MORNING NEWS CRUISE

A quick glance at my morning online haunts reveals:

Duke lacrosse player Ryan McFayden has been re-instated to the school and athletic program. After being suspended for sending a vulgar email depicting the killing of strippers (mere hours after the infamous Duke party), he is happy to be back, having learned "a valuable lesson" about the power of words and how they can be misunderstood. [Sports Illustrated]

"What I meant to say when I said 'I want to kill strippers with a jackknife' was 'I want to love strippers with a jack-rabbit...'" See? Easily misunderstood.

Some of the Tour de France's biggest names have been implicated in a doping scandal. Jan Ullrich, Ivan Basso, and Francisco Mancebo are just a few of the names mentioned. [ESPN]

Is this really any surprise to anyone? Although, it looks like Lance Armstrong avoided yet another drug scandal.

Big match-up today in World Cup action. Germany takes on Argentina with the winner moving onto the semi-finals. Watch it!

My condolences go out to the Odom family today.

A SOCIO-ECONOMIST, YET HERE IS WHY I HATE NUMBERS

Two! Two! Two beautiful numbers!

I love the summer. I mean, I absolutely love the summer. I live in one of Canada's most relaxing summer cities (Halifax, Nova Scotia), and there is nothing like sitting back in one of the 6,498 bars in the downtown core and watching a ball game.

And while my heart has always belonged to the Seattle Mariners, a the little-team-that-could, the Minnesota Twins, have created a little niche in my Grinch-esqe heart. Playing in the hardest division in the majors, the red-hot Twins have gone on a tear recently, going 17-2 since June 7.

Despite this amazing feat, the Twinkies are still 11 games out of first place! 11 games! In fact, in this recent winning span, they have only made up a half-game (!!!) on the first-place Tigers!

In fact, Sports Illustrated's Jacob Luft has picked up on this, and provides some very interesting stats. He points out that if the White Sox play .500 ball for the rest of the season, the Twinkies would have to post a record of 52-33 to catch them! Even worse, they would have to win two additional games (a 54-31 record) to catch the Tigers!

What does this mean for the chances of a Twins post-season birth? Well, they have 23 games remaining against the White Sox and the Tigers (roughly 28% of their remaining schedule). In addition, they the rest of their schedule sees them play 37 games (roughly 44%) against sub .500 teams. They play the Royals 13 more times this season!

When you compare the Twins schedule to that of their divison rivals, it bodes pretty well for the Twinkies. The Tigers play 59 games, or roughly 70% of their remaining games against above .500 teams, while the White Sox play 53 games, or 63% against the majors better teams.

If Santana and Mauer stay as hot as they have been since June, I know where a bettin' man would place his money.

PROGRESS YES; BUT AT THE EXPENSE OF A CITY

You suck-did-i-ly-uck, Edmonton

If you have been celebrating our short break from Canada's national past-time, you may not have picked up on the latest hockey news making the rounds. For those of you still basking in the break, this story carries is much more than a hockey story -- it is about progress, society and economics (but in essence, it's really about hockey).

As the Carolina Hurricanes were celebrating thier Stanley Cup victoty June 19, they were joined by their wives and children. Despite this symbolic gesture, which demonstrates the important role families play in athletes' lives, the Hurricanes were admonished by many, and most notably in Canada, by Rogers Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos.

In continuing the story line, today's Toronto Star ran a story "Wives Deciding Athletes' Moves," citing the recent developments with Chris Pronger and Mike Peca, who, after carrying the Edmonton Oilers to the Cup final, prompty expressed their respective desires to leave the city of Champions at the bequest of their loved ones (so the reports go).

And rightly so. These families, as pointed out in numerous studies, and most recently opined by Out of Left Field, endure numerous hardships to support their athletic partners (while certainly not the most infamous case, Tim Thomas' is an interesting read).

And those in the upper-echelon's of sports management are starting to get it right as well.

From the same Toronto Star story, Maple Leafs GM John Ferguson, on the importance of family in athletes' production:

That kind of support is always a factor in anyone's ability to be at their
best.

And Blue Jay's GM J.P. Riccardi:

It's like any family situation now. There are wives that need to be heard
and the wife has a big say in (her) husband's life.

