Now the Real Fun Begins

Not that the 1st round of the NHL playoffs wasn't great - because it was - but now, as we prepare for Round 2 tomorrow night, we can get ready to watch games with those "average" teams that get into the playoffs just to be knocked out early. The Nashvilles, the Bostons, and yes the Ottawas, are all calling their friends to book tee times today. It's time for the elite eight to show why they belong at this point in the playoffs.

EAST

Montreal v Philadelphia: When both teams are pushed to the brink in their 1st round series, the boring argument of rest v momentum gets thrown out the window. Thankfully. For the Habs, you can look at their near-collapse - followed by a dominating game 7 performance - either as an eye-opener or cause for concern. While it may be the latter, I don't think the Flyers pose a serious enough threat to make it worrisome. Canadiens in 6.

Pittsburgh v New York: As much as everyone - including me - wants to see the Pens advance to the East final, let me make these arguments for the Rangers: more experience with the likes of Jagr and Shanahan, the advantage in the pest department (who would you hate to play more? Avery or Ruutu? Exactly.), and, most importantly, superior goaltending. Sorry, Sid. Not this year. Rangers in 7.

WEST

Detroit v Colorado: As much as we'd all like a rematch of the great series these two teams had in the 90s, the absence of Claude Lemieux really dents that dream. Maybe the Avs can work out a deal to bring him back for the week. With Detroit's goaltending, or lack thereof, and the way Colorado played against Minnesota, I could see this one ending with an upset. Avalanche in 7.

San Jose v Dallas: The Sharks are in a similar spot to the Habs; taking to the max by a team that didn't belong to their talent pool. But while Montreal is inexperienced, San Jose isn't, and the scare against Calgary (and trust me, it was a scare) should wake up the Sharks. I hope. Sharks in 6.

Record: 6-2

Big Hurt's Bitching may bring Barry Bonds

After yet another slow start for Frank Thomas, rather than assuming this is just like most other seasons and wait it out, the Blue Jays have decided to grant him his unconditional release.

Rumours abound that the decision was for business reasons, as the Jays would have had to pay an extra $10 million if Thomas passed 1,000 plate appearances over this season and last. With 600+ already in the bank, it seemed the Big Hurt was well on his way to the mark.

The one thing that the Jays did right here was release Thomas before he became a distraction. Leaving a future Hall of Famer on the bench while starting Rod Barajas of all people at DH would have been uncomfortable for many. However, releasing him of his contract does not release the Jays of the $9 million-odd payout for the rest of this year and next.

Clearly, there were other forces at work here rather than just business and baseball. After the unfortunate departures of Shea Hillenbrand and Ted Lilly, the forces that be foresaw another ugly incident in their future, and cut the cord before the damage was done.

Now the Jays need a DH, and a rotation of Matt Stairs, Lyle Overbay, Shannon Stewart, and Rod Barajas will not cut it in the increasing difficult A.L. East. The Jays need a big bat in the middle of the line-up to protect Alex Rios and Vernon Wells, and there's only one man out there with the kind of talent who is available:

Barry Bonds.

Yes, that Barry Bonds. Mr. Tax Cheating, Steroid Taking, Mad at the World Bonds. But, he would add left-handed power the Jays sorely lack, and with frequent visits to Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park - two parks with short right field perches - a left-handed power bat would be welcome.

Also, even though he's 147 now (give or take), he'll still command respect from A.L. pitchers, so a .500 OBP isn't out of the question, and for a team that struggles to get base runners, Bonds would fit in nicely.

Yes, his personality is a problem. Yes, he has legal issues. Yes, many fans would not be happy. But all that would go away if the Jays win the World Series.

Is this likely? About as likely as Bonds being proven innocent. But, one can dream.

Maybe Next Year

Today, Trevor Immelman, a golfer who only his parents have heard of, won the Masters by three strokes over the heretofor invincible (or maybe it just seemed that way) Tiger Woods. The talk this morning was that even though Tiger was FIVE shots back, and even though he has never come back to win a major on Sunday, that today was the day for Tiger to do it and win yet another green jacket.

