The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

A decision that will be welcome by most, every NHL team is guaranteed to play each other at least once after many complained of the current format that saw teams not visit certain cities in three years. The other major change was, instead of facing division rivals eight times over the course of the season, they would cut it back to six games to accommodate facing a great number of different opponents.

I wasn't too critical at the time when they decided to have eight intra-divisional games between each six-team sector. It seemed to make sense: Sens fans, for instance, loved the rivalry between the Leafs and Canadiens so why not have more of it? The problem was, of course, this also meant eight games for teams no one cared to see as much, like the Bruins and at an earlier time when the Sabres were a bottom-of-the-barrel team. Also the games didn't come across as special as they once did: it was too much of a good thing. In addition, this year Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto will not face their Canadian Western cousins: Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. There always seemed to be an extra electricity in the air when these teams faced each other, and depriving the fans of these games turned out to be a mistake worse than originally thought.

Before everyone craps on the NHL for trying this out, remember some leagues, such as the NFL, have cases where certain teams don't play each other for years unless they make it to the Superbowl. I guess the reasoning with the NHL was that it wouldn't be too bad because they would, at the very least, make sure each team faced each other twice over a three year span. They must have thought this would be enough to appease fans when you compare it with other leagues. However, give them credit, after the first three year cycle they realized it wasn't working so they reverted to the former schedule.

And that was a smart decision.

After the Lynx left town to play in Allentown, Pennsylvania, many thought professional baseball in Ottawa was dead. Lawsuits filed by both the city and the Lynx organization provided an enough distraction to stop the possibility of doing something constructive with the completely-paid-for empty Lynx Stadium.

There were early rumours that the Can-Am League, which is the equivalent of Double A baseball, was interested in not just moving a team to Ottawa but also making it headquarters of Baseball Canada. It seemed though that there were too many hurdles to overcome and it certainly didn't help that City officials were slow on the ball in talking to the commissioner of the league. They still had a schedule to set for next year and their clubs needed to prepare accordingly.

Without much fanfare, it was announced today a two-year deal has been reached. While the two lawsuits previously mentioned still need to be settled, the Can-Am League has been handed the keys to Lynx stadium to try their luck in the Nation's capital.

I don't think the fact that it's Double A team as compared to Triple A will matter much. The travelling team, currently known as "The Grays" (that name has got to change quickly) will need to market their product quickly and effectively to generate excitement in the city for baseball again. Baseball fans who felt slighted by the Lynx for their past actions will hopefully realize it's a new club and be willing to give it another chance.

As my friends know, I'm not huge into baseball, but attending the occasional game with friends is always a good time (or good times!). Ottawa always seems to be the city where sports franchises, outside of hockey, go to die. It was nice to hear we're getting a 2nd chance, and hopefully they'll be here to stay for the long haul.

I got annoyed at a co-worker the other day.

Basically, there's this guy who's super-religious, and I like to tease him about how I listen to Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Mason (well there's really just 3 songs of his I listen to you but we'll say it counts as "listening to Marilyn Manson").

Then he asked me point blank if I "accept Jesus Christ as my Saviour."

I thought that question went too far and is too personal to be asking such a thing, especially at work, but I decided to push his buttons some more by saying maybe we're wrong in thinking Jesus is the Saviour...maybe it's Vishnu. He didn't like that response and left, somewhat agitated.

But then I thought about it some more, and that's not an unreasonable response. Put it this way: There are 1 billion or so Indians who believe in the teachings of Hinduism. Who are we to say they are wrong in their beliefs? If you just take numbers, if anything, North American Christianity is the minority.

I am no atheist, I have a spiritual side and I think that the world, intelligent life and the entire galaxy is simply too complex to have started from a scientific theory or "The Big Bang." How something can be made from nothing is an explanation only the spiritual side of things can explain, in my humble opinion.

But who is anyone to say one religion is superior or "more right" than another? This is why I can't stand these religious zealots who claim God is the answer to everything. Which God? Why your God? Why not the one the Chinese, for instance, worship?

This is the reason why I think people are going to Church less in North America, and the reason why so much conflict and hate exist in this world: We can't let everyone just believe what they want to believe without adding, "My beliefs are better than yours."

How many times have you been on the highway, driving under the speed limit because the person in front of you forgot where the accelerator is? You pass them, not before glancing quickly to see they have a big smile on their face while they're chatting away on their cellular phone. They are completely oblivious to the speed they're going and the cars around them...they are on the phone right now and heaven forbid if they wait until their journey has ended before taking a call.