And while this progressive, feminist-friendly sociologist/sport-enthusiast applauds the acknowledgement athletes' families are finally receiving, my skeptical-self wonders what this will do for sports.

Any sociologist or business analyst will tell you that employers are apt to hire men over women because of the greater potential for a strong return on their investment. For instance, managers and exeutives (of which most are men) see males as dedicated hard-workers, who are not likely to work for three-years, only to take a year off for maternity leave. This perceived "baggage" limits women's potential and opportunity, while also limiting the potential of the company because they automatically disqualify suitable applicants.

However, this begs the question of whether or not teams will be willing to sign or trade for players who come with similar "baggage." For instance, what are the odds that another small-market team is going to offer up valuable assets for someone like Pronger, knowing that his wife was unhappy in Edmonton? Can anyone honesly see him landing in Minnesota or Columbus, cities with similar culture and life-style as other small-market teams?

What about the newly acquired Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks. Luongo recently married a Floridian and all of his "non-hockey" friends reside in the sunshine state. Is this going to hurt the Canucks chances of signing him long-term? Are they even going to try?

I half-jokingly wonder if professional sports-teams are going to start conducinting socio/cultural- economic studies on potential free-agent signings, draftees or trade-pickups before making a decision? If so, that's great, because it means more guys like me might finally be able to live the dream of playing, er, I mean, working, for a professional sportsr franchise.

More likely, it means more money in the pockets of marketing and advertising firms, as coaches and managers, taking the cue from Raptors GM Glen Grunwald, make promotional videos of a home city in an attempt to woo potential players.

Ultimately, what this leads to seems to be what the NHL lockout was intended to erase, or at the vert least, limit: large-market teams being better equiped to attract big-names. Only this time, the financial playing field may be level, city size, cultural activities and events, services provided and available, will be the selling points. In this case, when a player decides to sign elsewhere for "personal reasons," it can easily be seen as a slight to the vacated city.

And with this in mind, is it really any surprise that the city of Edmonton is taking this snub personally?


I wish to acknowledge the important role my mother and grandmother played in my fledging development as a solid defensive-minded slo-pitch baseball player. I only wish they hadn't provided me with that un-named nickname that I will never live down. Cheers.

A BRIEF SEARCH REVEALS....

Martin Havlat has stated that his is interested in signing only a one-year deal in Ottawa, quickly leading Sens fans and pundits to assume that a trade could be imminent. While I think the Sens should -- and most likely will -- try to work out a long term deal with him, it is interesting to speculate on potential destinations for the speedy winger, and what the Sens may get in return.

It is obvious that the Senators need of goaltending. They could test the free-agent market, but with such a valuable commodity at their seeming disposal, why not dangle him for a quality starter. What do you think Iron Mike Keenan would say to something along the lines of:

Emery, Redden, and Havlat for Roberto Luongo and Olli Jokinen. This provides the Sens with a much needed quality starting goaltender as well as a bona-fide gritty centreman.

Along the goaltender front, San Jose has two quality starters, and I think Vesa Toskala is their man. So in this potential trade, we would see something along the lines of Patrick Marleau and Evgeni Nabokov to Ottawa for Martin Havlat and Emery. Although, something with San Jose may involve a player such as Marcel Goc and some picks, along with Nabokov.

And while many more options exist, the one I am leaning toward is a Havlat to Boston for Andrew Raycroft and Boyes/Bergeron.

On a non-related note, I thought I would rant a little about the recent Nova Scotia conservative government's decision to limit the amount of stores that can open on Sunday for shopping. Claiming that the majority of Nova Scotians rejected a plebicsite a year-and-a-half ago, Premiere Rodney MacDonald says he is simply enforcing the majority's wishes. I have said it before and I will say it again, go to any of these open stores on a Sunday, and tell me the citizens of Nova Scotia don't want this!

