Man, I miss the NFL

Walking home from the station today and realized that I haven't talked a lot of NFL since the start of free agency...here's some quick takes

Kevin Kolb must be ready to take over the number 1 spot in Philly...no way they would even fathom moving McNabb if there was a hint of doubt

The Raiders want McNabb, but McNabb wants no part of Oakland...but if he looks close, he'll see a decent run game with an under-rated O-line

My ADD is kicking in again...

Sitting in my apartment this morning and something on TV reminds me of the Mighty Duck series of movies...I just started laughing to myself!

Wikipedia is the best! Complete breakdown of the complete roster from every movie.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mighty_Ducks_(movies)

Have 2 see the Flying V! If you were a kid when that movie was out, don't tell me you and your friends didn't try the Flying V at least once

We'll find out eventually...

Would love 2 know the back story behind the 3-game benching of Shane O'Brien in Vancouver...not 2 worry...that info will come out eventually

Doesn't anyone else think the MLS might have a major temperature problem in playing their championship game on a November night in Toronto?

British Bookmakers are the best! Find the right site and you can bet on whether or not Tiger Woods will kiss a random blonde at the Masters!

A little slow today...

Saw a story this morning about the lineup at the Calgary Stampede...can Rod Hay win his fifth Stampede buckle in the saddle bronc? We'll see

The story about the Coyotes possibly moving to Winnipeg is getting more and more legs seemingly by each hour...could get real interesting...

Roadie to Minneapolis to see Target Field is scheduled for the final weekend of July...MLB stadium #31 in two years...loved the Twin Cities!

Oh Raps...why do you make things so difficult?

Big win 4 the Raps in Charlotte...could have easily folded after a heartbreaking loss in Miami...just so hard to figure out this team though

Every time you think ATL/NYR are out of it, BOS finds a way 2 lose and keep those teams around...it's gonna bite them if they're not careful

No UFC in Vancouver...just don't understand what government officials have against MMA...a UFC event brings in millions per event to a city!

Weekend Thoughts Part 2

Don't know too much about Bobby Butler...time to find someone that does and pick their brain...I'll let you know what I find out tomorrow...

Absolute no-brainer for the NHL to have Crosby and Ovechkin finally meet in the Winter Classic...Heinz Field and Pittsburgh would be perfect

Los Angeles/Colorado better find their games fast....the young teams are hitting the wall with only a couple of weeks before playoffs begin!

Weekend Thoughts Part 1

Big win 4 the 67's yesterday....Corey Cowick was great on the show today after asking about packing only a toothbrush, boxers and track suit

Thing I like about the last two wins for the Sens....Brian Elliott has had a more prominent role in making big saves and winning those games

The educated MMA fans would appreciate the win by GSP over Dan Hardy....fans that like the blood and violence would have been bored to tears

Sens Thoughts

As much as we dump on Kovalev, even the mere threat of a breakout game from him is more valuable than dressing Ryan Shannon in his place....

I said this morning I would give the edge to Ottawa tonight...well, the more I read, the more the pendulum sways towards picking the Sabres!

The 67's better finish off Niagara Sunday...by not winning either last night or Sunday, it allows for a hungry team to steal the series away

And...of course I'm stuck in that...

My timeline from my Parent's Place to 87 George St. this morning thanks to a "suspicious package"

Go visit my parents this morning and decide to bus back into downtown...big mistake! Mackenzie King bridge closed...55 minutes til showtime!

Huge line of busses goes from Mackenzie King to Hurdman...we're literally inching our way there...I just love the luck I'm having this week!

Final time to get to work = 60 mins instead of 15 mins....if I find that "suspicious package" was nothing more than cookies, I'm gonna flip!

The Joys of Hosting Without Internet

After strugggglinnng like I did yesterday, loved the first-time challenge of hosting a show without access to internet...thought it went ok!

I'll say it again...how sad is it that we've become so dependent on internet? Actually, we rely on it to waste time more than anything else!

