Alice Cooper elected to Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, Bon Jovi left out

Way Back in 1974, Alice Cooper sang "I wanna be elected". Today he was. He meant to a political office, and that did not happen, but he was elected to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, along with Neil Diamond, Dr. John, Darlene Love(who's producer will NOT be in attendance, as those jail bars can get i n the way), and Tom Waits.

Perhaps the biggest surprise, was the fact that Bon Jovi, who's popularity has never been bigger than it is now, and someone who I assumed was a shoo-in (silly me), was NOT elected. I have to believe that he will eventually get in, as he is far more deserving than ABBA, who got in last year, and let's face it, while Diamond has had a long and very successful career, calling him a "rock star" is a stretch, to say the least. NOW, if this were called the "Pop Music Hall Of Fame", then Diamond's induction would be a given(and probably would have happened years ago), then again, ABBA got in, and Diamond has accomplished far more than they did, despite their huge success.

I was further dissappointed that the J.Geils Band was passed over. Obviously the voters never came through Detroit in the 1970's/80's, which became the Boston band's "second home" during that period, as I saw Geils being called "one hit wonders", which they most certainly were not. This being said, I fully intend to celebrate Alice's induction, as it is decades overdue. Today, he was finally "Elected".

A Holiday "Classic" from 2008

Two years ago, as the Detroit Lions were "making history", I published this holiday parody in a sports newsletter, that I was running at the time.



A DETROIT LIONS CHRISTMAS CAROL
BY The Ice Dog
(With Apologies to Charles Dickens)

On the night before Christmas, William Clay Ford was sleeping in his Grosse Pointe Mansion, when, about 1 A.M., A ghost showed up in his bedroom. "Mr. Ford", the ghost called out, "Mr Ford". He woke up, frightened, "Who are you?" He asked. "I used to coach your team a long time ago", he said, ''there will be three of us tonight, I am the first, come with me ", he said. The coach, whom Ford had not yet recognized, took him to a locker room decades ago where the coach was being presented with the Vince Lombardi Trophy for winning the Super Bowl. "You won the Super Bowl!" Ford said. The coach said "Yes, I did, but not for your hideous bunch, I WON IT IN BALTIMORE, YOU MORON!", as he slapped Mr. Ford on the head, "I'm Don Mcafferty", Mr. Ford said, "oh yes, I remember you now, you dropped dead of a heart attack". Mcafferty said" One year of coaching your team will do that to anybody!", as he took Ford back to his bedroom "The next one will be here in an hour".

Mr. Ford got back to sleep, when about 2, he heard a ghost again. "Mr Ford", the ghost said, "Mr. Ford.... "O.K., O.K." Mr. Ford said, who are YOU?" "I am Bobby Layne", I was a quarterback who won championships in the 1950's, when you were part owner of the team, come with me now". Layne took Ford to the Lions' offices in 1958. " I remember, this was our offices". Yes, this is where you idiots came up with the bright idea of TRADING me to Pittsburgh", Layne said. "Do you remember what I said next?", Layne asked Mr. Ford, who said he didn't recall. "I said you clowns wouldn't win for 50 years, and look, its 50 years and you guys are nowhere near winning", He then took Ford back home and said, the last one will be here in an hour".

Mr. Ford got back to sleep yet again, when the last, scariest ghost of all appeared. "Mr. Ford", the ghost called out. "Mr Ford".... Mr. Ford said "Ok,...RUSS?!" "Yes, it is I" said Russ Thomas. Mr Ford said to him"wait a minute, weren't YOU the scrooge in this story?". Thomas said "I only did your bidding, sir". "Come with me, I have to take you to see two more things, your recent past, and your future". The first stop was at the Silverdome in 1998. They saw a running back with incredible talents running into the end zone. "THAT'S BARRY!" Mr. Ford said "He Scored a touchdown!, hey , he's running out of the end zone, and he's running out of the stadium!, what gives?". "Mr. Ford", Thomas said, "Our organization has been run so badly, he lost his spirit, and quit the team". Thomas then said "I have one last place to take you, this is your future". Thomas took Ford to a graveyard, and said "I have to show you both the best case, and the worst case scenario, I will show you the best case first". He took him to a tombstone that said: "HERE LIES WILLIAM CLAY FORD, OWNER OF THE WORST TEAM OF ALL TIME". Ford said to him "If that's the BEST case scenario, WHAT'S THE WORST?" Thomas said to him "This is what your tombstone will say if your team does not win a game his month"

The stone had no name, just a few numbers. It said Simply:

0-16

Mr. Ford looked up at Thomas, and said "Is this my legacy?". Thomas shook his head yes Ford yelled "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! NO! NO! NO!, as Thomas took him back home.

The next morning, Ford woke up, opened his window, and yelled to a young boy below "WHAT DAY IS IT YOUNG MAN?". The boy said "It's Christmas, Mr. Ford, AND YOUR TEAM STILL STINKS!!"

I have expanded My Empire

I am now available at www.versus.com and also at http://www.allvoices.com/users/theicedog So, I have expanded my "vast publishing empire"...LOL, as if Rupert Murdoch or Ted Turner have anything to worry about!

Who Hs A Better Record Than The Dallas Cowboys?

Who has a better record than the Dallas Cowboys? The Detroit Lions! Yes, the team who went 0-16 two years ago, is ahead of the Cowboys (2-5, as opposed to 1-6), after week 8. Now I know that's not saying much, but it IS the Lions we are talking about, and for them, small victories will do. Besides, when was the last time The Lions had a better record than the Cowboys THIS late in the season.

Games two, three and four: Giants take two-out-of-three, Could tonight be the clincher?

The Giants will probably finish off the Texas Rangers tonight, and win the 2010 World Series. Could the Rangers come back, sure, but I don't see it, as I see the Giants having superior pitching(as has played out in this series), and pitching wins championships.

Game Two-The Giants shut down the Rangers, which gave the Giant bats time to come to life, as they put a Texas-sized whipping on the visitors, 9-0.

Game Three-The Series goes to the suburbs of Big D for the first time in history, and the home folks much prefer the result, as the Rangers win 4-2.

Game Four-Madison Bumgartner becomes the fourth-youngest pitcher to win a World Series game at age 21, as he shut out the Rangers 4-0, to put the Giants one win away from the franchise's first World Championship in 56 years.

Game Five-Tonight could be the clincher, Lee and Lincecum rematch. Lee should pitch better than he did in the Game One debacle, but will it be enough? The bottom line is that the Giants have better pitching overall, and they are proving the old truism that good pitching beats good hitting, and, besides, the Rangers, IF they do win realistically will not have Lee available when the series would shift back to the Bay Area Wednesday.