MID-MORNING MUSINGS

• A few days after SI's Tom Verducci argued that the Mets Jose Reyes was the most dangerous leadoff hitter in baseball, despite not having the best OBP, the kid goes and hits for the cycle last night against the Cincinnati Reds. While I think Reyes is a potent leadoff hitter, I think some kudos are due for the Red Sox Kevin Youkilis. While he does not have the traditional speed of a leadoff man, a .433 on-base-percentage isn't something to ignore.
• Could it be? Last week I pondered the state of the Seattle Mariners, my life-long baseball muse. Last night, Adrian Beltre went 3-for-4 with two RBI's and two runs-scored to lead the Mariners to their fifth win in a row, an 8-5 win over the LA Dodgers. If only Seattle could play NL teams all year long -- nd 8-and-0 record in interleague play! When Seattle makes it to the World Series, it's lights out....
• So the Red Rocket is out of Toronto. No, I am not refering to another transit strike, but rather to Toronto Raptors forward Matt Bonner, who was traded last night to the San Antonio Spurs. The next few days are going to be interesting for this franchise as player workouts of potential draftees continue to impress the brass.
• Also, it's gonna take awhile to get used to Brian Williams over at TSN. Since I don't get that channel, I guess it is gonna take awhile to get used to life without Brian.

Toodles.

BONGS COOL; EPO BAD

We cannot expect people to have respect for law and order until we teach respect to those we have entrusted to enforce those laws.

Hunter S. Thompson


In this new era of sports coverage, where the latest drug scandal receives as much attention as championship series', no fight seems to loom larger, in my eyes, than the one between Lance Armstrong and WADA, and specifically, Dick Pound.

In 2005, French newspapers L'Equipe reported that Armstrong's frozen urine samples, provided during the 1999 tour, were re-tested and came back positive for EPO.
In May 2006, a commission appointed by the International Cycling Union exonerated Armstrong, and accused WADA and the lab that conducted the tests o fmisconduct. The commission further recommended that a tribunal be convened to discuss potential legal and ethical violations by WADA and to consider "appropriate sanctions to remedy the violations."

On Monday, Lance Armstrong released a letter that he had written to the International Olympic Committee, calling for Pound's dismissal, which the IOC can authorize. While I think this step is highly unlikley, it has been reported that IOC members will discuss the letter and Pound's actions at their upcoming executive meetings.

Adding their voice to the growing critics of Pound, was the National Hockey League. Perhaps in retaliation to Pound's baseless accusation that two-thirds of NHLers used performance enhancing drugs, National Hockey League Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly stated

We fully support Mr. Armstrong's plea to have the IOC hold Mr. Pound accountable for his past actions, and laud Mr. Armstrong's willingness to stand up for the rights of all of the innocent athletes who have been wrongly and unfairly
disparaged by Mr. Pound.

In his defense, Pound released a statement, where he stands by his complete rejection of the report that exonerates Armstrong, claiming that Armstrong has "too much time on his hands" since retiring from competitive cycling.

While I don't know who has taken performance-enhancing drugs and who is currently taking them, and make no mistake, there are athletes right now taking performance enhancing drugs, Pound's witch-hunt seems a bit stretched.

Being labelled a drug user in sports is akin to being labelled a pedophile in mainstream society -- it is not something that can be shaken (just ask a-never-been-proven-guilty-only-stupid Barry Bonds). And Pound's blind accusations and criticisms may reveal drug users and suppliers, but for those who are accused but ultimately innocent, there is no escaping that type-cast.

Ultimately, it often seems that Dick Pound wil lnot be content until he catches a really big fish. In this sense, he is not after the good of sport, nor ethics, but for making a name and a legacy for himself. In this light, more sports should get behind calls for his dismissal, and an overhaul of WADA.

A LITTLE NOTE DURING LUNCH BREAK....

Unless you have just crawled out from under a rock, or from a major bender, you already know that the Carolina Hurricanes won thier first championship as an NHL franchise last night. Congrats to them, and congrats to the Edmonton Oilers for a valiant effort. If Kevin Lowe can get some of those un/restricted free agents signed, then Edmonton has a bright future.

However, it should be noted that after Calgary's run in 2003/2004, hockey pundits were saying that the Flames had a bright future. And we all see how this year turned out. Although, I just read that the Flames re-signed Kristian Huselius.

Also, if you are a hockey fan, and you are tired of watching hockey in the summer, take a look at Out of Left Field. Indeed, it is time to do something about this.

Big game today in World Cup action between Sweden and England. Leave work early for this one.

STORMY WEATHER

And no, this is not some predictable reference to the Stanley Cup finals. Literally, it is stormy outside, and while I should be enjoying my lunch-hour outdoors, the remnants of Alberto is making that impossible.