Actually thought for a couple of secs about what we would have done 10 years ago when print and TV were the only things going...I shuddered!

Just looked at the numbers on where the Sens should statistically finish up their season....doesn't look pretty for them catching Buffalo...

1% = 3rd, 1% = 4th, 49% = 5th, 27% = 6th, 14% = 7th, 7% = 8th, 1% = 9th...thanks to http://www.sportsclubstats.com/NHL.html for the stats...

Of course Tiger Woods hooked up with a country singer...isn't that the cliched thing to do? I just wonder why I failed 2 see that one coming

Not My Best Day...

Bah! Don't think I was very good this morning...thought the first hour was ok, but just didn't have it for the second hour...my apologies...

Doing Monday-Friday shows only since Dec, I'm still learning tons as we go...luckily, I'm getting support from 99% of you! Thanks a ton! :-)

Watching Sens-Flyers on NHL.com with Philly TV feed...am I wrong or is it just 2 much to ask anymore for commentators to be down the middle?

I get that PXP guys are gonna build relationships by following a certain team throughout a whole season...but it's called being professional

Pet Peeve 2: People who use hands-free cell phones when just walking around...do they really need to speak twice as loud than everyone else?

It's almost like these d-bags get hands-free withdrawal and need someone to talk to in order to use their hands-free at all hours of the day

Living in the Stone Age Here!

Been without internet at my apartment for almost a week since my modem crashed out...it's scary how dependent we are on internet access now!

Pet Peeve: Able-bodied people consistently and unnecessarily pressing the button designed for disabled people to open doors....so damn lazy!

It's a microcosm into the lives of those people...so if they're willing 2 shortcut opening a door, what else have they short-cutted in life?

At Starbucks and hearing some guy complain about missing a doctor's appt. and his gripe: "I was only 45 mins late...I tried 2 be on-time..."

And suddenly 4 Sens fan, all is right with the world again....solid performance last night from everyone involved...could easily make it 2-2

Predicted on Sportscall this morning that the game would go into OT...just think the loss of Carter will be a big wake-up call for Philly...

My Favourite E-Mails of the Day

I just love the feedback we get from the callers and e-mailers every day on SportsCall and there's been many a show where we had a ton of e-mails that we just couldn't get to...

With the e-mails hitting the 3-digit mark for two hours today, there's just no way that we could get to all of them, but I do read every single one and I wanted to highlight the 5 best we received at sportscall@team1200.com today...now, in no particluar order...

1) From Laine:

If Sens fans can spend as much time and energy complaining about Leafs fans on the radio for three hours, why can't they drown out the sound of booing when the captain touches the puck?

GO LEAFS GO.

2) From our good friend Man Stretch:

Ciao boys!

I still don't understand why people still cheer for another city's team. When was the last time any of the Leaf players did anything for this community? I'm sure if the Leafs win the cup, they'll have the parade here too. Hey, I cheered for the Leafs and the Habs when my city didn't have a team, but when the Sens arrived, I left the cheering of those teams to those cities. NO EXCUSES KIDS! Go Sens Go!

3) From Bill, President of the Anti Yes/No Faction

Franchise & Showkiller,

Do you think part of the problem of why more Leafs fans come out to cheer on their team is the way you guys portray this rivalry in the media? Steve Warne from TGOR has his Blue Team Elimination Watch and the "Leafs Suck" songs. When the Sens play in TO, it is just another game of 41 home games. Why not do the same thing here? When you pump up the opposition fans and challenge them, you can't be surprised when they come out and dominate the building and boo the captain.

4) From Janet:

It's sad to see many season ticket holders (normally wearing a Sens jersey) wearing a Toronto jersey and cheering for Toronto. My daughter and I were at the game last night and we cheered for Ottawa. But, I'm not interested in yelling my lungs out every time a certain player touches the puck. I like to cheer good plays, hard hits, goals, etc.

