Get 'Er Done!

It was 2:20pm and I had just got back into the office after working out when I got a phone call from my brother. Here’s how the conversation broke down:

Me: (noticed who it was on the caller ID, so this isn’t my normal protocol for answering the phone at a highly regarded establishment) “Yo man!” in an excited, yet surprised tone of voice. My brother usually doesn’t wake up until 4:30 in the afternoon.
Bro: “BERRRRRRTTUUUUUUUZZIIIIIIII!!!!”
Me: “YEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSS!!!!” followed by a couple fist pumps, a few pounds on my desk and the forthcoming bizarre glares from my 60-year old female co-worker. I don’t care what she was thinking, we just landed the best player available and for nothing! I couldn’t believe that it happened. I was getting flash backs to the late 90s again, my body started tingling for a few seconds as I caught my breath.

It was a good call to get. It was the call I was looking forward too all day.

Even though I was closely monitoring the status of the on-goings at the NHL’s trade deadline, I wasn’t able to hit refresh fast enough on my tsn.ca homepage to catch the latest trade: Todd Bertuzzi to the Detroit Red Wings for Shawn Matthias and a few conditional draft picks.

After a lack luster and disappointing stint in sunny south Florida, the man who was chastised by the league and a big populace of its fans was coming to Motown. And I couldn’t be happier.

This was exactly what the Wings have been in need of all year. A team that has been built on speed, skill, finesse, puck control and strong team defense has been able to comfortably climb the standings throughout the year and look a lock to be one of the top seeds, if not the top seed, in the Western Conference. With the addition of a player, who just a few short seasons ago dominated games as though he were a man amongst boys, the Wings have done exactly what was needed entering the stretch run; get bigger, get stronger, get nastier. Now we finally have that added “grit” everyone keeps attributing playoff success with. We’d have a guy who wasn’t scared to drop the gloves and send a message, even if the opposition refuses to turn around and man up.

Ken Holland was able to be the contentious GM and assess both the present and the future by not surrendering any top ranked prospects currently on the NHL roster and adding a player who only has one direction to go; up. Before going down after only seven games, Bertuzzi was able to notch 8 pts and look as though he may have put his worst behind him after the unfortunate Moore incident, and once again be the premier power forward so many were accustomed to seeing earlier in his career. The situation in Detroit is a perfect fit for both the bruising winger and the high flying Wings.

Being able to play alongside skilled forwards such as Zetterberg, Datsuyk, Lang, Samuelsson and Flipula and with the experienced veterans Lidstrom, Schneider, Chelios, and Draper will enable him to hide in a sense, not being asked to be the savior some teams search for at a trading deadline (Nashville anyone…). Rather, he can come in, crash the corners hard, use his skillfully soft, yet ruggedly strong hands around the net and provide a perfect complimentary skill set to that previously existing on the Wings. Toss in the added chip on his shoulder that grows with every ill-willed comment about him not being able to fit into the “new” NHL or his nagging injuries the past few seasons, and you’ve got a restless giant, just waiting to extract his vengeance on those doubters. The only people I feel a tiny sense of pity for are those hapless fans who went out and bought a #44 Bertuzzi Panther’s jersey when they traded Roberto Luongo away. Honestly though, that was probably about four people, and three of them are probably landed immigrants from Canada, so really, I don’t feel that bad.

Holland’s work would begin prior to the festive February 27th deadline. In a move made to safeguard the club in case they lost out on the Bertuzzi/Guerin/Smyth sweepstakes, he dealt the over hyped, under performing Jason Williams to the Chicago Blackhawks in return for the “gritty” Kyle Calder. Calder is a player who was having a terrible season on a terrible team. Being involved in a three-team deal, Calder came from Philly and I’m staring to think that it was his pearly whites shining in the mid-February sun that made the glare tough on my eyes coming into work this morning. His perma-smile probably had to be smacked off his face by Babcock when he showed up for his physical with the Wings trainers, as he must have been more giddy than an 8-year old kid on Christmas Eve to join the Wings just in time for a spirited playoff run.

Here was a guy who had spent his first six years in the league stuck on a Chicago Blackhawks team that only finished over .500 once in his tenure. He’s only been around for a total of five games in the playoffs throughout his career, losing to the St. Louis Blues in the Conference Quarter Finals in 01-02. Now he’s joining arguably the top team in the West and has the chance to be a part of something bigger than he ever imagined, because in Hockeytown there’s only one time of the year the season is graded upon; the playoffs. We’ve been here before. We’ve won Presidents Trophy’s. We’ve won divisions. We’ve been the top seed numerous times. Those are all impressive accomplishments, and shouldn’t be taken lightly. It takes hours of preparation and exact execution in order to gain those accolades. For Wings fans however, we’re only concerned with what happens in the season after the regular season. This year looks to be as promising as any in recent memory, now if we can just keep Hasek healthy we should be okay.

The pleasantly surprising thing about this trade deadline, unlike the No Balls Association, was that GMs weren’t going to sit on their hands and watch the clock tick and the deadline pass without anything happening. GMs weren’t satisfied to simply play out the remainder of the season with only an adequate squad, and in the situations where contracts were expiring and extensions weren’t looking imminent, teams acted. All this action led to a day where James Duthie ended up being almost as happy as Kyle Calder. Deals were getting done and teams were loading up for a vigorous playoff run. Let’s take a look at both the East and the West and evaluate who the winners and losers were on a busy NHL trade deadline (hint – Edmonton fans are sending paper bags full of shit to Kevin Lowe as you’re reading this).

The Penguins led the way in the East, which is a refreshing sight, and are starting to look as though they finally realize how talented a group of young players lies in front of them after repeat tank jobs and top overall picks. It also helps that people are comparing them to the young Oilers teams of the 80s and look to be on the verge of becoming great…dynasty, well that’s another argument for another day. Adding the tough, but extremely friendly and lovable, Georges Laraques will finally shut the mouths of sports talk hosts, writers and fans everywhere who were constantly playing the role of special advisors and berating the Pens front office every time the subject of protecting Sidney Crosby came up. They also went out and snatched up a player, albeit in his decline of a very good career, away from two of hockey’s hotbeds in Ottawa and the all mighty Toronto. Gary Roberts waived his no trade clause to join the Pens and will add the leadership and experience to a team who will definitely need it during the playoffs. Oh, he also has that million dollar attribute everyone keeps mentioning; grit. This team will be dangerous in the playoffs, especially if Marc-Andre Flurry can get hot and the young guns play like they’re not scared of tomorrow.

The biggest news of the day however - and I’m only mentioning it now because if there are any Oilers’ fans reading this, I feel for you - was the departure of Ryan Smyth. Unable to reach an agreement and not wanting to lose out like they did with Curtis Joseph and receive nothing in return for their best player, GM Kevin Lowe decided the best thing to do with Smyth would be to send him to Long Island. Yes, you read that correct, Long freakin Island! My initial reaction was that of sympathy for Edmontonions. Again they get slapped in the face, kicked in the balls, and punched in the stomach. Even after the NHL alters its infrastructure specifically for small market clubs to compete, they still can’t get a deal done to keep the heart and soul of the franchise in town.