As a result, some news and notes of interest that are making the rounds today.

• Word on the street is that in addition to not wearing a helmet, Ben Roethlisberger didn't have a valid motorcycle license. While I am disinclined to be insulted, I refuse to step-down from my soap-box; I stated that this was a stupid act, and I will continue to say this. As a motorcycle enthusiast and safety-activist, I think I am entitled to berate someone who makes not one, but two immature decisions with his respect to riding.
• Also, it is good to see Teddy Bruschi back to his old form. Not that he ever lost it. Here's hoping he is the only player on the Pats to play with some skill.
• In MLB news, the Jays won with the help of six pitchers, and three home-runs, including back-to-back jacks from a resurgent Alex Rios and Frack Catalanotto.
• The Mariners lost their second-in-a-row after sweeping the LA Angels over the weekend. And this comes after my claim that the Mariners had a lot to look forward to. Thanks karma, how you strike me down once again.
• In that same game though, the A's took a hit as Frank Thomas got hurt. He has not yet been put on the DL, as he will be re-evaluated today. But honestly, is anyone surprised by this? This guy is more broke than Mike Tyson.
• And finally, a good effort last night by the Oilers. Analysts and pundits, at least those over at TSN, were impressed by the play of Edmonton, but there is still work to be done to win.

WINNERS, LOSERS, AND THOSE LOST

The rough at Winged Foot for this years U.S. Open.
Officials are still looking for Fred Funk.

With the practice rounds underway, and Thursday quickly approaching, I thought I would take a page out of SI's book, and offer up some predictions for the weekend.

AND THE BETTIN' MAN WOULD THROW IT DOWN ON...
Phil Mickelson -- Not one of SI's experts pick lefty to win this week. Perhaps they are thinking he could not pull off three-majors in a row, but Phil Mickelson is a great bet this weekend. Winged Foot is a long golf course, and while he can surely belt them out there, he leads the PGA in greens-in-regulation, putts-per-hole, and he is the only player on tour to better the tour average birdies-per-round by more than one (his average is 4.88 and the tour aveage is 3.47). Moreover, he is second in the tour on scoring average. His deft touch around the greens combined with his recent play give him ample opportunity to spend Sunday evening celebrating.

KEEP IT IN YOUR WALLET IF YOU ARE THINKING....
Sergio Garcia -- Sergio has never quite hit the same form that he had the first couple of years on tour. He is nowhere to be found when it comes to statistical leaders on tour, and when you combine this with his withdrawl from Barclay's Classic this past week, he will be nowhere near the top of the leaderboard.

POTENTIAL SURPRISES
Vijay Singh -- Vijah Singh has had a very disappointing season, but showed some life last week by winning the Barclay's Classic last week with some solid golf. However, no one has ever won the U.S. Open after a victory the previous week, so history does not seem to be on his side. But if he can play his rounds like last weekend, Vijay will be a happy golfer on Sunday.

Jim Furyk -- He has had an great year thus far, despite a swing that no PGA professional would want to teach - but hey, it's getting the job done. He is third in scoring average, but more importantly, he is fourth in driving accuracy. Keeping you ball out of the rough is going to be key, and once it is in there, two words come to mind: good luck. Fred Funk went looking for his ball during his practice round, and officials are still looking for him!

FEEL GOOD STORY
Tiger Woods -- Three of SI's five experts predicted a win by Tiger, and the world's number one golfer does have a knack for coming back from a break with a win. However, nine-weeks is a long time away from golf -- six weeks without touching a club -- and despite looking good on practice rounds, he has a lot to overome. Nonetheless, what a sight it would be to see Tiger win yet another major on Father's Day.

THINGS LOOKING UP ON THE WEST COAST

Despite being a rural Ontario sports fanatic, I have never cheered for any of the Toronto teams -- and I think this has served my health quite well. In all honesty though, I have a special place for the Toronto Raptors, but I don't know why. Serious. Perhaps it's genetic.

