Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Hockey Hall of Fame-Class of 2008

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ARGUE WITH GLENN ANDERSON OR IGOR LARINONOV GETTING INTO THE HOCKEY HALL OF FAME…
JUST AS IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE LAST YEAR TO ARGUE WITH MARK MESSIER…RON FRANCIS…SCOTT STEVENS AND AL MACINNIS…
HOPEFULLY THIS IS A SIGN THE HOCKEY HALL OF FAME WILL ADOPT THE SAME KIND OF STANDARDS FOUND IN BASEBALL AND FOOTBALL…
IN THE PAST THAT HAS SIMPLY NOT BEEN THE CASE…
TWO YEARS AGO THE SELECTION COMMITTEE INDUCTED DICK DUFF…
283 CAREER GOALS SHOULD NOT GET ANYBODY IN ANY HALL OF FAME…
BUT DUFF PLAYED MOST OF HIS CAREER IN MONTREAL AND TORONTO AND WON STANLEY CUPS IN BOTH OF THOSE CITIES…
IN THE LAST 20 YEARS THE HALL HAS WELCOMED…
BUN COOK…HARRY WATSON…WOODY DUMART…FERNIE FLAMAN…AND HERBIE LEWIS…
ANY OF THOSE NAMES RING A BELL…
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN ARE…
PAVEL BURE…DINO CICCARELI…DOUG GILMOUR…AND ADAM OATES…
IN 1989 THE HALL GAVE THE GREEN LIGHT TO VLADISLAV TRETIAK…
IT WAS CLEARLY A POLITICAL MOVE IN AN EFFORT TO BRING SOVIET PLAYERS INTO THE NHL…
ON THE OTHER HAND THE HALL HAS ALSO REFUSED TO RECOGNIZE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE WHA…
BIG NAMES SUCH AS BOBBY HULL AND GORDIE HOWE HAVE BEEN INDUCTED…
BUT BORDERLINE PLAYERS SUCH AS…MARC TARDIF…J.C. TREMBLY AND PAUL HENDERSON REMAIN OUT…
TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF JUST HOW POLITCAL IT CAN GET…
IN 1993 NHL PRESIDENT GIL STEIN GOT L.A. OWNER BRUCE MCNALL TO NOMINATE HIM…
IT CREATED SUCH A STINK THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION AND FINALLY STEIN WITHDREW HIMSELF FROM THE NOMINATION…
SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY HOCKEY FANS GET A LITTLE NERVOUS WHEN THE HOCKEY HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES ITS YEARLY INDUCTEES…
FORTUNATELY THIS YEAR…THEY GOT IT RIGHT…

Monday, June 16, 2008

Tiger Woods

IT’S OK TO HAVE FUN…EVEN AT THE U.S. OPEN…
TIGER WOODS IS NOT ONLY THE GREATEST ATHLETE ON THE PLANET…
HE’S ALSO THE BEST SHOW…
OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS TIGER HAS DELIVERED SOME OF THE BEST “MONEY” SHOTS YOU’LL EVER SEE IN GOLF…
BUT THE MEMORY THAT WILL LAST THROUGH THE YEARS…IS THE REACTION OF PURE JOY AND ENTENSE EXCITEMENT WHEN HE DROPS A PRESSURE PUTT…
THE BOYS AND GIRLS AT NBC CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT…
IN EVERY KEY SITUATION THEY HAD MULTIPLE CAMERA ANGLES…THAT NOT ONLY ALLOWED YOU TO SEE THE REACTION OF TIGER WOODS…BUT ALSO OF THE CROWD…
NOW THAT’S “MUST SEE T.V”…
THE NHL HAS FOUND SOME OF THAT SAME MAGIC IN ALEXANDER OVECHKIN…AND YOU BETTER BELIEVE HE WILL BE THE CORNER STONE OF THEIR MARKETING NEXT SEASON…
EACH AND EVERY GOAL SCORED AT EURO 2008 HAS BEEN MET WITH THE OVER THE TOP CELEBRATION THAT IS STANDARD IS SOCCER…
NEVERTHELESS THE NFL IS NOT SOLD…
TERRELL OWENS…CHAD JOHNSTON AND JOE HORN HAVE BEEN FINED $10’S OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR PUTTING ON A SONG AND DANCE AFTER SCORING A TOUCHDOWN…
HOWEVER WHEN YOU’RE AS BIG AS THE NFL YOU CAN AFFORD TO BE THE “NO FUN LEAGUE”…
HERE’S THE PROBLEM WITH BOTH THE NFL AND THE NBA…
FAR TOO OFTEN…WHEN IT COMES TO THE PLAYERS…IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BIG MONEY AND THE BIG EGO’S…
THROW IN SOME SERIOUS TRASH TALK AND IT DOES NOT TAKE MUCH FOR ONE PLAYER TO GET IN THE FACE OF ANOTHER…
THAT’S WHAT MAKES TIGER WOODS SO GREAT…
IT’S NEVER ABOUT WHO HE’S PLAYING AGAINST…
THE FIGHT IS ALWAYS BETWEEN HIMSELF AND THE COURSE…
ONCE AGAIN TODAY WOODS CAME OUT ON TOP…
LET’S BE HONEST…HE’S THE REASON YOU WATCHED…
BECAUSE THIS IS SHOW BUSINESS…AND TIGER “IS” THE SHOW…

