State of...Alleged

So it appears that I’ve been a little busy lately - haven’t posted in over two months! I can say that I’ve been busy getting married, going on a honeymoon, and then getting back into the swing of things…but in reality, nothing has really jumped out at me for a new topic. I can only get so pissed about stupid celebrity baby names, boneheaded athletes, and the mediocre Toronto sports scene – and none of those are really ‘blog worthy’ anyways.

But when I saw the recent Tiger Woods “alleged” incident I had to get something down in writing on this topic. Please keep in mind that all of this is ALLEGED and not based on fact. But hey, if ThirtyMileZone can write about it then why not me?

So it looks like Tiger has been a bit of a dog. Okay a lot of a dog. For a long time. After publicly stating that nothing was more important than his family and being a good father for his kids he goes out and (allegedly) sleeps with no less than three other women. So he stayed true to his ‘till death do us part’ for what, two years?!!? He has (allegedly) betrayed his wife and his vows to her. What a slime ball.

So now it’s up to his wife to decide what to do. Apparently she is being offered between 2 and 50 million dollars to stay in this marriage for another two years. To tell you the truth, I don’t really care if she stays or goes. I can certainly justify going at this point. She has been betrayed, not once, but several times (allegedly) over the past three years. One slip up in five years I could MAYBE understand her staying around to try and fix it…but 30? I’m not sure it’s worth fixing at this point…in fact, I’m not sure if it ever was fixed. It might have been broken from the start.

But it’s not my decision. If she decides to stick it out and get counseling and try to fix what they had (?) then more power to her. But please, PLEASE, don’t take the money to stay. If I were her, and decided to stay, I would make a public announcement that I’m NOT taking the money but I am staying. At this point it’s not like she’s going to be poor if she doesn’t take the money. If she does stay do you think that she will go without anything she wants over the rest of her life? She could come home and say “I want a Ferrari” and my guess is there is a brand new Ferrari parked in the driveway the very next day. She doesn’t NEED the money to stay – she’s already gotten whatever cash she needs. If she decides to stay, and keeps the money is she any different than ‘Pretty Woman’?

I was always a big Tiger fan. He seemed like a good role model; he worked hard, he seemed to have fun doing his job, he always seemed like a nice guy (although I've since heard that he may not be the most fan friendly guy on the Tour). It was a pleasure to watch him play (probably still will be) and to cheer him on (no longer). Everyone is human and prone to make mistakes...but the way this whole thing was handled, I can no longer cheer him on and feel good about myself. It's the same way I had to stop cheering for Mark McGwire. I can't stand cheaters!

I’m very interested to see how this whole situation unfolds. I’m guessing that she leaves him…and gets a fortune while doing it. But THAT’S a whole different topic.

Cheers,
LW

State of...Overreaction

Hey Jorge, what did you think was going to happen when your pitcher threw at TWO of our players (one being our MVP Aaron Hill)??? Just be thankful that you didn't get hit in the head with that Carlson fastball.

So for those who don't follow baseball, the Jays faced off against the NY Yankees last night. During the game two Blue Jays were plunked by Yankee pitchers. The retaliation, as any respectful team will dish out, was to send a message back to a Yankee batter. Jay Jesse Carlson threw behind Jorge Posada, prompting the Yankee catcher to walk towards the mound and expressing his displeasure.

When Posada came around to score, Carlson was near the plate (obviously trying to stir the simmered pot somewhat) and Posada threw a slight elbow at him. The ump immediately threw the Yankee out of the game...but then the bench clearing brawl ensued. Carlson was plunked pretty hard on the head by someone (hard to see who). Posada will surely face a fine and possibly a suspension. That is NOT what the Yankees needed at this time of the year.

I would have thought that Posada was smarter than this. He's been playing the game for a while and knows what happens when you hit a few opposing batters. He's just lucky that Carlson's aim was off and he didn't get plunked somewhere dangerous. Now he's going to ride the pine for a few days just before the playoffs get started. I hope this little incident causes the Yankees to lose a few games and they miss out on the playoffs. I wonder how Posada would feel then?!

Hey Jorge, get over yourself and play the game the way it's supposed to be played. You made a fool of yourself last night.

Cheers,
LW

State of...Mediocrity

It’s been a rough few years for Toronto fans. Okay, it’s been a rough decade for Toronto fans. Alright, FINE…it’s been a rough couple of decades for Toronto fans. The Blue Jays haven’t done much since their back-to-back World Series wins, the beloved Maple Leafs haven’t done anything in my entire existence (although 1993 was exciting), and the Raptors haven’t pieced together a real run at a championship since they started playing.

It’s time to face the music Toronto sports fans. We aren’t good. We aren’t even bad. It’s worse than that. We are pillars of mediocrity; not good enough on any year to possibly WIN anything, but not bad enough on any given year to get any BETTER. It’s a viscous cycle we’re in. Look at the Penguins: They were really good for a few years, then they STUNK and got some great draft picks (Fleury, Malkin, Crosby) and now they’re Champs. They understood that they had to be awful in order to rise up again.

We don’t understand that philosophy. We’d rather kid ourselves with the perception that we can ‘challenge for playoffs’, and once in the playoffs anything can happen. Like an old coach of mine used to say “If you have a lane, you can WIN”. Well, let’s be honest…most Toronto teams don’t even have a lane to participate. Sure the Jays were 15 games above .500 for a while there…but then reality hit home and this team realized that they weren’t good enough to compete with the Yanks and Sox. Sure we can compete with the Orioles but where is that getting us?

The Toronto Maple Leafs have done a good job revamping their mediocre team from last year. They’ve brought in a bunch of ‘tough as nails’ competitors who are going to make everyone forget about winning the game – we WON the fight at least!!! And that will work for a while because it’ll be exciting hockey. But when push comes to shove is this team good enough to make the playoffs? Maybe. Would it surprise anyone if they just missed out? Nope. I’d be shocked if we finished dead last and had a great draft pick next year. We’ll be good enough to finish middle of the pack...Mediocre.

And here’s the best part about the Maple Leafs. Fans will attend no matter what. So where is the incentive to the team to do anything different than previous years? Sure they “want” to win…but only if it helps the bottom line. You think the Teachers Pension Plan cares one lick about whether their team wins or not? As long as their investment is sound and the return is coming in then they don’t care. That’s sad to me. Where are the passionate owners who will do anything to win? I saw what that passion can do firsthand last year with an Arena Football Team. We need an owner to come and say F* It! This team needs to WIN. And if we need to suck for three or four years to do it…so be it! I know that’s a hard sell for your season ticket holders…but we’ve already established that Toronto fans will come no matter what. So suck for a while and then WIN! I want to see Lord Stanley paraded in downtown Toronto!

But I digress (as I’ve been known to do). To prove my point about Toronto teams I took a look at our “major sports” teams over the past 15 years. Here is what I found:

The overall record the Toronto teams (Leafs, Blue Jays, Raptors) over the past 4,431 games is a combined 2,074 WINS and 2,276 LOSSES (and 81 Ties). Over that span we’ve only made a total of 12 playoff appearances. In 42 seasons we’ve only made the playoffs 12 times!!!!! That’s a lot of time being (less than) mediocre. The last time a Toronto team did anything (my apologies to the Rock – who kick ass every year) was 1993. That is pitiful!

