The Sens Goalie Issues.

- Ottawa Senators goalie Ray Emery has been in the news a lot recently and pretty much all for his complete stupidity. But to call the guy a Bad Boy is a bit of a stretch. It's not like he's firing off rounds outside strip joints or getting busted for DUI or stuff like that.

Having said that though the Sens can't be considerd a Cup favorite with him and Martin Gerber netween the pipes. You have to compare this team to where they were last year when they got killed in the Finals and they are not as good as that team because of goaltending. The east is pretty weak so they have a great shot at getting back to the finals (or just as likely to get bounced in the second round) but they can't win without a better goalie.

- Yes yes yes isn't Randy Moss great. Here is a guy who walked off the field while in Minnesota, mailed in an entire season with the Raiders and has a huge mouth. Sure he has had a phenomenal season this year but I pretty certain that he is going to revert to being an asshole again next year. Which won't really matter next year anyway because the season he had this year makes it worth putting up with for a while.

- I'm glad to see John Edwards and Rudy Giuliani drop out of the race. Edwards has always burned my ass and Rudy has just been an awful candidate. What the hell happened to this guy?

As for who can reunite the Republicans and get them fired up to turn out and vote? Only one candidate can do that and she isn't even a Republican - Hillary. Thats' how bad things are for the GOP.

- You know violence in Toronto is starting to become a bit of a problem when kids are getting stabbed at Humberside Collegiate in High Park. High Park is one the nicest areas of Toronto and the average house in the area goes for about 750K.

- Do you think Elton John realized where Sudbury was when he signed on to a show there in early March? No way that diva puts up with temperature up there.

Johan Santana To The Yankees, um I mean the Mets

- Johan Santana is finally on his way to New York only he's heading to the National League pending a contract extension being worked out (we all now it will) with the Mets. This makes the Mets the favorite in the NL East, and probably the NL entirely, since it is still the JV division of Major League Baseball and Santana instantly becomes the best pitcher in it.

Somewhere Big Stein is fuming.

- Can we start a petition to get the NFL to go back to one week between the Conference Championship games and the Super Bowl. Two weeks of endless hype is completely insufferable no matter how much a hussy in a wedding dress proposing to Tom Brady amuses us.

And on top of that it is scheduled at the same time as the Mardi Gras (that is if Mardi Gras was in the desert and had 100% white people) of the PGA season in Scottsdale, The Phoenix Open. All resulting in horrendous traffic for Diamond Joe this week.

- Erik Bedard may not end up in Seattle but he will be somewhere other than Baltimore by Opening Day. He's a pain in the ass on a good day (very untypical for a Canadian) and now that he has made it clear he wants out he would be insufferable back in Baltimore.

Gene Hackman

Happy 78th Birthday to Gene Hackman, the only straight man in Hollywood.

Tiger and The Grand Slam

After picking up his 62 career win yesterday at Torrey Pines I think asking whether Mr. Woods can win all four majors this year is perfectly reasonable. Mostly because if he doesn't this year he never will because the courses this year are set up perfectly for him.

The Masters is his to lose every year and I am pretty certain he will win that this year. He is an absolute lock to win the U.S. Open, the one that he is the most likely to lose each year, because it is being held back at Torrey Pines, a course he might as well own. Which means he will be 2 for 2 heading to the British Open at Royal Birkdale. Tiger has proven he can win on any links style course because he has the best short game on tour so he is 50/50 to win there. And the PGA in August will be at Oakland Hills in Michigan so you know it will be hot an humid, which helps Tiger because he is probably the most fit guy on tour. Plus if he is 3 for 3 I don't see how he would lose the fourth leg of the Slam.

So I would say his chances are about 65% of winning all four majors. If he stumbles I think it's going to be at the British. We'll see. Right now I would put my money on him winning all four but check back later.

No Country Picks Up SAG.

- I said in my review for No Country For Old Men that it would be completely unacceptable if it didn't win the SAG award for Outstanding Cast. Luckily I was right as it won that honor last night.

I think Javier Bardem, who also won last night for Supporting Actor, is in good shape for an Oscar.

- I always get a bit of a kick when people say the US is too sports obsessed. I mean they are and I agree but don't you find the way Canadians treat hockey just as pathetic if not worse? TSN is already asking who should be on the 2010 Olympic hockey team and then will broadcast the results in a one-hour special on February 13. That is embarrassing on a whole lot of different levels.

