The Pursuit Of Leisure

100% correct, 50% of the time. A tongue in cheek look at culture both high and low.

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Go Warriors Go!

- As I said in my NBA playoff preview, the Golden State Warriors are going to give the Dallas Mavericks all they can handle. With their win last night they moved ahead 2-1 in the series and the way Dallas has reverted to it's shitty defense of old, I would not be the least bit surprised if the Warriors win this series. Baron Davis is absolutely kicking the Mavs ass.

- I will be in Toronto on business until Thursday so posts may be infrequent. But I did get myself a ticket to Game 5 of the Raps-Nets series Tuesday night. If you see someone on the court trying to mug Vince Carter, it may just be me.

- The Red Sox crushed the Yanks again last night. I realize it is only April but with the schedule the way it is now, playing so many interdivisional games, the Yanks can't afford to lose two of three this weekend to Boston. They need to start winning soon or they will be done by the end of May.

- Happy birthday to a couple of hotties today - Jessica Alba turns 26, therefore making her eligible for Pursuit of Leisure Hottie status, and Penelope Cruz turns 33.

- Jay Leno also turns 57 today. I have seen Leno and The Tonight Show live three times and have to say they guy is hilarious. Not on the show but when he is ad libbing and warming up the crowd before hand.

- I would wish John Daly a Happy 41st Birthday but I don't want to. I'm not falling for his down home everyman routine. The guy is a loser and the biggest waste of talent in the history of the PGA Tour. He has more natural talent than anybody, including Phil and Tiger. With his distance, unbelievable hands and short game, and putting stroke he should have 10 majors and 35 wins by now. Instead he's promoting Hooters in a trailer 1.5 miles away from Augusta during The Masters.

Friday, April 27, 2007

Enough About A Sock.

- I've really had more than enough of the the Great Sock Controversysurrounding Curt Schilling. Schilling does have a massive ego and for that reason I think there may be a but a 2% chance of him faking it but Jesus, who cares. It's not like the Sox-Yanks series this weekend could be any more hyped than it already is.

- Marty Brodeur has as horseshit a game has he possibly could last night and the Devils still only lost by one goal. I don't know whether to read anything into that or not.

- Kobe went for 45 last night and the Lakers won. This blows my theory that he had to score 50 to beat the Suns. The Lakers are still done in 6 though.

- The news of David Halberstam's death earlier this week made me very sad. He was simply a phenomenal writer. Summer of '49 is not just one of the best sports books I have ever read, but one of the best books I have ever read period. It chronicles the Red Sox-Yankees pennant race through their two stars, Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio. But it really turns it's eye on post WWII America and the role baseball played in shaping the culture of that era. I went searching for my copy of it this week but seemed to have lost it. It's certainly one book I don't mind buying again however. I also intend to buy Breaks of the Game ,which numerous people I trust have told me is the best basketball book ever written, and does a similar job of chronicling the NBA during a very difficult period in the late 70's through a cultural prism.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Your Chance To Be A Corpse.

- CSI has had a great season this year and they are keeping everyone interested with "The Miniature Killer" storyline. Now CTV has a "CSI Miniature Killer Contest" and the winner gets to be a corpse on the show. If it gives me the chance to meet Sofia Curtis I'm in.

- I'm not too surprises that should-be-shit-shoveler Rosie O'Donnell is leaving The View. I'm thinking her ego and wretched personality made it pretty tough for her co-stars to stomach her. Maybe she'll replace Don Imus.

- Spending scientific research money on beer. Now that I can get behind.

- One contest I won't be signing up for is to travel to Planet Gliese 581 C, no matter how much astronomy interest me.

- Finally, a Happy 73rd Birthday to Carol Burnett, the funniest women in the world.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Salma Hayek



The latest edition to the Pursuit of Leisure Hottie pantheon is the lovely Salma Hayek, possessor of the best body in Hollywood (which was the only thing worth viewing in After The Sunset). This Oscar nominated actress combines dramatic and comedic talents with a curvy figure every young girl should be striving for (as opposes to the carb hating physiques of many leading ladies these days). Salma also conducts herself with a great deal of class and seems to have a normal private life. After dating Ed Norton for years, she is currently engaged to a big time French businessman whose name escapes me at the moment.

NHL 2nd Round Playoff Preview.

I had a good first round going 7-1. Things don't look that much tougher to me in the second round.

Eastern Conference

Buffalo Sabres (1) vs. New York Rangers (6)

The Rangers don't have the luxury of playing a team with limited playoff experience in this round and it is going to show. The Sabres are too fast and well rounded to lose to the Rangers who will not really hot goaltending to win this series. And I hope one of the Sabres knocks Sean Avery out of this series with a crushing hit.

Sabres in 6

New Jersey Devils (2) vs. Ottawa Senators (4)

The Senators don't have the luxury of playing a team with limited playoff experience in this round and it's going to show. Instead they get the Devils whose playoff CV's can compete with anyone. These are not the same Devils teams that had Neidermayer and Stevens on the blueline but I think they are deeper up front and Marty Brodeur is still the best in the game. I expect the John madden checking line to wear down the Jason Spezza line over the course of this series and the Devils offensive depth will win the series for them. But this isn't a case of the Sens choking, the Devs are just a better team.

Devils in 6

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings (1) vs. San Jose Sharks (4)

Detroit did not impress me that much against Calgary because they were awful in Calgary. San Jose looked very impressive knocking off the good Nashville team. I think the Sharks speed is as good as the Wings and their defense is deeper and not dependant on one pairing. The Sharks win this one.

Sharks in 6

Anaheim Ducks (2) vs. Vancouver Canucks (3)

If the Canucks anemic offense couldn't score against Dallas it sure as hell won't score against the Ducks with Neidermayer and Pronger logging 30 minutes per game on the blueline. The Ducks also have three lines that can score and very good goaltending. The only chance the Canucks have is if goalie Roberto Luongo steals all four of the Canucks wins.

Ducks in 5

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Toronto Sports.

- A big hats off to Raptors coach Sam Mitchell who was today named NBA Coach of the Year. That's a hell of a lot better than being named worst coach in the league, which he was last year by a poll NBA players. There are two parts to being an NBA coach, the first is game tactician, and the second is managing and motivating players. Not many coaches can do both so you can be an effective coach doing only one of the two well. Mitchel has learned how to handle his players well but is still a lousy game coach. It will be really interesting to see if GM Bryan Colangelo brings him back next year (his contract expires at the end of this year).

- The Jays are in very deep shit now that closer B.J. Ryan is on the 60 day DL. The bullpen was this teams biggest hole to start the year and losing Ryan is going to be death for them. I don't see how they can win the division with him gone for that long. Even with the Yankees pitching problems you know they will make a charge at some point and the Red Sox are not going anywhere but up in win column.

- A friend asked me if I thought the Leafs should sign Mats Sundin. I think they should. But if they sign Sundin they need to overpay a quality winger who is capable of scoring 35 goals on his wing. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me to sign him for max money than put him with Ponikarovsky and Antropov again.

ARod's Getting Stupid Now.

- ARod hit 2 more homers last night, which means he is just ridiculous right now. 14 HR's and 34 RBI's in April with 7 games to play. I don't think 60 for the year is out of the question. Yet the Yanks still lost last night because of brutal pitching. They have finally smartened up and decided to promote sure thing Phil Hughes to startagainst the Jays Thursday.

- As I said last week, the Sens are no farther this year than they were last year before getting waxed by Buffalo. We'll see how much better they are now that they have to play the Devils in round 2. My guess is not that much. My 2nd round preview will be here tomorrow.

- I wish Scott Mellanby a happy retirement. He was a great leader and got everything he could out of his talent. And he's an Etobicoke kid so you know he's all right with me.

- I very much like the premise of the new documentary Manufacturing Dissent, but that doesn't necessarily mean I will see it. I'm just not that interested in seeing Michael Moore anymore.

- More proof Stephane Dion doesn't really get it - Transferring Taliban prisoners to Canada.

