Roy For Cy

The fine Phillies fans of Philadelphia have taken to Twitter with a new campaign, one we're certainly familiar with in Toronto: #RoyForCy. And rightfully so. Doc's ERA, today a pristine 2.49, is the lowest of his career when he's thrown more than 200 innings. He's carrying an xFIP of 2.89, also the lowest of his career. His 8.05 strikeouts per nine innings pitched is the highest his ratio has ever been. Only 65 earned runs to his name. In 234.2 innings, no less. He's walked only 28 batters. His legendary cutter comes in 16.8 runs above average. His changeup, 5.5 runs above average, is the most successful it's ever been. Eight complete games. Three shutouts. One win shy of 20; a mere formality. Vintage Doc.

Harry Leroy Halladay III has dominated the National League. Like we knew he would. And therein lies the problem. It must be said: Doc's too good for the National League. He belongs in the American League.

Even though Toronto's starting pitching has been sublime this season, and even after watching Kyle Drabek throw utter filth at the Baltimore Orioles in his Major League debut, I'm clearly not over Halladay's departure. Perhaps I'll never be. I can't bloody buy in to the #RoyForCy campaign. Not as much as I should be able to. And for that I blame the Senior Sissy Circuit, and MLB's beyond-ridiculous divisional schedule.

Thanks to that schedule, Halladay's made 11 of his 31 starts -- 35% -- against the Florida Marlins, New York Mets, and Washington Nationals. Thirty-five-bloody-percent. Now, I know the Marlins and Mets are both, today, .500 ball clubs. They're playing .503 baseball, to be precise. But they're still the Marlins and Mets. And neither club has ever had a goddamn prayer against Roy Halladay.

Doc vs. the Florida Marlins:

5 GS, 4-1 W/L, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 38 IP, 2 BB, 41 K, 1.66 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, .210 BAA

Doc vs. the New York Mets:

4 GS, 4-0 W/L, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 31.2 IP, 2 BB, 28 K, 2.56 ERa, 0.82 WHIP, .207 BAA

Doc vs. the Washington Nationals:

2 GS, 2-0 W/L, 14 IP, 5 BB, 14 K, 0.64 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, .264 BAA

Doc's an artist. And by pitching in the National League against the chumps above, his talents cannot be fully appreciated. It's been far too easy. Throw in another two starts against the sad-sack Houston Astros; 16 innings, and only three earned runs.

I'll give Doc credit. I in no way, shape, or form mean to belittle what he's accomplished this season. Case in point, his exploits against the 83-wins Atlanta Braves:

2 GS, 2-0 W/L, 2 CG, 1 SHO, 18 IP, 2 BB, 14 K, 0.50 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, .164 BAA

In two complete game gems against Atlanta, Doc allowed one measly run. So cuttered, Atlanta. So goddamn cuttered.

That's what I want to see. Doc taking down the contenders. Not the pretenders. Unfortunately, that simply hasn't been the case. And I know it's not Doc's fault. He takes the ball every five days, no matter who he's up against. But only one start versus Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals? One start versus Adrian Gonzalez and the San Diego Padres? One start versus Buster Posey and the San Francisco Giants? For shame, baseball.

Ironically enough, Halladay got his ass handed to him in interleague play. (Except for owning the Toronto Blue Jays.) A start each against the Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, and New York Yankees; all losses. Nineteen-and-two-thirds innings pitched, and 15 earned runs. Twenty-three percent of his season's total. I'd say he got used to pitching in the National League, wouldn't you?

What made Roy Halladay such a treat to watch in a Blue Jays uniform was the way he dominated the Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays, the Red Sox, the Minnesota Twins, and the Chicago White Sox. He became the best, by pitching against the best, by never, ever backing down, year in and year out. Only four teams averaged more than four runs a game against Halladay over his career in the American League: Boston, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Texas. The Athletics and Rangers clearly got lucky.

I miss him. I miss watching Doc every fifth day. I can't wait to watch him take the mound in his first playoff game. I'm rooting for the Philadelphia Phillies to win the World Series. And while, based on his numbers, he does deserve the Cy Young, the award will never stand up to the Cy Young he won in 2003, when he faced the Red Sox, Yankees, Athletics, Twins, and Seattle Mariners -- who all won more than 90 games, and a combined 475 between them that season -- 15 times.

