Perseverance pays off

Oregon QB Dennis Dixon was drafted by the Steelers.

Pretty good follow up article to the website and SI story I posted prior to the draft.

Team Manberta

Both Jeff Stoughton and Kerry Burtnyk tapped into the province of Alberta to replace their respective thirds. Stoughton added Kevin Park while it is anticipated Burtnyk will officially announce Don Walchuk as his new third.

Stoughton has spun the move as reloading his team versus replacing Ryan Fry. I anticipate Burtnyk will use the same press conference line with Walchuk.

Both guys are looking for a spark or a thrower that will allow them to compete with Kevin Martin and Glen Howard but let's be honest, picking up a couple of thirds that were kicked aside in Alberta won't scare Martin or Howard much.

Wicek outlines the move and details the new curlers as well as provides his commentary on the level of Manitoba curling. It will be interesting to see Stoughton and Burtnyk chase the Olympic spot with their new teams but to me the big positive out of this news is that Team Carruthers and Team McEwen stuck together. Both teams will help raise the level in the talent pool soon enough. Calm down Wicek.

Putting the Kammer Down

Kerry Burtnyk cut Dan Kammerlock from his squad.

With that move and the Fry defection there is plenty of rumor and speculation.

I'll leave that stuff to curling lounges and chat rooms like curlingzone.

2008 NFL Draft Round 1 Review

My mock draft flopped. There were just too many deals completed with teams jumping around to pick guys they wanted. It's funny how teams say they take the best player on the board approach but if that's the case then there shouldn't be any moving up to draft a particular player. Despite my poor mock draft the draft day party was a blast. My buddy Brian was a great host and there was a good group of guys to share some laughs and drinks with while the picks roll in. I'll leave it at that. No blog review of the party. What happens in the draft war room stays in the draft war room

Here is a list of the first round.

1. Miami - Jake Long - OT - old news
2. St. Louis - Chris Long - DE - safest pick in the draft should help Rams improve sack total
3. Atlanta - Matt Ryan - QB - nothing like starting to rebuild a franchise by risking a 3rd pick overall on okay QB. I think this will be a bust pick when we look back on it.
4. Oakland - Darren McFadden - RB - the Raiders have two explosive weapons on offense. McFadden will help QB Jamarcus Russell.
5. Kansas City - Glen Dorsey - DT - Chiefs were happy to see him here at 5.
6. New York Jets - Vernon Gholston - DE - he rounded out the consensus top 6 guys.
7. New Orleans - Sedrick Ellis - DT - Saints moved up to take Ellis.
8. Jacksonville - Derrick Harvey - DE - Jags make a big splash and move up to take Harvey. Great move! The Jags have a lot going for themselves right now and they learned last year home field advantage would be a nice thing to have but the only way they can get that is to win the division and that means beating Manning and the Colts. They took another step closer in doing that if Harvey pans out.
9. Cincinati - Keith Rivers - LB - Bengals need all kinds of help on D.
10. New England -Jared Mayo - LB - I like to think that the Pats thought they could get Harvey here then were scooped by the Jags. I'm going to run with that thought. Instead the Pats missed Harvey and Rivers and Ellis and reach to get Mayo. To me that's fun to think. The downside is I think Mayo looks like a player and the Pats probably got a dandy.
11. Buffalo - Leodis McKelvin - CB - the Bills resiste the tempation to reach for a WR and pick up a corner. Gotta have a corner if you play Tom Brady twice.
12. Denver - Ryan Clady - OT - as anticipated the Broncos beef up the o-line.
13. Carolina - Jonathon Stewart - RB - Panthers roll the dice on Stewart and his turf toe.
14. Chicago - Chris Williams - OT - Bears don't go for Otah and the power and pick Williams and his quickness..very interesting.
15. Kansas City - Brandon Albert - OT - Chiefs beef up both lines in the first 15 picks. They are happy.
16. Arizona - D.Rodgers-Cromartie - C - Cardinals don't upgrade at RB with Mendenhall and instead go with a corner.
17. Detroit - Gosder Cherlius - OT - Lions pass on Mendenhall too but beef up the line to protect Kitna and establish power runing game with the monster Gosder. Too bad they don't have any power running backs.
18. Baltimore - Joe Flacco - QB - Ravens moved down to 26 with the trade with the Jags then moved up to 18 to get Flacco. They must really like this guy and were worried other teams did too otherwise why trade up and reach for him. Move over Kyle Boller.
19. Carolina - Jeff Otha - OT - The Panthers can't believe he is still on the board and move up to take him to protect new turf toe RB Stewart.
20. Tampa Bay - Aqib Talib - CB - I nailed this one. For some reason I could see Gruden in love with this guy despite his drug past.
21. Atlanta - Sam Baker - OT - The Falcons had the depth in picks to move up and take Baker. I guess if you put your franchise in the hands of a lanky QB you better get some decent protection.
22. Dallas - Felix Jones - RB - as predicted by most. I just can't believe that with all the trading in the first round and with Dallas having two picks they couldn't get in on the trading action and either move up or stock picks for later.
23. Pittsburgh - Rashard Mendenhall - RB - I'm sure I've spelled his name wrong and differently here a few times. It's just tricky to say and spell...kinda like the Steeler's QB.
24. Tennessee -Chris Johnson - RB - Titans reach for this speed demon. All kinds of great analysis on how running backs help out Vince Young and the Titans more than wideouts do. Where was that info before the draft?
25. Dallas - Mike Jenkins - CB - as predicted by most. Not a big surprise.
26. Houston - Duane Brown - OT - never heard of him.
27. San Diego - Antoine Cason - CB - one writer called this guy the best player in the draft.
28. Seattle - Lawerence Jackson - TE - never heard of him.
29. San Fransico - Kentwan Balmer - DT - saw this guy's name in the high 20s.
30. New York Jets -Dustin Keller - TE - Jets pick up Packer's pick here and select TE.
31. New York Giants - Kenny Philips - S - Defending champs get highest rated safety in the draft to fill the team's most pressing need. Is that nice?