Thus, while I may rant-and-rave once in awhile about the Jays, my heart-and-soul belong to the Seattle Mariners. I can remember sitting in my bedroom, with a hunter-green cieling and Mariner-teal (Northwest green apparently) on the walls (no wonder that house is still on the market), a Ken Griffey poster on three walls, and Edgar Martinez one on the other, with box scores of all their games on the floor. I still remember -- nostalgically -- the '95 dream season where all seemed lost. Griffey out early and 13 games out in mid-August. However, an unbelievable run to end the season gave Seattle a tie with the Angels. The ensuing tie-breaker was a laugher, with the Mariners winning 9-1, and clinching their first ever post-season birth.

And their opponents in that historic series: Evil Empire 1. And with the Mariners down 2-0, I still wore my hat and Griffey jersey to school everyday (luckily my girlfriend at the time had a sense of humour -- and did not attend the same school), and was riddiculed to no end. Nonetheless, my one small victory in those five years came via "The Double." Oh Edgar, how you saved me! I still remember Griffey turning third, and me, a hefty 15 year old, jumping off the bed with a thud, screaming "don't pull a hamstring!" And when he slid in and jumped, I jumped right along with him!

And since then, the Mariners have had some up and down times -- and little post-season success. Despite a 116 win season in 2001, the Mariners fell to the Yanks in the ALCS, 4-1, and I still have never heard the end of it from those from the centre of the universe.

And despite some recent hardships, the Mariners seem to have something to look forward to. Ichiru is still 2nd in batting average, and first in hits while second-baseman Jose Lopez is in the top-ten in RBI in the American League. On the mound, Jamie Moyer is doing all that a man of his age can do, while Felix Hernandez is piling on the strikeouts (fourth in the AL). And if Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre start to earn their pay-cheques, the Mariners could turn in some solid baseball.

After this past-weekend's sweep of the Angels, and the start of a six-game homestand tonight, perhaps I can break out the jersey and hold my head up high.

Besides, it could be worse; I could be a Royals fan.

Finally, give props to the team of one-namers for starting with a win. Has anyone noticed that Ronaldo looks fat?

EDMONTON IN A HOLE; PP THROWN IN THE TOWEL?

Carolina kept its streak alive tonight -- the team has not lost two-in-a-row in the playoffs since the first round against Montreal. And taking a page book out of Edmonton's game-plan, they played a strong, physical defensive game around the boards and in the defensive end.

In fact, there defensive game was outstanding. They were quick to the puck on the PK, often sending a third player into a scrum along the low boards. And like most Edmonton fans, I could be found screaming at the tv "Get the thing out front!" But their system has worked to perfection this series, and Edmonton cannot seem to solve it. And the odd time that they do, Cam Ward has been as solid as Mack truck.

If there is anyone to blame, it is the collective PP of the Oilers, and ultimately, the coaching staff of the Oilers for not adjusting the system accordingly. While Carolina is playing an almost perfect PK, it is up to the coaching staff to adjust the system and get the players to work within it. And I am not convinced that this was occuring tonight. The soft dump that had brought them success in earlier series' has not been working in this series, yet they continue to utilize it, and by my count, they were successful at retrieving the puck less than 50% of the time! If the Oilers are to continue this series, they will have to try something different in the offensive zone, which may be easier said than done with, at best, three games remaining in the season.

And like NS over at Out of Left Field, I agree the Jussi Markanen played as well as anyone not named Roloson, and did a great job of keeping Edmonton in the game. He is not the one to blame, not that many people would be blaming him. Nonetheless, like my laundry on a Sunday afternoon, the "kid" got hung-out-to-dry on Recchi's game winner. Let's hope the Oilers don't throw in their towels just yet.

SERIOUS, BUT UN-STABLE...

"Oh no you don't -- Put that goddam thing back on there!"
"Ok coach."

A quick note before returning to my thesis and before watching Game three....

While Big Ben Roethlisberger may be sitting in Mercy Hospital in serious but stable condition, the question that comes to mind is: Is he mentally unstable? Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of the Steelers and a bigger fan of Roethlisberger, but riding a motorcycling without a helmet is like blarring your Dixie Chicks CD in rural Alabama -- it's just stupid!

According to Dr Larry Jones, the trauma surgeon at Mercy, Roethlisberger was "coherent," and that "he knew what had happened." And of course, what happened was that the only QB of the modern era to go to two conference finals in his first two years hopped on a motorcycle without a helmet, drove through Pittsburgh traffic, and apparently went head-first into another vehicle's windshield. And according to reports, Roethlisberger has often refused to wear a helmet while on his motorcycle.