Monday, April 23, 2007

A Perfect Sunday Afternoon.



Ms. Skeelo and I enjoyed our first Ottawa Lynx game of the season yesterday on a beautiful sunny afternoon. The home team won a well played 4-3 game over the Scranton Yankees. Those readers in Ottawa should make every attempt to go to a few games this year because it really is great entertainment. A day in the sunshine, 2 tickets 5 rows behind the third base dugout, 2 dogs, 2 drinks, and 2 ice cream sandwiches for $50 is tough to beat. And nowhere does a cold beer taste better than at a ball game.

- After I got home from the game I proceeded to have a great Sunday afternoon nap which meant I had the stamina to catch the Red Sox complete the sweep of the Yanks by hitting four consecutive HR's off rookie Chase Wright.

- I have been happy with the first three episodes of this season of Trailer Park Boys. I was worried about a lack of creativity after the movie last summer. Then again, when you are only doing 6-8 new episodes a year it shouldn't be that hard to come up with storylines.

- The new season of Billable Hours debuted last night on Showcase at 9:30 pm and was hilarious. Most Canadian shows admittedly suck but this one is very funny. Showcase is replaying last night's episode Tuesday night at 9 pm and you should give it a shot, if you don't like it fine.

- I know Game 1's don't really mean anything but I would love to see the Warriors keep it up and knock off the Mavs. As I suggested the other day Baron Davis may be too much for the Mavs.

Friday, April 20, 2007

End of Week Ramblings.

- I've always said the biggest problem with municipal politics in Ottawa is never the Mayor (I though Bob Chiarelli was a pretty good Mayor) but all the loonies on council. Now Alex Cullen wants to ban trans fats from every restaurant in the city. Surely to God council in this city has far more important things to worry about. Silliness like this is one of the reasons this city can't ever outgrow it's hicktown status.

- When I said ARod was a lock for the AL MVP this year I sure as hell didn't think he would have 10 HR's, 24 RBI's and 2 walk offs in the first 14 games. He is going to put up Nintendo numbers this year if he doesn't get hurt. And the Yanks will need all of it because with Mike Mussina on the DL their starting pitching is in deep shit. The series at Fenway this weekend will be awesome with the Yanks facing Schill, Beckett and Dice K.

- Now I'll admit that the typical 11 or 12 year old girl could test the patience of Job, but I think Alec Baldwin went over the line calling his daughter "a little pig". I can see her reaming him out over not calling him back but it din;t need to get that ugly. And don't be too hard on Alec, it has to be frustrating when your ex-wife is doing everything possible to keep you away from your kids.

- Note to Sens fans, who are becoming even more hysterical than Leaf fans, Your team is no farther yet than they were last year. Don't go planning any parades yet.

- Happy 35th birthday to Carmen Electra who looks a hell of a lot older than that after relationships with Dave Navarro and Dennis Rodman.

- With Ice Cube's new movie Are We Done Yet? released recently, I started wondering what his old NWA running mate Eazy-E, singer of such gloriously filthy songs as Gimme That Nutt, would think about Cube's family friendly movies of late. But then again if Eazy was alive today he may have been starring in a family sitcom with Bea Arthur so who the hell knows.

NBA Playoff Preview.

Thanks to the Miami Heat sleeping through the first half of last season then turning it on and winning the championship, this regular season was pretty dull because a lot of teams decided to take the same route. Which makes this year's playoffs a hell of a lot harder to predict. Last year I went 14-1 and I think I have about a 3% chance of matching that success this year. This year it all comes down to matchups as I have said all year. All I will guarantee is that their are only four teams who can win the whole thing - The Suns, Mavericks, Spurs and Pistons.

Western Conference

Dallas Mavericks (1) vs. Golden State Warriors (8)

This is a great series for a number of reasons. First, this isn't your typical 1 vs. 8 series because the west is so strong Golden St. is 8 but are still a dangerous team. Second, Warriors coach Don Nelson gets to match up against his last team and the owner he hates. And third, Golden St. swept all three games during the regular season. The Warriors Baron Davis is the third best point guard in the league when he is healthy and he is very healthy right now. Stephen Jackson, if he isn't arrested during the series, is going to score a lot of points. I just don't think the Mavs will be able to continue to have the Mavs number for 7 games. I think Dirk Nowitzki is going to be huge and the Mavs will play just enough defense to get by in this series. But don't be shocked if the Warriors pull this off.

Dallas in 6

Phoenix Suns (2) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7)

Be very shocked if the Lakers pull this one off. If the Lakers had been healthy all season I think they would have a real shot in this series but with injuries to Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum they go into the playoffs playing terribly defensively. There is just no way they can slow down the Suns despite having the best player on the floor, Kobe Bryant. The key for the Suns is to go at Kobe on the defensive end. He's going to score his 40 points a game but he wears down when he has to work on his own end and I expect the Suns to go right at him. The biggest improvement for the Suns this year has been the defensive improvement of Shawn Marion in the second half. He is a stud stopper now. Steve Nash is still a bad defender but the Lakers don't have anyone good enough at guard to exploit him. This series will appear close but won't be. Kobe will score enough to win 2 games himself but the Suns will win by 10+ points in their four wins.

Suns in 6

San Antonio Spurs (3) vs. Denver Nuggets (6)

This is another potential upset. I don't think the Nuggets are consistent to win more than one series but the way they score they can win this one. Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson have finally come together and that's scary for the Spurs because it could wear down point guard Tony Parker. Nene has quietly improved a lot in the second half and Marcus Camby is a good offensive rebounder who will score on some putbacks. On the defensive end Camby will also slow down Tim Duncan (nobody stops him) which will hurt the Spurs. The difference in this series is going to be Manu Ginobli and to a lesser degree Michael Findlay. If they play well the Spurs win. I think they will.

Spurs in 6

Utah Jazz (4) vs. Houston Rockets (5)

This one is a coin flip. Both these teams would be the best team in the east but are stuck facing each other in the first round in the west. Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming are obviously huge for the Rockets and there record was great when they were both healthy. Throw in defensive stopper Shane Battier and they are tough to beat. The Jazz play very tough up front with Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur but Andrei Kirilenko has had an off year. His numbers are not bad, he just hasn't had the same impact as last year. His drop off will cost the Jazz who are still a year away from doing serious damage.

Rockets in 7

Eastern Conference

Detroit Pistons (1) vs. Orlando Magic (8)

It's nice to see Grant Hill healthy for the Magic in the playoffs but they are completely overmatched. Their only real chance in this series is if man child Dwight Howard goes for 30-15 a game with 5 blocks. The Pistons are too experienced and too good on the road to lose this series. They will breeze into the second round with Rip Hamilton scoring a tonne of points.

Pistons in 5

Cleveland Cavaliers (2) vs. Washington Wizards (7)

The Cavs, specifically LeBron James because he is the Cavs, are a real puzzle. They were very average the first two thirds of the season and very good the last third. But they did not improve at all over last year and they should have won 55 games in this conference. The Wizards on the other hand played hard all year, especially down the stretch after losing their two best players to season ending injuries. Without Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler the Wiz will get trounced in this series which is too bad because it could have been a good one.

Cavs in 5

Toronto Raptors (3) vs. New Jersey Nets (6)

This was the worst possible scenario for the Raptors. Playoff experience is more important in the NBA than any other league and Nets point guard Jason Kidd has been to the finals twice. He is the best PG in the conference and is going to outplay T.J. Ford very badly. Ford is an exciting player but he is not a great player. He runs too much, makes bad decisions and takes too many bad shots. And coach Sam Mitchell isn;t a good enough tactician to put Jose Calderon, who is the much better PG on the floor. The thing that scares me most though is that the Raps are the one team Vince Carter is always pumped to play. Chris Bosh should have a big series because the Nets are awful up front. I expect Anthony Parker to hold Vince to some low scoring nights but the Raps don't have anyone who can then stop Richard Jefferson. As much as it kills me the Nets are going to win this series.