Game 1- The Giants do a number on Cliff Lee

Of all the things I expected from this World Series, I did NOT expect the San Francisco Giants to absolutely run Cliff Lee out of the park, but that is exactly what they did on their way to an 11-7 pounding of Texas Wednesday night at AT&T park in San Francisco. A 6-run inning was enough to run Lee out of the game, and turned a tight game into an 8-2 lead, which was more than enough to pace the Giants to the relatively easy win.

Giants in Seven

The 2010 World Series begins tonight in San Francisco. This actually should be a very good series, as both sides have excellent pitching (Cliff Lee Vs. Tim Lincecum tonight would be a good game one matchup in any year), and are very similar. That being said, the Giants have home field advantage, and that should be enough to give the Giants their first World Series championship in 56 years (1954), when they were playing in New York.

What a Weird week!

What a weird week!

We're finding out ANYTHING is possible.

Most Likely, either Kurt Warner or Bristol Palin will be sent packing from Dancing With The Stars tonight. Jennifer Grey looked to be in trouble after the judge's scores, but she looks to have been saved by the dance marathon, wher she was the runner-up. In my mind, the ultimate irony, would be if Palin was saved tonight, only to be eliminated next Tuesday, which happens to be election night!

Randy Quaid and his wife have applied for political asylum in Vancouver claiming that "Hollywood Wackers" murdered David Carridine and Heath Ledger, and they fear for their lives. A report said that Quaid, throughout his career, has specialized in playing "loony characters" in his movies. MAYBE HE WASN'T REALLY ACTING.

"Glee" cast members Lea Michelle and Diana Agron stirred up controversy with suggestive cover shots in GQ magazine. The problem is folks, Michelle and Agron are NOT teenagers like their characters, They are 24 years old! I admit, I'm not terribly familiar with the show, but maybe the show should have been set at a college, where 24-year olds would play 20-year olds, as opposed to 16-year-olds.

Joe Finley, who auditioned for the NBC talent contest "America's Got Talent", was busted for drug possession over the weekend. But that's not the worst part. The performer's arrest came after he was declared a "person of interest" in his wife's death at the downtown L.A. hotel where tryouts were being held.

Rooney's deal all about the poundage

Wayne Rooney's surprise U-turn decision to stay at Old Trafford for another five years strikes me as something athletes do all of the time-threaten to leave, get all kinds of speculation going, then sign an extension when the proper amount of notes with the Queen's picture are offered up. It's almost like something you would expect Chad Ochocinco, or Terrell Owens to do in the USA. Who, for instance, does not believe, as perposterous as it may sound, that Rooney, or his agent, would at least have listened, if, say, Real Madrid, or New York Red Bulls, had come calling with tons of Euros or green?

Frankly speaking, Rooney and his agent may well have played all of us in the world press for fools(and done it brilliantly at that). Maybe I'm just being cyncial by giving an American viewpoint on this, but it sure smells like Rooney had no intenion of leaving Old Trafford in the first place, and wanted to force the Red Devils into ponying up the cash.

I'M BAAAACKKKK!!!!!

The season is about to start, so it's time for the dog to come out of hibernation!

The Sports Return Of Blasts From The Past

First, It was Diego Maradona, then Steve Yzerman, Now, stories are circuating about Former Cowboys and Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson, as it was revealed he is in Nicaragua taping episodes of "Survivor". This may be the strangest story of all, as Maradona and "The Captain" simply followed the examples of Preki, Michel Platini, Wayne Gretzky, and other former stars, by simply moving into the coaching and executive ranks, while Johnson is eating The Lord knows what in Nicaragua. I doubt he is yelling "How 'Bout Dem Cowboys" on the beaches there.

Along with these guys, if the rumors circulating around England are true, We may well have seen the last of David Beckham as a player. The story has it that Fabio Capello will coach the Brits in Euro 2012 with Becks acting as his understudy. Then, Beckham will take over, with the hope that he can have some success like Maradona did with the Argentines the last couple of years, and secondly, they hope he can, along with 1980's Olympic Gold Medalist Track Star Sebastian Coe, lead a successful British bid for the 2018 World Cup. The Brits would be a good choice for the tournament. Because London is hosting the 2012 Olympics, They have plenty of new or updated facilities for the tournament. As far as what type of coach Beckham would make, that of course, remains to be seen.

Last but not least, Yzerman made another good move in the rebuilding of his Tampa Bay Lightning, as he acquired Simon Gagne from the Philadelphia Flyers for Matt Walker, and a fourth-round pick in the 2011 draft. Will this make th Lightning instant Stanley Cup contenders? No, but, Yzerman is assembling enough of a solid group around which to build, that Gagne was more than willing to waive his no-trade clause, and for that Yzerman should be commended.

BRAZIL IS OUT

Undoubtedly it is the biggest shocker of FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa, as the Netherlands defeated world # 1 ranked Brazil 2-1.

It looked like the Brazilians were going to have an easy time of it, as they scored only 10 minutes in on the rarest of plays in soccer-the breakaway, which made the score 1-0. But, the dutch are a plucky lot, as they equalised on a header that went in off the brazilian defender Melo. Then, in the 68th, Sneijder headed the winner in, which made the score 2-1.

But, the match was not over yet. In the 73rd, Melo stomped on a dutch player, and was sent off, which left Brazil playing the last 20 minutes(counting stoppage) with 10 men. Melo, when he gets back to Brazil, may want to have armed guards to protect himfrom the rath of his countrymen, coach Dunga, who will probably be fired, may want to do the same.

ITALIANS OUT

The latest big shocker at the Fifa World Cup South Africa 2010, has the four-time, defending Champion Italians going home after losing to Slovakia 3-1. TWO uncharacteristic lapses in the Italian Catenaccio defensive system led to goals by Robert Vittek in the 25th, and 73rd minute which put the Slovaks up 2-0, then Antonio Di Natale scored in 81st. Then, as Di Natale tried to get the ball back into play, Slovak keeper Jan Mucha punched him during a scuffle, and was lucky to get off with a yellow. Then, in the 89th, The Italian keeper missed a through ball, which allowed Kopunek to apply the coup de grace. Italy did score in stoppage, but it was not enough.

SHOCKER!!!

The first major upset of the 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa happened this afternoon in Durban, as 24th-ranked Switzerland defeated 2nd-ranked Spain
1-0. After a loss to the USA last year in the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup, one could be excused for thinking that the European Champion Spainiards do not like South Africa very much.

This score is even more shocking, considering the fact that the Spainiards outshot the Swiss by a huge margin. All in all, a brilliant performance by the Swiss.