Surveys have shown a person driving while talking on their cell phone is the equivalent of someone being slightly above the legal blood-alcohol limit. They are less likely to drive straight and in the middle of their lane, and they are also likely to drive according to their mood on their phone. If they're happy: slow (maybe too slow) and steady. If they're pissed off, watch out.

What startles me the most though are people that actually text others while driving! I was watching Dr. Phil (don't ask) and a teenage driver who struck a cyclist and ended up either in a wheelchair or died admitted to trying to text someone when the accident occurred. Someone else watching the program with me chuckled and admitted to texting while driving, too.

"So you're going to stop doing it now, right?" I asked.
"Ahhh...probably not."

Shocking.

I have no interest sharing the road with these morons. Let's ban the cell phone ASAP when you're behind the wheel...I'm sure your call can wait 5 minutes.

I'm not all poker and Subway sandwiches. In my spare time, I turn black, grow two inches, gain 70 pounds and don the jersey of the Arizona Cardinals. Now you may not have known this because it is my first NFL season. Don't believe me? Here's the proof...look for #89 in red as I score my first touchdown!

My First Touchdown!

What I look like on Sundays, sometimes Mondays:

I'm not going to sit here and claim I was Eric & Patti's closest friends or anything, but when you hear the news they are leaving Ottawa, you still feel a little sad. Happy for them at the same time, for sure: Patti got a promotion that required her to leave town, and Eric knows his place and is following her wherever she goes :-). But I guess when you think back at all the times we spent together over the years, you take for granted that they'll be there each time. Happiest memory: 2002 Winter Olympics gold medal game without question!

We had a swan song for them last night, yours truly left his camera at home so I pulled up this photo from Steve & Janice's wedding this past summer. We're going to miss you two! LEAFS STILL SUCK! :)

It pulls out!



Water flows straight or...



can be sprayed if you want!

Thanks again to Robert-o for installing it!

I actually have absolutely no idea how long my mom has been on this planet, but that's not important, right? We had a nice night having Indian Food at Taj with some cake & politics at mom's place. Here's a photo of her with my sister, Kylie and my brother, Peter. Hope you had a terrific day!

Today marks the 44th anniversary of the assassination of 35th U.S. President John F. Kennedy. So much time has passed that most media outlets don't even bother mentioning this fact but that's okay, you're reading about it now. Many of my friends know I read up on a lot of books on the subject after being riveted by the movie JFK. The film took artistic licence where it felt necessary, some of the characters were composites who did not actually exist (amongst other things the film portrayed) which angered many who believed in the "angry lone nut" solution. They wasted no time in trying to discredit Oliver Stone's movie. It was quite incredible to see these attacks begin before shooting even commenced with some journalists having access to stolen first drafts of the script. It was like they were either afraid of something the movie might show that they failed to reveal themselves, or they were bullheaded in protecting an old crime and did not want to accept the possibility that their own government was lying to the American people (and the world, for that matter) over one of the most tragic moments in U.S. history.

I Don't Believe in Magic Bullets

There is only one reason you need to look at to see why the whole "Lee Harvey Oswald did it alone" theory has no basis in fact. The entire government inquiry into the murder, the Warren Commission, had to rely on the "magic bullet theory" to prove its case. In the sixth floor window of the book depository where Oswald allegedly shot JFK with a mail-order rifle, three empty casings were found showing three shots were fired. One of the shots missed and hit the pavement, with some of the cement spitting up from the ground and hitting bystander James Tague in the cheek. Another shot was the fatal head shot that killed Kennedy as shown in the Zapruder film that captured the murder. So there remained just one bullet to cause SEVEN remaining wounds. The Commission claimed this single bullet hit Kennedy in the back, exited via his throat, hit Governor Connally seated in front of him near his right armpit, went through his body shattering a rib, exited under his right nipple, entered his lower right arm shattering his wrist, then finally crossing his body and hitting his left thigh. Down, up, side to side...the bullet travelled all over the place.

Then it fell out of Connally while he was lying in a stretcher in a hospital in almost pristine condition.

For this reason alone, Lee Harvey Oswald could not have shot the President by himself. Warren Commission defenders have tried to prove this is possible over the years by changing the seating positions of the two persons, moving the wound locations, and even Gerald Posner's book Case Closed claims a tree branch may have been responsible for altering the path of the bullet. Ironically, by changing these facts to make the magic bullet theory seem more plausible, they basically admit the Warren Commission was wrong in its final report.

