LET’S BE CLEAR ABOUT ONE THING…
THIS IS STILL THE EXIBITION SEASON…
THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS DO NOT START PLAYING FOR KEEPS UNTIL NEXT FRIDAY…
IT MAY EXPLAIN WHY HEAD COACH ALAIN VIGNEAULT WILL GO WITH HIS KIDS TONIGHT IN CALGARY…
THAT INCLUDES CURTIS SANFORD IN GOAL…
WHILE MIKE KEENAN IS GOING WITH A LINE UP THAT WILL BE VERY CLOSE TO OPENING NIGHT…
THANKS TO AN AVALANCHE OF INJURIES THIS MONTH…
THE BIGGEST CONCERN THE CANUCKS HAVE IS NOT FINDING A GROOVE…BUT RATHER…FINDING THE ICE…
INSTEAD THEY WILL USE SATURDAY’S GAME IN EDMONTON AS THEIR FINAL TUNE UP…
THEN NEXT WEEK PUT THE FINAL TOUCHES TOGETHER IN PRACTICE…
IS THE WAY THE CANUCKS PLANNED IT???
NOT AT ALL…
AS A RESULT THE TEAM WILL GO INTO THE REGULAR SEASON WITH A NUMBER OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS…
THE BIGGEST IS WHETHER OR NOT RYAN KESLER IS READY TO CENTER THE SECOND LINE WITH MARCUS NASLUND…
BRENDAN MORRISON SEEMS DESTINED TO START THE SEASON ON THE THIRD LINE WITH MATT COOKE…
ON DEFENCE…ITS UNLIKELY SAMI SALO WILL BE READY TO START THE SEASON…
WHICH MEANS…LIKE IT OR NOT…ALEX EDLER WILL LOG SOME BIG MINUTES…
PERHAPS THE ONLY THING THE CANUCKS KNOW FOR SURE IS THEIR SEASON WILL ONCE AGAIN REST ON THE SHOULDERS OF ROBERTO LUONGO…
AS MUCH AS HOCKEY FANS BELIEVE LUONGO IS THE BEST GOALTENDER ON THE PLANET…
THEY WITNESSED FIRST HAND IN THE PLAYOFFS…
LUONGO CAN NOT GET IT DONE BY HIMSELF…
LAST SPRING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CANUCKS FINISHING FIRST IN THEIR DIVISION AND GETTING THE THIRD SEED IN THE PLAYOFFS…WAS A SINGLE POINT…
A SINGLE POINT BETWEEN 3RD AND 7TH…
ONCE AGAIN THIS SEASON THE WESTERN CONFERENCE IS THE TOUGHEST IN THE NHL…
COLORADO…EDMONTON…CHICAGO…AND LOS ANGELES ARE ALL BETTER…
QUITE SIMPLY THE CANUCKS CAN NOT AFFORD A SLOW START…
THAT’S THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NEXT 7 DAYS…STARTING TONIGHT IN CALGARY…

