Monday Morning Mehta 3/26/07

Edition # 199
March 26, 2007

www.mondaymorningmehta.com

AL Preview this week!
NL Preview and Playoff Predictions next week!! WOW. OPENING DAY 7 days away!

AL Preview
AL EAST

1. New York Yankees - Not that this is a shock to anyone, but a not so wise man once said "Anyone who says anybody but the Braves are going to win the NL East is thinking way too much". Same concept applies to the Yankees. You know they're going to do what it takes and more to get to the playoffs. The offense is stacked beyond belief. The pitching will be improved with Andy Pettitte returning to pinstripes, and the bullpen is solid with Mariano Rivera showing no signs yet of slowing down. Carl Pavano and Kei Igawa are huge question marks and I don't expect Chien-Ming Wang to win 19 games again, but as usual they'll probably get a pitcher or two at the trade deadline that gets em into October.

2. Boston Red Sox - Apply same theory here. It's nice to put the Blue Jays in this slot (especially since the Jays did finish 2nd last year), but I really like the Red Sox pitching this year for some reason. Curt Schilling ( www.38pitches.com is way too funny) is in his contract year, and even at age 40 I think he'll have a huge year so that he can have one final big payday. Josh Beckett pitched very inconsistently in his first year in the AL, but he's healthy (which for him means he doesn't get blisters on his fingers) and I expect him to have a very good year. Diazakeanosazaka Matsukukimotors may be the best pitcher on the staff and I would not be surprised if he competed for a Cy Young award this year. The offense? When you have David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, driving in runs isn't a concern. I don't like J.D. Drew's signing but as a fifth hitter, he'll be great. Reigning MVJP (Most Valuable Jewish Player) Kevin Youkilis is only going to get better and really helps drives the offense. By the way, MVJP is a REAL award. Shawn Green has won it like 34 times.

3. Toronto Blue Jays - I might just keep the AL East the same the next 10 years. In ANY other division, a team with Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett would be my favorites to win the division. Sorry Toronto, no playoffs again this year...

4. Baltimore Orioles - It's a shame because this team has a ton of young pitching talent but the front office is just a mess. They can be spoilers in this division.

5. Tampa Bay Devil Rays - Another team with some great young players (Scott Kazmir, Carl Crawford, BJ Upton, and the third baseman from Japan Akinori Iwamura). It's so bad for the D-Rays that they'll be playing a series vs. Texas in May at Disney's Wide World of Sports which holds about 10,000 people.

AL Central
Note: This is by far the craziest division to have to predict. You have Detroit the reigning champs, Minnesota who is always right there, the White Sox just 18 months removed from winning the World Series, and the up and coming darling Cleveland Indians. To break this down scientifically to officially name a division winner, we're employing the "ex-Phillie" theory.

1. Chicago White Sox - 1 ex-Phillie in a key role (Jim Thome). You may say they have Gavin Floyd, but Floyd was beat out by John Denks for the 5th starters spot, so kudos for the White Sox for not letting an ex-Philly infect their rotation. And Thome was a very good ex-Phillie so he really doesn't count.

2. Detroit Tigers - 3 ex-Phillies in key roles (Polanco, Todd Jones, and Jose Mesa). Now Polanco was a good ex-Phillie so that leaves the number at two. Having 2 ex-Phillies as your closer and bullpen help is scary, but the Tigers will use Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney as closer if Jones falters so I give them the nod here.

3. Minnesota Twins - 2 ex Phillies but in very key roles. Carlos Silva is their 2nd starter. You wanna talk dropoff it doesn't get any worse than Johan Santana followed by Carlos Silva. Nick Punto is the starting 3rd baseman. Now these guys have been admirable for the most part, but Silva had close to a 6 ERA last year and the wheels are falling off in the spring, so maybe they'll be down to one ex-Phillie which will help.

4. Cleveland Indians - 4 ex-Phillies in key roles. A David Delucci/Jason Michaels platoon. Paul Byrd in the rotation. And Roberto Hernandez as the top set up man. Recipe = disaster.

5. Kansas City Royals - Just cut and paste this every year. When you start spending money finally, and decide to make it $55 million for Gil Meche, one has to wonder if they'd be better off spending the money on developing a farm system.

AL West
As always, a TIGHT division. 12 games could separate top to bottom

1. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - This team got their shiest together after the all star break last year and probably would've won the AL if the season was extended by a month. The season isn't starting out good either, with Chone Figgins out a month and Jered Weaver being banged up. The combination of youth (Howie Kendrick, Casey Kotchman) and experience (Vlad, Garrett Anderson) is awesome on offense. The pitching provides the same combination. Just really like this team a lot over 162 games, as well as in the postseason.

2. Texas Rangers - The ex-Philly theory-o-meter would go off the charts here. The starting rotation consists of Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Robinson Tejeda, and possibly Bruce Chen. To boot, Kenny Lofton and Marlon Byrd are outfielders (possibly a platoon). They've got a shot to be good because of their offense and solid bullpen, but over 162 games those 8-6 games take a toll on you.

3. Oakland A's - It's hard to put the ever consistent A's down to third place, but as I said above, this team can still finish above .500. I really like Rich Harden and Dan Haren and the A's have pitching talent all over the league now. You can't question their minor league system and shouldn't be surprised if even after losing Barry Zito they still compete at a high level.

4. Seattle Mariners - They're trying. They're trying real hard. But Ichiro is a free agent at the end of this year and I just see way too many question marks (including manager) for this team to win the division.

NEXT WEEK: PLAYOFFS!!

March Madness Recap

The Final Four is set as Florida and Ohio St survive as number 1 seeds while UCLA and Georgetown make it as 2 seeds. The lack of upsets this year made having all four final four teams right not exactly rocket science. Many people have 3 out of four. I got two out of four right (UCLA & G-Town). Clearly you won't see my working at NASA anytime soon (although the NASA name isn't exactly as great these days).

Anyway, I still think UCLA is going to win it all and I've seen nothing the last 2 weeks to get me off of that. They play incredible defense and I'm not sure teams can prepare for what they're about to see.

As I said last week, the last few years the Final Four games haven't exactly been stellar games. With four stud programs this year, I think we're in for a Final Four for the ages.

NHL Week in Review By : Ed Wasser

- There will be no NHL Week in Review next week because I'll be in Tampa covering the Mets vs. Devil Rays game. The April 9th MMM will be my playoff preview. I saw a guy that compared certain NCAA tournament teams and their goodness or badness as it relates to certain Poison songs. So I'm going to sort of rip off that idea and relate NHL playoff teams to 80's hair metal bands. It should be interesting.