Common sense wins here hands down. Absolutely NO WAY one gun killed JFK and wounded Connally with a bullet that defies all science & logic. This event was a conspiracy of many, of which we will likely never know who was ultimately responsible for it.

It's only 1/4 of the way into the NHL season, but the league has already started voting for each Conference All-Star team and I always take the time to send in my picks. So far, here's who I would send:

Eastern Conference: Forwards - Sydney Crosby (Pittsburgh), Daniel Alfredsson (Ottawa), Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay)
Defence - Zdeno Chara (Boston), Chris Phillips (Ottawa)
Goalie - Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers), Martin Gerber (Ottawa)

Western Conference: Forwards - Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit), Jarome Iginla (Calgary), Joe Thornton (San Jose)
Defence - Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit), Chris Pronger (Anaheim)
Goalie - Pascal Leclaire (Columbus), Roberto Luongo (Vancouver)

Who would you send?

You undoubtedly heard about the Polish man who got tasered waiting for 10 hours at the Vancouver airport and soon afterwards died. Unfortunately, the word spread quickly that the video shot of the incident was posted on Youtube, and much like a car wreck I had to see what happened. Here's the link (the video is pretty long, just under 10 minutes):

Video of Robert Dziekanski getting tasered

Mr. Dziekanski doesn't speak English. Most of the police and airport personnel thought he was Russian but nevertheless, as the video demonstrates, they had no idea how to handle the situation.

First, how is it possible a passenger can get stuck at what I think is customs FOR OVER 10 HOURS? He is obviously agitated, dripping with sweat, and rightfully so. Now I don't condone him throwing furniture as he did. But everyone has their limits and airport staff should have tried to get him through customs or help him get to wherever it was he had to go. You might say none of the staff should be expected to speak Polish, but I say when you have passengers coming in from all over the world, you should at least be trained on how to handle a situation as simple as a non-English speaking passenger needing assistance to get to his final destination.

Now let's talk about the police who were called to the scene. Is it me, or did they waste no time sending 50,000 volts through this poor guy's body? It seems they already had in mind what they were going to do and non-physical means wasn't an option. And again, the police were likely informed Mr. Dziekanski couldn't speak English, so how exactly were they planning to negotiate without a translator to help them? Police have the most difficult job in the world and I'm not as suspicious of their intentions as others, but the video demonstrates they did their job here poorly.

The worst part of all this is the response from the company who makes the tasers. A representative said that proof is shown in the video that tasers aren't lethal because you can see the victim still struggling after getting zapped by the taser gun no less than two times. Okay then...so how he exactly did he die? You're telling me he died just by coincidence after getting shocked by 50,000 volts of electricity? It reminds me of that episode of The Simpsons where a customer died after participating in a steak eating contest at a restaurant:

"This man died from meat poisoning!"
(Restaurant clientele gasp in unison)
"Uh..obviously from meat eaten at a different restaurant."
(Restaurant patrons breathe a sigh of relief in unison and resume eating their steaks).

This is an absolute travesty, and I hope for the sake of the Dziekanski family justice will be served and this never, ever happens again.

It's difficult to get a day-to-day decent sound bite from any professional player or coach. They say what they are "supposed" to say. They speak in cliches and don't really offer anything interesting or insightful when they talk to the media.

But Senators coach John Paddock is an exception. Now he isn't as entertaining as a Jeremy Roenick for example, but his old school I-don't-give-a-crap-what-you-think approach is refreshing. Here are some quotes from him since the start of the 2007-08 season:

“I don’t care what (Emery’s) like to you guys (in the media). The people he’s responsible to are his teammates and the organization. You have a certain standard you have to live up to, but who says that he has to be happy all the time ... It’s good to be surly.”

"Losing Zdeno Chara was atrocious."

"I'm never going to be on the committee so I don't really care." (On being asked if he'd vote for Eric Lindros to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.)

"Meszaros and Savard are both only going to have one fight a year." (When asked if he thought the two opposing players would fight again in game 2 of the series).

This no-nonsense approach is probably a good indication of what he's like with the players. He doesn't need flash, but he wants effort and attention to detail. And their 15-3 record reflects that.

I'm definitely pleased with having John Paddock as coach of the Ottawa Senators.

