Two Words

Tommy John

Triple Crown

Triple crown anyone? Never been a huge fan to venture out into Etobicoke but if Votto was making an appearance back at home I would. Wouldn't it be amazing if the Jays could find a way to sign a high profile Canadian player who was in their prime like Votto. Having someone like Votto in the lineup would do wonders for the fans and the feel at the Skydome.

I shouldn't be complaining though. The Jays have a good team with a bright future. But no matter what life has in front of you, you should never stop dreaming.

Only If...

I have accepted that Halladay is gone and the resurgent Wells with his team are not going to the playoffs but this picture is a definite tear jerker. The Doc is doing his normal non-human attack on batters every 5th day and Wells is doing his best to keep the Jays rolling while trying to live up to his massive salary but the picture brings plenty of what ifs.

Wouldn't it be nice to see these two guys in the playoffs together throwing darts, intimidating batters, running down balls, and racking up the RBIs? It is always sad to see the face of a franchise leave but it kind of hurts, in a different way, when he comes back wearing foreign colours with foreign letters running across his chest.

Having Halladay pitching game 7 of the World Series at the Dome while Wells patrols the outfield would have a been a dream come true. I would put my paycheck on The Doc delivering a CG 3 hitter to earn MVP honours.

Reminiscing is great, too bad it's about something that never happened.

Money or Rings

The Raptors are back at square one...again! This is pretty pathetic and should never have happened. Chris Bosh is almost officially gone and the Raptors are going to get basically nothing in return. What do we have on our team? Seriously, what the hell happened to this organization. I was very optimistic after the hiring of Colangelo but since then, I have seen nothing. Hindsight is 20/20 and everyone seems to be a thousand times smarter after the fact but couldn't anyone see that our team was doomed when we went out and signed Hedo? Come on, guy is not worth 5 years. Did Colangelo sign him to try and entice Bosh to sign because if he did, he better share whatever he was smoking with me.

Miami, enjoy Bosh. Enjoy Wade. Oh yeah, come Thursday, you may even enjoy LeBron too. If all this talk coming from all the free agents about winning first is legitimate, then we will see LeBron go to Miami. Salary cap issues and of course position flexibility put a downer on the chances of a Wade/Bosh/James combo but it would be pretty sick to see these guys play together.

How about Amare signing with the Knicks. Pretty sad. Should have tried to team up with one of the big free agents. Amare, enjoy losing. Without Nash you are basically another ballplayer who plays with goggles.

Boozer must be pretty lucky because he just signed a pretty big and fat contract with the Bulls. Did the Raptors even have a chance to sign this guy? Another few seasons of losing and just maybe a lottery pick will turn out to be a future LeBron.

Emotions

Showing emotions on the bench and letting your teammate, who is suppose to be a team leader, is what I call the right move. Longoria let Upton know how he felt after Upton was a complete SOB during a hit into the gap. I have been criticised for being a little lazy on the field and for good reason. There for some days I was tired and didn't have all my heart into the game. Especially during ones against the bottom feeders of the league. But this was no excuse. I was called out and benched and I deserved it. I owned up to my mistake and I tried to never do it again. I've been on the other end and it sure felt good to tell my teammate he was messing up because sometimes everyone needs a kick in the ass to get back to the job at hand.

Mad props to Longoria for stepping up and being a leader on the field. As for Upton, a little maturing is needed. Sometimes talent spoiled individuals need a serious kick in their asses to get things straight.

Draft sans 1st Rounder

The 2010 NHL Draft is complete and what a sad day it was for yours truly. The Leafs didn't have a pick in the first round because of a previous deal, which I will not repeat here. If we had our pick and everything stayed constant, we might have had a nice Leafs jersey on one of the boys in the picture above.

The Leafs have some strong players and building a championship team in the NHL takes time and I understand that. Sometimes I do wish we could just sign and trade for a combo of players like the Big Three in Boston (Pierce, Allen, and Garnett) and be legit Stanley Cup contenders in one off-season. Dreaming never hurts.