- I'm willing to give mad scientist Don Nelson the benefit of the doubt on this one but I really don't see how the Warriors bringing in Chris Webber can end well. Webber has been a pain in the ass his whole career and he really can't even play anymore. I think he's only going to disrupt that team. But he will certainly give me plenty of material for this site.

Please Don't Slam The Door Brian Burke.

- I am really hoping that Brian Burke does in fact take the GM job for the Leafs. I want it for a couple of reasons. First he is a great GM and would would be a huge upgrade for the team. But second and more important is that he is almost as big an ass as Bobby Clarke and I would kill to see him giving it to the Toronto media day in day out.


- I think it's time to move on from the Kelly Tilgham "Take him in an alley and lynch him" controversy. I really don't think she meant anything by the comment, it was just a really dumb off the cuff comment on live TV. She took her suspension like a pro and give a genuine apology. And not one of those "Well I'm sorry I offended you" apologies either. It was a I Fucked Up and realize I Fucked Up apology and I know why it was such a bad thing to say.

- The new movie How She Move was shot in the Jane + Finch area of Toronto. That joke really just writes itself doesn't it?

The Leafs

If you are expecting a lengthy diatribe over the Leafs finally getting rid of Ferguson and bringing in a 72-year old Cliff Fletcher (who I stated recently I will always hold a special place for) forget it. There is nothing to say that hasn't been said. I'll write more when they pick their next GM.

Heath Ledger

You never now what goes through a Hollywood celebrity's mind so I won't even try. I'll just say that I think Heath Ledger was a very talented guy and was only getting better. Ms. Skeelo and I still enjoy watching 10 Things I Hate About You now and then and his role in Brokeback Mountain was unbelievable. I never thought he could play the kind of character that script required but he did it beautifully. And the trailer for Dark Knight looks phenomenal. It's really a shame he won't get to hear the accolades that movie will get him.

Oscar Nominations Part II

Well I got three out of five right. I'm kicking myself for going with Tom Hanks over Michael Clayton though. I wrestled with that one for a while. I am a little surprised Juno got as much love as it did though. Ellen Page and Diablo Cody were locks but I didn't think it would get a nod for best picture.

I am going to make an effort to see There Will Be Blood and Atonement soon because I wanted to anyway. Then I will have a better read on who should win. I will say right know though that I didn't see a better female role this year than Tilda Swinton as the over her head corporate lawyer in Clayton or a better supporting role than Javier Bardem in No Country. I thought Tom Wilkinson was great in Clayton as well but the role was a little over the top.

Oscar Nominations.

Oscar nods go out tomorrow morning and without seeing half of the movies out there that will be up for consideration I will try to pick the five movies that will get best picture mention. I say they are No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Atonement, Charlie Wilson' War and American Gangster.

Football Thoughts.

I was never truly sold on the Packers all year for two big reasons. First was that they never showed that they could run the ball against a really good defense. The second was that I was never sold on Brett Favre as a "game manager" and knew that in big moments he was still as likely as not to force throws that turn into horrible game killing picks. So guess what happens yesterday - they can't run the ball at all in the second half and Favre throws to absolutely brutal picks because at heart he is still a wild gunslinger but doesn't have the same arm strength anymore. Game over. The Cowboys must have been ready to slit their throats watching the second half yesterday.

As for the Patriots they really don't look as good as they did in the first half of the year but they still win every game and you never ever really think for a second they are in danger of losing. Part of the reason they don't look as good is because they have a very old defense that has been worn down the last 6-8 weeks. The offense doesn't look as good strictly because they have been playing better defenses but they score whenever they really need to.

This year more than ever is they year I would have liked to see a one week break before the Super Bowl not two. I think the Giants big physical defense and power runners would have a very good shot at beating a tired Pats team on one weeks rest. But with an extra week to recover and for Bill Belichick to prepare a game plan having already played the Giants once I just don't see how the Giants can win.

Movie Review: "Juno"

There are a hell of a lot of reasons to like Juno which has been receiving great reviews. However it's very likely to be the most overrated movie you see this year.