Some of my movie geek pals think the highlight of going to the movies is viewing the trailers before the show starts. "If someone decided to run 2 hours of trailers in the theatre, I'd pay $10 to see that." So would I. Taking a look at what next year's crop of films there are to look forward to can be fun. Sure, sometimes the trailer outdoes itself and ends up being better than the flick itself, but you don't know that at the time. I remember seeing the trailer for Independence Day and thinking it'll be the best movie ever.

Anyway, this High Definition channel actually has a one hour time slot where they show nothing but, yup, movie trailers! The nice thing is of course it's all in HD and widescreen, and that there's no $10 to pay either. Yesterday they had shown advertisements for movies including The Golden Compass and Tom Hanks' Charlie Wilson's War. Will they be any good? Who knows, but for some, it sure made me think it was possible.

Everyone enjoys a nice glass of vino with a good meal. White. Red. Variations of it, like champagne. How many couples get a bottle of their favourite Merlot when they go out to a fancy restaurant to celebrate their anniversary or whatever occasion it may be? A lot.

I don't.

The bitter, moldy taste I acquaint with most wines just doesn't settle well with me. So I don't buy it. To each their own.

I don't mind the odd beer, and I'll usually have a pint when I go to a pub or something. But it's rare that I'll keep some at my place. I've started to get some, mostly for guests.

But now, in my thirties, whenever I go to a restaurant, there seems to be some stigma attached when you order a non-alcoholic drink.

One time, a waitress pretty much pegged me as being gay because I ordered a diet coke while everyone else ordered a beer. The guys with me seemed to enjoy her quick wit, and laughed accordingly. This was a little more blatant than other examples, but who cares if I order booze or not?

Maybe I'm the designated driver. Perhaps wrapping my car around a telephone pole isn't an option I want to consider that night.

But maybe I don't want to force myself to have a drink that, to me, doesn't particularly taste good. Stuff like whiskey and tequila come to mind. I don't understand how someone can rate a tequila as being "smooth" when, again, just to me, is the equivalent of setting your mouth and throat on fire. How does anyone enjoy it? Instead of trying to figure it out, I'll just won't indulge and let others do their thing.

My point is, I enjoy Coke Zero, and I'm not going to apologize for it.

NICE!

What everyone knows will finally get proven and Barry Bonds will pay the price.

An indictment has been put on Bonds for perjury and obstruction of justice today for lying to a federal grand jury when he testified he did not knowingly take performance enhancing drugs. His personal trainer has been rotting in a jail cell for the last year for refusing to testify against his client, but has now been ordered released.

The lawyers for Bonds made some pretty funny statements in my opinion. "I'm surprised," they said. "I wonder what evidence they have now they didn't have before." "This came out of left field". They also accused prosecutors of "unethical conduct". It seems, based on the handful of news releases on the subject, none of the lawyers remembered to mention Bonds is "innocent" of these allegations.

Now it doesn't take a genius to know his record is tainted, and much like when Al Capone was walking the streets of Chicago asking reporters "What's a murder?", many were wondering if justice would be served. In my opinion, Bonds has completely disgraced what old ball players like Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth have done before him. To me, a win is not a win unless it is done with honour.

I hope Bonds' career will be over and that he'll go down in flames.

Cara was ever so kind to invite me out to an advanced screening of August Rush, a film about an orphaned child prodigy of music. Haven't heard of it? Neither had I. But what I'll remember most about the evening wasn't the movie but the hassle getting inside the theatre.

This movie doesn't come out officially until November 21st and as far as I know, this isn't exactly a hyped up film with fans lining up days in advance to buy tickets. But they sure treated it that way. They had everyone line up and you entered one by one. First, there were two security guards who had everyone open their bags and purses to be inspected. Next stop, they had those hand-held metal detector thingees to check for, uh, metal. They were REALLY paranoid about someone sneaking in a camcorder to record this movie. The flick started 20 minutes late because of all these delays, and if that wasn't enough, there was a guy with a night vision camera scanning the audience to see if anyone was recording.

If I ever have to go through that for another movie, I'll stop going to the theatre.

Anyway, the movie itself wasn't all that great. Quick plot summary: Boy meets girl. Boy and girl have one night stand. Girl gets pregnant. Boy and girl go their separate ways. Baby goes to orphanage. Music is what keeps them together! End.