I’m not sure if Smyth was driving up the price and not accepting anything below what Alex Tanguay got from the Flames last off-season (the market showed he would be looking for something in the $5.5-$6M range). But to tell you the truth, I don’t think it should have mattered. The Oilers are a team built around Smyth. He bleeds Blue, White and Orange (which is a good thing because his new unis will be just those colors). On a day where they were set to honor one of the greatest, if not the greatest Oiler of all-time, they went and knocked the life out of the city, a great PR move on all accounts (I wonder who the fool was that set up the Messier retirement ceremony on the same day of the trade deadline, when their premier player and hometown hero was in the final year of his contract. He must be curled up inside of himself right now and rightfully so.)

Why this deal was so surprising was even though it’s happened before, and even though you expected teams to still play it cheap and not invest much, it always seemed as though Smyth and Lowe would find a way to work it out. That evidently was not the case. No deal was reached and the trade was made, but to Long Island? If he were to be traded anywhere you’d have expected them to be graciously cordial and send him to a contender with a legitimate chance at winning a Stanley Cup. If you look at it from Lowe’s perspective though, anything short of shipping Smyth out to the waste land that is the Isle would have been career suicide; it’s like finally deciding to break up with your long time girlfriend and then buying a house right next to hers. That would be the end of your life, and all that would be left to do is call the corner to pull you out of the house in a body bag within a week. Lowe wanted to live to see another day.

There was no way he could stay in the division, that’s a no brainer. There was no way he was going to stay in the West, the chances of lining up with Edmonton later on during the season or, and the chances are slim, in the playoffs, would be devastating on all levels. So you look to the East. There is no way he could have been dealt to a Canadian counterpart, which would just twist the dagger that’s been stabbed in the sides of Oilers fans everywhere. So the logical place to put him was as far away from Edmonton as possible, while still giving Smyth a dim light at the end of the tunnel.

In New York he’ll join a team who is in need of a true leader and provide them a huge boost entering the final months of the season. And who knows, they’ve got a very smart coach leading the way in Ted Nolan and if Depietro can get hot – and he’s shown signs of brilliance throughout the year – and the likes of Blake, Satan, Yashin, Kozlov mixed with new comers Zednik and Bergeron can regain what has made them successful throughout their careers, the Isles could have a fun playoff run, eerily similar to that of Edmonton in years past. The irony-level here is exponential. The sick and empty feeling at the pit of Oiler fans stomachs is something however, that will last long after all the snow and ice melts as another depressing departure should make them wonder if it’s even worth cheering anymore.

The rest of the day was full of teams jockeying for position both in the standings and in the headlines. The West looks as though it’s regaining the powerhouse title it had a few years ago as all the top teams loaded up and tried to one-up each other.

The San Jose Sharks added depth, scoring and that infamous grit everyone is desperate for in forward Bill Guerin while also strengthened their blue line with the likes of Craig Rivet. The Sharks will get a boost to their five-on-five play which has been lackluster thus far, and will gain from having a proven leader and playoff contributor in a young dressing room. They’ll have a legitimate shot to go deep in the playoffs, but their fate will lie on their ability to shut other teams down, and being able to finally step up and take out the top dawgs in the West when it matters most (their current record against teams situated in a playoff spot in the West is 12-15 with 8 more match-ups against such teams throughout the remainder of the season).

Anaheim was not as active as was previously thought, but may be due to the fact that Brian Burke was just not willing to part with any of the young talent currently on their NHL roster. It was rumored that Burke was very interested in reuniting with Todd Bertuzzi but a deal was not reached. It was also rumored he had a keen eye for Bill Guerin, but again, unable to get something done. What he did add was depth and strength in defensemen Doug O’Brien (its okay if you’ve never heard of him, I haven’t either) and tough guy Brad May (who I thought had already retired). So it looks like the Ducks are going to have to take what they’ve got and make the best of it. This shouldn’t be too difficult a task to ask as they’ve been situated at, or near the top of the league for the duration of the season.

Vancouver will be an interesting team to watch during the final month and a half of the season as they were able to add depth in the likes of Bryan Smolinski and Brent Sopel to provide added leadership and grit – that word keeps popping up in these trade talks. They’ll only go as far as Roberto Luongo can take them and I’m predicting that unless they get a favorable match-up against Minnesota in the first round, their playoffs story will be short lived.

Moving east, the Buffalo Sabres finally parted ways with the starter who never got to be the number one guy in Marty Biron, as he was moved to Philadelphia for a 2nd round draft pick in ’07. This makes sense as Ryan Miller is, and will be, the guy moving forward and the dynamic of having two number one goaltenders usually doesn’t work out very nicely – goaltenders are very temperamental individuals. They were able to fill the void of having a legitimate NHL back-up by replacing him with Ty Conklin. The Sabres were also able to add Dainius Zubrus from the Washington Capitals and made a very potent offense that much better. Zubrus is coming out of a very formidable situation playing alongside Ovechkin and Semin and into a high-octane offense where he should continue to flourish. This deal also makes me a happy camper as Zubrus was one of my sleeper picks on my fantasy team at the start of the year and entering a playoff run will only help his stats.

In a move just prior to the dramatic trade deadline final day, the Atlanta Thrashers were able to scoop the washed up Keith Tkachuk from the St. Louis Blues for a bag of pucks. Tkachuk will enable the Thrashers to check-off grit from their playoff emergency list, and provide them a solid player entering the playoffs, although I hardly think this move will put a team who has been highly inconsistent since the middle of November over the top. As is the case in Toronto, where the laughable Leafs were able, for the third time, to bring Yanic Perreault back to town. This deal makes little sense, if only because the Leafs will not make the playoffs this year and need a complete over haul of their franchise in order to make any progress. The fair natured John Ferguson is scared to make any landmark moves, like shipping Mats Sundin out of town, and will be his own worst enemy come contract time. I predict at least another three years of mediocrity and faded playoff hopes for this franchise until something drastic happens, if it even happens at all.

Some surprising moves or lack there of, at the deadline were made by a few teams. We are seeing a shift in the Avalanche philosophy as no one was brought in to attempt a playoff run, and rightfully so. This is an organization that is in the rebuilding process and knows it. They have some good young talent and are going to try to shape these players into what they hope to be a very strong core group of guys for years to come. It will be strange though not to see the Avs in the playoffs, the last time that happened was in 1993-94 - when they were still the Quebec Nordiques.

Montreal was another team who may be on the cuff of making the playoffs, but should take a look in the mirror and realize, even if they do make it in by the skin of their neck, they have a date with either the Buffalo Sabres or New Jersey Devils, and will not come close to making it out of the first round. There must have been offers on the table for Sheldon Souray, who has publicly admitted to wanting to take a look at the free agent market and has always had an affinity to the west coast. The Habs would have been smart to deal the anchor of their power play now, restock with some young talent and draft picks and then make a play for him in the off-season. Now all they have to look forward to is a couple more months of frustrating hockey without their top goaltender and a quick playoff exit, a very smart strategy by the Frenchmen.