The movie revolves around the title character, played incredibly well by Ellen Page, a precocious 16 year old who finds herself pregnant after seducing her best friend Paulie Bleeker (Paul Cera). She very quickly decides to keep the baby and after seeing their ad in the Pennysaver lets yuppie couple Mark and Vanessa (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) know the baby is theirs. A lot of people have proclaimed this movie to be pro-choice but it is far from it. Juno makes the decision to keep her baby after sitting in an abortion clinic for all of three minutes and having a snappy conversation with a worker at the front desk (the type of irony and one-liner laden conversations that peppers the script throughout) and looking at the various people around the room with her. The should be important decision is really just a convenient plot device and in no way the coda of the movie.

Among the many things to love about this movie is the performances. Bateman is pitch perfect as the pathetic former high school rocker who now writes jingles for commercials for a living but still wants to be "Curt Cobain". His relationship with Juno makes it easy for him to realize he has absolutely no interest in raising a kid or living in the 'burbs to the disgust of his wife Garner who is the real revelation here. She gives her best performance to date as the controlling but caring wife who wants nothing more than to have a baby to love and raise. She is the one constant in the movie as her relationship with Bateman falls apart.

Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons also deliver scene stealing performances as Juno's completely realistic parents who realize their daughter made a big mistake but support her every step of the way. And finally Michael Cera absolutely nails every scene he is in as the bewildered lovestruck Bleeker. Much credit goes to director Jason Reitman for allowing the actors to play their roles as subdued as they did. Most young directors would have turned these characters into cliches.

The main problem though is that Juno herself amounts to little more than a cliched collection of quick quips and insults for the first two acts of the movie and is really the only character who is not that realistic. First time screenwriter Diablo Cody (who has a great script here but is way too impressed with herself, not a great sin for a debut and something she will hopefully grow out of) has a knack for irony and strong quips and quirk but spends little time developing her lead character (Juno owning a hamburger shaped phone hardly qualifies as character development) and made her far too precocious. There is not a 16 year old girl in North America who would not panic like hell the moment she found out she was pregnant let alone talk to potential adoptive parents the way Juno did in her initial meeting with Mark and Vanessa. I did not find the aforementioned process for deciding to keep the baby the slightest bit truthful.

The movie pulls you back in during the third act however, as Juno starts to come to grips with both her feelings for Paulie as well as the fact that she is actually having a baby. It was a very smart decision by Cody to never allow Juno any doubt about her decision to give up the baby. It showed a level of maturity in her character that was much needed.

Like I said there are a lot of reasons I recommend this movie. The script is witty and for the most part true, the acting is superb by everyone in a key role and the direction is fantastic. And it is damn funny. But if you come out of it thinking that was good, but I was just expecting more, don't say I didn't warn you.

Rating 7.75/10

NFL Conference Championship Games.

Last week I was a pretty brutal 1-3. But the games tomorrow are pretty easy to pick. Ms. Skeelo's parents are in town so I gotta make this quick.

AFC Championship

San Diego Chargers (11-5) at New England Patriots (16-0) 3:00 p.m. CBS

The Chargers beat a Colts team last week that is now officially the Atlanta braves of the NFL. That loss was a complete disgrace and the Colts were positively horrible. Yet they still nearly beat the Chargers. The Chargers are completely mystifying to me though because from 1-52 on the roster they are easily the most talented team in the league. That's why they sucker people into thinking they could win this game. But they are really just a collection of headcases which is why I don't care if Philip Rivers and LT are 100% healthy in this game or not, they Chargers have absolutely zero chance of winning this game. It won't even be close. The Jags played almost perfect football last week and did everything you are supposed to do against the Pats and not for one second did you think the Pats were in danger of losing that game. That's why they are going 19-0. I hate their guts but it's pretty hard not to enjoy watching this kind of domination.

Patriots 42 Chargers 13

NFC Championship

New York Giants (10-6) at Green Bay Packers (13-3)

This is the bridesmaid game of the weekend. The winner gets the chance to get the shit beat out of them by the Pats in the Super Bowl. Having said that this should be a really tight game. The weather is going to be frigid but I don't think that really hurts the Giants because they can pound the ball and have a great defense. I think they are going to get to Favre with regularity which means Grant will need another big game but I think he will. I expect Eli Manning to play well because the Giants are not really asking him to do too much. I think this game comes down to Favre taking advantage of the Giants secondary once too often. And the fact that everyone in the world wants to see Favre beat the snot out of the Pats in the Super Bowl.