Not all Cy Young awards are created equal.

Image courtesy of daylife.

Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers

I don't have much to say. The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially been eliminated from playoff contention. I'm in mourning. Sure, they beat the Flyers, but really, who cares? 

Forty Creek. On the rocks. To celebrate the Leafs' futility, that is the drink of choice. For a few days, at least. (Thanks, Michael Knight; 40, you have to have a glass of this with us.) 

Like my man Brian Burke said, not making the playoffs, low expectations be damned, still feels like a kick to the groin.

How about some music, instead?

Jeru the Damaja's verse, the final one, might be my favourite of all-time. It's that good.

I have faith that Brian Burke will most certainly make sure that playing for the Maple Leafs is "survival of the fittest."

Here's to next year, and making the God damn playoffs.

Bring on them Blue Jays ...

Stepping Up

On the road, in the back half of a home-and-home series of another must-win game, and without their captain, leader of men, and best player Mats Sundin, the Maple Leafs stepped up and departed Philadelphia victorious, 3-2.

With their season once again hanging in the balance, the Leafs dug deep, played a gritty and gutsy road game, and even held on to a third period lead (shocking, I know). They continued their chase for a playoff spot which is now only five points away.

What an effort. I'm not going to waste time and emotion wondering where this Leafs team was back in October, November, December and January. It's not worth the pain, or the tears. I'm simply going to live in the present and enjoy this team right here and right now. Let's be honest: in all likelihood, these are my playoffs.

Last night in Philly, Toronto was once again the better team, out-shooting the Flyers 31-20 and winning 34 of 66 faceoffs without Mats Sundin, who only played five minutes before leaving with a groin strain. I wasn't sure how the Leafs would react to losing their captain in such a huge game and while they did seem a bit lost after the fact, they stepped up and grinded out a win. They once again refused to mail it in. They did it for Mats, of that I have no doubt.

I've got a number of shoutouts, starting with some crazy man love for Pavel Kubina. He was instrumental in the Leafs taking three out of four points from Philadelphia to keep their fading playoff pulse alive, scoring the game winning goal the last two nights. Who wants to talk to me about Kubina's contract now? Come on, lets chat. Dude's been worth every penny since the trade deadline and played with a ton of emotion and passion over the past 48 hours. He's really stepped up and although I've said it before, I'll say it again: $5 million a year for Kubina's services is a reasonable price, and I hope he's still in a Leafs uniform next season.

Kubina's partner, and my biggest man crush of all, Tomas Kaberle was also off the charts the last two nights. Kabs logged more than 30 minutes of ice time on Tuesday, and racked up another 26 minutes yesterday. No sweat. Kabby's elevated play of late has been a monumental reason why the power play has finally begun to produce. Straight up though, is there another player in the league who rushes the puck up ice and into the opposition's zone as gracefully and with as much poise as #15 in the blue and white? I freakin' love Kaberle. I want to stand on the highest mountain and profess my undying love for him for all the world to see and hear.

I'm always a bit hard on him but Matt Stajan was huge last night. Matt freaking Stajan. What a game he played. In the absence of Sundin, Stajan saw a bulk of the captain's ice time and played what I'm sure was a season-high 21 and a half minutes. Staj also ended up taking the faceoffs Sundin normally would have. And he dominated. Stajan, who came into the game with a 47% success rate on the draw (something I've always been on his case about), won 17 of 29 faceoffs, an incredible 59%, including six of nine against Daniel Briere, that little twerp. I guess in a way I'm like my father - I'm only on hard on Stajan because I want so badly for him to succeed. But I'm always willing to show love when it's due, and Stajan deserves some serious props for his effort last night. Attaboy.

I questioned the acquisition of Dominic Moore, and even had some not-so-nice things to say about him after his first game in a Leafs uniform (I'm quick to judge), but I take them all back, and offer him my sincerest apologies. Moore played a solid 15 and a half minutes last night and was instrumental on the Leafs' second goal, driving bravely to the net and setting up Alex Postikarovsky. It was a great play as Moore showed off his wheels. Dude's been a gem off the waiver wire. He's a great checker who works hard and chips in every now and then in the offensive zone. He's just like Boyd Devereaux, and you can never have enough of those types of players on your team. I think it's safe to say he's earned a spot on next year's Leafs roster, and good on him.

