36 hour layover

Home sweet home ... nice to see ya, at least for a short while.

What the hell is going on in the UK? Lots of scary things going on in the world and people blame the U.S. for all of their issues. Look, there's no question the man sitting in the chair right now isn't a wonderful example of diplomacy, but when he leaves, do you really think this crap ends?

It's been going on for thousands of years and it's not going to stop because Bush leaves the White House. Sad but true statement.

OK for those of you who need a good laugh ... and I think the boys in the world will like this a heck of a lot more than the girls. Check out one of the funniest people on the planet - John Valby - known as Doctor Dirty. He's a singer/songwriter of songs for drunken idiots and I used to go see him with friends in college. While searching iTunes - found him again.

While in Boston, I was thinking back to my days of stand-up comedy - one of my all-time favorite people is DJ Hazard. Best line of his was, "this is off my album if an octopus had a big dick, how would he know? Would it be step, step, step, step, step, step, step, step, ouch ...?

That's it for now ... off to bed and then fun with the kids tomorrow before catching the late flight to the homeland. Should be a great trip.

Fenway baby!!!

Sitting behind home plate at Fenway - went to the Cask and Flagon - life is good!!! Had a great day on a coast guard cutter for our Red Lobster SMT.

Now enjoy a beautiful night at the ballpark and then a 715 am flight home to unpack and repack for the homeland.

Drove by Northeastern and stopped by Newbury Pizza (twice!). Always good to come back to Boston.

Boston sunrise

Morning all - watching sunrise In Boston from the the USS Seneca on Boston Harbor. It is a beautiful day at 5 am and the sunrise is spectacular.

The Red Lobster team is rocking and rolling - smt to start at 545. On in Atlanta and round the county on WB and local morning show - look out for chef Michael LaDuke.

More later... Fenway tonight!

Have you ever noticed...

Walking to use the facilities on the flight, I noticed that most folks are either on their laptops or on PDA's playing games.

Also noticed about 40 percent of the plane has an iPod or some sort of music gizmo.

By the way - my streak is in tact - baby sitting right behind me. There's always one within two rows.... Have 5 more segments in three weeks. I'd bet on 3 of the 5 having it. Not sure about Israel flight, in the front of the bus.

Very cool to be back in Boston ... Nothing better than flying in and seeing the Prudential Building.Off to work and to drive in a town built for doing everything but that.

Off to Beantown

Well - here goes nothing... Off to my SMT for Red Lobster and it takes me to my college home. Very excited - been a while since I have been there. Hard to believe it's been 21 years since I went there to check into Stetson Hall West.

Standing in line at Hartsfield Airport security. Line goes all the way back to baggage claim. Good to see they have got this figured out by now. Good thing I am here with 90 mins to spare.

That's all for now. I am sure I will have a good travel story later ... I am flying Delta. And most of you know what that stands for ... Don't Ever Leave The Airport.

Hasta manana...

Now that could be a great hole in one...

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070626/NEWS/706260335

Been a while for a great story of the day.... this is a classic.

And then I was reading USA Today and found this one...

Sweden OKs prison porn for rape convicts

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Convicted sex offenders are free to read pornography in their cells, a Swedish court ruled, saying the country's prison system had no right to deny an imprisoned rapist access to his porn magazines.

Officials with the Swedish Prison and Probation Service had argued that reading porn would interfere with the man's rehabilitation program. They also said the magazines posed a security problem for staff and other inmates because they could increase the risk of the man relapsing into criminal behavior.

But the Supreme Administrative Court in Stockholm, whose ruling last week cannot be appealed, said the prison service failed to prove that the magazines could "jeopardize the security of the institution."

Prison officials said they had asked the government to change the law so that they could continue to ban porn magazines at the Nordic nation's prisons.

"It increases the risk of assault for other inmates and it is provocative for personnel," Elisabeth Kwarnmark, a prison service psychologist, said in response to the ruling.

Kwarnmark said that other pornographic material, such as adult movies, channels and websites, is not permitted in Swedish prisons. Child and violent pornography are also banned.