5) From Ross:

I was at the game last night and was disgusted by the way Alfie gets treated in his own rink.

TIP TO SENS FANS: When someone is booing your captain, don't stand up and cheer WHOO!! All It does is get drowned out and sound like boos. Instead, stand up in front of that Leaf fan who's booing behind you, obstruct their view and start clapping!

PS: It's pretty hard to boo the Leafs captain when they don't have one...

'Sage Advice for Your NCAA Brackets

Lee's advice for people filling out NCAA brackets before Thursday: #1 seeds are 100% in first-round games and #2 seeds = 96%....thanks tips!

Went 1-2 yesterday with my bets...Wings pull it out with a last-minute goal, but the Lakers don't win by enough against Golden State...uggh!

Stats for Kovalev in last 6 games: 0G, 0A, 10 shots, -6...his thoughts on how he's playing, "I'm fine, as far as I'm playing well..." Wow...

I can't believe I'm saying that I agree with a decision that the NHL made...Ovechkin was tight-roping the line and never got punished for it

1 thing that the U.S have completely right and Canada has completely wrong is the price of alcohol...bought 60 Rolling Rock 4 $35 on Sunday!

Watching the premiere of the new season of Celebrity Apprentice off the PVR...I guess no one with any sort of fame wants 2 be on NBC anymore

Weekend Thoughts

We'll see what the NHL does (or probably doesn't do) with Ovie...didn't need to extend his arms and violently shove Campbell into the boards

The Sens were awful in Vancouver...Canucks just spent 45 days away from home, but Ottawa looked road-weary...not comforting for the playoffs

Chris Bosh called out his teammates for a lack of intensity during their losing streak...yet another example that he wants out of Toronto...

Browns' QB tandem last season: Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson...QB tandem for this season: Jake Delhomme/Seneca Wallace...that's not improvement

LT goes to the Jets instead of the Vikings, and like I said before, he goes to the Jets 'cause he has a better shot at being a starter there

Memo to Clottey: You can come out of your shell 'cause Pacquiao is back in the Phillippines...love to get paid 1.2 mil to be a punching bag!

Pacquiao vs. Clottey Thoughts

I've always been such a big fan of the fight game...MMA has become such a big sport in a small time, but my first love will always be boxing

Having said that, I'm so pumped 4 the Manny Pacquiao/Joshua Clottey fight Saturday....my mom is Filipino, so I have a soft spot for Manny...

Manny is ultimately gonna win because of superior hand speed and footwork, but Clottey is such a tough guy that he'll give fans a good show!

For Clottey to have a chance on Saturday, he's going to have throw more punches and try to impose his will and make it a "phone booth" fight

For Pacquiao 2 have a knockout performance, he's going to have to work through the defensive shell of Clottey by landing numerous body shots

I've struggled with how Pacquiao wins Saturday, but in the end, I think he gets through the shell and grinds him out to a 9th-round stoppage

Why do I keep going there?

I end up at a certain fast food place twice a week for breakfast burritos 'cause I don't give myself time 4 a full breakfast to start my day

Even as I wait in line...I ask myself, "Why am I here? I know it's gonna cost me with stomach pain in a few hours..." and yet, I still go...

I'm sure that I'm not the only one in this boat...but I just wish I had an answer 4 myself...sorry for thinking aloud through the blog...LOL

An interesting scenario for Jets fans 2 look out for...LT to visit the Jets today (barring an agreement being made between LT and the VIkes)

If LT thinks about being a starter, the Jets opportunity is way more enticing than the Vikes one...if he wants a ring, he would choose Minny

From Ian Mendes on Twitter: Since Jan 1:: Elliott: 14-5-2, 2.41 GAA, .916 sv - Luongo: 14-6-1, 2.75 GAA, .911 sv - Nabokov: 14-5-2, 2.21 GAA

Happy Birthday Chuck Norris

So, I lied...I'm not gonna do the 140 character thing for a third day in a row...

