt we just saw was legit. What happens when one of these kickers or holders gets hurt on a play that doesn't even count?

MLB: Instant Replay
I'm not talking about taking away the strike zone from the umpires. But we've had two cases in the last two weeks of players hitting homeruns and not being awarded the roundtripper. Sure, baseball is already a long game, but if the umps blow a big call on the basepads that can affect the score and the cameras catch it, I think you need the ability to get it right. Especially in the postseason. If they can do it in tennis, I think they should be able to do it in baseball.

NBA: Too Many Timeouts
Other than the 30 coaches in the Association, find me someone that doesn't agree with this one. Newsflash: these guys have all played the game since they could stand upright. They know the ball needs to go in the hoop if they're losing. Please stop sucking the life out of the little drama that currently exists in the NBA. I know it's a lot to ask to coach up your team in practice or signal something from the bench, but how about we let the guys on the court decide which play to run. Otherwise, we'll just hand you suits an X-box controller and duke it out in cyberspace.

All I Want Before Christmas...

2007-10-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

If you like sports, this is the best time of the year. Hockey starts up, the CFL is in full swing, the NFL season has begun to take shape and playoff baseball is underway. With that in mind, here's what I'm praying for in each of the aforementioned leagues.

Meltdown in Cowtown: I'm not sure there's anything more anticipated than Mike Keenan's first verbal dousing of the Flames. At some point the Flames will go through a drought of some sorts (every team does), and Iron Mike will explode. You think the media is Calgary is happy to have this guy replace flatliner Jim Playfair?

UFC '07 - Ultimate Football Championship: If there is a God of Football, the Lions and Riders will hook up in the West Final in November. BC's fiesty 37-34 win in Saskatchewn was not only the best game of the CFL season, it was also the testiest (insert Jeff Pilon/AJ Gass joke here). There's nothing better than two really good teams that don't like each other, and the battle to represent the West in the Grey Cup could be a streetfight with highlights.

Winners Only: IF the Patriots and Cowboys win this week, it sets up a matchup of 5-0 teams in week 6. If the Pats win that game and the rest on their October sked, they'll head into Indianapolis where the Colts may also be undefeated. All of the dominoes have to fall into place, but to see Moss vs TO in Dallas and then Brady vs Manning with perfect records on the line... you will need a taser to get me away from the LCD.

The Bronx is Burning: If Alex Rodriguez rips it up in the postseason, will the fans forget all of his poor past playoffs? It would be just like Yankees' fans to worship at the A-Rod altar after verbally burning effigies of him on radio talk shows and in the New York dailies. It'd be nice to see the Yankees NOT win the World Series, but for A-Rod to hit .500 in October. Then who will they blame?

I'm also looking forward to Van Halen's Vancouver stop, the next Indiana Jones and the imminent cancellation of the Cavemen tv series, but I digress. You want to tell me what's on your wish list for the near future, drop me a comment.

A Simple Plan

2007-09-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

Here was a rule in my high school and probably yours as well. If you were going to have a party at your house, you checked to see if anyone else was having a party that same night. That way, you didn't end up with chips, dips and dorks in a virtually empty house on that rare Saturday night when your parents were out of town. Pretty simple, right?

So why do so many teams have trouble with their scheduling?

I know. There's building availability and broadcasters to worry about, but some of these games just boggle your mind.

For example... the Vancouver Giants want a packed house for their home opener this year. They'll raise their Memorial Cup banner and blow the doors off with their game presentation. So why would the Giants allow the WHL to slot them at the same time and on the same night that the Lions host the Calgary Stampeders in a pivotal West division showdown? Sure it's a Saturday night and both games should be well-attended, but a lot of people who attend Lions games also go to the Giants. Why should they have to choose? Plus, for a game like that, you want all of the media focus on your team. Instead, it will be split.

It's like the braintrust in Montreal deciding to play last Sunday's Lions/Als game at the same time the NFL kicked off it's opening weekend. Great decision; I'm sure no one will be watching the most popular league in North America that day. How many viewers and potential fans were lost? Could the game not have been played on Saturday or Friday? It's going to be tough to get a date with a girl when you show up with your good-looking, successful, single friend that she's always had a crush on. Same principle applies here.

Sure I understand that at some point you have to say "we're not going to let other events dictate what we do", but these examples seem pretty straight forward to me. And that's why I won't schedule my big press conferences to coincide with any of Britney's Comeback Tour dates. I need the publicity.

The 3 C's: Convick, Cuts and Canucks

2007-08-27T18:05:00.000-07:00

What's up cyber sports fans? Spent the past week getting used to my new schedule as a regular columnist for Metro here in Vancouver, but now that I know the ropes, I'm good to fit it all in on a regular basis. Here's what's on my mind these days:

1) Michael Vick came across as being fairly genuine at his press conference today, but it's going to take some time before he can convince me and the rest of the general public that he's actually sorry. Time heals all wounds, and Vick had better use that time (most likely in the slammer) to actually UNDERSTAND what he did wrong. Right now, most of us just think you're sorry you got caught, Mike. That can change, but not overnight. Start thinking about what you want to represent when you get out of prison while you hammer out those license plates.

2) I love the CFL. But only in the Canadian Football League would a team honor two guys that were cut in training camp just three months earlier. That's the case with former Ti-Cats Mike Morreale and Rob Hitchcock, who will be saluted during this weekend's Labour Day game at Ivor Wynne. What's the message here? "Guys, you're not good enough to play on this team, but damn, you used to be good!" Here's an idea: don't bring them to camp. If you're really not sure that these "all-time greats" can even make the roster, do the right thing by telling them before they get the axe. If one of the other 7 teams really believes they can still play, they'll find a camp to go to. And to honor them just three months later seems way too weird.

3) People are already complaining about the Canucks' new look before the jersey unveiling on Wednesday. They're upset that Johnny Canuck wasn't used and that the Orca logo is still involved instead of the stick in the rink. They're more focussed on the logo than the overall look of the jersey. Have you seen the jerseys the Canucks have worn for most of their existence? Their yellow jerseys were some of the worst in the history of sports. This team had a third jersey that appeared to be salmon in colour. And the most recent ones were passable, but barely. Canucks' fans should just thank their lucky stars that management decided to use the blue, green and white colour scheme. To me, the logo isn't that big of a deal if you've got good colours, as long as it isn't so offside that it draws all of the attention (and this one doesn't). And as for those who can't believe that the stick-in-the-rink isn't the primary logo, are you looking at the same thing I am? I'm all about simplicity, but it's just not a great logo.

That's it for now, I'll check in with you later in the week. By the way, the movie Superbad is Super Good. Not really suitable for the minors in crowd, but I laughed out loud too many times to count.

Those Taking Ames are Way off Target

2007-08-14T16:43:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one who can't believe all of the uproar about Mike Weir's selection to the President's Cup team? I know they're celebrating out East, but why is everyone in the West bitching about Stephen Ames not getting the nod ahead of Weir?

International captain Gary Player made the choice, saying he was basing it on history, not just recent history. He cited Weir's performance at the past 3 President's Cups, the fact that he has won 7 times on tour and there's that major that Weir won as well. I think they call it the Masters.

But all day today I hear people whining about the fact that Ames isn't on the squad. They throw out all of the stats from this year; the money list, the world rankings, the comparative performance in the majors and scream, "INJUSTICE!!".

But this is anything but a penalty stroke on Player's part. The bottom line is this: both Weir and Ames had an opportunity to play themselves onto this team and neither did it. The top 10 international players automatically qualify, and both finished well out of the top 10. Ames was 16th while Weir was 20th. So if you want to complain that Weir hasn't played well enough to tee it up in Montreal this Fall, then use the same argument for Ames. I don't hear anybody in Canada talking about Andres Romero, the kid from Argentina who nearly won the British Open and was the 12th ranked player among internationals. If you want to cry about Weir being on the team, use Romero as your poster boy for getting screwed, not Ames.

And you actually believe that "Eastern bias" or marketing of the event came into account, you're on the pipe. Gary Player isn't from Toronto, he's from South Africa. And as for ticket sales, Tiger Woods was going to pack the place even if there wasn't a Canadian competing. Get real.

I would have been fine with Ames getting picked just as I'm fine with Weir. Personally, I actually am more partial to Ames than Weir as a person. But this is the reason the captain has some discretion. So that his hands aren't tied after the top 10 and he can take whatever factors he feels are important into account.