Belated Cup Conference Semi Finals Preview

I totally dropped the puck on the Stanley Cup Conference Semi Finals preview. By now you surely now the teams and a bit of background. Heck, you even know the first game results. Even though it may seem unfair for me to make predictions this late I'm going to do it anyway...I make the rules on this site!

Detroit (1) vs Colorado (7) - Osgood is locked in the net for now and that's a good thing for Detroit. Colorado looked sharp at times against the Wild and are getting good goaltending by Theodore. Detroit owns the season series 4-0. I think they continue the trend and roll the Avs in 5 after getting over the Nashville bump in round one.

Pick Detroit in 5.

San Jose (2) vs Dallas (5) - San Jose is a big team and each game wears the big guys down a bit. That's why Ron Wilson has been shuffling his lines and line-ups. He needs to keep legs fresh and it showed in his move to sit J.R. in Game 6 vs the Flames. He's a good coach and his depth creates match-up problems. As long as they don't shoot themselves in the foot with bad penalties or poor goaltending I think they win. For Dallas, until last night, I had not watched them play. They seem quick and have some quality players and leadership plus Turks in goal. I still like the Sharks and just like in round one I think they do it the difficult way...seven games.

Pick San Jose in 7.

Montreal (1) vs Philadelphia (7) - I can't pick the Canadiens. By now I hope you have read the Sports Guy's Bruin post and if you did you know why I can't pick the Canadiens. In reality it's going to get more and more difficult to win in Montreal for opposing teams and Philadelphia went and dropped game one to start the series. Still, gotta go grit over granny.

Pick Philadelphia in 6.

Pittsburgh (2) vs New York (5) - I think the Rangers have the better goaltending and veteran leadership but the Penguins have Crosby and Malkin and moxy. The more these young guys win the more it appears there will be many Cup playoff games in Pittsburgh this year and beyond.

Pick Pittsburgh in 5.

NFL Mock Draft

The NFL draft has arrived. I've read several mock drafts and caught some NFL Network TV "Path to the Draft". The NFL draft is unreal. I will be watching at a friend's place. He does it up real nice.







Sackville Sports Mock Draft



1. Jake Long - OT - Dolphins

2. Chris Long - DE - Rams

3. Glen Dorsey - DT - Falcons

4. Darren McFadden - RB - Raiders

5. Vernon Gholston - DE/OLB - Chiefs

6. Matt Ryan - QB - Jets

7. Derrick Harvey - DE - Patriots

8. Leodis McKelvin - CB - Ravens

9. Sedrick Ellis - DT - Bengals

10. D. Rodgers-Cromartie - CB - Saints

11. Devin Thomas - WR - Bills

12. Ryan Clady - OT - Broncos

13. Brandon Albert - G/OT - Panthers

14. Jeff Otah - OL - Chicago

15. Keith Rivers - LB - Detriot

16. Rashard Mendenhall - RB - Cardinals

17. Chris Williams - OT - Chiefs

18. Jonathon Stewart - RB - Texans

19. Mike Jenkins - CB - Eagles

20. Aqib Talib - CB - Bucs

21. Philip Merling - DE - Redskins

22. Kenny Philips - S - Cowboys

23. Gosder Cherlius - OT - Steelers

24. Jared Mayo - WR - Titans

25. Kentwan Balmer - DT - Seahawks

26. Calais Campbell - DE - Jaguars

27. DaJuan Morgan - FS - Chargers

28. Felix Jones - RB - Cowboys *

29. Limas Sweed - WR - 49ers *

30. Chad Henne - QB - Packers *

31. Tyrell Johnson - S - Giants




some of these picks are based on trying to just get in the range where the player will be picked to score points in my draft pool or projecting a trade. For example, I'm not sold Ryan is going to the Jets.

A Chief becomes a Viking

The Vikings have traded for Chiefs DE Jared Allen. They gave up their 1st pick (17th overall) in the draft this Saturday plus two 3rd round selections.

Also being reported is the massive deal Allen signed with the Vikings. 6 years, $31 million guaranteed and possibly as much as $74 million. If that's true then he becomes the highest paid defensive player in the NFL.

I think it's a good move. At the 17th spot the Vikings were not going to get an elite pass rusher. In order to do that they would have had to make a move into the top 5 and then be on the hook for similar guaranteed money on a player with no NFL experience. Instead, they get a proven player in his prime ready to go. The Vikings already posses the best run defense and now have a pass rush threat in a division that features QBs Kitna (sacked close to 50 times last year), Grossman (seriously, the Bears plan on starting him again), and 1st year starter Aaron Rogers (until Favre come out of reitrement). It's up to Childress now to get some depth at OT,WR,DB, and QB in the draft or by plucking guys as they get cut in training camps.