Okay, a bit harsh, but other questions such as "How did they get that 11 year-old in a tux in less than 2 minutes?" seemed more pertinent. The film just felt so fake and over-the-top cheese. It's a movie I'm sure teenage girls and middle-age/elderly women who want to watch something "nice" without violence will enjoy. In other words, take a pass.

Is the NHL season so long that it doesn't matter if star players bother to show up for the first 1/4 of the season?

Scott Niedermayer, currently under contract with the Anaheim Ducks, announced before the season started he was contemplating retirement. Fine. In the interim, management decided to sign free agent Mathieu Schneider as a backup plan in case Niedermayer followed through with his plans to quit.

So it's mid-November now and he hasn't made a decision. He says one will be made before Christmas and he's staying in shape until he makes up his mind.

The problem with this scenario is many. With the obvious disarray management has to endure with him sitting out, they have to decide how the team will move forward. With limited cap space to work with, it's also risky to sign another player since Niedermayer is paid a huge sum of money. I believe it's around the $6.5 million mark, but interestingly enough the NHLPA has removed him from their website (where every player's salary is listed) even though he hasn't made a formal announcement.

But if he sits out long enough...this can turn into a huge advantage for the Ducks. They only have to count towards the cap what Niedermayer gets paid, and right now he isn't getting paid anything. So if he suits up 1/2 way through the season, that $6.5 million figure all of a sudden is $3.25 million towards the cap. Is this an unfair advantage the Ducks have over other clubs? Not only do they have him & Chris Pronger, but as previously mentioned, they also have Mathieu Schneider in the fold that they might have otherwise not obtained had Niedermayer reported to training camp.

To fix this problem, the league needs to set dates when players are contemplating hanging them up. Are you thinking about retiring? Okay, but if you don't make a decision by say, October 31st, you're suspended for the rest of the year and you can't play again until next season.

This may sound harsh, but when players pretty much declare the start of the season isn't important, when fans pay money to see the stars play and they don't show up, when players salaries no longer have to count towards the cap...it just isn't right.

Had a real lazy day today. Slept in. Watched two movies (Matrix Reloaded and The Rocket) went to Subway...got some laundry done in between! But tonight was also the start of the indoor winter Ultimate season. Our first game was against a team comprised of students from St Matthew's High School. At least that's what the website said. I was thoroughly expecting a thrashing, but it turned out the opposite. No doubt, they had unlimited energy and where running in circles without so much as losing their breath, but we managed to come out on top 25-13. What that means is that we've already won 50% of our games that we won last year. The league added some players to fill out our roster and they turned out great. Myself, it showed I hadn't done any exercise since August and was winded early, but once I get a few games in I'll be okay.

What else can I say except: "Good times!"

You'd think that headline might be something you'd read in the paper from the 1950s or 60s, but Blackhawks ownership is doing something they haven't done in a long time tonight...showing one of their home games on television.

Late Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz claimed showing the home games on TV wouldn't be fair to the season ticketholders. Talk like that DOES sound like it comes from the 50s, where fans buy tickets not just to watch their team but experience the atmosphere a live crowd with thousands of others. If Wirtz was indeed sincere, the downside is that a sports fans in Chicago who can't afford to go to games will opt for one of the many other options available: The Bears, White Sox, Cubs or Bulls. It's a big town that can support many pro sports franchises.

So while the Blackhawks struggled and ticket sales went down, it was hard for ownership to get new fans to support them since they weren't on television and perhaps the most important demographic, children, were not lured into being Blackhawks fans.

Now that Chicago has strung together some wins and have two of the hottest rookies in the NHL: Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, it's time to advertise. That's what television does: provide awareness of their product and entices people to go to games, buy the merchandise and concessions, etc. When Chicago sees the young prospects they have, it should attract more interest. And since season ticket numbers for this original 6 franchise are so bad, there really isn't much to lose here.

No one wants to see a franchise with a history like the Blackhawks struggle and perhaps threaten to leave town because of poor ownership decisions. This should also be a reminder to all other NHL owners who salivate at the thought of putting all of their games on pay-per-view: you can only gouge so much before fans decide to go elsewhere.

Let's say every time you're in the small blind, you've been raising the pot to try to steal when it's been folded to you. Doesn't matter what two cards you have...you're going to try to take it down. You can tell the big blind is getting frustrated but continues to fold to your raises.

Now another hand comes up where you wake up with pocket Kings. So what should your next move be?

