Agree to...Agree

The NHL has made it's latest proposal to Donald Fehr and the NHLPA. Optically it's a good proposal at a 50/50 split of the coveted HRR (Hockey Related Revenue) and is as most will agree a good PR move for the NHL. They condition of the offer is that it is accepted by next week in order to still be able to squeeze a full 82 game schedule in. The are also changes to free agency which would start at 28 instead of 27 and max contract length which would be 5 years. I think the players will certainly have an issue with that last one. The fact is this offer is much closer to getting them to where they need to be and the onus is now on the players to be reasonable and come back with a counter offer that fits this framework. Anyone would be naive to think they'd just rubber stamp the leagues offer, but it is a very significant starting point from which to work. Mark Spector suggests in his latest column Gary Bettman ought to be fired as commissioner of the league after roughly 20 years and three lockouts. And while I have been saying that for years, I'll give the league credit for at least getting the ball rolling here and trying to get the game back on the ice. They, meaning the owners, are starting to realize how much money they stand to lose and have want Bettman to start earning his ridiculous $8 million dollar a year salary and get the fans back in the stands. Hopefully in most markets that will be the case. But I fear there will be many fans who are sick and tired of being treated like hostages between bickering little children as they moan and cry over who has it worse. The fact is the people suffering in bars, restaurants, sporting goods stores and those who work for the team are the biggest losers along with the fans so this is a deal that needs to be worked out. The players and owners need to put ego's aside and think about what's best for the long term future of the game so that we don't have to go through this song and dance every 7 years. It's a great game, the best in the world, so let's see the best back where they belong.

Eye on the, Ball?

You're Alex Rodriguez. One of, or at least you used to be, the best in the game. You're struggling. You're team is struggling and about to go down 2-0 in a playoff series. You're intense focus and competitive spirit is honed in on...two women in the crowd? Such is a report that came out the other day suggesting that A-Rod sent autographed baseballs to two women he had been talking to during the game asking for their phone number. Now I'm not suggesting that he's wrong in trying to get a woman's number, Lord knows if I would if I could, but is there not a time and a place? Shouldn't he have more important things on his mind? Also, he's Alex Rodriguez. He could go to any number of restaurants, bars or other locals to meet women. Why then and there? I mean, you have to admit the guys got, well, balls, but it doesn't exactly endear him to everyone, or at least doesn't show any kind of commitment to the team. Then again that's never been his MO, but still, a little effort would be nice.

Ace Up Your Sleve

There's nothing like being able to play an Ace. And Justin Verlander and CC Sabathia showed up why over the last two evenings. They both went the distance in deciding game 5's and lead their respective teams to the ALCS. And While things didn't work out so well for Adam Wainwright this evening, it's hard to argue, if not impossible, to downplay the importance of a dominant pitcher. Like a stellar goaltender in hockey, it gives the entire team an extra boost of confidence. They know he's got their back if they make a mistake and they can play a less nervous game. They have complete faith knowing that each and every time out he gives you an opportunity to win. In contrast he often gets into the head of your opponent leading to the exact opposite reaction where every move is over analyzed and you over think instead of react. This is shaping up to be a great series and will likely come down to whose Ace has the better stuff. I think Detroit has more pitching depth with Schurzer and Fister, but it will be interesting to see who handles the pressure better. The benching of A-Rod adds another bit of intrigue that will no doubt be pondered endlessly until there is some sort of resolution. The series is set to kick of in NY tomorrow, Play ball!

Baseball Bliss

It doesn't get any better than October. This is why they play 162 games a year to get to the fall with a chance to win it all. The momentum is more important, the stakes higher the drama amped up to new levels. Every nigh there's a hero, and every night someone is left wondering what could have been. There are champs and there are chumps. The scapegoats who are left in the wake as teams move on to the next round. The short five game series of the opening round is truly about momentum and it forces teams to adjust and plan accordingly and differently than they would in a longer series which is all part of the intrigue.

With four games yesterday and today you couldn't ask for much more, especially after the drama in the AL last night. Who would have seen the A's coming back like that or A-Rod sitting on the bench while Ibanez played the hero. Granted Johnson and Vlaverde, the O's and Tiger's respective closers haven't been good in the post season, it lends itself to making the game more intriguing. A's manager Bob Melvin said they never feel like they are out of it and we say why. This ragamuffin team of nobody's is proving everybody wrong. They have another huge test in reigning Cy Young winner Justin Verlander tonight but never count them out.

In NY the Yankees do what the Yankees do, win. But this was different. Never before in the history of the game has someone done what Raul Ibanez did, tying the game in the bottom of the 9th and winning it in the 12th with home runs. it was incredible, unpredictable and more so because it was A-Rod he was hitting for. A-rod said all the right things after the game and handled it very well, and with his numbers he couldn't have been shocked, but I'm sure there's a part of him that wanted that chance.

In Cincinnati the Reds again failed to advance blowing a 2-0 series lead to the SF Giants. The Giants were clutch and found their offense when they needed it. The Reds now have a long off season and a lot of questions to answer after letting it slip away. The pitching of the Giants, especially in Cincinnati shut down the Reds for the most part and going forward will be tough to beat as it as in 2010 when they won it all.

The Nationals forced a deciding game 5 in dramatic fashion with a Jason Werth walk off home run, and will play St. Louis tomorrow to see who goes on the NLCS. The stakes only get higher from here on and I for one can't wait to see how it plays out.

Stike Out ... Why the NHL lockout needs to end

The fans are getting apathetic. Something I thought I would never say as a Canadian talking about hockey, but sadly it's true. The NHLPA and the NHL need to get this sorted out in a hurry because they are alienating their fan base and it will come back to haunt them in the less traditional markets. The biggest issue, billionaires and millionaires arguing over the fans money. It's getting tough enough for the average fan to even afford to get tickets to a game, let alone hear about the rich people benefiting from those hard earned dollars fighting over them like spoiled children. I know, no players no game. And I agree that they deserve a good share of the revenue as a result because they are the product. They owners should honor the promises and contracts they signed and it seems hypocritical of the league to cry broke why signing players to 100 million dollar contracts. Still, the players have to wake up and realize that salaries and profits have been on the rise so why muck that up? Why go steal jobs from other players in other leagues when you could sort your own issues out and get the greatest league in the world back where it belongs, on the ice. Think about the thousands of people who are effected by this, at the rink, in the bars and in the stores. But mostly think about the little kid who just wants to watch his favorite player. Think he understands why you're all too selfish?