Draft Week : Looking for answers in the Fountain of Youth

One down... One to go.

Honestly with the draft class in the NBA this year one could come up with a different mock draft for every day from the end of the NCAA tourny all the way to a couple hours before the draft. All the talks leading up to the draft have involved players from Allen Iverson to Luther Head to Ray Allen and inevitably most of this will not happen. We are 2 hours from the draft and there is still no consensus #1 ...That's just how crazy it's been!!
I have been trying to do this version 2.0 for a week now but both Lincoln and I had a different list pretty much every hour to the point we just went with a gut feeling in the end. This is a follow-up from the first mock we did a couple of weeks ago.
I hope to be back tomorrow with Lincoln and another guest Zack Cooper for a post draft analysis blog. So until then here goes...

My last shot at a mock draft...
1. Andrea Bargnani
2. LaMarcus Aldridge
3. Rudy Gay
4. Adam Morrison
5. Tyrus Thomas
6. Brandon Roy
7. Marcus Williams
8. Randy Foye
9. Patrick O'Bryant
10. Shelden Willams

Lincoln made some adjustments...
1. Andrea Bargnani
2. Tyrus Thomas
3. Rudy Gay
4. LaMarcus Aldridge
5. Brandon Roy (Sent to Houston)
6. Adam Morrison
7. Cedric Simmons
8. Shelden Williams (sent to Atlanta with Luther Head)
9. Randy Foye
10. Partrick O'Bryant

=============================================
NHL DRAFT: A quick roundup

The NBA Draft is on Today but the NHL draft took place over the past weekend and went ahead without much hype. Living in Canada I have come to expect most media outlets heavily covering the NHL but in the case of the draft there wasn't much thunder as the grueling 8 rounds took place in Vancouver this past Saturday. The NHL draft is unique that all the GM's are in one place and the setup is very interactive as you can watch whets going on leading up to each selection and the draft was full of trades and swaps for positioning.

There was a lot of talk during the NHL playoffs about the lack of interest for the sport from our neighbors down south but this draft points the trend going in the other direction. 10 players drafted in the first round are from the Unites States and that takes into account Erik Johnson who was drafted #1 overall by the St.Louis Blues. There was no Sidney Crosby type player in this draft and so maybe that was the reason not much was said pre-draft but it is definitely something to note the changing trend of where the top players are coming from and that the American grass roots systems are stronger and are producing some great hockey players.

Ahh...I cant focus on hockey when all I can think of is LaMarcus Aldridge?? Rudy Gay??
I need this draft to happen already before I start losing my mind...

NHL : Stanley likes it south of the border

Carolina Hartford Hurricane Whalers = 2006 Stanley Cup Champions

A year ago the Stanley Cup was sitting in a box at the Hockey Hall of Fame homeless due to the NHL lockout. Then on Monday night a Cinderella story came to an end and one teams long time quest for the cup was realized. The Carolina Hurricanes became the first Stanley Cup champions in the post lockout era and to boot this is the first major sporting title the state has won. Raleigh, NC has always been associated with NASCAR and Basketball but for now its a hockey town. This Cup is not just for the fans in Carolina but those who stayed loyal to the team all through the times when they were the Hartford Whalers.

"Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character" - T. Alan Armstrong

An owner who believed, a coach who implemented a family feel to the team and made adjustments for the new style of play, a captain who had waited 17 years to reach this point, a young superstar who took the league by storm with his offense and a rookie goaltender got on the same page and brought to North Carolina one of the most prestegious trophies in professional sports. Not much was expected from the Hurricanes this season... but those who donned the jersey expected much from themselves and believed in this team. Backed by fans who are still new to the game, these players gave themselves the chance to reach the ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup.

Rod Brind'Amour waited 17 years, Glen Wesley waited 18, Bret Hedican and Dough Weight over a decade to have their dream realized but it was on the backs of a rookie goaltender that this feat was accomplished. Cam Ward, the first rookie since Patrick Roy to win the Stanley Cup, was also the MVP for the series and deservedly so. He made the big plays as the last line of defence behind a group of defenceman, none of whom were all-stars but as a team they came together. Eric Staal did what he could but it was the veterans who stepped up big in the series. Hockey is afterall a team sport and it took contributions from the entire Carolina Hurricane's team to get through the season and the playoffs and ultimately come out victorious in the all or nothing game 7.