Gary Player had a choice to make and he made it. I'm pretty sure he's more concerned about winning this tournament more than selling tickets. Canada should be happy that there's a Canadian on the team, not complaining about the Canuck that was selected.

What I Think I Know...

2007-08-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

Man, mix a busy week with the Lions with a vacationing co-host, and you quickly realize there's not much time to blog! Sorry for the two-week hiatus, but here's what I think know right now:

1) If last week's loss was as bad as the BC Lions are going to look all year, the rest of the CFL is in trouble. The Roughriders have been the next best team in the league to the Leos thus far, but could only manage a 21-9 win at BC Place. Hey, I know that a win is a win, but the Lions had 2 QB's, their top run-stopping linebacker, 2 starters in the secondary and a starting slotback on the shelf. And they were still in this game until the final minutes. Watch out if they get healthy - especially if they get Dave Dickenson back. The Leos are still a league-best 5-1 out of the gate...

2) I'm sick of the yearly Holdout Harem in the NFL. Brady Quinn finally signed a contract today after missing 10 days of training camp. Am I the only one who watched him free-fall on draft day? Why would he not get his a$$ to training camp ASAP and prove that he was overlooked instead of busting bicep curls in the gym? Jamarcus Russell continues to play hardball with Al Davis even though Daunte Culpepper just swiped his gig as opening day starter in Oakland. Hey, I know these guys (and the other holdouts) had great college stats and combine scores. But we've seen "can't miss" prospects implode numerous times before. Maybe instead of trying to nail down another $50K in your ROOKIE CONTRACT, these guys should bust a call to Ryan Leaf, Akili Smith or Tim Couch and try to figure out what went wrong for them. If you're as good as you think you are, prove it.

3) Hate him if you want, but Rory Sabbatini is good for golf. Sure he's called out Tiger on a couple of occasions this year and been put in his place (including getting smoked on the weekend at the Bridgestone), but that smacktalk is the only thing that's brought out the best in Tiger all year. Face it - Tiger Woods is at a point in his career where NOBODY presents a consistent challenge for him. When Phil Mickelson is at his best (which is seemingly NEVER in the past year), he might be the only guy with enough talent to give Tiger a run for his money. But dominance can very easily lead to complacency; if there's no one there to push you (OR PUSH YOUR BUTTONS), you don't push yourself as hard. I hope Sabbatini continues to spout off. It stirs up the PGA which is far too vanilla on most occasions, and it might be the only thing that pushes Tiger to amaze us in the near future.

4) Gary Bettman officially hates Jim Balsillie. How else do you explain the quick and tidy purchase of the Tampa Bay Lightning by a group headed up by Doug Maclean? As far as the public knew, the Lightning weren't for sale (the Preds are), there weren't multiple offers (there are for the Preds) and the sale appears to be smooth and easy for less money than Balsillie was offering for the Nashville franchise. Yes, you'd better drink the Kool-Aid the NHL is serving up because Bettman isn't about to lend a helping hand to those that aren't using theirs to pat him on the back.

5) Tom Brady continues to lead the list of athletes I'd want to change places with for a month or two. He just turned 30 the other day and check this out:
- He's already won 3 Super Bowl (and 2 Super Bowl MVP's)
- His past and present girlfriends include actress Bridget Monahan and supermodel Gisele
- He's just been named World's Best Dressed Man by Esquire Magazine

Throw in the fact that he plays the most challenging position in all of sports in a great city like Boston, and what else do you want?

That's it for now, but you know there's still more stuff I think I know... I just don't know it yet.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

2007-07-24T22:21:00.001-07:00

Well, we finally have our answer - THIS is what it takes for Gary Bettman to look good as Commissioner of the NHL:

- the NBA Gambling Scandal which has called into question the integrity of the entire operation; the dress code doesn't seem like such a big deal right now, does it?

- Michael Vick's despicable (allegedly) actions related to dogfighting; the NFL hasn't had any recent legal problems amongst its players, right?

- Bud Selig's refusal (until Tuesday night) to be in attendance for Barry Bonds allegedly tainted homerun record chase

Yep, as long as a firestorm hits every other pro sport in the US, Bettman comes up smelling like roses. Well, sort of... Gary is facing some allegations himself (which he has denied, not surprisingly). Jim Balsillie, the guy who put up $238 million to buy the Predators, and his lawyer aren't real happy with the way things went down in Nashville. In fact, Balsillie's lawyer has accused Bettman of emailing Preds' owner Craig Leipold and telling him not to continue dealing with Balsillie.

Is that really something that Bettman should be doing? Just because he wants to keep that franchise buried in Nashville or at least somewhere south of the 49th, should he actually be influencing the decision of the owner of a private franchise? Kind of makes you wonder what Bettman has promised Leipold since Balsillie's bid was worth $50 MILLION MORE than the highest competing offer.

I'm not exactly Warren Buffett, but if someone wants to buy my car for $500 more than the other guy who's interested, I'm already trying to figure out just how loud I'll be able to crank up my new surround sound system. Something stinks here, and it's not Bettman's breath. Especially when you consider that Bettman could easily find a way to block the sale in the end. We've already seen how much power he wields among the NHL Board of Governors when the voting came down on the current unbalanced schedule.

But all of this is flying under the radar right now because Sidney Crosby isn't into dogfighting, Bill McCreary isn't fixing playoff games, and Martin Brodeur isn't accused of being on the juice as he looks to rewrite every goaltending record in the book.

Yep, all Bettman needs is a year full of soap operas in the NFL, NBA and MLB and he'll probably be in line for a contract extension.

I Can See Clearly Now?

2007-07-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

In the last 21 months, Dave Dickenson has had his bell rung so often you'd think Quasimodo was lining up against him on a nightly basis. And after this latest concussion in Saskatchewan, the question must be asked: Should Dickenson retire?

This isn't a Buck Pierce campaign. In fact, the question is posed out of respect for Dickenson, as he is far more than a quarterback, a football player or a professional athlete. He is an extremely cerebral individual who could take on a variety of careers upon retirement. He is a husband. He is a father.

But only Dickenson knows just how foggy his CFL future is. Sure there are tests that will be performed to evaluate just how long the road to recovery will be, but only DD can truly gauge how efficiently his mind is functioning. And after talking to Hall of Famer Matt Dunigan, who was forced to retire after countless concussions, the only thing that is clear about head injuries is that honesty has to be the best policy. There is simply too much at stake to play the tough-guy role in trying to get back on the field at all costs. In fact, Dunigan finally told his doctor in Hamilton to treat him the way he would treat his own son when it came to advising the strong-willed pivot about getting back under centre. And though he did hang 'em up at that point, he still suffers the effects of a career filled with head-shots.

But after talking with Dickenson on Monday, I don't believe he should call it quits just yet. He is one of the smartest players I've ever met on and off the field, and he understands what is at stake if he puts on that jersey again. That said, I believe Dickenson should talk to his family and decide when enough is enough. If he suffers another noggin-knocker this season, he should call it quits. Life is way to short to forget about while you're still living.

I Spy With My little Eye...

2007-07-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

As I try to settle back into the North American lifestyle after 3 weeks in Europe, here's some random observations from my first week back on the job:

- Good on Dave Nonis for NOT signing Bill Guerin. Could he have improved the Canucks offence? Yep. Could he have been a good triggerman for the Sedins? Yessiree. But there is NO WAY that he fits either the Canucks' salary structure nor their future plans at $4.5 million per season. Yeah, Canucks' fans, I know that you want to see Nonis do something bigger than signing Byron Ritchie and Brad Isbister. But mark my words, he will do something and my gut says that you'll see a trade before the end of the summer in an effort to upgrade the offense.

- Over the past 20 games or so, the BC Lions have had the most dominating defense that I'VE EVER SEEN IN THE CFL. I'm an offensive guy and love nothing more than seeing points go up on the board, but I am blown away by the BC D. This defense gave up 30+ points only ONCE last year (32, week 2 vs Sask) and have allowed 20 points or less in 7 of their last 8 games at home dating back to last season. And here's the scary thing: I think they're even better this year than they were in '06.

- Barry Bonds continues to amaze me with his utter lack of respect for the people who fork out their hard-earned cash to pay his salary. The ONLY people in North America who don't boo the guy every time he wakes up in the morning are San Francisco Giants fans. Yet Bonds won't even attempt to repay them by taking part in tomorrow's Homerun Derby IN SAN FRANCISCO. Any other ballpark and I give him a pass. But turning down the derby at Pac Bell Park is the equivalent of dropping his pants at home plate and mooning the crowd, especially after San Fran fans stuffed ballot boxes to make sure he was in the Mid Season Classic.

