All Star Games

All Star Games have long been a part of sport. On the surface they look pretty good. Lets get the best the game has to offer together and see what they can do. In reality they are not so hot.

In Olympic years the NHL doesn't have an all-star game. The showcase at the Olympics far out shines what the all star game could ever produce.

The NFL has moved the Pro-Bowl to the week before the Superbowl and anyone playing in the Superbowl is not playing in the Pro-Bowl. If you look at it that way it isn't the best out there.

In the NBA Alan Iverson was voted by the fans to start, he is not having an all-star season.

The games are not very good. Nobody wants to get hurt. They don't go all out. The uniforms are dreadful. The crowd is usually soft. The skills competitions never live up to the hype. You can watch the highlights on Sportscentre and see all that matters.

So should we continue to have all star games.

I quit watching them years ago. There is no real drama. There is no excitement. Nobody really wants them anymore. There was a time they showcased the league they represented. These leagues are well established. They do not need these carnivals to draw attention anymore. The product they put out all season is the draw, the playoffs is the icing on the cake. The big leagues should see this and take steps to preserve this.

There was a time that leagues needed all star games to showcase the talent they have, there was also a time you had to pump the accelerator in your car to get it to start. Times change, its time to move on.

The Elbow

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has decided that Patrice Cormier is done playing hockey with them for the remainder of the season and the playoffs. Realistically the punishment could not be anything less. The video of the hit shows it was vicious and dangerous. Unless the goal of a sport is to hit your opponent until they cannot stand up for ten seconds there is no place in sport for an attack of this nature.

There is evidence to suggest that Patrice Cormier is a gifted hockey player. He was selected as the captain of the most recent version of Canada's World Junior Hockey Team. That is a ringing endorsement to his character. You select a captain because he is the type of player and person you want your team to look up to. Maybe Hockey Canada made a mistake.

Most of the players who play in the CHL will not play professional hockey. At the age these players are, most will not understand the full ramifications of their decisions yet. They are young and heal quickly. They still probably feel invincible. They all believe they have a chance to play pro hockey. They are probably not looking at the risks associated with playing junior hockey an as such the league must protect them. For the most part junior is safe. Unfortunately there are a few very bad incidents that put doubt into people's mind. Some of the incidents are in a bit of a grey area where circumstances set up a potentially bad situation that came true. This is not one of those cases. There wasn't a strange bounce or a player avoiding another player and stepping into the path of a third player. Patrice Cormier came off the bench, made a bee-line and viciously elbowed an opponent.

I intentionally waited until the QMJHL made their ruling before I commented on this issue. What i have to say is the people charged with the custody of the game of hockey must ensure the game is safe or they may see themselves in charge of something that could become irrelevant and no one wants hockey to be irrelevant.

NFL Playoffs - Conference Championships

I got a bit busy last week and forgot to post my predictions for the divisional playoffs. Probably a good thing since I wasn't particularly accurate in my mind.

On to the conference championships.

AFC - Indianapolis Colts hosting the New York Jets. As much as I like Rex Ryan and the amazing run the New York Jets are having in the playoffs I don't know if it will keep going. They have a coach with passion. He is the son of Buddy Ryan. Buddy Ryan once got in a fight with his own team. That's passion and you can see it in Rex as well. However, on the other side of the ball is Peyton Manning. If the game is close the elder Manning brother will probably win. He is that good. For that reason I'm going with Indy.

NFC - New Orleans Saints hosting the Minnesota Vikings. This one is tough to pick. Both teams have exciting quarterbacks. Both teams know how to win. Both teams know how to play in a dome. This one it tough but I think Brett Favre is having a magical season at 40 and it will continue past this weekend. I see the Vikings in the Superbowl.

There they are, my predictions for the upcoming week-end. Around supper time on Sunday we will know how well I did.

Juiced

Mark McGwire admitted to one of the worst kept secrets in baseball, he used steroids. We all suspected it, no one is really surprised. It seems to be dominating the sports world, but why does it matter.

I am not condoning the use of steroids and Major League Baseball says they don't either. They were sure touting the race between him and Sammy Sosa. They were cashing in on the hype that made baseball interesting for the first time in a long time. They didn't have a policy about use or testing for the use. Looking back it was a bit of don't ask don't tell. Major League Baseball only faced the issue when the Government of the United States of America forced them to. If the US Congress had not made this a priority would baseball still be turning a blind eye?

Nobody likes to air their dirty laundry, not to their friends and especially not to the nation. Mark McGwire would definitely prefer to leave this behind him and not speak of it. Major League Baseball has the majority of skeletons in their closet. An entire era is tainted with steroids. Every record and achievement is questioned. So many guys have admitted to being on the juice that you had to do it to keep up, or at least you thought you did.

We can't go back in time. We can't change what happened. We will name it the steroid era. Is it what it is. Major League Baseball let it happen. Players took advantage of it and that is probably the real crime.

NFL Playoffs - Wild Card Week-End

The time is on us again for playoffs in the NFL. When there are games to be played there are predictions to be made. After an exciting and surprising season here is how I see the first round of playoffs to break down.

New York Jets at Cincinnati.

The experts are saying not to judge this week based on last week but, the Jets had to win and they did. They have defence and they have a running game. I see the Jets moving on to next week.

Philadelphia at Dallas.

The Cowboys seem to have left their late season troubles in the past. It's now time to see if it will carry on into the playoffs. I think they will at least make it one more week. The Cowboys will win a playoff game for the first time in a long time.

Baltimore at New England.

I think the mystique on the Patriots has rubbed away, however they are probably hungry enough from missing the tournament a year ago. They are probably not going to win it all but, they will win this week.

Green Bay at Arizona.

The Cardinals got hot at the right time last year and almost won the whole enchilada . Green Bay was a pre-season pick to win the Superbowl for a lot of experts. I see the Packers getting it done this week, as there are too many questions about the home team.

There are my picks. We will know around supper time on Sunday how well I did.

Team Canada vs. Team USA for World Junior Gold

Tuesday night Saskatoon will play host to the Gold Medal Game of the 2010 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships. The game will feature Team Canada facing Team USA. It will be a barn-burner. Team USA is the only team at the tournament that gave Team Canada any challenge. To be fair the Canadians didn't play against the Russians or the Swedes, who are two of the better teams in the tournament. The Swedes have only lost one game, unfortunately that loss will keep them out of the Gold Medal Game. Sometimes it matters more when you lose than how often you lose.

The game on New Year's Eve was exciting, and tense. If you add in a Gold Medal, it will be obvious that this will be one for the ages. The Americans are a good team, they have a lot of speed and are excellent at blocking shots. They want to win and are walking with a swagger. They gave the Canadians a run for their money. The Canadians were just a wee bit better that night.

The Canadians have abandoned the 3-1-1 on the power play. It worked well against weaker teams but the speed of the Americans left them exposed to short handed break-aways. With the change to a more traditional power play they probably have neutralized that weakness, which was clearly the biggest in the game on New Year's Eve.

To win the Canadians will have to be focused. They will have to block out all the hype and distractions. They will also have to enjoy themselves while they play. They need to be loose. They need to stick to the system and be be aggressive.

It will be an incredible feat to win six straight championships in this tournament. To win six straight championships at a world level in any sport is an amazing accomplishment. It will be fun to watch an fun to see if they can do it. If they are successful, it will speak volumes to hockey development in Canada. That's what this tournament is really all about.