The move also means more work needs to go into my draft board....again.

Conference Quarter Finals - final chapter

I missed the better of the two game 7s last night. Philadelphia won in OT while the Flames were put out in only half a game. I watched the first period of the Flames and Sharks game and agreed with CBC analysis that the Flames didn't "play themselves out of the game" and that the game would be a tight affair. So I settled in with high expectations. It didn't happen. The Sharks displayed their talent and the Flames just couldn't match it.

J.R. put on a classic performance. I think he ended up with 4 points last night. Wilson was savvy in sitting J.R. out in Game 6. He didn't need him emptying the tank in Calgary. I'm sure Wilson knew all along if there was to be a Game 7 J.R. would be clutch and he needed him to have his legs for it. Smart move.

I feel bad for Iggy. I don't think there's a player in the league that has the passion and desire he does game in and game out. He deserves a cup.

Like I said above, I missed the Caps/Flyers game so not much to comment on.

I went 5 for 8 in round one. I missed the mark on the Ducks, Wild, and Bruins.

Sn..oh!

Last night I was laughing at the Lay's Potato chip add featuring Mark Messier. It's pretty silly but maybe not as silly as last year's where he was walking on the sidewalk in his hockey skates. That was stupid. I was laughing because most of the cup party scenes showed snow in the background. C'mon Lays, it's damn near May and the Cup Finals don't start until June.

Well, Messier and the marketing people at Lays have the last laugh. This morning I woke up to the radio weather report stating an anticipated 10 cm of snow and 15 mm of rain is on the way to the Peg in the next day or so.

At the back door with my 2 year old son getting ready to leave the house for daycare this morning I had a perfect exchange with him about the snow. The type of parent-child exchange you don't want to forget.

Me: Nolan, there's snow coming soon.
Nolan: (pointing to the backyard happily) No snow...grass.
Me: It's grass now but soon it will be covered in snow.
Nolan: (with a look on his face like he just found out Ryan Fry left Manitoba and Stoughton for Newfoundland and Gushue) No..ooh..oo!

Yes, even a 2 year old knows how brutal snow over the grass during the Stanley Cup playoffs is even if the people at Lays feel otherwise.

Sea Salt Fry

Ryan Fry has jumped ship head first into the Atlantic Ocean. Fry has announced his plan to leave Jeff Stoughton and move to Newfoundland and play 2nd for Brad Gushue.

Fry had a wishlist...

Free trip to the Brier
Entry into all the major WCT events
Curl with a team that won Olympic Gold
Party on the Rock with Jamie Korab (Gushue must have begged Korab to come back after Dave Noftall's weak performance at the Brier)
Escape the pressure of the Manitoba curling scene

He leaves Stoughton needing a third now but I'm sure a quality curler will jump at a chance to play with Team Stoughton. It won't be, however, Mike McEwen or Reid Carruthers according to their statements to the media in regards to the Fry news. Same with Jon Mead.

I'll wait for the dust to settle to comment on the 2008-2009 MB curling teams. Right now you can see various rumors on curlingzone.com but I'm going to wait to comment especially after today's news.

For articles on the Fry story check out Wiecek or Bender.

From Michigan to Miami

Party in the city where the heat is on
All night on the beach till the break of dawn
Welcome to Miami!

Starting at Left Tackle for the Miami Dolphins in 2008 and beyond is Jake Long.

$30 million guaranteed deal for the Michagan All American and Big Ten Lineman of the year.

Good pick as we say in the draft rooms.

The Sports Guy scores another one!

Another Simmons beauty. Here's two great quotes but read the entire article when you get a chance.

"Every minute of playoff hockey brings another potential scoring chance, another potential screw-up or tipped shot, another shot off the goal post, another three-on-two rush. For the fans, it's an exhausting experience, a constant battle between "Uh-oh, this is good" and "Uh-oh, this is bad" and by the end of the games, you're just a puddle."

"Hockey should never have more than 22 teams, and half those teams should be playing in Canada, where it's the national sport and the citizens truly care about the game. It's the only way to bring the sport back -- rivalries, bad blood, back-to-back games and everything else -- and as soon as they jettison a few franchises and move a few others back to Canada, I could see caring about the league again. You know, as long as the Bruins are sold."

Simmons did a an awesome live blog on the 2007 entry draft last June.

Both of these articles make me crave for him to find his love of hockey again and write more regularly on the NHL.

Conference Quarter Finals - part 5

Seems fitting that the Bruins would get thrashed in Game 7 vs the Canadiens. 5-0 was the final score and an indication of the dominance Montreal had over Boston this season aside from a few hiccups in this series. I predicted a choke job by Montreal and a Bruin series victory in 6. I came close but really not close at all (not sure if that actually makes sense). Montreal wins in 7.

How can you lose Game 6 at home up 3-2? Brutal! The Flyers are in BIG trouble now having to go to Washington to play Game 7. I predicted a Flyer's upset but just like the Montreal/Boston series I might fall just short.

The final series of round 1 comes to an end in the Western Conference tonight. Calgary looks to win Game 7 on the road in San Jose. Unlike Boston, Calgary has one of the most dominant and clutch forwards (Iginla) and good goaltending (Kipper) so there's a reasonable chance they pull it off but I'll lean toward the Sharks advancing as predicted.