Nets in 6

Miami Heat (4) vs. Chicago Bulls (5)

Another repeat first round matchup from last year. The Bulls now have Ben Wallace up front and he has proven in the past he can slow down Shaq at times. The difference with this Heat team is that Dwayne Wade had been more banged up this year which means Shaq will be the man in this series for them. The bulls don't impress me that much and they still have no frontcourt scoring which means they will have to rely too much on Kirk Heinrich and Ben Gordon. And that's not good. Both guys can score but I have watched about 10 Bulls games this year and they make two many bad decisions leading to turnovers and force too many bad shots at the end of close games. That is going to kill them in this series.

Heat in 6

Thursday, April 19, 2007

World's Cleanest Cities.

A new study on the World's cleanest cities has been released, and Calgary tops the list. The article also states that "The cleanest cities are largely located in countries noted for their democracy and their industrialization," and that "It may not be accidental that these countries are among the highest in purchasing power parity" according to World Bank figures. And this is a surprise?

10 of the top 25 cleanest cities are in North America (5 in the US, 5 in Canada, including Calgary, a town built on oil I might add), 11 are in Europe, 3 are in Japan.

While Al Gore and his groupies run around ripping every industrialized country a new one, it is pretty clear that underdeveloped countries with unstable political structures should be the ones whose feet are held to the proverbial environmental fire.

Time For A Lower Profile Jason.

- My man Jason Whitlock appeared on a panel on Oprah earlier this week which in and of itself is fine. But of course nothing is ever in and of itself and I'm calling for him to tone it down a bit because should be shit-shoveller Rosie O'Donnell said on her show Monday that she would marry him. When Rosie is on your side Jason, it is time to rethink your PR strategy.

- The Atlanta Thrashers got swept last night, but they really sealed their fate when they traded for Keith Tkachuk at the deadline. The guy is just a loser. The saddest part of all this is that it puts an end to Lil John's blog. He was starting to bring the NHL some street cred.

- My biggest Raptors fear came true as they are playing the Nets in the first round. Jason Kidd is so much better than T.J. Ford at the point (Ford is an exciting guard, not a great guard. There's a big difference.) it is going to cause big problems for the Raps. And Toronto is the one team in the east Vince Carter will play hard against.

- The Simpsons celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut on The Tracey Ullman Show today. This show isn't what it used to be but from seasons 3-7 it was the best written show on TV, and is still worth 2 or 3 laughs per show which is better than most sitcoms.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Playoff Hockey

As the weather is supposed to finally improve here in Ottawa I figure I should write one last decent length hockey post before I lose interest in the playoffs entirely and turn to watching baseball and playing golf for the rest of the season:

- Watching the playoffs has me more convinced than ever that last years run to the finals by the Oilers was not a fluke. The cap has watered down the league so much that as long as you make the playoffs you have a legitimate shot to win the Cup. Every non-playoff team from Philly to Washington to LA is two decent players away from winning the Cup. That's how bad the level of play has become under the cap.

There are a few reason I think that way. The Sabres won the President's Cup and are struggling to beat an awful Islanders team, the Devils finished second and look like they would have finished 10th if they had anyone other than Brodeur in net (but of course they do so I'm not suggesting they are a bad team), and the Thrashers won their division and are getting throttled by a very average Rangers team. Even the gutless Senators (who may not be that gutless anymore, but more on that in a minute) can come out of the East this year.

There is no way in hell this years Cup winner would beat the recent Devils, Red Wings or Avalanche Cup winners. I don't even think they could make it a 6 game series. Thanks to the salary cap mediocrity reigns. Another reason socialism is dumb.

- I think the Sens getting Mike Comrie mid season was a huge pickup. This guy plays his ass off and has been huge for the Sens so far. They have also smartened up and made Philips and Volchenkov their top defensive pair. Mike Fisher, one of my five favorite players, is playing well, which he always does, and Redden is getting less ice time. As long as Alfie and Spezza keep showing up at least every other game the Sens might have a chance. But I'm still not convinced they are getting by the second round. Whoever they play next won't be as inexperienced as the Pens who have looked beyond awful to this point in that series.

- How pathetic is Sean Avery? When Ilya Kovalchuk is tossing you around the ice like a rag doll it might be time to quit yapping like a tough guy. I hope Elisha Cuthbert dumps him after this sad performance.

- The Ducks are going to be tougher to beat than I thought with Neidermayer and Pronger each playing terrific for 35 minutes a game.

- The playoffs just don't seem right without Joe Sakic playing and scoring big goals.

The Tables Turn on Richard Gere.

- I find it very funny that outspoken lefty Richard Gere is being burned in effigy in India for kissing a Bollywood star in public. I'd like to think something like this would make Gere realize he is not actually living in a fascist run country but I highly doubt it.

- I think Ed Norton as The Hulk is good casting. Norton can definitely play the range of emotions required to play the character and was absolutely jacked in American History X (one of the most underrated movies of the last ten years), so he can put on the muscle again. I'd like to see him have another good role because I think he is a great actor but has taken some god awful films on lately.

- Here's a question - How come nobody suspects steroids when a skinny guy like Norton or Tobey Maguire puts on 30 pounds in three months? Because they have personal trainers and chefs and work out 5 hours a day? Just like pro athletes do?

- I don't know what to think of Ocean's Thirteen. I'm going to see it because I am hoping it will be close to as good as the first movie. It certainly can't be worse than the sequel which was positively awful. What scares me is that they have added the biggest hack in Hollywood, Al "Don't Say It When You Can Scream It" Pacino, to the cast.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Happy Birthdays!

On to more happy subjects today. A coupleof former NHL defencemen are celebrating birthdays today. Borje Salming, who could fake an injury like nobody else and was also my first favorite Leaf, turns 57 today. And big Ken Daneyko, whose jersey The Hammer is very likely to be buried in, turns 43.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Virginia Tech Shootings.

In light of today's tragic shooting spree at Virginia Tech University, I would like to think the media will wait to gather all the necessary and relevant facts, interview key people, research the background, then do some honest reporting on what happened. But as much as I would like to think that, realistically the next two weeks are going to be absolutely unbearable as sides square off and try to use this tragedy to try to further their own agendas. The North American media is a disgrace and we are about to see a perfect example of how bad it has become.

For what it's worth, my thoughts go out to all family members and friends of the victims.

(A quick aside - How long before people somehow try to blame this on Michael and Marcus Vick, both of whom were Hokies, and their "thug" image? I say no more than 12 hours.)

Sunday Night Baseball

- The announcer I would rather hear call a game in his sport more than any other is Johnny Miller calling Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN. I always have a smile on my face when he is calling a game. Even though it started to snow last night in Ottawa, I couldn't be happier listening to Johnny and Joe Morgan call the Dodgers-Padres game. Last night was even better than usual because they had Jackie Robinson's widow, Rachel, in the booth with them and then Hank Aaron. Listening to Rachel tell stories about her time in Brooklyn with Jackie was great but the highlight was when she gave Padres pitcher Chris Young shit for walking Dodgers pitcher Randy Wolf with runners on second and third. The woman knows her baseball.

- The NBA playoffs have become a lot more interesting with the Nuggets finally coming together. I don't think they can win more than one series because they are too inconsistent but they have enough fire power to beat at least one god team if they get hot. And that's why it's interesting. The Spurs can't beat the Mavs, the Mavs can't beat the Suns, and the Suns can't beat the Spurs. But the Spurs and Suns are likely to meet in the second round, unless the Nuggets, who are not a great matchup for the Spurs because of their speed in the backcourt, knock of the Spurs.

- I wish the Queen Mum were still alive to see Prince William potentially bringing home Britney Spears. That would have been priceless (for the record I am convinced to this day the Queen Mum had Princess Di killed for dating an Arab). Somehow I can't see Kelly Osborne making the cut with Will. The gay civil union is a better bet than that.

- Did I mention it is snowing in Ottawa today? I'm officially more than sick if this nonsense. There is no way in hell I am spending my entire adult life in this climate.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

The 60th Anniversary of Jackie Robinson.



