Congrats Guys...Yes, Even You Frank Thomas

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

It was a night for milestones last night with the NHL announcing five inductees to the Hockey Hall of Fame and Craig Biggio and and Frank Thomas likely securing their trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame last night with.

Mark Messier, Ron Francis, Al MacInnes and Scott Stevens, all in their first year of eligibility, got the nod from the 18 member selection committee. Jim Gregory, a one time general manager of the Maple Leafs, was inducted in the builders category...though not for his work in Toronto, he has worked for years in the NHL's head office. We can't really disagree with any of the selections - but isn't it time these old farts in the NHL drop their grudge against former Oilers LW Glenn Anderson and let the guy in? They may not like what he did off the ice - but there is no questioning what he did on the ice...especially when it counted, during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Houston Astros 2B Craig Biggio picked up his 3,000th hit last night with an RBI single in the seventh inning - he must have been in a hurry to celebrate the hit because he has his ass thrown out by a mile trying to stretch a solid single into a double. Good for Biggio though, he is a guy that has played the game the way it should be played.

Toronto Blue Jays DH Frank Thomas hit his 500th career home run yesterday, a three run shot of Twins starter Carlos Silva. Anyone notice that the Big Hurt hasn't hit a HR against a really good pitcher in months? He's been beating up on number 3 - 5 starters, but struggles against the league's good pitchers. Bet JP is loving that $20M he committed.

Speaking of dollars committed AJ Burnett lost it yesterday after being pulled by John "Boomhauer" Gibbons - Burnett claims he was mad at himself for pitching like Josh Towers (ok, I made up the Towers part) and not at Gibbons for pulling him. I'll say this for Burnett - he's a competitor...but Jays fans must be looking at Burnett and Josh Beckett and saying "What the????"

Speaking of "What the"??? American soccer fans must be asking themselves that question today. Less that a week after winning the Gold Club...errrr Gold Cup (can't stop referring to it as Gold Club) the US lost 4-1 to Argentina last night, in their opening game of the Copa America. While the loss isn't surprising, it is rather sad that US coach Bob Bradley decided to sit most of his regular's in favour of group of players with little to no international experience. Please don't give me the argument about his guys being tired from Sunday's game - he did it to prevent his A team from being exposed for what they are second rate internationals - the FIFA ranking is a joke guys...so is winning a CONCACAF championship.

THURSDAY'S THREE STARS
Minnesota Twins CF Torii Hunter hit two home runs and drove in three runs to lead the Twins back from a 4-0 deficit to an 8-5 win. Good thing about Hunter's day is that we don't have to talk about Frank Thomas.

Philadelphia Phillies 2B Chase Utley hit two home runs and drove in four runs to lead the Phils to an 8-7 win over the Cincinnati Reds last night. Maybe we shouldn't have traded Utley to Renee in the Yahoo pool.

Houston Astros LF Carlos Lee had two hits, including a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the eleventh to give the Astros an 8-5 win over the Rockies. Honourable mention goes to Craig Biggio for recording his 3,000th hit.


FRIDAY'S THREE PLAY
We finally got back on track yesterday - though not sure how to handle the Yankees/Baltimore result, which was suspended until July 27th...I guess we'll have to keep track of it and tally up in July, though we'd like to call it a win and add it to the total. We go into today's action an ugly - $1,025 for the week...stinking Angels and Red Sox. We'll minimize the damage for you with a few winners today.

Boston over Texas - did I say "stinking Red Sox"? Never mind...they will get it done tonight against Texas. Lay $100 on the Sox - $210.

Toronto over Seattle - we're going to go with an upset special since McGowan has been pitching well lately. Lay $100 on the Jays + $130.

Pittsburgh over Washington - why we don't know...but we'll go with Pittsburgh and Ian Snell. Lay $100 on the Pirates - $180.

That's it for today gang - thanks for taking the time to check in. Have a great one peeps!

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world.

I'm Out.

Because We Can't Leave Well Enough Alone

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

This morning's Three Play suggestions look good, the Marlins won and the Tigers (as of 4:00 pm) look like they are going to win too. The smart thing to do would be to pack it up and call it a day - but if you have read the page before, you know we aren't very smart. We're going to keep it going (with the help of my man Tilt who has great internet access at work) with a few more suggestions for this evening. Warning, we are going to stick with the "they won't be swept mentality", with that in mind...

New York over Baltimore - We like Wang to stop the bleeding against the O's (sans Tejada), its time for Baltimore to get back to being Baltimore and roll over tonight against the Bombers. Lay $100 on the Pinstripes - $175.

Tampa Bay over Chicago - who do the White Sox think they are? If they keep this up, Buehrle won't be going anywhere - because Dodgers fans want Jon Garland, we're going to back Scott Kazmir tonight. Lay $100 on the DRays - $125.

Houston over Colorado - the Astros have gone back to being terrible after a good stint last week...why do we like them? Because the Rockies have been even worse and they aren't likely to break out of it against Oswalt. Lay $100 on the Astros - $170.

We'd like to tell you to play BC and Winnipeg, but you'd be looked at like you were nuts...

That's it for this afternoon gang - thanks for taking the time to check in. Have a great one Peeps.

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world.

I'm Out.

Balls - Some Got'Em, Some Don't

Hey Peeps and anyone else checking in. A special “Hey” goes out to Hazel Mae if she is checking in.

Technical issues today so we’re asking Tilt to post for us.

The Canadian Football League kicks off tonight at the Rogers Centre - with the British Columbia Lions roll into Toronto to take on the Argonauts in the early game, with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers paying a visit to Commonwealth Stadium to line up against the Edmonton Eskimos in the late night game. Sure it’s not the NFL, but it gets us in the football frame while we wait for the NFL to start up. Plus, you have to respect a league that marketed itself with the catchy slogan of “Our balls are bigger” – now we don’t have confirmation on this, but we can’t help but think Hazel had a laugh over that one. Our picks tonight are BC by 8 and Winnipeg by 6.

For those of you in New England who want to catch those big balls flying – NESN Boston (DISH Network 434/DirectTV 623) BC vs Toronto only…looks like you aren’t ready for doubleheaders yet.

From big balls to no balls.

Don’t you just love Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli? The man has vision huh? In an email statement yesterday, Chiarelli alerted the media that he decided to make changes in the front office, firing Assistant GM Jeff Gorton and Daniel Dore, the Bruins Quebec-based scout. Gorton had worked for the Bruins organization for 15 years, while Dore was described as a “longtime scout”. We’re not suggesting that the firing of Gorton is Chiarelli’s passive-aggressive way of suggesting he was part of the problem…but it makes you think doesn’t it?

The talk is that Gorton will be replaced by former Bruins D Don Sweeney or John Weisbrod, who is a scout with the organization – oh yeah, the both played at Harvard with Chiarelli. Sounds like an Animal House scenario doesn’t it? Frat brothers running the Bruins? Looks like Chiarelli is scrambling a little and being very “un-SenaTard like” in his running of the team.

Why do we get the feeling that Charlie Jacobs has already spoken to Mike Milbury about taking over as GM of the Bruins the day after the 2007/08 season comes to a close?

From no balls to being castrated

The Maple Leafs announced yesterday that GM John Ferguson Jr. would not be given a contract extension before the season starts. Maple Leafs Sports Entertainment issued a statement saying that a decision on Ferguson would be made after this season and would be dependent on how the Maple Leafs did this year – sounds reasonable, except for the fact that it puts him in a lame duck position and increases the risk that JFJ will trade away the few prospects the organization currently has in order to make the playoffs this year.

We’ll be issuing a “How to save your job” entry for JFJ later this week.


WEDNESDAY’S THREE STARS
Baltimore Orioles P Eric Bedard out-dueled Roger Clemens yesterday in a 4-0 win over the Yankees. The Canadian pitched seven shutout innings, limiting the Bombers to two hits and a walk while striking out eight.

Pittsburgh Pirates RF Xavier Nady had three hits, including two solo home runs (one in the 10th inning) to lead the Pirates to a 7-5 win over the Marlins.

Oakland A’s DH Jack Cust had two hits, including a home run, and five runs batted in to lead the A’s to a 13-7 win over Fausto Carmona and the Indians.


THURSDAY’S THREE PLAY
We should have known better than to trust a team based in Anaheim. The Anaheim Ducks killed us during the winter in a week where they lost to Phoenix and Chicago, and the Angels killed us by getting swept at home by the Royals. We’re off Anaheim-based teams for a while now. And we aren’t exactly feeling the love for the Red Sox these days either – getting swept by the Mariners is inexcusable. The total is ugly…really ugly, so we aren’t going to refer to it (but we are keeping track) – in cases like this, you look to minimize the damage…so if you haven’t given up on us, here are today’s suggestions:

Detroit over Texas – we liked the Gambler yesterday and we still like him today against Kevin Millwood and Skinny Sammy Sosa. Lay $100 on the Tigers – $200.

Florida over Pittsburgh – we’ll go with Olsen over inconsistent Zach Duke; ok, its another case of thinking “they can’t get swept at home”, which hasn’t proven to be a good strategy lately – but it has to hit sooner or later. Lay $100 on the Marlins - $155.

We’ll be back later to look at the night games.

That’s it for today gang – thanks for taking the time to check in. Have a great one Peeps.

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world.

I’m Out.

Tilt Report - Here comes the long weekend...

