Monday's Hazies - The Champs & Chumps

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

For those of you who haven't been here before, Monday night entries take a look back at the week or so that was in the world of sports, highlighting some of the more notable performances. To those who have risen above the rest, we award them with an honourary "Hazie" - the lucky few have the title of "Hazel's Hero" bestowed upon them. While Hazel hasn't officially approved this week's winners, we'd like to think she'd give her trademark smile and thumbs up to our selections.

HAZEL'S HEROES - THE CHAMPS

NHL
New York Rangers' Jaromir Jagr scored his 600th goal in the NHL last week. Jagr at one time was thought to be the best player in the world, though he frustrated fans and coaches with his somewhat relaxed/disinterested approach to the game. He won two Stanley Cups in the shadow of the great Mario Lemieux and will probably never get the recognition he deserves until he leads a team to the holy grail of hockey - still though, 600 goals is nothing to scoff at.


NFL
What can you say about LaDainian Tomlinson? Four TDs against the league's best defence, a defence that had been allowing 12.3 per game. For the record, he has hit 100 career TDs; the guy is the best player in the league - apologies to an injured Tom Brady.

Larry Johnson of Hazel's Kansas City Chiefs rushes for 154 yards on 31 carries, with two TDs to keep the Chiefs in the playoff mix. This guy would be the league's MVP - except for the fact that L.T. is hanging around.

Lee Evans of the Buffalo Bills had a game to remember yesterday in leading the Bills to last second win over the Texans (and blowing a great Pro-Line ticket for me) - 11 receptions for 265 yards, including TWO 83 yard touchdown receptions.

Frank Gore of the 49ers continues to impress. Gore, who left last week's game against the Lions with a slight concussion, picked up where he left off against Seattle. Gore didn't have a TD, but he rushed for 212 yards on 24 carries.

New England QB Tom Brady, in the face of questions about whether or not he is injured, torched the Green Bay Packers yesterday - completing 20 of 31 passes for 244 yards and four TDs. Brady found 8 different receivers in the win - I guess that answers that.

Tennesse Titans' RB Travis Henry had a great game in Philadelphia on Sunday. Henry rushed for 143 yards on 18 carries, including an amazing 70 yard TD run in the Titans' 31-13 victory over the pathetic Eagles.


CFL
The B.C. Lions won yesterday's Grey Cup - I think Hazel would gladly hand out the hardware to Canada's Champs and give them the thumbs up.


MLB
While all of MLB's award winners would be deserving of a Hazie - come on now, Hazel is a big baseball fan - we have to give it up to Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies who was named the National League MVP. Howard finished the season hitting .313, with 58 HRs and 149 RBI - and not one whisper, mumble or murmer of a performance enhancer being responsible for his success. Ryan Howard will be known from here on in as Lil' Papi - cuz there is only one Big Papi.


HAZEL'S ZEROS - THE CHUMPS

NHL
If you follow the daily Three Play here, this one will not come as a surprise to you. The Anaheim Ducks had a week that we here would love to forget - losing two games they should have won easily (including one against the awful Flyers) and costing (in the figurative sense) us almost $700 on the Three Play. We managed to almost break even on the week - but the Ducks could have made it a week to remember had they won those two mid-week games.


NFL
Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints threw for 510 yards yesterday against a brutal Cincinnati Bengals' defence - the only problem was that the threw 3 INTs and was pretty much responsible for his team's loss.

Mike Shanahan of the Denver Broncos deserves to be grabbed by that mane of his and slapped repeatedly for his awful play calling in yesterday's game against the Chargers. Shanahan somehow morphed into lovable loser Marty Schottenheimer and tried to protect a 17 point 3rd quarter lead against a team that scored 42 second half points the week before. Shanahan should be held fully responsible for that loss - I know I am, after Denver blew a great Pro-Line ticked to me (yes, two blown tickets).

Peyton Manning of the Colts was at his whiney best yesterday - calling for interference calls and whining about missed calls. Apparently Manning wasn't able to extricate his head from his ass after DeMarcus Ware planted him in the first quarter of yesterday's game.

As we wind up this week's list of NFL chumps - we'll leave Ron Mexico alone this week - a tearful goodbye to that Chunk Soup lovin' mama's boy Donovan McNabb, who is out for the season with a torn ACL. Donovan, you maybe gone (again), but you will never be forgotten - you are in our Hall of Fame of Chumps.

CFL
The Montreal Alouettes lost another Grey Cup yesterday - they have been to five of the last seven championship games, losing four of them. If the former Dolphins were raising a glass of champagne to toast the Colts loss yesterday - Jim Kelly and former Als coach Marv Levy must have been raising a glass to toast the Alouettes for equalling (if not surpassing) their futility - considering how easy it is for Montreal to make it to the Final every year.

That's about it for tonight gang...Have a great one peeps!

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world.

Song of the Night on Hazelspeeps - for the Giants who are losing to the Jags as I type this

I'm Going Down - Bruce Springsteen

Peesth Out...Buh Bye!