- I had predicted Carolina in 5 ... Hey atleast I got the team right (link)
- Out of Left Field live blogged game 7 (link)
- Videos of the Hurricanes home game entrances (video 1 and video 2)
- A funny spin on the travels of the Stanley Cup (link)

"Bahama Mama"... Making some predictions

Its been a whirlwind couple of weeks and my blogging has gone from non-existent to all over the place. 2 weeks ago I took off to Boston and the Bahamas for some fun in the sun and much needed R&R. Let me tell you Paradise Island lives up to its name and I was fortunate enough to get beautiful weather for the entire length of my stay at Atlantis. A picture is worth a thousand words and instead of praising to no end the beauty of this resort I figure the above picture would give you an idea. A bit pricey but soo worth it, Atlantis lived up to its namesake and provided photo op's every moment as you walk through the resort. My favourite is the slide where you suddenly find yourself enclosed in a glass tube which is suspended inside a shark tank. Ill get some pic's on flikr up sometime soon. In the meantime let's get to what I began this post for some predictions for the NBA Championship and the Stanley Cup ( a little late but I'm going with it)

According to Shaq the role he plays will soon be obsolete and Dirk will be the model of an NBA center. This matchup its one of the best we have seen in a while and is keeping with the theme of being one of the most exciting playoffs for the league in over a decade. There is really no one on the Heat roster that can defend Dirk, but fortunately for the Heat they can try to shut down the rest of the team. Avery Johnson has proven throughout the playoffs why he was named the coach of the year in the NBA as he has played each series perfectly. He has prepared his team well and with his coaching strategies outcoached the opposing coaches putting his team in the perfect position to win. Yet, if there is one guy who can give him a run for his money its Coach Pat Riley who is seen prancing the sidelines on the other end with his always in place hair and lots of experience to boot. I thought about this one for a while as I like both teams but they represent the changing of the guard in the NBA. The heat with the Shaq- Wade combo personifies how a team was built to win in the past but the Mavericks are the future with a high powered uptempo offense and a modern approach to defense. For now though... Shaq is playing like he is in his prime and the 1-2 punch of Superman and the Flash should prevail.
My Prediction: Miami Heat in 6

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals garnered less interest from viewers south of the border than some women's NCAA softball game. True its a little hard to find what channel the game is on (OLN) and for the most part half the country probably doesn't even know what OLN is!! Its a shame that no major station picked up the finals because its been a great couple of games. I know its a little late to make a prediction (but since this is my blog I will do as I please) for the Stanley Cup as 2 games are in the books. The Carolina Hurricanes are looking strong and the Edmonton Oilers lost their starting goaltender in game 1. The Oilers have kept the Cinderella story alive this season and coming from 8th spot in the Western conference to the Stanley Cup Finals is a big deal in itself but I do believe they will go down fighting and the goaltender situation made their task a lot harder. I don't see this series going too deep and hopefully next year the NHL will have a better television deal in place in the US so more people can enjoy the product on ice with everything that's changed. The new NHL is here to stay.
My Prediction: Carolina Hurricanes in 5

Oh yeah... The NHL Playoffs are going on as well - Preview: Round 2

Honestly... I missed hockey initially, but gradually I ended up watching more basketball and began to watch full baseball games. Before I knew it I had forgotten what it felt like to make my Saturday night plans around Hockey Night in Canada. So when the NHL lockout came to an end and the 2005-2006 season was ready to get underway I had no idea what to expect. Suffice to say I was pleasantly surprised with the new and improved product but the jury is still out on the use of the shootout to decide the end of a tied game. As a Toronto Maple Leafs fan the shootout was our enemy for the most part but it did help solve the problem of "sporting events should never end in a tie." The "new" NHL as the media tagged it, is fast paced and the new rules implemented greatly benefit the offensive skilled players as with more open ice to work with we have seen scoring averages go up all around from previous years. At seasons end I decided to ask people around me what they thought of the new and improved NHL and most of them were pleased with the game as it definitely has added more excitement for the fans. With Sidney Crosby as the poster boy for this new NHL, parity between teams with the new salary cap and a new TV deal with OLN (Outdoor Life Network) the league boasted record level attendance numbers around the league for the regular season.
Dominik Hasek hasn't started a playoff game for the Ottawa Senators, the Detroit Red Wings got eliminated in the 1st round for the 3rd year in a row, Jaromir Jagr was injured in game 1 and effectively took out the Rangers from contention... yes the NHL playoffs are underway. The first round is over and in the west it was all about the underdog and in the east it came down to goaltending.