How did I fair in the other match-ups?

Wings/Preds - Prediction = Wings in 5. Actual outcome = Wings in 6. Blessing in disguise for Wings. A few bad games and Hasek was pulled. Goalie controversy out of the way...for now.

Wild/Avs - Prediction = Wild in 5. Actual outcome = Avs in 6. Wild lacked depth on D and Avs played well. Look out if San Jose wins tonight...Detroit vs Colorado!

Ducks/Stars - Prediction = Ducks in 4. Actual outcome = Stars in 6. I wasn't even close. Good for Turks.

Penguins/Sens - Prediction = Pens in 4. Actual outcome = Pens in 4. Anyone with half a brain picked this series right.

Rangers/Devils - Prediction = Rangers in 5. Actual outcome = Rangers in 6. The Devils need an overhaul and before the end of the playoffs there will be several goalies ready to take over the top from Broduer. Gretzky and Canada brass, I hope you watched this series.

Big week-end ahead. Round 2 should start and the NFL draft is this Saturday. Plenty to post on and catch up from a few days off.

Someone needs Matt Ryan a little more today....

Veteran QB Steve McNair retired Thursday leaving the Ravens with Kyle Boller and Troy Smith for QB depth. The Ravens claim the decision will not impact their draft strategy. Maybe because they wanted the Boston College QB all along.

Using the Internet to climb up NFL draft boards

How does college QB Dennis Dixon convince NFL scouts that he is worth a draft pick next week despite completely blowing out his knee and having major surgery only 3 months or so ago?

An interactive website featuring work rehab/workout video, QB drills, highlights, updates, etc.

I read about the site in SI and the feature article is linked on the home page of Dixon's website.

Unfortunately my mock draft is not long enough to include Dixon and I doubt I will be sober enough when his name is called to know which team selects him but I'll find out at some point.

.387

That's the 2007 winning percentage of the 2008 New England Patriot's opponents. The Pats have the easiest team schedule in 2008....and they cheat too.

Conference Quarter Finals - part 4

Series update:

Montreal vs Boston - Canadiens up 3-1. Game 5 in Montreal. Price gets his first NHL playoff shutout. I have little hope for the B's to mount a comeback.

Pittsburgh vs Ottawa - Penguins up 3-0. Game 4 in Pittsburgh. Everyone scoring for Pittsburgh. Look out!

Washington vs Philadelphia - Flyers up 2-1. Game 4 in Philadelphia. The Flyers should really be up 3-0 if it wasn't for a third period fart in Game 1. Anyone catch the Philly fan giving it to Mike Green in pre-game warm up through the glass partition? Nice!

New Jersey vs New York - Rangers up 2-1. Game 4 in New York. Smells like a long series.

Detroit vs Nashville - Wings up 2-1. Game 4 in Nashville. Preds look to even up the series with sweep of the home set. Wings can't afford to give up anymore momentum to the Preds or this series will take a toll even if they win it. I'd put Hasek on the goalie hot seat after two weak 3rd period goals in Game 3.

San Jose vs Calgary - Series tied at 2. Oh my God, I can't believe the Flames only had 2 shots on goal at home for almost half the game. A terrible outcome in Game 4 for the Flames after having a dramatic comeback in Game 3.

Minnesota vs Colorado - Series tied at 2. Another series that smells like a long one. The Wild fell too far behind last night and the game turned into a circus. It's really too bad Schultz and Foster are not available for the Wild. Hill and Carney are really just depth players at this point in their careers and they are forced into playing big minutes and roles.

Anaheim vs Dallas - Stars up 2-1. How do you go home up 2-0 on the defending Cup champs and fall flat in the first period?



A little more buzz in the air in the second week of playoffs....


1st period - Lots of talk on Nonis being fired in Vancouver. I agree he made the most lopsided deal (Luongo for Bertuzzi, Allen, Auld) in recent years but it was more a deal of circumstances than it was of player evaluation and it speaks more to Keenan's ability as a GM than anything. In my opinion Nonis kept the franchise outside of Cup contention and just good enough for playoff contention. There's a big difference. I'm not sure he assessed his prospects according to the market either. He was high on some prospects but other teams didn't have that same assessment.


2nd period - Why does Brian Burke's name get mentioned for almost every GM vacancy? Well, maybe just the Leafs and Canucks but still, is this guy leaving the Ducks? I would think being the GM of the defending Cup champions in Orange County would be a comfortable place and I would think the Ducks want him there.

3rd period - Canadian born players from the Sens and Bruins look to be available real soon for Stevie Y and his side kick Luc Robitialle.

• Redden - should beg Yzerman for an invite to salvage some season and increase his stock going into UFA.
• Phillips - solid enough defenseman.
• Vermette - special team player (6 SH points). Quebec native.
• Heatley - loads of international experience and would likely love to end the season off better.
• Spezza - doubtful given the injury..and even his pathetic performance.
• Emery - just kidding...what a joke eh.
• Lucic - Bruins management will lobby for him. The new Cam Neely was Captain of the junior squad that pounded the Russians in last summer's series.
• Savard - unlikely given his injury
• Schaefer - solid special team guy.
• Tim Thomas - fair is fair I guess on goalie ribbing...what a joke...you know you're in trouble when your starting goalie player profile lists Rick Knickle as his childhood hockey hero. Actually, Thomas is from Michigan so he's not eligible.