While you could just limp in and try to trap hoping he'll raise you seeing your flat call as weakness, if you're dealing with a player who knows that they're doing they won't look at it that way. "Why is this player just limping all of a sudden?" will be a question that a good player will ask themselves. So your limp-in will likely not make you any money and allow your opponent to see a free flop which can get you into mountains of trouble. Say the flop comes J-9-3 with two spades. You bet and are then raised. What could your opponent have? A flush draw? A straight draw? Top pair? Or maybe hands that have you beat...two pair, or perhaps they flopped a set. You'll have a difficult decision on your hands.

When I'm playing against an opponent that knows what they're doing, I like to keep my plays consistent so my opponent has no idea what I'm holding. If I've been raising 3x the big blind with pocket 4s, I'll raise 3x the big blind with Queens. Or Ace-King. Or if I try to steal with suited connectors.

So in the above example, if you raise for the fifth time in a row but you have a real hand this time, eventually your opponent will make a stand with a less-than-optimal hand like Ace 10 suited. Then shove all your chips in the pot when they go all-in.

It's the only way you can make money against a good player.

"Sports Sports Sports Sports Sports Sports Sports Sports!"

- Homer Simpson

It isn't for awhile, but a weekend in February will allow me to get my fill of sports action to last me for quite a long time.

Saturday, February 2nd will start with my work trip to Montreal to catch the Canadiens play the Islanders in the afternoon. We'll take the bus ride and back, and there'll be more hockey action in the evening: My Sens will take on the Maple Leafs.

And it doesn't stop there! That very night, there'll be a UFC card. Included in the event is the debut of former WWE champion Brock Lesnar. He will face a former UFC heavyweight champion named Frank Mir, which will ensure at least Lesnar will face a tough opponent and will determine just how far he may go in the MMA world.

Finally, the next day is Superbowl Sunday. Everyone who knows me knows I don't follow football. But it's one of those games were you still tune in and socialize with others because it's the thing to do.

What else can I say about this weekend except, "Good times!"

A debate amongst hockey fans right now is whether or not Eric Lindros, who officially announced his retirement today, is a worth candidate to be in the Hall of Fame. In all likelihood, he will be inducted, but if it was up to me, well, let's just say he'd be a W.B.M. Won't Be Missed special.

My problem with Lindros is that he always came across as thinking he's bigger than the game itself. It started off when he was a teenager, refusing to don the Quebec Nordiques sweater when they drafted him and he sat out until he was traded to another franchise. Apparently every other player who's been drafted not just in the NHL but NFL, NBA, and MLB was not as special as Eric. It's all karma big guy, and your career ended up with zero, count em', zero Stanley Cups and a boatload of injuries. I personally don't care you won a Hart Trophy in a lockout-shortened season in 1995. You further proved your arrogance by sitting out the 2000-01 season because you didn't get what you wanted and be traded to the Maple Leafs. Hey, if Toronto doesn't have the assets the Flyers want, they have no obligation to get you for lesser value. After all, they only gave up Peter Forsberg, Steve Duchesne, Kerry Huffman, Mike Ricci, Ron Hextall, two 1st round draft picks and $15,000,000 cash to acquire you in the first place.

You might recall he played for Team Canada on numerous occasions, but their Canada Cup victory in 1991 and their Olympic gold medal victory in 2002 had little to do with Eric himself. Guys like Wayne Gretzky and Joe Sakic were the leaders of those teams and Lindros was just lucky to come along for the ride.

His press conference today was ridiculous, saying if he had to do it all over again, he'd still refuse to play for Quebec because he claims the ownership didn't want to win. Well, that trade allowed them to get two Stanley Cups just after they moved to Colorado, so perhaps they knew a thing or two about building a team.

I might sound harsh, but it doesn't really matter what I think. His numbers are comparable to Cam Neely, who also had a career shortened by injuries, played a physical style and never won a Cup but still made it to the Hall of Fame. Indeed, Lindros is a household name in the hockey world, and luckily for fans future stars such as Peter Forsberg, Dany Heatley, Alexander Ovechkin and Sydney Crosby didn't follow Eric's lead and instead embraced the opportunity to play in the NHL without taking it for granted, and without holding the fans hostage. Unfortunately for you Eric, you might make it to the Hall, but you'll remembered more for the negatives in your career, rather than for the few years you were one of the very best to play in the NHL.

It's been four months since my doctor (well, I don't actually have a family doctor but it's as close as one as I'm going to get I suppose) put the fear of God into me and told me to try to eat healthier and make better food choices.