Now, all this being said…I’ve still drunk the Kool-Aid and think that “this could be the year” for the Leafs. And the Jays have a great rotation and should be “able to compete” in 2010. The Raptors have also made some good key acquisitions and their European style of play might really “do something special this year”. What can I say; I’m just as bad as the rest of the sports fans in Toronto.

GO LEAFS, GO RAPTORS, GO JAYS!!!

Cheers,
LW

State of...Shame!

SHAME on you Discovery Channel. Shame on you for putting on this sorry excuse for a Canadian, Les Stroud. I am sitting here watching his show from Discovery Channel's 'Shark Week'. The show is called Deadly Waters, and examines the 5 most deadly locations in the world with regards to shark attacks.

If you are unfamiliar with Stroud's show 'Surviverman' consider yourself lucky. The show is based on the concept of being dropped in the middle of nowhere and having to survive on his own. He carries his own camera and films everything. He lost total credibility with me while he was 'surviving' in the cold north one episode. Les came across an old beaten up truck and decided to sleep in the truck. The next morning Les claimed it was the most uncomfortable night of sleep of his life. He slept...IN A TRUCK!!!! Try being homeless for a single night you jackass.

But I digress. My beef this time is with his attempt to educate viewers on why these waters are so deadly. At his 5th most deadly location, the Caribbean, Les wanted to test his theory as to why so many people had been attacked over the years. His belief was that it's because it's open water that the sharks attack mostly moving victims (swimmers, scuba divers, etc.). So here was his test. Behind his boat he dragged a "chumcicle" (a frozen mass of dead fish and guts). When the sharks attacked the moving meal this proved the liked to attack moving objects. In comparison, Les put a non-moving "chumcicle" in the water. The sharks attacked this as well, but with slightly less ferociousness.

To Les, this proved his point that swimmers and divers are at serious risk in these waters! Okay, I'm no scientist, but this doesn't seem like a very valid experiment. He was dragging CHUM!!!! Of course the sharks are going to attack it. What he should have done is have himself dragged behind the boat to determine if they would attack something that wasn't IN THEIR REGULAR DIET!!!! What Les also failed to notice is that when he was in the water filming the attack, when he got close to the chumcicle the sharks retreated. They didn't come close to the human (if he can call himself that). Yes, it may have been the small motorized propeller thingy that he was using, but the sharks weren't afraid of the boat so why would this do it?

My second beef with Les (oh, don't you worry I'm getting to my beef with Discovery Channel)...is while investigating the Great White Shark. He wanted to test the bite of a shark to determine how deadly a Great White's jaws are. So he put a dead tuna on the end of a rope and dropped it overboard. When the Great White didn't immediately attack it Les said that the shark had no interest in it " this shark is really inspecting the dead tuna, but for some reason it doesn't seem sure".

Rather than attacking the dead decaying tuna, the shark decided to attack a live albatross on the surface of the water. The shark chose a life prey over dead decaying prey. Here is Les's take on this:

"The Great White swam right up and hit the albatross. Now it looks like he's circling and is gonna come back and finish it off. THAT'S INSANE! He's hit the bird, injuring it preventing it from flying off...and circling it he comes back to finish the attack...these really are DEADLY WATERS."

So wait...these waters are suddenly "deadly" because a Great White attacked a bird - something that is not uncommon in the diet of a shark? Talk about sensationalizing the deadliness of sharks. And this is where I have a serious beef with Discovery Channel. I will admit that over the years Discovery Channel has done a tremendous job of raising the awareness of sharks and their miscast role as "man eaters". But what they've done in this single episode of 'Les Stroud; Jackass' has put sharks back in the cross hairs. As if sharks didn't have enough trouble with the whole finning industry - now they have to worry about cowboys like Les Stroud labeling them as man-eaters again.

Shame on you Discovery Channel!!! I watch the news each night and see how fear sells. Teasers like, "could the vitamins you take be the same thing that is killing you? Next on XYZ News". It's this type of shoddy reporting that is making me disgusted with so called unbiased news reporting. I thought that Discovery Channel was above this; only filming and reporting the truth and trying to dispel ugly rumours about nature. But seeing this "Deadly Waters" has made me rethink this belief. While one episode certainly shouldn't ruin all the help that sharks have received over the years - it certainly didn't help.

I look forward to Shark Week every year - as do several of my family members. I will ask them to watch this single episode to see if I'm overreacting. I hope this is not a sign of things to come from Discovery Channel; I have 8 more hours of saved Shark Week content to watch. But one thing is for sure...this single episode confirmed what I already thought - Les Stroud is a giant douche bag!!!! I wish that sharks WERE deadly man-killers...then maybe he wouldn't have made it through this sorry excuse for a TV show with his four limbs.

I still have 15 minutes left in the show...maybe there's still hope!

Oh, my God. It keeps getting worse and worse. Now he's in Florida at the most deadly of waters. Les mentions a few years ago a fisherman was attacked (who was standing in the water reeling the bait towards him). To test if these sharks like human flesh Les has devised a brilliant plan. He will put a fish head on a metal rod. Next to the fish head, about half a foot away, he will put a prosthetic human arm. If the shark bites the arm then they are man-eaters. The fact that the arm is less than a foot away must have no bearing on this test. Please allow giant douche-bag Les to set the stage:

"Let's see if the sharks go for the arm or the fish. I'm moving off a safe distance to watch. Trouble with these waters is - nowhere is safe!".

How many swimmers are there in the state of Florida??? And how many attacks have their been? You're right dickwad - "NOWHERE" is safe! So the test goes just as planned for Les. In the clear waters the shark just takes the fish head. When Les clouds up the water and adds another fish head, the head is taken...and then another shark does bite the arm - only to spit it out after realizing it's not actual food. But this CLEARLY shows that "so there you have it, in the murky waters off the coast of Florida you might just be mistaken as prey".

Les Stroud you are a GIANT douche bag! And Discover Channel should be slapped upside the head for promoting this guy and his archaic beliefs. Strangely, I'm not the first to notice - check out THIS link from 2008.

Cheers,
LW

State of...Perception

The ship is sinking!!! I'm in the sports industry, so I understand that sports is a business. But when I saw the following newsflash I was only looking at it from a fan's viewpoint:

"The Blue Jays have decided to trade Rios to the White Sox without receiving any compensation in return..."

The Blue Jays have officially given up. Not just this year, but they've decided to throw in the towel with regards to baseball in general. They are going to do their best impression of the Florida Marlins. That means get rid of all those players who are making more than a few million per year. But I digress...

How am I, as a fan, to take this? The Jays just let one of their better players walk away for NOTHING! I don't care how much money he makes or is scheduled to make next year. They gave away talent and in exchange got a grand total of ZERO. Teams trade away their high priced talent all the time, I get it. But those teams get SOMETHING in return. At least get some extra batting practice balls!

Rios is a multiple All-Star. Sure he's not having the greatest year of his career, but he's still on pace for 21 homers and 28 stolen bases. That's certainly worth more than NOTHING, isn't it?? He is one of only a handful of players who give at least 20 HRs and 20 SBs each year. He has 30-30 potential every season. Do you know how many 30-30 players there were last year. TWO! And the Jays just gave away a guy who threatens this every year...for diddly squat!!!

So what's a fan to do? I feel like I have to continue to support my team...but they are making it so damn difficult. First they almost trade away the best pitcher in the AL (or maybe in MLB), then they GIVE away Rios. How can I continue to support a team that clearly has no desire to compete for the foreseeable future. You'd think that I'd be used to this being a Maple Leaf fan, but I'm not. I'm pissed.