A couple of people let me know that it was Chuck Norris' 70th birthday today...so, in honour of that, my 10 favourite facts about Chuck Norris...

1) Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.

2) When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.

3) If at first you don't succeed, you're not Chuck Norris.

4) Chuck Norris CAN believe it's not butter.

5) When you say "No one's perfect...", Chuck Norris takes this as a personal insult

6) Chuck Norris never wet his bed as a child. The bed wet itself out of fear.

7) It takes Chuck Norris 20 minutes to watch 60 minutes.

8) They once made Chuck Norris toilet paper, but there was a problem: It wouldn't take crap from anyone.

9) Google won't search for Chuck Norris because it knows that you don't find Chuck Norris, Chuck Norris finds you.

10) There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of animals that Chuck Norris allows to live.

http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/

Why I Quit Facebook

So, I still get asked a couple of times a day about why I'm not on Facebook anymore...the short answer I give is that I just got bored with it...in actuality, I just got really annoyed with it and decided I had enough of it...but I still love the shocked look on people's faces that I could have done such a thing...here's the story...

I was sitting on my couch on a Sunday night and decided to check my facebook like I had about 4 or 5 times before during the day...but this one time would end up being my last...Something drove me over the edge when looking at the "news feed" from all my friends...

The first thing to come up...

"Mike" has defeated Al Capown3d in an epic battle and has now become an underboss...Do you have what it takes to be a mafioso?

Do I have what it takes? What does it take to be a mafioso? A computer, a solid internet connection and an account with Facebook? Then yes, I guess I have what it takes...must have been a great achievement for Mike to share this with all of his friends...doesn't mean that I care anymore about this... Frustration Factor: 1/10

Second thing...

Ronnie's fish is very sick in his aquarium and is in desperate need of being fed...Do you want to remind him to feed his fish?

Uhh...no...if Ronnie can't take care of his responsibilites for his virtual pet, then why should I do anything about it? Could you imagine what his reaction would be if I were to call him in a panic and tell him to feed his fish... Frustration Factor: 2/10

Third thing...

Allie just finished plowing her farm on Farmville for the day and shared her crops with Adam...Would you like to get in on the sharing?

I hate sharing anything, let alone my make-believe harvest...so no, I don't want to get it on the sharing...what is with these people that have all the time in the world for their virtual farms? I guarantee you that if they were faced with doing actual farm work, they would vomit on the spot... Frustration Factor: 4/10

Fourth thing...

James is now single...

Oh god, here we go again...looks like James had another fight with his girlfriend...but James is one of those people that likes to let people know about his rocky relationship by changing his relationship status every 20 minutes...by the time I log back in, he'll be back in a relationship again...

At least he isn't one of these losers that decides is a good idea to put "It's Complicated" as their relationship status...do the rest of the world a favour and leave it blank!

When a guy has "It's Complicated" as his status, it means one of two things: 1) He's single and he's trying a way to look cooler to the ladies or 2) He's simply using Facebook as his own personal dating site and he belives that "It's Complicated" will allow for him to have that little bit of mystery that girls like in a guy...

When a girl has "It's Complicated" as his status, stay the hell away! I know very little women, but what I do know is that they tend not to put their problems out there for public consumption, particularly about their love life...so if this girl is willing to put it out there, then you know there's a couple of screws loose... Frustration Factor: 6/10

Fifth Thing...

Barry is sleepy

Wow! My life is that much better because of being able to see that insightful status...I would bet everything I have that in typing those nine extra characters beside his name, it probably took 'ol Barry 10 minutes to decide on whether or not that was going to be his status for the time being... Frustration Factor: 8/10

Sixth and Final Thing...

Sam Jones has requested to be your friend...

Sam Jones wants to be my friend? Isn't this the same Sam Jones that thought he was the coolest guy in school and treated everyone else like garbage? Isn't this the same Sam Jones that wouldn't give me the time of day when I tried to start a converstation in the locker room when we played on the same soccer team? And now he wants to be my friend all of a sudden....