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Alexander Ovechkin

HOCKEY IS A GREAT GAME…
IT MUST BE TO SURVIVE THE WAY THE NHL HAS MANAGED IT OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS…
TONIGHT THE LEAGUE WILL HAND OUT ITS AWARDS…
THE STAR OF THE SHOW WILL BE ALEXANDER OVECHKIN…WHO WILL CERTAINLY WIN THE HART TROPHY AS THE PLAYER CONSIDERED TO BE THE MOST VALUABLE TO HIS TEAM…
IT SHOULD READ…THE MOST VALUABLE TO HIS LEAGUE…
SIDNEY CROSBY MAY BE THE FACE OF THE NHL…BUT OVECHKIN IS THE PLAYER WHO GETS YOU OUT OF YOUR SEAT…
THINK ABOUT IT…
WHEN IT COMES TO TEAM SPORTS…IS THERE ANOTHER ATHLETE OUT THERE WHO MEANS MORE TO HIS SPORT???
THERE’S TOM BRADY IN FOOTBALL…DEREK JETER IN BASEBALL…DAVID BECKHAM IN SOCCER…AND KOBE IN BASKETBALL…
ALL OF THEM ARE BIGGER STARS THAT OVECHKIN…AND ALL OF THEM PLAY ON A MUCH BIGGER STAGE…
BUT ASK YOURSELF THIS…
WOULD YOU STOP WATCHING MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL IF BRADY RETIRED???
THE BIGGEST SPORTS NAME ON THE PLANET IS TIGER WOODS…
IF TIGER IS NOT PLAYING THIS WEEKEND AT THE U.S. OPEN….ARE YOU WATCHING???
OF COURSE NOT…
BUT GOLF IS NOT A TEAM SPORT…
TIGER DOES NOT PLAY EVERY THIRD SHIFT…OVECHKIN DOES…
NOW CAN SOMEBODY EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THE MOST EXCITING PLAYER IN THE GAME DID NOT PLAY IN EVERY ARENA IN THE NHL LAST SEASON…AND WHY HE WILL NOT PLAY IN EVERY ARENA IN NHL NEXT SEASON???
NOT SINCE GRETZKY IN THE 80’S HAS THE NHL ENJOYED THIS KIND OF STAR POWER…
ALSO UP FOR THE HART ARE JAROME IGINLA AND EVGENI MALKIN…AND THE ONLY REASON CROSBY IS MISSING IS BECAUSE OF AN ANKLE INJURY…
IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET BETTER…
CHECK OUT THE NOMINEES FOR THE CALDER…
NICKLAS BACKSTROM…PATRICK KANE AND JONATHAN TOEWS…
IN A WEEK FROM NOW THE NHL WILL HOLD IT’S ENTRY DRAFT…
SAY HELLO TO STEVEN STAMKOS…AND NEXT YEAR IT WILL BE JOHN TAVARAS…
IN THE PAST WHEN THE LEAGUE HAS BEEN ON THIS KIND OF A ROLL…THEY’VE CANCELLED THE SEASON…
BUT DO NOT FEAR HOCKEY FANS…NOT EVEN THE NHL CAN SCREW THIS UP…

Monday, June 9, 2008

More Burkie!