Packers 20 Giants 17.

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.

Manning Moves On. Wait? Which One? Seriously?

- I really hope yesterday was not Tony Dungy's last game as the head coach of the Colts, although I think it was, because they were a complete disgrace. The worst part of the debacle yesterday, and yes I did call this game "a mortal lock" for the Colts, was knowing the Colts were able to give the Pats a game in the AFC championship next week and possibly even beat them. Now we'll never know. As for the decision to go for the touchdown on 4th down with 4 minutes left I agree with the call. The Colts are supposed to get into the end zone from 5 yards out when it matters and you also couldn't assume they were going to get the ball back again, not the way the Chargers moved the ball in the 4th quarter.

I think Mr. Dungy feels its time to head down to Tampa and retire with his family and you can't really blame him for that. Not after what he has been through the last few years in his personal life.

Let the Bill Cowher rumours begin because the Colts are still stacked and the absolute most perfect situation he will ever have the chance to walk into.

- The worst thing about watching the Cowboys lose yesterday was knowing that the Super Bowl won't even be interesting. After that Pats beat the Chargers by 30 they are going to destroy either the Packers or Giants.

It's pretty hard to pin the 'Boys loss on QB Tony Romo though plenty will try. He held the ball too long a couple of times when he should have thrown it away, but his offensive line was horrendous in the second half and his receivers dropped plenty of perfectly thrown balls. Balls that if caught would have kept the chains moving for them.

Maple Leaf Sports And Entertainment - More the Latter than the Former.

When I heard the news Saturday night that Scotty Bowman wanted to join the Maple Leafs only to be essentially told "Thanks but we can figure this out on our own" all I could really do was laugh. I mean really, how the hell else are you supposed to react to the news a team that hasn't won a Cup in 41 years turning down one of the best 3 or 4hockey minds of all-time? A guy who has won more Cups than anybody?

The problems with MLSE management run deep and have been well documented on this site before, but the biggest problem they have now is that neither Richard Peddie or Larry Tanenbaum have any clue about sports but think they do, and on top of that hate each others guts.

The second biggest problem is that as far as MLSE goes there is no problem. The Leafs are still a license to print money for them so who gives a damn if the product on the ice is any good? Management really could care less about whether the Leafs make the playoffs or not because they don't need them to. And that is made even more clear by the fact that they have let the incompetent John Ferguson Jr. run the show, at least notionally, for the past few years. They keep stating they are trying to build a team that is meant for the playoffs. Well what good is that if the team can't make the playoffs? Every day that Ferguson is still there adds to the hilarity of the situation.

The question a lot of people are asking themselves is why they would give Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo full reign over the NBA team without interference but turn down Bowman who wanted the same thing (we'll leave Toronto FC and the Marlies out of this equation because neither one of them matter in the least to MLSE). The answer to that question is quite simple. The Raptors need to be successful on the court to expand their core fan base (which is completely rabid for the team and among the top 5 fan bases in the NBA), drive ad revenue and score better TV deals. The Leafs don't need to be any good on the ice because their revenues are almost maxed out. So Bowman gets snubbed.

It's been clear for years the Leafs are a source of off ice entertainment for pretty much everyone who hates them, and quite frankly for those of us who love them. We can all cry in our beer or collectively laugh and groan and hope for better days. The best case scenario is they finish near last this year and get a top draft pick and then finish poorly again next year for a chance at John Tavares (assuming of course that Leaf brass wouldn't screw up the draft picks which is a hell of an assumption). One of the on ice problems the past few years is that the Leafs haven't been good enough to be good or bad enough to be bad so they keep just missing the playoffs and getting mid round picks. Being terrible for a few years knowing that you will rebuild and be good down the road is perfectly acceptable (just ask Penguins fans these days) and fans would accept it as a plan. But of course there is no plan because nothing is wrong in MLSE's eyes.

All of which furthers my belief that being a Leaf fan is often more like an affliction than a personal choice. The Passion That Unite Us All indeed.

NFL Playoffs Round 2.

I was 3-1 last week but this week gets tougher because I am not sure what to make of the NFC games. I am really not impressed with Dallas or Green Bay and it's pretty clear neither one of them have a hope in hell in the Super Bowl if they make it that far.