The final head-scratching move came from Beantown as the Bruins dealt young forward Brad Boyes to the St. Louis Blues for defensemen Dennis Widemen. This is Boyes third time being dealt in his young career and Boston must be hoping to find a diamond in the rough in Widemen, who has powerplay quarterbacking skills and is a strong all around defensemen as Boyes is a skilled forward who can transition between the wing and centre seamlessly and possess great hockey sense – the jury is still out on this deal.

Overall it was a very eventful day with many trades happening in a very short time. What all this will mean come playoff time is yet to be determined, but if anything, at least there was an honest effort put forth by all and we were given a lot to talk about. I’m not sure if that will be the same sentiment shared by those in Edmonton, but like they say, that’s the business.

- JW

Out with the old, in with the new...

With the weather in Toronto imitating something from a Peter Jackson flick - with the temperature just dipping below zero, right in time to catch the latest storm to stroll through the region and make for an eventful journey into work as lightening, thunder and snow flakes 3-inches in diameter all interject at once, leaving only the 40 ton ape-with-a-vengeance out of the picture - I thought it would be a perfect time to dream of a better place. A place where the grass is as green as the Weed Man’s truck, the sun shines at a perfect 75 degrees and the smell of pine tar, dip, and fresh maple and ash fills the air. Pitchers and catchers have already reported, had their physicals and things are starting to get into full swing. Spring is within sight, even if it feels, or literally is, miles away.

One thing that we won’t have the joy of seeing, or wearing for that matter, will be what has become the longest standing staple in the game outside of the Louisville Slugger’s stacked nicely at the end of the dugout (even though they are becoming less prominent). New Era has just announced that they will be discontinuing their classic design and modeling of their official Major League Baseball caps. They are moving away from the less technologically advanced design that has, for the entirety of the game, incorporated the usage of wool as the primary material and going to something that will supposedly be better for performance – synthetic – and be more aesthetically appealing all at the same time.

The new design calls upon the “wicking” process found in the new athletic apparel such as Nike’s DryFit, where the fabric is designed to wick away moisture, such as sweat, upon the scientific process of “capillary action.” In laymen’s terms, the process is similar to taking a glass which is full with water and dropping a test tube into it. Naturally the water from within the glass will overflow and water will exit. This is the same process, although instead of a glass and test tube, what creates the wicking process is the spaces between the fibers (sweat accumulates, reaches the specially engineered fibers, and is pushed through the spaces between those fibers and is wicked away).

This may be all fine and good, and may serve its purpose as we’ve all experienced how a sweat filled cap feels on a muggy day in the middle of July. There’s a bigger travesty occurring here, however. With the continual advancement of technology and the subsequent trickle down effect it has on varying sectors and facets of life, we continue to take away the essence of what is right and good about the game.

No longer will we be treated to watching our ace on the mound, bottom of the seventh, middle of July, with the thermometer reaching its tipping point, as he glares in for the sign with the game tied and the opposition’s best bat coming to the plate. As the pressure mounts, he wipes his brow and the trickle of tiny pellets of moisture gracefully fall to the ground. Everything relating to perspiration on the playing field is equated to high performance, effort and passion, not to mention, is a natural coolant our bodies fall back on when the heat is on. Some people may prefer to have a dry cap, which will look very similar to the ones we’ve became used to over the past hundred years, but it remains to be seen if this is actually what is best for the game and everyone involved.

Over the past decade we have seen a resurgence in older feeling ballparks being built around the nation. Gone are the days when hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on new-aged, high tech domes with Astroturf that look as though they belong on NASA’s base instead of a downtown core. The reason for this is because the originality, creativity, look and feel of a game is what connects people. Being able to date back to a time and place where you were running out onto the field - glove in hand, your once white pants now a convoluted shade of green and brown and that worn, faded, sweat laden ringed cap you quickly scoop from under the bench and toss on your melon – makes you remember what is good and right about the game.

The essence of a sport is found deeply rooted from years of hardship, dedication and passion. All of these things are found saturated deeply within the wool confines of what used to be one of the remaining elements connecting the past, present and future. Let’s hope the new caps don’t become a component of distraction and a scapegoat for poor performance, if so, we may see what happened to the NBA this season when they too went the way of the future and tried to implement the new, technologically advanced, performance enhancing, sweat and moisture free synthetic basketball to the masses. Only time will tell how this will affect the new generations of players and fans alike, but by removing another staple from the game, it seems as though another peice of baseball's soul goes with it.

-JW


PS. MLB season preview coming soon….

SNI's WEEKLY WATCH

After a weekend where we saw a lot of action both on the ice and the hardwood, it’s time to once again take a look at the upcoming 5-days and forecast some intriguing story lines you should keep an eye on.

As always, you’re left to fend for yourselves on the weekend. I hope this helps dealing with the Monday blues…the implementation of three-day weekends is a definite must.

MONDAY

7:00 PM – A busy weekend leads to a relaxed night on the NHL front as only one game is going on. This should be a nice pre-cursor for Swedish Centre Peter Forsberg, as he eyes six potential suitors as a new destination looms imminent come the trade deadline. Detroit was one of the supposed teams on the All-Stars’ list of exclusively Western Conference cities he would veto his no-trade clause to join, and with six other countrymen already dawning the Red and White, everyone in Motown is dreaming of reigniting the Peter Forsberg who was such a menace for the Wings while a member of the Colorado Avalanche.

When analyzing Forsberg’s move to Detroit, it makes total sense if you look at it from all angles. Detroit is in need of a veteran centre to add some grit, leadership and goal scoring ability to their top lines. The transition phase will be seemingly non-existent as he will be joining players he has grown up playing with internationally. Coming to a team who is already situated at the top of the standings, Forsberg will be able to rest any nagging injuries he may still be fighting and prepare himself for the gruelling playoff stretch. Once back in the line-up, the Wings will not have to place total reliance on the center’s shoulders and may ask him to play more of a complimentary role, surrounding him with the young stars currently leading the way in Detroit. In return, Detroit has enough young talent to offer Philly and if it's draft picks that they are seeking, the Wings will use their scouting diligence and expertise in the latter rounds to make up for not having early round selections.

My white Forsberg jersey is already pre-ordered in anticipation of the Dog-F*%#ers first trip to Hockeytown. This reminds me of the good 'ol days.

In the new-NHL, blockbuster deals at the trade deadline are few and far between; the salary cap and levelled off playing field make teams much more hesitant to give up on the current season as the playoffs are always within sight. Thankfully the Flyers have been terrible and out of contention since the second week of the season. Now all we need is some added muscle and a deep playoff run seems inevitable…Mr. Georges Laraques anyone…

7:00 PM – The NBA offers a few games on Monday with Detroit hosting the LA Clippers in the nights marquee match-up. With CWebb showing exactly why the Pistons were wise in picking up the aging star for the second half, his passing ability has created a more fluid, steadily moving offense where slashing to the basket is rewarded. The question on the other side of the ball is whether or not the Clips will start playing up to their potential and regain the form that brought them from under the woodwork last season and near the top of the Western Conference.