World Cup First Weekend-"Hand Of Clod", Greece was not the word, Socceroos blown out & more

The first weekend of the 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa is over, and there have been some major developments....

South Africa-Mexico-The host nation led off the tournament with a 1-1 draw vs the Mexicans, which left the home crowd more than happy.

Uruguay-France-The Uruguayans played a very dour, defensive match, as they held the French to a goaless draw.

South Korea-Greece-The South Koreans held the Greeks down, as they scored a 2-nil victory.

Argentina-Nigeria-Diego Maradona made a successful World Cup debut as coach, as the Argentines won 1-nil.

USA-England-The much advertised match in Rustenberg featured what the News Of The World called the "Hand Of Clod" goal(a reference to the infamous 1986 Maradona "Hand Of God" goal, where he scored a goal with his hand, and the refreees missed it) as Robert Green fumbled Clint Dempsey's shot, and it went into his own net, and the match ended 1-1, which was appropriate considering the run of the play was relatively even.

Slovenia-Algeria-The Slovenians scored their only goal of the match in the 79th minute, as Koren scored on an assist from Jokic, against the Algerians, who were playing with 10 men after Ghezzal Abdel was red-carded in the 73rd.

Ghana-Serbia-The Serbs, like the Algerians, had to play short after Lukovic was red-carded in the 74th, then lost the match when defender Kuzmanovic tried to make like an american football pass reciever in his penalty area. Gyan scored on the ensuing penalty, to give the Ghanans an upset 1-0 victory.

Uruguayan defense holds French to draw

In the opening Group A match of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, a stifling Uruguayan defense overcame playing with only 10 men to hold the 1998 champion France to a Nil-nil draw.

Everytime French star Franck Ribery touched the ball, the uruguayans collapsed all over him, which kept the French attack stifled. Unfortunately, such dour defensive football plays into the stereotypes many older Americans have about world football, which is why they don't watch. This goaless draw is certain to increase the pressure on embattled French coach Raymond Domenech, who is not guaranteed a job after the tournament.

Game 3-The Flyers are still alive

Game three brought the first OT game of these finals, the Flyers needed it, and Claude Giroux made sure they got it 4-3.

This game was the best game of the finals so far, as the teams found a happy medium between the wide-open, no defense game one, and the ultra-defensive game two.

Defense Takes A Holiday

It is a holiday weekend in the U.S., so when the Stanley Cup Finals got underway between the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers, the defenses decided to take the night off, too.

The three goalies(Philly starter Michael Leighton was pulled midway through the second period) let in 11 goals between them, and the Hawks came away with a wild 6-5 victory in Game one of the Cup finals tonight at United Center in Chicago. Game 2 is Memorial Day Evening at United Center in Chicago.

A Nearly Fifty-Year Drought Is About To End

The Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers are playing game one of the Stanley Cup Finals. Here is how I see the series:

FORWARDS: Chicago has built their team to win now, even though Patrick Kane and Johnathan Toews are very young, as they have cap issues coming in the near future. Philly has guys like Jeff Carter and Daniel Briere, who are excellent players, but I believe the Hawks have the edge.

DEFENSE: Chris Pronger, who won the Cup in 2007 with Anaheim, is capable of being a game-changer with big hits, while the rest of the defensemen are solid, but not spectacular. Edge to the Flyers.

GOALTENDING: Antti Niemi has been a revelation. I frankly did not expect him to best Nabokov in the Conference Finals, but he obviously did, as the Hawks swept the Flyers. Michael Leighton has made the most of his chance. That being said, I believe Niemi is better, and will be the difference as the Hawks end a nearly fifty-year drought, and win the franchise's first cup since 1961.

Amy Wino in Hospital again, So what else is new??

Amy Winehouse is in hospital again after yet another drinking binge, so what else is new? Like Lindsay Lohan, she is on a one way trip to an early grave. Its almost like...just O.D. and get it over with, if you're so determined to kill yourself!

This is her before...

Third Round Predictions-First Round, I was so good, Second Round-Not So Much

After the first round of the playoffs, I was feeling real good about myself with a 7-1 record. Things did not go so well in the second round, as I went 1-3, that still leaves me with an 8-4 record. That's not bad-so I continue undaunted. Here we go...

Eastern Conference
Montreal-Philadelphia-The Habs will go as far as Jaroslav Halak takes them. I think he will take them to the finals after a seven game series-HABS IN SEVEN.

Western Conference

Chicago-San Jose-The Hawks are built to win now, as they have cap issues in the near future. The problem, as I see it, is their goaltending. I believe the Sharks' goalie (Nabokov) is better, and will make the deiffirence in what promises to be a six game series-SHARKS IN SIX.

Somebody's going to be in seventh heaven wednesday night

The Red Wings may be gone, but the playoffs continue....

The defending champs went into Centre Bell tonight hoping to eliminate Les Canadiens, but the Habitants said "non merci", and sent the series back to Pittsburgh with a hard earned 4-3 victory.

Mike Camilleri was the hero for the habs with the winning goal in the third period. Now, as to what will happen in the deciding game Wednesday night, the result may well come down to two guys named Crosby and Halak. Both played in the Vancouver Olympics for their respective countries, so they are used to the big stage, as fans from all corners of North America tune in to watch the high drama, that will eminate from the igloo in Pittsburgh. My gut feeling tells me that the Pens will come through on home ice, but Halak is more than capable of producing an upset.

Second Round...I'm so good

It's time for the second round, not to toot my own horn, BUT, I DID go 7-1 in the first round.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

PITTSBURGH-MONTREAL-The Habs pulled the biggest upset of the first round, when they beat Washington, and to be honest, they DO have a chance against the Champs, IF Halak remains hot, otherwise the Pens will roll, I expect the champs to get by-PENS IN SIX

BOSTON-PHILADELPHIA-This should be a good series. These two teams are evenly matched. This being said, I think the B's should get through to meet the Pens-BRUINS IN SIX

WESTERN CONFERENCE

SAN JOSE-DETROIT-The old bugaboo is coming up to bite the Sharks again, as they have a history of not matching up well with the Red Wings-WINGS IN SIX

CHICAGO-VANCOUVER-I smell a rematch coming in, as the Hawks badly want to get back to the Western Finals. Further, Roberto Luongo has not been that great since the name of the building ceased being "Canada Hockey Place".-BLACKHAWKS IN SIX

LOOK AT THIS, THREE ORIGINAL SIX TEAMS AND THE DEFENDING CHAMPS IN THE FINAL FOUR, GARY BETTMAN SHOULD LIKE THAT!