- Maybe Canada should have played its FIFA U-20 World Cup matches at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby instead of in Edmonton. Everyone who's been to a match agrees that Swangard has never looked better and that the event has been first-class all the way in Burnaby. Hopefully that leads to more internationals at Swangard while we wait for Greg Kerfoot and company to cut through the ridiculous red tape that city officials throw at them as they attempt to build a new waterfront stadium in downtown Vancouver. Safe injection sites, no problem. Brand new stadium on someone else's dime, not so fast there, buddy. Kind of makes you wonder.

- Tony Parker and Eva Longoria got married in Paris earlier this weekend. She is by far the most interesting person to put on a Spurs uniform since Dennis Rodman. If Parker can keep both her and Greg Popovich happy, I say send him in to make peace in the Middle East.

TRAVELLIN' MAN

2007-06-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

Time to check in from Europe, so here's the Coles Notes: Arrived in Vienna on June 9th and have been wandering around the continent ever since. Here's an extremely brief rundown of the journey to date...

AUSTRIA

Vienna's a great city. Tonnes of sightseeing to do and a lot of it is guarenteed to impress. Stephansdome, the Rathaus and Schonbrun have been my favorites to date. They also play American football here - my QB from UBC, Shawn Olson, is the co-head coach of the team (and this year's Offensive Coordinator at SFU). Not bad entertainment as their fans get into the game and they have a cool beergarden afterwards. I was also served the largest plate of ribs I have ever seen in Vienna, as well as the largest Cordon Bleu. They may have to roll me home.

Salzburg is also very cool. Way different geography than Vienna, and way different feel. My buddy AC and I visited the brewery in Salzburg so that was our "Sound of Music". It was, like most breweries in Europe, started by monks, so we deemed it a religious experience. Salzburg is also on the German border and very near to "The Eagle's Nest", which was built as a prvate retreat for Hitler. Instead of destroying it, they kept it as a historic site (not a tribute, but more for tourist and info purposes). Make time to go there as it is right on top of a mountain and worth the visit if only for the views.

GERMANY

Only had a couple of days here, but they were good ones. Munich is the self-proclaimed home of beer and a visit to the Beer Museum and Hofbrauhaus seemed to validate that. We also made a quick trip to Neushwanstein, the reallife castle that the castle at Disneyland is based on. The guy who had it built in the mid-late 1800's was declared insane, but this pad must have been the inspiration for MTV's "Cribs" - it is PIMPIN'!!!!!

CZECH REPUBLIC - PRAGUE

Again, only a short visit, but well worth it. The Castle and Cathedral that defines it is intimidating to say the least, and the views from the Great South tower in St Vitus Cathedral made the 287 stairs worth the trip (although AC might disagree as a 6'4", 300lb man doesn't easliy fit up a small winding staircase!). The river and accompanying bridges provide welcome vistas of the historical part of Prague, and the narrow, winding streets make it a cool place to get lost. Did not see Jan Bulis here - obviously a major disappointment.

No more time to post but I will update you on Croatia and Italy when I get a chance. back in saddle on July 3rd, so until then... CIAO!

The Final Countdown

2007-06-07T21:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right. I'm off to Europe as of tomorrow night. A nice jaunt through the Central part of the Continent will undoubtedly find me refreshed as we kick off another CFL season and begin preparations for the Canucks' defense of the Pacific Division crown.

But before I begin my reenactment of the role of Rusty in European Vacation, a few final thoughts.

- So what has the Ducks' win taught us about the "New NHL"? Not much. Carolina won the first post-hiatus Cup with a completely different type of team than Anaheim. The Canes were loaded up front, feasible on the back-end, and wet behind the ears in goal. The formerly Mighty Fowl had a former Conn Smythe winner in net, a pair of Norris trophy winners, and a potpourri of talent for forwards. All we know is that there is NO SECRET FORMULA involved in winning a Stanley Cup, but it sure helps to stay healthy. That should be good news around the NHL, as team's that don't have [insert asset here] aren't condemned to the basement on opening night. Teams and fans can be optimistic for completely different reasons.

- Did the NBA's competition committee OD on stupid pills? They just rejected the idea of amending the rule that landed Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw in the stands for Game 5 of the Western semi against the Spurs. Apparently, getting stopped by your coaches before you even get near a scrum that has formed because your best player was just clobbered in a moment of senseless frustration is a still a suspendable offence. Next up for the committee: forming a rule that would limit the size of chalk cloud that players like Kevin Garnett and Lebron James could create when drying their hands before a game. Those fumes could be toxic, right?

- The guy who ratted out Michael Vick last week actually tried to make a case for dogfighting. He says that people support the UFC, so they should give dogfighting a chance. Hey jackass: the fighters in UFC are choosing to step into the ring; they aren't being bred to kill another member of their species. And no one has ever died in the Octagon. Please take a long walk off a short pier.

And with that brief offering, I'm off to Europe. I'll keep you posted on my travels every once in awhile, as I don't want a massive wave of depression to strike the Lower Mainland.

Keep it safe, keep it real, and keep on rockin' in the free world.

Kobe's Beef

2007-05-30T15:11:00.000-07:00

By now you've heard the news. Kobe Bryant says he wants off of the Lake Show. He says he feels betrayed by the organization as a "Lakers Insider" went on record with the "Kobe forced Shaq out of LA" blast. Kobe also says he was lied to about the direction the team was going when he resigned.

Let me break this down for you. Kobe Bryant isn't going anywhere. In fact, I don't think he wants to go anywhere.

For starters, he's wanted to be "the man" in LA the whole time. Bryant today revealed that owner Jerry Buss told him that there was no way that he was going to resign Shaq in 2004; that it was simply way too much money for a player of Shaq's age and physical condition. That may be true, but Kobe didn't exactly stand up and say, "You can't get rid of him. If he goes, I go." Instead, Kobe resigned with the Lakers after weighing offers from other teams around the league that summer.

As for the lying about rebuilding the team, I think he's telling the truth, but actions speak louder than words. Shaq was traded Miami for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and a 1st round pick BEFORE Kobe put pen to paper on his deal in LA. Did he think that trio was going to bring another championship to LA? Yet there was Kobe, signing his contract shortly after the trade, and that contract has further hamstrung the Lakers. At an average of nearly $20 million per year for Kobe with a luxury tax threshold of around $60 million at the time, how were the Lakers going to pay any quality players to play with him?

The result? A predictable 3 years of frustration. The Lakers have been a fringe playoff team ever since, and now Kobe says he wants out. Well, it's not going to happen.

First of all, there's no one outside of Dwayne Wade and Lebron James that would be equal value for Kobe. And the thought of getting a few players back and making the team better is noble, but star power sells seats in LA.

This is about one thing - getting Jerry West back in the fold. West might be the only executive in the league that Kobe trusts right now, and his history of success is well documented. West's return would spell the end for the Lakers current GM, Mitch Kupchak, and based on the deals he's made since the summer of 2004, he deserves to be shown the door. Like trading Caron Butler (you remember him from the Shaq deal) to the Wizards for Kwame Brown. Butler has become an all-star, while Brown has been both injured and insignificant.

So don't worry, Kobe fans. You don't need to retire that yellow #24 jersey just yet. Expect Bryant to be there when the season starts in late October. Just don't expect to see the same front office.

And They're Off

2007-05-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

If you, like me, have been critical of the NHL's shortsighted decision to go with NBC instead of ESPN the past couple of seasons, then your frustration probably reached new levels on Saturday.

Here's the scene. Game 5: Ottawa and Buffalo heading to overtime in what could be a series clinching win for the Senators. While this is great from a hockey fan's perspecitve, NBC execs don't exactly see it that way. That's because they're committed to televising the Preakness, the second leg of Horse Racing's Triple Crown. The two events are now going to overlap.

The decision is simple for the Peacock. We're off to the Preakness. Why? Because it gets better ratings and brings in far more advertising money than the NHL. Fair enough. I can understand the rationale.

What I can't understand is why the problem even exists. Because the ONLY reason that the hockey game was being played at 2pm Eastern time (11am Pacific) is that NBC wanted it that way. And that's why you didn't get your Hockey NIGHT in Canada. NBC wanted an afternoon game, so they got it.

