You know all that hype? Believe it.

Look at Ovechkin. Look at those two grown men embracing. Good times are being had by all. (Well, except the Penguins. And their fans.)

It's Ovechkin vs Crosby and Malkin. Ovie vs Sid and Geno. Three of hockey's finest players, none older than 23, squaring off in the second round of the playoffs. A series that is so far - somehow - actually living up to its incredulous media hype.

And I've been kind of apathetic towards it. I figured it was just that: hype. 

I've caught about 45 minutes of actual action throughout the first two games. Truthfully, I've been watching more Toronto Blue Jays baseball. Hey, they're a first place team, asshole. (Playoffs!!1)

Full highlights of games one and two have been watched, though. Amply. A helluva playoff series is going down. The stars are shining. Well, except that Malkin guy. And, umm, where was this Varlamov character all season?

I caught the third period last night, and my reaction to hat-tricks by both Crosby and Ovechkin was a hearty "fuck off." (Ovie's third was something, enough for Bob Cole's trademarked "OH BABY!") Both #87 and #8 have officially taken their game to the proverbial "next level." It certainly does exist. And it's slightly arousing to watch.

Wednesday night, the Blue Jays are in Anaheim. Which means a most accomodating 10:05 PM eastern start time. One that works out perfectly because, clearly, there's a hockey game to be watched.

As the fine folks at Puck Daddy pointed out a few days ago, Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky never met in the playoffs. I guess this is what it would have been like.

Some quick, penetrating thoughts: Crosby complaining about hats being thrown on the ice to celebrate an Ovechkin hat-trick - the nerve of Washington fans! - is going to do wonders for his reputation as a whiny little bitch crybaby. He must have the same PR guy as Mats Sundin ... Chris Kunitz is officially a douchebag. Cross-checking the goalie in the neck? Stay classy ... Mario Lemieux's playoff beard can only be admired and appreciated. I am in love with that man. Did you know that when he came into the league Lemieux asked to wear #99? So as to not draw too much attention to his desire to be better than Gretzky, and create his own brand, he simply flipped the numbers around. What a man ... It's going to be quite the afternoon: Brett Cecil makes his MLB debut for the Jays, followed by Man United vs Arsenal. For Cecil, the beginning of a promising career. For the Gunners, the end of their Champions League aspirations.

Thieves in the Night

This one's for my man Lloyd the Barber ...

Black Star. Making me choose between it and Reflection Eternal is akin to making me choose between Mats Sundin and Dougie Gilmour, or Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky. There is no right or wrong answer.

The following is from Wikipedia:

The title [Black Star] is a reference to a shipping line founded by Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey ...

The centrepiece of the album, "Thieves in the Night," was inspired by author Toni Morrison's novel The Bluest Eye. In the album's liner notes, Kweli explains that the paragraph "struck me as one of the truest critiques of our society, and I read that in high school when I was 15 years old. I think it is especially true in the world of hip hop, because we get blinded by these illusions." The excerpt interpolated in the song is as follows:

And fantasy it was, for we were not strong, only aggressive; we were not free, merely licensed; we were not compassionate, we were polite; not good but well-behaved. We courted death in order to call ourselves brave, and hid like thieves from life.

And the version on the track:

"Not strong, only aggressive/Not free, we only licensed/Not compassionate, only polite (now who the nicest?)/Not good but well behaved/Chasin' after death so we can call ourselves brave, still livin' like mental slaves/Hiding like thieves in the night from life/Illusions of oasis making you look twice.

Amazing, eh?

There's more. Check out the following. Mos Def and live jazz music is an incredible combination ...

Mos and Kweli released Black Star back in 1998. Should the two of them return to the studio to make another album together, it would be like your favourite team winning a championship, 11 years after their first title. Needless to say, it would be a beautiful thing.

#4 Bobby Orr Turns 60

As a young boy growing up in Toronto, I fell in love with the game of hockey. Watching the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux ply their trade was something I'll never forget. Those two players are, and always will be, synonymous with hockey greatness, along with one more: Bobby Orr.

Number four. The man whom Don Cherry says is the greatest hockey player to ever lace up a pair of skates. Of course, I never got to see Orr play. He was before my time. But many didn't get the chance either, as wonky knees robbed Orr of his prime years, and forced him into retirement at the unbelievably young age of 31.

Bobby Orr, the kid from Parry Sound, turned 60 last week. For those that were lucky enough to watch him play, it seems like only yesterday that he did. Last night on TV Ontario's The Agenda With Steve Paikin Globe and Mail sports columnist Stephen Brunt, whose work I thoroughly enjoy both at The Globe and on McCowan's Prime Time Sports, sat down with Steve Paikin to talk about the great Bobby Orr, the man and the myth.