Western Conference: The Underdog comes out on top
The top 4 teams in the west were all eliminated in the first round including the Detroit Red Wings who held the best regular season record in the NHL.


When you mention the names Jonathan Cheechoo and Joe Thornton you automatically think of a high powered offense. Add in a Patrick Marleau and you are looking at a lethal powerplay which might be the difference in this series. In the Nashville series the two main offensive players were shut down but others were able to step up, but to get past a very deep Edmonton Oilers team, the Sharks will need their big guns to step up and should hope for a solid contribution from role players like Alyn McCauley and Mark Smith. In the first round against the Nashville Predators the defense stepped up for the Sharks and not just on offense, the San Jose sharks entire defensive unit boasted a plus rating and they received solid goaltending from Toskala who will have to remain consistent against a very well balanced Oilers team. The first round was a tough matchup for Edmonton but players like Fernando Pisani and Ales Hemsky elevated their game to bolster the offence headed by Ryan Smyth and Defensive Unit led by Chris Pronger. The Edmonton Goaltending situation was a big question mark but Dwayne Roloson stepped up and is a major reason the Oilers are still alive going into the second round. In the regular season the Oilers were victorious 3 of the 4 times these two teams faced each other but this is the first time the teams are meeting in the playoffs. This years playoffs have been a display of power play skills and the team that can stay out of the penalty box in this series most probably will be the one going on to the Western Conference finals.
Prediction: San Jose Sharks in 6


The Anaheim Mighty Ducks were the only team that had to go to a 7th game in order to advance to the second round of the playoffs. They were able to do this on the strength's of the defence led by Scott Niedermayer and superb backstopping of rookie goaltender Ilja Bryzgalov. My initial reaction when watching a game between Calgary and Anaheim was: "WHO??? Where is Jean Sebastian Giguere??" but looking at his stats Bryzgalov is their guy with a 2.29 GAA and even managed to get a shutout in the first round. Teemu Selanne had an outstanding regular season and with an Olympic silver medal to boot he has been leading this Anaheim team with toughness and offensive contributions. This team is very well rounded and will be a bit of a challenge for the Colorado Avalanche who will be relying primarily on offence to take them through to the next round. 2 Months ago Jose Theodore was sitting on a couch Montreal with a broken foot and now he is in net for the Av's while the Montreal team is already on the golf course. All season long the Avalanche remained one of the top scoring teams in the league and the first round of the playoffs was no different with Joe Sakic, Alex Tanguay, Andrew Brunette and Milan Hejduk on the roster.The saying goes Offence wins games but defence wins championships" and this is going to prove important for the Avs to consider they are going to need their defensive unit to step up if they want to get to the next round. Regular season has the Ducks in front winning 3 of the 4 games against the Avs but this is the post season and the experience on the Colorado Avalanche roster will most definitely be a factor. Selanee will be playing against his old team which might give him an extra boost and Jose Theodore has a chance to prove that Montreal made a mistake by shipping him out.
Prediction: Colorado Avalanche in 7

Eastern Conference: 3 Rookies and Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils has more playoff experience than all the other 3 goaltenders in the eastern conference semi-finals.