I wouldn't say I was hesitant to write about the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball today so much as I wasn't sure what to say. I am hardly qualified to speak to just how important this moment was other than to say it is one of the most important moments in American history. Sports is often taken far too seriously but the importance of Jackie Robinson being the first black major league player can't be underestimated. In 1947 baseball was still America's true past time and held far more of the publics attention than people realize and far more than it does now. The opposition to Robinson's joining the Brooklyn Dodgers was tremendous, and the courage Robinson had to have to face the racial taunts, hate mail and death threats he received is simply incredible.

To put it in perspective, Robinson played second base for the Dodgers eight years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus and 10 years before Martin Luther King, Jr. became a prominent figure in the civil rights movement. It is not incorrect to say Robinson was a true civil rights pioneer.

While a lot has been made recently about the diminishing number of black players in the major leagues, I don't think Mr. Robinson would be the least bit disappointed. For him it was not about having 50% or 60% of the players being black, it was simply about black players having the opportunity to play baseball should they be good enough to have the chance. Because of him they now have that opportunity.

I don't think whether one player from each team, all the minority players in the league, or every single player in the league wears number 42 today is really important, as long as all the players understand just how significant that number is today 60 years after Jackie Robinson wore it and helped change history.

Sens vs. Pens

- The first two games of the Sens vs. Pens series couldn't have played out any better to illustrate my point of last week about why I hate this Sens team (not the Sens as an entity, this team). The first game was typical Senators - run up the score, laugh and smile, and show how talented you are. An hour before yesterday's game I said to a friend in Whitby "Big deal. You know they will lose today if the game is close." And of course they did. They had a one goal lead and an opportunity to take a choke hold on the series, then blew it.

The two biggest poster boys for Ottawa's playoff futility were front and center again - Wade Redden and Daniel Alfreddson. With a one goal lead Redden got run behind his own net by Gary Roberts (who could have predicted that?) and coughed up the puck leading directly to an easy one-timer to tie the game. On the winning goal Alfreddson broke his stick in the Pens end, threw his hands up like a 9 year old, half assed it back into his won end and barely made it to his own hash marks when his man, Crosby, scored.

Sens fans would have you believe that goaltending has always been there problem but with the exception of one bad game 7 against the Leafs by Patrick Lalime, that simply isn't true. This team just can't win tight games. The problem with the Sens is gutless guys like Alfie and Redden. When the Sens lose this year, likely in another 4 games, Alfie should be thrown under the bus and GM John Muckler should be fired immediately.

Saturday, April 14, 2007

Toronto Envy.



- I find the picture above very amusing.

- There is a new documentary called Let's All Hate Toronto that should be good, at least based on the premise. The money line in the article:

People in Montreal appear mostly bemused by Mr. Toronto's antics, probably because bemused is their default reaction to everything.

Montrealers are too lazy to lift an eyebrow. Mount Royal could suddenly turn into a smoking tower of bubbling lava and the nicotined boulevardiers of St. Laurent would only shrug, blame the federal government, and get back to the vital work of sneering over their federally subsidized pints of Maudite. A life without aspirations must be such a comfort.


- I've said before how much I like the way Jason Whitlock writes about racial issues in sports. So I'll let him have my last word on the Don Imus Affair, not to be confused with The Dreyfuss Affair as many people today would have you believe it is as serious as. And yes, I agree Jackson and Sharpton should be "fired".

(Also be sure to click the link in the article with Whitlock taking on Sharpton on CNN, and correctly pointing out the Duke Lax players deserve the same rallies in their defense as the Rutger's women.)

Friday, April 13, 2007

Stubby Clapp Day.

- The Memphis Redbirds are retiring the jersey of fan favorite, Windsor Ontario's very own, Stubby Clapp on April 21st. It's quite a credit to his personality and work ethic that a 2nd baseman who hit .269 for Memphis over 4 years is receiving such an honor. He also starred on the '04 Canadian Olympic team and for the Windsor Stars (the best amateur organization in Canada) midget and juvenile teams that beat my teams on a regular basis. The little shit.

- I think Jeremy Roenick is a great fit for TSN's plyoff crew. He his not very self aware, dumb and has a big mouth. He will be very entertaining and a natural now that is all but officially done as a gutless loser NHL player.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Mr. Belding Gone Wild.

- Me and some of the boys from Whitby have decided it is very likely there will be a boys weekend in Vegas in late July. One of the clubs we want to hit is Tangerine at Treasure Island. I went online to check it out and found this picture:



That my friends, is Dennis Haskins, aka Mr. Belding, the Principal from Saved By The Bell. My first thought was why the hell would we go to a club that has been hosted by this guy, then I thought, If Tangerine is good enough for Mr. Belding, it's definitely good enough for the likes of us.

- I love Reese Witherspoon and thought it was ridiculous that Ryan Phillippe would be dumb enough to let her get away (hey Ryan - you're a B lister at best). So I'm glad to hear she is hooking up with Jake Gyllenhaal. He seems like a pretty decent guy. I wouldn't say he's quite normal, but nobody in Hollywood is.

- I'm very proud to say I have never watched an episode of American Idol but I find the whole Sanjaya issue amusing. I have heard clips of him and he is truly terrible. I hope he wins just so the record execs shit their pants.

- I could comment on Belinda quitting politics but I am not surprised nor do I care.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Quick Baseball Notes.

- With 6 dingers and 15 RBI's in his first 7 games, Alex Rodriguez is well on his way to the MVP a lot of people, myself included, expect him to win this year. ARod is an extremely proud guy and needs to have a great year to leave the Yankees on a high note (and he has to leave NY because of the fact that he will never be Derek Jeter). He can opt out of his contract this year and there is no doubt in my mind that's what he plans to do. He knows he's the best shortstop in baseball and that he made a huge sacrifice making the switch to 3B for Jeter. He has better range, a better arm, and better hands than Jeter and everyone knows that. Jeter owes his Gold Gloves to the fact that the best shortstop in the league is playing 15 feet to his right, not against him.

- You know what is funny about Roger Clemens? The fact that he was named in the Jason Grimsley affidavit on steroids but nobody questions whether he took 'roids are not. He has been more dominant in the past 7 or 8 years collectively than he was in Boston collectively (partly because his last few years in Beantown he couldn't seem to pry his fat ass away from the buffet table. No that I'm bitter about that).

Now is the time of year when people will start to wonder where he will make his annual mid summer return so he can soothe his massive ego but I want to know why nobody thinks he could have used performance enhancing drugs the way people automatically do with Barry Bonds and vilify him. The late career success they have both had is very similar. It honestly makes you wonder if race does play a role in it because Rocket Roger is every bit the jerk Bonds is.

- If the Blue Jays are serious about contending and winning the AL East this year, which is a possibility with the lineup they have, they can't keep giving starts to Josh Towers. He lost again last night and that has to be his last start. A loss in April counts the same in the standings as a game in late September and Towers give them very little chance at winning. Bring the ball to anyone but him, even if that means a rookie from Syracuse.

NHL Playoff Preview.

In my season preview I predicted San Jose over Buffalo in the Cup final. I am sticking with those teams to make the finals, San Jose against my better judgement, but am taking Buffalo to win it. I think there are five teams with a legitimate chance to win the cup but only one is in the east, Buffalo. Which means they won't be as beat up for the finals as whomever comes out of the west.

Eastern Conference

Buffalo Sabres (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)
This series is going to be an absolute annihilation by the Sabres. They are better than the Isles in every aspect of the game and the only chance the Isles would have in this series is with a healthy Rick DiPietro in net. Daniel Briere and Chris Drury are going to run amok for the Sabres.

Prediction: Sabres in 4.

New Jersey Devils (2) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (7)
I have complete respect for the Devils (though I still haven't forgiven them for single-handily ruining NHL hockey by introducing the trap in the mid 90's) and the fact they have the best goalie in the league in Martin Brodeur, but they are in very tough against the Lightning. Tampa has the better group of forwards with Vinny Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Mr. Clutch, Brad Richards. The Devils are slightly better on the blueline though and have the big advantage in net. It's really tempting to go with the upset (though that term is relative in today's "New NHL", which is watered down crap), but I can't see Tampa beating Marty 4 times.