8:00 PM – Prison Break is back on for another week of twists and turns. We left with the fleeing convicts (Sara’s now deeply rooted in their joint escape…er…pursuit of the truth) and defacto-exFBI agent, Kellerman, jumping from the train supposedly headed for the President. Kellerman is on a vendetta now that he has been played for a fool again by Agent Kim and I’m eager to see how he shows his appreciation for all the fun Kim has put him through over the past few weeks. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was with an iron crowbar or 9mm to the side of the head. Michael et al are once again going to be at the mercy of their followers and I’d think that jumping out of a train in the middle of the plains might not be the best for a camouflaged escape, but we know better, this is a network sitcom and Michael has read the scripts of those who are in desperate chase, so he should be able to work a little magic again...the show actually returns next week, Feb.19th. My bad...but to my credit, I didn't think I had to look that one up to make sure it was on. Lesson learned.

9:00 PM – Oklahoma St (17) @ Texas (25) – The Kevin Durant watch continues. I need some feedback! If you’re the team with the top pick in the upcoming draft do you:
A) Choose Durant for his insane all-around ability and freakishly unmatchable size
B) Take the next great centre in the NBA in man-child Greg Oden
C) Start throwing as much money/fame/celebrity/endorsements/girls/ANYTHING at these guys to get them to go pro and not stay in college for another year?

TUESDAY

7:30 PM – The boys from Long Island make a trip into Toronto to take on the Leafs and match-up two of the hotter teams in the Eastern Conference. It is a little odd to be mentioning the Leafs and Isles as two of the hotter teams in the East, but over the last 10 games the Leafs have tallied 15 pts, while the Isles have put up 14 pts themselves to enable both clubs to hold onto their fading and weak playoff hopes. The next few weeks will show us where the Leafs brass is directing the franchise. As the trade deadline approaches, John Ferguson’s phone will be off the hook as real playoff contenders call and inquire about Mats Sundin and Darcy Tucker. I’ve shown the more pity and offered honest analysts towards the Buds than ever before this season, but if a deal doesn’t happen sending the aforementioned out of town before February is over, I will quickly revert back to my cynical commentary surrounding Ontario’s storied franchise because they will once again prove to not truly care about legitimately building a Stanley Cup contender and rewarding their desperately naïve fan base.

8:00 PM – Dallas heads to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks. I wonder how Dirk Digler is going to respond to the remarks made by D-Wade late last week. Wade was quoted and seemed a little out of character, refreshingly so mind you, about Nowitzki’s play near the end of games saying: “you're remembered for what you did at the end. . . . I think that's the reason -- Dirk says they gave us the championship last year, but he's the reason they lost the championship, because he wasn't the leader that he's supposed to be in the closing moments. That's because of great defense by us, but also he wasn't assertive enough as a leader's supposed to be.''

I think it’s safe to say that the message was passed along to Dirk and the Mavs, although it’s tough to argue with the big German as the Mavs have only lost twice since Dec.13th and will be welcoming the Heat next week Thursday in what will be a classic match-up of putting your money where your mouth is….to be continued…

8:30 PM – The Raps head to Chicago and look to take down another team the experts had marked for supremacy in the East. They’ll look to end this affair as early as possible and make sure everyone is at the top of their game as Carter and the Nets head in to Toronto on Wednesday. It’s an event every time Carter comes back to town for what always seems to be a more meaningful game now that VC is the son who emancipated himself from the city of Toronto. Oh how we loathe thee.

College Hoops – It’s now just under a month until Selection Sunday, the precursor for the NCAA Tournament. In order to stay on top of the hot teams entering March, start your watch now and get an advantage on the office poolies. Games to keep a lookout for include: Texas Tech (UR) @ Texas A&M (7) – A&M is a dangerous team to keep your eye on. Virginia Tech (UR) @ N.Carolina (5) – NC is looking for redemption after falling to VT 94-88 a month ago.

WEDNESDAY

7:00 PM – The start of a busy day in the NBA has the Nets and JKidd visiting Toronto. I think I might head down to the ACC, boo until I fall over from lack of oxygen and then head home to keep up with a busy schedule of games on Wednesday. Carter, you will never be forgotten to us, we will always hate you.

7:30 PM – Montreal will be looking to start playing more inspired hockey as they head to the Meadowlands and play the Devils. The Habs have only one win over their last six contests and that one win came in overtime. They’re barely hanging on to a playoff spot and are going to need to start to prove their legitimacy sometime soon.

7:30 PM – San Antonio makes a trip into Detroit and if you’re one of those people who proclaims the NBA would be more exciting and better served if it was played under a college scheme, then watch the Pistons and Spurs. They play fundamentally sound, team basketball and at the highest level.

8:30 PM – The Sharks and Preds face off in a battle of two of the top teams in the NHL and the Gaylord Centre (insert joke here) will be host a fast paced, highly skilled affair. The Wings and Stars also play and Marty Turco will look to rid himself of his kryptonite; since the 01/02 season Turco is 1-8-5 against the Wings with his only win coming in overtime.

THURSDAY

7:00 PM – A fairly busy night in the NHL with seven games on tap. One you may want to keep an eye on, as implications loom for both the East and the West, is between Edmonton and Buffalo. The Oilers are fading as they do so often around this time of the year, and to be honest, another last ditch effort to make the playoffs will annoy me. Teams who are used to sneaking into seventh or eighth spot on a yearly basis (Edmonton anyone…) will need to prove their worth earlier this season as there is a log jam in both conferences.

8:00 PM – A resurgent T-Mac has supposedly put to rest anything that was holding him back earlier in the season, and is rounding in to the MVP-caliber player so many know he’s capable of. The Rockets welcome the Mavs in a test to see who has bragging rights in Texas.

10:30 PM – A match-up of two of the best players in the L comes head to head when the Lakers and Cavs meet in Lala Land. Hopefully LeBron packed his note pad because the young phenom needs to start studying what Mr. Bryant has been teaching all year, how to bring a team full of mediocrity to the top of the standings. (I know the Cavs are near the top of the East, but c’mon, let’s be serious…it’s the East).

FRIDAY

MLB!!! Yep, it’s that time of the year again. The time when I pray a buddy might call me with an extra plane ticket to Florida and somewhere to stay so we can watch our boys of summer prep for another year and bid adieu to the winter that was. Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report on Friday with Spring Training games to start March 1st.

To all my friends: I’ve tentatively booked the entire month of March off, I’m a great wingman and always remember my wallet, I promise you will not be disappointed...