"Well, that makes sense," you respond. "NBC probably pays big money for the TV rights, so they have the right to influence the schedule." That's when I inform you that NBC pays absolutely nothing for the rights. In fact, the only way the NHL gets money from NBC is if the Peacock makes money off of hockey. Then they throw a few coins into the NHL's hat as they pass by a begging Bettman on the corner.

Did we miss the overtime here in Canada? No. We still had CBC.

But here's why you should be pissed off. Because unlike NBC, YOU ARE CURRENTLY PAYING THE NHL MONEY FOR BROADCAST RIGHTS. CBC pays tens-of-millions of dollars every year (soon it will be $100 million/year) for the right to televise Hockey Night in Canada. Guess who funds CBC? You do, Joe Taxpayer. But despite the fact that CBC is lining the NHL's pockets and NBC pays NOTHING, Bettman has allowed our friends south of the border to dictate the schedule.

So let me get this straight. NBC decides to cut to the Preakness because horse racing makes them more money than hockey. So why would the NHL not allow CBC to have the final say on the time of game 5? After all, the Corp is paying the bills so shouldn't they be given the right to make some of those millions back by airing the game at the most lucrative time?

It's an absolute joke. To allow a station to alter your schedule at the most important time of the year and then they don't even air the conclusion of the game... well, quite frankly it's exactly what you saw those beautiful equines drop all over the track at the Preakness on Saturday.

Chicken Stu

2007-05-16T04:48:00.000-07:00

TOUGH TO ARGUE WITH WHAT THE NBA DID WITH RESPECT TO SUSPENSIONS YESTERDAY. BUT I WILL.

ROBERT HORRY GETS A PAIR OF GAMES - ONE GAME FOR HIS FLATTENING OF STEVE NASh, THE OTHER FOR STRIKING RAJA BELL ABOVE THE SHOULDERS IN THE ENSUING SCRUM.

AS FOR THE SUNS, BOTH AMARE STOUDEMIRE AND BORIS DIAW WILL WATCH GAME 5 AS THEY EACH GET AN AUTOMATIC GAME FOR LEAVING THE BENCH. DID THEY DO ANYTHING? NO. BUT THE RULE IS CLEAR AS DAY. YOU LEAVE THE BENCH, YOU GET SUSPENDED. THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO GREY AREA. OR IS THERE?

THE SUNS MAY ACTUALLY HAVE A CASE HERE. IN THE FIRST HALF OF GAME 4, SAN ANTONIO's FRANCISCO ELSON THREW DOWN A DUNK AND WAS INADVERTANTLY UNDERCUT BY JAMES JONES WHO WAS TRYING TO GET UP COURT. TIM DUNCAN AND BRUCE BOWEN BOTH LEFT THE BENCH. DUNCAN, IN FACT, CAME ONTO THE COURT. IN REVIEWING THE MATTER, THE LEAGUE SAID THE RULE DIDN’T APPLY BECAUSE THE ELSON-JONES SITUATION WAS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE AN INCIDENT. BUT THE FACT REMAINS – 2 PLAYERS LEFT THE SPURS BENCH BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY PERCEIVED TO BE A BLATANT CHEAP SHOT ON THEIR TEAMMATE. HOW IS THAT ANY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THE SUNS WERE DOING?

WATCH THE REPLAY OF THE HORRY ALTERCATION. YES, STOUDEMIRE AND DIAW START TOWARD THE SCRUM, BUT THEY NEVER ACTUALLY GET THERE. IN FACT, THEY ARE RESTRAINED BY THEIR COACHES LONG BEFORE THEY GET THERE. THEY DID NOT ESCALATE THE SITUATION IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. SO WHY SUSPEND THEM??

THIS IS A COP OUT TO ME. STU JACKSON DECIDED TO INTERPRET THE SITUATION IN ONE CASE BUT NOT THE OTHER. HAD THERE BEEN NO OTHER INCIDENT TO SPEAK OF, JACKSON WOULD HAVE BEEN WELL WITHIN HIS RIGHTS AS LEAGUE DISCIPLINARIAN TO GIVE BOTH STOUDEMIRE AND DIAW A TIMEOUT. BUT THIS SMACKS OF FAVORITISM AND NOW THREATENS THE INTEGRITY OF THE BEST SERIES THIS YEAR'S PLAYOFF HAD TO OFFER.

Those Towels Aren't for Crying

2007-05-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

Well, you knew the Canucks season was going to end at some point. And if you don't consider this year a successful one, think back to where this team was a year ago.

Yes, there will be plenty of Canucks news to come this summer, but in the meantime, dial up a few other sporting events. Here's 5 things you should be paying attention to right now:

1. Vancouver Giants
The G-men are on the verge of winning back-to-back WHL Championships and for the second straight year they'll be in the Memorial Cup. And to boot, you can check it out live as Vancouver plays host to the CHL's Final Four beginning May 18th. It's not the NHL, but many hockey fans will tell you it's far more entertaining. More hitting, more chances, more fighting for less money. Pretty tough to beat.

2. Steve Nash
Even if he doesn't win the MVP award for a 3rd straight year (which he should!!!), Nash has the Phoenix Suns in prime position to win an NBA Championship. The Suns play the most entertaining brand of hoops in the NBA (think Buffalo Sabres of basketball) and the reason is a skinny little kid from Victoria, BC. To put in perspective what Nash is doing, try to imagine the chances of a kid from Mexico City racking up the most assists in the league, winning back-to-back Hart Trophies, and leading his team down the road to a Stanley Cup. PVR every game and burn it onto DVD; this won't happen to another Canadian in our lifetimes.

3. Swords and Sens
The rematch of last year's 2nd round series just might be the best the playoffs has to offer this year. Ottawa and Buffalo are arguably the two most entertaining teams in the NHL and now they'll go head-to-head in the Eastern Conference Final. Toss in the fact that they chucked plenty of knuckles in back-to-back battles in February and you've got the makings of one hell of a series. Plus Ray Emery just threw gas on the fire by ripping the city of Buffalo two days ago. Lets get ready to rumble.

4. BC in the Bigs
Justin Morneau won the American League MVP last year. Jason Bay was the NL Rookie of the Year two years ago. And those are just two of the numerous big leaguers that hail from beautiful British Columbia. There's Ryan Dempster who's off to a great start as the Cubs' closer. Southpaw starter Jeff Francis of the Colorado Rockies. And young guns Rich Harden and Adam Loewen, who will both be back despite suffering a setbacks due to injury. These BC buds are just a few of the reasons that BC baseball is smokin'.

5. Spring Swingers
Yeah, I know the US Open is a month away, but the world's best clubbers are starting to rev up for the toughest stretch of the season - the summer. The Players Championship goes this weekend and PGA Players treat this tourney like a major. Heck, it's worth watching just to see the top players in the world drop a few in the drink on TPC Sawgrass' 17th. Two years ago, Bob Tway (who's won a major before) fired a 12 on the island hole. It might be sick, be there's something fun about watching that.

No Commons Sense

2007-05-01T17:48:00.000-07:00

This just shows you where politics in this country are really at. What a joke that Jack Layton, Gilles Duceppe and Stephane Dion have decided to throw Shane Doan under a bus just to gain a fleeting moment of support.

A year and a half ago, linesman Michael Cormier alleged that Doan uttered a slur against Francophones while skating by him. Doan denies that incident ever occurred. The nhl investigated the allegations and deemed that doan did nothing wrong.

The issue was dead until the opposition parties in the House of Commons decided to bring it up on Monday. They feel that Doan is an unfit captain for Team Canada at the World Championships. They even suggested it cast a shadow on the Canadian team.

First of all, the notion that Doan even made these remarks is absurd to me. I know him personally and I personally guarantee that he did no such thing. His teammates bug this guy on a regular basis because he says “fudge” instead of four-letter words, and you want to label him anti-French? And if that’s not good enough, he was investigated by the league and cleared of any and all allegations of wrongdoing!!!

Secondly, the fact that these mud-slinging opposition leaders have no bigger issues to tackle than the captaincy of Team Canada makes me wonder why we even pay the salaries of these clowns. This is how you spend your time???

“Hey guys, maybe tomorrow we can do some digging into Ghandi’s past… I think this whole 'world peace' thing was a cover.”

I wonder why people in this country are so jaded on the political process?

Newsflash- we have actual problems in this country. When you finish with Health Care, unresolved Land Claims and pollution, give me a call. But do us all a favour and deal with some of the issues you were elected to resolve. Because it's tough to clean up this country's problems with mud all over your hands.

