Toronto Sports Scene

- Watching John Gibbons manage the Jays is frustrating as hell because he is managing for the team he wants not the team he has. They struggle to score runs not because they lack power but because they don't run enough.

They are in a division with a lot of right handed (mostly) power pitchers (Becket, DiceK, Mussina, Buchholz, Garza, Wang) who can't hold runners on and catchers who can't throw anybody out (Varitek, Posada). But do the Jays run? Of course not. They have corner infielders, Scott Rolen and Lyle Overbay, who won't hit 30 home runs combined but should hit a lot of doubles. There is no reason that Rios and Wells can't each steal 50 bags and score on a lot of hit and runs that go for doubles.

They are a joke to watch but it's not like JP will do anything about it.

- The Leafs firing of Paul Maurice was not that upsetting to me. I like him and think he's a competent coach, but he's certainly replaceable. The main reason to let him go is that the next GM would have caned him eventually so why go through all the rumours of it happening?

The big problem for the Leafs is that Cliff Fletcher is going to be the interim GM until they can get Brian Burke, whether that takes a year or a week. I tend to think that come the start of the season Burke will be with the Leafs because that's where he wants to be and not Anaheim. Gary Bettman is worried about how it would look if Burke bolted for Toronto and made Anaheim keep him. But how bad is it going to look when Burke clearly doesn't want to be in Cali, sulks through next year then bolts for the Leafs anyway? This will be cleared up sooner rather than later.

- I gotta say i was pretty disappointed to hear Chuck Swirsky is leaving the Raptors. I watch a hell of a lot of NBA games and can honestly say Chuck was one of the most entertaining announcers going. His excitement was contagious and he love the team.