San Jose Jumps the Shark

The San Jose Sharks have been perennial cup contenders, and killing my playoff pool with early exits, for years. They have has some success the last two seasons making it to the conference finals, but for all their talent and all their ability this group just can't seem to get it right, and may miss the playoffs this year as a result. Yes there is still a chance they may make the playoffs but that isn't good enough for a team with this ability and this much talent. It's not that they don;t give an honest effort something just seems to be lacking and I for one am at a loss. They should easily win the Pacific division if you look at their roster, and yes I know games aren't played on paper, but to say they wouldn't even crack the top eight? I know the west is a tough conference but still. Call on the lack of leadership or injuries to the likes of Ryan Clowe and Martin Havlat (shocking I know) but other teams have had these issues as well. With the season winding down they had a chance to control their own destiny having games at hand but after losing those they now have to pretty much win out in order to make it to the post season party. This will be no easy task with all games against division opponents including LA who they are chasing for eighth. We'll see if they swim or are left dead in the water...

Bad Hab-its

The firing of Pierre Gauthier as GM of the Montreal Canadiens today should come as little surprise given the tumultuous season it's been in la belle province. The firing of his long time friend Jacques Martin, the hiring of uni-lingual coach Randy Cunningworth, who seems as likely to be behind the bench to start next year as I am, and the circus that came along with it, the Scott Gomez debacle and injuries to key players, including captain Brian Gionta and Andrei Markov, have lead to a lottery spot instead of a playoff one. This group isn't all that much different than the one who pushed the Bruins to seven games in the first round last year but now find themselves in the basement of the Eastern Conference. Gauthier's firing will undoubtedly lead to tons of rumors and speculation as to who will get the top job in Montreal come June's draft, and who even wants it. To be honest the franchise isn't in the state of disarray that many seem to feel it is, say like their long time rival Maple Leafs. The Habs have a good crop of young talent including Max Pacioretty, PK Suban and Carey Price on which to build and solid leaders like Gionta and Josh Georges to show them the way. Eric Cole was a pleasant surprise and the emergence of David Deharnais has helped as well. However, there is still plenty of work to be done and no quick fix. The good news is they will have a good draft pick and money to spend come free agent season if they can get rid of the albatross that is the Gomez contract. The fans and organization need to realize there are never going to be the dominant days of old, even if Patrick Roy should take over as GM, but success isn't impossible if they make a few shrewd moves this summer. And as per usual whatever moves they do make will be, scrutinized, talked about and argued over until they get it right, and even then...

Tiger Time

With his with at Arnold Palmer's tournament at Bayhill this weekend, Tiger Woods showed us he is indeed back. With the Masters just two weeks away, you have to believe he is poised to make a serious run at yet another Green Jacket, and has been installed as the favorite by Vegas. Say what you want about the personal stuff, the golfers on tour know that the game is better with him around. Comments and tweets by the like or Rory McIlroy, Graehame McDowell and Ricky Fowler show that they understand Tiger being there means more media attention, more sponsors and generally more interest in the game, rightly or wrongly, and helps all those on tour. Tiger's abilities when on his game are perhaps as good as have ever been seen and on a personal note, I'm glad to see his game coming back around. His swing coach, Canadian Sean Foley, has been saying for a while that it's right there in terms of what he can do with his swing (what else would he say though?) and he reminded us this weekend just what he is capable of. We'll see where we go from here, but with Tiger, it's always an adventure.

Saints Sent Marching

The biggest news in sports this week came out of New Orleans and echoed across the NFL. The Saints were punished and punished severely for the bounty gate scandal which could have significant ramifications on the franchise for years to come. Clearly the importance of player safety was put ahead of all other interests in this case and commissioner Roger Goodell made his decisions accordingly. Head coach Sean Payton is band for the year and Gregg Williams the man behind the program is suspended indefinitely. The team will also have to forfeit several draft picks. This is a hard pill for the franchise to swallow I'm sure as it is likely they are not the only ones to have been involved in such a situation but were found out and are being made an example of. I can't say that that aspect of it is fair, but as for punishing them the league absolutely got it right. It sent a very clear and decisive message that this type of action is not only unacceptable it is shameful and deserves to be dealt with severely. Football is a violent sport but to turn it into a sort of free for all risking people's safety in doing so is just thoughtless and barbaric. I love a big hit as much as the next guy, but do it within the rules. If you're not good enough to beat the other team with all their starters on the field, you don't deserve to. Don't go out and try to cheap shot them in hopes of winning. That sends the absolutely wrong message and for the sake of the NFL I hope the Saints got theirs.

The Temptation of Tebow?

