Wade Belak Found Dead

It's happened again...another NHL enforcer has been found dead. Wade Belak, 35, who played for the Nashville Predators, Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, and Florida Panthers, apparently committed suicide at his Toronto condo. He is the third NHL enforcer to die in four months. Rick Rypien committed suicide last month, and Derek Boogard Overdosed on Oxycodone in May. I said this after Rypien's death, and I'll say it again, the NHL needs to take a long hard look at the enforcer position, as, if you include Bob Probert's death last year, four NHL enforcers have died in 13 months, that is way too many at very young ages.

Cast list of DWTS announced

The cast list for the 13th season of Dancing With The Stars has been announced, and it is the most controversial yet. The cast is:

Nancy Grace
Hope Solo
Ron Artest
Rob Kardashian
Ricki Lake
Chynna Phillips
Kristin Cavalari
David Arquette
Elisabetta Canallis
Carson Kressley

Something else I have noticed: No Disney Channel stars. Unusual for a company(ABC)owned by the mouse ears, so no Kyle Massey, or Chelsea Kane, both of whom did very well on the show.

J.R. Martinez

Bad Day For Songwriters: Nick Ashford Dies At 69, Jerry Lieber Dies At 78

Nick Ashford, of Ashford and Simpson, died today at 69.In tadem with his wife Valerie Simpson, he wrote such classics as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", You're All I Need", Reach Out And Touch Somebody's Hand", and later in their careers, "I'm Every Woman". Their biggest hit together was "Solid As A Rock".

Jerry Lieber also died today. In partnership with Mike Stoller, he wrote legendary hits such as "Hound Dog", "Jailhouse Rock", and "Stand By Me". He was 78.

80's Rocker Jani Lane Found Dead At 47

Jani Lane, the 1980's/90's lead singer of the L.A. band Warrant, was found dead in his motel room last night, he was only 47. Lane was born John Kennedy Oswald. Why on earth his parents named him after the late President, when he had the last name of the presumed assassin, is beyond me, since it almost pre-ordained bad karma. Frankly, I would have changed that name quickly, as Lane was smart to do. But, that being said, who's to say that was not behind any of
his deep-seated problems, which likely led to his early demise?

The band had hits with songs like "Uncle Tom's Cabin", "Heaven', and the song that will be his epitaph-"Cherry Pie", that was a major hit in 1990. The Rocker, who had a history of alcohol problems, was found in a Comfort Inn, a far cry from the five-star hotels he stayed in in his heyday. He can now hang out in the afterlife with Kevin Dubrow of Quiet Riot, another 80's rocker who fell on hard times near the end of his too-short life.

Cosmos Back, Bring Back The Express!

A new version of the fabled 1970's New York Cosmos last night took the pitch for a one-off match at Old Trafford, and were routed by United, who were in their final prep for the Community Shield curtain-raiser 6-0. No matter. The thing that was most important, was that the Cosmos were back, at least temporarily, with the ultimate goal being an MLS expansion version of the Cosmos for the 2013 campaign. Former United star amd French international Eric Cantona has been appointed Soccer director of the club, and he said two things: 1) America can win the World Cup within 20 years, and 2) IF the Cosmos get the expansion franchise they want, they would like David Beckham to finish his football career in the Big Apple. From what I can see, The New York area can probably support two soccer teams, it looks like these guys are serious, and have the deep pockets necessary. If those are the case, as NIKE says: just do it.

When the Cosmos get their franchise, and they should, MLS should give another franchise to the Silverdome group in Detroit. The refurbished Silverdome successfully hosted an international club friendly last year, and there is a group there that is serious about bringing MLS to the Detroit area, if not MLS, perhaps the new version of the North American Soccer League, which is a second-level league, that could make use of the Dome. If a new team materializes, name the team the Express FC, whichg is what Vancouver did with the Whitecaps when they joined MLS this year.