Why NASCAR is so smart

So Dale Earnhardt Jr. wants his number 8 to come with him when he changes teams next season. Sounds good right? His new employer Rick Hendrick was going to offer his old employer and his stepmom Teresa money to buy the number. Heck, Hendrick was going to trade his number 25 to them for the 8 and money. Not bad - no issues right?

Wrong.

NASCAR told the Charlotte Observer that numbers aren't for sale and belong to NASCAR not the driver or owner.

Wow. All I can say is brilliant. Totally brilliant.

Why you may ask do I say that? Why is it so important that NASCAR has this on the books as a law and why it's important.

Simple ... let me steal the line from Jerry Maguire and Cuba Gooding, Jr., "Show me the money!"

Does anyone have a clue how many fans Dale Jr. has? Does anyone have a clue how many of those folks already own EVERYTHING with the number 8 on it? Heck folks even have tattoos of the 8.

So imagine when Dale Jr. gets his new number. Think any of those people will spend money to buy his new stuff? Heck yeah. And by the way, does NASCAR get any of that money? You betcha.

When the release the new number, color and car sponsor - the money will just fly in and NASCAR knows this and that's what this law has been on the books for a while.

Not bad for a bunch of "good ol' boys."

Monday thoughts and ramblings

Happy happy all! What's new in your world? You know you could leave a comment once in a while and make this thing interactive from time-to-time.

Oregon State won the NCAA baseball title last night for the second straight year. First time done since LSU 10 years ago. They did it after barely making the tournament and with only two position players starting from last year's team. Nice job Beavers!

The Atlanta Braves can't score in a whore house with a fist full of 50s. They have scored one run in five games and just got swept by the Detroit Tigers. Elizabeth and I went Saturday afternoon and it was the hottest day I have ever spent in a sporting event. Thanks to Fox for moving the game from 7 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Felt like an egg in a frying pan for the first six innings when the sun went down.

Who in their right mind is going to give Andruw Jones $15 mil a year when he is hitting .200? You know that someone will do it ... just a matter of which big market team will do it.

Hey the Cubs just swept the White Sox ... they are only 7.5 back of Milwaukee. Still a chance baby!! Don't give up Cubs faithful ... weirder things have happened.

And how about a shout out to my pal Andrew Silver in GCI's NY office ... as of today, the Red Sox are up 11.5 games on the Yankees. We have dinner at the Palm riding on the Yankees making the playoffs - they are still 4.5 out of the wild card. As far as I am concerned, he can keep the food, I just want all Yankee fans to suffer.

Then on the other side of the office in NYC is Steve Bonsignore who is one of them Met people. They are going to win their division by default because everyone sucks unless the Phillies wake up and I am not sure they can.

One week until NHL free agency - should be interesting to see how teams like Buffalo will deal with Daniel Briere and Chris Drury. I think they should focus on Briere as Drury will likely land with the Kings, Rangers or Sharks. Before the draft, I would have said the first two - but now that Doug Wilson cleaned out some salary - he's going to take a hard run at Drury.

By the way - be interesting to watch the Atlanta Thrashers situation. If I were a gambling man, I would bet on them missing the playoffs. And speaking of betting, how's Roger Federer look to you on the grass at Wimbledon? Yeah ... I like him too.

Back-to-back in the NHL Draft for USA

Somewhere Herb Brooks is smiling today.

For the first time ever, American born players were taken 1-2 in the NHL Draft. Not only that for back-to-back years Americans were taken number one. It's the first time that has ever happened. There were 10 Americans selected in the first round for back-to-back years. The most ever.

When the USA National Team Development Program was started in Ann Arbor about 10 years ago - people laughed and didn't think it could work. Since then the U.S. Junior team has won gold and more Americans are drafted higher and becoming better hockey players. Great job being done by Scott Monaghan and Ron Rolston. Have to give props to Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson and Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves that put the program on the map.

Funny part was that one of the Americans kids, who wasn't even born yet in 1980, idolizes Herb Brooks.

Somewhere Herbie is smiling.

By the way - if you ask me who the big winners were last night in the draft, I have three.

Third is San Jose. Doug Wilson came into the draft with NO first rounders and leaves with two - while trading away Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell. Great day for the Sharks.