7:30 PM – The Pens head to New Jersey to take on the Devils. With all the controversy surrounding the Penguins and whether or not they need to surround Sid the Kid with some knuckles in order to protect their most coveted asset, I think it’s in our best interest to look at the following: Anaheim and Nashville lead the league with 54 and 34 fighting majors respectively. They sit 2nd and T-4th overall in the NHL respectively. I think we see a small correlation here – the way the game is played today, with increased emphasis on speed and skill, you need to offset all the finesse players with a few guys who will make the other team think twice about taking a run at one of your top guys. This isn’t rocket science gentlemen.

Bonus Weekend Coverage…

The NBA Kicks off their All-Star weekend – yes, it’s on the weekend, I’m not sure what league would think it was a good idea to run their most publicized, fan-oriented event in the middle of the week – with the Rookie/Sophomore challenge. Heading the two squads will be 1st overall pick Andrea Bargnani, Brandon Roy and Randy Foye for the Rookie Team and Andrew Bogut along with the dazzling PG duo of Chris Paul and Deron Williams. With many picking the sophs to route, let’s cheer on the underdog Rooks and two Raptors (Bargnani & J. Garbajosa) in the process.

As for the weekend, make sure you don’t miss possibly the last Slam Dunk contest on Saturday, let’s hope they’ve tweaked the rules so we don’t find ourselves yawning through fifteen dunk attempts by lil’ 50 Cent Nate Robinson again. Then Sunday you’ll be treated to the most lackadaisical pick-up game involving the highly skilled stars of the NBA as the All-Star game comes at us for the first time from Las Vegas. How David Stern was convinced to bring all the NBA’s elite to Sin City is beyond me.

- JW

Loyalty is a Lost Art

Now that the trade talks have settled down between the Colorado Rockies and the Boston Red Sox for perennial all-star Todd Helton, its time to reflect on what could have been, or dreadfully, may still be. In the wake of hearing the news that the Sox were aggressively pursuing Helton, and after reading reactionary columns by many informed baseball writers; Buster Olney’s providing the best insight as usual, the impact Helton would have on the Sox brings a sick feeling to my stomach. By adding another daunting bat, albeit on the decline over the past few years, would have been exactly what the Sox needed. Helton would have fit in perfectly on the right side of the infield with his Gold Glove defense. His bat would fit in seamlessly in a line-up where his declining power production would be picked up by the likes of Ortiz and Ramirez. Projecting the Red Sox batting order with the inclusion of Helton would look something like this:

SS Julio Lugo
1B Todd Helton
DH David Ortiz
LF Manny Ramirez
RF J.D. Drew
3B Kevin Youkilis
C Jason Varitek
CF Coco Crisp
2B Dustin Pedroia

Yah, pretty ridiculous. This would have been a crown jewel of the Theo Epstein era in a sense; that Helton is coming at a reduced rate the Rockies would still be on the hook for slightly less than half of his remaining $90.1M guaranteed contract, meaning the BoSox are only paying him roughly $8-10M per season - and yes, I did say reduced rate) is exactly the type of player Epstein is known to love. He hits for average, works the count, hits the gaps hard, has a great OBP, extends the game, and compliments everyone around him perfectly. Now that he's aging and has shown a decline in his power numbers (his slugging has dropped from .630 to .620 to .534 to .476 over the past four years) he wouldn't be relied upon for power numbers, that's reserved for Papi and ManRam, and could just slap line drives off the Monster all day long, cashing base runners and setting the table for the big boys at a very high efficiency. Simply put, this would have been another kick to the collective groin of all Blue Jay fans and a reminder to the Yankees that the battle in the AL East is never over.

This off-season wasn’t as highly publicized as last year in Toronto, but key additions have been made by JP Riccardi to surround a very talented core group of players with some extra ammunition. The addition of Frank Thomas should compliment a very potent offensive barrage and provide Vernon Wells and Troy Glaus with even more protection to do what they do best. The loss of Ted Lilly hurt as the young arm of Gustavo Chacin will be relied upon heavily as one of the only left handers found in the Jays corps of starting pitchers. A few other minor additions in the likes of Tomo Ohka, John Thompson and Victor Zambrano combined with the young arms of Downs, Janssen, Marcum, McGowan and Taubenheim will act as a sort of crap shoot – whoever is throwin the hot dice is going to get their turn at the table – and hopefully on each fourth and fifth day there will be a solid contribution of innings out of two guys in the group. In a market where mediocrity is selling for more than $10M per season, placing hope in a few guys who came at a Dollar Store price and have proven they can have success as a major league pitcher is a smart move. The key word from that last sentence; hope.

All of the efforts by Riccardi could be lost however, due to the fact that money is evidently no issue whatsoever to our counterparts on the east coast. But wait a second! After not being able to reach an agreement based on the fact that the Red Sox weren't going to be adding one of their highly touted young prospects in the deal (the Rockies supposedly were eyeing Manny Delcarmen or Craig Hansen) the Rockies took Helton off the table and closed talks. Whether or not those same talks start up again as we near the beginning of spring training is yet to be seen, but the possibility is always there. What stroke me as a nice surprise, was the reaction of Colorado owner Charlie Monfort. After the Sox declined to offer Delcarmen or Hansen the Rockies owner’s response was that Helton has been, and will now continue to be, an integral part of the Rockies line-up and help in their efforts to make the playoffs and compete for the World Series. He also added that “this is not an issue of just dumping salary," and that they would not "disrespect Todd and receive nothing of value in return.” Now thinking that the Rockies are contenders for the World Series, or the playoffs for that matter, is a little suspect but, optimistic thinking on Monfort’s behalf nonetheless. Saying that he did not want to disrespect Helton and not receive anything of substantial value from the Red Sox in return, now that’s what pro sports needs more of today.

Although this deal would make complete sense for the Rockies – it’s true, they will always have an outside shot to make the playoffs coming from the weak NL West, but with a depleted pitching staff and heavy reliance on young players such as Matt Holliday, Garret Atkins and Brad Hawpe to provide consistent production - they will be hard pressed to make a major impact this year. Monfort also did just discuss the possibility of the most recognized player in franchise history leaving town, and supposedly not for the first time. All these things aside, the future of this team should be a different story. They have a great group of young position players making their way up to the Bigs (SS Troy Tulowitzki & C Chris Iannetta leading the way) and promising arms that continue to develop (Francis, Taylor Buchholtz, Aaron Cooke and Jason Hirsh) that have many people around the Rockies organization very excited, with Monfort leading the charge. The inclusion of Helton in a talented young line-up where he isn't forced to do all the heavy lifting and finally receiving the payoff you were planning for when you signed him to his 9-year $141.5M contract back in April of 2003 is an enjoyable thought. What really impressed me about the Helton trade talks though, was the tone in which Monfort conveyed his message. It was as though he was standing up for ethics and the proper treatment of players who love the city they have grown up in and who the city has loved watching grow up. He did it in sort of a commanding way, the way that the Boss talks to his henchmen, making sure there is no question in what his intentions are. And it's something that has become an afterthought when discussing professional sports these days.