NFC

Seattle Seahawks (10-6) at Green bay Packers (13-3) Saturday 4:30 p.m. Fox

The Seahawks looked awful for three quarters last week against the Redskins then pulled away after taking advantage of a lifelong backup QB by returning two picks for TD's. They are also terrible on the road. The problem for Seattle is they can't run the ball at all and their defense looks pretty slow. Lucky for them the Pack can't run either and has been overrated all year. The only really huge game they had all year was in Dallas and they were terrible. Yes Brett Favre has had a great year but he is still just as likely to throw three bad interceptions in this games as not and I think Seattle will win the turnover battle. The question is whether Matt Hasselback can win it on his own. I think that he can and I think that he will. Seattle in an upset.

Seahawks 28 Packers 24

New York Giants (10-6) at Dallas Cowboys (13-3) Sunday 4:30 p.m. Fox

It's always to tough to call playoff games between divisional rivals because it's the third time they have met and they know each other really well. The Giants were lucky last week that the Bucs did not blitz the living shit out of Eli Manning as they should of and had a relatively time of it. They won't be so lucky this week because Eli is going to be under a lot of pressure. But so is Dallas QB Tony Romo. The Giants defense gets to the QB better than any team in the league so this game will be tight. Dallas has more big play guys on offense than NY and that should make the difference. That and Eli's three picks.

Cowboys 31 Giants 21

AFC

San Diego Chargers (11-5) at Indianapolis Colts (13-3) Sunday 1:00 p.m. CBS

When these two teams met earlier in the year Peyton Manning had 6 INT's and played probably the worst game of his career and the Colts defense was banged up. The Chargers played well and still only won because Vinatieri missed a last minute field goal. Now the Chargers go into Indy without Antonio Gates. The Colts are going pressure Philip Rivers early and often and it won't be pretty. Peyton is going to have a huge day and Reggie Wayne will score three TD's. Once the Colts get ahead I expect the Chargers to roll over and die because they are a gutless team. In other words this game is a mortal lock for the Colts and will be over by halftime.

Colts 45 Chargers 10

Jacksonville Jaguars (11-5) at New England Patriots (16-0) Saturday 8:00 p.m. CBS

The Jags are built to beat the Pats. They are a big, strong physical team on both sides of the ball and can control the game clock very well which keeps Brady and company off the field. They can stop the run which means their secondary can get aggressive on the Pats receivers. And they have a QB in David Garrard who rarely makes mistakes. But they still don't have a prayer in this game. Last week the Steelers had a lot of success once they started attacking the Jags secondary downfield and there is no way in hell they can stop Brady and Moss. The Jags also don't have anyone who can cover Wes Welker who should catch about 12 passes today. But the biggest problem for the Jags is that they can't play from behind because they are built to run and the pats will score early and get out to a lead. Which will force Garrard into some mistakes. The only chance the Jags have is to score on their first two possessions but I just don't see it.

Pats 38 Jags 10

Sir Edmund Hillary RIP

- By all accounts Sir Edmund Hillary, who died at age 88,was a humble and classy man. He spent most of his adult life helping the people of Nepal and he should be commended for that.

But I don't for a second believe that no man had ever climbed Everest before May 29, 1953. He may very well have been the first white man to conquer the peak but I am dead certain people of Nepal had reached the peaks for centuries before he did. I'm not trying to take the romance out of it, I am just being a realist.

- Next time you decide to take your life in your hands by using an illegal drug that you know damn well may kill you, don't worry about the consequences or take responsibility for your own actions . Just sue your drug dealer for damages.

- I've said before Pete Carroll is crazy for looking to go back to the NFL but the Falcons are also crazy for for pursuing him.

First Carroll - The guy runs what is essentially a pro team anyway in USC. He can also recruit a Top 5 team without having to travel outside a 25 mile radius of his campus. There is no NFL team in LA, which means he is the biggest football celebrity in that city and can do whatever the hell he wants. He can get virtually any prospect he wants because he doesn't need to worry about salary cap or roster limits like he would in the NFL. But most of all he's a shitty game coach and going to the NFL is only going to make that more visible. He gets by right now on rah-rah and his recruiting ability. That's null and void in the NFL.

Now the Falcons - First off, as I just mentioned, Carroll is a lousy game coach. He has proved that time and again with USC and he had a record that was average at best with the Pats and Jets. But more to the point you just hired a guy out of college who bolted 14 games into his first season. Why the hell would you want to take that risk and piss off your fans and sponsors again?