No Shootouts in the playoffs and playoff predictions

Fans beware, the drumbeat is building to put the shootout into the playoffs, and YOU'RE UPSET ABOUT THE HEALTH CARE BILL? Instead of fighting over that, FIGHT WHAT REALLY MATTERS! HENRY VIII WOULD HAVE SUCH INDIVIDUALS BURNED AT THE STAKE FOR SUCH HERESY!!! (I admit, I've watched too many episodes of "The Tudors"), anyway, my feelings about the shootout match what Don Cherry said some years ago. The shootout is okay in the regular season, but NO WAY IN THE PLAYOFFS! My biggest concern is the slippery slope, because if you put shootouts into the playoffs, inevitably, someone will win the Stanley Cup in a shootout, and, since I am also a soccer fan and former referee, I have seen the World Cup decided in a penalty kick shootout, and frankly, It is the WORST way to decide a championship possible.


Eastern conference

Washington Vs. Montreal-The Habs have little chance, as Ovi is totally focused. The only bugaboo for the Caps would be a subpar preformance by Jose Theodore, or Jaroslav Halak standing on his proverbial head-Caps in Five

New Jersey Vs. Philadelphia-This is one of my upsets, as Philly had Jersey's number throughout the season(5-1 against the Devils)-Flyers in Six

Buffalo Vs. Boston-The other upset. The B's play Buffalo very well, and can take this series-Bruins In Six

Pittsburgh Vs. Ottawa-Many experts are expecting a Pittsburgh. I'm not. I think that the Sens will give the Pens much more than one might expect-Pens In Six

Western Conference

San Jose Vs. Colorado-Like Montreal in the east, I do not believe the #8 seed, in this case Colorado, is long for the playoffs-Sharks In Five

Chicago Vs. Nashville-This should be a good series. Both teams are relatively healthy, and they know each other well, since they play in the Central Division-Hawks in Six

Vancouver Vs. Los Angeles-La La Land is back in the playoffs after several years' abscence, but the Sedin twins and Roberto Luongo will end their stay-Canucks In Six

Phoenix Vs. Detroit-The Yotes are the feel good story of this year, but so is Jimmy Howard, who has carried the Wings, further the Wings are now healthy,and could have a long run in the playoffs-Wings In Six

P.S. Jay Leno said that Ben Rothliesberger will not face criminal charges in a sexual assault case, but he COULD face discipline from the NFL, including the ultimate punishment-he could be traded to the Detroit Lions!

Outta My Monday Moanin' mind...

Welcome to my favorite time of year! My Birthday in 10 days, the weather is better, and the playoffs begin Wednesday! I'll have more about that in my SCORTCH THE ICE blog.

Times are not so good for reality tv fans, as Kate Gosselin continues(at least for two more nights) her reign of terror on "Dancing With The Stars", further, this season may be the worst cast "American Idol" has yet had.

What shall we say about Evander Holyfield? He's 47, and just won the Heavyweight championship of an organization I've never heard of, further, how about Phil Mickelson? Tiger did not win the Masters, but Phil did, which is similar to the way it was in the old time days, whereas, if Jack did not win a major, chances are, Lee or Gary Player did.

Monday Moanin' Mind will return in the near future

Monday Moanin' mind will return in the near future... A happy belated easter to my readers.

Outta My Monday Moanin' Mind...

It's monday again....

Rumors are going around the "American Idol" is on it's last legs. Is that totally a surprise? The cast this year is not terribly compelling, Simon is out the door after this year, and ratings are down. That being said, the show IS still the most popular show on television, and you would think that would count for SOMETHING, as the show still makes little-known performers into household names(case in point: I tested my theory by googling the letters "Didi". Contestant Didi Benami's name immediately came up).

Tomorrow night's theme on "Idol"is R&B. "Big Mike" Lynche should have a field day on this one. Last night, I saw the first half of "Keep Your Head Up, The Don Cherry Story", about the opinionated Hockey Night In Canada commentator, it is an amazing story, considering the life he has had. Tonight is the second half.

This morning, a story is breaking that Tiger Woods once dated LeAnn Rimes. Apparently her father did not like the fact that Woods is seven years older than the-then teenaged Rimes. Considering what has gone down with then two of them recently, He needn't have bothered. The two of them are birds of a feather.

In my "Scortch the Ice with the ice dog blog, I discuss if this is the year a low-seeded team wins the Stanley Cup.

Scortch the Ice-Could this be the year an 8th seed wins the Cup?

Could this be the year an 7th or 8th seed wins the Stanley Cup? Don't laugh-it could happen, consider these facts: the 8th seeded Edmonton Oilers advanced all the way to 7 games with the Carolina Hurricanes just 4 years ago, also the Philadelphia Flyers and Colorado Avalanche are the 8th seeds at this writing. Just yesterday, the Red Wings were the 8th seed in the West, just a year removed from being defending champions.

One thing changed last night-the Red Wings beat Nashville in a 1-0 defensive battle, and in so doing, moved up to 6th in the West. One thing is for certain-The Wings will almost certainly be in the playoffs two and a half weeks hence, and will be the team NO ONE wants to play in the first round, considering the fact they finally got healthy, and are playing their best hockey of the year since the Olympic break ended. Philly and Colorado will also be formidable opponents for whomever they play in the first round. Edmonton took out the top-seeded Red Wings four years ago, they then got on a roll, that ended in Game 7 on Tobacco Road. Considering who the 7th or 8th seeds might be, who's to say that could not happen again?

Outta My Monday Moanin' Mind

I'm resting this monday...too wiped out after taking my daughter to order her senior pictures, watching TWO Red Wing buzzer-beater goals (Let's hear it for Brain Rafalski, and Henrik Zetterberg for bringing an element of the Big Dance to the NHL), Michigan State's own buzzer-beater, and the end of the endless health-care debate. WHEW!!!

There Ya Go!

I also want to wish my sister a happy Birthday this coming Friday!

Outta My Monday Moanin' Mind

Peter Graves died yesterday... Boy, do I remember "Good Morining Mr. Phelps, your mission, should you decide to accept it(as if he would turn it down, that would have been a real short episode)" if you are a certain age, you know the rest..."this tape(a reel-to-reel tape, it would be an mp3 today)will self-destruct in 5 seconds", then the tape would burn up. Goodnight, and God Bless You, Mr. Phelps.

Rolling Stones night on "American Idol" tomorrow. I'm perversely looking forward to this tomorrow night, because I bellieve several train wrecks may happen, as certain contestants will be so totally out of their league butchering these classic songs, it may be hilarious, much in the way some of the audition shows are.

David Beckham severed his achilles last night in a game in Italy. He is out of the world cup and his career may be over. Hopefully he can make a full recovery, and we can see him on the pitch again at some future point, as he is still a valuable contributor to L.A. Galaxy. Further, this is horrible news for MLS, which is already facing the definite possibility of its players going on strike next week. This is ythe last thing that league needs.