For us Canadians we'll be celebrating the birthday of our nation on July 1st. This also is a special day for those NBA and NHL players who are soon to become free agents. You can already hear General Managers in both leagues counting out the cash for their potential hires. Watch for some big things in the free agent market, especially in the NBA where the Toronto Raptors are said to be looking for small or power forward. The Leafs will likely look to make a few moves...albeit I highly doubt that John Ferguson Jr. will make any substantive moves in regards to the overpaid defence he's built. For the love of gawd...will you please trade Brian McCabe!!! Daniel Briere will likely be one of the most coveted free agents available. I would think that Montreal would have great interest in bringing him to their organization.

What was up with all the old timers pitching last night...MLB must have sent a memo around to the league stating that the oldest starter must start yesterday. John Smoltz, Jamie Moyer, Greg Maddox, and Roger Clemens were all on the mound for their respective teams. Talk about going retro. Prince Fielder continues to show what kind of player he is...after hitting an inside the park homerun last week (seriously when this guy gets rolling, I don't think he can stop), he stretched a single into a double last night after taking a massive bellyflop onto second base. Likely one of the funniest highlights I've seen all year. Ryan Howard became the fastest player to reach 100 career home runs...least the guy is coming around and hitting the ball again.

Tonight is the NBA draft (*yawn*) and Greg Oden will be taken at #1 by the Portland Trailblazers. Oden, who looks like he's 35 is a solid player and will become the face of the Trailblazers franchise who have seen better days.

In terms of the Chris Benoit tragedy (tragedy in the sense for his wife and child), I would note that in the US the penality for possession of weed is much higher then that of possession of steriods or human growth hormones. I find this ironic, cause I don't ever recall anyone going "crazy" after smoking a joint. But I guess as long as "legal" drug makers are making these available, we likely won't see a "ban" on such substances.

Enough...Please

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

Has everyone had enough of the tragedy that occured in the home of the Benoit family? The story has dominated the sports pages (and crossed over into news section), has been a main story on late night sports highlight shows, been the main topic of discussion on sports radio shows from dawn til well into the night, and the topic of discussion around the office and any coffee shop you walk into.

Everyone has an opinion on the tragedy and not surprisingly it is focused on "why" Chris Benoit murdered his family and then took his own life. At 7:00 am this morning I asked "why" - after listening to everyone talk about it today, I've decided its time to stop asking "why". How can you possibly try to rationalize a man committing the ultimate atrocity - taking the life of his child - other than to say that he was insane?

I've heard blowhard hosts of sports radio shows attributing it to steroids or "roid rage", I've heard people who have time to wait on hold for an hour just to voice their ill-informed and ignorant opinion on this tragedy (they all talk about the perils of steroids - I wonder how many can actually spell the word), I've seen newspaper reports delving into the personal lives of this family on the premise of trying to understand "why" this happened; invariably every story contains references to steroids in the home, as if this is the only possible explanation.

I wish people would stop trying to figure this out, stop trying to make sense of it, and stop trying to come up with a reason - the talk invariably leads to people trying to understand why or what made Chris Benoit commit this atrocity; the talk has almost trivialized the life of his wife and son...they have become words in the discussion (wife, son, rarely a mention of their names) instead of two very real people that lost their lives to a man that had lost his mind.

If you think I'm over-reacting, just listen to these call in shows. The call always starts with an comment on Benoit, then switches to steroids and roid rage; after a few seconds of discussion, the host or the caller talks about the culpability of Vince McMahon and the WWE. Gone are the thoughts of Benoit's wife and son - now these "sports fans" want someone to do something about drugs in professional sports (sports entertainment). They are sick and fed up with these dirty cheaters and want someone to come in and clean up sports - and they want it done NOW dammit. The discussion turns to drugs in baseball, football or heaven forbid (in Canada) hockey. These arm chair athletes, these wannabe sports announcers, these would be sports reporters have it all figured out - serious drug testing procedures to get the cheats out of sports to prevent (bring it back to Benoit now) "things like this happening again...cuz its all steroids you know...you know what I'm saying?"

All this anger directed at drugs or at a few people who have used (or suspected of using) drugs and not one person says "I'm not going to watch it anymore." I'm waiting for the day when fans realized that they do have a say in how things work - if people are so incredibly outraged with the drugs and cheating in professional sports - why not just stay away until they get the message? Fans who pay for tickets, who turn on their televisions to watch sports, who buy the merchandise are in effect saying "we love what you do". Taking away the revenue streams that run professional sports franchises would make league's rethink their drug policies and enforce them in order to clean up the sports we profess to love/hate so much. The anger is directed at the perceived inaction of men making and generating billions of dollars, but the fans who complain the most end up going to the park (its almost like make up sex), buying the shirts, and watching television.

In and of itself, I don't really care if athletes use drugs, nor to I try to understand why they do it. The records they are breaking in no way impact or affect my life, therefore I feel no real need to protect "the integrity of the game". It is what it is - a game, the fact that people take something like the "sanctity of a home run record" (or any other record) so seriously is sort of ridiculous when you think about it. Who appointed these people "guardians of the game"? What gives them the right to decide who is worthy of breaking any record?

What I do know is that those who choose to take the path of taking performance enhancing drugs are more driven and committed to what they want to do than most of us could ever be - they are willing to sacrifice everything they have to reach their goal. How many of those armchair athletes would do that?

This probably doesn't make a lot of sense - starting off with the tragedy that befell Chris Benoit's wife and son to performance enhancing drugs in sports; actually, maybe it does make sense. Neither are connected; so don't erase the lives of the Benoit family by passing it off as "roid-rage". A player charging the mound, swinging his stick and hitting another player in the head, throwing a punch at another player - that could be passed off as "roid rage" - killing your family and yourself is something all together different. A little respect for the people in that house that night...that's all I'm saying.

I'm Out.

Enough...Please

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

Has everyone had enough of the tragedy that occured in the home of the Benoit family? The story has dominated the sports pages (and crossed over into news section), has been a main story on late night sports highlight shows, been the main topic of discussion on sports radio shows from dawn til well into the night, and the topic of discussion around the office and any coffee shop you walk into.

Everyone has an opinion on the tragedy and not surprisingly it is focused on "why" Chris Benoit murdered his family and then took his own life. At 7:00 am this morning I asked "why" - after listening to everyone talk about it today, I've decided its time to stop asking "why". How can you possibly try to rationalize a man committing the ultimate atrocity - taking the life of his child - other than to say that he was insane?

I've heard blowhard hosts of sports radio shows attributing it to steroids or "roid rage", I've heard people who have time to wait on hold for an hour just to voice their ill-informed and ignorant opinion on this tragedy (they all talk about the perils of steroids - I wonder how many can actually spell the word), I've seen newspaper reports delving into the personal lives of this family on the premise of trying to understand "why" this happened; invariably every story contains references to steroids in the home, as if this is the only possible explanation.

I wish people would stop trying to figure this out, stop trying to make sense of it, and stop trying to come up with a reason - the talk invariably leads to people trying to understand why or what made Chris Benoit commit this atrocity; the talk has almost trivialized the life of his wife and son...they have become words in the discussion (wife, son, rarely a mention of their names) instead of two very real people that lost their lives to a man that had lost his mind.

If you think I'm over-reacting, just listen to these call in shows. The call always starts with an comment on Benoit, then switches to steroids and roid rage; after a few seconds of discussion, the host or the caller talks about the culpability of Vince McMahon and the WWE. Gone are the thoughts of Benoit's wife and son - now these "sports fans" want someone to do something about drugs in professional sports (sports entertainment). They are sick and fed up with these dirty cheaters and want someone to come in and clean up sports - and they want it done NOW dammit. The discussion turns to drugs in baseball, football or heaven forbid (in Canada) hockey. These arm chair athletes, these wannabe sports announcers, these would be sports reporters have it all figured out - serious drug testing procedures to get the cheats out of sports to prevent (bring it back to Benoit now) "things like this happening again...cuz its all steroids you know...you know what I'm saying?"

All this anger directed at drugs or at a few people who have used (or suspected of using) drugs and not one person says "I'm not going to watch it anymore." I'm waiting for the day when fans realized that they do have a say in how things work - if people are so incredibly outraged with the drugs and cheating in professional sports - why not just stay away until they get the message? Fans who pay for tickets, who turn on their televisions to watch sports, who buy the merchandise are in effect saying "we love what you do". Taking away the revenue streams that run professional sports franchises would make league's rethink their drug policies and enforce them in order to clean up the sports we profess to love/hate so much. The anger is directed at the perceived inaction of men making and generating billions of dollars, but the fans who complain the most end up going to the park (its almost like make up sex), buying the shirts, and watching television.

In and of itself, I don't really care if athletes use drugs, nor to I try to understand why they do it. The records they are breaking in no way impact or affect my life, therefore I feel no real need to protect "the integrity of the game". It is what it is - a game, the fact that people take something like the "sanctity of a home run record" (or any other record) is sort of ridiculous when you think about it. What I do know is that those who choose to take the path of taking performance enhancing drugs are more driven and committed to what they want to do than most of us could ever be.

This probably doesn't make a lot of sense - starting off with the tragedy that befell Chris Benoit's wife and son to performance enhancing drugs in sports; actually, maybe it does make sense. Neither are connected; so don't erase the lives of the Benoit family by passing it off as "roid-rage". A player charging the mound, swinging his stick and hitting another player in the head, throwing a punch at another player - that could be passed off as "roid rage" - killing your family and yourself is something all together different. A little respect for the people in that house that night...that's all I'm saying.

I'm Out.

W5 & More

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

Rapid fire questions

Who started the rumour that the Maple Leafs were considering hiring John Muckler as a senior consultant? Was that you Bruce Garrioch?

What was Peter Chiarelli thinking when he drafted Zach Hamill with the number 8 pick overall? He wanted a bulldog - he may have drafted a boxer.