- I think any contract longer than 5 years is ridiculous but if anyone is going to get signed for 13 years it makes sense for it to be a guy like Alexander Ovechkin. He's a top draw and may be the only thing keeping the Caps in D.C.

Romo Better Win.

- The Cowboys better win on Sunday or Tony Romo is going to catch all kinds of hell for going to Mexico with Jessica Simpson for three days. I really don't see how him going down south affects his play this weekend, but people sure will if he plays like shit.

- Count me among the small minority who does not want to see a college football playoff. I think a playoff would take away from the regular season especially the early season upset games. Part of the fun watching Appalachian St. beat Michigan in early September was knowing that the Wolverines blew their chance at the title. Why have a bunch of two or even three loss teams in a playoff? This year was a weird year for college football due to all the upsets so everyone bitches about the BCS. But can you say that USC-Texas two years ago was not a real Championship game? The BCS ain't perfect but it's better than the alternative.

- I'm glad Goose Gossage got into the Hall of Fame. Nobody was as dominant as this guy was and anyone who played against him in his prime said nobody ever through harder. He didn't rack up the save totals that guys do these days because he actually got brought in in tight situations and had to pitch more than 4 outs, but in today's game he would be good for at least 45 saves a year.

And I won't go on a rant about Andre Dawson not getting in because I really didn't expect him to.

- I guess I should weigh in on the trading Mats Sundin question. My thought has always been that the NHL does not have any great teams anymore so you are always only two players away from winning the Cup, so I never thought they should trade one of the 10 best players in thr league which Sundin is. But at this point I am fairly certain that Leaf management will never be capable of getting those two players needed for a Cup run so if Mats wants to be traded I say trade him if he asks.

But trading him with the idea that you will get equal value in return is ridiculous because somebody will fleece John Ferguson Jr. and they will get back about 50 cents on the dollar.

- Toronto city council is officially a complete joke. Surely to Christ they have bigger fish to fry than hot dog carts.

New Hampshire.

- It's no secret that Ms. Skeelo and I love the state of New Hampshire. It's pretty hard not to love a state that has no income or sales tax and has "Live Free Or Die" on their licence plates. We spend ten days there every September and it is the front runner for our future retirement location. So tonight's primary is a bit more interesting to me than others might be.

Hart's Location has already voted (29 people voted and having hiked through Hart's Location in its entirety I am surprised 29 people live there) as is their custom. In every election since 1948 they have opened the polls at midnight and close them when everyone has voted. It's quirky shit like that that makes me love the place.

- I'll argue it every year until he is not on the ballot - Andre Dawson belongs in the Hall of Fame. Nobody in the 80's could compare to this guys talent. If he wasn't forced to play on essentially a concrete floor in Montreal his knees would not have been shot all the time and his numbers would have been even better.

- I don't want to hear anything from Tubby unless it's said in front of Congress.

- Ms. Skeelo and I were just discussing who the next Bond Girls would be 2 nights ago. It's always best when they go with relative no names.

- Our Alma mater has a new President. And apparently she's a hell of a fundraiser, which is one of the first things I would look for in a University President.

Ralph Wiggum in '08

- The Simpsons still has the ability to make my bust a gut laughing every now and then (even die hards know this show is nowhere near what it used to be) and last night was a great example. The Springfield primary was great and little Ralph Wiggum isn't any dumber than they guy currently occupying the White House so maybe he would be a good choice.

- Omar Epps, oops I mean Mike Tomlin did not cost the Steelers the game on Saturday night. His decision to go for two points was a good one because of the amount of time on the clock. Big Ben was playing like crap and he couldn't assume he was going to get two more scoring drives out of his offence. Letting David Gerrard run for 32 yards on a 4th and 2 is what cost the Steelers the game.

- I didn't watch Roger Clemens on 60 Minutes last night because I couldn't care less what he has to say in that format. Let's see what he has to say under oath in front of Congress. That is is he decides to show up.

- Just how stupid is Steve Downie? He should get the rest of the year off.

- The biggest reason I hate the shootout in hockey is that too many points are handed out and you can't tell who is really good anymore. A perfect illustration of that is the Oilers who are 7 points out of the playoffs based on 10 shootout wins. They are awful and shouldn't be within 15 points of the playoffs right now.