I'm all for re-connecting with people from high school, and hell, I still have some friends from high school that I talk to on a regular basis and it's almost been a decade already...but there are also some people from school that I could go my whole life without even hearing about and I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over it... Frustration Factor: 10/10

That was the final straw and I decided right there to de-activate my account...I'm now officially a twitter guy, so feel free to follow me on twitter... @showkiller1200

I think I'm gonna go back to writing in 140 character sentences tomorrow!

Why I Don't Watch the Oscars

For the next couple of days, I'm gonna break the "twitter" format and just write in full verses...I've gotten asked these two questions a lot the last couple of days or so:

1) Are you going to or did you watch the Oscars?
2) Why did you quit Facebook?

So, I figured I would tackle both questions one entry after the other...'cause I have a ton of thoughts on both...

First off, the Oscars thing...well, for one, they're unbelievably long...for anyone that participates in an Oscar pool and has to guess the correct time at which the Oscars will end, the winning answer will typically be after midnight...asking me to watch a 3-4 hour award show is just asking way too much of someone with no attention span...

Why does it have to be so freakin' long? Can't they cut out some of the awards that they give out on-air? For example, would people really be ticked off if the award for Best Sound Editing or Best Costume Design was awarded, but not on-air? Can't see it...

It was rumoured that they would try and shorten the show by getting award winners to shorten their acceptance speeches considerably and do more thanking off-stage for people to see on-line...that doesn't make any sense...people watch because of the speeches!

That would be like having a trade-deadline show, like TSN and Sportsnet had, announcing the trades, but capping how long each analyst had in discussing the ramifications of the trade...

Another reason I don't watch is that I never see any of the movies nominated for these awards...I'm sure they're good, but I just don't have time in my busy schedule to take two hours or more to watch...

For example, the only movies I saw that were nominated for Best Picture this year were Avatar and the Blindside...I couldn't tell you even the storyline of any of the other movies that were nominated or won awards...so I really don't care...

By the way, for anyone who saw Avatar (if you haven't, just skip to the next paragraph)...didn't that last fight sequence just drag on forever? That old army dude was indestructible! The helicopter he's flying gets shot down, then he transfers over to the robot soldier suit...that gets busted through...he then gets shot in the chest by a huge bow and he's still trying to fight! Only after the second bow goes through his chest is when he finally dies...Toughest Old Man Ever!

But the final reason I'll get into is one that is only pertinent to this year...at New Year's, I made a resolution that I would watch more movies, whether at the theatre or just renting on DVD...well, fast forward to March 8th and I've only watched a total of four movies, so watching the Oscars would be a reminder that I've failed myself on this resolution...

I don't even know why I thought it was so important to make this resolution...but I'm usually someone that likes to do something he says he's going to do...and that just hasn't been the case...

I can't wake up today!

I'm having a perfect example of a lazy Sunday...the only effort I've made today was to shower and walk to the Royal Oak for Sunday brunch...

Gutsy effort from the Sens last night...with so many players suffering, they could easily have folded and saved fuel for the West Coast trip

Never understood teams/coaches not allowing themselves to use sickness/injury as excuses 4 losing...I always thought they were valid reasons

From Ian Mendes' tweet: Matt Cullen said he's never seen anything like that in 12 yrs. Guys running to the bathroom all night. "It was ugly"

If Colton Orr were to have knocked out Matt Carkner again last night, he would have at least given himself a case 4 showing three fingers...

What was up with the linesman choosing to stay in-between Carkner and Orr? Get the hell out of the way, dude! Let these guys do their thing!

What a Beautiful Saturday!

What a great weekend...perfect reminder that spring is soon and time 2 think about being outside, drinking outside...doing ANYTHING outside!

Wow! Big first day of NFL free agency...love the pick-up of Anquan Boldin by the Ravens...gives Flacco a true #1 and legitimate deep threat!