It's got to be a personal record, and I pray to God I'm not jinxing him here, but after last night Carlo Colaiacovo has played in 21 games in a row. And he's been great. Part of the reason the Leafs haven't felt the absence of big Hal Gill on the blue line is because Colaiacovo has stepped up. Carlo played more than 23 and a half minutes on Tuesday night, and another 19 minutes yesterday, and he laid out R.J. Umberger with a beauty of a body check in the third period last night. I've got to give Colaiacovo props for not changing his ways. After all the injuries the poor guy has suffered, I would have completely understood if he went out there and changed his style by taking some of the physical play out of his game. But he hasn't. Not one bit. He still plays the body and looks for open ice checks. As we were with Antropov, we've got to be patient with Carlo, because he's got a bright, bright future in a Leafs uniform.

Five points out, 10 games to go. You can't lie to me and tell me you're not feeling a renewed sense of hope. You can't tell me you're not proud of the way the Leafs took care of business the last couple of nights. I know you're excited; you can't fool me. And I understand that you're scared. It's ok. I am too. But believe. Put your faith in Mats Sundin and Vesa Toskala (who was also great again last night - you spoil me, Vesa), as I have, for they are on a mission. And they won't rest until it is complete.

Bring on the Sabres.

Alive

Wow. What a hockey game. The Toronto Maple Leafs, down 3-0 in the third period with 15 minutes left to play, refused to roll over and die. With a courageous 4-3 overtime win, the Leafs live to see another day.

That's one game, more specifically one third period, I won't soon forget. It was textbook Toronto Maple Leafs hockey: outplay and out-shoot your opponent badly, find yourself down 3-0 in the biggest and most important game of the season with the clock running out, and then roar back with a vengeance.

The table was set for the dream of sneaking into the playoffs as the eighth seed to finally and mercifully be put to rest, or so it seemed. But the Captain still had some fight in him. Sundin finally broke through the wall known as Martin Biron - what's up with these French goalies named Martin coming to Toronto and stoning the Leafs? - and got the Leafs on the board.

Then Pavel Kubina found the twine, after Sundin won an offensive zone faceoff; 3-2 Philly. This is when I started to curse. The Leafs. You know, when I figured out what the hell was going on - they were coming back. They were teasing and torturing me yet again. They would not go quietly into the night. They would not let the dream die.

Then an unlikely hero: Jeremy Williams. The sniper, summoned from the fourth line for a rare shift with Dominic Moore and Alex Steen (great hunch by Maurice), roofed one over the shoulder of Biron to tie the game at three's, with less than four minutes to play. Props out to Steen for his forechecking on the play. He was huge. Cue some serious elationage.

Then a penalty to the Flyers with exactly two minutes left to play, with the season hanging in the balance. The Leafs needed two points, and had to make sure the Flyers left with nothing but a regulation time loss.

Then Maurice pulls Toskala from the net with a minute to go, 6-on-4 man advantage Toronto. What the!?!? Cue more cursing and some serious stomach churnage.

Did you agree with Maurice's call to pull Toskala? I certainly didn't. I actually couldn't believe he did it, especially with the game tied. Tied, you know, as in not losing. Sure, Philly holds the eighth seed, but who cares about them? The Leafs need to reach 92 points, regardless of what Philly does. The Buds had a point secured and for Maurice to put it, and the season, on the line was a straight riverboat gamble. I was shocked by Maurice's move. Yes, I wondered whether he might do it but when he did, I was speechless. I was without speech. Had Philadelphia scored into the empty net - and because they were killing a penalty they were able to ice the puck, freely - the Leafs would have been toast, and I would have never been able to forgive Maurice.

A ballsy move by the coach. A really, really ballsy move. I give him mad respect on the call because it could have seriously backfired on him. I sure as hell wouldn't have been able to do it. It's clear Maurice truly believes in the motto of "no risk, no reward." But I still disagree with the decision.

