It's A Plot To Drive Bettman Nuts

Hey Peeps and anyone else checking in. A special "Hey" goes out to Hazel Mae.

While I was at work today, I was thinking about what new and fresh angle I could look at the Rick Tocchet saga from - what could I tell you that you haven't heard today? did I see something in this story that no one has brought up yet? and then like a thunder bolt from the sky...it came to me!

Aside: Listening to planet Mikey right now - scary...some woman who sounds like the smokes five packs of Camels a day is on rambling about some guy who claims he knew Wade Boggs - must be a slow night on WEEI. She sounds like she's about to laugh up a lung.

JOSE THEODORE TEST POSITIVE FOR BANNED SUBSTANCE!!!!!
Montreal Canadiens goalie Jose Theodore tested positive for a banned substance... fret not peeps, the test was done in November - PRE-NHL drug testing. So it means he won't be able to play for Canada's Olympic Team, but he WON'T be suspended from the NHL. When the story came across the wire I was in shock; but it all made sense this evening when I checked in to Sportsnet.

Theodore tested postive for finestride - a masking agent for steroids. Finestride is also found in hair restoration drugs - so it makes sense...have you seen Theodore's hair? He says he's been using doctor presecribed hair growth product for years, I believe it - you would have to be taking something to hair that great. The guy's hair is a nice as Hazel's! I mean do you think you are just born with that hair? Come on now...You believe Jose don't you?

I don't know about you...but that was the shocker of the day in my book. I know everyone else was talking Gretzky-gate...but come on, compared to Jose's hair?

GRETZKY-GATE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE
So everything has been covered - everything to be said about this story has been said 100 times over, right? Probably...but hearing it again won't kill you - don't worry, there will be an interesting angle to it.

Let's start with the things that should not have shocked anyone today

Reports say that there are tapes of Gretzky talking to the Tocchet about how his wife could avoid being connected to this mess.

All together now - "But Wayne, I thought you didn't know anything about this?" One day after saying he didn't know about Tocchet bankrolling this venture or his wife's gambling - he's asking about how to keep her out of it. Again, how could he possibly NOT have known? I've said enough about this one.

If I'm running NESN, I ask Hazel to go out to Phoenix - Gretzky would talk to her...why wouldn't he? She's a fellow Canadian in a major American market and well, she's Hazel - everybody likes talking to Hazel. I know I would.


Everyone is swearing up and down that there is no evidence Gretzky bet on anything.

New Jersey authorities have said they have no evidence that Wayne was a gambler - though reports say his wife bet anywhere between $100,000 and $500,000 on football games. His wife, not him.

Geez, I thought Hazel was a hardcore football fan - that is, until I heard about Janet. I would love to ask her about some of the games she bet on. Gamblers remember games they lost money on, right down to the play that cost them money. Think Janet could recount her history?


Some of the more interesting things from my perspective:

The statement by Tocchet's lawyer - after reading this pile of dreck, I know why people dislike lawyers so much.

• Notice how the focus is about how Tocchet isn't connected to organized crime? He doesn't come out and clearly deny that Tocchet was involved in illegal gambling ring - he wasn't involved with "organized crime" figures;
  
  
• Tocchet was one of the most respected men to ever play in the NHL? EVER? How does this fit in this statement? His devotion to his peeps and how hard he has worked to earn their admiration? ummmm ok;
  
  
• "We deeply regret the Attorney General's preciptous charges" - you regret the charges? I bet you do...but to go on to say "unfounded allegations" - come on guy, they have to be grounded in something or they wouldn't go public.

However you want to read this...it says nothing - a lot of big words that amount to a big fat zero! Tocchet paid thousands of dollars for that statement? And they say Tocchet may have committed a crime - ah huh, and his attorney didn't commit one for charging him to draft that statement?


The only place in Canada where Gretzky-Gate wasn't the lead story was on the Team 1200 in Ottawa. Nope, today the SenaTards were front and centre. The three tools in the morning mentioned it a few times - but they spent most of the morning worrying about the Tards play of late - with lead doofus Steve W saying

"well, what matters is the playoffs - and I think the real Senators are somewhere between what they are now and what they were at the beginning of the season when they were playing .850."

ah...D'UH? Now THAT is insightful sports talk...can you tell they were completely brain dead this morning and couldn't think of a thing to say?

Aside: as I type this, Planet Mikey comes back from commercial playing Layla by Derek and the Dominoes (which was a song of the day on Hazelspeeps on Tuesday when the story broke) coincidence? or are Mikey's peeps peeking in?

Getting back to the Team 1200 - you may be asking yourself...how could people in hockey-crazed Canada NOT be talking about it? Well, you see - one of the morning guys on the Team 1200 is one of Gretzky's best friends. Gretzky calls in a few times a year to talk hockey with the Team and they stake their rep on that. You gotta know they had to be thinking - if we talk about this, he will NEVER call the station again.

Props to the Team 1200 - Canada's number one sports station. ah huh.

DRINKING THE NHL'S KOOL-AID
TSN's Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie spoke briefly about this whole thing on the Tards pre-game show tonight. When the Tocchet/Gretzky topic came up, McKenzie towed the NHL line - "nothing has been proven", "there is no evidence that Wayne did anything", "I will wait to see the results of this investigation, but we don't have serious problems in the NHL" etc.

No, instead, McKenzie used the time to question the credibility and ethics of the New Jersey authorities; Bob questioned why the media and fans are all over Tocchet and Gretzky...and not saying anything about New Jersey law enforcement, and in particular the State Trooper who was also implicated.

The TSN HOCKEY INSIDER wants to talk about the credibility of New Jersey law enforcement officers. Someone help me out.

Alright...that's about it for tonight - not a lot of flow to tonight's entry...but like I said, I didn't have a lot to add - other than maybe a little bit of humour...and a reference or two to Hazel - that counts for something doesn't it?

In other news...Hazelspeeps officially hit the century mark with 100 members. Who'da thunk it? Have a great one peeps. To anyone reading this tonight or whenever...hope you keep checking back in.

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world.

Song of the Day on Hazelspeeps - for the news of the day coming from Gretzky-Gate

Deny - The Clash (found only on the self-title 1st album the green import version)

Peesth Out!