Breaking News-Stones theme on "Idol" next week

The controversial "Vote For The Worst" web site is reporting that the top 12 "Americn Idol contestants will be butchering-er-singing Rolling stones songs next week. Can you say "TRAIN WRECKS"? Perhaps Casey James, Crystal Bowersox, or Lilly Scott(assuming they are all still around, which I assume they will) can do the songs justice, but, Katie Stevens signing a Stones tune? Get real!!!

Here's an idea to have some fun with the theme: Have Jack Sparrow's dad attempt to drunkenly mentor the contestants, while the poor unfortunates try to figure out what the heck Keith Richards is mumbling anyway? , of course the 17-year-old Stevens, and 16-year-old Aaron Kelly(again, assuming they are not eliminated tonight)would probably be wondering: WHO IS THIS OLD GUY WITH THE JACK DANIELS BOTTLE? It should be fun, especially of Todrick Hall is still around, after all, he could do a real campy Mick Jagger imitation. One thing is for certain, I will be watching(the Red Wings are not playing next Tuesday), and will let you know my opinions next Wednesday.

Scortch The Ice with the Ice Dog

This is the debut of my totally hockey themed blog "Scortch The Ice With The Ice Dog" enjoy!

A Warning To The NHL
By The Ice Dog

I'm sending a warning to the rest of the NHL, the Wings are starting to get hot. They have won three of the four they have played since the Olympic Break ended. They have finally gotten healthy, which was the big albatross around their collective necks throughout this season, and not surprisingly, they are playing their best hockey of the season. IF they can stay healthy (which is a big if, considering that Todd Bertuzzi left yesterday's game with back spasms), the Wings should make the playoffs, and be the team that absolutely no one wants to deal with in the first round. Consider this, If the Wings make the playoffs(which I think they will), they will be on a roll going in, further, a healthy wings team is a dangerous Wings team. Granted, they could lose tomorrow night to Calgary and be right back in ninth place, out of the playoffs, still, I believe if they go .500 (provided, say 4 of the 9 losses are overtime or shootouts), that will give them at least 96 points, which would almost certainly put them in the playoffs.

Outta My Monday Moanin' Mind

Sunday night was the Oscars. YAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNN... I watched just a few minutes of it, and they obviously had named the nominees for best picture throughout the evening, because the way it was done was like "Oh by the way 'The Hurt Locker' is best picture!". EXCUSE ME? They could at least have repeated the NAMES of the nominees!

Another part of the Oscars, is what dress or suit the actors are wearing, WHO CARES? Obviously somebody does, because this keeps fashion reporters employed, and they think SPORTS is the playground of news, those people are a total waste of time.

I want to give a Captain Obvious award to my daughter for pointing out what we already know about channel 4's fashion reporter. Also, a totally annoying award to Miley Cyrus for being, well, Miley Cyrus. I know, she thinks she is hot stuff, but she is 17 YEARS OLD!! IT'S TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE AT HER AGE!! She did a duet with Poison's Bret Michaels that had lyrics about "getting undressed", etc... As I stated she is 17 YEARS OLD! HE'S 48!, and he had the unmitigated gall to say "there was absolutely no creepiness factor" HUH? Is there something I am missing here? Talking about this makes me want to take a shower. One more thing about her desire to become a "sex symbol" (her words, not mine), her father should sit her down, and tell her "I understand you have outgrown "Hannah Montana", I get that, BUT, you are going about that the wrong way, You may be able to get those roles as you go into your 20's, BUT, you could easily get typecast in those type roles, and in the future, find yourself 40 years old, and find yourself (unless you're the next J.LO, or Jennifer Ansiton) basically unemployed". Jennifer Connelly broke out of that typecast situation, but it took her years to do so.

The latest cast of "DWTS" was announced this past week. NO ONE in the cast has attracted more attention(mostly negative)than Kate Gosselin. Many people I've spoken to about her absolutely despise her, and hope she is the first dancer to go. That's all for now, see ya next week, when I trash more celebrities.

Trades, Trades, and More Trades 2010

Trades, Trades, and More Trades 2010

Today was the NHL trade deadline. This was a fairly active deadline period, since trades were not allowed during the Olympic break. Undoubtedly, trades were being discussed during the break that have been consummated over the last two days.

FLORIDA-Traded Jordan Leopold to Pittsburgh for 2010 second-round pick. The Panthers have, for the most part, been sellers since 1996. The Pens are trying to repeat. They need bulk on the blueline. Voila, everyone's happy.

NASHVILLE-Traded a second-round pick to Edmonton for Denis Grebeshkov. A nice, solid defensman who should help.

ATLANTA-Traded Nathan Oystrick to Anaheim for Evgeny Artyukhin. Nice names, but little effect.

Signed Chris Chelios- Cheli, great guy, great hockey player, but he's 48 YEARS OLD!!! Does he have anything left?

TORONTO-Traded Alexi Ponakarovski to Pittsburgh for Luca Kapouti and Martin Skoula.Skoula then re-traded to New Jersey for a fifth-round draft pick. If there was any doubt before, the Pens are dead serious about repeating. Obviously, Malkin liked what he saw when they played together on Team Russia in Vancouver. Skoula re-traded for essentially a bag of vulcanized rubber with Gary Bettman's signature on them.

ANAHEIM-Traded Nick Boynton to Chicago for future considerations-This sounds like one of those baseball trading deadline deals with the "player to be named later", so I'll withhold judgement on this. Acquired Aaron Ward from Carolina for Justin Pogge and a fourth-round pick. Nice veteran backliner for the Ducks.

CAROLINA-Traded Scott Walker to Washington for a seventh-round pick. Good pickup for the Caps, who are serious contenders this year.

OTTAWA- Acquired Andy Sutton from Islanders for a 2010 second-round pick. Second-round pick seem to be the going rate this year. Sutton adds a BIG(6'6" 245) body to the Sens backline.

BOSTON-Traded Derek Morris to Phoenix for fourth-round pick in 2011. The Bruins cleared cap space in order to: Trade Craig Weller, Byron Bitz, and a second-round pick to Florida for Dennis Seidenberg and Mathew Bartkowski.

MONTREAL-Traded Matt D'Agostini to St. Louis for Aaron Palushai-A very minor trade. Two teams that are on the bubble, trying to get the final piece to get in.

COLORADO-Traded Wojtek Wolski to Phoenix for Peter Meuller and Kevin Porter. Not a suprise. The Avs are almost always active at the deadline. The surprise, is how active the 'Yotes have been allowed to be by the NHL, considering the fact the league owns the team.