When are the Yankees going to say uncle? They look like an average team that doesn't have the horses to get it done.

Where is Mark Buehrle going to wind up? The Red Sox are out of the running - after hearing what the White Sox wanted from Boston, our advice to Ned Coletti is STAY AWAY.

Why did you do it Chris Benoit?

How do you make your mind up to be a prick each and every day? We're asking you Damien Cox


WEDNESDAY'S THREE STARS
Los Angeles Dodger 1B James Loney has been tearing the cover off the ball since being called up in early June. Loney went 3 for 5 with a home run and three runs batted in as Red Sox West beat Arizona by a count of 6-5 in 10 innings. Honourable mention goes to Tony Abreu who hit the game winning home run.

Chicago White Sox P Jon Garland held the DRays to one run on five hits and a couple of walks over seven innings in the White Sox 6-1 win; Garland finished the night with three strikeouts. This guy would look good pitching behind Penny and Lowe in the Dodgers rotation.

Philadelphia Phillies 2B Chase Utley had three hits, including a home run, and three runs batted in as the Phils pounded the Reds by a score of 11-4.


THURSDAY THREE PLAY
We had an ugly night last night - and an even uglier start to the week. We'll get back on the winning side of the ledger - today's suggestions:

Detroit over Texas - enough is enough Texas. We like Rogers to get the Tigers back on track with a win today. Lay $100 on Detroit - $200.

Los Angeles over Kansas City - memo to the Angels...this is freakin Kansas City were talking about. Lay $100 on the Angels - $240.

Boston over Seattle - Dice-K prevents the Sox from taking a space needle in the ass. Lay $100 on the Sox - $180.

If you think we suggesting that today's picks can't get swept (Tigers/Rangers go tomorrow too) you're right. We don't think they are going to get swept. We'll monitor today's games and post additional picks for evening games.

That's it for today gang - thanks for taking the time to check in. Have a great one peeps.

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world.

I'm Out.

R.I.P Rodney Roy Beck

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

We're keeping this front and center today - our Tuesday morning entry follows this post.

The baseball world was stunned and saddened to hear of the sudden and unexpected passing of Rodney Roy Beck, better known to teammates as "Shooter". Beck's major league career spanned thirteen colourful seasons with four teams - San Franscisco, Chicago Cubs, Boston, and San Diego - leaving an impact in every city he played in and on every teammate he played with.

The testimonials are pouring in for Beck - the common thread throughout was that "Shooter" was a great guy, plain and simple. One of the best stories about Beck goes back to 2003; trying to work his way back into the majors, he found himself pitching for the Triple A Iowa Cubs, living in his winnebago just beyond the outfield fence. Fans would stop by to see Beck, talk a little baseball (maybe smoke a cigarette or two) and have a beer with him. Not hard to see why this guy will end up being the patron saint for the everyday sports fan - a guy we could all relate to and willingly pay money to see.

"I sure don't think of myself as a fat person, just someone who carries extra weight. I've never seen anyone on the DL with pulled fat." - Rod Beck

Rest In Peace Shooter

704 Games, 38 Wins, 3.30 ERA, 286 Saves and countless friends and admirers.

A very special Thank You to Chip O'Brien for providing the this week's artwork in tribute to Rod Beck.

I'm Out

P.S. Don't forget to check out Chip's work www.theremyreport.com - or you can contact him at chipobrien@verizon.net. Show your support for this guy...he's a champ.

There Actually Is A Bruins Fan Out There

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

We had heard a rumour that there were still some hardcore Bruins fans left in New England - there are some up here, but they tend to be pretty quiet these days and would prefer to talk about the upcoming NFL season rather than talk about the Bs - and a few of them are lurking on our yahoo site.

Imagine our surprise to see the inbox flooded with complaints from Bruins fans saying that we were too harsh in our assessment of Peter Chiarelli's recent moves, and in particular, selecting Zach Hamill as their first round pick. Okay, by flooded we meant three emails...but given that there are about six Bruins fans left in Boston - that qualifies as being flooded.

"Gunner" went so far as to point us to a clip that was aired on NESN's Lights Out where Rob Simpson interviewed young Mr. Hamill. We guess Gunner is referring to the part where Simpson says that scouts say they see a bit of Chris Drury and Joe Sakic in the youngster. Okay dude, we hate to break it to you - but that little tidbit was likely fed (force fed) to Simpson by the Bruins PR Department - in all of the draft analysis we've seen (TSN, Sportsnet, and a number of Canadian papers) there were no comparisons to Chris Drury and Joe Sakic other that the three sharing a fondness for pizza or something stupid like that.

We get that the Bruins want to believe an "undersized" offensively gifted young player may share similar physical characteristics with two very good NHL Captains; but let's get real here, scouts are pointing to the kid's lack of foot speed as a concern - Drury can motor around the ice, and Sakic in his prime was a very good skater.

Time will tell, but it was heartening to see that someone in Boston was talking hockey.


MONDAY'S THREE STARS
Red Sox West P Brad Penny continues to dominate every opposing lineup he faces. Penny pitched eight solid innings in Arizona, giving up one run on four hits and two walks while striking out four in the Dodgers' 8-1 win over the DBacks.

Toronto Blue Jays RF Alex Rios was 3 for 4 with a home run, a stolen base and two runs batted in to lead Toronto to an 8-5 victory over Minnesota. We picked Rios over Wells and Stairs because he's on the roster of the Maeple Leafs in the Yahoo Pool.

Seattle Mariners C Kenji Johjima hit a home run and drove in three to lead the Mariners to a 9-4 win over the Sox last night.


TUESDAY THREE PLAY
What started out as a great night ended badly with both of our late night picks losing - especially shocking to see Lackey drop a game to the Royals. So we start out on a tough note - $225 to start the week. We'll get it back tonight - today's suggestions.

New York over Baltimore - the Yankees are coming off a tough weekend, expect them to rebound against an O's team that is without Miguel Tejada. Lay $100 on the Yanks - $150.

Los Angeles over Kansas City - we expect the Angels to come out swinging and make the Royals pay for embarassing them last night; Meche vs Santana wasn't the matchup we were hoping for, but we still think the Angels get it done tonight. Lay $100 on the Angels - $165.

Florida over Pittsburgh - we'll go with the D-Train over Maholm, no explanation needed. Lay $100 on the Marlins - $165.

That's it for this morning gang - thanks for taking the time to check in. Have a great one peeps.

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world.

I'm Out.

Chris Benoit & Family Found Dead

Hey Peeps and anyone else checking in. A special "Hey" goes out to Hazel Mae if she is checking in.
Shocking news from the world of sports entertainment - Canadian wrestler Chris Benoit and his family were found day in their home in Georgia. Police say they are investigating it as a homocide.

Sad day for Canadian sports entertainment fans (which Hazel admitted to being one of them).

Story from the Toronto Star

Sad...

I'm Out

One Great Big Crap Shoot

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

The 2007 NHL Draft wrapped up in Columbus over the weekend and there seems to be more questions than answers. The consensus leading up to this year's draft was that this was one of the weakest classes in recent memory; with only a few players thought to be potential impact players down the road. A number of GMs around the league said that this wasn't the kind of draft you went into thinking about team needs as few if any of this year's projected first rounders were anywhere close to being NHL ready; instead, most said that they would draft the best player available.

The funny thing about this year's draft is that it seems that the GMs didn't draft for need and certainly didn't draft the best player available if you took into account the ratings done by Central Scouting. This year's draft obviously didn't have the hype of years past so the media was forced to look for something to write about, given that there wasn't any "can't miss" young stars to talk about. The story of this year's draft was "What in the hell happened?"

Some of the more critical members of the media have been focusing on how two players managed to fall so far down in Round 1 on Friday night:

• Russia's next wonderkid Alexei Cherapanov - once thought to be a potential number one pick, falls to number 17 and winds up the New York Rangers;
  
  
• Montreal youngster Angelo Esposito - who was actually rated number one this past winter, falls to number 20 and gets to play with Crosby, Malkin, Staal et al.
  

The amusing this about this is that the guys who have focused on how so many general managers could pass on either of the aforementioned young stars have likely not seen either of them play more than a handful of games. Who knows what the future will hold in terms of these two? The media may wind up being right that it was a mistake to pass them over; one thing we know for certain is that they will never admit they were wrong.

Our view?

In the case of Cherapanov, while he has big time talent a few things were working against him (in no particular order): questions about his heart and commitment to playing; a lack of a transfer agreement between the NHL and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation means that it is tougher to transfer players; and the fact that the Russian league is paying NHL level salaries and a lot of the young Russians won't come here to play in the minors when they can make NHL-level salaries at home.

In the case of Esposito, a kid with huge talent fighting doubts about his willingness to compete on a nightly basis. Esposito failed to make the Canadian National Junior team twice - why? You need look no further than the fact that the Montreal Canadiens passed on a kid from their own backyard - the Montreal media is notoriously tough on the team, so you have to think Bob Gainey knew what he was doing if he felt strong enough to pass over a kid that will be held over his head as long as he is the GM there.

Having said all of this - we are feeling much better about Toronto Maple Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr. trading the first and second round picks in a weak draft (and an additional fourth rounder) to get two proven NHL ready players. JFJ trades the rights (if you will) to two players who might never make the team to secure a better than average goalie who will likely come in at a decent price (reports say $3M + over three years) and a young NHL winger who has scored 20+ goals more than once (if he ever gets his life off the ice together, he'll be looked at as a steal). We've got JFJ's back on this one - but we are still calling on him to build on this trade and find a way to trade Bryan McCabe (to the Islanders) and Andrew Raycroft (Flyers or Blues). Make it happen JFJ.