Not Ducked Quite Yet

2007-04-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

Call me crazy (and I'm sure many of you will), but having watched the Canucks lose 5-1 in Anaheim, I actually think they have a better chance of winning this series than I did 24 hours ago. Before you ready the straightjacket, just hear me out.

The Canucks had plenty of chances. No, they didn't bury them, but the Ducks were ceratinly not suffocating defensively. Maybe 7 games with the Stars convinced me that Markus Naslund would need to trade his first-born for his club to get offensive opportunites, but it appears as though Anaheim will afford the Nucks more chances to score than Dallas did. Vancouver could easily have scored 4 goals in Game 1. Just ask Henrik Sedin.

Roberto Luongo can be better. I know he's the best goalie on the planet right now, so don't send hate mail. But despite a number of Luongo-like saves, I think most people who've followed this team all year would admit that he can raise his game another level from the opener. He has the ability to shut the door on any team, even one as talented as Anaheim that generates numerous chances each night. This guy is bulletproof when he's at his best.

Black-and-Blueline. Yes, injuries are part of the playoffs. But take Pronger and O'Donnell out of Anaheim's lineup and see how well they fare in their own end. I know. Neither Bieksa nor Salo is Chris Pronger, but the effect on the blueline is comparable. If numbers 3 and 6 can return in a hurry, the Ducks will have fewer quality chances to beat #1. And both d-men can provide offense that would help a powerplay that went 0-7 in game 1.

Now even if all of these things happen, the Canucks might be putting into a cup instead of raising one in the near future. All I'm saying is that they aren't as much an underdog as I originally anticipated. I still think Anaheim is the team to beat in the series, but having witnessed the opener, I'll be less surprised if Nucks pluck the Ducks.

Lucky #7

2007-04-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

It could be Seventh Heaven for Canucks' fans tonight. Or the 'Nucks could commit the Seventh deadly sin in a series in which they've been fatally flawed on a number of occasions.

But here's the thing; outside of injuries, I'm convinced that none of the previous six games have anything to do with game 7.

Because for every argument you can make, there is a valid counter-argument. For example:

1. Dallas has all of the momentum. True. Having won games 5 and 6, the Stars should be confident heading into Game 7. But a similar momentum didn't result in a Canucks' win last Thursday when the locals had their first opportunity to clinch the series. And it didn't help the Canucks back in '04 after winning a triple-overtime thriller in Cowtown. They still lost Game 7.

2. Marty Turco has been unbeatable. Looks that way doesn't it? Turco has 3 shutouts this series (tying an NHL playoff record for a 7 game set) and he may actually have been better in the games in which he allowed goals. But Luongo has been as good or better than Turco and here's an interesting stat to consider. The Stars have not won a game in which the Canucks have scored. Will Turco shut them out again? Maybe, but I'm guessing no.

3. The Stars have shone in Vancouver. Dallas has won 2 of the 3 games in Vancity and narrowly missed winning the third as well. Plus the Canucks have dropped the last two game 7's they've played at the Garage. But history tells us that home is generally sweet. In fact, home teams have won around 64% of seventh games in the NHL playoffs.

You get the picture. So much happens over a seven-game series that when the 7th game evetually rolls around, you can make an argument for either team based on what has happened to this point. But the beauty of the playoffs is that it doesnt matter what you've done. It only matters what you do tonight. If the Canucks advance, do you really think people will harp on the fact that the Sedins have been invisible too often or that the powerplay is 1-for-28 in the first 6 games? Those stats and arguments are for teams that lose. And you can expect to hear them a lot if Vancouver bows out.

Does Rintoul Stack Up?

2007-04-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

A fool and his tummy are soon parted. That's the moral of today's story.

For those of you who don't know, my morning producer, T-mart, and I made a bet earlier this week on Game 3 of the Wings/Flames series. T-mart, an unabashed Flames fan, would have to eat yogurt (which he has never tried and is admittedly frightened of) if the Flames fell at home. If they won, I agreed to ingest the biggest and greasiest fast-food burger T-mart could find. He decided on the BK Quad Stacker: four patties, four slices of cheese and 8 strips of bacon.
Thanks to a couple of rare gaffes by Niclas Lidstrom, you can see who lost the bet. But I wasn't that worried. Because even though I don't eat much fast food anymore, the Whopper had been my favorite growing up. This couldn't be that different, right?

Just after noon earlier today, T-mart and I approached the register and he ordered the burger.

"1 Quad Stacker and 2 diet cokes, please."

"Two diet cokes and what?" responded the cashier. She wasn't a trainee. She obviously had never had anyone order this monstrosity before. Another cashier came over to help her find the correct button to ring it in. (For future reference, if the company is advertising a burger on the sign behind the register, but the cashier has never even heard of it, it's probably a bad investment.)

During this time, I had engaged another cashier in conversation as I wanted to wear the Burger King crown while I completed my task. She wondered why I wanted the crown, so I explained that I had lost a bet and had to eat a Quad Stacker as a result.

"A what?" she asked. 2 of 3 regulars had never even heard of the calorie-fest I was about to devour. Not good. When I pointed out the picture on the sign, her only reply was, "Good luck with that, buddy."

A couple of minutes later, it was time for business. With T-mart snickering in the background with camera-phone in hand, I took my first massive bite (not that easy considering the height of the creation).

All I could taste was bacon. But it wasn't that bad overall. A couple more giant chomps and I was no longer tasting bacon - just four flame-broiled patties smothered in cheese.

T-mart was getting pretty giddy about that time as he himself was a bit freaked out by the asthetics of the Stacker. You can see by this picture that it's not the most appealing entree that you've ever cast your eyes on. It doesnt taste bad, but it's a whole lotta burger. And I'm not a whole lotta person.

But a bet is a bet, and I was determined to live up to my end of the bargain. At one point, I'm pretty sure that T-mart felt bad for me as I shovelled this mass of ground beef, bacon and cheese down my pie-hole. Or maybe not.

About 4 or 5 bites from the end, my gut started to realize what was happening. It rumbled at me as if to ask, "What the hell are you doing up there?". I wasn't feeling as though I was going to hurl, but it wasn't exactly hitting the spot. More like smashing it with a 1,000-calorie sledge-hammer. I'm pretty sure the Double Stacker would be good, but the Quad is a heavyweight and I'm not fighting in that division quite yet.

But despite the onset of gut-rot, I finished Quadzilla. I'm not a believer in bulemia, but I was starting to see how you could make a case for it.

At the time of this post, it's been about 2 hours now since I polished off the Stacker, and it's still with me. In fact, it constantly reminds me that it's still with me. I'm sure I'll feel much less bloated as tonight's hockey game approaches. But I don't think I'll be recommending the Q-Stack on tomorrow's Best Bets. You need to be a Fast Food Black Belt to throw down the Quad, and I have clearly been weighed, measured and found wanting in that discipline. It has nothing to do with Burger King; I still give the King two thumbs up, especially the ads with the freaky-lookin', half-lifelike King turning up in strange places. But I need far more training to handle the Quad Stacker. Next time I'll be ordering Old Faithful - The Whopper.

Whistle Blown on Whistle-Blower

2007-04-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

The message from NBA Comissioner David Stern is crystal clear. You want to make it personal? Then I'll make it personal as well.

Stern has suspended veteran referee Joey Crawford for the rest of the season and the playoffs for his actions in the Spurs-Mavericks game on Sunday. And I'm all for it.

Here's the Coles Notes:

Crawford threw Tim Duncan out of the game for laughing at a call while sitting on the bench. Duncan says Crawford asked him, "Do you want to fight? Do you want to fight?". Crawford denies that and contends that Duncan used profanity earlier in the game. Duncan, by the way, was fined $25000 for his part in the incident. But to eject a guy for laughing? Brett Favre would never make it past the first series. It's pretty obvious to me that Crawford decided to pull a powertrip on Duncan.

Should players be allowed to show up officials? No.

Is refereeing the toughest and most thankless job in all of sports? Yes.

But that doesn't give Crawford the right to make himself bigger than the game.

Other NBA officals think that the punishment for Crawford is too harsh. But we're not talking about a choir boy in Crawford. Despite the fact that he might be the best official in the game, he has been hauled into Stern's office before. Crawford crossed the line a couple of years ago in a Mavericks series where his officiating was obviously a reflection of his disdain for the Mavs at the time. And he is also a guy who resigned from his job after taking part in a scheme to pocket undeclared cash from downgrading his airline tickets in the late 90's. And when you've been warned before, it's tough to argue that you don't deserve whatever you get.