Second - I love what St. Louis is building. They came away with three first round picks to add to Erik Johnson from last year. Hey St. Louis fans - you aren't far off from saying something that your President John Davidson made popular on MSG for the Rangers broadcast, "Oh....Baby!"

And to me, by total twist of fate and good fortune, the Pittsburgh Penguins ended up with Angelo Esposito. He's was the pre-season top player by Central Scouting and he was ranked eighth on the final list. Dave Molinari of the Post-Gazette with the story of how Espo got to the Burgh. Give him some time with Sid the Kid, Malkin and Staal - wow, the firepower is insane.

By the way, anyone see any of my former cohorts from the Thrashers? No first round pick and barely any television time. Saw the backend of the table once as someone walked by on the way to making their pick. Don Waddell should have been the TSN commentator just to show us that he was there.

Still the one

Got to watch AFI's Top 100 movies of all-time last night. It had been updated from 10 years ago when the first did the list.

There were many things that I questioned on the list - like why 12 Angry Men and the Shawshank Redemption weren't higher. But I will not, cannot and never will argue with the top three chosen:

1 CITIZEN KANE
2 THE GODFATHER
3 CASABLANCA

To me - you can throw them all in a mixer and I would have no issues any which way. These are by and far the best and I watch them every time they come on the dish. Matter of fact, I think I can say that about all of the top 10. I can't help myself.

The list is very interesting and it's wild to see the new additions and what fell. Some of it shocks me. To check out the full list, go to the AFI website .

Also - did anyone notice that Sammy Sosa hit his 600th home run last night? He might be a Hall of Famer - but he won't be on the first ballot for sure.

Best video of the week - Mike and Mike in the Morning - Mike Greenberg milking a cow from Stew Leonard's on set. Just classic.

Getting older, wiser

OK - so I went back to walk at Chastain Park this morning and they did it again. All of these people say good morning ... haven't even had my coffee and I have to talk to them. Crazy.

Anyway, as I was walking I realized that today is the 26th anniversary of my bar mitzvah. Which means I am getting old, but it made me laugh to think about what a pain in the butt I was back then. I was 13 and I knew it all - all of course except my parsha for my bar mitzvah. As I was walking, some of it came back to me. I remembered the opening lines and laughed that all these years later I actually remembered something.

I am leaving for Israel in 11 days and I am very excited to go back. For those of you who read my blog, I will be writing daily from Israel and I promise not to go to crazy on the soapbox. I know I have a tendency to do it in these kinds of situations, but I will fight the urge as best I can.

It has been eight years since I have been there and it was six months after the loss of dear friend Brian Fishman and I was a bit emotional. It's funny, but I was thinking about Brian yesterday and I got emotional again thinking about going back to Israel because it was one of the places we spoke of going to. It's been eight years since his passing and I still smile and think about him often. I miss him and wish he were here.

OK - so I have set the table for a solid 12 days of blogging from the homeland. Make sure to share them with people. Have a great day.

Southern Differences

OK - so how many of you have ever been to Central Park? Cool place - but not the friendliest place in the world. People don't stop and say hello to strangers. It just doesn't happen and if it does, you look at the person like they have five heads.

Which brings me to today when I went to walk with my friend, Harris, at Chastain Park. Started for a 45 minute walk around the park and along the way passed a bunch of people. Almost everyone of them said good morning to us. Half even did so with their iPods on.

Harris and I laughed about it - but it's one of the best parts about living in the South.

Y'all need to try it out ... weather ain't bad either...

NHL thoughts and ramblings

So - there's a hot rumor coming out of Ottawa that John Muckler is out as GM and that Bryan Murray will be GM/coach of the team. It's interesting considering the team made the finals and Muckler has done a great job putting the pieces together. Hey Muck - wanna blame Ted Nolan for this one, too???

Still trying to figure out what they are doing in Boston after firing coach Dave Lewis after his first year. Why wait till mid-June to do it?

And speaking of nuts, the Canadiens found someone to take Sergei Samsonov's contract off of their hands. Hey Chicago - good luck with that one.... let me know how it works out for you.

Happy Father's Day!

Good day here - had fun with the kids and went to the in-laws for dinner and to watch the end of the U.S. Open.

