Is there anything worse for Albertans than hearing "Go-Leafs-Go" inside Rexall Place even as the Edmonton Oilers are getting beaten by the Toronto Maple Leafs? And even as the Leafs are ducking fights and drawing penalties? Isn't that the West/East divide in the country right there, in a nut shell? A bunch of big hat, no cattle Eastern pansies getting the last laugh at the expense of some solid cowboy people whose hard work keeps the country's furnaces burning; while those who benefit stay warm by not actually doing anything? What do people do in Toronto anyway, besides go for coffee and live off bank stocks?
I'll stop. Seven in the morning begins after the jump.
1. Leafs win, but did they chicken out?
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a soap opera full of unlikely plot twists, if not a single fully formed scoring line. After calls for head coach Ron Wilson's head and for general manager Brian Burke's head and for star (?) winger (centre?) Phil Kessel's head and captain Dion Phaneuf's head they have now won four of their past six games and in their 4-1 victory of Edmonton last night avenged their 5-0 loss to the youthful Oil at the ACC last week. All is good, right?
Well, except Oilers coach Tom Renney basically called them a bunch of baby cats after the game, this from the Edmonton Sun: "The Oilers third and fourth lines spent most of the night trying to pound a Leafs team that spent most of the night trying to pick their spots. There was Dion Phaneuf taunting the Oilers bench, then refusing to even make eye contact with Peckham when the Oilers defenceman challenged him on it. He did find time to rough up Taylor Hall, though. There was Colton Orr, who spent the entire evening running away from Steve MacIntyre like he was covered in gas and the Oilers tough guy was smoking a cigar.Orr finally found an escape hatch in Zack Stortini, who he beat in a marathon fight late in the second. "He's pretty selective," Renney said of Orr. "He has scrapped with Storts before and he didn't do too well with Mac in Toronto. Same thing with Phaneuf, he's selective too….Our guys don't discriminate."
2. How do you like that Phaneuf trade now?
With the Leafs heading to Calgary for Thursday night's showdown between two non-playoff teams with little in the way of young prospects to hope for, all eyes will be on Dion Phaneuf, the former Flame and the Leafs Captain who was traded by Calgary shortly after signing a six-year, $39-million contract under a cloud of whispers about fueds with teammates and perhaps even a dressing room fight. Ahhhh, shuddup, is basically what Brian Burke told the Globe's Al Maki; he'd do the trade again: "We know exactly what was going on in that dressing room," Burke said. "We have ways to get into the room and we did. Whatever incidents there were, we were satisfied he was a character person. We'd make that trade again in a heartbeat." Says Maki: The trade has worked out thusly: Toronto has Phaneuf, a fourth-line winger ( Fredrik Sjostrom) and a young defenceman ( Keith Aulie); the Flames have Matt Stajan (a one-goal scorer who has been scratched the last two games -- note: and this after signing a four-year, $14-million contract) and Niklas Hagman. As for Calgary's other Toronto acquisitions, one ( Jamal Mayers) has been lost to free agency, while the other ( Ian White) was traded for a pair of veterans ( Tom Kostopolous, Anton Babchuk).
3. Does Sidney Crosby have a potty mouth?
Tonight we might find out. It marks the debut of the highly anticipated, four-part documentary on HBO (available here on HBO Canada if you have one of those pricey cable packages): 24-7 Penguins-Capitals: The Road to the Winter Classic. The NHL gave the US cable network unprecedented behind the scenes access to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals in the build-up to their January 1st outdoor game. The initial findings? Hockey players and coaches use a lot of bad words, according to Dave Harmon, the show's producer, who appeared on PuckDaddy Radio: "I would say this show has more vulgarity than that [HBO's documentary from the New York Jets training camp, featuring a foul-mouthed Rex Ryan]show. And I'm not just saying that to get you to watch. I'm saying it's because there's a reason: This is the regular season. This isn't preseason. And what the Capitals in particular are going through, and what Boudreau is like, have all merged to be a show that [for]the nighttime version, you're going to have to hide the kids."