It did, however, almost pay off. Hell, it probably should have. Alex Ponikarovsky had a glorious, and I mean really glorious, chance with Toskala on the bench that would have given the Leafs a 4-3 regulation win. He was all alone in front of the net, with Biron down and out, after a tremendous no-look pass by Nik Antropov. Poni had all the time in the world, but he didn't know that. Had he moved the puck to his backhand and tucked it in, the roof would have came down in the building. But he didn't, and Biron made one hell of a save on Poni's attempt, a game-saver if there ever was one.

Poor Poni. He simply cannot finish, and he rang one off the post - again! - in the first period. I know he probably didn't get a lot of sleep last night. He shouldn't have. You're still my boy, Poni, but, fuck, that was brutal.

Kubina made sure the Leafs got the two points in the end, banking the fourth and winning goal off a Flyers defenseman and behind Biron. The comeback was complete, and what a comeback it was. Say what you want about the Leafs and their difficult season, but they were full marks on the win last night. They were the better team and threw everything and the kitchen sink at Biron, who played a hell of a game for Philadelphia. They had no business escaping with their solitary point and have only their tender to thank.

Some people will say that the Leafs can't do anything right, and that losing would have been the best thing to happen last night. Not me. I don't feel anything but proud about the way the boys rallied and refused to quit, even with a 3-0 margin on the scoreboard. It says a lot about the Leafs, and especially Sundin. It's no surprise he scored the first goal of the night, and assisted on the second, to get the Leafs back into the contest. He's a gamer, pure and simple. A leader of men.

So the Leafs pick up one point in the standings on Philadelphia, and now trail the Flyers by seven points with 11 games left on the calendar. The situation is still pretty damn bleak, but the point is the Leafs are still in their bleak situation. As a fan, and a dreamer, that's all I really can ask for. If the Leafs don't make the playoffs, and it's still a mighty long shot, I'll take with me the memories of last night's game, and cherish them. It was a beauty. As exciting a third period as I've ever seen.

Of course, some people saw Toronto's comeback as another opportunity to throw salt on the Leafs' wounds. I'm looking right at you David Shoalts of The Globe and Mail. His column, "Too Little, Too Late" rips the Leafs for showing up only when it's too late, and that by giving Philadelphia a point it's all but over anyways. Hey, Shoaltsy, tell me something I don't freakin' know. He calls the Leafs' shot total "deceptive" and remarks that their comeback goals "came from a distance." Really, who gives a flying fuck "where" the goals come from?!?!? I love Shoaltsy and his work at The Globe, but that was low. It doesn't matter where the puck comes from when it goes into the net, all that matters is that it crosses the goal line. Unreal.

Throw me a bone here, Shoalts, jeezus. I watched that entire contest last night and the Leafs were all over the Flyers from the drop of the puck. Sure, it may not mean much if, and likely when, the Leafs miss the playoffs, but for one night would it have been so difficult for Shoalts to give the boys in blue and white some God damn credit for coming back when all seemed lost? I'm sure Damien Cox will be all over the Leafs this morning as well. Maybe even Dave Feschuk! Come one, come all, lets all lambaste the Leafs for showing some moxie and beating a Philadelphia team that had a 25-1-1 record when carrying a lead into the third period.

Eleven games to go. Seven points out. The goal is not to catch the Philadelphia Flyers. The goal is to reach 92 points. With 72 points to their name, and 22 points still up for grabs, the Leafs need to win 10 of 11 to close out their schedule. If they can do that, catching Philadelphia will take care of itself. And if they can do that, it will also prove, undeniably, the existence of God. So, umm, God, if you're reading, show yourself. Please. In the form of a 10 game win streak. Would appreciate it. That'd be pretty sweet. Thanks in advance, Big Guy.

Another date with the Flyers tonight. The back end of a home and home. Bring it on.

Paul Maurice said it best: "We're alive."

So is my dream...

The Weigh In #2

It's time for another installment of The Weigh In. In this edition: Manny Ramirez, the baseball playoffs, Joe Torre, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Chicago Blackhawks, and the Buffalo (or should I say Toronto?) Bills.

