NHL Free Agent Signings
In one of the most explosive weekends of free agent signings ever to be held, both hockey and basketball truly out did themselves, sending numerous star players to new beginnings.
If you didn't like Toronto before, you're going to really hate them now. The JT (John Tavares) Sweepstakes, the biggest one of them all, was won by the team every person outside of Ontario despises, the smug Maple Leafs. Being a Mississauga boy, it really came down to two teams: the Islanders whom he spent the first nine years of his illustrious career with, or coming back home to Toronto to a hero’s welcome. He chose home!
Mind you, $11 million a season for seven years, with $71 mil of it guaranteed, doesn't exactly hurt either. (PS: Rumour has it that Don Whitby, Ian Whyte, Jason Routledge and Bob Cochrane have already booked their flights for the Stanley Cup parade for next June).
Among the many other players changing addresses, re-signing or traded, which amazingly involved at least 156 players, are: James Neal going from Vegas to Calgary (scoring goals isn't their problem), Tyler Bozak going from the Leafs to the Blues for $5 mil a year (way too much), Jets' Paul Stastny to Vegas for almost $6 mil a season (Chevy couldn't match it), and two former Wheat Kings' captains, who will fatten their piggy banks. Eric Fehr is headed to Minnesota for one season while scrappy Matt Calvert pockets 10 big ones over three years as he takes his act to the Rocky Mountain Avalanche.
The only real big fish left in the bowl is Ottawa's super star d-man Erik Karlsson who, if he had any brains, would take his cue from JT and get out of "Dodge" as fast as he can and go West, anywhere. The Senators are currently a dysfunctional organization and that is no place for a player of his status to pitch a tent.
NBA
On the hard court, King James, who's been in the finals for eight straight seasons, moves his throne to Hollywood where he joins the storied Los Angeles Lakers franchise.
Interesting move going to the Western Conference because he will have to go through the Warriors if he wants to make it to the finals again. Not happening!
Chris Paul (Houston) and overrated Paul George (OKC), both signed four-year, $160 million deals. Crazy, man!
FIFA- World Cup
The World Cup is down to their final eight teams and it's been a tremendous success so far, mainly due to the fact that the host Russians are surprisingly still playing, having been given very little respect or chance to advance to the playoffs in the first place.
Ranked 32 in the 32-team tournament, the Russian Bear is making President Putin very proud with upset wins over powerful football nations, in particular Spain. The Kremlin is rejoicing in their team's glory and their many comrades are taking advantage of the temporary lax liquor laws to celebrate big time in Red Square.
Enjoy it while you can my little happy Cossacks because once the final game is over, so is your party, the KGB will shut it all down as soon as the TV cameras are gone.
Great to see England get that proverbial monkey off their back when they won their first ever World Cup game by means of a penalty kickoff, previously going 0-3.
Quarter finals will see England win over Sweden, France will get by Uruguay, Brazil will sneak by Belgium while the Russians will ride their country's euphoric wave with a big upset win over Croatia.
SWBL
The regular season is over on Sunday. After the Oilers' loss to the Dodgers on Friday, the only way the Reston Rockets can still catch them and get into the playoffs is to win their remaining two games against Rivers and Wawanesa. Playoffs should start this Wednesday.
Until next time....