Gold Baby! Gold!

Congratulations Team Martin!

Canada won Gold in Grand Forks yesterday beating Scotland 6-3. The victory put Martin over the top in curling credentials after finally capturing a Gold medal at the international level.

Martin also earned his pass to the 2010 Olympic qualifying event.

Resby Coutts at the curler.com has an end by end summary of the final game.

I'm pretty sure I heard CBC announce that Grand Forks attendance was 51 000 and it broke a USA record for attendance. That's real good news and a solid foundation for a return in the future I'm sure.

Conference Quarter Finals - part 3

Getting caught up....

Detroit vs Nashville - Wings up 2-0. Series shifts to Nashville where the Preds hope to build on a fairly strong showing in Game 2. Wings are in total control of this series but Hasek still plants seeds of doubt for a long haul.

San Jose vs Calgary - Flames up 2-1. The Flames have all the momentum right now after a huge comeback in Game 2. Does anyone else see a bit of 2003 cup run magic in these Flames?

Minnesota vs Colorado - Series tied at 1. Both games were very exciting to watch. I anticipate another two close games in Denver.

Anaheim vs Dallas - Stars up 2-0. My advice to my brother after he suggested Mike Riberio was a good playoff hockey pool pick was...Avoid the Stars! Whoops!!

Montreal vs Boston - Canadiens up 2-1. Boston finally beat the Habs to end the most embarrassing losing streak of all time. I don't even know the exact number of games they lost in a row to Montreal. It had to be 10 for sure but I think it's even more when factoring last year. The Bruins still need another win because going back to Montreal down 3-1 means it's over.

Pittsburgh vs Ottawa - Penguins up 2-0. This series seems to have been going on forever. Lots a buzz about Spezza being hurt and not available for the next game. Does it matter?? He hasn't done anything anyways. The Bruins have a terrible streak of games vs the Habs but what about the Sens streak of playoff performance going back to last year's final?Terrible! Heads better role Melnyk.

Washignton vs Philadelphia - Series tied at 1. Philly has to be a little disappointed still in losing game 1 after having a late lead but in reality a split in Washington (the hottest team going into the playoffs) was all they were looking for. I still like Philly.

New Jersey vs New York Rangers - Rangers up 2-1. It's difficult to beat Brodeur and the Devils 3 games in a row so no big surprise the Devils clawed back in this series.

The Ultimate NFL Mock Draft

Great article. Some guys just have awesome jobs.

NFL Draft Not a Long Way Off

The Miami Dolphins are in contract talks with OT Jake Long from Michigan. In the high stakes of the NFL draft this could mean any number of things. 1. The Dolphins are seriously interested in taking Jake Long and want to start up negotiations. 2. It's a bluff to leverage a trade from someone who desperately wants Jake Long. 3. It's pitting players vs players in contract talks as the article suggests. The Dolphins will almost certainly be negotiating soon with DE-LB Chris Long from Virginia and other top 5 calibre prospects (Dorsey, Ryan, McFadden) for the same reasons listed above.

I've read quite a bit about the draft the past few days. I'm in a NFL draft pool so I'm not going to tip my hand here. I'll likely post my mock draft just minutes before the draft on April 26th.

I'm not sure why the Pats were able to keep the #7 pick (via 49ers from last year's draft day deal) and the league nullified the Pats' original pick (second last in the first round) due to spygate. Why didn't the league take the better of the picks away? The Dolphins have first pick in the second round but it really is the 32 pick overall which in a normal year is the last pick of the first round. This year that player isn't a first rounder because there is a "nullified" pick in the first round. With money tagged to certain spots in the draft I wonder if it's going to cost the first player picked in the second round any dollars. Seems a bit goofy.

Conference Quarter Finals - part 2

whooops! Dallas and Boston did a good job of making me look stupid last night. Dallas spanked Anaheim and Montreal continued it's dominance over Boston. On the other hand Detroit and San Jose played as anticipated.

* Marty Turco posted another playoff shutout. Seems like he has more than a few of those.
* Iginla was robbed point blank at the end of period 1 otherwise the Flames go into the first intermission up 1-0 and that would have made a big difference in the game.
* Power plays dominated the Dallas/Anaheim and Flames/Sharks game. That usually happens in Round One a few times but don't count on that happening too often (I hope).
*TSN showed the Masters instead of the start of the Wings vs Preds game. Still no respect for the Wings. It should be interesting to see if they bump Ovechkin and the Caps tonight.
*Chara's hurt but he better pick up his play or the Bruins will trade him to San Jose for nothing in return. Just as Joe Thornton about that.
*Keep your eye on Steve Downie tonight.

Poll cut short. Winners announced!

Parker received 9 votes or 45% of boy votes.

Chloe and Waverly tied with 5 votes each 0r 27% of girl votes.

I cut the poll short since I discovered someone had an agenda to get Parker the most votes possible. The poll was starting to smell like a Florida election tally.

I suspect that we will have more names to consider as we approach summer. We can do it all over again with some new ones.

The new poll looks ahead to May. May is usually one of the busiest months of the year for me. Mother's Day, brother's birthday, a few close friends turn 30, a big time wedding social this year for Perkin and Baker (May 2nd, buy tickets from me), Wine festival, Goldeyes, May long and on and on.....