One last thing about the draft - Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli was tickled when he saw that D Tommy Cross from Westminster, Conn was still available at number 35 - issuing the words that other GMs around the league must hate hearing "we couldn't believe he was still available". Isn't that like telling the other 29 GMs that they aren't as smart as him having passed over a guy who was drafted in the second round? While Chiarelli and the Bruins staff were patting themselves on the back for getting this guy in the second round - I wonder if they thought about how the hockey world stood in disbelief when they used their first round selection (number 8) to select Zach Hamill. In case you haven't read some of the Canadian coverage on the draft - Hamill, while offensively gifted, is small and not a very strong skater.

In the new NHL, you can get away with having smaller players provided they are super quick and can motor with the puck; being small and slow (scouting reports) adds up to a decent AHL career. While NHL GMs have become more accepting of smaller players - Martin St. Louis was the poster boy for small quick players in the new NHL - the truth of the matter is that most struggle when the going gets rougher and tougher...the playoffs.

Sad news from the world of baseball - the man who sported one of the most extreme mullets anywhere in professional sports (he rivalled the 80's soccer-rocker cuts), Rod Beck, was found dead in his Phoenix home. The tributes are pouring in for a man who was, from accounts published so far, an average guy who you'd love to sit down and have a beer with.


SUNDAY'S THREE STARS
Toronto Blue Jays P Dustin McGowan took a no-hitter into the ninth and wound up with a complete game one-hit shutout in Toronto's 5-0 win over the Rockies; he also had seven strikeouts. We'd have an easier time getting on board with the kid if he just shaved off those riduculous sideburns.

Boston Red Sox P Josh Beckett became MLB's first 11 game winner yesterday, pitching eight solid innings in Boston's 4-2 win over Jake Peavy and the Padres. Beckett limited the Padres to two runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out eight. The word used to describe Beckett's stuff yesterday was "filthy".

The "Thrill from Westhill" Paul Tracy won the Cleveland Grand Prix yesterday - we don't normally do auto racing, but we are going to make an exception for one of the more colourful guys in professional sports entertainment (because we don't consider auto racing a sport in the pure sense of the word).


MONDAY'S THREE PLAY
Apologies to anyone who checked in looking for Sunday's suggestions - we took a well deserved day off; no sense in mentioning that Minnesota, Houston and Boston would have definitely been on our list of suggestions. We finished last week at + $345, meaning the total for the year stands at - $170 (if you have played everyone one of our suggestions) - the bright side is that the last two weeks here would have been profitable had you played them. Today's suggestions, were going to go big today:

Boston over Seatlle - its back to facing American League hitters for Jeff Weaver, the surfer has had a tough time against AL teams, and he is about to be served a full plate of hurt tonight with the Red Sox paying a visit. It's going to be ugly tonight, so get your cash in early on Tavarez. Lay $100 on Boston - $125.

Atlanta over Washington - the Braves have to be happy to see the Tigers leave town; expect starter Tim Hudson to continue his great pitching with a dominating effort over the Nationals. Lay $100 on the Braves - $185.

Los Angeles Angels over Kansas City - we expect John Lackey to join Josh Beckett as MLB's only 11 game winners. Lay $100 on the Angels - $300.

Milwaukee over Houston - We'll go with Ben Sheets to handle an Astros offence that had trouble with the Rangers woeful pitching over the weekend. Lay $100 on Milwaukee - $175.

That's about it for today gang - thanks for taking the time to check in. Have a great one peeps.

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world.

I'm Out.

Maple Leafs Better Today - But At What Cost?

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

Big day for Maple Leafs fans at the NHL Draft yesterday - John Ferguson Jr. did it again, pulling off another draft day trade sending a package of draft picks to the San Jose Sharks for G Vesa Toskala and LW Mark Bell. There are plenty of ways to look at this trade - the reaction has been swift and vocal; Hazel, if you are checking in (we hope) and you haven't had a chance to check it all out yet...here is a sample of what's being said:

• the Maple Leaf haters like Steve Simmons and Damien Cox gave JFJ thumbs down; for those of you in New England who may not know these two - they are wanna-be Dan Shaughnessys, trying to make their living on hating the hometown team. Both have been vocal in their complaints about Ferguson trading away the future for a 30 year old goaltender who may or may not be a number one and an under-achieving winger who has off-ice issues. No surprises here - these two have been on a campaign to have Ferguson fired under the guise of "what the Leafs need to be better".
  
  - our view on this one is that nothing could possibly satisfy these two jokers. Going into the draft, the consensus was that outside of number 1 pick Patrick Kane and Alexei Cherapanov - this was a very weak draft with very few potential impact players. That didn't stop either of them from professing the merits of building through the draft and how JFJ mortgaged the future. Simmons and Cox talk about JFJ's lack of vision - they want him to build for the future...how can he when they are leading the charge to have him fired? Toskala is 30, with goalies playing into their late 30s now he has 5+ good years ahead of him; Mark Bell is only 26, so he is hardly a grey beard.
  
  
• other Maple Leafs haters are talking about how JFJ got fleeced, giving up a first and second round pick for a couple of guys San Jose wanted to get rid of anyways.
  
  - you can look at it that way, and it may have some merit. But let's face it...it is what happens when you are dealing from a position of weakness.
  
  
• some members of Leaf Nation are trumpeting this as a great move - getting a guy who can be a number one goalie and a winger who can be a 20-30 goal scorer (provided he gets his act together) for a reasonable price.
  
  - the thinking here is that the Leafs are much better than they were yesterday morning without giving up anyone from their roster; they are giving up a couple of players that might never make the NHL. That thought may have changed by this morning - the Sharks flipped the Leafs first round pick and got Ottawa 67s C Logan Couture (who we REALLY liked) and will be a very good player in the NHL.

Where do we stand on this one? We like the deal, and will give JFJ the benefit of the doubt. In Toskala we get a potential number one or at the very least a very capable (not outstanding) tandem which gives coach Paul Maurice an option every night - its not the best scenario, but its better than we had last year. Toskala will make $1.3M this year, when combined with Raycroft $2M+ - it is what you would pay for a decent number one goalie...so it works. We'll see what kind of extension JFJ negotiates with Toskala...either way, the Leafs can afford to be patient with Justin Pogge.

This deal will hinge on how Mark Bell evolves - if he gets his off-ice issues resolved and focuses on hockey - he can be a legit 25+ goal man on Sundin's wing. We are going to look at it from a glass half full point of view - our goaltending is better, we have a potential bargain in Mark Bell at $2M/season and we gave up two players that likely would not have suited up (Leafs wouldn't have gotten Couture - and didn't have anything substantial to trade up to get him).

Now, we would really be feeling the man-love for JFJ if he managed to trade Bryan McCabe before July 1st, and find a taker for Andrew Raycroft (maybe the Flyers?) though that is doubtful, and sign Curtis Joseph as Toskala's backup. We want to think he will pull off another trade or two before training camp...if he doesn't, we'll see how this all shakes down, but we expect a better Leaf team in 07/08.


FRIDAY'S THREE STARS
Texas Rangers RF "Skinny" Sammy Sosa hit his 601st career home run and drove in four, in an 11-3 win over Woody Williams and the Astros.

Former Dodger and current Cincinnati Reds C Dave Ross hit two home runs and drove in five, in a 16-1 romp over the Mariners on Ken Griffey Jr. night in Seattle.

Detroit Tigers P Kenny Rogers made a triumphant return to the lineup yesterday, pitching six shutout innings in a 5-0 win over the Braves in Atlanta, giving up two hits and striking out five.


SATURDAY THREE PLAY
One of those frustrating nights where a big favourite (Brandon Webb of the DBacks) blows it and kills the night. We wound up going 2-1 and adding $30 to the total for the week - now at +$430. Today's suggestions:

Colorado over Toronto - the Rockies lost last night, despite "Josh being Josh" (5R, 11H, 2BB in 4IP); they've been tearing the cover off the ball which doesn't bode well for Ty Taubenheim this afternoon. Aaron Cook goes for the Rockies. Lay $100 on Colorado - $120.

Houston over Texas - the Astros got smoked yesterday, so expect them to rebound with Roy Oswalt on the mound. Lay $100 on the Astros - $155.

Detroit over Atlanta - we don't expect another no-no from Verlander, but he definitely has enough to overpower the Braves...especially after they spent last night being mesmerized by Kenny Rogers off-speed stuff - Verlander's fastball will look like its coming in at over 120. Lay $100 on the Tigers - $165.

Seattle over Cincinnati - see explanation for Astros v Rangers, factor in Washburn facing Kyle Lohse and you have a Mariners' win. Lay $100 on the M's - $174.

That's it for today gang - thanks for taking the time to check in. Have a great one peeps, enjoy your Saturday.

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world.

I'm Out.

Tilt Report - A lil' Bit of Everything

So I was thinking about Kobe Bryant's recent demand for a trade and chances are likely that he'll end up in Chicago. For those of you who think that Kobe remains one of the premier players in the league, I'd note that for all his greatness (and he is a great basketball player) Kobe hasn't done much without Shaq since the big guys move to Miami. Going to Chicago (as good as it sounds) maybe the worst thing for Bryant as the Chicago fans have been looking for the next coming of Jordon for a while now.

Speaking of Chicago the US beat Canada in the Gold Cup - but not without some controversy. Wonder if the US immigration agency offered to allow the Mexican referees family into the country if he'd make a decisive call. Replays of the game clearly show that the ball went off the US defender, hence making the goal legit. Maybe the Chicago wind blew something into eyes of the referee.