- The world is filled with questions. For example if you're in the crowd of "Dancing With The Stars" and Heather Mills' leg flies off and you catch it are you allowed to keep it like a foul ball? In "Ace Ventura : Pet Detective" how come when they show Ray Finkle's infamous missed kick, the one referee signals wide left but then they immediately show another referee signaling wide right? Didn't Nostradamus predict that the end of the world would come soon after a long haired, effeminate, untalented, brown man was crowned the most important person in show business after he wins a TV singing contest? And finally...how on Earth did the Florida Panthers trade Roberto Loungo to the Canucks for Todd Bertuzzi? That deal was so dreadful that it literally may cause ex-Panther GM Mike Keenan to never get another job in hockey for the rest of his life. In Vancouver Bertuzzi had legal trouble, back problems, not being effective problems, having a huge contract problems, and was starting to become the scourge of a town that has little else to talk about beside hockey, killer whales, and strip clubs. The Canucks probably would have traded Bertuzzi to a team that just agreed to pay his salary. I would have loved to have heard when Mike Keenan proposed that deal to Canuck GM David Nonis, "Dave, Mike Keenan here. We would like to trade you Roberto Loungo for Todd Bertuzzi". "You know Mike, let me put you on hold for a second". (Nonis puts Keenan on hold and proceeds to start screaming like the kid in that commercial that got the Nintendo 64 for Christmas. Then he collects himself, picks up the phone) "Well Mike, Bertuzzi has been a huge part of our team and I would hate to see him go (snickers under his breath) but OK, let's do the deal". All Loungo is doing is playing lights out for the Canucks. Lights BLEEPING out!! He has 42 wins, tied for the league lead, is a strong MVP candidate, and is still a few weeks away from his 28th birthday. Bertuzzi is 32 years old, played 7 games total for the Panthers with all of 1 goal and is currently trying to get well in the Red Wings whirlpool. If the Canucks win the Stanley Cup, which they just might, they should put Mike Keenan's name on it too.

- The NHL Players Association is in complete disarray. The NHLPA leader Ted Saskin rose to power through a coup after former leader Bob Goodenow had the players sit out a season over a salary cap and then had them sign a deal with a cap anyway. When Saskin became leader players like Eric Lindros, Chris Chelios, Mathieu Schneider, and a few no names filed a lawsuit because they said Saskin wasn't properly voted in. Now it's coming out that certain player agents, prompted by the league and possibly Saskin, were encouraging their clients to call the union bosses and make demands to move along the negotiations that cancelled the 2004 - 2005 season. Also the NHLPA has this infamous "players only" website were players can hear about negotiations and read about league news. There's a belief that somehow Saskin may have had a way to read all the players private e-mails. So Saskin was put on paid leave and the players have hired a Canadian lawyer to do an independent investigation of Saskin to find out what he was up to. No matter what happens this is a mess.

- So the Flyers are dying to get talks started on a new contract with goalie Martin Biron. It seems like a no brainer because the Flyers want Biron and Biron wants to stay. But there is a little matter of Biron's wife. Biron's wife has laid down the law Judge Dred style and told Martin that he is not to speak to the Flyers about a contract unless she approves of our fair city. If she approves of Philadelphia then, and only then, will Biron be allowed to speak with the Flyers. (Sounds of whips cracking playing in the background)

- Flyer Todd Fedoruk got knocked out by Ranger Colton Orr 21 seconds into last Wednesday's game. Orr nailed Fedoruk flush on the side of the mellon with a devastating over hand right. The Flyers used their teammate laying motionless on the ice to rally and inspire them in the game.....for 7 about seconds. After that the Flyers were destroyed 5 - 0. But here's the question about Fedoruk, a hockey player who has made a living as an unskilled goon for the last 7 seasons. Fedoruk has been knocked out twice this year, once he was knocked out cold and once he was hit so hard that his face required metal plates. When you see Fedoruk interviewed you quickly notice that he is missing virtually every tooth in his head. So Fedoruk can't score, he's shaky defensively, and he has been a human punching bag since entering the league. So he's still drawing a paycheck....why?

- Todd Fedoruk getting knocked into next Tuesday was a microcosm of the entire Flyers season. The season is going on with the usual timid perseverance and each game is one metaphorical, one punch knock out after another. Before I forget, the Flyers now have 44 losses but the damn Sixers keep winning and threatening to screw up the most losses by an NHL and NBA team from the same city in the same year record. The Sixers have 42 losses which brings the total to 86, 17 losses away from the record of 103. So the Flyers lost 4 - 1 to the Panthers in a game that was tougher to watch then Sanjaya singing "You Really Got Me". In fact when I was watching the Flyers play the Panthers I was crying like that little girl on "American Idol" too...and it wasn't because I thought the Flyers were doing a great job. The Flyers also lost 4 - 3 to the Islanders. But the game I want to talk about was the 5 - 0 loss to the Rangers that included the Fedoruk knock out. By the way, the Rangers game had a controversial disallowed goal so the score really should have been 6 - 0. The Fedoruk knock out happened 20 seconds into the game so the Flyers had all game long to rally around their fallen comrade, all game long to exact revenge, all game long to show the hockey world that they have some sort of heart and pride. What followed was one of the most embarrassing efforts I've ever seen by a hockey team, an effort that made the 9 - 0 loss earlier this year to the Sabres look Balboa-esque. The Rangers toyed with the Flyers. Mildly skilled Rangers goon Sean Avery had 2 goals and the Flyers had 17 pathetic shots on goal, not one shot required even a moderately tough save. The Rangers, particularly Jaromir Jagr, were laughing and goofing off on the bench, and the Flyers looked like one of the kids from "Juvies" after a month in the hole. How ironic that Ken Hitchcock was fired after that bad Sabres loss but after the Rangers mess the media said nothing about coach John Stevens. Steven should have been in the locker room throwing chairs, chalk, towels, whatever, and screaming at the top of his lungs. But it was business as usual in Flyer land. I can not wait until this season is over.

Monday Morning Mehta March Madness 3/19/07

Edition # 198
March 19, 2007

http://www.mondaymorningmehta.com/

March Madness first weekend recap

In one the most upset free first two rounds since 1995, March Madness is taking a slightly different shape this year. In years past, the Final Four has become anti-climactic after a bizarre and exciting first two weeks. It's shaping up to be a super close, anyone can win it next two weeks and I expect a GREAT Final Four this year.

West Region

Villanova just didn't seem to have it Friday night. Scottie Reynolds and Curtis Sumpter played well, but there just wasn't that third option that could hit shots. Kentucky's Randolph Morris was just too much to handle by the Nova frontcourt. No worries, I think Scottie Reynolds returns next year (I don't think he's first round material this year) and I expect Nova to be a tournament team again next year.