Looking forward to it.

Conference Quearter Finals - part 1

Pittsburgh all over the Senators...as predicted. Pittsburgh would really benefit from a quick series and give Crosby a few days rest before round 2. Ankle sprains are nagging and the slightest tweak is painful. Trust me.

Rangers look good...as predicted.

Now the not so good....

I underestimated Jarome Iginla. His talent and desire make up for the lack of talent I labeled the rest of the Flames. I also forgot what Kipper can do between the pipes. Still, I think the Sharks have a little more bite (hey oh!) so I'm not too worried about the San Jose prediction.

I am worried about predicting the Wild over the Avs. I underestimated Joe Sakic and overestimated Minnesota's depth. Theodore played really well too and the Wild are giving Forsberg way too much room to make plays.

Homework Assignment

It's been about 5 weeks or so of blogging. I started with fellow rookies at the smd bloggers group. On Tuesday we were asked to post general thoughts and comments about blogging and our group set up and then next week we will tie all the posts together into one post on the smdbloggers site. I guess it is similar to a blog carnival that is very popular on the net.

Here are my thoughts, Sackville Sports style....

On blogs...

Lead Rocks - blogging is addictive! Everything from thinking about what to write, writing, editing, reading comments, checking for more comments, finding links for posts, adding page elements, etc. etc.

Second Rocks - blogging can be a lot of work! Insert the above here.

Third Rocks - blogging can be confusing. I'm still a rookie at this and I will eventually find a style that works best for me but sometimes ideas and possibilities become a scrambled mess in my head.

Skip Rocks - I really like the photologs (some are listed in the "I'm not just a sports fan" section). I'm glad the smd group introduced them to me and it's something I want to get into more.

On the group...

Lead Rocks - more people. We started with the idea of 5 consumers. 5 became 2 because of a variety of reasons. The 2 consumers that did come were great but we need more contributors and more people learning about the potential of blogging.

Second Rocks - homework was dissed. The idea of making a post each week and finding a blog to share each week as homework flopped. We need to figure out a way to improve that.

Third Rocks - a blog as the course outline. This was a great idea!

Skip Rocks - blogging time vs blogging workshop. It didn't take long to set up individual blogs and go over basic blog info. A good portion of time each week was given to putting posts on the blogs. It's possible the smd bloggers group will become a meld of a place where people come to blog and get help blogging and a place where people learn about blogs and get help setting one up. There are a lot of options with the blog idea and I'm looking forward to reading what my fellow rookie bloggers post...provided they do their HOMEWORK!!!

Stanley Cup Preview - Round 1

The most difficult tournament in sports begins on Wednesday night with the quest for the Stanley Cup. For some teams like the Predators and Capitals it's been do or die playoff mode for a month now.

Here's my take on the spring classic.

Western Conference

Red Wings (1) vs Predators (8)

Wings coach Mike Babcock wants a little respect for his President's Trophy winning team. He's not going to get much from Jordin Tootoo and the Preds but I'll give him his due. Most points, fewest goals against, total domination at home, best defenseman by a mile, 2 of the most skilled players in the league, gritty forwards, etc. etc. etc. If the Wings can't advance past round 1 then it's a major disappointment but it wouldn't be the first time.

The Preds have won their Stanley Cup by just getting into the playoffs after a roster gut, bad injuries and franchise uncertainty.

Pick: Wings in 5

Sharks (2) vs Flames (7)

This is a meat grinder series. Expect a real battle. Both teams have some fierce competitors from GM down to the 4th liners. The Sharks have more talent and home ice advantage.

Pick: Sharks in 6

Wild (3) vs Avalanche (6)

The Wild are extremely fast and work very hard. They also have a good goalie. The Avs brought back Forsberg and Foote from the 95-96 Cup winning team. All that tells me is they brought back some really old guys.

** update - Nick Shultz has an appendectomy. This will have an impact on the series given that the Wild have already lost defenseman Kurtis Foster. Still, I like the Wild.

Pick: Wild in 5

Ducks (4) vs Stars (5)

The defending champs are playing really well and go into this series with home ice advantage. The Stars made a big splash getting Brad Richards to add some scoring for the playoffs but have played very poorly down the stretch. Let's just see how Richards feels once Pronger lays him on his butt a few times. Turco can't keep this close depsite all his efforts.

Pick: Ducks in 4

Eastern Conference

Canadiens (1) vs Bruins (8)

I can't stomach the fact Montreal has beat Boston 8 games in a row. As a Bruins fan I'm looking for a positive out of that and it goes like this..Can a team win 12 in a row or 12 out of 19 vs one team in one season? I'm hoping the Canadiens overlook the B's early in the series then fold under the pressure of the Montreal media and the Ghost of Rocket Richard.

Watch the Bruins rise with an emotional lift from the return of Patrice Bergeron from a broken neck and keep an eye on rookie Milan Lucic.

Pick: Bruins in 6

Penguins (2) vs Senators (7)

Syd the Kid and company vs the flailing Senators and mouth spraying coach Bryan Murray. I'm not confident in the Sens D to shutdown Crosby, Malkin, Sykora, Hossa, etc. Former Brandon Wheat King star Wade Redden is about to play his final 4 games as a Senator. Try to enjoy them all Reds.