No longer is it common practice for a player, or an organization, to continue their relationship for the entirety of said player’s career. The list of remaining people around pro sports who have remained in the city that drafted them into the league is a short one. This disheartening fact is something that comes to no surprise to anyone who even remotely follows pro sports. Common mentality is; draft a player, groom that player into a thoroughbred, and then pray to God that player likes the city/teammates/coaching staff/front office/direction of the franchise and has his family’s support in all these facets. If you’re fortunate enough to find someone who fits this mold, you’re one of the lucky few. Most often, a player is groomed by his hometown club only to become too good for them and forces a choice to be made: either keep him and take the hit in the chequing account (but appease your local fan base and earn some cred from writers and associates around the league), or deal him for young prospects and continue the vicious cycle teams like Oakland and Minnesota have found themselves in for the past decade. The fact of the matter is that it’s not in the best financial interest for many owners of pro teams to lock homegrown players up to long term extensions, unless that extension comes at a hometown discount, or if that player is one of those special multi-tool Hall-of-Fame types (please Vernon, don't make a fool of me). Even then, you still need an owner who is willing to spend money, and a lot of it. As shown by the Florida Marlins, you are able to provide the ultimate euphoric experience for your fans on a consistent basis with very minimal expenditures. This is accomplished by building a great farm system, developing your own players into modern day heroes, then spending a ton of money, winning a championship, then immediately trading all the high priced players away, and start all over again with the touted youngsters you got in return for the proven high priced players, only the next time around you minimize the amount of high priced players coming back in order to secure victory. It might not be the best public relations move, but it’s something that is financially sound and in the end, that’s all that it comes down to now.

That’s why Monfort’s decision to stick to his guns and keep the local hero around for a little longer is so refreshing. Fans are used and abused. Built to love and attach themselves to players, only to have those same players sent off to the highest bidder in a different city, bringing a new, unproven, unknown group of players back in return. The feeling after losing one of these players is like trading the perfect New Era fitted cap (the one that finally, after years of dedication and loyal wearing even in the most awkward situations, you've been able to mold to the contours of your head) to your buddy for the 7 1/4 he just picked up off the shelf at Champs. You lose something that you feel at one with. The new hat would take some serious getting used to. Just like the new guys will take some serious getting used to. They'll come strolling into both the clubhouse and our lives, and we are forced to start the entire process all over again, square hat in tact. It’s sickening in a sense. You purchase jerseys, attend autograph signings, boast to friends and families about the quality of people you have in your organization, only to have the front office ship those exact same guys out of town without even blinking.

It is however, a double edged sword. General Managers and Owners are not the only people who show loyalties first and foremost to their financial statements. Players are just as bad and just as easy to blame. Helton would have waived his no-trade clause in order to complete the deal with the Sox, and rightfully so. He has played a long career thus far and deserves a legitimate shot at winning a championship in his final few years in the league. His departure would not have come in the same light as others who flee for exorbitant riches (he's already got that). Nowadays, there will always be a biased thought in the back of the minds of all parties involved. The player is looking out for his best interest, he knows that the organization has no loyalties, so why should he? He has a family to fend for and his own personal dignity to keep intact. The ownership group on the other hand, is looking out for the best interest of the club in general and it too often comes down to the bottom line; are we in the black or are we in the red this year? We have lost the days where people really, truly cared about one another and being a part of a team was like being a part of a family. Toss in a side order of player agents and the plot even thickens. Needless to say, everyone is looking out for themselves, rightfully or wrongfully so, you can be the judge.

The manner in which Charlie Monfort approached the Helton situation is commendable. More people should act in the same light as the Rockies Owner and others who truly honor the old mentality of dignity, honor and respect. When all is said and done, we are still just simple people who work hard, go home to our families, and hope for peace of mind at the end of the day. Whether that peace of mind comes at the expense of those who pay for your million dollar mansion and five-car garage, sadly, doesn’t seem to matter too many people anymore. For the fans in Colorado, thankfully it does to Charlie Monfort.

Then again, Helton could get off to a great start, the young players may not develop as fast as previously thought, the team could be sputtering at the bottom of the NL West with the season looking awash, and Boston may approach them again, this time offering Manny Delcarmen with open arms and a giddy smile on their face, and Charlie Monfort et al. might say "Hmm...Do you know what, this deal makes sense for everyone" and wish au revoir to the greatest Rockie of all-time. Yes, this is a cruel world we live in.

- JW

NBA in the 416

To be honest, the mindsets and opinions of both Raptors fans and people who follow the NBA boggle me. The recent SLAM Magazine that profiles “The Greatest Dunk Off” has Vince Carter taking top honors and got me thinking. While Carter was in Toronto you couldn't get enough of Vinsanity – Vince is insane, and not because of his highlight reel dunks (which I thought he wasn’t supposed to be doing anymore), but because he’s a head case who periodically replenishes his Prozac prescription. A lot of people still can’t get enough of his soft, selfish play, which has me scratching my head. Every time I look down the bench and don’t see him auditioning for the Young & Restless by making a myriad of facial experssions I smile. Thankfully he’s not in Toronto influencing our young players and individually sucking the life out of an organization that is moving in the right direction. It’s nice to see though, that the American fan base and clubs south of the border might be slowly coming to their senses too.

With the Nets falling fast in the standings around Christmas time, and injuries to Nenad Kristic (out for the season after having surgery to heal a torn ACL in his left knee) and Richard Jefferson (out 6 weeks after having ankle surgery) the front office needed to think about the future. What they did was assess their current assets. They first deemed an aging JKidd who’s still playing at the top of his game as a guy who would attract some attention from clubs looking at making a big push for the playoffs, especially seeing that they drafted PG Marcus Williams this past year who looks like he’ll be a nice fit in the league. Unfortunately no teams bit at Kidd, probably due to the fact that he has a guaranteed $40M coming at him over the next two years. The Nets then turned their attention to the poster boy of the team, the aforementioned VC. Do you know what happened? Even with his contract expiring after this year (he’s got a player option for $16.3M next year) no one wanted him! Carter is not a team player. He’s not the guy that will take a beating and keep coming back. He’s not one to put the good of the group ahead of his own personal accolades. It seems as though he’s more interested in finding other NBAers to add to his group of facebook friends than he is with winning at all costs and maybe, just maybe, pissing someone off in the process. Vince hasn’t done anything of substance in the playoffs. He constantly reminds you why he’s not mentioned when discussing the top players in the game. He takes plays off, and doesn’t hustle on defense. To be honest, what playoff team would want a player like that?

If the Magic make a move this off-season to add Vince to their line-up, which has been a terribly kept rumor throughout the year, they’ll be making a terrible mistake. They’ve got a great thing going with a group of young talented players, led by a monster in the middle in Dwight Howard. To mess with the chemistry and cohesion of a group that is growing and learning how to survive life in the NBA is not on the agenda for GMs around the league. Bringing in Vince would do this, however. He would immediately become the face of your franchise, the guy with the ball in his hands during the final 20 seconds, the person others on the team are looking to for guidance and leadership. These are not Carter’s most attractive characteristics.