Ray Emery underwent a "success" surgery on his wrist. Sens fans I'm sure are waiting to see if their goaltender will be ready for action come the fall. Still with Gerber under contract, the Sens may not have to worry about their goaltending situation. How you keep a $4 million back up I don't know...LoL

Recently I've taken to watching beach volleyball. How great is a sport when the female players are regulated to wear a bikini??? Same goes for Olympic volleyball where all the female players must wear short shorts...who likes short shorts???

The latest news that the Leafs are looking to re-aquire Curtis Joseph is making this Leafs fan very happy. Now here is a guy (outside of Sundin) who deserves to finish his career in the blue and white. While they're at it, maybe they can entice Gary Roberts to come back to the fold...he can't be worse than Antropov.

What is it with professional athletes who can't leave their past behind them. I mean if you're making millions as a pro athlete do you really need to retain your childhood friends who are only around to spend your money? I'm talking to Mike Vick, "Pac-Man" Jones, and various other athletes who just can't let the idea of "street cred" go. I have a little tip for them...if you're bank account has more than $1 million in it - you've got instant street cred...and even if you have the street cred, what the hell is it going to get you that the millions in your bank account isn't? Respect - respect from whom?

Can someone please explain to me why the NFL continues to overlook Toronto as a potential NFL market. What gives??? Sure putting an NFL would destroy the CFL, but damn I want a NFL team in this country.

After watching a very strange race (lawnmower racing)...I have come to determine that Americans can turn anything into a spectator sport.

D-Day for JFJ in Columbus

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

Well its decision day in Columbus today as the NHL will hold the the first round of the 2007 Draft - the pundits are not predicting big things from this draft class; the consensus seems to be that the top five to seven players could be impact players in the league, with the rest of the first rounders being depth guys later on in their careers. This year's draft is going to be interesting in terms of trades, there is always a team or two that is willing to take a chance with their draft picks - either moving up the draft board, acquiring an extra pick or trading their pick for an established player.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been players in the last few draft days - pulling off a number of trades; last year it was Tuukka Rask to Boston for Andrew Raycroft - the jury is still out on Raycroft. A rumour being circulated in Toronto is that the Leafs are working on a deal with the Wild to acquire goalie Manny Fernandez, who became expendable after the Wild signed Niklas Backstrom to a big deal. If JFJ manages to pull this one off today/tomorrow - Draft 2007 will be considered a success...no matter who we get; though we'd be VERY happy if the Maple Leafs got Logan Couture.

The Dodgers scored six runs in the eighth inning to erase a 3-2 lead and go on to win by a count of 8-4 and winning two out of three from the Jays. The Dodgers announced that P Jason Schmidt is out of the season after shoulder surgery - we didn't support the Schmidt signing when it happened, so you can imagine how we feel today - way to go Ned.

Funny thing about last night - after Wednesday 12-1 win over the Dodgers, Blue Jays DH Frank Thomas spoke about after the game about his grand slam off Hong-Chih Kuo; said Thomas "That is the kind of at-bat that can turn a season around." Well, it really seems to have kickstarted Thomas' resurgence; he went 0-2 after hitting the home run and again went 0-2 last night...though big Frank would like to point out that he was disciplined enough to draw two walks (one intentional)...ya Frank, because J.P. was thinking about your OBP when he signed you to a $20 M contract.

Tough night in the world of football - Portugal lost to Italy yesterday in Holland, 4-3 on penalty kicks...meaning we won't be going to the Olympics in Beijing; meh. We'll now turn our attention to the Under-20 World Cup set do start next week here in Canada. In what can only be described as "suspect" - the U.S. beat Canada last night by a count of 2-1 to advance to the finals of the CONCACAF Gold Club (errr CUP). As with any international football event, there was some controversy last night as Canada had scored the game tying goal in injury time, only to have it called back on an offside - replays showed the Canadians were clearly onside and the goal should have stood.

Gotta protect the U.S.'s FIFA world ranking huh?


THURSDAY'S THREE STARS
Dodgers 2B Jeff Kent hit a two-run home run and a double to lead the good guys to an 8-4 over the Blue Jays - Kent's double was inches away from being another two-run home run as it hit the top of the wall.

Seatlle Mariners P Felix Hernandez pitched eight shutout innings against the Pirates, striking out nine while giving up six hits and a walk in the M's 3-0 win.

Baltimore Orioles P Eric Bedard gave up two runs over six innings and had nine strikeouts in Baltimore's 6-3 win over the Padres.


FRIDAY'S THREE PLAY
We split yesterday, but the Yankees cost us. Total stands at + $400 for the week. Today's suggestions

NY Mets over Oakland - we'll go with Glavine over former Sox P Lenny DiNardo. Lay $100 on the Mets - $140.

Boston over San Diego - Dice-K gets to pitch in a pitchers park...Maddux gets to face the Red Sox lineup. Lay $100 on the Sox - $125.

Arizona over Baltimore - Webb over Cabrera...with Tejada's consecutive games played streak in jeopardy...this is a no-brainer. Lay $100 on the DBacks - $170.

Josh Towers goes for the Jays today...if you read earlier this week, you know what that means - go against him.

That's it for this morning - thanks for taking the time to check in. Have a great one peeps.

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world - have a great weekend.

I'm Out.

Directive #2 For John Ferguson Jr.

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

More news out of Toronto - former Leafs G Curtis Joseph has said he would like to finish his career in the blue and white and would have no problem signing on as a backup to "push" Andrew Raycroft. Joseph isn't look for big money - speculation is he would sign for about $700K; and isn't necessarily looking to be "the guy" - though he would be decent insurance if something happened to Raycroft, and could play 20 - 25 games a season. Signing Joseph makes sense for Leafs.

As we said yesterday - JFJ, for me, for Tilt, for Hazel and the rest of Leaf Nation - MAKE IT HAPPEN.

In other news, talks with Carlo Colaiacovo have stalled - the Leafs still have the option of tendering him a qualifying offer in order to protect their bargaining rights. Not blaming Cola for digging his heels in - given what McCabe makes, he's got to be thinking that by the end of last season he was a better option that McCabe.

Toronto draft news - we are keeping our fingers crossed on this one. The Leafs think that Ottawa 67s center Logan Couture might be available when they step to the draft podium on Saturday. Couture is exactly what the Leafs need...he would be another Alyn MacAulay, with more offensive talent and upside. Hard to think he'll last that long.

"Football" is front and center today - Portugal takes the field against Italy in Holland. The game is being played as the winner secures a spot for the Beijing Olympics. The thought of beating Italy AND securing a spot at the Olympics has us smiling. Go Portugal.

"Soccer" is on the radar here in North America - Canada faces the US in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Club (ooops...I meant Gold Cup - never mind, some people might get the joke)...ok, so it really isn't on the radar; I just wanted to say Gold Club.


WEDNESDAY'S THREE STARS
Texas Rangers RF "Skinny" Sammy Sosa moved into fifth place on the all-time home run listed, hitting his 600th in a 7-3 win over the Cubs. I have to eat a little bit of crow - over the winter our girl Renee said she thought the Sox should take a flyer on Sosa, we thought she was out of her mind...looks like she was right; though thankfully she hasn't rubbed our noses in it.

Seattle Mariners P Jeff Weaver must be missing the National League - he pitched a complete game shutout against the Pirates last night, limiting them to four hits and two walks while striking out five.

Colorado Rockies P Jeff Francis baffled the Yankees last night, giving up one run on five hits and a walk while striking out nine - pretty damn good for a Canadian kid who is going to celebrate today by watching the Gold Club semi-finals.


THURSDAY'S THREE PLAY
Finally, the kind of night we deserved - we picked all four games last night...so the balance sheet stands at a very respectable + $485 for the week - today's suggestions:

Seattle over Pittsburgh - no brainer, you have to figure the Mariners are going to get a win for Felix Hernandez sooner or later. Lay $100 on the Mariners - $195.

New York over Colorado - Clemens goes today for the Yankees, but we are suggesting the Yanks today for two reasons; 1) Rodrigo Lopez goes for the Rockies and his career numbers vs. New York are ugly; 2) Yanks won't get swept. Lay $100 on the pinstripes - $185.

We'll leave it at that for today - thanks for taking the time to check in. Have a great one peeps!

Hazel I hope things are groovy in your world.

I'm Out.

Bienvenue Monsieur Julien - Comment Ca Marche?

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

The worst kept secret in the NHL is about to be shared tomorrow as the Boston Bruins are expected to hold a news conference to announce that they have indeed hired former Habs and Devils coach Claude Julien to take over behind the Bruins bench.

First off, we have to say that it is somewhat sad that this story was broken in Canada - we know the Bruins don't get a lot of attention in Boston these days, not surprising given their struggles last year, but shouldn't one of the beat writers or television broadcasters who are charged with covering the team have been able to find this out? Do these people take the summer off? Hey, before we get any smart alec emails or comments asking if we are including Hazel in the aforementioned media types - we aren't; she's busy doing SportsDesk and the Ultimate Red Sox show...she isn't charged with following the B's.