It hurts to see the Leafs struggle year in and year out, especially at this time of year. The draft is suppose to be a promise of better things, a brighter future, a time when positives outweigh all the negatives but not with the Leafs. Not having a first round pick hurts and not seeing a high profile draftee, beaming with joy, putting on a Leafs jersey took a little out of me.

I do believe the Leafs have a bright future but the lack of a first rounder in the this year's draft took some wind out of my sails.

A New Leader

Good luck Mr. Phaneuf! I'm hoping you can lead the Leafs into the playoffs and eventually, sooner rather than later, bring us the Yonge St. parade we Leaf fans have been itching for since, well you know the year. The Leafs need some guy to take charge and lead while being the lightning rod for criticism that the big smoke is notorious for. Dion, I hope you know what you are agreeing and getting yourself into because this is no easy task. Good luck my friend!

Always Something

I have always been a little too in love with Jason Spezza ever since he broke into the NHL as the "rookie" to watch. Now that a few years have gone by, would it be possible for Spezza to finally play for the Leafs? The Senators obviously wanted to build a team around Spezza, Heatley, and Alfredsson but now that those Stanley Cup dreams have started to fade, maybe it is time for the some personnel changes.

Jason seems to be faltering and regressing with his last two seasons being sub-par. A change of scenery might be the cure. Just sad to see and hear that Spezza could never be a Leaf because of his contract. With a $7 million cap hit for 5 more seasons the Leafs are completely out of the picture.

The Leafs are in need of a guy who can light the lamp and with Spezza being a native of Mississauga this might give him a little more incentive to rack up the points and end the Stanley Cup drought.

If Spezza ever signs with the Leafs I will be the first in line to purchase his #19 jersey.

Change is Fast

In sports, opinions change on a dime with movement usually based on personal opinions and feelings over the sound judgment of statistics and normal common sense. Writers from major news outlets and the average blogger seem to jump ship just as fast as they jump onto the bandwagon. I just don't understand why people seem to jump back and forth so quickly.

Tiger Woods is a prime example. Everyone is writing the guy off. He's finished. The Major record is farther and farther than ever before. Note: Woods needs to 4 to tie and 5 to break the record. His game is on the decline. Seriously, where does all this come from. He has a personal life setback and the world is now ready to hand the world's #1 golfer title over to someone else.

Yes, Woods hasn't won a tournament since his "return" but how many people out there on the tour have won more than one major or more than 2-3 regular weekly tournaments? Tiger has earned the respect that we should be giving him while he is walking the fairways.

I have no doubt Woods will return to the winners circle but until then, all you writers out there, relax and stop writing all these articles about the beginning of the end unless you have some true hard facts and numbers. There are plenty of other great moments in sports to talk about.

If Woods wins the US Open next week at Pebble Beach, are you obligated to jump back on the Tiger will win 19 majors bandwagon?

Open Your Eyes

It wasn't an original 6 match-up but in my eyes it was just that. The bullies from Philadelphia against the true original 6 team from Chicago. When both teams made it to the Stanley Cup finals, it seemed kind of a perfect battle that the NHL needed, just something different than the Penguins and Red Wings.

There were plenty of story lines, Hossa, 7th seeded Philadelphia, and the drought both cities have endured but in my eyes the biggest story line was Mr. Gary Bettman. The message I would love to shout at him is,

"Look at the teams and the cities that are in the Stanley Cup finals and open your eyes to the fact that people from hockey cities deserve your attention. Instead of wasting time and money on non-traditional cities pay attention to the true hockey towns."

It pisses me off to see all the potential the NHL has as a league and be forced to watch an idiot like Bettman force NHL teams into American cities where hockey is basically a hobby and not a part of life. Hockey teams should be put into cities where arenas are going to sellout on a nightly basis, satisfying true blooded hockey fans and let's not leave out those owners who want to fatten up their bottom line. Win win situation!

The NHL and more importantly the loyal hockey fans deserve better.