As a self-proclaimed hockey nut, and a religious watcher of Hockey Night In Canada, I've always had a good idea of who Bobby Orr is and what he did for the game of hockey. In all honesty though, I never knew how good he really was on the ice. His statistics blew me away.

In only 657 career NHL games, Orr racked up an incredible 915 points (270 goals, 645 assists). Don't forget, Orr was a defenceman. He revolutionized the position, and is one of the few who changed the game as we know it. Orr also contributed when it mattered most, registering 92 points in 74 career playoff games, and winning two Stanley Cups.

Orr's records speak for themselves. He was the first defenceman to score 20 goals in a season, and the first player, at any position, to ever win three straight MVP awards.

When New York Rangers defenceman Brian Leetch tallied 102 points in the 1991/1992 NHL season, I remember being blown away by his scoring prowess from the defence position. Well, Leetch's 102 points had nothing on Orr. From 1969 to 1975, Orr had seasons of 120, 139, 117, 101, 122, and 135 points respectively. Simply phenomenal numbers.

Unfortunately, after his 135-point 1974/1975 season, Orr's injured knees limited him to only 36 games over the next three years. In 1979 Orr, hockey's brightest star, was forced to walk away from the sport in his prime.

Gordie Howe, Mr. Hockey himself, has called Orr's premature retirement "the greatest blow the National Hockey League has ever suffered."

Orr was definitely one of the best hockey players to ever play the game, and I hope you'll click here to watch the interview with Stephen Brunt, author of "Searching For Bobby Orr," or download the podcast, to learn more about #4's life, and what he means to Canadian culture.

And before I forget, happy belated birthday Bobby Orr.

Federer or Woods?

This just in: Roger Federer is good at tennis. Federer won his fourth straight U.S. Open title on Sunday, and so the debate rages on - who's better at what they do? Federer or Tiger Woods?

I'm having a hard time believing that this Roger Federer fellow is human. The man is simply a tennis machine. What he's been doing in tennis is simply incredible. Watching him in action is like watching Michael Jordan on the basketball court, or Wayne Gretzky on the ice. He is the best in tennis today, and is making a strong bid for the title of the best tennis player ever.

Federer is the first man since Bill Tilden in the 1920's to win the U.S. Open four times in a row. It was his 12th major tournament title and, at a remarkable 26 years old, he's only two major's away from the record of 14 set by American Pete Sampras.

I watched a lot of Pete Sampras as a youth. He was a phenomenal tennis player, and was my favourite growing up. I'll never forget the classic Sampras-Agassi battles. It is, however, Federer's time. Move over, Pistol Pete. At only 26, there isn't a doubt in my mind Federer will break Sampras' record. All records are made to broken, right?

What makes it easy to cheer for Federer is the fact that it's impossible to hate him. Seriously, I've never met anyone who actually hates Federer. It truly is impossible. He's a man of few words and emotions, and is a humble superstar. He knows he's the best tennis player on the planet, but you wouldn't know it by his actions.

Federer also, it seems, does not feel pressure. None. Nada. Zilch. In the final against Novak Djokovic, he held five set points in the first set, and another two in the second set. It was incredible to watch. It was like he just flipped a switch, took control, and simply refused to lose. A stunned Djokovic could only look to the heavens and wonder how he could possibly let seven set points go to waste.

The exploits of Roger Federer and Tiger Woods cannot be overlooked. We, as sports fans, have the privelege of watching two of the finest athletes of our time dominate their respective sports in ways no men ever have. Both Federer and Woods have a way of making tennis and golf - two rather difficult sports - look ridiculously simple.

After winning the PGA championship in August, Tiger Woods now has 13 career major titles under his belt, and 60 career tournament wins overall. He's only five away from the record of 18 majors, set by none other than the Golden Bear Jack Nicklaus. Woods is only 31 years old. Nicklaus was 35 when he won his 13th. It's only a matter of time before Woods becomes golf's greatest statistical player.

On a side note, I wonder how many gold and green jackets Tiger actually has in his closet. I wonder if he wears the jackets at home. I wonder if he wears them to parties, or when he has company. Hmm...

Tiger Woods was born to play golf. Roger Federer was born to play tennis. It's as simple as that, folks. At the end of the day, however, I've got to go with Roger Federer on this one. Simply because tennis is so much more of a physically demanding sport.

Federer has such immense talent and endurance. He has won five straight Wimbledon titles, and now four straight U.S. open titles. His consistency, both physically and mentally, is nothing short of astounding.

But you tell me, who would you take?