If I were in Toronto I would have been attending games (someone has to, right?!). But after seeing this, how could I bring myself to continue attending this charade of a season? This team is being dismantled from the inside and they aren't improving. I could maybe understand if our best players were being traded for great prospects...but this deal proves that ownership is only worried about one thing. The bottom line. They don't care about winning, they don't care about giving the fans what they want. You can worry about the bottom line while still trying to get better - many teams do this. What we lack is leadership from the top.

Get rid of JP, that stupid useless, waste of space for a General Manager. He has yet to make a trade that has worked out for the Jays, and the number of moves he's done that have backfired is staggering!!! He's an idiot who can't do anything right at this point! He is the laughing stock of Major League Baseball. Honestly, I wish we could trade HIM for nothing. Hell, I'd even give up a prospect to get rid of that loser.

Please, for the love of God, get rid of JP. Do it. Do it now!!!

Cheers,
LW

State of...Heroics

It's become almost a regular occurrence to read about some NFL goon getting caught with possession of drugs, or weapon charges, or attempted murder. So it's refreshing to hear about the good sports stories. Yesterday's Edmonton Sun had a great story that made me stand up and cheer.

Kitwana Jones is his name. For those of you who don't follow the CFL (and trust me, that's just about everyone), Kitwana is a defensive end for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. At 6'0, 240 pounds he is a somewhat imposing specimen (albeit nothing to compared to some of the NFL giants that roam the gridiron), but on the field he is just another averaged size athlete. Running down a would-be purse snatcher is a different story altogether.

While driving around town Kitwana heard a lady screaming. He slowed down the vehicle and was able to make out the cry "Help, Help". An older woman had just had her purse and laptop stolen by a petty thief. Kitwana took off like a sprinter and chased the man down "in seconds" and tackled him. He held him down, and maybe threw a few kicks in for good measure, and waited for the cops to arrive. While he waited he angrily asked "Why are you out here trying to beat up old women?". I don't know what response he got, but...

Can you imagine this man tackling you on the hard concrete?

I wonder how many of us, let alone star athletes, would do what KJ did. Literally he put him self in harms way for a complete stranger. Can you see T.O. stopping his tricked out Escalade (just a guess) to help an old lady? HA HA. Not in a million years. I'm not picking on T.O. in particular (okay, maybe just a bit)...I'm not sure that even I would do such a thing. The guy could be carrying a gun, knife, or whatever. I'd certainly call the cops...but would I get out of my car and run down the guy? Most likely....hells no.

When asked about his act of courage he said: “I’d put myself at risk for anybody, any day. I don’t have much fear for anything except God.” Kudos to you Kitwana! My hat goes off to you. You've done the Eskimos proud.

I might actually tune in the the next CFL game on TV (I think they air at 4 am on Tuesday mornings here).

Cheers,

LW

State of...Winning

I guess I only have myself to blame for this one. Since my last post about the all-time greatest athletes I have found myself a little more interested in the Tour de France than normal. I wouldn't usually pay it any attention whatsoever...but since Lance is back and the hype machine is running at full force I thought I'd follow it a bit. And that's where my confusion comes in.

Is this a team sport? Is it individual? To the best of my knowledge (which is limited I know), no individual rider can participate in the Tour. You need to have a team. And no rider can win the Tour without the full support of his team. There's certain procedure that the "lead rider" need to follow in order to win. Lance couldn't have won all those titles without the help of his team. Without the team taking part of the drafting and leading and strategy he would be slaughtered by other riders.

If this is the case, and that a team is so valuable, why does the team not get recognition on the podium? Lance Armstrong and his "teammate" Alberto Contador are in a battle for who is the team leader, i.e. who will be supported by the rest of the team in order to ensure a "team" (individual) victory. Contador even recently validated my above sentiment: "Believe me, everyone who wants to win a Tour needs a team - to win the Tour de France on your own, it's impossible." And about the most important part of the Tour: "We still have two weeks to go, the most important thing is that Astana wins in Paris."

Is this a team sport or an individual one? If it's a team sport then why isn't the "TEAM" recognized when an individual wins a stage? And if it's an individual sport, then why do all riders insist that a team is needed.

Normally I'd be all for this sort of selfless, for-the-good-of-the-team, we are family type nonsense...but for some reason it annoys me here. The idea that most of these riders are there only to support their team leader is ridiculous. And who's to say that the team leader is the best rider out of the team? It certainly appears that Contador is a better rider than Lance, but I'm sure Lance was the one that they have/had focused on getting the yellow jersey. Has that changed now that Contador broke away from his team?

You play to win the game. Why compete if you're not going to try and win? And if you're going to compete, why not try to win. You play to win the game. In the end, the Tour de France winner is an individual, NOT a team. So why not do everything in your power to beat EVERYONE (not just the other teams). This whole take-on-for-the-team attitude in an individual sport is silly. You play to win the game. (Bitch aren't you proud of me?!)

Maybe someone can explain this to me, but it makes the whole Tour seem frivolous. It makes it feel rigged for some reason. I know that these guys are in fantastic shape and have put in years and years of training...but that's my point - why spend all that time so you can help your teammate win? I'd say "Sack up" but it would be in poor taste...so I'll just say this: PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION! Go for the win!

Cheers,
LW

State of...Egomania

I was beginning to think that my gut was leading me astray, but it's good to know that I've still got it. A few months ago I posted about LeBron. I was a little harsh on him at the time and when I saw a nice interview a few weeks later I decided that I had been too quick to judge. Well, boy was I wrong!

This guy is an out-of-control egomaniac! Reports are coming out (here) that LeBron recently had an embarrassing moment. He was dunked on by a college kid in a friendly game of pickup basketball. Apparently there were two camera men filming the event when the dunking took place. LeBron called over his representative from Nike and a minute later that same rep asked both camera men for their tapes.

There were no issues with the filming of this UNTIL the King was dunked on. And of course we can't have THAT getting out in the public can we? Much better to have a story come out that you are an EGOMANIAC!!! What, you can't handle that someone was able to dunk on you? All the greatest players have had these moments - but you don't see Michael Jordan asking to have the tapes destroyed. It happens, get over it you scum-bag!

LeBron, you're never going to be perfect. Nobody is. Michael Phelps got beaten in the pool (by a Canadian no less) a few weeks ago. You didn't see him whine about it and ask for people to cover it up. The great Albert Pujols even strikes out from time to time. You don't see him keeping it quiet. It's VERY rare that I agree with Skip Bayliss, but he nailed it this time.

You are a whiny toddler and I can't stand you. I was right about you months ago when I called you out. You are a self serving, classless, ego maniacal douche-bag! I hope you never win a championship. Get a life.

LW

State of...Tenure

First off, let me send out a very large and heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Joe Sakic on a wonderful career. He is certainly one of the greatest players to ever play the game of hockey. He is also one of the great ambassadors of the game. It has been a pleasure watching him play hockey for all these years. He will most definitely be missed – not only from the NHL but from Team Canada.

Joe’s retirement got me wondering about sports “stars” these days. It feels like the days of an athlete playing out his time for ONE team is gone. I remember growing up and watching guys like Ryne Sandberg, Steve Yzerman, Cal Ripken, Mario Lemieux, and Magic Johnson.