The West bracket is about as chalk as you can get. Each of the top four seeds are still alive which is going to make the games in San Jose terrific. A classic big conference bigtime school (Kansas) vs. a solid mid major at large team (So. Illinois). You can bet the committee will watch this one closely. Pitt and UCLA matchup Ben Howland vs. his former team. Two classic games.

Midwest Region

We go from the 1 thru 4 seeded bracket to the "wildest" bracket. UNLV's upset over Wisconsin was the weekends biggest shock. Who are these guys? Is Anderson Hunt, Stacey Augmon, Larry Johnson and Greg Anthony on the team? (BTW the fifth starter on those teams was George Ackles). Anyway, Oregon, Florida and even mid major Butler all have a shot at this region. Florida looked shaky yesterday but they could look shaky 4 more times, keep winning and hold the trophy again at year's end. I won't jinx Oregon by picking them for Morgan's sake.

East Region

What a huge upset with USC beating Texas!! A 5 seed beat a 4! Stop the presses. I'd be surprised if we weren't heading for a UNC/Georgetown rematch of the 1982 finals. With these unknown teams out of the way for the most part, we could see some classic games. Just got a feeling.

South Region

Same as the East bracket, you have the #1, 2, 3 and 5 seeds remaining. Tennessee looks like they could score with anyone. This bracket is in San Antonio, which isn't far from College Station (3 hour drive). The crowd will be in favor of the Aggies, but that didn't seem to help Louisville against A&M.

BRACKET BREAKERS!!

Since there really wasn't any upsets I think I should be able to grade my BB's on a curve. So let's see how I did.

# 1 - Arkansas over USC. All I really said was this game was going to be a doozy. It was. This is a push.

# 2 - Arizona over Florida. Arizona never even made it out of the first round but Purdue gave Florida a heck of a scare. They were primed to lose. This one is a W

# 3 - Notre Dame over Oregon. OK, Oregon made it out of the first week and my "winning your conf tourney theory" didn't look so hot. OK, let's call this an L

So 1-1-1. Not bad. It's good to be the teacher and the student. (# 4 is A&M over Memphis)

So we're left with:
Big East - 2
ACC - 1
SEC - 3 (this is a WOW as SEC was ripped by most of the pundits)
Pac 10 - 3 (EXCELLENT showing by the P-10)
Big 12 -- 2
Big 10 - 1
C USA - 1
Mtn West - 1
MVC - 1
Horizon - 1


NHL Week in Review By : Ed Wasser

- OK...time to shake things up. Here are the top 5 reasons why the movie "The Departed" sucks. (Sa..Sa..Sa..Sa..Sucks?!?!?) That's right it sucks. The only reason I'm even at this crummy snobitorium is because I might buy it. Sorry...that was just a little "Caddyshack" for everyone. If you haven't seen "The Departed" and for whatever reason you want to then stop reading.


5.) Mark Walhberg - I haven't seen a performance that over the top and cliché since Josh Garnett played Milk in my kindergarten production of "The Four Food Groups Play". And here's the kicker....WALHBERG WAS NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR!! Walhberg was nominated for an Oscar for that idiotic, one note performance while guys like Jim Carrey, who took the dumbest script in the history of show business (Ace Venture : Pet Detective) and made it a classic, are tragically over looked.


4.) Running time 151 minutes - I have nothing against long movies, if they're good. I liked "The Godfather I and II", I LOVED "Goodfellas", "Casino", hell I even liked "Titanic". This movie was way, way too long and loaded with unnecessary scenes that didn't push along the action.


3.) Matt Damon's girlfriend - Meaningless character who added zero to the movie. The whole thing with her cheating with Leonardo DiCaprio was distracting and a complete waste. If they had completely cut out her character it would have eliminated problems 3 and 4.


2.) The violence - Don't get me wrong, I love movies with a healthy dose of violence, but this was absolutely absurd. About 10 cops are killed in the movie, including 4 within 24 hours at the same place. One of the cops is killed by being thrown off a flipping roof!! Plus there's a triple shooting with 3 cops lying dead in their own blood and the only thing that all these murders have in common is Matt Damon's character. Yet he talks his way out of it in 5 minutes. Huh? And the ending made me wanna puke. The ending is so bad that it actually pissed me off.

1.) The cast - What police force on Earth is run by kids in their late 20's and early 30's? Matt Damon, Mark Walhberg, and Leonardo DiCaprio are way too young to play those parts. In the beginning of the movie they show Matt Damon's character graduating from the police academy and 20 minutes later he's one of the most important cops in Boston. What!?!? That didn't even happen in "Robocop".

- News and notes from around the NHL.....Far from me to make unsubstantiated claims about a guy but in an NHL.com poll Canuck Trevor Linden was asked what super power would he like to have and he said he would like to be able to block bullets like Wonder Woman. Then he listed "New Kids On The Block" as his favorite band. I dunno, sounds a little fruity to me.....Oshawa General John Tavares just broke Wayne Gretzky's record for goals in a junior hockey season. Nice!! The Flyers will be able to draft a real superstar!! Of course not because this is Philadelphia after all. John Tavares is only 16 years old and not eligible to be drafted.....As I accurately predicted last week, the Penguins are staying in Pittsburgh. Mario Lemeiux saves hockey in Pittsburgh for the third time....."Real Sports" is running a story about Islanders coach Ted Nolan. For years Nolan was shut out of the NHL after being named NHL Coach of the Year in 1996 when he lead the Sabres to a division title and a playoff berth. For years Nolan let everyone who would listen know that he believed that he was being blackballed because of racism. Nolan is what Canadians call first nation, what we would call native Americans. But in a "never let the facts get in the way of a great story" move reporter Frank Deford left out a few facts in his report and glazed over a few others. First of all, when Nolan was coach of the Sabres he openly feuded in public with general manager John Muckler. Muckler is a very highly regarded hockey guy who was involved in all of the Edmonton Oilers' Stanley Cups including being head coach in 1990. Even with Nolan openly fighting with his boss he was offered a contract extension. Nolan wasn't mad that he wasn't offered a new contract, he was mad that the contract offer wasn't long enough. Nolan was offered an additional year from the Sabres, a notoriously cheap franchise that will watch two of their best players walk out the door this summer and not even offer them a deal (Daniel Briere and Chris Drury). And after the Sabres let Nolan go he was immediately offered a job coaching the Tampa Bay Lightning but he turned it down. He was also offered the Islanders job which he also turned down. So if you're scoring at home, with the Sabres Nolan A.) fought in the press with his boss, one of the most highly regarded hockey men in the history of the game. B.) Turned down a 1 year extension from the Sabres because he wanted a multi year deal, even though he really only had one good year. And C.) he embarrassed the Lightning, a team that was only a few years away from winning the Stanley Cup, by refusing an offer to coach them. He also turned down the Islanders shortly after that. And he was blackballed because of racism? No way.