Cam Neely

TODAY CAM NEELY AGREED TO JOIN THE FRONT OFFICE OF THE BOSTON BRUINS…
HIS OFFICIAL TITLE IS VICE PRESIDENT…
BUT IT’S NOT REALLY CLEAR WHAT EXACTLY HIS JOB IS…
WE DO KNOW THAT IT INCLUDES WORKING WITH BOTH GENERAL MANAGER PETER CHIARELLI…AND OWNERS CHARLIE AND PETER JACOBS…
NEELY ADMITTS HE WAS NOT IMPRESSED WITH THE DIRECTION THE BRUINS HAD BEEN HEADED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS…
HOWEVER OWNERSHIP SOLD HIM THAT THE BRUINS ARE NOW SERIOUS ABOUT WINNING…
TALK ABOUT GOOD FAITH!!!
BOSTON HAS FINISHED LAST IN THE NORTHEAST DIVISION THE LAST 2 YEARS…AND HAS NOT BEEN TO A CONFERENCE FINAL SINCE 1992…
IN NOVEMBER OF 2005 THE BRUINS PULLED OFF ONE OF THE WORST TRADES IN NHL HISTORY…
JOE THORNTON TO SAN JOSE FOR MARCO STURM…WAYNE PRIMEAU AND BRAD STUART…
THORNTON HAS GONE ONTO WIN THE HART AND THE ART ROSS TROPHIES…
AS FOR THE BRUINS ONLY STURM REMAINS…
BY THE END OF THE SEASON BOSTON GENERAL MANAGER MIKE O’CONNELL WAS OUT OF JOB …
LAST SEASON THE BRUINS POINTED A FINGER AT HEAD COACH DAVE LEWIS…
AS A RESULT CLAUDE JULIEN IS NOW BEHIND THE BENCH…
SO WHAT MAKES NEELY BELIEVE THE BRUINS PLAN TO DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN RE-ARRANGE THE DECK CHAIRS ON THE TITANIC???
TO START WITH…ALL THOSE EMPTY SEATS…
LAST SEASON THE BRUINS WERE 25TH IN NHL ATTENDANCE…
NO QUESTION BOSTON IS A GREAT HOCKEY MARKET…
BUT THE FANS IN THAT CITY HAVE HAD ENOUGH…
BRINGING NEELY BACK INTO THE FAMILY…IS A MAJOR STEP IN REGAINING SOME MUCH NEEDED CREDIBILITY…
IN THE OFF SEASON THE BRUINS ALSO ADDRESSED THEIR GOALTENDING PROBLEMS BY ADDING MANNY FERNANDEZ…
AND THE TEAM HAS SOME VERY GOOD YOUNG TALENT IN PATRICE BERGERON…PHIL KESSEL…ZACH HAMILL AND MILAN LUCIC…
BUT THE REAL QUESTION REMAINS…WILL OWNERSHIP STEP UP AND SPEND THE MONEY WHEN IT REALLY COUNTS…
THERE’S A REASON THE BRUINS HAVE NOT WON A STANLEY CUP IN 35 YEARS…AND NOBODY SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT BETTER THAN CAM NEELY…

Dan Cloutier

IT WOULD APPEAR THE NHL CAREER OF GOALTENDER DAN CLOUTIER IS OVER…
TODAY THE L.A. KINGS PLACED CLOUTIER ON WAIVERS…AND PLAN TO SEND HIM DOWN TO THE MINORS…
AS A RESULT…CLOUTIER WILL NOT BE WITH THE KINGS WHEN THEY OPEN THE REGULAR SEASON AT THE END OF THE MONTH IN LONDON ENGLAND…
THERE IS CERTAINLY THE POSSIBILITY OF CLOUTIER BEING RE-CALLED IN THE CASE OF AN INJURY…
BUT IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY HE WILL BE CLAIMED BY ANOTHER TEAM…
HERE’S THE PROBLEM…
CLOUTIER HAS 2 YEARS LEFT ON HIS CONTRACT AT $3.1 MILLION PER SEASON…
ANY TEAM WILLING TO TAKE A GAMBLE WOULD BE ON THE HOOK FOR HALF THAT AMOUNT WITH THE KINGS PICKING UP THE REST…
THAT STILL WORKS OUT TO OVER $1.5 MILLION PER SEASON…
THAT’S A LOT FOR A GOALTENDER WHO CAN NOT SEEM TO STAY HEALTHY AND HAS NEVER SHOWN THE ABILITY TO WIN IN THE PLAYOFFS…
HERE IS A LOOK AT HIS RECENT MEDICAL RECORD…
LAST YEAR CLOUTIER MISSED 44 GAMES…THANKS TO A HIP INJURY…
THE SEASON BEFORE IN VANCOUVER HE MISSED 60 GAMES WITH A KNEE INJURY…
IN 2004 CLOUTIER WENT DOWN IN GAME 3 OF THE CALGARY SERIES AND WAS GONE FOR THE REST OF THE PLAYOFFS…
IT IS THE PLAYOFFS THAT HAVE BEEN THE SCENE OF CLOUTIERS BIGGEST NIGHTMARES…
IN 2002 THE CANUCKS WON THE FIRST TWO GAMES IN DETROIT…
GAME 3 IN VANCOUVER WAS TIED 1…ALL LATE IN THE SECOND PERIOD…WHEN NIK LIDSTROM BEAT CLOUTIER FROM CENTER ICE…
AS SOFT AS THAT GOAL WAS…THE REAL DAMAGE WAS THE MELTDOWN THAT FOLLOWED…
THE CANUCKS GAVE UP 14 GOALS IN THE NEXT 3 GAMES AND CLOUTIER WAS PULLED IN GAMES 5 AND 6…
IN 2003…THE CANUCKS WERE UP 3 GAMES TO 1 TO MINNESOTA…
THEN CAME ANOTHER MELTDOWN…16 GOALS IN 3 GAMES…INCLUDING 4 STRAIGHT IN GAME 7…
THE SAD PART OF ALL THIS…IS DAN CLOUTIER IS A QUALITY PERSON…
WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THAT…YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY SO MANY COACHES AND GENERAL MANAGERS HAVE SUPPORTED HIM ALL THESE YEARS…
UNFORUNATLY TODAY IN LOS ANGELES…THAT SUPPORT RAN OUT…