Those guys bled their team colours and it was a given that they would retire with that team. I’m not sure when all that changed (Gretzky to the Kings perhaps?), but today’s stars seem to move around a lot more than they did in previous times.

This got me chatting with my friend Bev about current stars that could spend their entire career with the same team. We came up with a partial list of the guys that could conceivably play their entire career with the same team. In order to be really considered you had to have spent at least 10 years in the league.

I'm sure that we've missed some, but here is what we came up with so far:

Derek Jeter – Can you imagine him playing anywhere else? There’s no way that the captain of the Yankees would ever get traded and I don’t see him deciding to move on. Derek IS pinstripes.

Nicklas Lidstrom – at 53rd overall the Wings made one of the greatest draft picks ever. Nick will finish his career with the Winged Wheel.

Peyton Manning – See above. Peyton now embodies what the Colts are all about….although isn’t that what we said about Favre and the Packers?

Hines Ward – A perennial fan favourite, there would be a revolt if he were let go or traded.

Kobe Bryant – He’s been in the league for 13 years already! Granted he’s only like 26 years old (I know, he was drafted at 13 – that’s crazy!!!) and has several years left, but he certainly has made a name/home for himself in LA.

Ray Lewis – I’m not sure that he’s untouchable anymore…but he made the Ravens what they are today. A couple more years and hopefully he gets to retire in the black and purple.

Paul Pierce – At the rate the Celtics are moving players and bringing in new talent, who knows if PP can stay on forever. He certainly looks at home in the green jersey.

Tim Duncan – it’s not like they don’t have a history of keeping their captains. The Admiral made a career of playing for the Spurs…I don’t see Timmy leaving any time soon (unless to retire).

Dirk Nowitzki – Strangely, we’ve heard talks over the years of him moving so I don’t know how stable this is…but he’s been there for 11 years so I guess he’s got the potential.

Steven Gerrard – Who? I know, I know…it’s soccer so it hardly counts, but he is a hometown hero (born 10 minutes from the stadium) so he makes the list. He’s been with his team for 12 years and he’s a fan favourite. Thanks for the insight Bev.

Other than this, there isn’t much out there. Some names that were thrown about were Tom Brady (he’s been with the Pats for 9 years), Donovan McNabb (who’s name is rumoured every year to be traded), and maybe Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, David Wright (all too young to be considered Lifers yet). Rich Nash just too an 8 year deal to stay with Columbus, but that deal expires when he's in his mid 30's so he has another contract before he retires. Other than this there isn't much out there.

I know that sports has become a much larger business than it was in years past, but it saddens me a little bit to know that some of the stars that my kids grow up watching may get moved around every 3-5 years when their contract expires. Is that what sports has become; take as much money as you can while you can? Surely there is more to sports than that?! We’re just not seeing as many players taking the “home town discount” as we used to.

I’d love to think that a player like Roy Halladay, who was drafted by the Jays and was developed in the minor league system, would want to stay on with the team forever…but the reality is, players want to win and players want more money. Sometimes a player is okay settling for just one of those things and sometimes players need both. It’s what sport has become.

How many people would rather have seen Bret Favre retire as a Green Bay Packer instead of the circus that he's been involved in over the past couple of years? I'm not even sure that Jets fans would have wanted to see him come out of retirement for what he did last year.

Maybe it's just that there are too many teams now. Back in the day when there was only 6 hockey teams there was no need to trade players. If you wanted another stud you just got him from down on the farm (literally). Maybe it's free agency. I'm not even sure there was "free agency" back in the day. You stayed with the team because that was your only option.

Either way, I miss having players that played their entire career with the same team. It helped me remember who the good guys and bad guys were. Now the lines are all blurred. If Halladay goes to Philly do I still hate them? What if Hines Ward becomes a Bill?

Thanks Joe, Steve, Mario, Cal, Magic, Ryne and all the others for your dedication to your team. My hat goes off to you.

Cheers,

LW

State of...Disappointment - Part II

Well, I got called out by my good friend Bitch. Upon reading his review of my LeBron rant he made a potentially valid point regarding Sid the Kid. I had to go back to the tape and watch the incident. If you recall, I relayed what I had heard on Hockey Night in Canada Radio in which they said they saw that Sidney showed remorse regarding missing the handshake after the Cup series. Here is what I saw (after a multiple viewing no less!):

Sidney did NOT show any remorse from missing the first half of the Detroit Red Wings team. In fact, in the background of the handshake line you can see Sid skating in front of the bench and NOT in an interview like it was claimed. While the US feed of this incident didn't show an interview at all, the Canadian feed could have.

Either way, Sidney should know better. And if he has the chance to skate by the bench then I would be shocked if he didn't see that the handshake lineup was in full effect. While I don't think that it was deliberate, I am left without a real explanation as to why he missed this. Without a reason I am forced to believe that either Sidney just messed up or he felt like he had some reason to display a lack of respect to the Wings. Perhaps this stems from last years handshake??? I guess we'll never know.

Either way, I am man enough to admit that what I saw did in fact disappoint me. I thought Crosby had more class or smarts than that. It appears that both he AND LeBron have some growing up to do. To his credit, Sid did participate in roughly half of the ceremony. LeBron didn't do ANY handshakes. He showed NO respect to his opponent...at least Sid showed some. Small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

Cheers,

LW

State of...Disappointment!

So I'm sure you saw this coming. After formally admitting that I'd jumped the gun in judging LeBron James he turns in a performance worthy of my dislike.

The few people who read this know how I feel about the post series handshakes. After battling your opponent for 4-7 games I think it shows a tremendous amount of respect when you shake their hands. Win like a champ, lose like a champ.

LeBron, after his Cavaliers lost to the Orlando Magic decided that he was better than the game and didn't have to participate in this time honored tradition. Shame on you "King". Yes, you're young. Yes, you were upset that your team lost. Yes, at that exact moment the last people you wanted to congratulate was the Magic players. You claim to be a "winner"...but winners don't behave like this. At least, not the ones who I want my kids looking up to.

I'm very disappointed in James. I thought that he was better than this. Maybe I was wrong. I hope that some of the great leaders in this sport take it upon themselves to call LeBron and explain what "class" means. Maybe that's what he missed by skipping college?

Bev/Bitch: care to weigh in on this. He's your boy - can you defend this???

State of...Insomnia

I'm a big dork. I get it. And after this post, I won't soon be able to deny it. Oh well, so be it. After the last post I was still awake and began working on my own adaptation of A Visit Before Christmas (or more commonly know as Twas the Night Before Christmas). My apologies to Clement Clarke Moore - at least he's not around to witness the following butchery:

'Twas the night before Stanley when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even Bettman that louse;

The sticks were propped up by the chimney with care,

In anticipation that St. Nik (Lidstrom) soon would be there;

Canadians were nestled so snug in their beds,

While visions of Game Seven double OT danced in our heads...

Mamma in her jersey, and I with a Leafs cap,

Had just settled down to study the Trap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the couch to see what was the matter.

Away to the sofa I flew like Horcoff ‘08,
Threw open the door and unlocked the gate.

The tape on the garage the colour of new-fallen snow
Outlined the image of a goalmouth below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But Alex Ovechkin in his Caps hockey gear.

With a wicked ‘ol wrist shot, so lively and quick,
A tinted half-visor and a curved hockey stick.
His accurate shooting part of his claim to fame,
Then he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now top shelf! Now five hole! Now glove side you Vixen!”
On target! On target! On target and Blitzin’!
To the top of the hash marks he still made the call!
”Now fire away! Fire away! Fire away all!”