Prediction: Devils in 7

Atlanta Thrashers (3) vs. New York Rangers (6)
This is a hard series to figure out because of the Rangers strong late season surge and Atlanta's playoff inexperience. One thing the Thrash have going for them is Marian Hossa who was always the one guy who played in the playoffs for the Senators while he was there. I also think Ilya Kovalchuk will have a good showing but it won't be enough. The Rangers big advantage in this series is going to be the experience and leadership of Brendan Shanahan, the talent of Jaromir Jagr, and the goaltending advantage they have with Henrik Lundquist.

Prediction: Rangers in 6

Ottawa Senators (4) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (5)
This year's recipient of the Easter gift of playing the gutless Sens in the first round are the Penguins. The Sens have done absolutely nothing to suggest they are anything but the choking losers they have always been, and won't in this series. The Pens high flying offense is going to skate circles around the Sens wimpish defense and I expect Gary Roberts to continue to kill the Sens, Wade Redden specifically. Sidney Crosby is going to have a great series and get about 10 points. As long as Pens goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is average the Pens will win this easily because Ray Emery is going to shit the bed for the Sens.

Prediction: Penguins in 6

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings (1) vs. Calgary Flames (8)
I'm not sold on Detroit as the best team in the west and not having guys like Shanahan and Steve Yzerman around is ultimately going to hurt them. But it won't in this series because Calgary is not that good. They are terrible on the road and will likely have to win twice in Detroit. I don't see that happening regardless of how well Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff plays.

Prediction: Red Wings in 5

Anaheim Ducks (2) vs. Minnesota Wild (7)
This should be the best series of the first round. Both these teams were built around speed and it should be highly entertaining hockey. I don't think either team has an advantage in net and I think their forwards are a saw off as well. What's going to make the difference for the Ducks in this series is having defenceman Scott Neidermayer and Chris Pronger each logging 35 minutes a night. They got those two guys for their playoff abilities and it is now going to pay off.

Prediction: Ducks in 6

Vancouver Canucks (3) vs. Dallas Stars (7)
This should be the worst series of the first round. Each game may end up 1-0 in triple overtime because neither team can score any goals. This should interesting though because both of these teams have been playoff busts in recent years. Both teams return to the playoffs with their previous years' rosters pretty much the same, with the obvious exception of the 'Nucks having Roberto Luongo, the best goalie in the league not named Brodeur, in net. But the Canucks previous failures were not 100% due to bad goaltending so they will need some guys to step up. Fortunately for Canuck forwards, the Stars still have Marty Turco in net. I expect Turco to cost Dallas the series.

Prediction: Canucks in 6

Nashville Predators (4) vs. San Jose Sharks (5)
It's a credit to the how good the west is that these two potential Cup winners are meeting in the first round. The Preds got a whole lot scarier at the trade deadline by adding Peter Forsberg. Forsberg's playoff heroics are well documented and I don't expect him too slow down at all. The Preds also have quick young forwards and veterans Paul Kariya and the underrated Jason Arnott. On the other side the Sharks have Joe Thornton who has matured into the best player in the conference, a quick defence and a lot of offensive depth with Patrick Marleau, Johnathan Cheechoo and veteran Bill Guerin. Neither team has an advantage net so I honestly think this one's a coin flip.

Prediction: Sharks in 7

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Pac Man Has His Plug Pulled.



Pac Man Jones has been suspended by the NFL for one full year. I think people who blog about sports need to stand up and unite against this because Pac Man is worth so damn much material over the course of a year.

My suggestion to any network executive who is reading this, is to start a reality show with Pac Man being mentored by Hugh Hefner for a year while living at the mansion. Tell me you wouldn't watch that.

Well Done Raptors!

- A big thumbs up to the Toronto Raptors for winning their first division title and securing a top three spot in the playoffs. I realize their division is terrible but someone had to win it and the Raps did just that after a terrible 7-14 start. And getting a top three playoff spot means they will win a first round matchup which is far more than anyone could have expected at the start of the year. Now if GM Bryan Colangelo has ever even so much as watched a hockey game I think MLSE should allow him to run the Leafs as well. He can't be worse than John Ferguson Jr.

- Howard Stern has more listeners and a bigger contract but Don Imus is so much better at what he does and so much more intelligent than Stern you can't even compare the two of them. Stern will goad you into saying something stupid but Imus will make you say something career ending. But it's his comments about Rutger women's basketball team that have him in trouble. He made a stupid joke that he admits went to far but he has said far, far worse over the years. And don't even get me started on the fact that grandstanding arseholes Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are piping up about it.

- The Ottawa Senators have nobody to blame but themselves for the choking dogs label they have more than earned for themselves. I don't hate the Senators as an entity, I just hate this group of players. Every year they run up big scores during the regular season and tell everybody how great they are. Then the arrogant fools shit the bed in the playoffs as soon as they are challenged. That's why they are the most hated team in the league (except for the Leafs) by other players. This year will be no different when the Penguins take them out in the first round.

- Anybody trying to remake Sgt. Pepper , even as a tribute, is sacrilege.

- So little Avril has dropped over $9 million on a new home in Bel-Air. The sacrifice some people have to make to be near their ideal place of employment is pretty big, I mean, you know damn well she would rather be living in the ritzier section of Napanee which as we all know puts Bel-Air to shame.

Monday, April 09, 2007

The Shootout and The Masters.

- As I've stated before I think the NHL shootout should be abolished immediately and this weekend proved it again. I'm honestly not the least bit sour that the Leafs missed the playoffs but the Isles should have had to have won in overtime to do it. My suggestion is to make overtime 4 on 4 for 10 minutes then if the game ends in a tie each team gets a point. The winning team gets two points and the loser gets nothing. How stupid was it that the Leafs could have won Saturday night's game in overtime and still be eliminated?

- Congratulations to Zach Johnson on winning The Masters yesterday. I've said before that I enjoy watching Tiger winning but I wanted to see someone finally step up and beat him on a Sunday and Johnson did just that. He made a couple of clutch birdies right when it looked like Tiger might make a run at him. It was great to see and hopefully other guys will see that it can be done.

- Count me among those who didn't like the way the course played. The best thing about watching The Masters is seeing 5 or 6 guys making a run of birdies on the back nine on Sunday to give themselves a shot. The new set up does not allow that to happen. If they keep using this setup Phil and Tiger are going to win 8 of the next 10. To paraphrase Mike Lupica, and I hope to God that's the last time I ever write that sentence, a lot of things are supposed to happen at Augusta in April, the US Open isn't one of them.

- The normally reliable Peter Oosterhuis should be fined about $8 million for making the ridiculous suggestion that Tiger appeared "under the weather" yesterday. Good on Nick Faldo, who along with Johhnny Miller are the only two color guys in golf willing to speak the truth, for saying Tiger wasn't sick at all. Johnson just beat him yesterday, don't make excuses for him.

- And finally, for your Monday morning viewing pleasure is the incomparable artistic stylings of Horatio Cane.

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Major League Baseball Preview Continued.

Here we go with the National League preview. And don't bitch to me that the we are already a week into the season because 6 games don't mean anything.

Again this year the National League will be terrible (or Quadruple A as Bill Simmons referred to it last year) and the AL is going to own inter league play.

National League East

1. Philadelphia Phillies (Predicted record 95-67)
The Phils have the reigning MVP in Ryan Howard, future Cy Young winner Cole Hamel, a deep rotation and a lineup that also includes Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Pat Burrell. Howard is fully capable of matching last year's .313-58-149 and Hamel is going to win 17 games in a breakout year. But what is going to make the big difference this year for the Phillies is a full year with Jamie Moyer, the best 5th starter in the league, and Freddy Garcia. Garcia is a big game pitcher who can pitch 200 innings in the NL and should also win 17 games. The only real potential weakness for this team is that expected closer Tom Gordon is now 39 years old and prone to injury. But GM Pat Gillick is more than capable of pulling off a big mid season deal if he needs to.