Now to the hiring of Julien; on a number of levels it the move makes sense. Julien has experience coaching at the NHL level and can bring some structure to a Bruins team that is lacking any sort of team philosophy - we have said time and again here that the Bruins lack a clear identity. Julien will look at the team for what it is and develop a structure and style of play to maximize their chances of being competitive - we don't see the Bruins making the playoffs next year, but we do see them finishing better than 13th in the Eastern Conference. What will Julien see at training camp? He'll see a team that:

• doesn't have a clear cut number one goalie - while Bruins fans have some strange love affair with Tim Thomas, it is time to face facts; he isn't a true number one, as a matter of fact Thomas would probably be ranked in the bottom third of NHL goaltenders and behind some backups in the NHL (Vesa Toskala, Ilya Bryzgalov, Curtis Joseph, Mike Smith, Jose Theodore and Manny Fernandez would all get the nod over Thomas). Our bet is that Julien will start the season with Thomas but make the move to Hannu Toivonen by December.
  
  
• He will see a defence corps that isn't particularly quick and not overly physical - Zdeno Chara can't be playing 30 minutes per game paired with defenceman who are learning the ropes, it puts too much pressure on him mentally and physically, thus affecting his play. Andrew Ference and Aaron Ward are steady defenceman, but neither would be considered number 3 or 4 defenceman on most playoff teams - Ferenc is a nice player who brings some attitude to the ice, but at 5'10" he is a little over-matched physically; Aaron Ward is also a nice player but has seen his better days and isn't up to being a top four guy. Andrew Alberts will be a good defenceman, but he has a lot of maturing to do. Dennis Wideman? not much to say about a one dimensional player who is soft in his own end.
  
  
• Up front he will see a few gifted offensive players like Savard, Strum, Kessel and Bergeron, a few veterans like Murray and Axelsson that know how to play the game but may not be impact players anymore, and a collection of unspiring forwards who are underachievers (Chistov, Kobasew), soft and one dimensional (Bochenski) or plumbers (Donovan and Reich).

It all adds up to Julien instituting a defence first system where the forwards will be expected to take few chances and play "postitional hockey" (as former Leafs Coach Pat Burns put it) and get their butts back into their own zone to help a defence corps that isn't very good at moving the puck out of the zone. Offensively creative forwards like Marc Savard and Phil Kessel will have to change their games and learn to counter-attack as Julien will be preaching mistake-free hockey as their best chance to win - the adjustment won't be as hard for Sturm and Bergeron who are good two way players. The third and fourth lines will be out there the sole purpose of preventing any goals scored against them - not the best role for guys like Chistov and Bochenski who any sort of physical play - neither is likely to get any considerable measure of second line ice time.

When announcing the firing of Dave Lewis, Peter Chiarelli said he wanted a coach who would make the Bruins a harder team to play against (notice he stayed away from saying "more physical") and a guy who would hold the players accountable for getting the job done. Its hard to describe what "harder to play against" means - it is one of those generic phrases that really means nothing...put it this way, it is like saying losing a game by a score of 2-1, 3-2, is infinitely better than losing 5-2...losing by one goal may mean harder to play against, but a loss is a loss is a loss. On the matter of holding players accountable - that is precisely the reason Julien was let go in Montreal and in New Jersey.

In Montreal, Julien couldn't deal with the Habs only superstar Alex Kovalev and didn't ever have the stones to bench or discipline the flaky Russian for indifferent play. In New Jersey, Lamoriello let Julien go because he said that something wasn't right with the team. Does that sound like a guy who holds his team accountable? It is going to be a long season for the Bruins and their fans this year - while the fans have been clamouring for a return to the days of the Big Bad Bruins; Julien is going to take them to the days of pre-lockout NHL where boring hockey was the norm. You can't blame Julien though, he has to play the hand that was dealt to him - and in the words of my man Tilt, the Bruins are looking like a J - 6 off-suit.

As much as Peter Chiarelli seems to want to build the Boston SenaTards - he is going to have to settle for the Boston Devils, and he has to accept some of the responsibility for that. Chiarelli, likely feeling the pressure to turn the Bruins into instant winners, blew a wad of cash on free-agents Chara and Savard - not that they were bad signings - but blowing your wad and committing that much long-term money is a bit foolish...rookie GMs huh?

He was reactionary in making some questionable trades - Brad Boyes for Wideman will be one Bruins fans will regret for years to come. The Brad Stuart trade wasn't much better - while some will argue that he couldn't get much for Stuart, we disagree...an eleventh hour trade would have brought more.

He was asleep at the switch in not pulling the trigger on deals that would have brought back a prospect and freed up cap room - inexcusable that he didn't work a deal with San Jose for Glen Murray. Chiarelli learned one bad lesson in Ottawa - he learned to fall in love with players who won't help him win; that doesn't mean Glen Murray isn't a winner...he just won't be around when the Bruins turn it around, if ever.

The result of Chiarelli's wheelings and dealings, the good, bad and ugly, is that he finds himself with a team that is perilously close to being capped out with no real hope of winning this year or next for that matter. There you have it Bruins fans, a viewpoint from North of the border...where you get most of your hockey news and informed opinion. Just kidding.

This may be a tough pill for Bruins fans to swallow - so we'll try to end this one off on a humourous note. The Bruins are going to play some good sound defensive hockey...so to Ms. Hazel Mae we say:

"Hazel, have fun searching through those highlights of great blocked shots for the Top 10 on next year's season of The Buzz. Something tells us there will be at least two or three per week."
C'mon, we kid, we joke, we poke a little fun. Believe it when we say that as fans of the Maple Leafs...we feel your pain.

Have a beef with our post? A different point of view? A complaint? A love letter? Let us know what you think at thoughtsofhazel@gmail.com

That's it for tonight gang - thanks for taking the time to check in. Have a great one peeps.

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world.

I'm Out!

Rumour Du Jour

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

Big news/rumour out of Toronto - the word is the Toronto Maple Leafs are considering asking defenceman Bryan McCabe to waive the no-trade clause in his contract; while McCabe told the FAN 590 that the Leafs had not approached him to discuss any trade possibilty, speculation is that McCabe would accept a trade to the Islanders (his wife is from Long Island). We can only hope that John Ferguson Jr. will take a page out of Brian Burke's book and find a way to trade what was previously thought to be an untradeable contract.

JFJ, for me, for Tilt, for Hazel and the rest of Leaf Nation - MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Good night for Red Sox fans - Boston gets six shutout innings from Josh Beckett and a home run by David Ortiz to beat Tim Hudson and the Braves by a 4-0 count; and Red Sox West walked into Hazel's old house and pounded the Blue Jays by a 10-1 count. Brad Penny dominated the Jays last night - he kept them off balance with a great mix of 90+ mile an hour fast balls, 77+ slow curves and a killer change up. Juan Pierre stole three bases and scored three runs.

We've got to cut this one short today - we'll be back later tonight to talk a little NHL.


TUESDAY'S THREE STARS
Minnesota Twins P Johan Santana pitched a complete game shutout, limiting the Mets to just four hits, in the Twins 9-0 win at Shea. Ok, so our upset special yesterday didn't work out so well.

Colorado Rockies P Josh Fogg gave the Rockies seven solid innings, giving up only one run on four hits and a walk while striking out three in a 3-1 win over the Yankees.

Philadelphia Phillies 1B Ryan Howard has been on a tear lately, witnessed by last night's performance. Howard went 3 for 5 with a home run and four runs batted in to lead the Phillies to a 9-6 win over the Tribe.


WEDNESDAY'S THREE PLAY
Tough night last night, splitting our picks but winding up in the red - the total for the week is still + $85.

Oakland over Cincinnati - Dan Haren has been money this year, so there is no reason to think he'll drop one to Matt Belisle and the Reds. Lay $100 on the A's - $240.

Cleveland over Philadelphia - you have to like C.C. Sabathia at home, especially since Jon Lieber had his good start for the month the last time out. Lay $100 on the Indians - $215.

Detroit over Washington - another no brainer here, especially with the Tigers' bats booming. Bonderman over Bacsik. Lay $100 on the Tigers - $175.

Los Angeles Angels over Houston - we don't trust Wandy Rodriguez, and we certainly don't like the Astros to win a series in Anaheim. Expect the Angels to answer back after last night's loss. Lay $100 on the Angels - $180.

That's it for today gang - thanks for taking the time to check in. Have a great one peeps.

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world.

I'm Out.

Apology to Neate Sager

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

Last week we posted a story about an Ontario-based entrepreneur by the name of Frank D'Angelo launching a lawsuit against Ottawa-based sports blogger by the name of Neate Sager. Mr. Sager contacted us to inform us that this really is no laughing matter - while he had a sense of humour about it, it did wake us up to the fact that this is indeed serious.

Apolgies to Mr. Sager, the post was intended to shed light on the absurdity of the lawsuit being launched against him - in retrospect, the post was ill-advised and has been deleted.

I encourage anyone reading this page to visit Mr. Sager's blog and show your support. We're fans of Neate's blog and we are certain that you will be after reading it - its informative, insightful and quite humourous...something that we aspire to here.

Sorry Neate...you have our support, and we wish you all the best.

I'm Out.

Tilt Report - Fixing the NHL

Now there are quite a few commentaries from various "insiders" who think that they know how to fix the National Hockey League (NHL) to make the league more visible, viable and enticing for fans. What is wrong with most of these views is that they are trying to vie for fans - who really have no real interest in the game of hockey. The NHL is trying to penetrate into US markets that, all things being fair, isn't a hockey market. Hence, the premise of trying to fix the game starts on the wrong foot. If the NHL truely wants to revitialize the game of hockey - it needs to change the reason why they want to fix the game. Rather then change the game to draw new fans in, it should focus in on fixing the game to bring back fans it has lost. Having said that here are my suggestions for how the NHL can become a much better game.