VANCOUVER-Traded Pierre-Cedric Labrie to St.Louis for Yan Stasny. Both are minor-leaguers that are expected to stay on the farm.

DETROIT-Trades Kris Newberry to Rangers for Jordan Owens. Another minor-league deal.

TAMPA BAY-Trades Jeff Halpern to Los Angeles for Teddy Purcell and a third-round pick. L.A. needed to do something, since they believe they are Cup contenders this year, and Halpern is a nice fit.

MINNESOTA-Traded Eric Belanger to Washington for a third-round pick. Excellent pickup for the Caps. He's a solid player who will provide some scoring as the Caps are definite contenders this year.

COLUMBUS-Traded Raffi Torres to Buffalo for Nathan Paetsch and a 2010 second-round pick. Torres is a solid player who will definitely help the Sabres.

CALGARY-Traded Vesa Toskala to Anaheim for Curtis McElhenny in a swap of backup goaltenders. Toskala should be used to getting traded, as it is the second time in a month.

Sochi in 2014-Scary Gary Bettman is saying the NHL is not committed to going to the 2014 Sochi Olympics, since games will be "played in the middle of the night here". Gary, there is an easy way to fix this, IF you and the Sochi organizers are willing to listen to me. Sochi is eight hours ahead of New York and Toronto, SO, schedule the U.S, and Canadian games at 9 P.M. local time. That turns out to be 1 P.M. eastern time. problem solved, especially on the weekend.

outta my monday moanin' mind-goodbye vancouver

outta my monday moanin' mind-goodbye vancouver....

Gonna miss these games, they were truly awesome..

Well done Team Canada, Sid the Kid-the go-to guy in crunch time, you may despise him, but you've got to respect what he can do.

Way to go USA! you played terrifically, and USA athletes won the medal count. That's the good. The bad, NBC cutting off the closing ceremonies, and delaying performances to do the "post-SuperBowl thing" with a stupid show called "The Marriage Ref". THIS SHOW IS HORRIBLE!!! This is unfortunate, since NBC did a pretty good job, and their cable partners, did an excellent job with hockey and curling matches.

Unfortunate to hear about the Chile earthquake, incredible the damage.

Sad to hear about Marie Osmond's son, the poor boy was not able to overcome his demons. Sad for Marie, too. She obviously tried her best to save her son, and sadly, was not able to. she is in my prayers.

CANADA FACES DO-OR-DIE GAME WITH GERMANS

Last night, Team Canada ran into what they feared most-a hot goaltender. And, as often happens in Stanley Cup playoff games, the hot goalie made the difference, as Ryan Miller made 42 saves.

The Canadians came into this game expecting to win, and earn a bye into Wedesday's quarterfinals. Instead, the Americans came out smoking, and never let up, as they posted a hard-fought 5-3 victory. Now, Mike Babcock has a tough decision, Stay with Martin Brodeur, or bench him, and go with local favorite Roberto Luongo? Personally,
I would probably go with Luongo, since he is a proven NHL goaltender, and Brodeur looks like he is fighting the puck (witness the highly questionable decision to bat the puck, like a baseball, only to see the puck go straight to Brian Rafalski, who shot it past him), which is never a good thing in pressurized situations like this.

The USA, meanwhile, waits to find out an opponent until after Tuesday's elimination round games, and I want to bring up this: I'm not saying they will repeat the "Miracle On Ice", which happened thirty years ago tonight, BUT, Why can't the U.S. win a medal, or even win the gold? The USA has a fine, though young group of solid players(as they did in 1980), and Ryan Miller, who, as he showed dramamtically last night, is more than capable of winning any game he plays in. Do not forget how hot Jim Craig was in Lake Placid in 1980, and Mike Richter was in Montreal during the '96 World Cup Final. Great Goaltending makes up for a multitiude of sins.

Outta My Monday Moanin' Mind-Olympic Edition

Outta My Monday Moanin' Mind-Olympic Edition

USA beats Canada 5-3. Canada plays Germany tomorrow in an elimination game. Still should be no problem for the Canadians, because if they don't beat the Germans, Babcock and Yzerman will be high-tailing it back to Detroit, while people loaded with pitchforks and torches are in hot pursuit. It won't matter, though, Canada should win a workmanlike game.

Anyone read about the two Aussie announcers who got themselves in hot water, after pointing out what we already knew about Male figure skating? Read it in yahoo.com, look up "fourth-place medal", yahoo.com's Olympic blog, it's hilarious(and NOT politically correct).

Finally, is it ANY surprise that the USA is owning the podium in Vancouver? People who act like these games are being played far away. Vancouver is roughly 10 Miles from the U.S. border, so these are practically home team games for U.S. athletes. Combine that with strong American teams, and you have a recipe for domination.

CANADA SURVIVES

When in doubt, send a cue to Sidney Crosby. The Youngest captain to win a Stanley Cup came through with a laser shot in a shootout, as the Canadians beat Switzerland 3-2 at Canada Hockey Place (Normally G.M. Place, when the Canucks are playing there).

The fact that the Swiss pushed the Canadians to the brink should not be a total surprise. The Swiss have Jonas Hiller of the Anaheim Ducks in net, and he is very good, so good, in fact, that the Ducks traded former Stanley Cup hero J.S. Giguere to the Leafs last month. Hiller was magical during the regulation and overtime play, and the crowd at Canada Hockey Place was holding it's breath. but, in the fourth round of the shootout, Crosby blasted the puck past Hiller, and all was right with the world again.

The victory for Canada sets up what should be quite a match-up with the first-place USA sunday night for the group title. All is not lost for the game swiss, as they could qualify for the quarterfinals with an expected victory over Norway saturday.

Two Long Day's Journeys Into Night-Olympic Hockey

The first two days of the Men's tournament produced absolutely no surprises, just a long day's journey into night, as the NBC networks telecast tripleheaders of Men's and Women's games. Yesterday started with the U.S. winning a solid, though not spectacular 3-1 victory over a Switzerland team that has the Anaheim Ducks' Jonas Hiller in net. after that, the U.S. Women took the ice, and proceeded to destroy the Russians 13-0. Frankly speaking, the IOC should give serious consideration to implementing a mercy rule in Women's Hockey in 2014, as many women's games have had ridiculous outcomes, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

After these games, the home team took the ice. The Norwegians gave them a scare, as the first period ended scoreless. Reality returned in the second period, as the Canadians crushed Norway 8-0.