How big of a douche bag is Manny Ramirez? On Thursday night he hits a bomb to centre field, with two outs, that goes off the top of the wall and comes back into play - about as close as you can get to a home run without hitting one. David Ortiz, not exactly Flash on the base paths, comes in to score from first base, no problem. Where does Man-Ram end up? At first base. A 400 foot single.

Ramirez's antics are getting old. First of all, it's the playoffs. Second of all, his team was facing elimination Thursday night. You'd think he'd be playing a bit harder, right? Nope, that's not how Manny rolls. To him, it doesn't matter what the situation or the score is. He's going to hit moon shots, and whether they're leaving the park or not, he's going to hold his hands high in the air, admire his own power, and walk out of the batters box.

Great op-ed by Will Leitch in the New York Times about the fact that most fans probably care more than the athletes who actually play the games we, as fans, obsess over. Surely no athlete can care less than Manny Ramirez.

I'm sick of hearing that it's just "Manny being Manny". It's Manny being a jackass...

Lets stick with baseball. Joe Torre is officially out as manager of the New York Yankees. Not surprising, we all saw the writing on the wall, but the details of how it went down were rather shocking. Usually, the Yankees are the embodiment of class, but they dropped the ball on Torre. By offering him a one-year $5 million dollar deal (a pay cut from the $7.5 million he made this season), the Yankees knew they were giving him an offer he couldn't accept. With incentives, the new deal could reach $8 million. Torre was looking for a two-year deal. And the incentives, you ask? He had to win the World Series.

Now that, as Torre would agree, is complete bullshit. The playoffs, in any sport, are half skill and half luck. The Yankees have spent millions upon millions of dollars in the last seven years and don't have a World Series title to show for their efforts. It just isn't that simple. There is no magic formula.

Torre managed some great players in his years in the Bronx, but he also managed some massive ego's. That's what made him such a great manager. He was able to harness every man's ego in that dressing room and got them to buy into the team philosophy. Even though he was disrespected by management, he didn't have anything bad to say about the New York Yankees. Stay classy, Joe.

I believe Torre will be coaching in baseball next season, and I'm pretty sure it won't be in Toronto. At the very least, I hope the Blue Jays at least give his people a call. Every single team in baseball should be giving Torre's people a call...

More baseball...The Colorado Rockies, for the first time in their short history, are off to the World Series. What a magical run. Theirs is the story of fairy tales. Stuff like this isn't supposed to happen in real life. They've won 10 in a row and 21 out of their last 22, including a one-game playoff with San Diego to just make the playoffs. It's hard to root against a team like Colorado. They continue to defy the odds.

It must be good times to be a Rockies fan right now. God knows they've suffered through some tough years. The beer must be flowing like a river in Denver during "Rocktober", especially at Coors Field.

The World Series will begin on October 24 and it will be interesting to see how the long layoff will effect Colorado. Surely they must have wanted to keep playing every day. Dane Cook keeps telling us that "There's only one October" but the geniuses at Major League Baseball have scheduled the Fall Classic such that if it goes the distance, there will be baseball in November. Hopefully, it'll be snowing in Denver. A little Snow Series, please...

On to the ALCS - Is Curt Schilling the best post season pitcher of all-time? As much as I don't like the ever-opinionated Schiling and his stupid bloody sock (I still believe it was fake blood - pure Red Sox propaganda), it's hard to argue with the man's playoff resume. He's started 17 games in the second season and has a career record of 9-2, with an earned run average of 2.23 and four complete games.

Josh Beckett, Schilling's teammate, might have something to say about all this when his career is over. He's been dominant in the post season as well. Though I do despise his little chin growth. It's hideous.

The Red Sox have their backs against the wall once again tonight, but Schilling's on the mound, and I don't think there's anyone else they want to give the ball to. Well, other than Beckett, but he can't pitch again, silly!Here's hoping for a Schilling/Red Sox win to force game seven. There's only one October, and there's only one game seven...

On to hockey - It's been an interesting week for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Monday night in Buffalo, in typical Leafs fashion, they blew a lead - three of them to be precise - and lost in overtime on an own goal by Bryan McCabe. The third period was certainly a doozy.