1) STOP PUTTING TEAMS IN NON-HOCKEY MARKETS: Gary Bettman is an absolute idiot for trying to take hockey to places where there is absolutely no fan base. This isn't fucken Field of Dreams...you can't build and hope that they will come. Take a look at Florida, Tampa Bay (who even won a cup) and tell me that they are successful franchises. For that matter, what is the sense of having a hockey team in Phoenix...those people don't even know what snow looks like. Hockey teams need to be developed in markets that have the potential to draw large numbers of hockey fans...that means at the minimum, NHL franchises ought to be located where snow falls. There are many potential markets in the Northern US and in Canada. Winnipeg is dying to have another shot at an NHL team, and I'm sure that Quebec City wouldn't mind either...but what about the East coast? or another team in Ontario?

2) GET RID OF THE "MODERN" EQUIPMENT: Many experts have observed that the number of serious injuries seem to be increasing over the years...well, one might argue that many of these injuries are caused by the new equipment being used by players. No longer are elbow pads soft - but they are hard plastic shells that only take into consideration the safety of the wearer - not the individual whom they hit. I'm sure that if Chris Pronger didn't have a hard shell elbow pad, Dean McAmmond would not have suffered a concussion. The NHL seriously needs to review the type of equipment worn by its players and ensure that they are safe for all. In addition, the NHL should reduce the size of the goaltender equipment to pre-1990 levels. There is no need for huge pads - if these are the best goaltenders in the world, let them show their athlethic skill rather then depending on oversized equipment.

3) ELIMINATE THE INSTIGATOR RULE: There are so many cheap shots being taken at superstars that the recent demise of "enforcers" on NHL teams needs to be revisited. Not only do the "enforcers" provide a moral spark to teams by engaging in fights (especially after a teammate has taken some serious abuse), they are needed to ensure that the top players on teams are not being targetted. One only has to look to Gretzky and recognize that he could not have done so well had be not had his "enforcers" around him. In this sense, I agree with the Don Cherry that fighting is part of the game and all attempts to remove this element has only damanged the spirit of the game.

4) GO BACK TO 4 DIVISION FORMAT: The current 6 division format is absolutely stupid. The NHL ought to return to the four divisions (and reinstitute the names). The 6 division format limits the number of times teams play against each other and leaves little room for rivalries to develop.

5) GIVE IT BACK TO THE FANS: Gary Bettman is a transplant from the National Basketball Association and isn't really a hockey person. Sure he may be a good businessman (which is debatable) but he's clearly not a fan. He is trying to push it into markets without a history of hockey and clearly this hasn't worked. What the NHL should consider is giving it back to the fans who want to see the game...mainly Canadians!!! Emphasises should be placed on making the fans happy and as the league develops more fans will see the value of the game. The NHL to a certain extent has isolated the Canadian market (mainly due to economic reasons) without realizing that doing so has only damaged the game. Give the game back to the fans who are willing to watch it over stock car racing or fishing.

Old Is New In The Modern NHL

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

Much to our chagrin, the NHL has become somewhat of a laughing stock in terms of major sports leagues, and the events of the last week or so have only given detractors more to laugh at.

Commissioner Gary Bettman and the NHL brass have tried to make the game more appealing to American hockey viewers in an effort to secure a lucrative television deal. The NHL has implemented a number of measures to try to increase scoring and "showcase" the skills of their players. Over the last few years the NHL has:

restricted movement of goaltenders in order to prevent them from acting as a third defencman and clearing pucks dumped in by the opposition;

instructed referees to be more stringent in applying rules and calling penalties in order to increase power play opportunities and goals scored;

instituted a shootout to settle games that end in a tie;

and many more ridiculous edicts all in hopes that they can make the game more exciting for viewers.

Obviously NHL General Managers aren't listening - they are smart enough to know that their livelihood is directly linked to wins and losses and not the entertainment value their teams provide "potential" viewers in hockey hotbeds like Nashville, Tennessee and Raleigh, North Carolina. When the league is preaching speed, skill and scoring - NHL GMs have responded by hiring/re-cycling the coaches who have made their names by preaching defence or "responsible hockey" first.

The Calgary Flames fired coach Jim Playfair and replaced him with Mike Keenan - the criticism was that Playfair couldn't get enough out of his team; so they turn to Keenan, a coach known for killing his goaltenders and not exactly an offensive genius. Darryl Sutter hired Mike Keenan thinking that his intensity will rub off on his team - rather than address his team's lack of scoring depth, Darryl wants them to play harder. It would be safe to assume that the Flames goal scoring totals aren't going to rise too much under Keenan...but their PIMs will. Iron Mike was/is/always will be a two year act - he has left every time in much worse shape than when he took over.

The Boston Bruins announced last night that they had hired Claude Julien as their coach. This one makes sense from a Bruins perspective because their goaltending is among the league's weakest - sorry B's fans...Tim Thomas is not a number one goalie. The Bruins have decided that the quickest way back to respectability is to hire a guy who is known for defensive hockey and try to win by a 2-1 count. Claude Julien is not going to do anything to further the offensive development of guys like Patrice Bergeron and Phil Kessel - but he may turn them into Guy Carbonneau(s).

The Ottawa SenaTards announced that Brian Murray was promoted to replace John Muckler as the Tards GM - Murray said today that he would interview a few candidates to replace him as coach, but the betting is that Tards Assistant Coach John Paddock will get the job. The jury is out on Paddock - he is so far removed from being a coach in the league that we don't know what kind of system he will implement with the Tards.

So for all their efforts to increase scoring and excitement in the league - t the same old names and faces being hired and recycled behind the bench, implementing the same old systems of grinding, "responsible", take no chances hockey.

We'll be back later to rain all over the Tards plan for a Stanley Cup parade in 2007/08 - while Brian Murray is being hailed as a builder of great hockey teams (Detroit and Anaheim), people seem to forget he never led them to the promised land...more later.

Well, its a great day for the city of Toronto today - the Los Angeles Dodgers are visiting for a three game series against the Jays and will be looking to avenge a series loss at Dodgers. The good guys in blue send Brad Penny to the mound tonight against Dustin McGowan. The Dodgers won't be facing AJ Burnett this week - the word is that Burnett is going to be put on the DL. Imagine that, AJ Burnett on the DL? We'll have more on the Dodgers/Jays game tomorrow.

MONDAY'S THREE STARS
Los Angeles Angels 3B Chone Figgins went 6 for 6 and drove in three runs, including the winner, in the Angels 10-9 win over the Houston Astros last night.

Oakland A's P Joe Blanton pitched eight solid innings against the Reds, limiting them to one run on seven hits while striking out five.

Detroit Tigers SS Carlos Guillen went 3 for 4 with a home run and three runs batted in to lead the Tigers to a 9-8 win over the Nationals.

If you think this morning's three stars were chosen because they all had an impacted on yesterday's three play - you're right.


TUESDAY'S THREE PLAY
Well, we were 3-1 last night and start the week off + $165, it might be time to re-evaluate the confidence we have in Curt Schilling...he is looking decidely average more often that not. Today's suggestions:

Detroit over Washington - count us amongst the non-believers when it comes to Jason Simontacchi. Lay $100 on the Tigers - $165.

Oakland over Cincinnati - we'll take Chad Gaudin who has been very good at home over Homer Bailey. Lay $100 on the A's - $180.

Boston over Atlanta - we expect the Sox to return the favour after getting smoked by the Braves last night. Lay $100 on the Sox - $125.

New York Mets over Minnesota - our upset special, we wouldn't try to make a living going against Johan Santana...but you pick your spots against the lefty and tonight is one of them. Lay $100 on the Mets + $130.

Stay away from the Padres vs Orioles...I know Jake Peavy looks like a mortal lock, but I hate suggesting betting against a team in their first game under a new manager - play at your own risk.

That's it for today gang - thanks for taking the time to check in. Have a great one peeps.

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world.

I'm Out.

The Hazies - The Champs & The Chumps

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

For those of you who haven't been here before, we start each week off by taking a look back on the week that was in the world of sports and highlighting some of the more notable performances - to those who have risen above the others, they have the title of "Hazel's Hero" bestowed upon them and are awarded an honourary "Hazie". To those that have distinguished themselves for all the wrong reasons...keep reading. While Hazel hasn't officially approved this week's list, we'd like to think she give a thumbs up.

HAZEL'S HEROES - THE CHAMPS
NHL
The NHL Awards ceremony took place in Toronto last week - no surprises, but a couple of the winners do deserve some special recognition.

Pittsburgh Penguins C Sidney Crosby was the big winner taking home three awards. Crosby won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's MVP as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, the Lester B Pearson Award as the league's MVP as voted on by the NHL Players Association, and the Art Ross Trophy for being the league's leading scorer. Crosby became the youngest player in North American sports history to lead a professional league in scoring. We've been on him for whining and diving a little too much...but we tip our hat to the kid tonight.

Boston Bruins Rookie Phil Kessel was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy for demonstrating perserverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. I'm sure everyone here knows Kessel's story - he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in December of last year, overcoming it and returning to the lineup having missed only 12 games. Kessel is a champ.

The complete list of winners can be found here - ironic thing is the page has a story about Mike Keenan being hired as the Flames coach; before you ask, Mike IS NOT a champ; but we fully expect him to make our other list on a number of times during the 2007/08 season.

MLB
Detroit Tigers P Justin Verlander was named the American League Player of the Week; no surprise there considering he threw a no-hitter and struck out twelve against the Brewers. Verlander finished the week 1-0 with an ERA of 1.80 and 18 strikeouts in 15 innings of work (the Tigers won his second start of the week).

Cincinnati Reds LF Adam Dunn was named the National League Player of the Week after posting a batting average of .500 with 4 home runs and 8 runs batted in. Dunn also posted an on-base percentage of .538 and a ridiculous slugging percentage of 1.042.

