Adieu Pierre...Jeezus Roenick, You're Back???

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

The NHL says goodbye to one of the classiest players of his generation. Pierre Turgeon announced that he was retiring from the NHL after 19 seasons. The former number one pick of the Buffalo Sabres played in 1,294 games with six different teams (Buffalo, the New York Islanders, Montreal, St. Louis, Dallas and Colorado) scoring 515 goals and adding 812 assists. Turgeon came into the league with comparisons to the great Gilbert Perreault and was expected to do for Buffalo what Perreault did as a number one pick back in the seventies. He was sometimes criticized for being soft and uninterested - he was a smooth skater, but a little slow which made it look like he wasn't working...bottom line is the guy produced almost everywhere he played (he was hurt for most of his time with the Avs) when. The NHL is going to miss this guy.

So as we say goodbye to Turgeon, we have to say hello again (grudgingly) to Jeremy Roenick who signed a one year deal with the Sharks. Roenick, a diva if there ever was one, told a Philadelphia newspaper that he was retiring from the NHL (meaning no team wanted to sign him) only to retract it after the paper published it. We didn't think anyone would be dumb enough to sign this jackass - so we're wondering what on earth Sharks GM Doug Wilson is thinking.

The best line ever attributed to Roenick was uttered at a sports bar here in Ottawa during a game between the Flyers and SenaTards, when an old-timer sitting a few tables away said "Roenick, the NHL's toughest looking pussy." We know that he is a hockey hero south of the border, but he gets no love and no respect in hockey country. While American broadcasters used to describe him as a heart and soul emotional leader who played the game hard and tough - real hockey fans (read "Canadians") saw him for what he was - a selfish diva, who played the game on the edge and wouldn't drop his gloves if his life depended on it. He wasn't a leader, he was a spoiled little brat who lead his team to absolutely nothing. Roenick had no respect for the game or the fans who supported it - remember, he was the ass that told fans of the NHL that he didn't care if they came back after the lockout...only to look like a bigger jackass when he "apologize" from his living room in the infamous "Coffee Talk" impersonation. Five goals short of 500...meh, Roenick may hit that milestone, but he'll never be respected as one of the game's greats. He's trying to "gain his reputation by winning a Stanley Cup" (Roenick's words when talking about signing with the Sharks).

Do a search on this blog for "An Open Letter to Jeremy Roenick" to see how we really feel - he's a punk and has become a caricature of himself. In this case "we" means me - our new guy Quikdraw likes Roenick, so we are going to have to agree to disagree on this one (see Quik's entry from last night)

Speaking of jackasses - In his soon to be released book, former New York Giants RB Tiki Barber writes that he retired because of Giants coach Tom Coughlan. Barber claims that Coughlan took away the joy of playing football - apparently the joy Tiki felt was fumbling 20 times a year and costing his teams games. Get a load of Barber - Couglan teaches him how to carry a ball without fumbling, which led to the best years of his career, and he still rips the coach? Barber goes on to mention that he was underpaid by millions - hahaha.

We're loving this dyfunctional Giants team more and more every day - beatdown in Big D on Sunday night...you know that game will be in Sunday's Three Play.

As we are members of Leaf Nation we won't pile on Leafs new LW Mark Bell who was suspended indefinitely by the NHL for his problems with alcohol. We hope Bell gets his shit together and ends up contributing at some point in the future - but looking at it from a business perspective (ok, the rose coloured glasses of a Maple Leafs fan who continues to hope against hope) we see $2M coming off the payroll...will that cap room be enough to make Forsberg a possibility??????


TUESDAY'S THREE STARS
Boston Red Sox LF Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits, including a two-run shot off Roy Halladay, in a 5-3 win over the Blue Jays. Are the Blue Jays and their fans ready to say "uncle"?

Red Sox West P Brad Penny picked up his 15th win in Chicago yesterday - Penny pitched seven innings giving up two runs (one earned) on seven hits and three walks while stirking out two as Big Blue won 6-2. They keep hanging around and we keep hoping for October baseball.

New York Yankees C Jorge Posada had four hits, including two solo home runs, to lead the Yankees to a 12-3 win over Seattle - we're giving it up for Posada because we picked the Yankees in the Three Play yesterday.


THURSDAY THREE PLAY
We're feelin' it this week, we could have picked eight or nine games last night (see our Pro-Line ticket) but unfortunately we went with San Diego - still though, a 2-1 night with a + $80 result isn't bad. The total for the week stands at + $520 - a couple of suggestions for the afternoon, with more later today.

Philadelphia over Atlanta - upset special today, Tim Hudson is having a great but he hasn't been all that over his last three start. Husdon is 1-1 with an ERA of 6.35, while Kyle Kendrick is 3-0. It comes down to this, the Phillies are getting it done and the Braves aren't. Lay $100 on the Phillies + $145.

Cincinnati/New York over 10.5 - John Maine has been getting knocked around a bit lately and the Reds staff gets knocked around everyday. We like a lot of runs in this one. Lay $100 on the over - $110.

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

Hazel, we hope things are groovy in your world.

We're Out!