2. New York Mets (92-70)
The Mets are going to score a tonne of runs because they still have the best 1-6 in the majors in NL in Jose Reyes, Paul Lo Duca, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, David Wright and the ageless Moises Alou. Billy Wagner is still a great closer. The issue for the Mets is starting pitching. Tom Glavine should have a strong year and win 18 games on his march to 300 career wins, and Orlando Hernandez can still baffle hitters but they are not going to get much from starters 3-5. If either John Maine or Oliver Perez can pitch consistently they will stay in the race until Pedro Martinez can be healthy in the late summer and carry them to the Wild Card.

3. Atlanta Braves (88-74)
The Braves will be competitive late into the season based on having John Smoltz and Tim Hudson at the top of the rotation. The bullpen is still a problem but it has been for 16 years and they still managed to win the division every year. What is going to hurt the Braves is that aside from Chipper and Andrew Jones they don't have much strength in the lineup. I like Brian McCann behind the plate and at bat but I think Jeff Francoeur is at the top of his potential and Kelly Johnson and Edgar REbteria are not top of the order guys on a playoff team.

4. Florida Marlins (84-78)
Marlins fans have won 2 World Series since 1997 so they are a lot better off than most fans but don't tell them that. This team has a great young rotation with Dontrelle Willis, Anibal Sanchez, and Scott Olsen. They have a good young bullpen with some power arms and some great Young position players like Hanley Ramirez, Dan Ugllad and the phenomenal Miguel Cabrera. But they are still too young and short another middle of the order bat to contend seriously until at least next year.

5. Washington Nationals (54-108)
The Nationals starting rotation is likely to include John Patterson, Shawn Hill
(a Mississauga boy who played a year for the same amatuer organization I did, the Etobicoke Rangers), Matt Chico and Tim Redding. That says about al you need to know about how ewell this year's nationals are going to be. They have a decent closer in Chad Cordero but he is not going to have many save opportunitties. There also going to struggle to score runs because while Ryan Zimmerman is a true middle or the order guy Nick Johnson and Austin Kearns, whol will hit 4-5 are number 6 hitters on agood team. I hope the honeymoon for Washington fans isn't over yet because this is by far the worst team in the major leagues.

National League Central. By far the worst division in baseball.

1. Milwaukee Brewers (84-78)
Yeah that's right the Milwaukee Brewers. It's important to keep in mnd that the Cardinals won this division last year with 83 wins and the division is just as bad this year. The Brew crew has the best 1-2-3 starters in the division in Ben Sheets, Chris Capuano and Jeff Suppan. They also have a better than average bullpen with Francisco Cordero ready to save 30 games. But what should carry the Brewers to the playoffs for thr first timein 25 years is a potentially great young lineup that has last year's breakout star Bill Hall, Richie Weeks and J.J. Hardy as the table setters and Prince Fielder who is ready to have his first of many .300-30-100 years.

2. St. Louis Cardinals (81-81)
The Cardinals were the worst World Series winner I have ever seen last year and they have lost ground. Chris Carpenter is the only proven starter and their middle relief is a big problem. The lineup isn't that strong aside from Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen because Jim Edmonds is on the down side of his career. Where the Cardinals will continue to shine is defensively and that strong up the middle defense is the reason they will remain in the hunt for thihs division.

3. Chicago Cubs (80-82)
The most fun race in the NL this year is going to be for the home run crown as Ryan Howard and Albert Pujols battle new Cub Alfonso Soriano. Soriano hit 46 playing in cavernous JFK stadium last year for Washington and may hit 60 this year laying in Wrigley. Soriano is joined by other strong middle order guys like Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez which means the Cubs sould be fun to watch. But the rotation will be a problem as always. Carlos Zambrano may very well win 20 in his contract year but Ted Lilly, who got handed the dumbest off season contract in baseball, is going to bomb and lose 15 games.

4. Houston Astros (77-85)
It's hard not to think the Astros have run out of opportunities. Craig Biggio is over 40, Carlos Lee had a big contract year that he won't repeat and Morgan Ensberg is not a 5 hitter. The one constant they will have in the lineup in Lance Berkman. The Astros biggest problem though is the rotation which is pretty pedestrian after Roy Oswalt. Jason Jennings and a past his prime Woody Williams are not playoff starters and there is little behind them. I think Brad Lidge is still a great closer but should still consider taking out a restraining order aginst Albert Pujols so he doesn't ever have to face him again.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates (77-85)
The Pirates have enough young talent to make a real run in this divsion. If they can finally get big years out of Zach Duke and Tony Armas Jr. their rotation can be good. Their 3-4-5 hitter, last years batting champ Freddy Sanchez, new addition Adam Laroche, and stud Jason Bay are going to keep them in games and their defense is above average. But a weak bullpen that lacks a true closer will keep the Pirates from contending deep into September. But at least this team is finally headed in the right direction.

6. Cincinatti Reds (68-94)
It's going to be a very long year for Cincy fans because when Bronson Arroyo is your ace your in trouble. Arroyo is a good pitcher who eats up a lot of innings but he is a number 3 starter elsewhere. The bullpen is terrible and is going to have a hard time holding the few leads they are given. And the lineup is going to have a hrad time scoring runs because Ken Griffey Jr. is on his last legs and Adam Dunn strikes out too much. I eageryl await the promotion of 1B Joey Votto by mid season. I don't actuallt expect that to happen it is really just a shameless plug for Votto who is the Reds top hitting prospect and who is another Etobicoke kid who played for the Etobicoke Rangers (he's 8years younger than I am so I didn't play with him).

National League West

Los Angeles Dodgers (97-65)
Even with the loss of Greg Maddux the Dodgers still have the best starting rotation in the majors due to the addition of Jason Schmidt. Combined with Derek Lowe, Randy Wolf and Brad Penny the Dodgers should run away with this division and head to the World Series. The offense lead by Nomar Garciaparra and Jeff Kent is old but will still be able to score enough runs to win games. The bullpen is going to be tested with a lot of small leads but they will hold up.

2. Arizona Diamondbacks (88-72)
Call thi a hunch but I think the DBacks are going to be good this year. Randy Johnson should win 18 games back in the NL and Brandon Webb may well win 20. Number 3 starter Livan Hernandez never misses a start and is good for 230 innings. They have a decent bullpen which will likely end up with a closer by committee but what is really appealing about this team is the young talented lineup that includes SS Stephen Drew, 1B Conrad Jackson and CF Chris Young. They are going to score enough runs to get them close the wild card.

3. San Diego Padres (85-75)
If this were 2001 I would pick them to win this division with Greg Maddux and David Wells in the rotation. But it's not and these guys are just old now. They can both still win 14-15 games but that's not enough in this division anymore. This team is also going to have a hard time scroing runs because Brian Giles is done as a big time hitter and Mike Cameron is not a 3 hitter. They still have the most dominant closer in the NL, Trevor Hoffman, but that won't be enough.

4. Colorado Rockies (77-85)
The Rockies are heading in the right direction and have some good young starters like Jeff Francis and Aaron Cook. The have a closer in Brian Fuentes and they still have Todd Helton, who should be Comeback player of the year, Garrett Atkins and Matt Holliday in the middle of the order. But until they get more depth in the bottom of the rotation the Rockies won't contend fo the division.

5. San Francisco Giants (75-87)
Cheering for Barry Bonds as he marches past Hank Aaron is about all the excitement Bay area fans are going to have this year. Barry Zito should fare well in the NL and win 16 games but the rest of the rotation is brutal and the bullpen is banking on the erratic Armando Benitez to close out games. The lineup is also completely over the hill with guys like Dave Roberts, Omar Vizquel, Ray Durham and Rich Aurillia in addition to the 43 year old Bonds. Things are going to get a lot worse for the Giants before they get any better.