- I announced I would do this and then....well, I forgot about it. Anyway I said that I would monitor the Flyers and Sixers quest to break the record for the most losses for an NHL team and an NBA team from the same city in one season. The Sixers were trying to screw up the record by winning 7 games in a row but you gotta love those Flyers; they lost 3 out of 4 last week bringing the combined losses between the Sixers and Flyers up to 82. And to give you an example of just how the Flyers have became totally irrelevant in this city I was in a bar last Saturday (In a bar? YOU!?!) and I simply asked for one of the TV's to be turned to the Flyers game. A near riot broke out between me, college basketball fans, and degenerate gamblers. At any rate the Flyers got shut out last week by the Coyotes, the second worst team in the league. Then the Flyers did their part to help the Stars jump up in the playoff standings by losing to them 3 - 2. Somehow they beat the Thrashers 3 - 2, but the Flyers showed why they're the Flyers by losing a game to the Senators. And in that game Derian Hatcher actually had a goal. But despite Hatcher's offensive outburst they still lost 3 - 2. Thankfully the season will be over for the Flyers in a few weeks.

NBA - Derreck Sura

One Month To Go!

As is tradition here with one month to go (regular season ends on 4/18/07), it’s time to break down who the serious contenders for the crown really are. This year, however, I’m going to do things a little differently. Since in my first attempt at a list (‘Top 10 Shows of 2006’) I went 1 to 10 (a major no-no I’ve since been told), I’m going to do it right this time and drop a little knowledge on all 30 teams in reverse order.Ready. Set. Go!

LOTTERY BOUND
East
Boston (20-46) – The Celtics have been playing better since Paul Pierce’s return, but they stunk so bad in the middle of the season that their “run” isn’t going to hurt their ping-pong ball total too much.If Boston were to land a top two pick they could be playoff material faster than you think. Al Jefferson has improved his consistency and Rajon Rondo is a jump shot away from being the best PG from the 2006 class. The Celts are also well stocked with plenty of young trade assets. Couple that with PP getting antsy, and this summer is make-or-break time for Executive Director Danny Ainge.

Charlotte (24-43) – In the last month Michael Jordan has issued an “open letter to the fans” in the local paper, given two sit down interviews with the press and announced that Bernie Bickerstaff will not return as coach next season. MJ’s underlying message in all these moves has been, “We’re right on schedule with where we want to be and we will spend money.” OK. Fine. Now prove it.It’s going to big summer for the Bobcats with Gerald Wallace likely to opt out of his contract, Emeka Okafor eligible for an extension and Matt Carroll an unrestricted free agent (three starters). With the Adam Morrison pick looking shaky at best, I hope MJ does have a plan, for his own sake.

Milwaukee (25-41) – The firing of Terry Stotts should not have surprised any of my readers. Even the timing makes sense when you consider that the University of Utah was making a play for assistant Larry Krystkowiak. Stotts was the typical “nice guy” coach, which never ever works in the NBA.In Krystkowiak the Bucks get a no nonsense defense first coach, which is exactly what they needed if you ask me. Apparently Larry K also has a better relationship with Andrew Bogut and Charlie Villanueva (both having underachieved this season), so that should help too.GM Larry Harris does have to be careful not to overpay Mo Williams this off season, but with a healthy CV and Bobby Simmons in the fold, and a renewed focus on D, the Bucks should be a playoff contender next year.

Atlanta (26-41) – For the Hawks it’s as simple as getting their seemingly never ending ownership struggle resolved. Once that happens, and a new coach and GM are hired, Atlanta does have the assets to make some moves. Couple those moves (a legit PG & a defensive minded big man) with the nice young core of Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Zaza Pachulia, and the Hawks are playoff contenders immediately.

Philadelphia (26-41) – Settle down 76er fans. Me saying that they are lottery bound is not a slight. In fact, Philly has played better than I ever expected they could post the Allen Iverson trade. The team plays hard for coach Maurice Cheeks every night and Andre Iguodala’s development has come along very nicely. I’m not sure what more you could ask for?That said, don’t get too carried away with their “success”. While the Sixers defense has improved slightly, they still don’t rebound the ball and are paper thin up front. I don’t expect too much from them next year, but with two good drafts and some wise free agent signings two summers from now, they should be back in the mix for the 2008-09 season.

West

Memphis (17-50) – President Jerry West has always been an innovator, and I believe he set the model for tanking this season. See, what you do is take a coach with a proven track record (Mike Fratello) and replace him with a guy that has absolutely no business running an NBA team (Tony Barone Sr.). This way everyone thinks you’re much worse then you really are because it appears that everybody is giving their best.Whatever the case may be, these Grizzlies annoy the hell out of me. They have no clue how to play the game, an owner that desperately wants to sell and a GM who’s contract is up after the draft. Something tells me that the NBA is not long for Memphis, but maybe a top two pick changes that.

Seattle (26-40) – For some reason I don’t think the SuperSonics are all that bad. Granted, they play no defense and can’t rebound worth a dime, but they can score with the best of them. Maybe I’m confusing entertainment with quality.Anyway, with the franchise destined for Oklahoma City by the ’08-09 season at the latest, I’m not sure if they should blow it up now or try and maintain so the OKC faithful have something to root for upon arrival? Whichever way they decide to go the lynch pin will be Rashard Lewis. Do they resign him, sign & trade him or let him go for nothing? And who’s making that decision anyway? I guess only time will tell.

Portland (26-40) – Let me just start off with, yes the Trail Blazers are really lottery bound. I know they show promise and all, but their effort is way too inconsistent to string the wins together that it would take for them to make the playoffs.That said, I don’t think there’s a club under this heading that shows more promise than Portland. If they make zero moves this summer they should still improve next year just because Brandon Roy and LeMarcus Aldridge can only get better. Of course whoever is named the new GM (I’m pulling for Kiki Vandeweghe) is going to want to out his stamp on the team, although coach Nate McMillan’s job should be safe. I’d like to see the new guy trade both Zach Randolph and Darius Miles (yes, I believe in miracles) by using Martell Webster and Travis Outlaw as bait.