And while I can see how some journalists could turn this into a moralistic statements, arguing that Roethlisberger (and athletes in general) should set a better example for the youth who look up to him, that's not the point that I am arguing -- I have no doubt that youth today will do what they want nonetheless.

No, the point that I advocate is that this is a story about stupidity and immaturity. Someone with that much poise and maturity on the field should be able to do the same in the real world. If not, then the Steelers helmet stays on full-time.

SATURDAY NIGHT'S ALRIGHT FOR BLOGGING

"My face! My face! My beautiful face..."
So long Super Luke!

After a relatively exciting game, Oilers work-horse Ryan "my-dentist-is-the-richest-man-in-Edmonton" Smyth got the game winner, as the puck, in symbolic fashion, bounced off the Oiler crest on his jersey, and into the net. And cheap goal or not, fans in Edmonton will take a victory anyway they can.

And as the score indicates, the Oilers played a much more defensive game. Despite trading chances with the Canes throughout the game, by my count, Edmonton still outshot Carolina 31-22, indicating two important things. One, they blocked more shots than in previous games. And two, they got more pucks to the net by cycling and moving the puck more quickly, not giving Carolina time to get into the lanes.

What is going to be perceived as more inspiring for the Oiler's is the play of Jussi Markkanen. He looked calm and comfotable tonight and when tested, he looked solid. Fans will be hoping the Oilers will be able to build from this.

However, I am not enitrely convinced Markkanen is the saviour of this team. For instance, Edmonton played the type of hockey that got them here: tight defense, mucho shot blocking, and keeping the play to the outside. Indeed, the Canes had some scoring chances from in close, and Markannen made the saves, but for the most part, he made the saves he should be making.

Should the Oilers win game 4 Monday night, with another solid outing from Markkanen, it will be interesting to see if Coach MacTavish will bring back Roloson, should he be ready. While I am not privee to the Oilers medical facilities, there have been rumblings that Roloson could make an appearance, should the series go deep.

The Detroit Red Wings have informed Manny Legace that they will not be offering him a contract. After his performance in the playoffs, I can't imagine many teams interested in his services. What's that? John Ferguson Jr. just called him? Ok, the world makes sense again.

This sets up an interesting scenario though. Now that Roberto Luongo has told the Panthers he is interested in only a one-year contract, Mike Keenan may be looking to move him. Bob McKenzie raises some interesting points on this matter, but it boils down to the Panthers having to trade him for essentially nothing. Yet, the Wings have a few talented bodies they may be willing to part with, including Holmstrom or Lebda.

In ironic news, during the 2006-2007 season of my dynasty in NHL 2006, the Florida Panthers traded Luongo, Olli Jokinen, and a still playing Joe Nieuwendyk to Detroit for Zetterberg and Lang. I wouldn't hold my breath for this blockbuster though.

In World Cup news, despite playing 40 minutes with only 10 men, Trinidad and Tobago pulled off a tie with Group B favourite, Sweden. Although I was unable to actually watch the game (thanks to a fire-drill in my office), I was able follow the "Matchcast" via the FIFA webpage. And I tell ya, I have never read so many great saves in all my life! Yet, Shaka Hislop still doesn't get "Man of the Match?"

That's all for now. I would say something about my beloved Jays, but everytime I think of them, I sigh. It is like remembering the fond times with a past-lover, only to then stumble upon the memory of them cheating on you. In your own bed. With your best friend. And the girl from work you had a crush on.

Oilers Need to Step it Up

Quick note before heading out for Game 3.

• The Jays are losing 5-zip in the top of the fourth. Ugh. This is only the second game of a seven-game homestand, so here's hoping it gets better. If this game ends with a Tigers victory, at least we won't have the suspense of watching the Jays try and actually sweep a series -- although, with that outcome known even before the game begins, it is not actually that suspensful.