Cy Young - Carlos Zambrano, Cubs

MVP - Ryan Howard, Phillies

Rookie of the Year - Josh Hamilton, Reds who should get playing time when Jr. inevitable goes on the DL

Playoffs

NLDS Dodgers over Mets
NLDS Phillies over Brewers
NLCS Dodgers over Phillies

World Series Tigers over Dodgers

Friday, April 06, 2007

The Leafs Won't Make It.

- I know I promised my MLB NL preview today but Ms. Skeelo and I are headed to Montreal for a Lily Allen concert tonight in about an hour so it has to wait until tomorrow.

- For a team fighting for it's playoff life last night the Leafs performance was pathetic. I don't see them performing any better against Montreal tomorrow night which is fine with me. As I said earlier in the week, they are essentially fighting for the right to lose to the Sabres in 5 games in the first round.

- Does anybody, outside of Ottawa at least, really think the Sens will get out of the first round? Being able to watch Sid The Kid perform against these still gutless losers and watching Gary Roberts score big goal after big goal because Wade Redden doesn't have the guts to move him from the front of the net will be the highlight of my NHL playoffs. In fact, it's one of my favorite things about living in Ottawa.

- Watching the Spurs beat the Suns last night has me more convinced than ever that the Suns don't have a chance against the Spurs in the playoffs. What's worse is that the Suns know it too, you could see on their faces last night they realize their season will be done after the second round.

- You've got to love Rosie O'Donnell. She represents everything that is great about America. Only in the US could someone as fat, obnoxious, arrogant and stupid accumulate the fame and fortune she has just by being herself. She's quite a success considering she would be shovelling cow shit for a living if she lived in a country like Cambodia or the Ukraine.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

2007 Major League Baseball Preview.

My proudest prediction of last year's preview was that the Atlanta Braves would end their run of division championships. I stated that Leo Mazzone's defection to Baltimore would haunt the Braves because he was far more important to their success than the incompetent Bobby Cox. And the Braves are going nowhere again this year despite what many are predicting. So here goes this year with the AL today and the NL tomorrow.

American League East

1. New York Yankees (Predicted Record 96-66)
Every year you expect the Yanks to slip and they never do in the regular season. They have failed to win the World Series since 2000 because they don't have enough pitching. This year is no different. They have a stacked lineup and will get an MVP year out of Alex Rodriguez. They will score enough runs to win the division but will flame out in the playoffs again. They have a lot of questions on their staff like can Andy Pettitte stay healthy (I don't think he can) and can Chien-Ming Wang win 19 games again (No)? Mike Mussina, who is the smartest pitcher in baseball not named Maddux, Glavine or Martinez, will win another 17 games and Mr. Ego Roger Clemens will be there mid season to help but it still won't be enough to get out of the ALCS.

2. Boston Red Sox (93-69)
This is a hard team to figure. They won the World Series going the Moneyball route and then completely abandoned it, the most recent example being the ridiculous contract they gave new right fielder J.D. Drew. The Sox have a lot of questions that stop me from picking them to win the AL and get to another World Series. I think Josh Beckett will have a great year and win 18 games and I also think Dice K is the real deal and will also win 18. Schilling seems to be motivated but is 40 years old. I don't see him winning more than 12 games. The bigger issue is the top of their lineup. Julio Lugo is a terrible leadoff hitter and Coco Crisp is just as bad. They will get plenty of runs provided by Manny and Ortiz but they just don't have the horses to keep pace with the Yanks.

3. Toronto Blue Jays (92-71)
No team in the AL will get more from their top two starters than the Jays will from Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett. The problem for the Jays is 3-5 in the rotation. The key to the Jays post season chances is Gustavo Chacin. If he can become the consistent 15 game winner I think he can be the Jays can win this division. The Sox and Yanks don't have any rotation depth either and the Jays are going to put up a lot of runs. I like the signing of Frank Thomas a lot. He is going to hit 35 home runs and provide protection for Vernon Wells who will continue to improve and justify is huge contract. B.J. Ryan will continue to be great out of the 'pen and the middle relief should be improved over last year because it can't get worse.

4. Baltimore Orioles (78-84)
I'm convinced this team will never compete until interfering owner Peter Angelos dies. But at least this off season they didn't go out and sign over the hill guys who can't play anymore like Sammy Sosa and Javy Lopez. The big problem for the O's is that their pitching stinks. Ottawa native Erik Bedard will only get better and likely win 16 or 17 games this year and appear in the All Star game. Fellow Canadian Adam Loewen is really going to struggle against the tough AL East lineups he will face all year though. The offense isn't great but they will score enough runs to win a bunch of 10-8 games.

5. Tampa Bay Devil Rays (68-94)
The D Rays have a lot of great young talent. Rocco Baldelli and Carl Crwaford are already very good players on the verge of being great and B.J. Upton, Elijah Dukes and Delom Young are going to be absolute studs within 3 years. But all those guy are position players and until Tampa gets some decent pitching other than Scott Kazmir they are going to continue to lose 90 games a year. Their rotation is just awful and is my choice for worst in the league. But at least all two of their loyal fans will have a fun young lineup to watch.

American League Central. By far the best division in baseball.

1. Detroit Tigers (100-62)
Last year was no fluke because the Tigers have the best starting rotation in baseball, even with Kenny Rogers now sidelined for the first few months of the season. Jeremy Bonderman and Justin Verlander are future Cy Young winners and Mike Maroth will win 15 this year in Rogers place. They still have the best manager in baseball in Jim Leyland and one of the game's best defensive catchers in Pudge Rodriguez. Add Gary Sheffield, who absolutely loves playing for Leyland and therefore won't be a pain in the ass, to the already strong lineup, and Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney getting even better out of the bullpen and the Tigers are heading back to the World Series.

2. Cleveland Indians (97-65)
The Indians are going to be very dangerous to this year and may leap over the Tigers to win the division. They have a strong and durable top of the rotation in lefties C.C. Sabathiaand Cliff Lee (the two guys who will get them by the Yanks in the ALDS)and righty Jake Westbrook. Joe Borowski is good for 35 saves and they have strong middle relief. And Travis Hafner may hit 50 home runs this year, he is that good. Aside from Hafner the offense includes stud Gardy Sizemore and the underrated Trot Nixon along with Casey Blake who should hit .300 this year. This team is also possibly the best defensive team in the league. If the Indians were in the AL East they would win 105 games.

3. Minnesota Twin (90-72)
Loosing Francisco Liriano to injury was a huge blow to the Twins chances this year but they still have the best pitcher in the game is John Santana who is a lock to win the Cy Young award in the walk year of his contract. Past him though the rotation has too many question marks. I also think they are going to continue to struggle to score runs despite having Joe Mauer (the best catcher in the majors) and Canadian kid Justin Morneau who should each hit .320. Despite a great year last year I don't think Torii Hunter will improve on his .278-31-98 and Rondell White is done being a good player. In any other division the Twins would have a chance but not this one.

4. Chicago White Sox (87-75)
This is going to be a very trying year for the White Sox. Jermiane Dye is in the final year of his contract so expect him to have a huge year and be in the top three in MVP voting. But I think this team is getting sick of manager Ozzie Guillen's bullshit. This is a veteran team and if they are not in contention in early September things will get really ugly. Their rotation is still strong enough to keep them in contention but their middle relief is weak. They also have an old lineup and don't think Darin Erstad is going to add much, nor is Jim Thome going to repeat his 42 home run year again.

5. Kansas City Royals (59-103)
A lot of people are ripping the 5 year $55 million contract the Royals handed starter Gil Meche but I actually think it was a good signing. He is a proven innings eater and he could have won 16 games on a team with a good offense (such as the Jays for example). But he won't win 12 games with the Royals because they are absolutely horrible. Their rotation is brutal and the only real chance they have to avoid losing 100 games is if Meche and rookie Zack Greinke pitch out of their minds. Their lineup will struggle to score runs despite the presence of Rookie of the year candidate Alex Gordon (the surest can't miss rookie this year) at third base. It's going to be a very long year but at least their fans have a great park to watch them in.