STILL HAVE A SHOT, BUT ONE AND DONE IF THEY GET IN

East

Orlando (31-37) – No squad has been more of mystery then the Magic. Since their 13-4 start they have gone 17-33. By all rights they should be better than that, but the numbers don’t lie. I’ve noticed a few problems along the way.1) Dwight Howard is not ready to be a go-to-guy.2) Grant Hill is too unreliable (injuries) to be counted on, and Orlando is lost without him on the floor.3) Jameer Nelson has regressed big time.4) Darko Milicic has talent but is lazy and somewhat of a Prima Donna.5) Carlos Arroyo is not a good teammate.Even with all that, I still think they should be a playoff team in the East. Coach Brian Hill has been given a vote of confidence, so I expect GM Otis Smith to be very busy this summer, possibly doing a sign & trade with both Hill and Milicic.

New York (30-36) – I’d like their chances much better if Jamal Crawford and David Lee were healthy. As is, they certainly have a shot because all the clubs in this grouping are struggling mightily. Although Eddy Curry and Stephon Marbury both seem to be running out of gas lately.I have to say that I’ve enjoyed the drama of the Knicks all season long, but with President/coach Isiah Thomas already getting his contract extended, I’ve suddenly lost interest in them. But hey, Steve Francis is healthy again!

Indiana (30-35) – The Pacers are swirling the bowl BIG time. Recent losers of 11 in a row and 14 of 18, they just seem to have no fight left in them. (Unless you count Jamaal Tinsley’s late night activities.) Jermaine O’Neal being hobbled with a left knee sprain is probably at the root of the problem, but missing Marquis Daniels with left knee tendinitis has also hurt them.Indy was never a super-athletic team to begin with, and now they are downright pedestrian all around (with the exception of Danny Granger). CEO Donnie Walsh’s contract expires after the season, but I’d look for him to resign for at least one more year. You can be sure that The Don does not want to go out like this. I expect him to reach for the dynamite and completely overhaul this roster in the off season.

West

Minnesota (28-37) – How this team manages to hang around is beyond me. Their roster is almost devoid of talent and their depth is a joke. As proof of this I offer up new coach Randy Wittman, who is a robust 8-17 since taking over. See, sometimes it really *is* the players.I always say this when typing about the Timberwolves, but it’s a testament to Kevin Garnett’s greatness that they are even remotely in the playoff picture. Since KG refuses to ask for a trade (he did recently drop a hint that he may opt out of his contract though), here’s to hoping that Kevin McHale is replaced by Fred Hoiberg as the man calling the shots in Minne. KG deserves at least that much for his loyalty alone.

Sacramento (29-37) – The Kings are an aging over the salary cap mess of a club that doesn’t listen to their coach and has poor chemistry taboot. They are far to inconsistent to make a realistic run at the playoffs. The bigger problem is, I don’t know how you fix this team.Who wants Mike Bibby (2 years, 28 million left on his contract), Ron Artest (2 & 16), Brad Miller (3 & 34), Kenny Thomas (3 & 24), Shareef Abdur-Rahim (3 & 19) or John Salmons (4 & 21)? Exactly. It’s going to take all of President Geoff Petrie’s brilliance to make lemonade out of those lemons.

New Orleans/Oklahoma City (29-37) – I had been thinking that something was wrong with Chris Paul for a few weeks now, as he just didn’t look like himself. So news that he has a stress reaction in his left foot put me at ease, but probably killed the Hornets chances.Peja Stojakovic is back practicing with the team, and not a moment too soon. NO/OKC is going to need his scoring if they are to make a final playoff push.The Hornets season was derailed by injuries, but I honestly do not think they are that far away. CP3, David West and Tyson Chandler is a very nice core, and Byron Scott is an underrated coach. If GM Jeff Bower can tinker around the edges, the people of New Orleans are in for good squad next year.

Clippers (30-36) – What a difference a year makes, eh? From the NBA’s biggest surprise to one of the league’s bigger disappointments in one season. I find it ironic that as soon as Owner Donald Sterling lays out some serious coin, it backfires on him. I’m speaking mainly about Chris Kaman and coach Mike Dunleavy Sr. I have faith that Kaman can still turn things around, but Dunleavy? Not so much.I think it’s pretty obvious that Dunleavy’s perpetual feud with Corey Maggette has undermined his voice in the locker room. The Clips have way too much talent to be this mediocre. They also play uninspired and careless way too often, and that’s a reflection on the coach. It’s funny because now that Sterling has laid out the cash, this is the team Los Angeles is stuck with. So they either right the ship internally, or go down with it together.

Golden State (32-36) – I know all the Bay Area peeps are psyched because the Warriors have been very exciting to watch when Baron Davis, Jason Richardson, Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington and Andris Biedrins have started together. That’s all well and good, but they still play no defense and don’t rebound. It’s very hard to string together a bunch of wins by outscoring the opposition.On the other hand, I’d have to say that coach Don Nelson’s return to GS has been a success. I’m not basing that on wins and losses but more so on the premise that he’s made the Warriors relevant again. The step from relevant to playoffs in a big one though, and it’s on Executive Vice President Chris Mullin to get the kind of players Nellie needs to make that happen.

MOST LIKELY IN, AND COULD PULL OFF AN UPSET

East

New Jersey (31-36) – With the return of Richard Jefferson the Nets are as dangerous as anyone in the East. That is, if they play defense. NJ’s offense isn’t as consistent as it used to be, but more often than not they score enough points to win. It’s their defensive effort that fluctuates wildly from night to night, but when the Nets are focused on that end, they can beat anybody.The future of NJ hinges on what Vince Carter decides to do this summer. If he opts out of his contract, it could be rebuilding time in the swamp. However, if he decides to stick around one more year I could see President Rod Thorn giving this group another try with a healthy Nenad Krstic. As is, the Nets have enough playoff experience to give any team a tough time in the first round.

West

Lakers (35-32) – That promising squad from the ‘Mid-Season Report’ is long gone and has been replaced by a largely apathetic group that seems to be playing out the string right now. There’s no doubt that Los Angeles has been hit hard by injuries, but their problems run deeper than that.The main thing I see with the Lakers right now is poor chemistry that emanates from two cancers. Smush Parker and Brian Cook. Both have had public run-ins with coach Phil Jackson over their minutes and touches. Smush has taken to pouting every time he gets benched and not joining team huddles unless he’s in the game. After Cook threw his warm-ups at Phil one night he has become a complete gunner that doesn’t ever look to pass the ball.Couple that with LA’s constant lack of defensive intensity and you have a team that peaked too early and is now backing into the playoffs. That said, the opposition has to be wary of any club with Jackson and Kobe Bryant. If they are reasonably healthy and playing together the Lakers can put a scare into their first round adversary.