Got NCAA B-Ball action for the afternoon...took Maryland to win by 5 or more against Virginia and Kansas to win by 3 or more against Mizzou!

Nothing going right for the Sens this week at all...flu bug is now running through the team...look for call-ups against the Leafs tonight...

Everything is going wrong for the Sens...they need to find a way to win against the Leafs...heading out West next week, they need this game!

Brian Elliott got his chance 'cause Mike Brodeur had the flu...can Leclaire do the same thing if Elliott misses the game due to flu tonight?

TGIF Baby!

Was responding to e-mails into the show when I caught myself and thought, it's way too sunny and nice to be debating with someone via e-mail

All the windows and outside views in our building of the bright sun make it that little more frustrating when you're just trying to leave...

A downfall to warmer weather coming is the awful smell of horse around Rideau St...just when you thought Rideau St. couldn't get any dirtier

Big day in the NFL with free-agency starting...and the added twist 4 this year of an uncapped season...some big contracts being signed today

Yikes! Pascal pulled after only 7 mins...another "listless" performance from the Sens all around...things can change in such a short time...

36 hours later and I'm still trying to figure out why dana white would sign James Toney...he's 44 years old and his belt-line is pushing 50!

Makes Strikeforce's debut of 45-year-old NFL'er Herschel Walker look legitimate...I see it now! Toney v. Slice in a 1 round co-main feature!



P.S. We always talk about Man Stretch and his different pictures that he photoshops and sends to us...I just had to post this one since I think I look like a younger and browner version of Larry King...have a great weekend!

Coming to the End of Another Week

We've had a pretty good week....tons to talk about...gold-medal game Mon. and Trade Deadline Tue. to Thu...weekend preview tomorrow morning!

Had trouble deciding who 2 take last night in NBA...Golden State to lose by 15 or less to Orlando or ATL to win by 9 over Philly...chose ATL

Happy I took Portland against Indiana 'cause Blazers win by 23...Pacers are proving to be my personal ATM...2-2 last night, so day off today

Great win for the Avs against Anaheim...not sure why I'm still so impressed considering I didn't see it, but the Avs continue to amaze me...

Never thought I would ever say this, but I'm looking forward 2 focusing on Andy Sutton and how he fits on defense with Erik Karlsson tonight

I'm still ticked with media complaining about a lack of big names...never mind that GM's gave you 31 trades to break down throughout the day

Trade Deadline Day!

Trade Deadline Day has gone basically as I thought it would...most trades have 2 do with d-men being sold off...now wanna see a goaler trade

The more I read about Andy Sutton...the more I like the trade 4 the Sens...he's physical, has big size and has shown signs of a nasty streak

Haven't looked into the Mueller-Wolski trade yet...but that trade will probably be the one that causes the most head-scratches of the day...

Love what the Pens have done in the last 2 days...basically picked up Leopold and Pony for a 2nd-rounder, Skoula and Caputi...not bad at all

Love how people pick on Chi/Was goaltending...I just don't get the sense that their goaltending will be their downfall if they end up losing

Give full credit to the Coyotes for not allowing the ownership fiasco to get in the way of making moves to have a good and long playoff run!

Olympic Hangover

In searching for something to replace the Olympics and sitting through bowling, strong man and "timbersports"...found my replacement! Darts!

Can't get into the World's Strongest Man competition like I could the Olympics...but grown men pulling airplanes for sport is pretty amazing

Just prepping for the show tomorrow morning...feels so weird to not be reading any Olympic coverage anymore...what is this NHL you speak of?

I'm shocked to hear rumours of Volchenkov being moved....the Sens just have to roll the dice on working it out with him in the coming months

Been asked 10 times this week if I quit facebook...love the shocked tone when asked...it's like I spoke badly of the bible or the pope...LOL

Carey Price getting the start on Tuesday for the Habs...could it mean one last opportunity to showcase him for a deadline move on Wednesday?