Atlanta Braves 3B Larry "Chipper" Jones recorded his 2,000th career hit against the Indians yesterday - there was a time when it was thought he would eventually reach 3,000, but injuries have really held him back over the last few years. 2,000 hits is still a pretty impressive number for a squinter like Jones.

Toronto Blue Jays DH Frank Thomas set a record yesteday for most home runs by a DH. Thomas hit is 469th home run as a DH to pass former Seattle Mariner Edgar Martinez for number one on the all-time list. I wonder if that home run has left J.P. Ricciardi feeling vindicating for overpaying...sorry, I mean "signing"...the Big Hurt.

As mentioned this morning, Columbus Clippers OF Brandon Watson set an International League record yesterday by extending his hit streak to 43 games...it isn't the MLB, but who of us here have managed to put together 43 game hit streak...even in Little League? Nice record for Watson.

Before we get to this week's Chumps, we want to award a "Hazie" to Chip O'Brien for submitting this week's artwork (shown above). If you are a Red Sox fan, you have undoubtedly seen Chip's artwork on the Remy Report - we here were big fans of Chip's work before he did this one for us. They don't archive his work over there, which is a big mistake because he has done some excellent (and very clever) artwork for the site, so be sure to visit the site often and show some support for Chip by emailing the site's administrator about his work. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Chip is trying to stimulate/generate interest in his artwork - he is available for hire (in his own words) to

- Entertain and draw caricatures of guests at Private/Corporate/College/Lounge events. Bust peoples balls while I draw them.

- Caricatures From Photos.

- Art for Businesses (logos-posters-websites etc)

Chip can be contacted directly to discuss services and fees at chipobrien@verizon.net - don't be spamming him about us posting his artwork here...he gave us express written consent, and we are thankful for it.


HAZEL'S ZEROES - THE CHUMPS
NHL
Pittsburgh Penguins C Evgeni Malkin was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's top rookie...nothing wrong with that right? Well no, except Malkin decided to skip the ceremony and didn't bother to tell anyone that he wasn't going and the reason for his absence - not cool Geno...

Ottawa SenaTards Presiden Roy Mlakar skated through today's press conference to announce John Muckler's firing - Mlakar, who hired Muckler and was one of his biggest supporters, took two steps away from the issue of Muckler's firing and stated his desire to fulfill his contractual obligations to the Tards. The term weasel comes to mind - the clock is ticking Roy...better ask your boy Jim Rome for a permanent spot on his radio show.

MLB
Toronto Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi makes our list again...surprise, surprise. Ricciardi announced today that the Jays had given Tomo Ohka his unconditional release today after clearing waivers. Ohka's time in Toronto was nothing short of disappointing, so his release was expected. However (I wanted to say BUTT), J.P. explained the move today by saying that the Jays believe that Josh Towers gave them a better chance of winning - funny thing is that Towers' numbers are comparable to Ohka's. As a matter of fact, Josh Towers was awful last year too. How Ricciardi says this stuff with a straight face is beyond me. Remember the rule here...bet against Towers every time out.

San Diego Padres P Chris Young was suspended for five games for an on field fight with Cubs 1B Derrek Lee (Lee also got five games). Now we aren't against a good fight - quite the contrary - but when you throw at the Maeple Leafs 1B...we've got a problem. So thanks for nothing Young...you got our boy suspended for five games.

NFL
Tennessee Titans CB Adam "Pacman" Jones is doing his best to make Ron Mexico look like a champ. A shooting outside a strip club...way to go Pacman.

EUROPEAN FOOTBALL
Have we mentioned we hate the freaky deaky Dutch? We wish nothing but the worst for Holland in their next game of the UEFA Under-21 Championship - rolling over against Belgium wasn't cool kids...we'll remember that and beat your asses the next time we play you, and if we get the chance, you can bet we'll return the favour.

That's it for tonight gang - thanks for taking the time to check in. Have a great one peeps.

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world.

I'm Out.

John Mucked Up

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

As Tilt mentioned yesterday, the word around the NHL is that Tards GM John Muckler was told last Friday that he was being relieved of his duties (though they'll probably say he was reassigned) - it looks like the most successful playoff run in the team's history wasn't enough to save Muckler's (aka Sid Dithers) job. I'll give Tards owner Eugene Melnyk credit for making what some will say was a tough decision, but we here think it was the logical thing to do.

Muckler failed where every Tards GM preceeding him has failed - his obsession with the future cost his team in the present. The job of being the Tards GM is not without its problems; most, if not all of them stem from the view of the Tards fans. As I have mentioned here before, a good portion of the Tards faithful are former Montreal Canadiens fans who jumped ship a few years back - most of these "hardcore" hockey fans grew up in an era with the Habs won Stanley Cups in bunches; they have a romantic view of hockey from the 70's where they expect their team to win every single night and cap each year off with a Stanley Cup.

The days of dynasties in the NHL are no more - the combination expansion, free agency and the salary cap have made it very difficult to hold any team together long enough to win successive Stanley Cups. The Ottawa SenaTards business model is based on having a full building each and every night - and in this city, a three game losing streak is enough to keep a few thousand fans from showing up at Scotiabank Place. They can't afford to trade away part of the future to win a Stanley Cup in the present, because it would cost them millions of dollars in lost gate receipts a few years down the road when the team couldn't replenish an aging roster with NHL ready talent. The good GM's make moves to win in the here and now - while Tards GM follow the old Harry Sinden theory that what matters most is the bottom line, not championships.

John Muckler refused to acknowledge that this year's Ottawa SenaTards weren't tough enough to win a Stanley Cup; they went into this year's playoffs with the same weakness they have had in years past - when it came down to crunch time, would he team be physically and mentally tough enough to win hockey's holy grail. Muckler insisted that the adversity his team faced early in the season was proof enough for him that his team was indeed tough enough to do it. For those of you who don't follow hockey closely, the adversity Muckler spoke about was his team being .500 at Christmas and their fans calling for someone's head on a platter.

The stars lined up for the Tards this spring - which hid some very obvious weaknesses from their fans, but not the watchful eye of their owner. John Muckler was responsible for a series of bad moves this year, that in reality left the team weaker than in previous years.

- signing free-agent goalie Martin Gerber to an $11M dollar contract, Gerber ended up being the backup and is for all intents and purposes untradeable;

- signing free-agent defencemen Joe Corvo and Tom Preissing didn't work out, Preissing had a decent regular season and was no where to be found when things got tough in the playoffs; Corvo is a guy who is prone to make bad decisions and that was evident during the first half of the season and in the playoffs. Preissing is going to leave, but they're stuck with Corvo.

The Tards toughness during the regular season was supplied by Brian McGratten, a guy who wasn't going to dress for the playoffs - rather than trade for a veteran guy who brought toughness and leadership like Gary Roberts, he decided that he wouldn't part with the future (Patrick Eaves) for toughness. Instead, Muckler made a minor deal at the trade deadline and got Oleg Saprykan...ya, Oleg. The story for the Tards was the same old, same old - when push came to shove, they folded. Muckler thought making it to the Cup would buy him another year...think again.

What was lost in this story was how Tards President Roy Mlakar managed to keep his job. Mlakar was responsible for bring Muckler and has been one of his biggest supporters...shouldn't he take the fall with Muckler? He may wind up getting let go too, but as of this morning, nothing.

One more thing...how do you think Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli is feeling this morning? Chiarelli fired coach Dave Lewis this past weekend and is still trying to sort the mess that is the Boston Bruins out. Lewis should have been fired after the new year when he admitted that he was at a loss to explain the Bruins post-January free fall - we wrote about it extensively over the winter. But, what must Chiarelli be thinking? Had he still been with the Tards, he could very well have been given Muckler's job.


SUNDAY'S THREE STARS
The old adage is that chicks dig the long ball; with that in mind, yesterday's notables.

Columbus Clippers OF Brandon Watson had a hit in his first at-bat yesterday to extend his hitting streak to 43 gamen - a new record in the International League.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays RF Jonny Gomes had three hits, including two home runs, and drove in four runs to lead the Rays to a 7-4 win over the Rockies.

San Diego Padres CF Mike Cameron hit two home runs and drove in three in an 11-3 pounding of the Cubs...this one hurts for two reasons, 1) its a Padre; and 2) we have Cubs P Rich Hill in the yahoo pool.


MONDAY'S THREE PLAY
What did we say about Jays P Josh Towers yesterday? The new rule here is: when Towers pitches...bet against him. Don't worry about Josh, he didn't take it too hard...he looked pretty happy posing for pictures at the Much Music Video Awards yesterday in Toronto.

We finished last week at + $585, bringing the total for the year down to - $515. Today's suggestions:

Boston over Atlanta - we're expecting Schilling to rebound tonight in Atlanta after getting knocked around in his last start. Lay $100 on the Sox - $135.

Los Angeles over Houston - we'll go with John Lackey over Chris Sampson today, we just don't like the Stros on the road. Lay $100 on the Angels - $205.

Oakland over Cincinnati - we'll go with our boy Joe Blanton over Kyle Lohse, no explanation needed. Lay $100 on the A's - $170.

Detroit over Washington - hard for us to think that the Nationals can get it done today against a Tigers team that is ripping the cover off the ball. Lay 100 on the Tigers - $150.

Others worth considering today - Arizona over Tampa Bay and St. Louis over Kansas City.

That's about it for today gang - be sure to check in tonight for The Hazies with a twist. Thanks for taking the time to check in...have a great one peeps.

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world.

I'm Out.