So Tim Tebow has come down from his Mile High status is Denver and now looks to take a bite out of the Big Apple. Well, here's hoping he doesn't choke. There are already detractors like former Jet great Joe Namath who doesn't feel Timmy is up to the task and criticized the franchise for supporting Mark Sanchez then bringing in other quarterbacks, clearly sending mixed messages. Whatever the case it will be interesting to see how Rex Ryan makes use of Tebow's abilities, and despite the rumors he does have some, and where he will fit in in NY. From all accounts he's a good teammate and a great guy so it shouldn't be hard for Tebow to endear himself to those in the locker room, but what about the rest of the city? Was this as Namath suggested a publicity stunt? With the Giants winning the Super Bowl, again, is this a ploy by the Jets to get some attention? It's not as if the Broncos would give him away if they felt entirely confident in his ability to lead them to a championship thus the signing of Payton Manning. It will be interesting to see what comes of this to say the least, in the city that never sleeps it may be a while before Jets fans get any rest.

A Nation's Shame

Few things are taken more seriously in Canada than the game of hockey, including it seems punishing convicted child molesters. Graham James, the hockey coach convicted years ago of sexually molesting Sheldon Kennedy,  was recently sentenced two two years in prison for sexually abusing former NHL superstar Theo Fleury and his cousin Todd Holt. This sentence was LESS than the one he received for abusing Kennedy. One would think the punishment would be more severe for a repeat offender who has abused who knows how many others, a monster who took advantage of innocent people using a position of authority to serve his own twisted means. These were children, young men who turned to him to help them make their NHL dreams come true, and he abused that trust. He stole their youth and damaged them irreparably. His actions were the lowest form of humanity and there is no justifying how such a sentence could be warranted in an civilized society. Call it a joke, a farce, a travesty, an insult, any synonym you want, it is a failure not only to the victims but to those who continue to suffer in silence. It sets a terrible president and lessens the victims suffering to almost meaningless significance. We are supposed to protect those who cannot necessarily protect themselves, and this is no way to do that. It is embarrassing and as a country we should be outraged, shamed and shocked at such a terrible miscarriage of justice. In many countries Graham James may have been received at least life in prison if not a death sentence or castration. I'm not suggesting he be killed, but to say he will only serve two years, likely less, then be free again to life his life and possibly re-offend is simply appalling. How the judge will sleep at night is beyond me. I can only hope that our government will see fit to change the legislation and not let this kind of terrible mistake happen again.

NHL Notes

He stretch drive continues so here's what's happening around the league:

Boston Beatdown: The Leafs were again humiliated by their division rival Bruins last night and were 0-6 against them this year. The Bruins beat the Leafs on the ice, literally, with several scraps going their way as well. Just goes to show how far the Leafs are from being contenders.

Broadway Show: The Rangers and Devils renewed acquaintances at MSG last night and like their last game there were three fights off the opening draw. John Tortorella was lived that Peter Deboer started his scrappers, even though he did the same thing the last time they played. When asked to comment Tort's was his usual self saying he hates it when people try and coach his team, specifically media, so he wasn't about to do it to Deboer. On a personal note I had no problem with this as these are teams who generally dislike each other and while somewhat fabricated the rivalry is real and this is all part of it.

Sinking Sharks: The San Jose Sharks have too much talent not to make the playoffs. Their struggles continued last night as they lost to another under performing team, the Anaheim Ducks. The Sharks have been inconsistent the last while and their playoff lives are now in jeopardy because of it.

Capital Gains: The Washington Capitals, lead by their captain Alexander Ovechkin, have been much better of late and are clinging to the final spot in the east, a few points ahead of the surging Buffalo Sabers. It will be an interesting race to the finish for both these teams.

Wild West: Talk about parody, the western conference is as close as it gets at the bottom as five teams are fighting for two spots separated by only a few points. Who's in and who's out may come down to experience but more likely goaltending as much does this time of year.

Mile High Manning

So it seems it's official, Peyton Manning is now the newest member of the Denver Broncos. Tebow time in the mile high city is over, leading to oh so many question. Will Manning's bullet passes travel even faster in the thinner air? Are the Broncos now legitimate contenders? Where will Tebow wind up? Who will call the shots in Denver? And does that dude really need to wear a barrel to every Broncos game?

The move is, no offense Tebow faithful, an obvious upgrade at the most important position on the field. How much influence did John Elway have on this decision? He wants someone who can play the position as he envisioned it and watching Tim Tebow at times must have made him want to throw on his uniform and show the kid how it's done. It is clearly difficult to follow in the steps of a legend, unless of course you are one, and now Peyton will try to match #7's heroics and lead the Broncos to the promised land. The question remains however does he have enough talent around him to do so. And is he healthy enough to perform at such a level? The broncos were, barely, a playoff team without him last year so will they take that next step. Signing with an AFC team leave the Manning Bowl possibility in place, all be not necessarily all that likely, but will be entertaining nonetheless.

On the flip side the prospect of Tim Tebow returning to Florida where he is a legend has many fans there very excited and we will wait and see where he ends up. He is a proven winner, despite what the critics may say about his abilities he can help win games and is well respected by his teammates. So let the drama unfold, because in Denver, the sky's the limit.

