Ready To Roll

We're now at the point of the year where Government shuts down for 9 weeks, which leaves me with a lot of time to get back to paying attention to this site.

- I realize I am late on this but what in the hell were the Flames thinking hiring Mike Keenan? This guy has not had any success since winning Mark Messier's cup in '94 and has a reputation for pissing off his best player and playing mind games with goalies. In other words, he's going to drive Iginla and Kiprusoff out of town after next season and the Flames will be a 65 point team.

- So the bill to taxpayers for the extra police patrolling Elgin St. during the Sens playoff run is expected to be just under 600K. I find that completely ridiculous. There was no reason for the extra police. It's Ottawa for Christ Sake! The worst that could have happened was 20,000 people simultaneously breaking out pads of paper and pens and writing briefing notes.

- I'm tired of hearing how the Yankees will wake up and make a run at the playoffs. They can't catch Boston and will have to win at least 92 games to edge out Detroit or Cleveland for the wild card. They are currently 36-37, which means they would have to go 56-33 the rest of the way. Not happening. No way.

- Occasionally I see a post so damn good I wish I had thought of it. This one comes from the great Babes Love Baseball and matches MLB players and their potential celebrity mistresses. The Curt Schilling-Anne Coulter pairing is absolute genius.

- This from ESPN's Bill Simmons on Gary Bettman's speech before Friday's draft:

"Ladies and gentleman, we're coming off another wonderful season highlighted by the most damaging TV contract in professional sports history and a finals between an obscure Canadian team and the 357th biggest market in the United States. And now, we're about to introduce a 5-foot-9 American kid who's built like Bailey from "Party of Five" as our first pick. I couldn't be happier -- 15 years ago, David Stern sent me to the NHL to ruin this league and I have delivered in spades. Thank you, thank you very much. Thank you, you're too kind. And now, the 2007 draft!"

He also noted after the sixth pick that "we're now six-for-six for two-parent families at the NHL draft -- a higher total than the last five years of the NBA draft combined." You gotta respect a comment like that.