3. A (nother) bad day for FIFA
Are there any good days, other than when they count the money? First FIFA supremo Sepp Blatter, answering questions about Qatar's human rights record in the wake of the tiny Middle Eastern country winning the 2022 World Cup, tries to make a joke about the fact that gay sex in Qatar is criminal offense punishable by lengthy jail terms. "I would say they should refrain from any sexual activities," Blatter joked. Not funny, said, well, just about everybody, but we'll go with Chris Basiurski, chair of the Gay Football Supporters Network: "Many LGBT people live in countries where they would face execution or imprisonment if discovered, these people deserve our help, our respect and our support. They, like the rest of us, do not deserve to be laughed at. Mr. Blatter should retract his remarks and apologise immediately. Otherwise, he should reconsider his position and resign."
Meanwhile, Newsweek columnist Johathan Alster lobbed another bribery claim at FIFA via Twitter: "Hey, soccer fans: a great source says that most members of the FIFA World Cup Selection Com got a (legal) bribe of $10 million from Qatar." Alster challenged media in the selection committee countries to investigate, so it will be interesting to see where that leads.
4. Who gets the kids?
Mike Weir and Brennan Little, junior golf rivals who formed one of the longest-lasting and most lucrative player-caddie relationships on the PGA Tour have parted amicably after 12 years and $29-million in PGA Tour earnings for Weir, as reported by Bob Weeks at Scoregolf.com: Little informed Weir after the Shark Shootout last weekend that he'd accepted an offer from Sean O'Hair to work for him starting in 2011, this after Weir earned about $600,000 last season. "Mike and I are great friends, and always will be," said Little. "He understood that while it was a very difficult decision for me, I do have to consider what is best for my family. He knows that I will always be there for him, helping in whatever way I can." Little, from St. Thomas, Ont., had filled in for O'Hair in two events at the end of the PGA Tour season while Weir was out with an elbow injury. "I wish him nothing but the best," said Weir. "I told him [when I was injured]that if he wanted to get another job he should. I know he has to look after his family."
In O'Hair, Little will be working for a significantly younger player - O'Hair is 28, Weir is 40 - and one playing well heading into the 2011 season. O'Hair finished 41st on the PGA Tour money list and earned $1.85 million last season.
For those wondering, Tour caddies are paid accordingly: a base salary of $1,000 a week plus 5% of the tournament purse, 7% of a top 10 and 10% for a victory.
5. Lidstrom: best ever?
Perhaps one of the most under-reported stories in hockey has been the continued brilliance of Detroit's Niklas Lidstrom, who is being touted as a Norris trophy contender again at age 40. Then again, people don't write about gravity either, or the sun rising. Lidstrom is that kind of consistent, but ESPN.com's Pierre Lebrun does a nice job profiling the guy his teammates call "The perfect human," asking: is the best defenseman of all time? He's earned Bobby Orr's respect, put it that way: "I don't think there's any question he's in that conversation, no question …I mean, you talk about longevity, he's 40, and putting the numbers that he puts up. The success that team has had is mainly because of his play; it's been incredible. He's a class individual. Never heard a bad word about the man. And he plays the way he plays. What else can you ask for?"
6. Raptors lose, Bayless struggles
Newish Raptors Jerryd Bayless had a breakout game in the Raptors 25-point comeback victory against Detroit on Saturday, finishing with 31 points and seven assists while shooting 10-of-12 from the floor and 10-of-12 from the line. But Bayless has never run a basketball team in the NBA on a consistent basis, and last night he got a taste of what it's like playing point when your primary offensive weapon -- Andrea Bargnani -- is feeling kind of listless, as the big Italian's 4-of-14 night in just 28 minutes suggests. Raptors come home tonight to play Chicago, but will likely again be without Jose Calderon (foot).
7. You know, my friends and I were talking and we're worried Elin is jumping into this too soon:
Elin Nordegren, apparently $110-million richer for breaking up with Tiger Woods, is studying in Florida and has met a new boyfriend in class and it's SERIOUS! moreover, Elin brushed Tiger off when he begged to take her back and told him she wants to have a family with another man. Tiger didn't take it well.