Interesting to see Tiger struggle down the stretch with the putter and yet only one shot back. Still wondering why Jim Furyk pulls driver on 17 - think he does too.

Can't believe we are going to Israel in two weeks. Been eight years and a lifetime ago since we went in 1999. Should be a great trip.

Quiet time

So since Sunday I have been a bachelor. The family went to the beach for the week and I have had complete silence in my house.



Insane thought isn't it? Haven't had silence like this in a while and it's interesting.



Sunday afternoon I kicked back sat by the pool, read, drank a beer and smoked a cigar. Did all of it without interuption. Scary. Can't even tell you the last time I did that.



Now, while I joke that it has been great - it's a little strange to be all alone. I am so used to having a rugrat around me or my wife near by.

Sopranos ending

Well - I have watched it twice and I am still torn.

Love the way Phil went out - but the rest of it, not sure. Paulie with the cat was great. Almost as funny as when he sat with the kids at Bobby's funeral and unzipped his pants. Classic.

A.J. is great too - just when the kid has a shot to get a hot girl - the car catches on fire. Just funny.

I still think there's a movie coming. With Carlo flipping to the feds - it can center around the trial of Tony and have flashbacks.

Could be good. What do you think?

Quacking up!!

OK - tell me you watched last night???

Tell me you saw Scott Niedermayer pass the Stanley Cup to his brother Rob? Every kid that plays this game and has a sibling doing the same dreams of that moment.

Tell me you saw Teemu Selanne crying with his wife on the bench embracing after he realized his dream? A kid from Finland - where they dream of winning Olympic medals first and foremost, raising the cup over his head with a smile wider than the Pacific Ocean.

Tell me you saw the Cup skated around the rink and you don't realize why this is the GREATEST trophy in sports.

Scott Niedermayer was the only Duck to have won before so it was great to watch all the newbies with the trophy. By the way, great story on SI.com on the brothers with the cup.

As my loyal readers know, I picked the Ducks to win the cup in August. I put some money down in Vegas and it came in nicely. I then picked the Ducks to win the series in five against Ottawa - heck, I even called scores for most of the series and described the games. No, I don't have any mighty powers that gave me the vision to see the future. I did have the vision to see one thing - Brian Burke built a team based on goaltending, defense, speed and strength. And they were too big, too strong and too much for Ottawa's finesse team.

Burke is a brash man with incredible vision. I can tell you that he went into the 1999 NHL Draft with Vancouver with a few picks and he was brash enough to tell all his fellow General Managers that he was "the only one who was going to walk out of the draft with the Sedin twins." Know what - he was right. He was the only one with enough players and picks and the smarts to get the deal done with the Edmonton Oilers for Chris Pronger. Heck he stole Francois Beauchemin from Columbus (and don't think Beauchemin won't thank him forever for getting him out!).
Asst. General Manager David McNab found college kids along the way like Andy MacDonald and Dustin Penner and thus a solid Cup contender was born.

Oh by the way, how the hockey world could have been different. The three finalist for the Atlanta Thrashers GM job - Don Waddell, Dallas' Les Jackson and Burke.

Obviously you need breaks along the way and the Ducks got most of them. Twice they had to play without Chris Pronger due to suspension and they won both of those games. They have never lost a Stanley Cup Finals game at home and they clinched every series this year at home.

Now Burke will be the first to say that his predecessor, Bryan Murray, left him an incredible team when he went to Ottawa. If you saw Murray's post game interview, he knew that he got beat by his own team after waiting his whole career to get to the finals. Sorta unfair.

As great as it was to see the Ducks win, I felt bad for Murray. One of the class acts in the sport and when his own team knocked a puck in their own net they cut to Murray and it was if he was going to start laughing because he couldn't believe what he saw. Hopefully he will have another kick at the can, but if he doesn't bring a tougher, more physical team ... the same result will happen.

And by the way, I keep hearing folks talking about the rest hurt Ottawa and that a bunch of them were hurt. Last night, Scott Niedermayer won the Conn Smythe trophy, played a ridiculous amount of minutes throughout the playoffs and did it all with supposed hairline fracture in his foot. Odds are he had one for a while and it looked like it hurt him at times ... but hey, somehow he got through it. Why now in losing to I have to hear from the Canadian writers about injuries to their team. Heck - last night, Pronger separated his shoulder DURING THE GAME and he came back to play well in the second and third periods. It's the playoffs, everyone is hurt and banged up. Get over it.