Playoff Push

With only three or so weeks left in the regular season the NHL is in full playoff mode. Teams in both conferences are making their last ditch efforts to make the big dance and on both sides of the continent the races are as tight as can be.

The Eastern conference has fewer teams pushing for the top eight spots but it will be a down to the wire finish to see if Winnipeg or Buffalo can overtake Washington or Florida, depending on who win the Southeast, and grab the eight spot. With Ottawa's loss to the lowly Maple Leafs Saturday a Boston win against those same Leafs tomorrow would pretty well wrap up the Northeast division. The Atlantic and top spot in the conference is still up for grabs due to the lackluster play of the Rangers and stellar run by the Penguins. With Crosby and Letang healthy there has to be little debate that they are a favorite going into the post season. They have experience, depth, high level skill at every position and most importantly are peaking at the right time.

In the West thing are wild as usual, and unlike in the east, some solid hockey teams are going to miss the playoffs. Only three points separate seven through eleventh. Colorado has played more games and San Jose has games at hand on the others while Calgary will need to be more consistent if they want to reach the playoffs. How detrimental would it be for the league run Coyotes to miss the playoffs? Would anyone there notice? Dallas has put together a good run but could still be caught in the Pacific. In the Central the St. Louis Blues have been impressive for most of the season and deserve to be on top of the league. The Northwest was never really in doubt and the question is do the Canucks have enough in the tank to make another serious run? Stay tuned.

Buffaloed

Watched  much of the Habs Sabers game in Buffalo last night and have to say it was quite entertaining. And if you're a Habs fan, frustrating. No I'm not talking about Andrei Markov's defence which was as porous as Swiss cheese, seriously, I've seen pewee players more competent, but the fact that Tyler Myers was allowed to stay in the game only to be suspended today, after he scored the overtime winner. His hit from behind on Scott Gomez was just that and clearly the league thought so, so why wasn't he ejected from the game? Not sure. This isn't to diminish the Sabers incredible run of late, but begs the question of where is the consistency in the game? Having refereed I know how fast the game is, and can only imagine at this level how hard it would be to keep control of the situation, but still, don't tell that to the Canadiens...

Saints Stumbles

The New Orleans Saints have gone from mediocrity to lifting the spirits of a depressed community to champions to targets in only a few shorts years. The Saints most recent troubles surround star quarterback Drew Brees and his unhappiness at being franchised with no long term commitment from the organization, and former defensive coordinator Greg Williams, now with the St, Louis Rams, and his bounty program. Essentially, defensive players were rewarded monetarily for injuring their opponents. While I understand many in the Saints locker room being upset that this was leaked publicly (former NFL player Bill Romanoski said the problem isn't bounties it's snitches) as they are likely not the only team who practice this, they will be the ones punished while others will not. The fact remains this is a barbaric practice and needs to be punished severely by the league if only to send a message. The NFL has tried more ardently in recent years to protect it's players and this practice is directly opposed to that. I don't have an issue with guys going out there and trying to hit hard, and maybe even hurt a guy, but to put a dollar value on it is just in poor taste. The game is violent enough, why are you encouraging poor sportsmanship as well? What commissioner Roger Goodell will do isn't know yet but for the sake of the league, it will likely be severe. 

Twitter Tantrums

The social media world has opened up numerous opportunities for people to connect and instantly share their though and feelings on anything, (whether they're worthwhile or not). This has given fans unprecedented access to their heroes and makes them presumably, feel closer to those they admire. However, like anything else there is a case of either too much information or self indulgent responses. For example take Damar Derozan of the Toronto Raptors. He was benched in the fourth quarter of their game in Houston the other night and posted his displeasure on his twitter account in no uncertain terms (straight bull$#%^). The remarks were subsequently removed, though certainly the feelings weren't. These feelings are obviously nothing new as athletes have felt this way since the dawn of sport. However, the need to share them is what's most intriguing. I mean, should players be punished for such acts? I can see tweeting during a game being an issue as your focus should be elsewhere but voicing an opinion that anyone with any common sense would have surmised before you said it is almost pointless, no? I mean many NFL players have whined about other players or the fines from the league on their twitter as opposed to doing it the old fashioned way in front of a TV camera, and while it's hard for me to feel bad for millionaires most of the time, it is their right to voice an opinion, isn't it? That's why social media is there in the first place. This makes it more entertaining and dare I say honest. And look what that gets you. Sure, for the good of the team you should suck it up, keep your mouth closed go out and do the job for which you are well paid and take it like a man, but should one choose to voice their displeasure in a situation where everyone involved knows they are unhappy, so be it. The fact is it's never going to change and people are always going to be subject to their emotions. In this way you will get the drama that unfolds and this is what keeps us watching. So as much as teams would like to curtail this it's what keeps fans involved, and people like me in material.