Yesterday, Finland's Teemu Selanne tied the all-time Olympic record with his 36th point, as the Finns rolled 5-1 over Belarus. Valteri Filppula became the first Red Wing to score in this Olympic Tournament. Later, the Team Canada Women rolled yet again, as they destroyed Sweden 13-1. As I said, something should be done about the ridiculously one-sided games in the women's tournament, or the IOC may take drastic action of their own(such as dropping the sport from future olympics, ala Baseball and Softball). Later on the Swedish men opened defense of the 2006 Gold medal, with a workmanlike 2-0 victory over Germany.

Today, another long day's journey into night, as the USA Men and Women, also Team Canada Men play today.

My Guilty Pleasure of the Winter Games

MY GUILTY PLEASURE OF THE WINTER GAMES

HARD! HARD! HURRY HARD!!!

This is NOT the soundtrack of a cheesy 1980's adult film. This is the soundtrack of Curling, a bizarre scottish combination of shuffleboard,ice,brooms,and a whole lot of yelling. It sounds wierd, it IS wierd, and I can't get enough of it.

I must explain that, if you grow up in Detroit, you get the CBC on your local tv, and that means, that as well as "Hockey Night In Canada", you get this funny sport(that is hugely popular in Canada) on Saturday afternoons in the wintertime. I remember watching with my mother on a fair number of Saturday Afternoons(when she wasn't watching bowling), in the late 70's-early 80's. For some strange reason, I find the yelling hilarious, but yet fun, fun, fun(I never got to drive Dad's T-Bird, so "Daddy takin' the T-Bird away" wasn't an issue). So, four years ago, you can imagine my excitement(The Mrs. cannot), when I found Don Chevrier and Don Duguid(two old-time Canadian curling announcers) doing the olympic matches on the NBC cable channels.

The great thing about olympic curling being on the U.S. cable channels, is that, unlike other sports durling the winter games, I actually know what's going on! If an announcer says so-and-so is "curling 78%", I know he or she is making 78% of their shots go where they want them to. I also know "shot rock" is the rock that will score points at that moment.

The teams consist of four players, The first, second, third, and the skip(the captain, also the last to go.) The object is to curl the rock as close to the bullseye as is possible, without getting it knocked away. This leads to strategy shots, such as purposely throwing rocks that have no chance of scoring, so as to set up a guard for a susequent shot. The yelling comes in, when the shooter is trying to direct the sweepers as to how fast or slow to sweep the snow, since the amount of snow on the ice can dictate how fast or slow the rock travels, as well as where the shot will stop.

The most infamous yell in curling is HARD!!!!HARD!! HURRY HARD!!! Which, as I mentioned at the beginning, while it sounds like an old adult film soundtrack, actually means "SWEEP THAT SNOW AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!!" The shooter says that because they let the shot go too soft,they don't want the rock to stop too soon, and if their teammates don't get on it, the rock wil die out, possibly even before it reaches the "hog line", which means the rock did not go far enough to stay in play, therefore the shot is wasted. "LAY OFF IT" should be self explanatory, but if it isn't, means "THIS SHOT IS COMING IN TO HOT!! DON'T SWEEP IT, WHATEVER YOU DO!!!"

I am telling you, if you give curling a chance, it should be lots of fun during the Vancouver games, and since the games are in Canada, the sport should be a smash there. Last, but not least, My daughter and I will drive the Mrs. nuts during the matches, since the Mrs. is NOT a fan! If nothing else, my daughter will have some fond memories of her old man when I'm long gone.

Outta My Monday Moanin' Mind...

Outta My Monday Moanin' Mind....

Howard Stern is apparently in talks to take over for Simon Cowell on "American Idol". BAD IDEA. As snarky as Cowell is, Stern's style of humor, etc... will not play well with "Idol" audiences.

What a finish at Daytona last night! Jamie McMurray held off Junior to win.. Dale, Jr. has GOT to be thinking, WHY DIDN'T I WRECK HIM?

Outta My Monday Moanin' Olympics Mind...

Tragedy at the Luge/Bobsled track Friday, and of course VANOC fixes the problem SATURDAY, after they throw the poor luger's memory under the bus, before his body is even cold.

Tanith Belbin said she is "treated like a princess" by her roommate Johnny Weir, so if you know anything about Weir, you know in that room, you have a princess rooming with a Queen. This being said, if you have a chance, check out Weir's "Bad American Idol audition" version of Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats". It's hilarious.

U.S.A. Women won 12-1 over China yesterday, No surprise ther, except maybe the fact China actually scored a goal. Tomorrow, the big boys of the NHL show up, and I'll have much more to say after that happens.

Vancouver 2010-the NHL's 800 pound gorilla in the room

As we get ready for Vancouver at the end of this week, Many fans may have been surprised by the flurry of trades in the last few days. There is a reason for this that the casual fan may not have been aware of. The reason is, the trading deadline is Wednesday March 3rd, roughly 72 hours after the gold medal game is played in Vancouver. Further complicating matters, is the fact that rosters are frozen Friday until the 28th, essentially meaning all trades must be completed either by Thursday, or during the 72 hour period after the Gold medal is presented, SO, I would not be surprised if there are more trades between now and thursday.

Another effect of Vancouver, is no dog days this season. Teams who are on the bubble (Red Wings, etc..)are essentially in playoff mode, meaning the usual boring games in February? Not this year. Every game is crucial: If you are on the bubble, you try to win in regulation, and if you MUST lose a game, do it in overtime, so you at least get one point out of the deal.

Montreal Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey resigned yesterday. He stated he wsas not interested in devoting the next several years to full time G.M. duties, so he turned them over to former Anaheim exec Pierre Gauthier. The scuttlebutt out of the Habs' room, is that Gainey would not have as much power under the Molson ownership, as he did under George Gillette.

Outta My Monday Moanin' Mind-Super Bowl Edition

WHO DAT?

My monday moanin' commentary is a little bit late this Monday...I have just been erviewing the wildly differing opinions about The Who's Super Bowl performance last night.

First Of all, Yes, The Who are old men, BUT THEY STILL ROCK!!! Many of the people who are complaining about The Who do not remember the horrific 70's Super Bowl performances from the likes of the King Family, and Up With People. THOSE WOULD PUT ME TO SLEEP!!!

Can you believe it, THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS WON THE SUPER BOWL!! Gives hope to the Lions. After all, the Saints, Cardinals, and Seahawks have made the Super Bowl in the last five years, time for the Lions to join them.

Leafs should have made these trades sooner

The Toronto Maple Leafs mad two major trades yesterday. They should have made them sooner. For those who don't know, the Leafs traded Niklas Hagman, Matt Stajan, Ian White, and Jamal Mayers to Calgary for Dion Phaneuf and two Prospects. They then traded Vesa Toskala, and Jason Blake to Anaheim for J.S. Giguere. The acqusitions make the Leafs a better team immediately, but they are so far behind in the Eastern Conference, that a playoff run is basically out of the question. IF they had made these trades a month ot two ago, the Leafs might have been able to make a run, but the best they can hope for, is a return to respecability in the near future.