I must admit I really felt for McCabe after the game. Obviously, he didn't mean to do it and made a mistake. He's been getting ripped in the media already - The Star's Damien Cox really, really hates McCabe - and you just knew he was going to be the main target for the fans and the media after the gaffe.

I'll give McCabe credit for standing up and talking to the media on Wednesday after practice. He knew he was getting ripped and his message was the right one - Relax!

Maple Leafs fans are a fickle bunch. We're still way too early in the season to be passing judgement on this team. Sure, they've been maddeningly inconsistent, but again, it's early. Give them some time to work out the kinks. I'm not going to evaluate this team until Kyle Wellwood, Carlo Colaiacovo and Mark Bell are in the lineup. At least 20 games need to be in the bag before I think we can make a logical assessment on where this team stands.

I'm also tired of hearing about McCabe's $5.5 million dollar salary. It's just nonsensical that fans calling in to the talk shows keep bringing it up. If you're not happy about his contract, blame John Ferguson, don't blame Bryan McCabe. What was he supposed to do, blush and tell Ferguson it was worth too much? He signed what was OFFERED to him, fools.

I'm not sure why Leafs fans need someone else to boo when we've got Andrew Raycroft. On a serious note, the booing doesn't help anyone (not even Raycroft, the poor sap). These are our boys, this is our team, let's embrace them. McCabe bounced back with a solid game on Thursday night, scoring a goal and dishing out some hits. I wish Leafs fans would sit back, take a deep breath, and have some green tea. It's a long season. Seven games does not a season make. The Leafs picked up a point in Buffalo Monday night, so just shutup and take it. If Toronto had picked up a point late last year against Buffalo, when they blew a 4-1 lead in the third period (and ended up losing 5-4 in regulation), they would have made the playoffs. My point is, be happy with the bloody point. Let's think bigger picture here, folks...

Still on the Leafs, how about one Nik Antropov? Long gone it seems are the days when he was the guy getting booed at the Air Canada Centre.

Stupid Leafs fans. Now they love Antropov. He's got 11 points in eight games and has been the best Leafs forward so far this young season, along with Mats Sundin. He's playing with a ton of confidence and you can see it in his game. When he puts his mind to it, he can dominate. I said it last year, for what this guy brings to the team, at $2 million a year he's an incredible bargain. The patience the Leafs have shown with him may finally be starting to pay off, almost 10 years after he was a first round draft pick. If he can stay healthy, the sky's the limit...

How good are the Philadelphia Flyers looking early on this season? Talk about a quick turnaround. They were one of the league's worst teams last year, but they cleaned house and are showing signs that they could be an elite team, and fast. Daniel Briere is leading the charge with nine points and Martin Biron is looking more than solid in net. Philadelphia has always lacked goaltending, but they may have finally found a keeper in Biron. They're definitely looking like a playoff team.

Philly's got a record of five wins and only one loss. They've scored 25 goals in their 6 games and, most impressive of all, have only let in 10. To put that into perspective, the Maple Leafs usually let in 10 goals in about 5 periods of hockey...

The Chicago Blackhawks are in town to face the Leafs tonight and they arrive in Toronto with - surprise - a winning record. It's been a long, long time since the Blackhawks were any good. I don't even remember the last time they had a winning season. I'd have to Google it to find out. Give me a second.

Ok, it was the 2001/2002 season. Ouch.

The future, however, is looking mighty bright for the young Blackhawks. Patrick Kane, last year's first overall draft pick, is already leading the team in scoring with seven points in the teams first seven games. Not too shabby. Jonathan Toews, another highly touted young Canadian, has a point in each of the five games he's suited up for. And boy did he score a beauty last night. Goal of the season, so far. Make sure you catch SportsCenter or YouTube it. Trust it.

For Chicago, the kids are alright. It should be a good test for both the Leafs and the Hawks as they face off on Hockey Night in Canada...

And finally, is the NFL coming to Toronto? The short answer is, I think, yes, at least for a pre-season game. The Bills have asked for permission from the NFL to play an exhibition game in Toronto in 2008 and a regular season game in Toronto in 2009.