- I know the Celtics are 29-3 but you still can't say they are the favorite to win it all. After they beat the Spurs and Suns when they finally play them I will say they are the team to beat and not before.

- At the start of the year I didn't think the TWolves would win 15 games. Now I am not sure they will win 10. And the worst part of it if you're a TWolves fan is that you know damn well you will win the lottery only to have GM Kevin McHale trade the first pick in the draft to Phoenix for Boris Diaw and their 2nd rounder or something stupid like that.

- Happy 52nd birthday to David Caruso, Ms. Skeelo's favorite actor and the biggest ham on TV. One of my favorite actors, at least when he is doing quirky roles, Nic Cage is 44 today as well.

- Shouldn't David Orchard just go run for the NDP where he belongs?

NFL Playoff Picks.

I'm back for another year of playoff picks. 2 years ago I went 7-4 which wasn't that bad until you realize I picked against the Steelers four times and they won the Super Bowl. I don't even remeber how I did last year so it couldn't have been that good. In other words putting any money down based on my insights is a pretty questionable betting strategy.

NFC

Washington Redskins (9-7) vs. Seattle Seahawks (10-6) Saturday 4:30 p.m.

It tells you how bad the NFC is, specifically the NFC west, that the Seahawks have a home field game. They can't run the ball at all and their defense is average at best. But they are still better than the Redskins who got on a late season role and are playing with a lot of emotion after the death of Sean Taylor. I think Seahawk QB Matt Hasselback will be the difference in this lousy game.

Seahawks 27 Redskins 17

NY Giants (10-6) vs. Tampa Bay Bucaneers (9-7) Sunday 1:00 p.m.

The Bucs only beat 2 teams over .500 this year so you have to think they really aren't that good and should lose. Then you notice that the Giants only beat one team over .500 and have Eli Manning at QB and they should lose. Neither one of these teams has a prayer of beating Dallas or Green Bay next week, though the Bucs have the defense to keep things close, so it really doesn't matter but I have to choose. So I am staying with my playoff rule of always betting against Eli Manning who will throw 3 picks in this one, 2 of which will kill scoring drives in the Bucs side of the field.

Bucs 20, Giants 13

AFC

Jacksonville Jaguars (11-5) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) Saturday 8:00 p.m.

This should be the best game of the weekend. The Jags are the one team that has to scare the hell out of the Colts and Patriots the most. They can run the ball down anybody's throat and play tough physical defense. Or in other words they play a better version of Steeler football than the Steelers do. Jags QB David Garrard also doesn't make critical mistakes in big moments and has the confidence of his team. Combine that with the fact that the Steelers look tired and banged up and you gotta take the Jags on the road.

Jags 27, Steelers 24

Tennessee Titans (10-6) vs. San Diego Chargers (11-5)

The Chargers are a total enigma. If QB Philip Rivers had any consistency at all I could actually see them beating the Patriots and Colts and winning the Super Bowl but I just don't trust him in pressure situations. I haven't been that impressed wth the Titans though, especially watching barely get by the Colts Sunday night with half the Colts starters on the bench resting. LT will get the Chargers by in this one and if he gets hot may carry them to the Super Bowl because he's that good. Then again they have Norv Turner as a coach so they may get smoked this weekend.

Chargers 31 Titans 14

November '08 Kicks Off.

- The interminably long march to the US Presidential election kicked off last night in Iowa and though the media tends to place too much importance on the Iowa primary it does give you some insight into what might happen in November.

I have always thought the biggest problem with the US election has been the party nominatin process, more so for the Republicans (but not much more so than for the Dems). 50% of the Republican primary voters are religious social conservatives, which means a bible thumping twit like Huckabee has a decent shot and a pro-choice, not overtly religious guy like Guliani never has a hope in hell. That becomes a problem for the party in the general election because the 25-30% of the voting public that would consider themselves undecided (at least 35% of voters vote Democrat regardless of who they run, and 35% vote Republican regardless of who they run) and would strongly consider Guliani will never get the chance. And I am not really knocking religious candidates here, I don't begrudge anyone their faith I just don't like it interfering with how they govern.