Pick: Penguins in 4

Capitals (3) vs Flyers (7)

Ovechkin leads the hottest team in the NHL right now. The Caps have that "feel good" story but they are about to find out how difficult it is to play in Philly in the playoffs. I have to admit I haven't seen the Flyers play all year and I'm leary of picking them given how hot the Caps are and the wonky knee of Danny Briere but I think the Flyers can pull off this upset.

Pick: Flyers in 7

Devils (4) vs Rangers (5)

Classic series or boring rematch? Parise lead the Devils in scoring with only 65 points. Broduer is a gamer but so are Shanahan, Jagr, Gomez, Drury. I think the time is right for Henrik Lundqvist and the blue shirts.

Pick: Rangers in 6

There you have it. I wouldn't bank on any of it.

Grand Forks Road Trip

In just under 48 hours we somehow fit everything in and checked off all our "to do" items.

Boarder crossing with no hassle or waiting. Check!

Supper at Texas Road House. Check!

Hotel beers - Miller High Life (the champagne of beer). Check!

Shopping for me and the lovely one. Check!

Lunch with friends at the Red Pepper near UND. Check!

Hot tub and swimming. Check!

Night out at the Ralph. Check!

Buffalo Wild Wings. Check!

More swimming. Check!

Shopping for the Prince of Sackville (at the most ridiculously big store - Super Target). Check!

Boarder crossing with no hassle or waiting. Check!

Since it was a road trip in part to see curling I'll throw a few rocks out....

Lead Rocks - the Ralph

I'll cut right to the jewel of Grand Forks and it's not the Columbia Mall. The Ralph Engelstad Arena was just as immaculate as described. Marble floors, brass rails, leather seating, great architecture, brick, flip hockey tables at every section entrance, 32 oz giant beers, a stellar souvenir store featuring everything you want in present Sioux apparel and NHLer alumni stuff too, etc. etc. A real hockey playground palace.

Check it out!

Second Rocks - attendance

The picture above was taken about 30 minutes before the start of the Saturday 7PM draw featuring Canada. As you can tell, my wife and our little guy didn't have to fight any type of crowd to get into the building. Attendance was weak. The Americans were not part of the draw so that was one factor but there are other obstacles the event is up against all week. The perfect scenario would have been: 1. Not having the Brier played in Winnipeg. 2. Team Canada rep from Manitoba. 3. TV coverage as part of Seasons of Champions. It's still early so the event has time to gain some momentum.

Third Rocks - the bear

Team Martin is 3-0 and Kennedy, Morris and Martin are all shooting in the 90s. Hebert isn't far off either. I would be very surprised if they didn't win this puppy. Martin is the best we have in Canada right now. No doubt about it.

Skip Rocks - curling road trip

A reader comment from Friday said a good road trip is good for the heart and she hit the nail on the head. The trip was very good and it will be a special memory for my wife and son. With a new baby on the way in July this was likely the last road trip together as just the three of us. Maybe that's why we managed to fit everything in. We wanted to hit the button for the win and we did.

Mixing sports and politics

Once I wrap up work early this afternoon I am headed to pick up my son and wife for a trip to Grand Forks. It's only a short 2 hour drive to Grand Forks from the 'Peg and I'm addicted to Curling so it's a no-brainer to take in the World Mens at the Ralph.

I thought I was prepared for everything but I wasn't aware of the additional attention Grand Forks is drawing this week-end. Obama and Clinton speeches will likely draw more than a few interested hacks and wonks. This will likely mean a longer than normal delay crossing the border with both political and curling junkies heading south.

But like the Rock always said, "It doesn't really matter!"It just means a little more time in the car and the trip will still be great. I'm sure my son will be amazed at the long line up of vehicles.

I'm very interested in seeing the Ralph. Friends have raved about it. The curling will be great. I think Kevin Martin will win Gold. I just think he's got such a great team and he's the best shot maker right now. I'm interested in seeing who the surprise team at this event will be. I've got 2 for 1 drink coupons for the bar. You can't do 2 for 1 in bars here in the 'Peg so that's exciting..get ready liver. Loads of shopping to do. Swimming with the kid. Michelob in the motel.

Will I fit it all in?

Find out Monday.

Oh, No Henry

Follow up to yesterday's post regarding the Bengals.

WR Chris Henry has been cut from the team after more legal problems.

With their 1st pick in the draft don't be too surprised to see the Bengals call a receiver.

Henry cut. Chad Johnson holding out. Housh plays on a scary fine line between the endzone and the injury list. Expect a WR called with either of the first 2 picks.

The NFL Triactor

A Detroit Lion fan once told me I was only allowed to cheer for 1 NFL team. I've ignored that rule and have rooted for both the Vikings and Bengals over the past 3 or 4 years. I figure I can cheer for an AFC team and an NFC team and get away with it. Football fans are pretty die hard and many of them only bleed one team's color. I don't have any problem with cheering for a few teams and I'd recommend it to anyone, especially a Lions fan.

The Vikings are essentially a home team for Winnipeg. It's an easily doable road trip to see the Purple at the Dome. I've been twice and hope to go back down this year. As long as I'm planted in the 'peg I'll be rooting for the Vikes.

The other team I cheer for is the Bengals. Carson Palmer is my franchise player in my Fantasy Football keeper league. I've also kept TJ Houshmandzadeh a few years in a row now too. The league format is 2TE, 4WR, 2QB, 2RB, 1K, 1Def with a huge roster and 4 keepers. Yes, you read that right. It's not your average league. More details on that when Fantasy Football season rolls around.