Ottawa Senators window is closing on them. When they signed Dominik Hasek they believed he was the final piece they needed to get to the Stanley Cup Finals. Things did not quite work out that way as during the Olympics Hasek was injured and they had to rely on a young goaltender in Ray Emery to take them as far as possible. The Buffalo Sabers on the other hand were probably one of the most surprising teams in he NHL this season. Their fast paced style of play worked well with the new rules enforced in the league and this series promises to be an offensive delight. For the Senators they finally have their lineup healthy and are very deep on offence with players like Daniel Alfreddson, Martin Havlat, Jason Spezza and Danny Heatly being just some of the names on their roster. Heatly found a new life in Ottawa who had a rough year before the lockout season and has been a great compliment to the other offensive players already in a Senators uniform. Havlat only played 18 games all season but looks healthy now and through the first round the Senators managed to score at will as they eliminated the defending Stanley cup champions in 5 games. The blue line for the Sen's is solid as they have two all-star caliber defencemen in Zdeno Chara and Wade Redden who are very effective on the power play. The senators are not a very big muscle type team but probably more so than the Sabres who have won a lot of their games during the season with their lightning quickness on the ice. They managed one of the better road records in the regular season and so home ice advantage tot he Senators might not be much of a factor in this series. The Sabres scored the most goals from all the teams in the first round of the playoffs as their offensive unit is led by players like Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. The Sabres much like the Senators got through the first round with the help of a rookie goaltender as Lindy Ruff went with Ryan Miller for all the games against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Senators were the top team in the east for the regular season and were fairly dominant over the Sabres during that time winning their series 5-3 but as mentioned before its a whole different ballgame in the post season. This series will come down to the battle of the rookies in net and the powerplay. The Senators were one of the best power play teams and the Sabres one of the best penalty killing teams. Bottom line.. Will it be Emery or Miller who can handle the pressure of an offensive barrage, stand tall and carry their team to the next round.
Prediction: Buffalo Sabres in 7


The New Jersey Devils head into this series on the heels of a 15 game win streak which included a 1st round sweep of the new York Rangers. Martin Brodeur has ample big games and playoff experience under his belt and he will look down the sheet of ice at a rookie in Cam Ward who was put into net for the Carolina Hurricanes after they lost their first two games of their series against Montreal. Carolina was solid through the season but went into the playoffs on a losing skid but after shaking off the first two losses against Montreal coach Laviolette took a chance by putting the rookie in net and he helped get the team 4 straight wins to get to the next round. The Hurricanes also have one of the young stars of the NHL playing on offence as Eric Staal has had an All-star type season and he was complemented with veterans like Rod Brind'Amour and Mark Recchi. The New Jersey Devils have the most experienced goaltender in the playoffs and Martin Brodeur only allowed the New York Rangers to score 4 goals through the 4 games they played. Playing in front of him the Devils have a team with plenty of playoff experience and a few Stanley Cup rings. Patrik Elias leads the charge on offense and is helped by Jamie Langenbrunner, Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta. The Devils also have John Madden on their roster who is one of the best two way players in the game. His defensive style of play and the likes of Brian Rafalski on the blue line make them a very tough team to beat and Carolina will need to have all their lines clicking in order to get past the Devils who can adjust their style of play as they have so many weapons on the team. The hurricanes will also have to improve their penalty kill in order to give them a chance against one of the better power play teams in the NHL. These two teams split the season series but this is a lot of pressure for a young goaltender who will be facing his childhood idol in Martin Broduer and if the Hurricanes come out slow the way they did against Montreal I don't think they have a chance as the Devils will pounce on them and the series will be lost.
Prediction: New Jersey Devils in 5

Speechless?? Not for long...

Its been a while but there is just so much going on with me in the last couple months that I haven't had time to really sit down and write complete posts... I began some and never completed them and now they don't seem as relevant . Thanks to all of you who wrote me asking if all was well... Life is good, I just haven't had the motivation to write as of late or it was more that I didn't want to put whatever was in my head out there but that all has passed so let today be the end of my bloging hiatus. To kick of the new year and a new start I decided to change up the lookaround here, but I am still toggling with the colours and whatnot so bare with me on that one.

2005 has come and gone and I have decided to kick of the new year by looking back at the top 20 sports stories from my point of view. So much happened in sports in 2005 that i could write a different entry for each pro sport but that might get boring so i decided to mix it up and give u the top 20 that came to my mind. Following this, I will be back later this week with the top 10 things to look forward to for the upcoming year. (No pictures this time around going to keep it short, just easing my way back) In no particular order here goes...