Hope

What else could the Nationals have asked for from Strasburg in his major league debut. After what was dubbed "Super Tuesday", Strasburg made it a truly special day. Debuting against the Pirates, the guy with the 100mph fastball finished with an impressive 14K's and more importantly a win for the Nationals in his first major league game.

I could go on and on about how great this guy is but everything has been said over and over since he signed after being drafted so I'll just leave it at this...he is the real deal.

Jealousy does not usually creep into my body but today, I'm am absolutely jealous of the Nationals, yes the Nationals. They have a legit #1 pitcher Cy Young pitcher in their rotation who was born in 1988. Go do the math and you'll just see why I'm jealous of the Nationals. Hope is a great thing and the Nationals finally have some hope.

Not only do the Nats have Strasburg but they just drafted another young phenom. You know the dude with black paint on his face? Harper, Bryce Harper is his name. The guy can flat out hit! I'll do the math on this guy's age, which adds up to...17! Wow, hope is a great thing.

Going back to the jealousy issue. The Jays have some prospects but nothing compared to Strasburg and Harper. With the likes of Snider, Lind, and Brett Wallace, we're kind of sitting on some good players but nowhere near the likes of the two guys from the Nationals.

I'll leave you with this last bit of trivia. If Strasburg strikeouts 5001 more batters, he'll break Nolan Ryan's all time K's record.

King?

LeBron James is out of the 2010 playoffs and might have played his last game as a Cavalier.

My point is, who really is the King of the NBA? Seven years and no rings for the man who was supposed to win ring after ring during his professional basketball career.

Can you say Kobe "King" Bryant.


NOTE: If you have noticed, the posts are infrequent and short. Studying for a test. Sorry.

Amazing Strikeout Video

Greatest strikeout video ever, PERIOD. Courtesy of David Wright of the Mets.

Video at MLB.com

Timmy

What is there to say when a guy like this comes along and changes the landscape of a sport. Tim Lincecum is the only pitcher who completely holds my attention when I watch a baseball game. With his not so large frame (prefer not to use the S word), he still finds a way to blow pitches passed batters and keep them completely baffled. If you haven't had a chance to watch him pitch you better make some time to watch him, dominance doesn't last forever. Too bad I don't live in San Fran because it would be amazing to go out and watch him live.

Trainer

Looking at shoes from the past (modeled from the past) seem to always bring up some sort of nostalgia but makes me feel the years go by a little too quickly.

Hurts Just a Little

As a Leafs fan, both game winning goals came from two guys that were supposed to be big time players in the blue and white. Ouch!

The Triple Double

30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists

Seeing players in the NBA finish with a triple double is pretty impressive and shows how great they played in the game. We see people around the league finish with triple doubles and to me I just don't see why it is so impressive. Yes, they reached double figures in three different categories and yes, they did it against the best basketball players from around the world but is it really that difficult to achieve a triple double? How about averaging a triple double for an entire season?

The only person to ever average a triple double through a full season was Oscar Robertson (the dude up above). In the 61-62 season he finished with triple double. Since then, there have been a total of ZERO people to average a triple double through an entire season. Guess it is difficult to finish with a triple double.

Well, maybe not. Most players have no shot at even finishing a game with a triple let alone finishing the season averaging one and I'll leave these players out. With someone like Steve Nash, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant I honestly think these guys can average a triple double when the final game is played in an NBA season.

The typical triple double includes points, rebounds, and assists. For the above players, 10 points is nothing. Check. Rebounds is a little tougher because they are guards but with these players they need to stop spending so much time trying to score and more time using their body/positioning and 10 rebounds is easily obtainable. Check. Assists is a category that obviously depends on your teammates but with the play making ability these three guys have...Check.

It is about conserving energy and putting it towards a certain goal. Limiting yourself to 10-12 points a night and putting more time in the rebounding/assists categories (except for Nash) isn't what they are paid the big bucks for.

If the Kobe focused on scoring 10 quick points and moved on to rebounding and play making, I honestly believe he could average a triple double throughout an NBA season.

A triple double is not easy but I just don't think it is all that crazy of an accomplishment. It all comes down to personal sacrifices.