Denver (33-31) – Don’t look now, but it seems that the Nuggets are finally getting their act together, and at just the right time too. Don’t get me wrong here, their defense still leaves an awful lot to be desired, but I’m pretty confident in saying that Denver is the proverbial “team that no one wants to play” right now.Coach George Karl has finally settled on a starting lineup and rotation. The emergence of Linas Kleiza has given the Nugs a very solid top eight players. And if you want to include specialists like Reggie Evans and Yakhouba Diawara, that makes them ten deep for the playoffs.Depending on who they draw, it’s not hard to see Denver winning a round, but I’m anxious to see what this combustible mix looks like next season. The return of Kenyon Martin is bound to shake things up and test Furious George’s mettle. Stay tuned…

IN, BUT NOT A SERIOUS THREAT TO WIN IT ALL

East

Toronto (36-31) – If Bryan Colangelo is not best GM in the business, he’s certainly in the top five. If he doesn’t win Executive of the Year, you can be sure that the fix was in. The way he completely rebuilt this team in one off season is nothing short of stupendous. He does have two tough calls this summer though. What to do with long time Raptor Morris Peterson and how to handle coach Sam Mitchell’s expiring contract.On the court Toronto has one of the most versatile front courts around in Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani and Jorge Garbajosa. The Raps also possess a very solid PG rotation in T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon. That alone makes them dangerous in the first round. What I worry about with T-Dot is there lack of playoff experience though. (Pardon me for not counting on Rasho Nesterovic to lead the way.) Bosh will likely have to take his game to another level for them to advance.

Chicago (39-29) – The Bulls have been playing much better as of late, but are still a flawed team in terms of how they score their points. Live by the J, die by the J is how the old adage goes. Chicago plays some serious defense (2nd overall in opponent’s field goal percentage [OPPFG%] at 43.55%), but their lack of low post scoring will be exposed in the post season.The return of Andres Nocioni from plantar fasciitis (right foot) in early April will give the Bulls more versatility and another outside shooter. The development of rookie Tyrus Thomas has been a welcome surprise too, but neither of them have a reliable low post game. Executive Vice President John Paxson *must* address this glaring weakness in the summer time or it will be more of the same for Chicago next season.

Washington (36-28) – I’m guessing that the Gilbert Arenas for MVP contingent out there has come to their senses. The Wizards struggled big time without Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler as GA went into a major shooting slump at the same time. With Butler now expected to miss 7 to 10 days (from 3/16) with a sore left knee, Washington is going to have a hard time maintaining their Southeast Division lead.The Wiz are another club I would deem a “regular season team”. Meaning their offensive variety is tough to prepare for in one day or less, but in a seven game series not so much. Darius Songaila’s return has given them another reliable bench player to go along with Antonio Daniels, but Washington’s overall depth still leaves a lot to be desired. The Wiz can win a round or get swept right on out, it all depends on who they play.

DARK HORSES

East

Miami (36-30) – The defending champions are hot right now and are looking like a very tough out in the post season. Dwyane Wade might be the best player on the Heat, but no way is he their most valuable. Just look at what this squad has done since Shaquille O’Neal’s return. They are 16-5 with the same group minus Jason Kapono for Eddie Jones.Miami has flipped the switch again and must be considered the favorite to win the East with a reasonably healthy Wade back in the mix. The Heat are sixth overall in OPPFG% (44.60%), have the necessary spot up 3-point shooters around Shaq and have more than enough big game experience to get the job done.Their defensive closing five of Gary Payton, Eddie Jones, James Posey, Udonis Haslem and Alonzo Mourning is extremely stout. With the way Miami is playing now they should end up with the third seed in the East and could be Conference Finalists *without* Wade.

Cleveland (41-25) – There can be no doubt that LeBron James was coasting for the majority of the regular season. He’s playing his best ball of the year right now and his teammates have followed suit. Coach Mike Brown moving Larry Hughes to the point and Sasha Pavlovic into the starting lineup has really paid dividends, as the Cavs are 8-0 since.I worry about Cleveland’s depth and half court execution at crunch time, but their defense (3rd overall in OPPFG% at 44.32%) and rebounding are great. As is always the case with the Cavs, they only go as far as James takes them. Bron on a mission is enough to beat most squads in the East, but he is going to need some help to make out of the Conference and win it all.

TRUE CONTENDERS

The formula for determining these teams is really quite simple. First you look at which clubs are above .500 on the road. Then you take those same squads and see where they rank in OPPFG%. The results are as follows…Dallas 23-7Phoenix 24-9Detroit 23-10San Antonio 24-11Houston 19-15Utah 18-161. Rockets 42.82%4. Spurs 44.35%5. Pistons 44.38%8. Jazz 44.90%9. Mavericks 45.09%15. Suns 45.75%

East

Detroit (42-23) – There can be no doubt that the Pistons are the cream of the Eastern Conference. The addition of Chris Webber has helped their offense as much as I predicted, but C-Web hasn’t hurt Detroit’s team defense all that much.I have to say that I’m still skeptical about Webber’s defense come playoff time though. I just have a hard time believing that the opposition won’t abuse him in pick and roll/pop situations. The Pistons lack of quality depth is another weakness that bears watching if one of their starters gets injured.Overall, Detroit has the experience and plays the defense needed to win a Championship. Cleveland and/or Miami will give them trouble, but the Pistons should have home court advantage over both. I’m not about to count the East out of the NBA Finals either, because whoever comes out of the West will have had a much tougher road.

West

Houston (42-25) – The Rockets are finally 100% healthy (unless you consider Bonzi Wells “injured”) and rounding into form at just the right time. Their defense is stellar as always and coach Jeff Van Gundy has had them playing half court ball all season long. The one concern I have is Yao Ming.Yao has been gradually getting his wind back, but he looks to be favoring his right leg a little too much for my liking. Any time he hits the ground he has trouble getting up. He also seems to run with a limp intermittently. Now I suppose this could be due to the bulky brace he is wearing, but something just isn’t right with him if you ask me.Houston has the stars and the role players to win it all. It’s just a question of do they know how to play together as a group yet? I’d say they need another year before they are serious contenders for the crown. On the other hand, it wouldn’t surprise me if they beat anyone in the West outside of the Metroplex.