This issue has gotten a lot of play in the media over the last couple of days. Here's why the Bills wouldn't relocate their franchise to Toronto - they've got a better option in Los Angeles. The NFL isn't going to expand to Canada before they put a team back in L.A. It just doesn't make sense to not go back to a huge U.S. market like La La land and instead put a franchise in Canada.

Although I think Toronto is well-deserving of an NFL team, the Rogers Centre isn't the best place for it to call home. Ralph Wilson stadium in Buffalo has got capacity for crowds of more than 80,000. The Rogers Centre can only fit 55,000. And one thing is for certain, the arrival of the NFL in Toronto, whenever it does happen (and I do think it eventually will), will mean the end of the CFL. Everyone knows that.

However, my main concern in regards to the NFL coming to Toronto, and specifically the Rogers Centre, with its lack of parking near the stadium, is where the hell would we tailgate? It's all about priorities, people...

Should I Be Worried?

It was around 12:30 pm this afternoon when I looked around my cubicle, to see if anyone was blatantly looking at me and could see my computer screen. The coast was clear, so I went ahead and made my daily online trek to TSN.ca. As the website loaded onto my slow Apple (lame excuse of a) computer, the photograph for the top storycame up. It was of Mats Sundin. There was no headline, but immediately I knew something was wrong - because the Leafs weren't playing today. Finally, what seemed like minutes later and was probably about three seconds, the headline came up - "Sundin Out 3-4 Weeks".

I froze up. He'd been injured in practice, or worse, off the ice. Everything seemed to get quiet around me. I didn't know what to do, but I finally read the lead to the story. Sundin has a torn ligament in his elbow, and is expected to miss about a month of action. I felt a sweat break out on my brow. I looked around, to see if anyone noticed the clear discomfort I was now in. I grabbed my water bottle and nourished myself. I had to stay calm.

I thought about the injury, and saw in my mind the exact moment it happened in Monday's game. Sundin was going around the Philadelphia net with his head down and as he rounded the net somebody on the Flyers - I'm not sure who - clocked him pretty hard, and the brunt of the blow was on Sundin's right arm and elbow. I remember Mats almost flinching, and I knew he was in some pain. But he finished the game. There didn't seem to be anything wrong.

But clearly he is the latest Maple Leaf to join the club's walking wounded. The only problem is, he's the best player on the team. The best player on the ice and off it. The emotional leader. The physical leader. The man with the "C". The driver of the bus. As Sundin goes, so do the Leafs.

We've been here before. Sundin was knocked out of the first game of the regular season last year. But we had a little more depth at centre ice last year. It was Eric Lindros who really picked up the slack in Sundin's absence.

Mats has had a remarkably healthy hockey career. Only in the last few years has he spent some significant time on the injured last. At the same time, he's getting older, and so is his body. At 36 years of age, he's getting up there. But he has been great so far this year. Actually, more than great. He's been dominant.

Alright hockey Gods, that's two big injuries you've thrown our way already this year. And I'm not counting the injuries to Bell, Colaiacovo, and Kronwall. Those are minor. Kubina and Sundin, those are the big ones. So now, please, chill out hockey Gods. The way I see it, it's better now than during the stretch or during the playoffs. Lets get the major injuries out of the way.

I'm worried, but at the same time excited. Mainly worried, because the Leafs are not too strong up front. Ironically, the team has scored the third-most goals in the Eastern Conference. So my argument that the team is lacking the firepower it needs is not really true. But losing Mats will certainly hurt this team. He is just too important for it not too.

I'm excited because I want to see who will step up. Wellwood's tailed off nicely since his hot start to the season. He might get a chance to move to centre ice in the wake of Sundin's injury. Maybe Peca will step up. Steen really needs to wake up and start scoring some goals, especially now that Mats is gone. O'Neill needs to continue his decent play. Matty Stajan has been good so far, but now is his chance to make that leap in his career. If Stajan doesn't finish the season with 20 goals, he's not developing properly. He's on his way, I just need him to keep it up. Antropov and Ponikarovsky need to find the net on a regular basis. The goal scoring machine known as Tomas Kaberle can hopefully continue to score the way he is right now.