Back to the Bengals. Everything was going right for them in 2005 until Steelers DT Kimo von Oelhoffen's questionable hit on Palmer's knee in the AFC wild card game. Palmer had just hooked up with WR Chris Henry on an awesome bomb but both ended up hurt on the play and were unable to return. Steelers won the game and went on to win the Superbowl. It hasn't been the same for the Bengals since.

Pro Bowl WR Ocho Cinco is making a stink and is seeking a trade.

WR Chris Henry is back in trouble again. Another suspension is quite possible.

The normally reliable RB Rudi Johnson only played 11 games last year battling injuries. The 2007 2nd round pick, RB Kenny Irons, tore his ACL in a pre-season game and didn't play last year.

The Defense was near the bottom of the league in most categories. INTs and scoring TDs were the only bright spot but when you rank last in sacks and are near the bottom in points allowed and total yards allowed it's a sign other teams are having a field day on you.

It's just a real mess for the Bengals. Only 3 years ago they were a team with great upside and Superbowl visions. They had a franchise QB, prime time receivers, reliable RB and a good enough defense. The only Ohio team you can describe that way now is the Browns.

Fortunately I have two favorite teams. So being down on the Bengals I'll turn my attention to the Vikings for now with their exciting news. Vikes are chasing veteran back-up QB Gus Frerotte and have a deal pending. Great, just what I wanted.....

Can I cheer for 3 NFL teams?

Left foot problems for Sackville and Saku

I'm tossing out a few hits in all areas today trying to be true to the blog title description.

PEBBLE

Congrats to Jennifer Jones and her team for winning Gold in Vernon. They should have been eliminated in the semi finals by Japan but the Japanese skip couldn't swallow her nerves and gave the game away to Jones in the final ends. In the Gold Medal game China followed the traditional game plan for championship games - keep it clean the first few ends, play a bit defensive, bank some time, settle the nerves. Bad game plan for the young team that was super aggressive all week. It just meant the nerves increased as the ends went along with a close game and Jones with her experience took over.

World Men's starts this week in Grand Forks. Teams are here in Winnipeg getting in some exhibition games against local talent. A really cool thing is happening tonight (April 1) at the Pembina Curling Club. Here's a snapshot from Resby Coutts at thecurler.com.

The Pembina CC's championship matches will use three sheets. Teams from Czech Republic, Denmark and Scotland will play local teams as an awareness/fundraiser for the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation.Scotland will play Jeff Stoughton; Denmark will play Lionel Walz; Czech Republic will play Norm Magnusson.

Resby has been featuring the participating World Men's teams and countries on Rock Talk. Local Radio 1290 cfrw. Check out Resby's website for radio archives and other great curling coverage.

PUCKS

New York Rangers in 1992-93. That's the answer to a question my friend asked last night. When was the last time a team won the President's trophy then missed the playoffs the following year? We even wondered if it had happened before. The Canadiens also did it in 1969-70. The Buffalo Sabres will be the third team soon.

Saku Koivu just can't catch a break unless it's in a bone in his body. Out for rest of the season with a broken bone in his left foot. Playoffs are uncertain.

Sens started the season 15-2 and may miss the playoffs. That's brutal. Good job Paddock had them out of the gate fast. Too bad he got dumped.

Kyle Turris will join the Coyotes. This kid is very good. Another gem for the NHL.

PIGKSIN

Vikings will play Green Bay on Monday Night to open the NFL Regular Season. The game will be at Lambeau Field in Green Bay and obviously the first for the Packers without Favre. It's the early game of a double header. Broncos are at the new look Raiders in the second game.

The ESPN MNF crew stays in order. Mike, Tony and Jaws will call the early game.

Vikings have reportedly offered a 3rd round pick for Sage Rosenfels. Texans have declined despite signing QB Quinn Gray recently. They insist that Rosenfels is a key part of their team. Vikings chasing Rosenfels....What a mess at QB for the Vikings?

Miami is on the clock for the entry draft. I am totally looking forward to that. Unlike the NHL draft where the players selected are just learning to shave and may not impact their team for years, the NFL draft provides immediate impact for teams. There's no projecting growth and development here..at least not very much anyway. Miami is looking for someone to take their #1 pick off their hands. They have so many needs they could use a package of picks instead of 1 pick that will cost them $30 million. The problem is not many people sound in love with a certain guy enough to pay the Dolphins their asking price and/or the $30 million for the first overall pick. If Parcells can't move the pick I would be surprised if they don't take a pass rushing defensive end. My theory is the defensive end value has gone up since the Giants win in the Superbowl. How do you beat Tom Brady? It's not with a clever cornerback or safety picking him off and it won't be on the offense. No, it's by setting him on his butt and rushing his throws. Brady can be extended to Brothers Manning. The past two Superbowl winners.

SACKSIDE THOUGHTS

The ankle injury had a setback. I could barely get out of bed this morning. I curled last night in the my club playoffs. It was the semi final of the consolation event. First slide I ended up on my butt. Second wasn't much better. I just couldn't slide out with any power transfer to my left leg and foot. I managed to not kill my team and ended up finding a slide that worked and made some contributions. The price is sharp pain and more swelling...well worth it.

It's April Fools...go out and fool someone.