Thursday, May 31st

1 - Congradulations to Craig's Senators for making the Stanley Cup. I'm not as excited for them as I was for the Oilers, but any excuse to bash the Leafs is a good excuse as far as I'm concerned. I've said it once, and I'll say it again, I think the Pens gave them the best series on route to the Finals.

2 - From the "Some People Need to get a Life" file comes this head scratcher:

Police in Guelph, Ont., are looking for a man who allegedly approached women and
asked them to kick him in the groin. Three women reported similar
incidents to police and two of the women reported the suspect was on a bicycle.
The various incidents allegedly occurred over the last two months.

Some people have too much time on their hands (I am of course referring to you and me, the only two people who are probably paying any attention to this story).

3 - The link for this article on Sportsnet read: Eskimos sign Ricky Williams, Really. Another article today was titled: No Appendix, No Problem for Halladay. Whoever writes the headlines at Sportsnet deserves a raise.

4 - Icebreakers: The Euro Myth

I don't know what's gone on in Ottawa in the past, but I don't think Alan Adams could be much more off base in this article. Sounds like Adams has an axe to grind, because the tone and language are personal, and, more importantly, Adams didn't wait until after a Senators Cup win to write it, ich is the way it should have been. Perhaps he was worried the Senators would lose, and he wouldn't get the chance. At any rate, here are my Top 5 beefs with this article. I'd give you more, but there aren't enough hours in the day:

(1) Adams says: "They used to say that Ottawa couldn't win. Flush that one down the toilet."

I say: Nobody ever said Ottawa couldn't win, they just said Ottawa couldn't win when the pressure was on, and now it is.

(2) Adams says: "This time last year, Alfredsson was personified as all that was wrong about the Senators. No spine, all talent, but no grit."

I say: Alfredsson has never been personified as all talent, no grit. That honor belongs to guys like Marian Hossa, Martin Havlat, and Shawn McEachern. It's also a direct result of Jacques Martin's coaching style. He has been personified, and rightly so, as a player who fails to raise his own level of play and inspire his teammates in important games.

(3) Adam's says: "Alfredsson was an easy target for some people because he is European; he didn't learn the game on backyard rinks where he would have dreamed about hoisting the Stanley Cup over his head after he scored the Cup-winning goal; he didn't develop the character needed to have players follow him in battle; he didn't this and he didn't that."

I say: Once again, I have no idea what's being said, or has been said, by Senators fans in Ottawa, or in the Sportsnet Newsroom, but I don't think dreaming about something other than winning a Cup has ruffled any feathers. There are a fair amount of Americans who would rather win a National Championship in college than a Stanley Cup, and American's seem to have a pretty good track record in the play-offs. As for not having the character, I think he developed more character suffing through all those play-off losses than he did playing in Sweden.

(4) Adams says: "And that Jason Spezza couldn't play defence. What? Try again."

I say: Look, I love Spezza. I would trade Malkin for Spezza straight up if I had the option, but anyone who watched the first two games of the finals saw Spezza play horrible defense. This is one case where Adams should have waited until after the Senators won before writing this article. The Senators have never been accuse of playing badly. They've just been accused of failing to raise their game when the stakes are highest, Spezza included.

(5) Adams says: In other words, so much for the hogwash about Alfredsson and his inability to show up when his team needs him the most.

I say: Alan, you really should have waited on this article. The team needs him more right now and he's been pointless in his last two games! Ottawa has led every series from start to finish, and they haven't played a game seven. Now the heat is on, and where's Daniel? (Alfredsson, not Sedin or Tarnquist)

If the Senators come roaring back and win the Cup, then we can all agree the perverbial monkey is off Alfredsson's back. But if the Senators lose, and lose badly, then it will just be the same old story all over again.

5 - Jim Balsillie, the guy who tried to buy the Penguins and failed is interested in purchasing the Nashville Predators, and possibly moving them to Canada. I say: Sweet! Everyone else likely says to Gary Bettman: We told you so! Next on the moving block (hopefully): the Atlanta Thrashers.

6 - This is quite possibly the stupidest thing I have ever seen or heard a politician do. Fortuanetly Doan had no shortage of defenders (here, here, and here, amoung others). And this is just cowardly. The Calgary Herald's Bruce Dowbiggen has a good take on the Conservatives role in the Doan sham:

The Conservatives' inept performance on the Doan file just prior to the polling
is -- in my highly scientific estimation -- the true powder charge that
accelerated a slide that's been building for months in ROC (Rest of Canada).
Allowing the usual parliamentary jackals to frog march Doan and Hockey Canada
before a committee on trumped-up ethnic charges played very poorly in the
Tories' heartland.

Sad, but true.

M.O.F.