One place that would work for Vince though, and would please a pissed off giant, would be in the land of a thousand lakes, Minnesota. Pairing Garnett with Carter would work better than most situations. KG wouldn’t put up with Vince’s shit. Carter wouldn’t be the man running the show, which will be permanently reserved for KG; a real OG. Bringing the fire and drive back into his game that he showed can be there during his first three years in the league and at the 2000 Olympics (when he did this) would be phenomenal, not only for the KG and the TWolves, but more importantly, for Carter himself. I won’t argue with the fact that he can jump out of a gym, hit miracle shots, and be the go-to guy, but what I won’t accept is that he is a leader, a warrior on the court, and someone you feel confident going into battle with. Not yet at least. If this wasn’t the case, why would New Jersey want him out, or maybe the better question is why anyone else doesn’t want to let him in?

Now, we’ve got all of Toronto and the rest of the NBA jumping on the Chris Bosh bandwagon, deservingly so. When you look at Toronto and how they’ve been able to turn the season around, it happened when CB4 (terrible nickname by the way, we seriously need to find him a new one along with CP3, and any other guy who uses their initials followed by their number) was on the DL. Prior to the injury, if you had heard that Bosh was out of the line-up for any extended period of time you’d probably be safe to assume that the team would go on to win something in the neighborhood of 10% of their games. Wrong! Colangelo’s hard work is starting to come together and much earlier than anyone thought, myself and brother excluded. The team has been playing well due to the fact that everyone on the court is in motion, penetrating the lane, swinging the ball to the open man, making that extra pass and helping each other play better, more efficient basketball. That sounded something like what we’re seeing a team in the desert do right now. Toronto Suns? Already?

While Bosh was watching his team move forward with him sidelined, he must have been thinking things like; Wow, we can actually win ball games with me not on the floor. I thought this was supposed to be a three-year plan that we were barely into year one of. Now maybe I can take out these ridiculous mini-braids that make me look like I grew up on the wrong side of 8-mile instead of one of the more affluent areas of Dallas. Then when Bosh was healthy and ready to come back into the line-up, what did he do? Nothing, except for jumping right back into his role as a versatile 4 and just try to fit in to how the new Raptors played the game. He stopped thinking that everything was on his shoulders. No longer was he slowing down the offense by holding the ball when it came to him, or forcing the situation and trying to take his man off the dribble early in the shot clock, then attempting upwards of ten head fakes, only to launch an ill-advised 18 footer. Basically, he stopped trying to do everything himself (as he was forced to in years past). Now Bosh is making the extra pass with confidence, knowing the rock is in good hands and that if he moves well without the ball, he’ll get an open look himself. A similar enlightenment happened to another Raptor this year. When T.J. Ford went down, the Raps were able to learn they may possess the best PG combo in the league (Nash/Barbosa would give them a good run). When Ford saw the team not slowing down, but picking up steam, with him on the bench, he knew he had to excel his game and rehab. The emergence of Jose Calderon in his second season forced the issue. Now the Raps are able to run two point guards and not lose a step, something that is crucial in today’s NBA.

Colangelo has been in Toronto for almost a year now, after coming over late last February to assess the club for the final few months of a dismal season. In that short time he’s built one of, if not the best, PG combo’s in the league. He brought in a Euro League MVP shooting guard (H&M Anthony Parker) who’s quietly making a solid return to the NBA, and the team is loving the fact that they are receiving vital contribution from two BIG rookies in the likes of Jorge Garbajosa and Andrea Bargnani. Now all of those players mentioned were those who you would have thought would be able to contribute something to the team entering the year. Someone you may not have targeted as being that big of an addition was the signing of Serbian centre Rasho Nesterovic.

He’s been an ample body in the middle of the paint, forcing opponents to alter shots and playing a pivotal role guarding the opposing teams centre. What most don’t know is that his true value lies off the court. Nesterovic comes from a background infused with productive play overseas in Europe – where he was named MVP for players under 22 in 1996 – an eight year NBA career where he has been paired in the front court with the likes of Garnett and Duncan, and even more important, the ability to fluently speak Italian; Bargnani’s first language. Rasho is somewhat of a mentor and coach to all the new players from Europe and has made the transition of the leagues first overall draft choice much more seamless. Nesterovic however, isn’t the only player/coach on the Raptors that Colangelo has surrounded all the youngsters with. Derrick Martin, although portly in his demeanor, has been just as integral to the Raptors success as anyone else. He is able to tutor and lead from a level position with both Ford and Calderon. When either of the young PGs needs advice or guidance, they go straight to Martin, who has a decade long pro career that includes stops in the CBA and even a stint on the Harlem Globetrotters. Thankfully the former NBA Executive of the Year has the insight that not only do you need talent to win games, you also need the right people surrounding the talent, and in Nesterovic and Martin, we see two perfect examples.

The rest of the squad has been playing better ball as well. Joey Graham is slowly starting to show why he was a mid-first round selection as he continues to gain confidence and slash to the bucket the way he did while playing for OSU. We’re getting solid production off the bench from Peterson, who is a great locker room guy, can hit open 3-balls and plays steady defense. And although I would have been asking for his ass to be traded, now that we’re deeply planted in a playoff race, it looks as though he’ll stay put. To be fair, he is currently the longest serving Raptor and has seen the good, bad and trailer park ugly, so his presence and determination bodes well for anyone around him. This is also the last year on his contract, so after the season we can reevaluate our stance on him being a Raptor. Although, if an offer came up with a first rounder included, I’d take it. Colangelo works magic and I’ll invest numerous draft picks in his back pocket to ensure this team continues to go in the right direction. Rounding out the bench is P.J. Tucker who’s now back on the active roster after spending some time in the D-League, and with some steady minutes, can show you why he was the Big 12 Player of the Year, 2nd Team All-NCAA last year while at Texas and Chivas League MVP this past summer (the Chivas League is a summer league out of N. Carolina where a lot of players in the L who played for NC,NC St., or are Carolina natives return to and perfect their game). Hidden at the far end of the bench is Humphries, Jones, Slokar and Sow who have been reportedly set to join the Raptors Dance Pak to give them an added element of intrigue.

Remember when everyone was saying Toronto will have a good shot at the playoffs in Colangelo’s second season and should be a lock for it in his third year at the helm? Well, it looks as though everyone was wrong. The Raps currently sit atop the Atlantic Division (25-23) and with a strong second half, will be looking to firmly plant themselves in the top half of the Eastern Conference. Toronto Suns? Playing in the weak East, who knows how far this team will be able to go in the playoffs, but a surprising first round victory shouldn’t be ruled out. If they can get hot and stay hot, who knows how far Bosh and the crew can go. Could we be in store for a match-up between Colangelo Sr. vs. Colangelo Jr. sooner than we thought? In all respect, Junior has built two very impressive teams and the future of basketball in Toronto finally looks bright again, something the folks in New Jersey wish they could be saying right now too.

- JW

SNI - WEEKLY WATCH

After a SuperBowl that lived up to all the hype (the inevitable bombing by Sexy Rexy included), and finally nesting Manning atop a league he has toyed with for almost a decade, we as sports fans can recover from another weekend with what SNI likes to call; the Weekly Watch.