The Race Card

THE RACE CARD…
IT JUST NEVER GETS OLD…
PHILADELPHIA QUARTERBACK DONOVAN MCNABB IS THE LATEST TO PLAY IT…
ACCORDING TO MCNABB…BLACK QUARTERBACKS IN THE NFL ARE UNDER MORE SCRUTINY THAN WHITE QUARTERBACKS…
IN HIS WORDS…”WE HAVE TO DO A LITTLE BIT EXTRA BECAUSE THE PERCENTAGE OF US PLAYING THIS POSITION…WHICH PEOPLE DIDN’T WANT US TO PLAY”…
WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE MEDIA PRESSURE CARSON PALMER AND PEYTON MANNING HAVE BEEN FORCED TO DEAL WITH…
MCNABB DISMISSES IT…
“THEY DON’T GET CRITICIZED AS MUCH AS WE DO…THEY DON’T”
THESE COMMENTS WERE MADE ON THE HBO SHOW…”REAL SPORTS”…WHICH GOES TO AIR TONIGHT…
LET’S GET A FEW FACTS STRAIGHT…
MCNABB IS TAKING A LOT OF HEAT THESE DAYS…NOT BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF HIS SKIN…BUT BECAUSE OF HIS PLAY OF THE FIELD…PERIOD…
THE EAGLES HAVE LOST THEIR FIRST TWO GAMES OF THE SEASON AND HAVE SCORED JUST ONE TOUCHDOWN…
MCNABB HAS LOST 6 OF HIS LAST 7 STARTS…
LASTNIGHT WASHINGTON BEAT PHILADELPHIA 20-12…
THE STARTING QUARTERBACK FOR THE REDSKINS WAS JASON CAMPBELL…A BLACK QUARTERBACK…
THE BOOING MCNABB HEARD LASTNIGHT FROM THE FANS AND THE CRITIZISM HE READ THIS MORNING IN THE LOCAL PAPERS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RACE…
THIS IS ABOUT A LACK OF PERFORMANCE…WHICH GOES WITH THE JOB…
THE TRUTH IS MCNABB IS COMING OFF MAJOR KNEE SURGERY AND IS AT THE BACK END OF HIS CAREER…
QUITE SIMPLY HE’S NOT THE SAME PLAYER THAT TOOK THIS FRANCHISE TO THE SUPER BOWL IN 2004…
THERE THIS ALSO AN IRONIC TWIST…FOUR YEARS AGO MCNABB WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF “THE RACE CARD”…
RUSH LIMBAUGH WENT ON ESPN AND STATED MCNABB WAS GETTING A FREE PASS FROM THE MEDIA BECAUSE HE “WAS” BLACK…
AT THE TIME THE EAGLES HAD ALSO LOST THEIR FIRST TWO GAMES OF SEASON AND MCNABB HAD THE LOWEST QUARTERBACK RATING IN THE NFL…
NEVERTHELESS LIMBAUGH WAS LABLED A RACIST AND FORCED TO RESIGN…
SO WHAT PRICE DOES MCNABB PAY???
DOES HE HAVE TO RESIGN???
DOES HE HAVE TO APOLOGIZE???
DOES HE HAVE TO GUARENTEE THAT HE NEVER SAYS ANYTHING AS STUPID AND DAMAGING AS THAT AGAIN???
NO…HE JUST HAS TO BEAT DETROIT ON SUNDAY

One Great weekend!