BRIAN BURKE IS COMING BACK TO WORK IN VANCOUVER…
NO…NOT FOR THE CANUCKS…
THIS TIME IT WILL BE AS THE GENERAL MANAGER FOR TEAM USA AT THE 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS…
BY THEN BURKE WILL ALSO BE RUNNING THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS…
BOTH JOBS ARE TAILOR MADE FOR BURKE BECAUSE BOTH TEAMS HAVE BEEN MASSIVE UNDER ACHIEVERS…
AND BURKE’S REAL STRENGTH HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE ABILITY TO CLEAN UP A MESS…
THE LEAFS HAVE MISSED THE PLAYOFFS THE LAST 3 STRAIGHT SEASONS…
THE LONGEST DROUGHT IN THE HISTORY OF THE FRANCHISE…
AS FOR TEAM USA…AT THE 2006 OLYMPICS THE AMERICANS WON JUST ONE GAME…
AND THAT WAS AGAINST KAZAKHSTAN…
BURKE WILL CERTAINLY NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE OF ALLOWING MISPLACED LOYALTY TO AFFECT HOW HE SELECTS THE AMERICAN ROSTER…
ADD TO THAT…HE WILL HAVE A LOT OF GREAT YOUNG TALENT TO CHOOSE FROM…
UP FRONT THERE’S….PATRICK KANE…PHIL KESSEL…ZACH PARISE…SCOTT GOMEZ…CHRIS DRURY…RYAN KESLER…PETER MUELLER AND DUSTIN BROWN…
ON THE BLUE LINE…JOHN-MICHAEL LILES…PAUL MARTIN…JACK JOHNSON AND RYAN SUTTER…
AND IN GOAL…RICK DIPIETRO AND RYAN MILLER…
CANADA AND SWEDEN WILL GO INTO THE 2010 GAMES AS THE FAVORITES…
BUT JUST THINK OF THE HYPE THAT WILL BE CREATED IF CANADA AND THE U.S. MEET AT GM PLACE…
WAYNE GREZKY VERSUS BRIAN BURKE…
THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A PERSON WHO HAS COMPLETELY DIVIDED HOCKEY FANS IN THIS CITY…
LOVE OR HATE BURKE…EVERYBODY HAS AN OPINION…
THAT “DYSFUCTIONAL RELATIONSHIP” HAD EVEN MORE GASOLINE POURED ON IT LAST YEAR WHEN THE ANAHEIM DUCKS KNOCKED THE CANUCKS OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS… ON THEIR WAY TO WINNING THE STANLEY CUP…
NOW ADD THE LEAFS AND THE OLYMPICS TO THE MIX…
NOT SINCE THE SOPRANOS HAVE WE SEEN THIS KIND OF DRAMA…
YOU JUST KNOW THAT BEFORE THIS IS OVER…
SOMEBODY IS GOING TO GET WACKED…

Friday, June 6, 2008

NHL Free Agents

NOW THAT THE STANLEY CUP IS OVER THE REAL FUN IS ABOUT TO BEGIN…
IN TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY THE NHL WILL HOLD ITS ENTRY DRAFT IN OTTAWA…
IT’S THE FIRST FOR CANUCKS NEW GENERAL MANAGER MIKE GILLIS…
THE CANUCKS DRAFT 10TH OVER…
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WAY STANLEY CUP TEAMS ARE NOW BUILT IT’S HIGHLY UNLIKELY GILLIS WILL TRADE THE PICK AWAY FOR SOME IMMEDIATE HELP…
SO THE MORE LIKELY QUESTION IS…DOES HE MAKE A TRADE TO MOVE UP OR DOWN???
STAY TUNED…
ON THE FIRST OF JULY THE FREE AGENT MARKET OPENS…
THE CANUCKS HAVE 8 UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS INCLUDING…MARKUS NASLUND…BRENDAN MORRISON…AARON MILLER AND TREVOR LINDEN…
THE FACT THAT NONE HAS BEEN OFFERED A CONTRACT SHOULD TELL YOU SOMETHING…
LINDEN IS EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE HIS RETIREMENT THIS SUMMER…BUT THERE IS STILL THE POSSIBILTY OF HIM PLAYING ANOTHER SEASON IF HE CAN FIND A TEAM…
IN ALL GILLIS IS EXPECTED TO WALK INTO THE FREE AGENT MARKET WITH CLOSE TO $20 MILLION DOLLARS IN HIS POCKET…
THE PROBLEM IS…THE PICKINGS ARE SLIM…AND THEY’RE EXPENSIVE…
MARIAN HOSSA COULD COST AS MUCH AS $10 MILLION A SEASON…
THE LIST OF FORWARDS ALSO INCLUDES…
MATS SUNDIN…JAROMIR JAGR…SEAN AVERY…RYAN MALONE…BRIAN ROLSTON…AND PAVOL DEMITRA…
MALONE MAYBE THE BEST FIT…BUT HE’S GOING TO WANT A BIG RAISE FROM THE $1.5 MILLION HE MADE LAST SEASON IN PITTSBURGH…
ON DEFENCE…THERE’S BRIAN CAMPBELL…WADE REDDEN…MARK STREIT AND JOHN MICHAEL LILES…
WORD OUT OF OTTAWA IS THAT THE SENATORS OFFERED REDDEN A “$3 MILLION DOLLAR CUT IN PAY”…FROM THE $6.5 MILLION HE MADE LAST YEAR…AS EXPECTED…HE TURNED IT DOWN…
FLORIDA GENERAL MANAGER JACQUES MARTIN HAS MADE NO SECRET OF HIS DESIRE TO IMPROVE THE PANTHERS DEFENCE AND MARTIN COACHED REDDEN FOR 8 YEARS IN OTTAWA…
THE RUMOR MILL ALSO SUGGESTS…PHILADELPHIA…CHICAGO…TORONTO AND VANCOUVER MAY BE INTERESTED…
HOWEVER IT’S DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THE CANUCKS WOULD BE AFTER YET ANOTHER VETERAN DEFENCEMAN…
OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS A LOT OF PLAYERS ARE GOING TO BE CHANGING THEIR ADDRESSES…
GOING IN…THERE IS ONLY ONE THING WE KNOW FOR CERTAIN…EXPECTED THE UNEXPECTED…