Crawford didn't just cross the line on Sunday, he long-jumped it. Fans do not pay to see the officials, and when a referee decides to make himself the star of the show, he needs a reality check. The NBA took steps this season to protect the zebras from verbal abuse from the players. I'm glad that Stern showed everyone that it's a two-way street.

Whimpers From Limpers

2007-04-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

Apparently there is a shortage of crutches in the Lower Mainland. Hospitals and clinics are scrambling to find them. Why? Because of the rash of broken ankles in recent days.

I could not believe how many people were jumping off the Canucks' Bandwagon on Saturday in response to Friday's 2-0 loss to the Stars. I was shocked at how many people approached me yesterday with the attitude that the Canucks were pretty much done as far as the playoffs go. That the Stars were a far superior squad and it was just a matter of time before the local lads were swept aside.

Are you kidding me? After one loss? Give your head a shake people!

Am I going to guarantee you that Vancouver wins this series? No. But I will say this - did you think it was going to be a cakewalk? The west is so tight this year - 7 teams with over 100 pts - that I won't be surprised at any of the first round results. That being said, I think the Canucks are going to win the series. These two teams are a very good test for each other and I just happen to like the team with the better goalie at the end of the day.

But that's beside the point. The real concern is the amount of people who bail on their team when the road gets a little bit rocky. Yeah, I know. It's cool to wear the vintage jersey or t-shirt when the Canucks have won 4 in a row. But as soon as a little adversity hits, you start in with the "I told you these guys weren't very good" routine. Listen, whether it's the 'Nucks or any other team you root for, you should be at your loudest and proudest when the chips are down (which isn't even the case right now; it's 1-1 people!).

Which brings me to the atmosphere at GM Place. If you are truly a fan of the Canucks, you should be screaming your lungs out when they trail 2-0 in the 2nd. You should be the one getting your section to chant "Go Canucks Go" at that point. Do you really think they need inspiration or motivation when they grab a 5-2 lead? That arena was like a morgue for most of the 2nd period in Game 2 and for long stretches in Game 1. Do you want to be part of the solution or part of the problem? It drives me nuts when people rip Vancouver for having bad sports fans because I know a lot of you out there are diehards. So don't let the "Canucks are trendy so let's go to the game" people ruin your reputation.

I will admit that part of it is on the Canucks organization. I think they could do a better job with that sweet scoreboard and screen at the Garage to fire the crowd up. But until that happens (and with CEO Chris Zimmerman, believe me, they are going to make it happen), get on your feet and get behind the home side. Or don't bother calling yourself a Canucks' fan. Because there's nothing worse than sitting on the fence. All you get is a sore groin.

Wading into the Playoff Pool

2007-04-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

So after a week-long hiatus to Cuba to talk to Fidel Castro about the possibility of importing a couple of new players for this summer's Headliners softball squad, I return from the sun to the ice. Yeah, the puck drops on the NHL playoffs tomorrow and 99% of the Great White North is salivating with anticipation. Most because it's the best hockey of the year, but many because of the investment opportunity known as the PLAYOFF POOL.

But before I dispense any advice, a couple of things.

1. Too much knowledge is a bad thing. I am fully convinced that there is an inverse relationship between knowing the numbers and winning a hockey pool. Chances are that the guy who picks players whose surnames remind him of Dungeons and Dragons beats the guy who can recall Pavol Datsyuk's Russian bantam stats. Or maybe you expected Cory Stillman to finish 2nd in playoff scoring last year. I think you get the point.

2. Think of the entry fee as a chance to rip the local loudmouth. You know the guy. There's one in every office. Most sentences start with, "Let me tell you how they should be handling Luongo..." or "If I was playing with the Sedins...". This is the one person you should NEVER take advice from nor partner with in your pool. But take notes on what he says during the draft because it will be good ammo in late May. The only thing you do know about this guy is that he will not win the pool. He should ask for a tax receipt upon paying his money.

So here's what I will say. Whether you want to put your money on a blue chip stock like the Sabres or a long shot like the Islanders, take two or three players from a TEAM you feel good about. Of the top 16 scorers in last year's postseason, only 3 were from teams other than Carolina or Edmonton. It's tough to win a pool with a player from every team. Half of your lineup gets whacked every round. Decide on a couple of clubs that you think will make deep runs and hitch your wagon to them.

And look for players who aren't known as big guns, but who play alongside them. Fernando Pisani won't be winning any Art Ross trophies any time soon. But he was getting powerplay time and playing on a line with a bunch of the Oilers' skilled players last year, so he picked up 18 points. The big names will always go first, but Matt Cullen had twice as many points as Joe Thornton in '06.

Finally, resist the urge to draft with your heart instead of your head. If it's the 13th round, go ahead and take a flyer on Alex Burrows if you really want. But drafting your favorite Canuck fourth-liner in the fourth round will leave you chequing Mel Kiper's NFL draft board in late April instead of adding up playoff points.

Of course this all comes from a guy who's in a no-win position in every pool he enters. If I win, it's because I'm a sports guy. If I lose, it's "What are you, an idiot? You talk about sports every day on the radio. How'd you lose to the coffee shop girl?". And if you read rule #1, you've got a pretty good idea of where I'll probably end up again this year. But that being said, I was swimming off the shores of Cuba this past week instead of watching the final week of the regular season. Perhaps wading in those warm waters with ice in my drink will have me treading water in this year's pools on ice.

And to those Clowns...

2007-03-31T18:18:00.000-07:00

Who decided to leave a bunch of disgusting posts in the comments section. GROW UP. This is supposed to be a fun way to interact online with some of the listeners, not a forum for your X-rated humour. You want to use the internet like that, do it someplace else. You want to talk sports and good-natured humour, feel free to visit this blog.

GUESS WHO'S BACK...

2007-03-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

No, it's not the Slim Shady. After a number of computer problems, this blog is back in effect and will be undergoing some noticeable changes in coming days.

It should be back up and running for the NHL playoffs, with regular posts and your comments. Sorry for the inactivity, it was computer-related.

Let's Make a Deal

2006-10-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

Well, it's time of the year when hockey prognosticators make their fearless predictions about which teams will win the Stanley Cup and why Johnny Canuck or Joe Maple Leaf will lead his team to victory next June. I'll spare you the time and let you in on a little secret.

Newsflash: You don't have to have a Stanley Cup contender on Day 1 of the season. I don't know much, but I know that to be true. Sure, there's teams that are in better position than others when the puck drops at the start of October, but this is a marathon not a sprint.

Here's what we learned about the NHL last year. Skating and special teams count for a lot more than they used to. Thanks, Sherminator, real enlightening. Here's what else we found out: you just have to play well enough to be in playoff contention come the end of February. That's when the good teams make their move for the postseason.

The NHL's frozen four - Anaheim, Buffalo, Carolina, and Edmonton - all had those things in common last year. Yeah, they skated well and killed penalties, but with the exception of the Sabres, every team upgraded at the trade deadline. Anaheim brought in Jeff Friesen and Sean O'Donnell to add speed and shore up its defence. Carolina added more firepower in Doug Weight and Mark Recchi. Edmonton picked up Rolly the Goalie from Minnesota and also acquired Sergei Samsonov. The Oil had already made deals for Jaroslav Spacek and Dick Tarnstrom. If the Sabres would have added those two defencemen, they might have been parading around with Lord Stanley's oversized chalice last June.

Bottom line is this. All you really need is a team that can keep its head above water for the first four months of the season. That's when the X-factor comes in. With the type of game that hockey is, I'm confident that a good GM can make the biggest difference late in the season. In the NFL, it's coaching that turns the tide as teams have a week to prepare and change schemes in between games. In the NHL, it's the GM that pulls the trigger on a deal to enhance his team's current personnel that makes the pendulum swing.

It's nice to have Barker's Beauties adorning the media guide of your favorite NHL club. But if you've got Monty Hall in the front office, you'll be watching hockey in June.

The Philly Fanatic and Gilligan

2006-09-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

Good thing the lockout taught everyone a good lesson in finances. The "salary cap", "revenue sharing" and "the good of the game" have been the buzz words around hockey for the past year. But in one day, that Tony Robbins-like message has suffered a major blow.

Let's start with Bob Clarke signing Ryan Kesler to an offer sheet of $1.9 million for the coming season. If the Canucks don't match it, they get a 2nd round pick in compensation for Kesler, who was a 1st round pick. Doesn't take a genious to figure out that Kesler will remain a Canuck. And forget about a sign and trade with Kesler as league rules prohibit that.