Here We Go

So far, I have stayed on the sidelines with the whole Tiger Woods affair scandal stuff because I actually don't think there is anything to talk about or report. His affair was wrong and it should be a private affair.

My beef with the whole story is the sad fact of how people live and breathe scandals. Stop and think about why every news outlet picked up the story and ran with it. There was a car accident in the middle of the night, an affair, plenty of girls coming out of the dark, and Tiger hiding out somewhere in the world. The reason why the news outlets picked up the story had nothing to do with the above, it had to do with the sad fact people in this world love gossip. This wouldn't be a story if the people who read, listen, and watch the news were interested in something other than boring gossip. You, the people, created the whole story.

You can say he's a role model but why do you even look up to professional athletes in the first place. Try to mimic their skills and movements but copy their way of life? Come on, you are just setting yourself up for a dramatic failure. I have always looked at pro athletes and copied what they are good at...playing the game. Do I want to copy their life styles? Hell, no!

Gossip is just plain old crap that teenage girls spread during their high school years.

Childish

Rich and Dumb

I know you are rich with the courtside tickets but no need for you to play the ball. Apparently, he's the CEO of Fiat or something like that.

Weird

Weird

Spring Training is here and the year begins with me seeing one of the greatest Jays pitcher of all time putting on a new uni. This is just weird, period. Too bad the Jays didn't make a legitimate run at the World Series because everyone in the realm of baseball knows Roy deserves it. Hopefully the Phillies will give him a chance at that illusive title.

McGrady and Co.

T-Mac has a new home and it happens to be a place where the impending free agent class will, apparently, gravitate to come the summer.

This move is a pretty bold statement to the fans of New York and the NBA that the Knicks are going to be a big player in the 2010 free agent frenzy. Just think about the possibilities that McGrady will be shown in the off season. If the Knicks sign two players to max deals and T-Mac takes a massive pay cut, the Knicks will have a pretty formidable team come 2010-11 season.

Throw T-Mac in the SF position, use him more as a role player, while Wade slots in as the SG, and Bosh/Stoudamire fill in as the PF. That would be a trio that could contend for multiple rings. Sorry goes out to the Suns, Heat, and Raptors. Life is tough.

See how I didn't mention LeBron James, the big prize in the potential free agent class. I'm starting to think that James is going to stay in Cleveland because of the love he is receiving from the fans and management. The true X-factor is Wade/Bosh/Stoudamire. If one of these guys gives James a call during the off season and wants to team up, I would assume that James would willfully comply. But with the PR mess that would ensue, it would make sense for him to stay.

James is the type of man who wants everything. He wants to be the leader, the man, and most importantly, the king of basketball when the dust settles on his career. Teaming up with one of the big free agents and winning multiple NBA championships would only solidify his reputation and legacy.

On the other hand, if James left the Cavs and, after teaming up with one of the big free agents, won multiple rings would anyone stand out and criticize James for not being the true NBA god he wants to be. He would be winning rings because he has the true supporting cast that All-star teams or Dream teams are made of. If he does choose to stay in Cleveland, it would show the world how great of a basketball player he really is. Taking a low-tier team and taking them to the promised land.

Only time will tell what the Knicks, with all their salary space, will do in the off season.

Now, just have to find a way to grab myself a T-Mac Knicks jersey.

Legacy

Thirty-six years old and still as naive as a toddler who can barely walk. I have always followed the expression, "You get wiser as you age" but I guess Damon doesn't adhere to or even know of the existence of this ageless expression.

Johnny Damon, like so many other pro athletes, thinks he is the greatest thing this world has ever seen and deserves anything/everything and more. After winning another World Series ring with the Yankees, Damon was finished, contractually, and wanted a new long-term contract that would pay him some big time bucks.

The stats from 2009 back his request of a 2-3 year $10mil+ per season but at the age of 36 and with the economy in the shape it currently is, no team is going to go out and meet him at that price. It would be foolish to sign him on his terms.

Damon needs to come to the conclusion that money is nothing. He has earned all the money he needs and more to support his family, kids, kid's kids, and kid's kid's kids. You get where I am going with the money issue.