Reflections: 2005

• The NHL made its way back onto the ice after missing a complete season due to a lockout. With this new NHL came a new face and a poster boy for the future of the league by the name of Sidney Crosby. He is no Wayne Gretzky just yet but hopes are high...


• Kobe Bryant single handedly outscores the entire Dallas Mavericks team by the end of the third quarter in a game late in the year reaching the 62 point mark.


• Danica Patrick goes against all odds and ranks 4th in the Indy 500 breaking down barriers for women in the world of auto racing.


• The new CBA for the NBA is completed which included a new minor league system and a new age restriction. To boot the NBA has now introduced a dress code for the players which requires sport coats if you at the end of the bench and no exposed chains, no hats, throwback's n sorts pre and post game at the arena.


• Larry Brown leaves a championship team to return home and coach his hometown team the New York Knicks. One of the greatest coach in the game has a huge task ahead of him as the underachieving and overpaid Knicks might make him question his decision to leave Detroit...


• Baseball took a big hit as the abuse of performance enhancing drugs came to the forefront and made its way to the supreme courts. Big names like Rafael Palmeiro and Jason Giambi were put in the spotlight which has now led to more severe penalties set for offenders of the drug policy.


• The Chicago White Sox were able to join the ranks of the Boston Red Sox as they brought to and end their drought of 80 + years with no championship as they came away victorious in this years World series


• Hurricane Katrina swept though the Gulf coast and devastated thousands. The New Orleans Saints and New Orleans hornets were moved to play in Oklahoma City and the question still remains when will they be able to return? The sports in this story are secondary to what happened to the people of New Orleans and even today people are trying to pick up the pieces. In efforts for relief a large number of professional athletes stepped forward to help out in any way they can which was a great thing to see.


• Pat Riley wiggled his way back to the court as he now strides along the sidelines as the head coach of the Miami Heat after the "voluntary departure" of Stan Van Gundy


• Phil Jackson aka the Zen Master returns to the coaching ranks with the Lakers and the countdown begins towards when we will see a blowup between him and his star Kobe Bryant who he called out in his book.


• Wayne Gretzky is back on the ice but this time barking out defensive assignments to his players as he gets behind the bench as the new head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes.


• The likes of Mark Messeir and Jerry Rice walk away from the game ending memorable and definite hall of fame careers.


• "Monday Night Football" shuts its lights off after almost 4 decades. ABC says farewell to one of its highest ranking TV shows of all time.


• Steven A Smith almost pops a blood vessel on draft day when the Toronto Raptors selected Charlie Villanueva from UCONN for their 7th pick. Sure a lot of people were surprised but that reaction to ruin a young mans dream day was totally uncalled for!!


• The New England Patriots successfully created a dynasty by winning their 3rd NFL championship in 4 years and in this era of salary caps and non guaranteed contracts that is a commendable feat.


• The Spurs can be help up there with the great dynasties ... It would help if their franchise player showed a little more emotion and the team didn't come across as utterly robotic. Congratulations either way for winning and becoming one of the most underappreciated dynasties in professional sports.


• Ron Artest returns to the court in a pacers uniform... only to a month later ask to be traded! this man needs to understand he plays a team sport and get with the program. In the world of the "tru warrier" the drama never ends.


• "Black Monday" it was a crazy Monday right after the last few regular season NFL games were played as we witnessed a flurry of firings around the league as 6 head coaches were fired and one retired.


• Steve Nash was awarded the NBA's highest honor as a player receiving the MVP award at the end of last season as he put up Stockton like numbers and led the suns to the biggest turnaround season in the history of the league. Barring anything out of the ordinary he should once again be in the running for this year as he leads the league in assists playing without their franchise player and losing 2 key role players.


• I saved the best for last ... The saga that became the Philadelphia Eagles. It began early last year with some screaming and pushing along the sidelines but Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens put it aside and along with the rest of the team strode into the Superbowl. It got ugly from there with off-season finger pointing, a one week suspension from training camp, locker room battles and it ended with the decision to sit the star wide receiver for the rest of the season. Following this drama the star quarterback and star running back go down to bring an end to one of the most drama filled seasons for a NFL in recent memory.

"Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them -- a desire, a dream, a vision" - Muhammad Ali.