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Hell freezes but NHL still absent |
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When it's all said and done, the wannabes from Making the Cut might have a better chance at the big leagues than they previously thought. Whether you agree with the players' association or the league's owners, both sides' motives can be summed up with one of the English language's oldest words: greed. Teenage wasteland Welcome to the world of broken hearts and shattered dreams, as the International Ice Hockey Junior Championships begin on Christmas Day on defending champion USA's home soil in Grand Forks, North Dakota. For those of you who miss the type of intensity that is only seen when either an Olympic gold medal or Stanley Cup ring is on the line, then this tournament is not to be missed. Returning are 12 players from last year's silver-medal-winning team, including teenage phenom Sydney Crosby, and there's no reason why they can't win their first junior championship since 1997. Boxing Day comes early
Crunch time With three weeks left to go in the National Football League's regular season, the New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers all remain hotter than Jessica Simpson in a pair of Daisy Duke's, marking the first time in league history that three teams have had 12-1 records. Throw in Indianapolis, San Diego, Baltimore and Atlanta, and the Super Bowl chase is every bit as open as the Cleveland Brown defensive backfield. As bad as the Browns have become, the New Orleans Saints are on pace to allow the second most yards in the league's history! By virtue of playing in the pathetic NFC, somehow even the Saints, Bucs, Rams, Lions, Giants and Bears are still alive and kicking as far as a playoff spot goes! Despite Jacksonville, Buffalo and Denver's cries, nobody ever said life was fair. Next! n Pigskin Prognosticator Saturday, Dec 18 Morency's season record 26-18 Sports Rage with Gabriel Morency is vented weeknights 11 p.m.-2 a.m. on TEAM 990 AM. This column appears bi-weekly. Comments: sportsrage@team990.com |
I never thought that I'd see it happen. But like Tara Reid's breast, there it was, for the whole world to see: Hell clearly froze over last week. The NHLPA announced that it was prepared to roll back 24 per cent of all players' salaries for the next six years. And while Gary Bettman and the league's owners doubt the sincerity and, more importantly, the effectiveness of the players' offer, it was clearly more than the public relations ploy many expected. After the league's rejection of what the players thought was a more than generous offer, it is inevitable the season will be lost. It has now become clearer than a bottle of Evian water that no pucks will be dropped until a hard cap is put into place. The owners' thirst for complete power will not be quenched until the union is broken - something that might not be lost on a labour judge next fall when the NHL intends to open its doors to whoever wants to play under its new system.
Friday night once again becomes fight night at the Bell Centre. Two weeks ago it was Eric Lucas stopping Tony Menefee in the second round. This week it's Stéphane Ouellet (29-4-0-18KO) versus Joachim Alcine (20-0-0-13KO), in a bout that most fight fans thought had as much chance of taking place as Anna Nicole Smith being sober at an awards show, mostly because, like Smith, Ouellet had a problem staying conscious past midnight. Once a legitimate world title contender who hasn't been the same since twice losing to Davey Hilton in 1998 and 1999, Ouellet has surprised observers by putting in a hard day's work in preparation for a fighter who's everything he used to be and more. Alcine is fast, strong and hungry. Expect to see some major hardware around his waist in the not too distant future. Prediction: Alcine wins, but not as easily as expected. Alcine in eight. |
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