Since that time, I had a goal of getting to 200lbs and I've weighed myself to be 198lbs, down from about 222. I've been that weight for the last three weeks so you can say that my body has "plateaued" from my new eating regime . I might improve that some more since the last couple of months I've done little to no exercise, but I'll be starting up indoor ultimate next week and floor hockey shortly thereafter.

The key is all portions. I used to easily help myself to four or five cupcakes when one is plenty. No more footlong subs, I get the six inch sandwiches and choose leaner meats like turkey, chicken and ham over burgers, wings and ribs. At the same time, I allow myself to indulge once in a while, so the occasional visit to Baton Rouge will still happen. But as I said, it's all in moderation.

It's kind of nice to hear the compliments I get for my weight loss. The fact that people can actually see a difference is definitely encouraging and I really feel I can keep this up. To everyone that's encouraged me, thank you!

The headline was as bad as anything you may read inside the pages of a Sun newspaper, but the latest Sens triumph, a 5-1 spanking of the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, may be alluding to what could be the greatest Ottawa Senators season in their modern history. They have already achieved an NHL record by being the quickest team to reach 13 wins in a season, and you have to wonder if anyone can stop them.

Lots of other Sens-related stuff going on. We have Wade Redden being quoted as saying he'd take a hometown discount to remain with Ottawa, and owner Eugene Melnyk referring to it as a "Stanley Cup" discount that's been put on the table. No numbers have been mentioned, but indeed that is the only way Redden can stay. He didn't play to a $6.5 million a year contract, and Chris Phillips, who makes about 1/2 that, is currently the better of the two. I think Redden is smart enough to realize a discount may be a way to actually make amends for his poor performance last year. He has rebounded from last year so far and has been solid. Most fans would like to see him gone, but he logs the most minutes out of all Senators, can be put in a power play, penalty kill or even-strength opposition and more importantly, is playing well for his team.

The NHL also released it's all-star ballot and six Senators: Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, Wade Redden, Chris Phillips and Ray Emery made the ballot. The ballot selection process is bit of a joke as Emery has only played 2 games this year, but it recognizes the accomplishments Ottawa has made.

Finally, Peter Forsberg. I have been dreaming of Alfredsson and Peter playing together while Spezza and Heatley play the other line but it looks like this won't happen. Forsberg, after his first practice with the Swedish national team, pretty much stated he's as close to retirement as you can get. His foot is in horrible shape and he doesn't want to have any major surgeries to fix it. While it would have been nice to see him don a Sens uniform, looks like Ottawa will have to move on from this. But, with a 13-1 record, do they have to make any major acquisitions? No. We'll see how the ship sails. For now, it's a great time to be a Senators fan. Let's hope I can say the same thing in June.

When I talk to people, I have a very annoying habit that I can't get rid of. Basically, when someone says a phrase such as "I just ate a delicious burger", I'll turn around and say, "You're a burger!" Yeah. Pretty witty, eh? It works well when you're not sure what to say. It can work with any sentence! Say someone asks you:

"Is that a new pair of jeans?"

Just tell them:

"You're a pair of jeans!"

Now the problem is I know it isn't very funny and it makes no sense, but I've said it ad nauseam for so long it's almost like a reflex and I can't stop myself. But I'm going to try to end saying it.

A new saying has also surfaced, perhaps to replace it. Whenever someone explains a story, talks about a movie they liked or maybe a trip they're going to take, I reply with, "Good times!" I have Rob to thank for that. So let's say you've told me how you went to the dentist and no cavities were found. My response is:

"Good times!"

I could also say, "You're a cavity!"

Do you want to punch me in the face yet?!

Michael Clayton is the story of the title character who's dubs himself "a janitor", someone who cleans up messes for his law firm when their clients get themselves in trouble. He's a 45 year-old who realizes he doesn't have much to show for his life. He seems morally ambiguous, knowing most of the clientele he works for are guilty but still pay his bills. His values come into question when a corporation is on trial for breaching environmental laws while one of the senior partners goes bipolar and provides the plaintiffs with the evidence they need to win the case. The irony being once he stops taking his medication he's technically insane, but he's doing the right thing. Clayton is a good friend of his, and wants to help him. But he's not so quick to tread over the law firm he works for. The rest I could tell you would be a spoiler, so I'll leave it at that.