I sat there and watched the pucks continue to fly,
When they met with the door they flew to the sky,
So up to the house-top the rubber it flew,
He scored from all angles and blindfolded too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The huffing and puffing I thought was a goof,
I held up my wrist shot, and was turning around,
There stood Leafs GM Burke, a sight to be found.

He was dressed all in blue, from his head to his toe,
And his hair was all messy from his trip from the Joe;
A heavy ol’ bundle he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler about to open his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
Even his gaudy blue suit he must have got from Don Cherry!
An ear-to-ear grin donned a Coach Ron in tow,
And his reason for happiness was starting to show;

The knot on the sack he undid with his teeth,
The object so shiny like a sword from its sheath
It had a wide bottom but a nice slim mid belly,

And a big bowl on top you could fill with grape jelly.

About 4’ and stocky, but seemed to carry itself,
I’ve got a similar trophy that sits on my shelf.
A glint of silver, nothing need more be said,
I grabbed that there trophy and raised over my head;

Burke spoke not a word, but went straight to work,
A Tavares on Draft Day would be quite a perk.
And laying his finger on the side of his nose,
To bring Stanley home, now smelled like a rose;

He sprang to his feet, gave Coach Ron his whistle,
And away they both went at the speed of a missile.
But I heard him shout out, as he flew out of sight,
"We’re keeping Lord Stanley and we’ll put up a fight."



Ho Ho Ho....Merry Stanley Cup Finals!!!

Cheers,
LW

State of...Rematch!

'Twas the night before Stanley when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even Bettman that louse;

The sticks were propped up by the chimney with care,

In anticipation that St. Nik (Lidstrom) soon would be there;

All Canadians were nestled so snug in their beds,

While visions of Game Seven double OT danced in our heads...

The Stanley Cup Finals are upon us!!!

It is shaping up to be the most excitedly anticipated finals that I can remember. Story line after story line after story line. Hossa pursuing the ever elusive Holy Grail in the red and white instead of the black and gold; four of the top five players in the world battling it out for the chance to lift Lord Stanley's mug over top their head; redemption for a Canadian goalie to show that he has what it takes (and the Fleury story isn't bad either); the young rookie coach versus the crafty Wings general; the age old battle between octopus versus penguin; and of course the entire east coast of Canada pulling for their native Kid.

Last year many thought that the Penguins were too green to win the Cup (I was included in this group). Detroit was too experienced, too strategic, too good. This year, all Detroit has done is go out and pick up one of the better offensive players in the game, Marian Hossa. Pittsburgh has gone through a metamorphosis of sorts, from ugly larvae to blooming butterfly. They have added grit and leadership with Bill Guerin, they are a year older, wiser, and more determined. The saying goes, you have to lose in order to learn how to win. The Pens lost last year - let's see if they have indeed learned how to win.

The matchups certainly are more even than last season...let's take a look:

GOALTENDING

Fleury versus Osgood. In terms of pure talent it's not even close; Fleury is the more talented player. But Osgood has three rings on his fingers that gives him the edge here. Osgood knows what it takes to win. Much like Grant Fuhr in the 80's, he knows that it's not about how many saves you make, but when you make them. Fleury is playing with a lot of confidence right now...but this Detroit team has a more consistent attack than what he's seen in the first few rounds. Again, slight edge goes to Osgood.

FORWARDS

WOW...talk about offensive talent! Crosby, Malkin, Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Hossa. Then you have the secondary talent like Guerin, Cleary, Filppula, Franzen, Fedotenko, Samuelsson, Hudler, and Letang. Detroit has four lines that can score. Pittsburgh has a healthy and hungry Crosby and Malkin. If everyone were healthy I would probably have to give Detroit the edge...but since there are some "upper body injuries" and "lower body injuries" I am actually going to give the edge to Pittsburgh here.

DEFENCE

Of the ten defencemen who will be featured in this series, Detroit owns five of the top six. Lidstrom (who will play in Game 1)and Rafalski are the top two hands down. Gonchar is probably the next best, but Stuart, Kronwall, and Ericsson are the next best. Even an 80% Lidstrom is strong enough to give Detroit the edge in this category. The true question will be, does the Detroit D have enough to overcome the Pittsburgh O?

COACHING

Kudos need to go to Dan Bylsma for the outstanding work he did turning this ship around mid-season. The Pens were a team that was in danger of going from the Cup finals to not even making the playoffs. He brought them back all the way to the Stanley Cup finals with a good chance to win it all. That being said, he has never coached in a Cup finals before. He's never even coached in an NHL playoffs before this year. When he looks across the bench and sees Mike Babcock he sees a coach that he has looked up to for years. He also sees a guy who has proven he knows what to do in a pressure situation. It's hard to put a price on experience...but I can certainly score it; and Babcock wins this one.

So that's three to one Detroit. I think last year I gave Detroit the 4-0 edge. So Pittsburgh is getting better...but are they good enough to win? It's going to come down to just HOW injured the Detroit stars are. This time of year everyone is hurting...but who is willing to step up and battle through the pain? I question whether Detroit has the determination to go through all the agony that is needed to win "another" Cup. At some point success has to get a bit boring, no?

Here's how I see my options: Detroit is too good to lose in anything less than 6 games. If it gets to a 7th game I can't see Detroit losing. Pittsburgh is better than last year (they lost in 6 last year) so they should at least push a game 7. Again, if it goes 7 then I don't see how they can beat the experience of the Wings. So my only real choices are Wings in 7 or Pens in 6.

I'm like all the other Canadians in that timeless Christmas tale...dreams of Game Seven double OT dancing in my head. I really want Pittsburgh to win...but I just don't know if wanting it is enough. I'll be cheering for the black and gold...but I just don't think they are ready to beat the most dominating franchise in the past decade and a half. I hope I'm wrong.

Let's go Pens!!!

State of...Confinement

I don’t think that this term should be able to be used in certain situations. Is Hef “confined” to the playboy mansion? Do kids get “confined” to Disney while on vacation? Not a chance. So why does Michael Vick get “confined” to his house for two months??? His house is valued at close to a million dollars. I’m sure that he has some of the bells and whistles that even my humble little pad has (Wii, X-Box, big screen TV, extensive DVD collection, etc.) and maybe a few more (bowling alley, pool table, arcade, home theatre, etc.).

Under his new release terms Vick is allowed to go to work during the day and come home, but is on "lockdown" from 9pm till 6am. He can go out for church, doctor’s appointments, and other pre-approved necessary trips. While he can’t do some of the fun things that he used to (bowling, bars, parties, dog fights, etc.) I’m sure that he has much of that in his own place. Why go out when you can do that at home?? So basically, Vick is being “confined” to something better than what most people would call everyday life.












This is his current "confinement", but I'm sure that if it's anything like his previous home the inside is acceptable. Good luck with your "punishment" Mr. Vick.

And here is an idea of what his previous home was like:

State of...Showdown!

Dear Non-Hockey Fans,

I understand your frustrations with the sport of hockey; fighting is allowed (and even encouraged), it’s hard to follow the puck (a black puck on white ice certainly blends in), you don’t understand the rules, you don’t identify with the players (I mean honestly, who understands Canadians?!), there’s not enough scoring, and so on and so on. We all have our favourite sports and you either get hockey or you don’t. There is rarely a “casual” hockey fan. We’re either rabid about it or we don’t care. Thankfully, I am rabid about the sport and as such, I feel the need to demonstrate its greatness.