In this column we’ll take a look at the week ahead, and forecast any interesting games you might want to keep an extra close eye on while channel surfing on a frigid night or while you’re being diligent and attempting to plan one of those fun-filled dinner dates with the couple your girlfriend just met, who she claims have the exact same personalities as the both of you. Here we’ll keep things straight forward and honest, unlike that sly gal of yours.

Monday

7:00 PM - Even though the hang over from the party the night before still may not be fully worn off, have solace in the fact that you can drown the remnants of over-exposure to beer, chips, and Manning references with some good NBA match-ups. One interesting sub-plot you may be, or should be pleasantly following, are the heart-breaking last second losses the Nets have been able to rack up in the last few weeks. Since January 22nd they’ve been victim to not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR buzzer beating last second shots. The latest came from the smooth…er…surprising stroke of Tyronn Lue and the Atlanta Hawks. If nothing else, try and catch the last few minutes a little past 9:00pm ET and see if Iguodala has the rock with a chance to kick ‘em while they’re down….again.

7:00 PM - Only one game on the schedule for the NHL on Monday, so you can all join myself and watch the Wings handle the Rangers from MSG. Besides Shanahan’s reunion with his former club, we’ll get a chance to see how the Rangers stack up against one of the leagues elite. Jaromir Jagr will also be trying to extend his streak of 20 goal-seasons to 16 which will put him in a tie with Mats Sundin (who should extend his streak to tie the record of 17 years in a few weeks) and one short of the record holder Marcel Dionne (17).

8:00 PM – Prison Break: This is going be a great episode. We left with Michael and Lincoln searching for Sarah who still might be able to save their future, all while their (ex)FBIer is sitting contently, listening to the President direct him to bring back the fleeing convicts so things can go back to the way they used to be. This is the classic ploy to try and get something from someone after you have a fight: bribery. Make the other person think that you feel an ounce of remorse, make it seem as though everything is under the bridge between the two of you, and then say that everything will go back to how they were, and usually, you’ll get them coming back for more. Michael’s always got a plan up his sleeve though, kind of like a modern MacGyver so I’m sure he’s already thought of this scenario and will probably have a plan to separate themselves as quickly as possible, let’s see how they surprise us though.

9:00 PM - The late game to tune into will be the Suns making a trip into Denver to take on Melo, AI and the Nuggets. Although they did suffer two losses during the past week for the first time since the first week of the season, they’re still the jewel of the league and will show a Nuggets team who have been built to run, exactly how to do so.

9:00 PM - College Hoops gives us an early week treat as Texas stays in-state to play Texas A&M. There’s only one thing you need to know about this game: Kevin Durant. Watch the game and let me know what you think afterwards.

Tuesday

7:30 PM- The Celts make a trip into Auburn Hills to take on the Pistons and we will yet again be reminded why Boston so badly needs the ping-pong balls to bounce the right way this spring. Without Pierce in the line-up they are a decimated bunch of youngsters finding their groove and learning what it takes to 1) survive in the league 2) not lose every game.

7:00 PM - For the early slate of hockey games there should be a fun contest in the Dirty South, as the high flying Sabres make a trip into Atlanta to take on Kovalchuck, Hossa and the Thrashers. With the size and skill of Ilya parlayed with the speed and primal instincts of Marion, Atlanta will need to show Buffalo exactly why they’re not far behind for tops in the East.

7:00 PM – The NCAA gives us a second serving of lottery picks and matches up Michigan St. against OSU. If anyone hasn’t seen the latest teenage craze, tune in and watch Greg Oden. After you’ve seen him you’ll know exactly why he hasn’t been ID’d at the club for the past seven years.

10:30 PM - If you don’t work until noon, or just don’t need to be awake for the first half of the day, you’ll want to check out San Jose vs. Anaheim. I know; even after more than a decade, it still sounds strange to list two cities in California to reference an NHL game…we digress. Honestly though, this is going to be one of the best games you’ll see all year. The Ducks are coming off a tough loss Saturday night to the Preds (who, by the way, are now the best team in the NHL, yeah, that surprised me too) and will want to get out to a great start against the Sharks. They’ll go home tomorrow to wrap up the back end of a home-and-home, and then they’ll have the rest of the week off, preparing to go to Dallas on Saturday. I don’t think they’ll want to sit around all week thinking about the 3-game losing streak they’re on.

Wednesday

7:00 PM – The Sens are playing Buffalo and fantasy owners will be hoping that Ray Emery and Ryan Miller get the night off so that the offenses can run wild.

7:00 PM – Dirty Dozen and the Magic make a trip into the ACC to take on the Raps, so that’s where my night will be spent. If you’re not doing anything and want to watch one of the young future superstars of the NBA, make a trip downtown and marvel in everything Dwight Howard has to look forward to and then compare that with your own life outlook.

7:00 PM – Arenas has a chance to show one of the powers out West why he’s a starter in the upcoming All-Star game. If he’s able to put up a triple-double and involve everyone else around him the Wiz will have a slim chance at beating the Spurs, who are just starting to wake up from their first half slumber. With Jameson out of the line-up, the Wizards will be hard pressed to last the depth of San Antonio.

Thursday

7:00 PM – The NHL has a full line-up of games on Thursday, so try and do your best to constantly change the channel and piss off anyone else in the room with you. What you’ll want to keep your eye on will be both Ovechkin and Crosby, who are playing LA and Philly respectively. Montreal will be in Ottawa. And Toronto will get to show us why they need to deal Sundin, as they play in Nashville.

8:00 PM – We get a repeat of the 04 ‘Ship that opened everyone’s eyes in the NBA and finally proved, even after a few Spurs Championships, that teamwork and defense truly reigns supreme as the Lakers and Pistons do battle. I wonder what this years Suns team will do to change our mentality.

Friday

7:00 PM – A light night of action in the NHL as most will be out and enjoying the start of the weekend, but if you’re in, tune into the Lightening game. They’ll be playing NYR and the dynamic duo of St.Louis and Lecavalier are playing like they did when they brought a Stanley Cup to Tampa a few years back and having a lot of fun in the process. I just wonder when will Brad Richards start to live up to all the hype.

7:00 PM – Big night in the NBA. Kobe is in Toronto where we’ll wonder how the hell he put up 81 against us only a year ago. Denver visits Indy who has been surging after making the big deal with Golden State. By the way, this deal has also allowed youngster Danny Granger show us why he was a first rounder last year, as he’s getting increased minutes and showing confidence (avg 17.1ppg & 4.5rpg). Miami heads to Cleveland for another match-up with the Cavs. Let’s hope this is a repeat of last years instant classic that showed us exactly how good both these dazzling young stars can be. What LeBron needs to do is show us he really wants to be a star, even though he might not be surrounded with the most gifted supporting cast.

As for the weekend, well, you’ll have to fend for yourself. Looks like it should be a busy week so pace yourself and enjoy the action.

- JW