IF IT’S TRUE THAT WEEKENDS WERE MADE FOR MICHELOB…
THEN GRAG A COLD ONE AND PULL UP A SEAT …
TO START WITH THE VANCOUVER WHITECAPS BEGIN THE PLAYOFFS TONIGHT…
IT’S THE FIRST OF A HOME AND HOME SERIES WITH PORTLAND…
IN THE MAJORS…THE YANKEES ARE IN BOSTON FOR THE START OF A THREE GAME SET…
A SWEEP BY THE RED SOX WOULD ALL BUT CLINCH THE AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST…
IT WOULD ALSO OPEN THE DOOR FOR BOTH DETROIT AND SEATTLE TO GET BACK INTO THE WILD CARD RACE…
ON SATURDAY THERE ARE 3 CFL GAMES INCLUDING THE LIONS AT HOME TO THE ARGO’S…
THE LIONS WILL ALSO BE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE RIDERS AND THE STAMPS IN CALGARY…
IN HAMILTON…CASEY PRINTERS WILL PLAY HIS FIRST GAME FOR THE TI-CATS…
THE CANUCKS ARE STILL IN TRAINING CAMP IN VICTORIA…
TODAY THEIR JERSEYS WENT ON SALE…
SUNDAY THE TEAM WILL PLAY ITS ANNUAL INTRA-SQUAD GAME AND THEN HEAD HOME TO PLAY ANAHEIM MONDAY AT GM PLACE…
IN GOLF…IT’S THE PGA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP…
THE FINAL EVENT OF THE TOUR’S PLAYOFFS…
TIGER WOODS HAS A BIG LEAD AND SHOULD EASLY WIN THE FIRST EVER FED-EX CUP…
IN THE NFL…ALL THE ATTENTION IS ON THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME BETWEEN SAN DIEGO AND NEW ENGLAND…
NOT ONLY IS THIS A RE-MATCH OF LAST YEARS PLAYOFF GAME…AND NOT ONLY COULD THIS BE A PREVIEW OF THE AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME…
BUT IT WILL BE PLAYED IN THE SHADOW OF “SPY-GATE”…
TODAY THE HEAD COACH OF THE PATRIOTS BILL BELICHICK WAS HIT WITH A HALF A MILLION DOLLAR FINE FOR TRYING TO STEAL SIGNALS FROM THE NEW YORK JETS LAST WEEKEND…
THIS WILL HAVE MORE DRAMA THAN THE SOPRANOS…
THIS IS WHY YOU OWN A P.V.R…
THIS IS WHY YOU BUY CHIPS AND DIP IN THE GIANTS ECONOMY SIZE…
THIS IS WHY YOU HAVE VOICE MAIL…
THIS IS WHY YOU NEVER LET GO OF THE REMOTE CONTROL…
YOUR WEEKEND OFFICIALLY STARTS NOW…

BC Lions

THE GOOD NEWS FOR THE B.C. LIONS…IS THIS…
THEIR DISAPPOINTING PERFORMANCE IN MONTREAL ON SUNDAY WAS NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT BRITNEY SPEARED PULLED OFF A FEW HOURS LATER AT THE MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS…
UNFORTUNATELY THE TWO DID SHARED A FEW THINGS IN COMMON…
NEITHER LOOKED PREPARED…
BOTH ARE CAPLED OF SO MUCH BETTER…
AND ALL OF IT WAS SEEN LIVE ON NATIONAL TELEVISION…
THE BIG DIFFERENCE IS THE TIME LINE…
IT’S TAKEN BRITNEY 4 YEARS…A DIVORCE…TWO KIDS…AND DRINKING AND DRUG PROBLEM TO BECOME THE TRAINWRECK YOU SAW LASTNIGHT…
THE LIONS MANAGED TO MAKE THE TRANSFORMATION IN LESS THAN 9 DAYS…WITHOUT THE CIRCUS…
WORD HAS IT BRITNEY PARTIED HARD IN LAS VEGAS FOR TWO STRAIGHT NIGHTS BEFORE HIS CRASHED AND BURNED ON SUNDAY NIGHT…
AS FAR AS WE KNOW THE LIONS WERE CLEAN AND SOBER…
NEVERTHELESS THE AL’S DESTROYED THE LIONS WITHOUT THEIR STARTING QUARTERBACK ANTHONY CALLIVO AND WITHOUT THE LEAGUE’S LEADING RECIEVER…BEN CAHOON…
MONTREAL PUT UP 447 YARDS OF TOTAL OFFENCE ON ITS WAY TO A 32-14 BLOW OUT…
HERE’S THE STAT THAT COMPETELY SUMMED UP THE LIONS DAY…
GEROY SIMON THE CFL’S MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER LAST YEAR HAD ONE CATCH…FOR 10 YARDS…
GAME…SET AND MATCH…
ROB MURPHY SUMMED IT UP BEST…
“WE DIDN’T EXECUTE AND WE GOT OUR ASSES KICKED”…
FORTUNATELY WINNIPEG DID THE LIONS A BIG FAVOR ON SUNDAY AND BLEW OUT SASKATCHEWAN…
IT LEAVES B.C. JUST ONE POINT OUT OF FIRST PLACE IN THE WEST…
SHOULD THE LIONS TAKE CARE OF TORONTO THIS SATURDAY…THE STAGE WILL BE SET FOR THE BIG SHOWDOWN ON THE 2ND IN REGINA…
DO THAT AND FOOTBALL FANS IN THIS CITY WILL FORGET ALL ABOUT SUNDAY’S MELTDOWN IN MONTREAL…
AS FOR BRITNEY’S ACT IN VEGAS LASTNIGHT???
THAT LIVES FOREVER…