For those of you who have either never watched a game, or who have tuned in only to check it out rather than watching another re-run of Saved By The Bell…PLEASE watch the game 7 finale tomorrow night in Washington. The Washington Capitals will host the Pittsburgh Penguins. To date this series has been back and forth like a tennis match. Washington jumped out to a 2 game lead only to have Pittsburgh jump back into it by winning 3 straight. Washington won in overtime on Monday night to force an exciting winner-take-all game.

Not only has this series been exciting from start to finish, it features the top three leading scorers in the league. It also happens to be a match-up of Superstars. Alexander “The Great” Ovechkin versus Sidney “The Next One” Crosby. The NHL has spent millions of dollars promoting these two players with Crosby clearly the darling of the NHL. He’s a good ol’ Canadian boy who’s made good on the promise he showed as a youngster. Ovechkin on the other hand is a flamboyant high-flying Russian with an attitude. Both players are the cream of the NHL crop and will should lead the league in scoring for the next 10+ years.















Regardless of the outcome of this game, it WILL be exciting. Every time one of these two players touches the puck they can do magical things. Try entering Ovechkin into YouTube.com and see some of his highlight reel goals. He has incredible skills and can score from anywhere on the ice (including on his backside). Crosby can cut through a defense like a hot knife through butter. It’s uncanny what these guys can do at full speed. Through six games Ovechkin and Crosby have 13 and 10 points respectively. They will have at least two breath taking rushes each during this game.
















If you’ve ever considered watching a hockey game, or wondered what all the fuss was about (okay, there’s not much fuss – but surely you know a hockey fan who talks about it non-stop to the point of being annoying), this is the game to watch. Check it out and let me know what you think. And be sure to stick around after the game for the post series handshake lineup – the best tradition in all of sports.

The game goes off at 7pm on Wednesday night (probably on Versus in the US and good ol’ CBC in Canada).

Thanks for your consideration and let me know what you think!

Cheers,

LW

State of...Surprise

Isn’t it great when we have our irrational beliefs and opinions confirmed?! We feel both vindicated and wise (aka “we just KNEW it had to be true”). But what happens when the opposite happens, when our irrational feelings towards someone or something are shown to be inaccurate or just plan wrong. This happened to me twice in the span of 3 hours. So I’m left to ponder who I could have been so wrong all this time. Let me explain both scenarios…

LeBron James. I’ve disliked him since I saw him wearing the #23. That number belongs to His Airness and it always will. Here’s this little cocky kid that thinks he’s the next Jordan. I felt that he was disrespecting Jordan and the game by taking a historic number rather than trying to make a name (number) for himself. I like to think that I would have felt the same if Sidney Crosby had taken the number 99. From that point on I only saw the bad in James. I saw him posing for “pictures” before the game, I saw him showboating with his teammates before tipoff, I saw him try to force “all eyes on me” during his chalk-clap explosion before the game. All these things confirmed what I “knew” to be true. He was a punk that had a Me-First attitude. He would rather be the NBA MVP on a losing team than a leader on an NBA Championship winning team – basically he was the T.O. of the NBA. BUT...in fairness - kudos to Bev and Bitch for sticking by him and preaching to me that he was a great team player. I didn't believe you...till now.

Then this morning I saw an interview that made me reconsider my misguided preconceived beliefs. Airing on ESPN LeBron was asked about winning the league MVP and being “the face of the NBA” and what means to him. Here was a perfect opportunity for him to promote himself…but he didn’t. He spoke humbly about trying to just be the MVP of his team on a nightly basis. He said that being the face of the league wasn’t something for him to say. He just wants to go out and play the game to the best of his ability.

The second question, and the one that really shocked me, was asked if he were a GM who would he pick: LeBron or MJ. Again, a perfect opportunity to promote himself and say that he is better than MJ…but LeBron scoffed at the notion and said that he would take MJ no questions asked. You can see the full interview here, but suffice to say I was left with no other choice but say that I may have been a bit quick to judgment.While he’s not my favourite player just yet…I have taken him off my Hate List. And who knows, maybe after a Championship and a few more interviews he might get bumped up another few notches. Next...

Sidney Crosby. Similar situation to Lebron: talented kid, lots of hype, chosen as the league’s darling child…and for the most part he’s lived up to the hype. Granted he may not even be the best player on his own team, he hasn’t disappointed when it came to performance. He comes from small town, Canada and plays a sport that I love. It was natural for me to like Sid right away. He plays with a bit of an edge and has yet to complain (about his lack of wing-mates) – two things that I certainly admire in a player. Because I liked him right away all his actions moving forward were seen through rose coloured glasses – he could do no wrong. That is, until yesterday.

In this article Sidney shows me some troubling glimpses at his personality. I’ve heard all the rumours about him crying to the refs for this lack of call or that bad call. I’ve dismissed this for the most part. But what I saw yesterday about him asking the refs to make an announcement to fans to stop throwing hats on the ice after Ovechkin scored a hat trick was ridiculous. I’m annoyed on so many levels.

Firstly, if the game were in Pittsburgh and he scored the hat trick you can bet that he wouldn’t have minded on iota. Secondly, this is part of the game. Hats are always thrown on the ice after a hat trick. Who is he to change this tradition? Thirdly, these fans paid good money to come and have a good time. The game is in dire need of passionate fans and nothing says passion like the willingness to throw away a $25 hat to show your support. The alternative would be to have fans sit on their hands all game and turn the game I love into a lifeless tennis match. And lastly, when asked about what he was saying to the refs, why didn’t he just shut his mouth? You know that people say you whine too much. Why give them the added ammunition? The whole thing showed me a lack of class and just plain stupidity. Think before you speak Kid. He’s young, he’ll learn….but maybe not before he alienates even more fans.

Yes, it was an interesting morning alright. While I’m not ready to throw in the towel all my crazy thoughts this certainly made me think a bit about how I get there. And who knows…maybe I will even cheer for the Cavs. Stranger things have happened!!!

Cheers,
LW

State of...Honesty

Joel Zumaya just became one of my favourite baseball players. After working two scoreless innings on Wednesday night against the New York Yankees, Zumaya came out and stated this:

"I can't stand the Yankees, man, and I'm going to go right after them."

Not that I hate the Yankees. I'm certainly not a fan, but I have no real hatred for them. I'm somewhat jealous of their mighty payroll, but that's part of what makes baseball interesting. Some teams can spend money for performance while other teams have to scrounge the bottom of the barrel for all the talent they can find.

Either way, it was refreshing to see a player come out and be as honest as Zumaya was on Wednesday. His comments will surely spark a fierce rivalry between himself and Yankee hitters. The fact that Zumaya has electric stuff and triple digit heat just makes it even more exciting. I wish more baseball players came out with this type of bulletin board material.

Kudos JZ!

State of...Greatness

Special thanks to my friend Bev for the assistance in the development of this topic. We were discussing his mancrush of the moment, LeBron James. He argued that with continued development LeBron could one day become the greatest basketball player to ever live AND one of the top five athletes of ALL TIME!

This brought up the discussion of who were the top five athletes of all time. We went back and forth with different athletes from different sports trying to determine who would qualify and who wouldn't. It became such an interesting discussion that I continued it throughout the rest of the day with several other sports minded folks. Who are the the top athletes of all time?