Utah (43-23) – The Jazz just completed an 0-4 Eastern swing and may have peaked too early. Utah is also a little thin up front and still lacks a consistent outside shooting threat, but the slower pace of the playoff is right up their alley.In order for the Jazz to bring home a ring Deron Williams, Derek Fisher, Gordan Giricek and Matt Harpring are going to have to collectively make 3-pointers. Carlos Boozer, Memo Okur and Paul Millsap must do the dirty work down low. Lastly, it would help if Andrei Kirilenko stopped pouting and became the defensive terror he once was.Utah probably lacks the experience to go all the way, but I would not be surprised if they took any team in the West to seven games. Their half court execution on both ends of the floor is enough to give them at least a chance. Then throw in good defense and rebounding and they move from sleeper to contender.

San Antonio (46-20) – The wily Spurs are not to be counted out by any means. They have flown under the radar for the most part this season, but are just as dangerous as ever. It goes without saying that SA can beat anybody in seven games.The Spurs weakness is their perimeter defense. While their overall defensive numbers are very good, that’s more a derivative of their team defense and rotations being great. Quick athletic swing players can get by SA’s first man pretty regularly. However, their half court execution on both ends is so excellent that they are able to control the tempo and somewhat mask this deficiency.Winning on the road in the post season does not phase the Spurs one bit. What should worry them is having to play the two best teams in the NBA back-to-back without the home court just to get to the Finals. I don’t care what your resume says, that’s a tall order for any team.

Phoenix (50-16) – I’m well aware that the Suns are everyone’s darlings, but I have to be a detractor, even if I’m in the vast minority. Steve Nash is great, Amare Stoudemire looks to be all the way back and Leandro Barbosa is the perfect sixth man. That said, I still don’t like this squad in a seven game series against the upper echelon of the West.The reason being that their half court defense, while better then advertised, really isn’t that great. But their depth is my biggest concern. Boris Diaw’s back does not seem to be getting any better, and without him at roughly 75%, Phoenix is cooked. Kurt Thomas can step in and start for Boris, but KT has never really fit in with the Suns style.Phoenix is going to need everything to go their way to win it all. Including, but not limited to, health, a favorable first round match up and a few advantageous whistles from the referees.

Dallas (54-11) – I’m not buying that the Mavericks are in a slump. They’ve been pushing themselves all season long with no let up and now they are a little bored. Can’t say that I blame them either. They’ve already clinched a playoff berth and can beat most teams just by showing up.Dallas will not be tested again until the second round of the playoffs. Then we’ll really find out if they have another gear, which I suspect they do.Of concern for the Mavs though are the sprained knees of both of their defensive stoppers off the bench. Devean George has been battling a sprained right knee and Greg Buckner a sprained left knee for a while now. At least one of them will be needed in the post season.In conclusion, this year’s NBA tournament is going to define what kind of player Dirk Nowitzki is viewed as. If he is named regular season MVP and then leads his team to a ring, he’ll go down as one of the all time greats that redefined his position. If he comes up short in a few big moments though, he’s going to be lumped in with the Charles Barkley’s, Patrick Ewing’s and Kevin Garnett’s of the world. In other words, great players that just couldn’t get it done when it mattered most.

Monday Morning Mehta March Madness 3/12/07

Edition # 197
March 12, 2007

www.mondaymorningmehta.com

March 19th - March Madness Opening Rounds review
March 26th - AL Preview
April 2nd - NL Preview and Playoff Predictions. WOW

As every single person in the US begins to fill out their brackets today, we here at the offices on MMM just want to give you our brackets to help you win your office pool. Don't let the fact that I've never won an office pool stop you. My patented BRACKET BREAKERS have won at an incredible 77% rate (completely made up stat). So without further ado...

West Bracket aka Nova's Bracket

This is a bracket with Kentucky, Villanova, Indiana, Pitt, Illinois and Duke. And they aren't even either of the top 2 seeds. This should be called the "All bark no bite" region. The previously mentioned teams really have no chance to win this region (well, Pitt has a legit chance but that's it).

Villanova could not have gotten a better first round matchup. Kentucky is just not good this year and Nova has played well the last two months. On the flip side, they couldn't have gotten a worse 2nd round matchup. They're in serious trouble there. But Jay Wright should be very happy with the play of his team coming off a tremendous season last year. If they win a round it'll only go to show what a job Wright has done with recruiting.

I think this conference is all about a Kansas/UCLA matchup. And UCLA gets the nod. Yes, it's about Ben Howland. I just think he's one of the best coaches in the NCAA and this is his year to get the respect he deserves.

East Bracket (By the way, THANK GOD they stopped the ridiculous Albuquerque Bracket, Chicago Bracket, etc and went back to the traditional East, South, etc.)

North Carolina and Georgetown give this bracket some serious muscle. Texas and Wash St. add star power and stability to this strong bracket. UNC is once again stacked with NBA level talent but they have a lot of freshman. Georgetown has the inside outside game of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert. I don't generally like teams that win their conference tournaments as an underdog, but Georgetown was the favorite to win the Big East and they proved they can handle the pressure. I think Georgetown continues their hot play and makes it to Atlanta.

BRACKET BREAKER # 1 - Arkansas over USC. A 5 vs. 12 game and Las Vegas has USC as a 1 point favorite. Tells you all you need to know. This is going to be a doozy.

Midwest Bracket

I think they've given Florida the easiest path of all the 1 seeds to the Elite 8. Just last year, everyone was complaining about how Billy Donovan continually comes up short in the Big Dance. As a surprise 3 seed last year, Florida took the crown. This year, the pressure's on. They're the reigning National Champs and the No. 1 seed. No matter what Joakim Noah says, every one's giving Florida respect and everyone wants to knock them off.

BRACKET BREAKER # 2 - Arizona over Florida. Someone's knocking Florida out early this year. I think Arizona's got a great shot to be the one.

So who wins this bracket? I absolute hate doing this, but by process of elimination, it's gotta be Wisconsin. Their slow dull style of defense makes them a tough play by all these teams that haven't seen them much.

BRACKET BREAKER # 3 - Notre Dame over Oregon. Oregon has 2 things going against them as far as I'm concerned. Winning their conference tourney as an underdog mean they got hot at the wrong time, and they rely too much on the outside shot. If they ever came across Wisconsin they'd be in serious trouble, but I doubt they even make it that far. Sorry Morgan. And yes, I am just bitter that Drexel is OUT!!


South Bracket aka Penn's Bracket...

BRACKET BREAKER # 4 - A&M over Memphis. No reason. Just like the name Acie Law.

Actually, I've been very impressed with Texas A&M the times I've seen them this year. They've beaten a one seed (Kansas), taken a 2 seed down to the wire on the road (UCLA) and beaten a 4 seed (Texas). I think they're tournament tested and will be a force. I like their bracket too. And I just can't get myself to pick two Big 10 teams in the final four. Gotta spread it out some.