Outta My Monday Moanin' mind...

Steven Tyler is suing his bandmates in Aerosmith, in order to keep his place in the group, as he goes through rehab. Apparently, Joe Perry and friends are auditioning temporary replacement singers for the period while Tyler recovers. Names like Billy Idol and Lenny Kravitz have been floated around. Tyler's legal rep has suggested a meeting on the 9th, to discuss the band's future. I've love to be the porverbial fly on the wall for THAT meeting, you, too?

Last night was the annual Grammy Awards. The usual strange stuff happened (ANYTHING Lady GaGa does tends to qualify), Pink wore next to nothing while she performed, Taylor (the prom queen) Swift won four awards, and Brtiney looks like she put on a few pounds, when she showed up with her boyfriend-agent at the red carpet. The Zak Brown Band gave a fun performance, BUT, the legendary Leon Russell was almost useless, as he sat in.

Entertainment Weekly had an article about the "50 biggest TV bombs ever". They rated the "Jay Leno Show" as #1. I don't agree. I think #1, should have been reserved for one of two 1960's bombs that only aired one episode "You're in the Picture", a 1961 game show that starred Jackie Gleason, or the notorious "Turn-On", a 1969 attempt by the producers"Laugh-In", to re-create the "Laugh-In" magic. The show: a) was not funny, and b) so offended the network affiliates, that ABC decided to cancel the show, while the episode was still running! "You're In the Picture" actually seemed like a good idea-It was a charity celebrity game show, hosted by a TV superstar, Gleason. The execution, however, was boring, and Gleason appeared on a blank set the next week, to apologize for the disaster. As we know, he recovered, and had a succesful variety show, which ran for years. Compared to these bombs, Leno at least had four months.

Outta My Monday Moanin' mind

Outta my Monday moanin' mind...



The New Orleans Saints are in the Super Bowl!! This means(if you count the fact the "old" Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore, and won the Super Bowl as the Ravens) The Lions are the ONLY pre-merger NFL team not to make a Super Bowl, and frankly speaking, they are not going to one any time soon.

Brangelina are splitting up. Does anyone stay together any more? I'm sure Jennifer Aniston is probably laughing right now at THAT one.

The Wings left two points on the ice Saturday night. Games like this could come back to haunt them if, either they are a very low seed, OR, god forbid, they don't make the playoffs at all. That being said, I still believe, that once they get their players back, they will make the playoffs, and actually could get a rather high seed, since, other than Chicago and San Jose, the rest of the West teams are bunched together. In the meantime, they have GOT to win these close games against conference opponents. It's they way they can catch some of these teams.

Wings weekend: 2 shootout losses

The Red Wings lost two games in shootouts this weekend, while the second one Sunday was painful, it's the first one Saturday, that's causing the most controversy.

To set the scene: the wings and stars were tied 2-2 after overtime, and their shootout was in the sixth round, when Dallas' Steve Ott shot the puck at Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard. Howard stopped the puck, and shwished the puck away with his glove hand. Video replays showed the puck apparently sitting on the goalline, which is NOT a goal, so the referees consulted "the War Room" in Toronto (the war room has monitors for every game, so they can see controversial calls). The officials in Toronto ruled the replays inconclusive, so no goal. Then the referees met, and the referee who was FARTHER AWAY, overruled the ref who was right on top of the play, and said it was a goal. That meant the Wings had to score to keep ths shootout going, they did not, and the Stars won.

It is ridiculous that a referee who is at least forty feet away, can overrule one that is right on top of the play. He clearly did NOT have his view blocked, and had an excellent angle on the play. The wings, with all their injuries, need every point they can get, and a horrible call like this, could have the wings on the golf course this april, or at best on the road to start the playoffs.

OUTTA MY MONDAY MOANIN' MIND

The late, great Detroit Free Press writer Bob Talbert would have these musings on Mondays. These were terrific articles, and I hope, in some small way, I can bring them back.

The Golden Globes were on last night. That seemed like a exercise in futility, other than Robert Downey's humorous acceptance speech, and the tribute to the great Martin Scorcese.

It never seems to amaze me when certain posters, bloggers, etc... make EVERYTHING a political statement. After all, Haiti relief, which Former President Bush said yesterday was non-political, is being politicized by the very type of indiviuals who supported him when he was in the white house(YOU KNOW WHO THEY ARE). Those people act like President Obama is only doing this for racial reasons, as if Bush would not have done the same thing. These same individuals would criticize the Red Wings for having Swedes on the team.

Jon Gosselin has a new girlfriend. Again. Yeah I know, you don't care, either.

According to the scandal sheets, Lindsay Lohan is broken up over "drug-related deaths of Brittany Murphy and Casey Johnson. First, has anyone said Murphy's death was drug related? It may have been, but it seems awfully premature to say that. Secondly, Johnson had a long history of being severely diabetic, and even though she partied hearty on a regular basis, she also had been in diabetic coma once before, so to assume that she O.D.'d (even if she did) seems awfully presumptous, to say the least.

It looks like Conan O'Brien is on his way out at NBC. That's probably a good thing, as O'Brien has been a disaster on the Tonight Show seat. He's an acquired taste, which America has not acquired.

On the political front, Democrats in Massachusetts are bracing for a possible Republican victory in a special election tomorrow, one of the scenarios being floated is that the house simply passes the health care bill that the senate approved on Christmas Eve(The Senate would not have to vote again, since they had already passed the bill). I ask this: Why didn't the House simply do THAT after the Senate passed the bill in the first place? Health Care would have been
done, at least for the time being, and the dem candidate Coakley, would almost certainly not be in the electoral trouble she's in right now.

That's it. tty next Monday.

Wings fail to show up

Last night, the Red Wings barely showed a pulse in what must have been their worst game of the year, as they played an uninspired 6-0 loss to the New York Islanders in Uniondale, N.Y. the Wings and Isles both entered the game with a chance to gain a playoff spot, but it was the Isles who showed all the jump, as the Wings only managed a measly 16 shots on goal.

Calder Trophy candidate Jimmy Howard did not do himself any favors, as he got pulled after 3 goals, the last of which resulted from a horrible giveaway from Brad Stuart, that was SO bad that, IF he were not wearing an opposite uniform, I would have given him an assist. What was most disheartening, was that the Wings played very well on the west coast swing of the trip, only to lay an egg in Uniondale. Further, the fact that, while the Wings are ninth in the West, their record would make them fifth in the East, which shows they should be doing better when they play inferior teams.