Casey Printers

NOTE TO THE PINHEADS…
CASEY PRINTERS IS NOT GOING TO SIGN WITH THE B.C. LIONS…
TO START WITH THE LIONS DO NOT HAVE THE CAP ROOM AND SECONDLY THEY ALREADY HAVE 5…COUNT ‘EM…5 QUARTERBACKS UNDER CONTRACT…
GENERAL MANAGER WALLY BUONO IS CURRENTLY PAYING THAT GROUP $750 THOUSAND DOLLARS…
THERE IS ALSO ANOTHER ISSUE…
PRINTERS WOULD NOT BE WELCOMED IN THE LIONS DRESSING ROOM…
IN THE WORDS OF ROB MURPHY…“THE CONSENSUS ON THE TEAM IS IT WOULD NOT BE GOOD IF HE CAME BACK”…
MURPHY WAS ONE OF MANY LIONS WHO WERE VERY UPSET WHEN PRINTERS SHOWED UP IN VANCOUVER BEFORE LAST YEARS WESTERN FINAL…
THOSE PLAYERS THREATENED TO THROW PRINTERS OUT ON HIS ASS IF HE ATTEMPTED TO COME INTO THE LOCKER ROOM…
NOBODY QUESTIONS PRINTERS ATHLETIC TALENT…BUT HIS MATURITY IS ANOTHER MATTER…
IN 2004 HE WAS NAMED THE MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER IN THE CFL BUT DID NOT PLAY IN THE GREY CUP…
PRINTERS NEVER GOT OVER THAT…
HE PUBLICLY CRITIZED BUONO…
“I WILL NOT FORGET HOW I WAS TREATED….I WON’T FORGET HOW I WAS TOYED WITH…THAT WILL ALWAYS STICK WITH ME”…
LET’S SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT…
CASEY PRINTERS HAS NEVER GIVEN A DAMN ABOUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN CASEY PRINTERS…
IN HIS SENIOR YEAR OF COLLEGE HE TURNED HIS BACK ON T.C.U. TO GET A BETTER DEAL WITH FLORIDA A AND M…
IT WAS A HUGE MISTAKE AND PRINTERS WAS NOT EVEN DRAFTED BY THE NFL…
HIS FOOTBALL CAREER APPEARED TO BE OVER WHEN THE LIONS GAVE HIM THE BIGGEST BREAK OF HIS LIFE…
IN 2003 THE LIONS NOT ONLY INVESTED THE TIME AND THE MONEY TO DEVELOP HIM BUT THE FOLLOWING YEAR GAVE HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO START WHEN DAVE DICKENSON WAS INJURED…
HOW DID HE REWARD THIS TEAM???
HE TURNED DOWN A 3 YEAR DEAL WORTH 1.2 MILLION DOLLARS AND THEN RIPPED THE ORGANIZATION ON HIS WAY OUT OF TOWN…
WHY SOME FOOTBALL FANS IN THIS CITY STILL WANT HIM BACK…REMAINS ONE OF THE TRUE MYSTERIES IN ALL OF SPORTS…