So when Dave Nonis inks Kesler to that deal, Bob Clarke will have been successful in throwing the pay scale out of whack. 10 goals now equals nearly $2 million per. That's because Kesler will be entitled to a qualifying offer of $1.9 million again after this season. And then comparable Group 2 free agents can use Kesler's numbers to seek that amount in arbitration. If Kesler lights the lamp 25 times this season, that's not a big deal. But that probably means a hefty increase in icetime just to protect the financial interests of the Canucks and other teams with upcoming Group 2's. Nice job, Bob. Way to think this one through.

Some GM's are already talking about doing the same thing to the Flyers when the contracts of young guns Jeff Carter and Mike Richards come up. But that's the kind of thinking that led to Martin Lapointe's $5 million dollar deal under the old CBA. So does Clarke get away with this or do the GM's go after him? I'll put my money on Egos over Brains in this one.

And then there's the contract of Rick Dipietro. $67.5 million over 15 years. Some are saying the Islanders will look like geniuses if he turns into a top 5 goalie in the NHL. What if he doesn't? What if the team the New York braintrust puts in front of him is so bad that he gets shell-shocked from all of the red-light treatment he receives on a nightly basis? Then the Islanders have yet another albatross of a contract hanging around their collective neck. Remember the Alexei Yashin deal - 10 years, $90 million? That one runs until the end of the 2010-11 season. If Dipietro doesn't live up to his potential, who will trade for a guy with, say, 11 years left on his deal? The answer rhymes with the word "hero". So guess who'll be on the Island longer than the Skipper, Ginger and Marianne?

Ahhhhhh, myopia. You gotta love it. Good thing we missed a year of hockey for this.

This Tiger Tale's Far Fetched

2006-08-23T15:53:00.000-07:00

Hats off to Tiger Woods for winning the PGA Championship, his second major of the year and 12th of his career. He is once again at the top of the golfing world, and the gap between 1st and 2nd is massive. But I've had about all I can take in the last few days in terms of where Tiger Woods fits in terms of alltime sports figures.

Tiger Woods is NOT the Greatest Athlete of Alltime.

Sorry to rain on your parade, Tiger fans, but I've seen way too much BS about Eldrick being better than Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Jim Browne... the list goes on and on. Is that some sort of joke?

For starters, the greatest athlete of alltime is going to have to play a sport that's a little more physically demanding than golf. A lot of people will tell you that golf's not even a sport. I'm not one of them. But if you want to compare the physical demands of football, basketball, hockey, soccer, and a number of other sports to hitting a golf ball, you're seriously on the pipe. Mentally strenuous? No question. Pressure packed? For sure. Hand-eye cordination? Yep. But don't even try and tell me that a sport in which there's nobody else trying to prevent you from doing what you want (ie. playing defense) is home to the greatest athlete the world has ever seen.

If you want to pose an argument that Tiger is the Most Popular Athlete of Alltime, I'll listen.

Maybe you say he's dominated his sport to a greater extent than other athletes have dominated theirs. It's a decent and rational debate.

Hell, I'm even willing to hear that he's had more impact on the future of his sport than other athletes.

But that's where it stops. In my short lifetime, I've seen the likes of MJ, Bo Jackson, Gretzky, Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders - you get the idea - all perform feats that are FAR more impressive from an athletic standpoint than what Tiger is doing. And I don't even scratch the surface of what many of my elders have been able to witness. So stop with your Tiger worship in terms of this argument. You just won't sell me on it.

It'll take a couple more years to make it official, but Woods will go down as the greatest golfer in the history of the game. But unless I see him turn a swing pass into a 90 yard touchdown, dunk over Lebron James in the NBA Final or bat .450 and steal 105 bases in a season, he won't even come close to being in any argument I ever make for the greatest athlete of alltime.

Dog Dazed and Confused

2006-08-03T13:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it's the dog days of summer... at least for a sports fan. Hey, I love the CFL and Major League Baseball, but both are at very undramatic points of the season. The CFL races heat up after Labour Day, as do the pennant races. And with NFL training camps just barely underway, the North American Sports Fan is in purgatory.

So what could happen to spice things up? Here's a few of my personal suggestions that just might turn the nightly highlight reel into "Appointment Television".

1. Tiger Woods plays a full round drunk with John Daly.
Just imagine the conversation as Long John regales Tiger with "Tales from the Winnnebago" as he urinates just off the sixth tee box. Tiger then drops a profanity-laced tirade on an over-exuberant fan for breathing during his backswing, and proceeds to play javelin with his 4-iron, the club he just hit to the first fringe. Who doesn't have enough personality now, Phil?

2. NASCAR holds "Beater Night at Daytona".
Everyone from Jeff Gordon to Matt Kenseth fires up a piece-of-crap car donated by 20 contest winners. Envision the hilarity of watching Greg Biffle's Gremlin trying to go inside of Jimmie Johnson's Yugo on turn 3 at 47 MPH. "Uh, oh! Tony Stewart has lost the rear panel of his #24 Pacer! He'll need to ducktape some aluminum siding on his ride at the next pit stop!" Plus, with NASCAR you know there'll be some drinkin' and fightin'.

3. Jared from Subway vs Bearded Canadian Tire Guy: The Cage Match
In a desperate attempt to revive their respective E-list celebrity status', the former commercial annoyances engage in a pay-per-view wrestling event. Jared has the obvious weight advantage, but what Mastercraft tool will Bearded Canadian Tire Guy bring into the ring? Winner gets a 15 second commercial that airs at halftime of CBC's Pacific Rim Table Tennis Challenge.

4. PBA vs Bass Fisherman Team Decathalon
Non-athletes involved in actual athletic endeavours. Imagine watching the "well-rounded" stars of professional bowling attempting to clear the 1.0 metre bar in the high jump. Or your average bass fisherman sizing up the flexibility of his rod for the pole vault. This would qualify as "Inspirational Television", as everyone at home saying, "C'mon, I could do that" would be right for the first time in history. Losing team must sign official documents confirming that their beloved hobby is not in fact a sport.

5. Monkey Roller Derby
Monkeys are just so damn hilarious. Whether they're laughing, swiping stuff or just trying to pee on each other, they always make me chuckle. So why not throw them on rollerskates and see what happens? I guarantee it's better than 95% of the crappy Reality shows on TV.

Those are just a few ideas to amp up the sports world every July and August. I'm sure you've got some ideas of your own, so feel free to suggest them in the comments section. While I'm waiting, I'll try and get ahold of the Bearded Canadian Tire Guy. Lord knows he's itchin' for another shot at fame.

Don't Ban Antonio... Yet

2006-07-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

Joe Smith's impressive debut has Lions' fans giddy about BC's running game. With 138 yards on 16 carries, 26 yards receiving and 3 touchdowns in his debut as a starter, you can see why. But don't cast Antonio Warren loose just yet.

Has Warren been good this season? No.

Is Warren irreplaceable? No.

But here's why the Lions should keep him, at least for now. This is the same running back that ripped off 160 yards against the Argonauts in the 2004 Grey Cup. He's also the same guy that churned out nearly 2200 yards in combined yardage last season. And despite his well-publicized whiff against the Riders two weeks ago, he rarely misses a block. You just don't cut a guy like that after 1 impressive performance by his backup.

Remember Willie Hurst? How about Eddie Linscomb? Well, I do. Both cracked the 100 yard plateau for the Lions when each had a chance to start in the past few seasons. It was the only time either accomplished the feat. One performance does not a career make.

Joe Smith may prove to be the best back of the bunch. But even he knows that teams will be better prepared for him after seeing him tear up the Stampeders. Even though Smith made a heck of a touchdown catch in traffic against Calgary, Warren is still a more dangerous weapon in the passing game. Choosing Smith means choosing to alter the offense. Is that something the receiver-depleted Lions are prepared to do after one big game? And given Aaron Lockett's injury issues in the past, keeping a reliable returner in Warren sounds like a pretty good idea. Especially given Smith's fumble trouble on kickoff returns this season.

By turfing veteran corner Sam Young four games into the season, Wally Buono has already shown that he subscribes to the "What Have You Done for Me Lately?" theory. But patience is a virtue and until he gathers more evidence, he'd be best to exercise it with Warren.

Head-Butt No Shocker Even in Soccer

2006-07-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

No, the red-haired Italian (25% by blood if you're scoring at home) is not here to gloat about Italy's World Cup win on the weekend. Like everyone else, I'm talkin' Zizou.