I don't who will step up. Maybe nobody will, and Ferguson will be forced to address the depth up front, but I like Paul Maurice and the effort he's getting from his players. Luckily, Mats' injury isn't too serious. We just have to stay afloat while he is gone. Pavel Kubina's return will help us defensively, and hopefully Razor can stay hot. Sundin's injury will test the character of this team, and hopefully the boys can come together as a group, show some resolve and leadership, and hold the fort while Captain Mats heals.

For a team looking to find their identity and continue to play consistently, maybe this is a good thing. Mats is injured. There's nothing anyone can do about it. But maybe there is a silver lining. We all know what Sundin is all about. Now I'm hoping to find out what the rest of the team is all about. You know what, maybe I am more excited than worried. I'm lookin forward to it.

Goodnight, Toronto...

Let the Good Times Roll...

It's been quite the 72 hours in my world of sports. The Leafs beat the Sabres in Buffalo, the Argos won a thrilling playoff game at the Rogers Centre, and the Leafs capped it tonight with a 4-1 win against the Flyers at the Hangar.

I was afraid the Leafs would come out a little sluggish tonight since the Flyers SUCK. Tonight's game was a struggle and could have gone either way. Andrew Raycroft was the difference, as he has been lately. The kid's on fire and it's good to see him bounce back with great games after those beatings from Ottawa. A couple of games like that can really mess with a goalie's head - especially a young goalie like Raycroft, playing in this media crazy town - but he's shown composure and it's encouraging.

I wouldn't have been surprised had the Flyers came in tonight and won. It would have been typical for the Leafs to go into Buffalo and win a game I thought was impossible to win, and then come home and lose a game they should surely win. It seemed like that was going to happen because the Leafs had hit 5 posts by the end of the second period. I thought the hockey Gods were going to continue to shine on Nith-a-makki of Philadelphia. I LOVE the way Joe Bowen says his name. I have to admit though, that my brother called the Leafs win in Buffalo and said tonight would be a struggle. He is wise.

The facts are that the Leafs are one of the hottest teams in the league right now, and Raycroft is one of the hottest goalies. Another 40 saves for him tonight. I'm singing the McDonald's commercial in my head right now - I'm lovin it! There's no secret what great goaltending can do for a team. Here in Toronto, we've been blessed with great goaltending. Well we were, until last year, when Belfour shit the bed. Hopefully Raycroft can continue his solid play.

Shoutouts to Poni and Antropov for their game tonight. I know I hate on Antropov, but I guess I do it because its the cool thing to do - everyone's doing it! But I truly believe that at $1 million per season, he's kind of a bargain. Tonight was one of those nights where he showed flashes of the potential that made him a bloody top 10 first round pick. He shows it every once in a while. To tease us. That bastard. But he scored the game winner, so I got to give him props tonight.

And Poni's goal was a BEAUTY. It was especially for my boy 40. We've got $100 on the line that Poni will get 21 goals, his mark from last year. The PONI Count is now at 6. He's on pace, ladies and gentlemen. Poni's my boy. I urge all of you, especially 40, to join me on the Poni Express.

The Leafs have won 5 of 6, but the news gets even better. Pavel Kubina will be back in the lineup on Thursday in Beantown. Big game for our main man Raycroft, as he goes back to Boston for the first time since the trade that sent him to Toronto. Hopefully he can have a solid game and tell Boston to SHOVE IT.

And before I leave you, I've got to show love to the AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGOOOOOOOOOOOOOSS!! What a football game on Sunday. I'm not really a football fan. I never, ever watch a regular season CFL game, but in the playoffs I jump on the bandwagon ridiculously hard. I caught almost the entire game between the Argos and Blue Bombers, and it was awesome. Three downs makes for more passing and more exciting football. Screw the NFL. I want Ricky Williams - marijuana's poster boy - to win a Grey Cup! The Argos looked down and out late in the game, but Pinball Clemons put in backup QB Michael Bishop and they stormed back to win it. It was one of the most exciting football games I've ever seen. I'll be watching the Alouettes/Argos Eastern Final for sure, although I have no idea when it is...

Now that I think about it, the past 72 hours in my world of sports weren't PERFECT. The Raptors lost on Sunday to the Spurs. But I'll save my Raptors talk for later.

Goodnight, Toronto...