Immelman shot a poor 75, yet still cleared Tiger by 3 strokes.

The point of all this? It's time for the sports media to open their collective eyes and realize that Tiger Woods, amazing as he is, is still a human being. He has bad days, or even bad tournaments. Although he wasn't bad this weekend, he was too far behind on Thursday and Friday to have a legitimate shot to win the Masters in '08.

The second point? Never again (or, at least until next April) will we have to hear about Tiger's chances at the grand slam.

Yet, I have a hunch we won't hear that talk about Trevor Immelman either.

April Is The Cruelest Month

The NHL playoffs are 48 hours away (approximately), and it's time to fail miserably at my predictions for the outcomes of the series. As always, any monetary loss that comes from following these picks will not be recouped by me.

EAST

Montreal v Boston: The Habs have a long history of riding rookie goaltenders to playoff glory (Patrick Roy, Ken Dryden), and they have dominated the Bruins this year. Even without Saku Koivu, it's hard to imagine Montreal losing this series. Canadiens in 4.

Pittsburgh v Ottawa: The Sens are in free fall; after starting out 16-3 this year, Ottawa has crumbled, finishing 7th in the East. Dysfunctional locker room, below average goaltending, injured captain against a team that is looking for revenge after losing to the Sens in 5 last year. Pens in 5.

Washington v Philadelphia: The hottest team in the Eastern Conference are the Capitals, and with the presumed Hart Trophy winner leading the way, things are looking up for Washington. Philly struggled in February and March, but picked it up late in the season to clinch a playoff birth. This one could go either way, and in those cases, I always go with the better goalie. Capitals in 6.

New Jersey v New York: The best series of the 4. The Rangers dominated Jersey this year, only losing one game. But, that game was Sunday's finale, where a Rangers win would have given them home ice. This one will go 7, and I have a hunch the Rangers will find a way to pull it out against Brodeur and the Devils. Rangers in 7.

WEST


Detroit v Nashville: It's hard to imagine, but the President's Trophy winners are forgotten in the world of Sharks, Ducks, and Penguins. But if the Wings lose to Nashville, heads will roll. Red Wings in 5.

San Jose v Calgary: Do you even have to ask? Sharks in 6.

Minnesota v Colorado: The Wild quietly won the the Northwest division this year, but with the addition of Foote and Forsberg, not to mention the cavalcade of talent that was there before, I can't see Minnesota taking this series. Avalanche in 6.

Ducks v Stars: The defending Cup champs are poised for another deep run this year, but the Stars should give them enough of a run to make things difficult for Anaheim in the second round. Ducks in 6.

Caps In, Canes Out, Jays Dominate, Raptors Suck

That's Saturday's sports in a nutshell, folks. Washington did what Carolina couldn't - beat the Florida Panthers (a team long out of the playoffs) when it counted for real. As a result, the Canes are out of the playoffs this year, not too far removed from their Stanley Cup winning year. It just goes to show you how even the NHL is this year.

On the other side, the league, TSN, and NBC must be happy tonight; instead of having to show Carolina hockey this post-season, they get to show Alex Ovechkin and the exciting Capitals. Here's hoping they draw the Pens in the 2nd round.

The Jays won their second straight over the Red Sox, 10-2, in a dominating performance by the majority of the team. Jesse Litsch kept the Jays' starters' streak going of 5 straight strong outings by the starting staff. Tomorrow, one of the best pitching match-ups of the year (and it's only April) - Roy Halladay v Josh Beckett.

Apparently, the Raptors are still playing. I had no idea. You see, after the Leafs were eliminated and the Jays started this season, the Toronto sports media has ignored the Dinos. Good thing too - they lost again tonight, this time to New Jersey. They have now lost to Charlotte (twice), Atlanta, and the Nets this week. I should have faith in this team this year because...?

NHL playoff predictions coming soon...