There's plenty of uproar this week about the Head-Butt Seen 'Round the World. Finding someone who condones Zinedane Zidane's violent decision to bulldoze Marco Materazzi is tougher than finding an NBA player without a tattoo. But for all of those saying, "I can't believe such a thing could happen!", give me a break. Sorry, but I'm just not surprised.

Before you rattle off Zidane's jaw-dropping resume of accommplishments (which includes a history of emotionally induced cards and suspensions, I might add), hear me out. If you look at the nature of professional sports on this planet, it's hardly surprising that this occurred. From Todd Bertuzzi's punch on Steve Moore to Ron Artest's foray into the crowd in Detroit to Bill Romanowski's facial assault on teammate Marcus Williams in training camp, sports is filled with appalling, violent transgressions.

Why? Pretty simple if you ask me. Most pro sports allow athletes to engage in actions that would land them in jail or at least significant trouble if they committed those actions in everyday life. A helmet and pads pretty much pass for a license to abuse an opponent. Don't believe me? Try facewashing the guy who budded in line at the bar and see what happens to you. Yet if a defenceman employs similar treatment to a forward deemed too close to the goalie, it doesn't even constitute a penalty in hockey. Or perhaps you want to pancake the dude holding an empty parking spot on a busy street while his pal pulls a u-turn to grab it. An assault charge in real life is a great block on a weak side toss.

The point is that pro sports already permit their players to cross lines that exist in the real world, so it's hard to gauge how these athletes will react in times of heightened agression. A guy makes a crude remark about your 10 year old daughter? You run him so hard into the boards that you take a 2 minute charging penalty. Try that on Granville street and you'd better call a lawyer. Is it any wonder that players who've been coached to physically impose themselves on one another end up pushing past the level of accepted violence on occasion?

That doesn't mean I condone Zidane ramming his noggin into Materazzi's chest. I'd like to think that an adult can shrug off any verbal ammunition fired his way. But I'm a realist, not an idealist. Sports is no different than any other walk of life. You've got your even-keeled folks mixed in with an element of hot-tempered individuals. So if you want to wave your finger at Zidane for his unforgettable melon-missile on Materazzi, go ahead. Just wipe the shocked expression off your face.

Getting That Quarter Back

2006-07-03T20:40:00.000-07:00

Two wins in three games is nothing to hang your head about. But if you're anything like me, you're a little bit concerned about the BC Lions these days.

Some people will tell you that a win is a win. And I know that it's early in the season. But the Lions' lack of finish late in the game has me watching this team very closely. The fourth quarter collapse in Saskatchewan raised a few eyebrows. The near folding-of-the-tent against the Argos last Friday was nearly as disastrous. And though the Leos escaped with the "W", you have to wonder where the team's confidence is right now.

Don't get me wrong. When the Lions have been on, they've looked like the class of the CFL. Dave Dickenson is slashing up secondaries like an Enron exec shredding documents. Geroy Simon catching passes like Paris Hilton at Naval base in Siberia. And BC's D has gone through stretches where they've been stingier than the woman who works the media meal at BC Place (she treats each cookie on the tray like a child you're to trying adopt... good luck getting more than one).

But the lack of killer instinct in the fourth quarter is concerning. Sure it's early in the season and you want to be playing your best football after Labour Day, but the foundation for winning starts early in the year. Bad habits are tough to break. Let a team comeback and beat you once, and you start to wonder if it's going to happen again. Players need to feel that somehow they will find a way to get the victory, not the alternative. Athletes will tell you that winning is all about making plays. But really it's about confidence. When you've got it, those game-changing plays somehow get made. When you don't, they don't. It's that simple.

When the Lions travel to Edmonton this week, I guarantee that someone drops the "we need to play a full 60 minutes" when asked the monotonous question regarding the key to beating the Eskimos. But I'm more interested in seeing how they play the final 15.

Nonis Needs to be a Mathlete

2006-06-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

Well you wanted it Vancouver. Now you've got it. Dave Nonis pulled the trigger on a deal that will see Roberto Luongo become the first marquee goaltender in the history of the Canucks. With all due respect to the likes of Richard Brodeur, Kirk Maclean and Dan Cloutier, Luongo is in the upper echelon of goaltenders. Don't believe me? Ask the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Kevin Lowe, and Pat Quinn - men charged with putting together the best team on the planet to play under the microscope at the Olympics. It's not just good PR that got Luongo on those teams.

So the Canucks have their puckstopper, now all they have to do is keep him. Luongo has been qualified at $3.2 million dollars but that deal expires at the end of this upcoming season. Both sides are eager to get a long-term deal done. And it's not going to be cheap. Luongo is expected to command around $7 million per season. And if the Canucks don't want to pay it, someone else will when Luongo becomes a free agent next summer.

So they'll sign Luongo (which they should) because you don't trade for one of the world's best goalies simply to trade him. Throw in Markus Naslund's contract and you've got $13 million spent on two players, a number that's a lot easier to stomach with the cap set at $44 million next season. Dan Cloutier will be traded now that Luongo's in town, meaning the Canucks will have 6 players under contract at $22.7 million. Dave Nonis has made it clear that he wants to be around $39 million to start the season, so you've got just over $16 million to play with. If you figure the Sedins will get long-term offers in the $3 million range and that Anson Carter should receive something in the low 2's, you've got $8 million left to sign anywhere from 12 to 14 players. Luc Bourdon gets his rookie deal, Nolan Baumgartner and Trevor Linden are most likely in the $650,000-$750,000 range and if Mika Noronen is your backup goalie, he'll make around the same. That's another $2.5 million on four roster spots.

So what do you have left and what do you need? $5.5 million, 5-6 forwards and 2-3 defencemen. If you keep Morrison and Naslund together, you'll need a right winger to play with them. Mark Parrish might not be a bad idea. He scored 29 goals last year but also made $1.9 million. If you could get him for a little bit less than that, it could be a good fit. That leaves you with four or five forward spots to fill on your third and fourth lines. On defence, Lukas Krajicek made just over half a million last season, and if he can play, the Canucks can probably get him for about $600,000. Nonis would still need another top four defenceman and those fourth line forwards.

Do you try to get a guy like blueliner Jay McKee for a couple of mill and then spend the remaining cash on young forwards aking the NHL minimum? Do you sign another forward with decent hands and take a chance with a couple of no-name (as of yet) defencemen? Whatever you do, you had better get guys who can skate. If this year's playoffs taught us anything. it's that speed and grit are at a premium in the "new NHL".

Dave Nonis has a plan and it all revolves around numbers. But the stats that matter more than goals and assists are dollars owed.

AV Should Make for Good TV

2006-06-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

Alain Vigneault. The name doesn't exactly jump off the page at you like Scotty Bowman. But that's not to say the Canucks new bench boss won't do a hell of a job here in Vancouver. He's saying all the right things in his mandate to make the Canucks a hard working hockey team, which is all the Vancouver hockey fan has ever wanted. But most importantly to me, he insists he's not afraid to be frank when asked questions about the performance of both his team and players.

I don't want to hear that a guy who's paid to score goals is "doing a lot of good things out there" when he's mired in a 12 game goal-scoring drought. Don't tell me that "we're just getting a lot of bad breaks" when your penalty kill is giving up three goals every game. Praise them when they play well, but offer fair criticism when they underachieve. That's all I want and I think that's all most hockey fans want.

Vigneault says he will do just that. He says he won't attack players personally, but he will hold them accountable for their play. If that's the case, it should make for the kind of entertainment this market hasn't seen since Brian Burke left town. Some people can't stand guys like Tampa Bay's John Tortorella, a coach who has no problem with speaking his mind. "The Fonz" as he's often referrred to becuase of his uncanny resemblance to Henry Winkler, publicly ripped John Grahame after a brutal performance against the Senators during this year's playoffs.

"Three goals on four shots," fumed Tortorella after Grahame was ventilated by the Sens in the second period of Game 4. "I'm tired of the 25% rule. It's deflating. A save would be nice."

Is it throwing a player under the bus? Maybe. But Grahame was brutal in that game, and whether you like the Fonz's comments or not, he was telling the truth. I've got more respect for a guy that's honest than a guy who shields his players from any type of criticism by using cliche excuses to justify subpar performances.

Tell it like it is and don't make it personal. If that's what Alain Vigneault is bringing to the Canucks, then bring it on.