American League West

1. Anaheim Angels (95-67) I refuse to call them the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The Angels should dominate their own division this year with a rotation that is probably the second best in the league behind the Tigers once Batrolo Colon returns. John Lackey, Ervin Santana and Kelvim Escobar are consistent guys all capable of winning 15-17 games and Jered Weaver should only get better. And Franciso Rodriguez has become the games most dominant closer (sorry Mo Rivera fans). Vlad Guerrero is still the best all around outfielder going and their up the middle defense of SS Orlando Cabrera, 2B Howie Kendrick and CF Gary Matthews Jr. is fantastic. The one problem they are going to have is scoring runs because Garrett Anderson is on the downside of his career and Matthews probable won't be on 'roids anymore.

2. Texas Rangers (89-73)
The Rangers may be the suprise team of the year in the AL. They have Kevin Millwood and Vincente Padilla as their 1-2 starters and serviceable 3-5 guys who just have to be decent because this team is going to score a tonne of runs. With Michael Young, Mark Teixeira and Hank Blalock pounding the ball they will be dangerous. I also think Sammy Sosa is good for 20-25 homers this year because the ball just flies out of The Ballpark at Arlington. The key for this team is going to be new closer Eric Gagne. If he can stay healthy, a very big if, watch out.

3. Oakland A's (89-73)
The A's are hoping lightning can strike two years in a row by signing ageing Mike Piazza to replace Frank Thomas and his 30+ home runs. Piazza has no shot at even 25 home runs because his bat has slowed considerably and it showed last year against NL pitching. Though he'll be rested as a DH I don't think he will help an already poor offense. Jason Kendall and Shannon Stewart are no longer top of the order guys and Eric Chazev was awful at the plate last year. Unless Nick Swisher and Bobby Crosby have huge years they can't win the division. The rotation should be good but not great and Huston Street will still be dominant in the closer role. If Rich Harden can stay healthy all year they have an outside shot but I don't see Joe Blanton or Dan Haren ever being more than 15-16 game winners.

4. Seattle Mariners (67-95)
Other than watching the best young pitcher in the game Felix Rodrgiuez continue to develop and watching Ichiro hit .365 in the walk year of his contract Mariners fans are not gong to have much to cheer for. Bringing in Jose Vidro was pure desperation and that move looked brilliant compared to bringing in Jeff Weaver as the number 3 starter. A bad offense, weak rotation and average bullpen add up to a very long season in Seattle.

Cy Young - Johan Santana, Twins who then signs with the Mets in the off season.

MVP - Alex Rodriguez, Yankees who then opts out of his contract and joins Sweet Lou on the north side of Chicago with the Cubs.

Rookie of the Year - Alex Gordon, Royals

Playoffs

ALDS - Tigers over Angels
ALDS - Indians over Yankees
ALCS - Tigers over Indians

Masters Prediction.

- The Masters, most pompous and self important event in sports, starts today. I will start by saying that The Masters is the easiest of golf's four majors to win. They play the same course every year (which contrary to popular belief is nowhere near the most difficult course on tour), it is a limited field, and you still have spots filled by 65 year old former champions who have no business being there. Having said that I still enjoy watching it, though I often have to do it with the mute on so my ears don't bleed from the syrupy commentary. I'm not going out on much of a limb when I say Tiger is going to win (but he won't win the US Open to complete another Tiger Slam), but if he doesn't I think Adam Scott will finally break through for his first major.

- Barry Bonds hit number No. 735 last night, leaving him 21 shy of breaking Hank Aaron's record. I for one, perhaps the only one, am looking forward to him breaking it.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Vegas.

I am happy to say Ms. Skeelo and I had a great time on our 5th anniversary in Vegas. I hadn't been there in over 18 months (a long stretch for me) and my how things change. And anyone who wants to head down for a boys weekend antime soon just let me know.

Here are random thoughts on the official Pursuit of Leisure happiest place on earth:

- The Stardust got blown up a few weeks ago and that is the most obvious change. But the strip is improving. The Aladdin, which was horrbily tacky even by Vegas standards, is now the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino and is phenomenal inside. Great colors and a very young feel to it, it will take some business away from The Hard Rock.

- One the other end of change don't even bother with the Hooters Hotel. It is just the old San Remo painted and tarted up. And there aren't many Hooters girls there, all the waitresses and dealers are 85 year old women. Not cool.

- I'm pissed off at myself for not once asking anyone just how truly fucked up NBA all star weekend was. Those were obvious great stories to hear and I completely forgot.

- I now have a favorite retail employee. She works at J. Crew in the mall just north of Treasure Island. When she found out we were from Canada she told us how much she loved Canadians because we were all so friendly "except for those French people from Quebec. They are all rude and ignorant." Damn right J. Crew girl. Retail girl at Tumi (a luggage maker) store said the exact same thing. On behalf of the rest of Canada I apologized and told them we really don't like them either. I also apologized for Celine Dion.

- I like Hotel and Casinos that make you walk through the casino to get anywhere. Vegas is all about gambling, eating, drinking too much and trying to have sex with everything that moves. It is not about shopping at Prada, Gucci, Hermes, or Tiffany's. The first thing you should see when entering a casino is the gambling pits. That's why I love the MGM Grand and will continue to stay there, and why I will never stay at The Venetian if it is my choice.

- Funniest moment may have been getting in a crowded elevator at the MGM at about 1am with a guy and the drunk fat girl he picked up. She asked him his name again then said she was going to rob a bank to pay for a PhD at UNLV.

- Ms. Skeelo is now hooked on video Blackjack. They have a store down there that sells game machines for home use. She took a good hard look.

- There is nothing funnier than strolling the casino at 4:30-5:30am. The hookers working the lounges, the drunks having a great time at the tables, girls doing the final steps of their walk of shame back to their room. You just can't put a price on entertainment like that.

- If you ever go to Vegas and are looking for a great meal I recommend the Charlie Palmer steakhouse at the Four Seasons. It serves the best steak I have ever had and the price is quite reasonable for 5 star dining.

- If you ever go to Vegas and are looking for a great show I recommend Cirque De Soleil's "O" at The Bellagio. It may been the most entertaining 90 minutes of my life. I will review it later this week.

- Every girl in Vegas dresses like a whore which made me realize that girls these days pretty much dress like whores everywhere. At what point did every girl in North America start dressing like a whore for a night on the town. It certainly didn't happen while I was at Carleton.

- Finally, the question everyone asks is "How did you do at the tables?" I won about $200 over the four day trip which I consider a huge success.

Mid Week Sports Observations.

- The Devils firing of Claude Julien with 3 games left is certainly unusual but Big Louie Lam has proven time and again to be the best GM and smartest guy in hockey so he gets the benefit of the doubt from me. As far as consistent on ice performance goes, Jersey is far and away and the best organization in hockey. And if I'm not mistaken they sacked a coach a few years ago before the playoffs and won the Cup.

- I actually hope the Leafs miss the playoffs. I would just rather see them have a shot at a high draft pick then getting swept in the first round by the Sabres. I really don't see anyone at the bottom of the east having a playoff run like the Oilers last year.

- I would like to see the Habs get the 8th spot and get hammered by the Sabres though. That would be sweet.

- Congrats to the Florida Gators on winning their 2nd NCAA tournament in a row. They really were a stacked team with 5 future NBA players in their front six. The interesting thing about that game was that it showed who the really great prospects are on that team and showed that Joakim Noah is not one of them. He is a great college player because of his speed and height. In the NBA there are plenty of guys with speed and height so it won't make much difference for him. He is terrible offensively because he can't shoot and does not handle the ball very well and he won't be able to rebound in the pros because he is not strong enough to fight off forwards like Chris Bosh or Elton Brand who he would likely be matched up with.

Al Horford and Corey Brewer on the other hand are absolute studs. Horford is going to be the second coming of Karl Malone and Corey Brewer is Stacey Augmon with a jump shot.

- My MLB preview will be tomorrow. Promise.