First we need some form of definition of the term "athlete". I'm not comfortable having Jeff Gordon or Secretariat included in this conversation. Nor am I interested in having great players who didn't fit into the category of "athletic". Or more eloquently put, "if you have man boobs then you shouldn't qualify!"

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ provides this definition of an athlete: "A person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance, that are necessary for physical exercise or sports, especially those performed in competitive contexts."

This feels too broad. By this definition someone performing heavy lifting could be an "athlete". I might tweak this a bit to something along these lines: "A person possessing the natural or acquired traits and skills INCLUDING strength, agility, and endurance that are necessary for the participation in sports and athletic competitions". Those three items need to be included in any comparison of athletic prowess. I've also taken our "physical exercise" from the previous definition as this enabled too many possibilities.

I've been fortunate enough to see many outstanding athletes. My generation has seen the greatest hockey player to ever lace up a pair of skates (and it's not the one you're thinking of - turn that 99 upside down), the greatest golfer ever (Woods), potentially the greatest tennis player of all time (Federer), one of the best basketball players of all time (Jordan), and plenty of baseball players who would merit consideration for this distinction (A-Rod, Pujols, Henderson, Bonds, Ryan, Rose). We've been very blessed. But do any of these specimens fall into the Top 5 Greatest Athletes of ALL TIME???

There will be plenty of athletes that I will overlook (many for good reason). I encourage your feedback and criticism. Before I get into the Top Five...let's look at the ones who just missed out but certainly deserve recognition:

JESSE OWENS (Track & Field)

Career: 4 Years: 1933 (first World Record in High School) - 1936 (his amateur status was removed after the Olympics when he "turned pro" by receiving endorsements and appearance fees to run against horses).

Crowning Achievement: 4 Gold medals at the 1936 Olympics (100m, 200m, long jump, and 4x100m relay)

Also: The "Buckeye Bullet" won 8 NCAA events (4 each in 1935 and 1936). This achievement would be matched for the first time in 2006.

Rationale: Imagine how good he would have been if he hadn't smoked?! His achievements are tremendous but they are only in one major discipline - running fast. If Usain Bolt decided to make a very long jump at the end of his 100m I'm sure that he would go very far. Carl Lewis also attained the 100m and long jump wins throughout his career. The two events share similar skill sets.

Did You Know: After smoking for 35 years, Owens died of lung cancer in 1980.

MICHAEL JORDAN (Basketball and Baseball)

Career: 16 Years: 1981 as a freshman at UNC - 2003 as a Washington Wizard.
Crowning Achievement: Led the Chicago Bulls to two "three-peats" as winners of the NBA Championships from 1991-1993 and 1996-1998.

Also: A ten time scoring leader of the NBA (including 7 years in a row). Defensive player of the year in 1998. Two time Olympic gold medalist (1988 and 1992). Ranks first all-time in NBA history for his 30.1 career points per game.

Rationale: Jordan dominated the game from an offensive standpoint. While he was a solid contributor on defence it was his scoring that made him known around the world. I want to "Be like Mike" may still be being said in countries around the world. Jordan's legacy was somewhat tarnished twice; the first time when opting to play professional baseball (fairly unsuccessfully) and the second when he made his comeback to the NBA (he put up decent numbers, but he was past his Jordan-esque days).

Did You Know: While his baseball career was FAR from successful, Jordan did show some talent on the base paths. In 436 AB (with a batting avg. of just over .200) he managed to steal 30 bases. Pretty impressive for a rookie who probably didn't have the best "read" on a pitchers delivery.

Jim Brown (Football, Lacrosse, and Basketball)

Career: 14 Years: 1952 as a freshman at Syracuse - 1965 as a Cleveland Brown)

Crowning Achievement: The only player to average over 100 yards rushing per game for his career (104.3 yards per game average).

Also: Brown retired as the leader in both single-season rushing yards and career rushing yards. Led the NFL in all-purpose yards five seasons (a record). Voted to the Pro Bowl in every season he played. As a sophomore he was the second leading scorer on the basketball team (averaging 15 ppg). As a senior he led the NCAA in scoring for lacrosse with 43 goals in 10 games. Is in the College Football Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Rationale: Browne was absolutely dominant in football and was named by Sporting News as the greatest football player in history. His multi-sport success is also impressive - very few athletes are in more than one Hall of Fame.

Did You Know:Even more impressive is that over his 9 years in the NFL he NEVER got to play in a 16-game season. Four times he played in 12 game seasons and 5 times he played in a 14 game season. In essence he missed out on 26 extra games that current players have. His numbers would have been extra ridiculous given almost an additional two seasons.

MARIO LEMIEUX (Ice Hockey)

Career: 17 Years: 1984 - 1993, 1995 - 1996, 2000 - 2005

Crowning Achievement: Led his Pittsburgh Penguins to two Stanley Cup championships, in 1990-91 and 1991-92.

Also: Lemieux owns three Hart Trophies as the league's MVP. He also owns 6 Art Ross awards for leading the league in scoring.

Rationale: Lemieux had the misfortune of playing hockey in the Gretzky era. While the Great One may have put up better numbers throughout his career he had a much stronger supporting cast. Consider that in Lemiuex career year his team mates included Rob Brown, Paul Coffee, Dan Quinn, and Bob Errey. In Gretzky's career year his team mates were Paul Coffee, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson, Mark Messier and Mark Napier. The year that would have been Lemieux's crowning achievement was in 1992-93. His team mates that year included Kevin Stevens, Rich Tocchet, Ron Francis, Jaromir Jagr and Larry Murphy. He started the season out with goals in each of his first 12 games. Before that 13th game Lemieux made the announcement that he had been diagnosed with cancer (Hodgkin's Lymphoma) that would require him to undergo agressive radiation treatments. That year he still managed to win the scoring race with an astounding 160 points in 60 games. The numbers he would have put up that year would surely have topped Gretzky's record of 215 points. Beyond the numbers Lemieux brought a more aggressive game that Gretzky. Standing at 6'4" and 235 pounds he was a much more physically dominating player than the smaller Gretzky (he stood at 6'0" and 185 pounds).

Did You Know: Of all his NHL achievements, his greatest feat may have come in Juniors. Playing for the Laval Voisins Lemieux racked up 133 goals and 149 assists for 282 points in just 70 games. That's a clip of 4.03 points per game. Nobody has ever come close to that before or since.

PELE (Soccer)

Career: 25 Years (1952 - 1977)

Crowning Achievement: Led the Brazil national soccer team to three World Cup championships in 1958, 1962, and 1970.

Also: Arguably the greatest soccer player to ever play the game. Pele burst onto the national scene at the age of 16 years old, winning his first World Cup at 17. Pele was instrumental in the increased popularity of soccer in the United States. He played for the New York Cosmos from 1975 - 1977.

Rationale: Over his career Pele scored an unbelievable 1281 goals. This total is recognized by FIFA as the highest total achieved by a professional soccer player. His total dominance in the most popular sport in the world makes him a spectacular athlete. He was the cream of the crop...but the crop was larger than any other in all of sports. He was given the title "Athlete of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Did You Know: "Pele" is a nickname. Born Edison Arantes do Nascimento, he was given the nickname Pele for reason that are not completely known. What is known is that he despised the name growing up. But the more he protested the more people used it.

And now the Top Five...