It's very hard to convince the public to see a film revolving around people wearing suits with crisp haircuts and carrying briefcases. The title, Michael Clayton, doesn't sound particularly engrossing and indeed George Clooney's visage on the poster looks like an ad about taking advantage of the Bernstein advantage. But it's a drama that actually turns into a thriller in some parts. It's very engaging, well-paced, well written and has some terrific acting it, headed of course by George Clooney himself.

In his earlier days, I wasn't much of a Clooney fan. His first big screen movies: The Peacemaker, One Fine Day, Batman & Robin...by-the-numbers productions done just for a pay cheque. But instead of just looking to headline the latest summer blockbuster, he's decided to be involved with projects that are more personal and meaningful. Sure, he'll still show up in the latest Ocean's 11 sequel once in a while to remind the mass audiences he's still around. But as time goes on and movies fade from memory, well-crafted films like Three Kings and Good Night & Good Luck will be remembered. Even if you didn't like a particular project (Solaris comes to mind as one many loathed) at least Clooney is willing to roll the dice and try material that's a little different and original. Put it this way: When was the last time we've seen Vin Diesel take a chance? Michael Clayton is a smart movie that will no doubt enjoy some Oscar attention this season.

There will be no last minute attempts on July 1, 2008 to ensure the Ottawa Senators star center reaches a deal before being offered a lucrative contract by another NHL squad.

A new 7 year, $49 million deal signed by Jason Spezza to keep him a Senator until he's 32 years old shows once again Eugene Melnyk is willing to spend to keep his team a contender and contend for the Stanley Cup as long as he can. Funny how a team on the brink of bankruptcy almost four years ago can suddenly afford a near $50 million payroll and sign potential future hall-of-famers to their roster. It's mind-boggling to try to figure out, but as a fan I don't care, it's certainly an exciting time to be a Senators fan.

The big problem now for GM Bryan Murray is how he'll fill out the rest of his roster for next season. 13 players are under contract for a total of about $41 million next year, and if you figure one of Emery or Gerber will be playing for someone else, that means about $13 million needs to be doled out for the other 10 or so players. Meszaros, Kelly, Vermette will all be seeking new contracts, and they won't be taking a pay cut.

Looks like the fall guy will be Wade Redden.

Redden is playing a lot better than he has last year, coming off his worst professional NHL season making the most money out of the entire team @ $6.5 million dollars. Will he take a pay cut to play for Ottawa next year? I doubt it. There's a good chance Redden will be donning a new sweater after the season is finished and Ottawa will bring up one of it's rookies (likely Brian Lee) to play for the Sens. It's simple math: they can't afford to keep them all.

But that's something to worry about later. Ottawa has the best line in hockey: Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson, locked up for a few more years which will guarantee a competitive team each night and many great hockey memories for fans to look forward to.

The idiocy of French politics and the Quebec media reared its ugly head one more and Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu was the unfortunate victim.






Everyone in Montreal wonders why guys like Daniel Briere and Ryan Smyth take a pass when deciding which team to play for when they're mulling over new contracts. Who wants to deal with this type of criticism? It's one thing to be scrutinized for your play on the ice, but for being a pawn in a political debate, no player should ever have to put up with that.

"Would you like free tickets to tonight's game?"

There isn't too many questions asked that would make me feel joyous, but this is definitely one of them. Scheduled to play some squash today for the first time in months, an Ultimate friend of mine called me up to ask if I'd like to take the tickets to tonight's game because her friend couldn't go. I'm afraid squash will have to be put on hold! It was against the lowly Thrashers, but hey, a game's a game, and 200 level seats for $free.99 is nothing to sneeze at. Before the game, I predicted a 6-1 trouncing and when it got to 5-1 I sensed my prediction about to unfold. Alas, a stupid double minor combined with weak goaltending made the game much more interesting that it should have been. Good thing Alfie got an empty netter to make it 6-4 and pick up the win.

Alfredsson had quite a night racking up 4 points while earning his 300th career goal, all as a Senator, and I couldn't recall a smile as wide as he had when he skated out to accept the game's first star selection. Indeed, he has a lot of memories over the course of his 10+ seasons, all with the same franchise. He will no doubt eclipse the 800 point mark this season and it isn't unrealistic to see him finish with over 1,000 points before he hangs up his skates for good. I hope he makes it...with a Stanley Cup or two to boot, of course.

Anyway, tonight's free tickets certainly made my day, and I hope there'll be more in the future!