Legacy is what Damon should be worried about right now. He won the World Series in Boston and New York, two monster organizations that have had intense battles over the years. Why not go out and play for another team that has a legitimate shot at winning the World Series. Take the pay cut and pack on the rings and championships to the record books. Am I the only one that cares about winning championships year in and year out? Money might be a huge factor in the early years but at the tail end of a career, money has already been earned and bank accounts stuffed to the point where interest is worth a single year's salary.

People should be paid for their ability and potential but in this case Damon needs to check his ego at the door and take the pay cut for his shot to boost his already big legacy.

#19

How can someone with the skill set that Jason Spezza possesses wear such an ugly uniform?

Since I first heard of Jason Spezza as a 16 year old playing on Team Canada's Junior team, I have been fascinated and a little obsessed with him. Hearing from friends who attended McMaster University that his girlfriend was a student there only intensified the man-love. Note: I was never a Mustang. Enough of the man-love talk.

After losing Heatley to the Sharks, Spezza saw his production completely fall off the table with 5 stinking goals in the first 4 months of the season. After returning from injury on Jan. 23, he has lit the lamp 10 times! That's 10 goals in 11 games!

This is the kind of guy the Leafs need in the Blue and White. As I have mentioned before, the only reason I do not have Spezza's jersey is because he plays for the Senators. Look at the ugly ass logo on the jersey. What the hell is that all about. If I was a Senators fan, I would be ashamed to call that my jersey.

I know how difficult it would be, actually how impossible it would be to acquire this scoring machine. His big contract ($8mil this year). His position on the Sens (he's the leader). Sens position in the standings (1st in the NE and 3rd in the Conference). But, anything is possible.

Having Spezza on the team would be great. Can you imagine having this kind of guy playing in the ACC on a regular basis lighting up the lamp and carrying Toronto deep into the playoffs and hoisting the oh so great Lord Stanley.

Dreams can come true.

Raps

Quickly take a look at the NBA Eastern Conference standings. The Raptors are sitting in the 5th position right behind the Celtics...wait. Yup, the All-Star break has come and the Celtics have hit a slide that has seen their lead over the Raps fall from double digits to only 4 games!

I had a friend ask me a few days ago if the Raps could win the Atlantic division for the second time in franchise history and I replied with, "no!" Seriously, do you honestly think the Raps can take the Atlantic division from the Celtics? With the depth they have the Raps would have to go on a pretty big binge of wins to over take the Celtics.

Injuries will be the wild card. KG and Allen are both on the older side and with trade talks starting to swirl around the NBA, Allen might not even be wearing the green and white when the trade deadline comes and goes.

The Raps will bring Toronto the playoff atmosphere that is badly needed but a chance at the Atlantic conference, I don't think so.

Time Goes By

Still remember watching Jordan and Bird go at it. Where does the time go?

Injury Bug

A blink of an eye is all it takes to see former No.1 Rafael Nadal fall from grace. It seemed like only a few hours ago that people in the tennis world were preparing parades and trophy presentations for the Spaniard. I won't lie, I am one of those people who thought Federer would not be comfortably sitting atop the tennis world while Nadal was around. Never would I have thought that Nadal would fall this hard to the injury bug.

At the young age of 23, Nadal has a chance to still recover and come back and dominate the sport for a few years, heck look at Roger and what he is doing with those 28 year old legs. This is what everyone talks about when it comes down to young athletes who seem to have infinite potential in the professional ranks, staying healthy is a skill. Some people have it and some don't.

If I was Nadal, I would seriously take as long as it takes to get back to 100% health before even trying to enter a future tournament. The risk of ruining your career because of forced attempts to get back on the court will only leave Nadal with ifs and should haves.

Weren't people saying Nadal had the chance to be the career grand slam record holder?

With a blink of an eye, six might be it.

Come Together

Can you believe that Wade and James will be free agents after this season. It is incredible how time flies when it comes to contracts and superstars that reside in the NBA.