Keys to Victory for Edmonton

• Block more shots. In game two, they blocked only ## shots, while Carolina saved Cam Ward from having to make an additional 24 saves. This is unacceptable coming from a defensive minded team with little confidence in their goaltender
• Quickness on special teams. The Canes move the puck around so quickly in the offensive zone, that it is very diffitcult for the Oilers to jump in the lanes. They will have to be quicker to be successful. The same goes for the power play. In game 2, we saw the Canes penality killers attack the Oilers forwards on the boards, and they were quick to get out to the point. If Edmonton is to better their 1-for-13 power play, they are going to have to move the puck.
• Oiler forechecking. Against Detroit, the Oilers utilized a 1-2-2 system to perfection, and this can work against the Canes, who play a similar offensive style to Detroit. At the end of game one and throughout game two, the Oilers were sending two men deep, and the Canes were just too good at getting the puck up to the forwards. And the Canes turned it up from there. Throw one guy deep, and keep strong pressure in the neutral zone, and you will see a lot more turnovers go Edmonton's way.

I am off! Keep yer stick on the ice.

You Think the View from Up Here is Bad?

"Excuse me, Mr. Congressman, this package just arrived for you."
"Well, what is it?"
"It looks like a grade 3 geography lesson plan, and a map of Canada..."
"This can't be right...Canada looks like it is flipping the bird"
Long Pause
"Sir, it's actually upside-down....and that's Florida"


I caught about three minutes of the Jays-Tigers game last night -- mostly as I walked to-and-from the bathroom in some bar in Halifax. And despite pulling out a 10-5 come-from-behind victory, the Jays are likely feeling somewhat deflated after losing not one, but two pitchers in the process. Immediately following the game, they placed 6-2 Gustavo Chacin on the DL, as well as reliever Pete Walker. On a brighter note, Frank Catalanotto extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Look out Dimaggio!

In other Toronto news, the Argos suffered another preseason loss at the hands of the Ti-Cats, although this one was certainly more respectable than the drubbing they were handed last week. Even better for the Argos was the play of Ricky Williams, and the play of the Offensive Line. Williams had 11 carries for 46 yards, and despite that his fumble in second-quarter set up a Ti-Cats touchdown, coach Clemons was impressed with his improvement.

Vijay Singh, relatively quiet thus far on the PGA tour, catapulted to the top of the leaderboard with a bogey-free 7-under 64 yesterday at the Barclays Classic. While his entire round was impressive, his 45 foot eagle putt on the ninth was a beauty. If he can play this well next week, and not let his head get in the way of his game, he will have a good shot at making a run at Winged Foot, a course that sets up pretty well for him.

As a side note, Phil Mickelson sits at 2-under, and as a somewhat chubby golfer myself, I always kinda like it when Lefty can pull out the victory. It helps keep the dream alive.

And finally, in policitcal news, Republican (Indiana) U.S. Congressman John Hostettler, referring to the recent "terrorist-related" arrests made in Southern Ontario, called Canada a breeding ground for terrorists, specifically referring to "South Toronto" as a type of ethnic enclave that allows radical discussion to occur. First, most of the "discussion" he is referring to occurred in a Mississauga mosque, which is decidely WEST of the the city. Second, which part of "South Toronto" is this guy referring to? City Centre Airport?

More on the hockey game tonight...

Sounds like my family....

How many Kevin Bacon heads does this get?


I have always liked Ted Nolan, but for a multitude of reasons, he has not coached in the National Hockey League since winning the Jack Adams award in 1997. He has a tremendous hockey-mind, as shown by his success in the Ontario Hockey League with the Soo Greyhounds in the OHL, the Buffalo Sabres in the NHL, and most recently, as the head coach of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Moncton Wildcats.

Side note: This was the first time an Atlantic team has accomplished this feat, although the Halifax Mooseheads went to the Memorial Cup in 2000 as the host city.

Alas, the New York Islanders, the organization on which "The Office" must surely be based, has decided to give Nolan a chance behind the bench at the highest professional level.

However, it is going to be interesting to watch the relationship between Nolan and Neil Smith, the newly hired GM of the Isles, develop. Nolan, sometimes labelled as a "GM killer" who is difficult to work with (and for), was actually hired by Charles Wang, the owner of the team. The hiring of a head coach usually falls under the purvue of the GM, and as Pierre McGuire points out, this situation could lead to some serious dysfunction in the organization.

My question is: what has "Mad Mike's" tenure been all these years, if not dysfunctional?

"It's too bad he lives in the city...he's depriving some village of a pretty good idiot."