Having said that, whoever runs for the Republicans will win anyway because there is no way in hell Obama can win the Southern states (I will be shocked if Obama cruises through the South Carolina primary). The US bible belt is exactly like Quebec in Canada - a minority of the population that tends to vote as one and needs to be catered to to win elections. The Democrats can't seem to figure this out and that why the fact there hasn't been a Northern Democrat elected President since JFK nearly 50 years ago is not just some strange coincidence. And Hillary sure as hell can't win over the South either.

- Knight Rider is back. I am less than enthused about this. I remember the original so fondly watching this can only diminish those memories.

- At this point I honestly feel sorry Britney Spears. The girl is clearly not well and needs help. As someone who has been treated for depression I think it's horrible that she has to go through this in the media spotlight.

Ray Emery - Headed to a Swedish Hockey Arena Near You!

- A few days after walking out of practice in a pissed off huff and then admitting to sleeping through another practice after his coach covered his ass and said he was sick, Sens about-to-be-former goalie Ray Emery dressed in combat fatigues and rode his snowmobile to practice yesterday.

Someone needs to tell this clown to lay low for a while. I can't see anybody in the league trading for him because he is a complete fool, but more importantly he is a pretty average goalie. He caught lightning in a bottle for a year the way plenty of other average goalies have and helped get the Sens to the finals last year but I have never been convinced he is a cornerstone goalie. He is realistically about 18 months from playing in the Swedish elite league. Which I am sure he will love because I hear Scandinavian women love foreign guys.

- I retract my comment that 812 people watched the outdoor NHL game New Year's day. It had the highest TV ratings in ten years on American cable (which technically still means my guess of 812 may be right). I still think they should do it in February though when the sports schedule is pretty light.

- Kevin Federline and Paris Hilton had to happen eventually didn't it?

- Carson Palmer ripping Marvin Lewis was pretty funny. I think Lewis should be fired but I also think Palmer shares some of the blame. He hasn't progressed at all in two years and is really not much more than a rich man's Eli Manning at this point. And that's not a compliment.

- Toronto is the first city in North America to have 1 million people on Facebook. I think that is partly due to the combination of high population and cold winter causing people to retreat indoors to communicate but there is obviously more to it. I just don't know what because I don't really get the appeal of Facebook. If anyone reading this is on the site and uses it regularly please let me know why. I am not being sarcastic, I am generally interested in knowing what the broad appeal is.

- Remember when everyone used Netscape?

Movie Review - "No Country For Old Men"

I saw this movie over a month ago and am only reviewing it now because I was pretty sure I could not keep my gushing to a reasonable length. So I have decided to give it a quick condensed version.

This is the Coen brothers best movie. Better than Blood Simple and better than Fargo. It actually takes elements from both of those films (the simple plot, the small town characters who don't sound too bright until you actually listen to what they say). Javier Bardem (the eerily principled psychopath) and Tommy Lee Jones (the burned out "third generation small town texas lawman") give award worthy performances as does Josh Brolin which was the nicest surprise for me. Woody Harrelson is great in his small but pivotal role as is Kelly MacDonald as Brolin's overwhelmed other half. In fact it would be unacceptable if the cast does not win the SAG award for best ensemble.

The pacing is perfect, the use of music to increase intensity and suspense is spot on and the camera work is first rate. What the Coen's do best however, is use the wide open southwest Texas landscape so well that it is almost its won character and a perfect metaphor for the movie.

I'll stop here by saying I will be buyng this movie the day it comes out on DVD.

Rating - 10/10 though I fully suspect most people will not agree(the Coens are a bit of an acquired taste), especially the final few scenes and ending. Therefore most will still like it but give it an 8/10.

Happy 2008 To All!

I hope everybody had a great holiday season. Apologies for the long vacation but Ms. Skeelo and I needed some time to unwind and not think of anything too strenuous.

- It's pretty hard to argue that the NHL's outdoor Winter Classic yesterday was not a success. There were over 71,000 fans in attendance and at least another 812 watched it in on TV. Maybe Gary Bettman should wake up and figure out that Americans watch bowl games on New Year's Day and not hockey. At any rate I think they should do this once a year in February in places like Minnesota or Detroit.

- After the Detroit Lions fell back to their station by finishing the season 1-7 does anybody still think Matt Millen should be employed as an NFL GM?

- The GST fell to 5% yesterday. Don't spend it all in one place. Or to put it another way, Big Fuckin' Deal. I would like some real tax relief this year but Harper has already stated it isn't coming.