As for Penn, they got a nice team but I think they're in a whole host of trouble with A&M.

Note: I reserve the right to change these picks until noon on Thursday (March 29th that is).

Final Four - Consists of a number 1 seed, 2 number 2 seeds, and a number 3 seed. Sounds good to me. I'll say UCLA cuts down the nets in Atlanta.

Dragons Den

Drexel was squarely on the bubble all week last week and Bruiser Flint has nobody to blame except himself and his best player. Losing twice to Old Dominion sealed the deal for the Dragons. Why blame the players? Drexel's best player Frank Elegar missed the home game vs. ODU after being suspended for violating a team policy.

Next year could be a down year for the Dragons as they lose 3 starters but they'll keep Frank Elegar who could be the best player in the conference. Bruisers "best" recruiting class will also be juniors next year so the future is still bright for the Dragons. OUT!!!!!!!!!!!

The Dragons will continue to play in the NIT as they face red hot NC State. Drexel is not a program that should take the NIT lightly and I would expect them to play well. If they don't, shame on you Bruiser.

NHL Week in Review BY : Ed Wasser

- As the spring approaches and the Phillies get ready to begin their march to the World Series of Baseball (It's similar to the World Series of Poker, only exciting) let us start to reflect on the 2006 - 2007 Flyers season. The 2006 - 2007 Philadelphia Flyers season has been a soul pulverizing, mind numbing, non stop hand to hand combat battle with a gorilla type of season that has taken my will to live to the edge of the Grand Canyon, put roller skates on it, and continued to push it toward the Colorado River with each passing game. Ahhh...but there is hope. Here are the top 10 reasons to be happy for the 2007 - 2008 Flyers season.

10.) I'm happy that the Flyers are so bad this year that this list will only be a top 5 list because a top 10 list would an "Anna Nicole Dies!!" level of overkill.

5.) Simon Gagne. The guy truly is a superstar. Plus he likes being here, he keeps his trap shut, if he's running around with loads of bimbos (which I'm sure he is) he's keeping it on the down low and he's not smacking them around a la Brett Myers, and he's here long term. So we have a nice foundation to build on.

4.) The draft. The Flyers are deficient in every area and this is a chance to rectify some of these holes. At first I had little faith in new GM Paul Holmgren because I just assumed he would be Mini Me to Bobby Clarke's Dr. Evil. But his moves thus far have been pretty good. Kyle Calder was the biggest waste of money since that guy on "Cathouse" spent $5000 to get with Air Force Amy. That girl has more teeth then an alligator and she's twice as ugly. At any rate Holmgren getting rid of him was clutch. So I'm starting to have faith that he may be able to navigate the draft and get us some solid young talent.

3.) Scottie Upshall and Ryan Parent. Speaking of Holmgren, I don't know what he or the scouts saw in Scottie Upshall to lead them to believe that the kid would be a stud with some more playing time but that's exactly what's happening. He's as quick as lightning and he has a great shot. But Ryan Parent seems to be the real steal. Guys in "The Hockey News" can't believe that the Predators gave him up so that tells me plenty. You look at his stats and there's nothing that jumps out at all but he was the highest ranking prospect to change teams this trading season and if the Flyers resign Peter Forsberg the Preds gave him up for a rental. Of course if the Preds win the Stanley Cup it would all be worth it to them.

2.) Free agents. Buffalo Sabre Daniel Briere is a free agent after this season and supposedly he let the Sabres know he'd like a contract to which they responded with a "yeah....so what?" So I'm guessing he's history in Buffalo. Goalie Martin Biron is getting ready to resign with the Flyers and Briere is his good friend and ex-roommate so hopefully he can make a pitch for him to join the Flyers. I'm not a gigantic fan of Briere but he's a player that has really come into his own since going to Buffalo and playing on the second line with Gagne playing center on the first could be a great one two punch.

1.) The Flyers will unload a lot of dead weight. I can't stand goalie Robert Esche, he's gone. Seldom have the Flyers had a guy with such limited talent and such a big mouth. Mike Rathje will be gone too thank God. Denis Gautier is probably gone too. And I also think that defenseman Joni Pitkanen may be history. He's -25, having a horrific season, and has completely reversed any progress he made in 2005. He may need a change of scenery. And the Flyers could probably get a nice player in return for him. Mark my words...the Flyers will make the playoffs in 2007 - 2008.

- This why the NHL is having a horrible year. Look at this list of big market teams that are likely to miss the playoffs....the Flyers of course, NY Rangers, Toronto, Boston, Montréal, Colorado, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Couple that with the horrible TV deal and the league is really struggling. I can't stress enough how horrible the NHL deal with Versus is. I constantly forget that there's games on because I never see any promotion. Versus, unlike ESPN, has nothing worth a damn to watch on the network beside hockey save for watching Elk getting shot at, fish getting caught, and bull riding. Plus Versus is channel like 715 on some cable systems. And now the NHL is bitching that ESPN isn't giving them enough time on Sportscenter. Here's a message for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. Dear Gary, ESPN is what's called a business and businesses exist to make money. And in the pursuit of making money they look out for their best interests. ESPN has deals with the NBA, MLB, and the NFL so for them that's priority number 1, 2, and 3. Why would the ESPN bend over backwards to help out the NHL? Why should they? GROW UP GARY!!!

- The NHL was all over ESPN last week because of Chris Simon trying to decapitate Ryan Hollweg. Hockey, like horse racing, generally never finds itself in the news unless there is bad news to report. The worst part of the hit was when Simon was asked about it he was only sorry that he was assessed a penalty that lead to a Ranger power play and a goal. So Simon got a minimum 25 game suspension, the longest in league history, which will cost him about $80,000 or so and since he has a 1 year deal he'll probably never wear an Islanders sweater again. Actually since he's 35 years old he may never wear another NHL sweater again, just like Marty McSorley after he got suspended after trying to kill Donald Brashear. But here's another disturbing aspect to this. Last off season Islander coach Ted Nolan made it a point to sign Chris Simon, a man who Nolan helped get clean and sober, and this is how he repays him. It reminds me of Donovan McNabb going to bat for Terrell Owens and getting him on the Eagles just so he could get stabbed in the back a year later.

- The Penguins are definitely leaving Pittsburgh. And now there's word that the Predators are thinking of leaving too. Supposedly the the Preds need to average 4000 more fans PER GAME to turn a profit. Good luck Preds, you'll need it. So for 2007 look for either Houston, Portland, Las Vegas, or Seattle to have an NHL franchise. Some have said the NHL should move back to Winnipeg. HAHAHAHAHA!!! That's a good one. There is no way, NONE, that the NHL will move to Canada.