#5. MUHAMMAD ALI (Boxing)

Career: 22 Years (1960 - 1981)

Crowning Achievement: Three-time World Heavyweight Champion.
Also: Won Olympic Gold at the 1960 Summer Olympics. Career record of 56-5 with 37 wins coming by knock out. Named by Sports Illustrated as "Sportsman of the Century" in 1999.

Rationale: Ali's appearance in the top five has more to do with his sport than his over performance. He was a great, GREAT, boxer mind you, but what got him on this list is the sport that he performed in rather than his record. ESPN did a sports ranking of "Degree of Difficulty". It ranked each sport in the following categories: endurance, strength, power, agility, flexibility, nerves, durability, hand-eye coordination, and analytic aptitude. The results, seen here, were somewhat surprising. They ranked boxing as the most "difficult" sport to play. Certainly I hadn't given boxing much consideration as a tough or difficult sport (although I definitely don't want to participate). It would be hard to argue that boxing doesn't require significant levels of each of the above qualities. And Ali demonstrated each with superiority over his rivals.

Did You Know: Ali was so frustrated by not being served at a "whites only" restaurant that he threw his Olympic medal in the Ohio River. Ali was given a "replacement" medal during the opening ceremonies at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, GA.

#4. WILLIE MAYS (Baseball)

Career: 22 Years (1951 - 1973)

Crowning Achievement: Won a World Series championship with the New York Giants.
Also: Mays was selected to 20 All-Star games throughout his career, tying a major league record for most All-Star appearances. Mays won 12 consecutive Gold Glove awards given tot he top defensive player at each position. His finest year came in 1955 when he hit 51 homers, drove in 127 RBI, and hit .319.

Rationale: Considered to be the best all-around baseball player of all time, Mays currently sits in 4th place all-time in home runs (660), 7th in runs (2062), 10th in RBI (1903), 11th in hits (3283) and 112th in stolen bases (338). During his 22 year career he led the Major Leagues in the following categories for a single season: Hits, Triples, Home Runs, Stolen Bases, Average, On-Base Percentage, Slugging Percentage, and Total Bases. His overall production and speed demonstrates his total athletic ability - he could do it all; speed, power, hand-eye coordination, and outstanding defense. Even when compared to current stars his numbers are astounding. He is one of only four players to have eight consecutive 100-RBI seasons (Mel Ott, Sammy Sosa, and Albert Pujols are the others).
Did You Know: Mays is the only player in history to have hit a home run in every inning from the 1st - 16th.

#3. LANCE ARMSTRONG (Cycling and Triathlon)
Career: 18 Years (1989 - 2005, 2009)
Crowning Achievement: Won an unprecedented 7 Tour de France championships in a row.

Also: At the age of 17 years old Armstrong was national champion for sprint-course triathlon. He repeated at age 18. He also won a total of 22 stages during his run as Champion on the Tour de France.
Rationale: If part of qualifying as an "athlete" is endurance, Lance qualifies with flying colours. Not only did his reign last longer than any other cyclist in the history of the sport - which dates back to 1903, but the actual competition is a test of true athletic endurance. Typically between 3,000 and 4,000 KM (that's between 1,800 and 2,500 miles) the Tour is 20 stages of gruelling competition. The number of competitors varies from year to year but approximately 200 of the world's best cyclists compete. And just to make sure that the Tour is a true test, the stages are of varying difficulty and skill sets. It's not all flat roads - it's roads, mountains, cities, uphill, downhill, etc. There is no faking this race; you're either ready for it or you're not. Lance was ready each and every time. Oh, and did I mention that he also overcame cancer before his run of yellow jerseys? Just three years before his first Tour win he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. After two years of treatment he was back on the bike. The following year he won his first Tour...and he never looked back. And just to make sure that his victories have been on the up and up...Lance is tested up to 24 times per year for performance enhancing drugs.

Did You Know: Part of what makes up Armstrong's incredible ability is his genetic makeup. Apparently his lactic acid levels are significantly lower than other high performing athletes. This allows for a quicker recovery and less muscle fatigue.

#2. MICHAEL PHELPS (Swimming)

Career: 9 Years (2000 - present)

Crowning Achievement: Eight Gold Medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (4oom IM, 4x100m FR, 200m FR, 200m Fly, 4x200m FR, 200m IM, 100m Fly, 4x100m IM) with seven World Records and one Olympic Record.
Also: At the 2007 World Championships Phelps won seven Gold medals, setting five World Records and one Championship Record. At the 2004 Olympics he won 6 Gold medals and two Bronze medals while setting one World Record, three Olympic Records, and two American Records.

Rationale: In total Phelps was won 16 Olympic medals (14 Gold and 2 Bronze). His 14 Gold medals are the most for any athlete over a career. For those of you who feel that he is just a one-trick pony, the events in which he won were in several different disciplines. He swims Freestyle, Butterfly, and the Individual Medley (which includes all four strokes). He is the fastest human being in these events. That would be like LeBron leading the league in Points, Rebounds, and Assists - not only leading the league but being named as the best EVER in those categories. That would be astounding. Not only this, but at the age of 15 he participated in the 2000 Olympics becoming the youngest male swimmer at an Olympics in 68 years. All he did there was finish 5th in the 200m butterfly. A few months later Phelps became the youngest male to set a swimming World record; at 15 years and 9 months he broke the 200m butterfly record. Phelps was also named World Swimmer of the Year in five of the six years stretching from 2003 - 2008. Even in his "off events" he has some skills. He is ranked 3rd in the world for the 100m and 200m backstroke. If he decided to focus on backstroke and breakstroke there is no doubt in my mind that he could become competitive on the world scene in those events too.

Did You Know: At the Beijing Olympics Phelps was drug tested 9 times for performance enhancing drugs. Those results were all negative.

And the winner is...

#1. JIM THORPE (Football, Baseball, Basketball, Track & Field)

Career: 23 Years (1906 - 1928)

Crowning Achievement: Double gold medalist at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics in the Decathlon and Pentathlon (included disciplines: long jump, javelin throw, 200m dash, discus throw, 1,500m run, 100m dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m, 110m hurdles, and pole vault).
Also: If that weren't enough, Thorpe also played professional football from 1915 to 1928 when he retired at the healthy age of 41 years old. Thorpe also dabbled in professional baseball for several years although with unsectacular numbers (.252, 91 Run, 82 RBI over 289 games). While little is known about his basketball days, he did play professionally; touring the country for at least a couple years.

Rationale: It seems like there wasn't much that Thorpe couldn't do. He was all-world in almost every track and field discipline, he played at the highest level of football, and he played well enough at both baseball and basketball to earn a living. In a time when the country goes crazy for the two-sport phenoms (Bo Jackson and Neon Deion Sanders) Thorpe was a true four-sport star (more if you count individual track & field events). Could you imagine the hype if Bo knew basketball, javelin, high jump, long jump, and pole vault?!?!? Thorpe is also a member of both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. In 1999 the US House of Representatives named Thorpe as "America's Athlete of the Century".

Did You Know: In college, while playing football for Carlisle, Thorpe played running back, defensive back, placekicker and punter and scored every single point in an 18-15 upset over Havard. He also reportedly kicked a wind-assisted 95 yard punt in a championship game in 1919.

So you be the judge...do you think that LeBron will ever get into the top 5? Regardless, it will sure be fun to watch him try.

Cheers,

LW