Remember a few years back when the Celtics were a pathetic team and all of a sudden KG and Ray Allen appeared beside Pierce. That trio seemed to have worked out. All three players are great but we all know and will agree that they are not in the prime of their respective careers. That isn't saying they aren't great players, just not what they were at their peak.

People around the sports worlds have talked about uniting another "big three" somewhere else in the NBA especially with the free agents searching for some love after 2010. There are plenty of combination's that could change the landscape and power of the NBA but what interests me the most is a James/Wade union. What if these two guys got together in the off-season and came to an agreement to join forces and take the NBA trophy like the Celtics did in the 60's (actually, starting from 1957 to 1969, the Celtics won 11 championships).

Let's push this a little further. What if James/Wade persuaded a third big time free agent to join the team, say Bosh or Stoudamire. Wow, wouldn't that be absolutely insane to see these three guys, who are in their primes, come together and play on a nightly basis?

If these guys are telling the truth about only wanting to win and secure as many Larry O'Brien trophy's as they can, they would take the pay cut and come together and dominate the NBA. What they lose in salary they will easily make it up in endorsements.

To the reader, it may seem that I am dying for this to happen, I'm not going to lie it would be nice to see this happen, but what would happen to the NBA. Think about what would happen to the markets in Cleveland, Miami, and my hometown Toronto if these players all left and signed with a new team. All three cities were just starting to rebuild through these players and would have nothing if they leave.

Making the NBA a less competitive and even more predictable league is not something I would enjoy on a nightly basis. Yes, it would be nice to see the guys dominate the league for a year but taking 6 championships in a row kind of destroys the game of basketball and the enjoyment it gives me everyday.

Wouldn't it be nice for big time NBA players to turn down a max contract and go for what they, as kids, dreamed of doing every time they touched the hardwood, to win the Larry O'Brien trophy.

Update: Envy

Just when I talk about how I envy Kobe and his winning ways and how I'm stuck in loserville, the Raps defend home court with a 106-105 win over Kobe and Co.

Envy

Reinforcements are here

I envy number two four, Kobe Bryant.

Yes, I would love to have the money, the fame, the hot wife, and the life that comes with being a successful NBA champion but those things are nothing compared to why I truly envy Kobe. Remember when I wrote a post about losing and how it absolutely sucks to be stuck in loserville? This is why I envy Kobe, he is a winner.

This guy has everything in the world that comes with having a fat cheque from an NBA team but what sets him a part from all the ball players is who he goes to battle with on any given night. Every time the trainer tapes his ankles and after he laces up his shoes, he runs down the tunnel with a group of guys that include Gasol, Fish, Bynum, Odom, and the newly added Artest. This is what I envy.

With the entire core of the Lakers under contract for a few years, Kobe has the option of being a part of a team that could potentially bring home the trophy every year for the next 3-5 years. What else could someone ask for in life.

Continuously winning is something only a few will ever experience and for a guy who is suffering through a pretty bad dryspell (Leafs, Raptors, & Jays), it is almost impossible to look at someone as great as Kobe and not truly envy them. Seriously, some people are just blessed with being in the right place at the right time and for Kobe, the time is now.

Hopefully one day soon, the sun will rise again and shine brightly upon my hometown heroes.

That's All Folks

Watching this hit not only took the air out of Kurt Warner but took some air out of me. With all the talk surrounding Warner about retirement, especially with his intimate relationship with concussions, I instantly thought Warner was headed for another concussion and ultimately retirement.

Now that the loss as officially sunk in for me, I hope Warner does not retire from the NFL. It would be nice to see him back for another year but that is pure selfishness from my behalf. If he decides to retire and leave professional football for good, I'll have one of those tearjerking moments but I would completely understand.

Kurt Warner has always stood by the "there is more to life than football" motto and I couldn't agree more.

Quote of 2010

"Probably the most fatigued I got today was celebrating"

Federer 2010

Roger will be rocking in the above shoes for the 2010 season. Simple and clean, this pair seems to fit Federer to a T with the baby blue and the RF logo on the back. Been looking through tennis shoes lately and really enjoying the simple concepts they produce. Haven't seen too many pairs in the stores that I would personally grab but have mentioned it to a few owners who will hopefully be stocking the shelves with upcoming tennis models.

