Happy Trails Alonzo Mourning.

- I'm not sure I have ever had more respect, or seen a tougher basketball player than Alonzo Mourning who has decide to call it a career. I really started following college basketball in the late 80's and Mourning was one of the first guys I watched for four years. He was just a terror at Georgetown and intimidated the hell out of pretty much everyone he played against. He was just as good in the NBA with 7 all-star appearances and two defensive player of the year awards. When you went into the lane against this guy you knew there was a very strong likelihood of getting knocked on your ass. You also knew not to expect him to extend a hand to help you up.

Unfortunately severe health problems sidelined Alonzo, seemingly for good, a few years ago. But he came back from kidney problems that not many guys would have come back from to be effective again and was a key guy for the Heat in their '06 title run.

The most amazing thing about this guy though was that he played center his whole career even though he wasn't a hair over 6'10 if that. He was just that much stronger and wanted the ball that much more than anyone else he played against.

- I think the Troy Glaus for Scott Rolen trade is one of those trades that's good for both teams. If Rolen is healthy, which is a big question, he is still a gold glover with some pop. At the very least he's an upgrade defensively. As for Glaus, his foot problems won't be as bad now that he is playing on natural grass and he can help protect Albert Pujols in the lineup.

The thing I would worry about with Rolen is that he will only ever be about 85% of the player he was due to his shoulder problems the past three years. One thing I am not as worried about is his ability to get along with John Gibbons. Rolen had issues with his last two managers but Larry Bowa and Tony LaRussa are assholes so I don't put the blame there on Rolen.

- Four guys I will always have nothing but good things to say about are Pat Burns, Felix Potvin, Doug Glimour and Cliff Fletcher. Those four pulled the Leafs out of a 12 year abyss and lead them to consecutive conference finals in what was the best time in my life to be a Leaf fan. But why the hell would the Leafs contact Cliff Fletcher, who has to be about 109 years old, about being the interim GM as rumoured?

And if you were John Ferguson Jr. wouldn't you have some pride and just resign at this point? (here is an excellent article on what I was getting at yesterday)

- I wouldn't read too much into the Celtics losing 3 games recently. It is virtually impossible for them to play with the level of intensity they were playing with the whole year. Good teams always slump in January and February, it's equivalent to baseball's dog days of August. In the east it still comes down to them and the Pistons and nobody else.