Losing SUCKS

It was Sunday, January 3rd and after enjoying a wonderful Christmas dinner, New Year's dinner, and of course all the rest that comes with the festive season it finally hit me, losing is what surrounds me from countdown to countdown.

Sports is a wonderful thing and over the years it has taken up most of my waking/sleeping hours in many different forms. From playing to watching highlights to reading almost every article out there that includes rumours, trades, and even what players do in the locker room. Didn't expect a gangsta throw down though, via Arenas.

As the NFL year ended for my beloved Rams with another freakin' loss, this time to the 49er's, it hit me, losing sucks! Look at what I have endured with the Rams in the past 3 years. My Rams have put together 6 wins out of the possible 48 games and we all know most of those losses were complete blow outs.

What the heck happened?!? It was only 2004 when they had a great group of guys that had the potential to do some damage deep into the NFL playoffs. I don't know what sucks more, their 6 wins in the past 3 years or the upcoming 2010-2011 season. At least the NFL is known for their competitiveness in which teams can turn things around in a few seasons. Oh crap, uncapped salaries on the horizon? Damn!

How about the Leafs? Just another tough few years at the Air Canada Centre. Even before the 03/04 season (the last year the Leafs made the playoffs) we really didn't have a team on the ice that could make a run at the cup. People are going to bitch and moan about that statement but sometimes the truth hurts. We had the money and we spent it but I didn't see the value behind the moves. Signing free agents or trading youth/picks for stud names that were on the decline is not my cup of tea.

The years keep adding up for the Leafs and me but unlike the Rams, the Leafs have a brighter future. Adding some youth and keeping them will hopefully turn the ACC into a playoff arena where the real corporate fans can cheer them on. Seriously, we need to put some real fans in the platinum seats because watching a game of hockey and seeing suits behind the glass is pathetic. We need guys like Puddy with painted faces and letters on their chests pounding the ACC glass.

Gotta support the team

Moving down the street in the shadow of the CN Tower the boys of summer aren't really making me feel so great either. Having not seen the playoffs in almost what feels like forever doesn't hurt as much as the Rams and the Leafs. Maybe since I haven't seen/experienced the MLB playoffs in so long I'm numb to the 3rd place finishes in the tough AL East. We all know that the big time spenders in our division is the reason why the Jays aren't in the playoffs as a wild card team and you know what that is how life goes.

It was great how we spent the money and went for it with the signings of Wells, Rios, BJ, AJ, and to a lesser extent Overbay and Glaus. Again, it sucks that we have to compete against the boys who sign the elite FA's in their primes. Life is life. I'm not really sure if the Jays are going to be alright in the near future, it is just too early to tell especially with a new GM.

I wanted to talk about the Raptors and their situation but I'm a little depressed with all this talk about losing so I'm going to just stop.

In sports, like a roller-coaster, there are ups and downs. If this is how it feels during the downs, I'm hoping the ups will feel the opposite and some because I'm not sure how long I can endure the losing streaks year in and year out.

Seriously, losing sucks.

On Fire!

Just doing the daily roundabout through various sites to kill some time, I wandered into a bit of news that peeked my interest. Remember the days when you played NBA Jam? Come on, don't lie, we all know everyone who was anyone played this game religiously against one of their friends. It was an iconic game that set out to bring NBA showtime to the living rooms of every gamer/fan in the world. No matter who you are you know this game and how it brings friends together for some trash talk. If it does make it's way back to the mainstream console it would be nice but I don't see it making a run at popularity it once held when it was released almost two decades ago. He's on Fire!!!

Again

It is 2010 and Kobe is still draining game winning shots at the buzzer for the Lakers. Who else in the NBA would you trust to hold the ball at the end of the game? There is absolutely no one in the NBA that can compare to the heroics Bryant provides when the game is on the line.

Watching greatness unfold in front of me every time he touches the hardwood.