Sorta like I have to get over the fact that the season is over... have to wait till September to see more hockey... ughhhhh!


For the best coverage of the cup post game - TSN.CA and ESPN.COM

Great story on my pal David McNab...

From CBC Sports.com

Going to school
Smart scouting paying dividends for Ducks

Doug Harrison, CBC Sports
Seeking another diamond in the rough, Anaheim Ducks assistant general manager David McNab packed his bags early in the 2003-04 hockey season.

He wasn't heading for the junior leagues in Canada, or to scout elite squads in Sweden, Russia or the Czech Republic. Instead, he was leaving for the University of Maine, one of a host of U.S. colleges McNab sees as fertile ground for future stars.

While scouting the Black Bears, McNab was intrigued by the play of six-foot-four, 230-pound freshman Dustin Penner. After the game, McNab picked the brain of old friend Grant Standbrook, an assistant coach at Maine.

"Grant told me about Dustin, that he found him at a summer evaluation camp in Saskatoon in 2002," McNab told CBC Sports Online. "I said, 'he's a pretty good player.' I think he wished I hadn't said as much, but I was actually there looking at someone else."

McNab returned to Anaheim and raved to then-Ducks GM Bryan Murray about Penner, a left-winger who went unnoticed in the NHL Entry Draft a few years earlier.


About three months later McNab signed Penner, one of 11 players to skate for the Ducks this season who had played some U.S. college hockey.

In his first full NHL season this year, Penner scored 29 goals and 45 points skating on the Ducks' second scoring line alongside Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. He has added five points and a plus-2 rating in 18 playoff games.

While Penner has been the poster boy for Anaheim’s philosophy to sign undrafted college players, linemates Chris Kunitz and Andy McDonald have made key contributions in the team’s run to the Stanley Cup finals.

Lesser-known types such as Ryan Shannon and Ryan Carter, whom the Ducks also signed out of college in 2005 and 2006, respectively, have also been valuable additions.

Anaheim certainly isn’t the only team to go the college route, as 17 of the 30 players to play at least one game for New Jersey in 2006-07 were former collegians.

But the Ducks are gaining notoriety for scouring the college ranks, with three of their top six forwards entering the 2007 post-season having spent time in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

"We decided it was an avenue for us," said McNab, an original member of the Ducks who began his tenure in 1993 as director of player personnel. "There were always college free agents over the years – Ed Belfour, Mike Johnson and Curtis Joseph.

"We thought maybe it was a good way to get players. The draft is such a long process. You have to watch the top players and there is so much pressure to do it right, especially in the early rounds.”


In 2000, McNab and company targetted McDonald, a speedy five-foot-10 centre at Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y.

McNab hadn't seen the native of Strathroy, Ont., play until his senior year when he scored 25 goals and 58 points in 34 games.

"In 2000, I think Andy McDonald was not only the best free agent but the best player in college hockey," said McNab, a former goaltender at the University of Wisconsin.

McNab said NHL teams that have been successful over the years had homegrown players, a core group they developed together.

“But we didn’t go into [the college ranks] thinking, ‘let’s sign five guys and hope one makes it.’ We really didn’t feel we had to sign somebody every year,” said McNab. “If we didn’t get the player we wanted, we didn’t sign anyone.”

Alain Chainey, Anaheim’s director of amateur scouting, told CBC Sports Online that college players are attractive to teams because of their maturity.

“They go to school, practise every day within a good system and work hard off the ice,” he said.
Shannon, who collected 45 points in 38 games in his senior year at Boston College, had 11 points in 53 games in his rookie season for the Ducks.

And Carter dressed for Games 4, 5, and 6 of the Western Conference final against Detroit after posting 36 points in 76 games this year for the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League.
"[Ducks coach] Randy [Carlyle] had no problem putting him on the ice [in must-win playoff games]," Chainey said. "The fact he put Ryan out there, he thought he was good enough to play [in the NHL].”

Like McDonald, Kunitz, Penner and Shannon before him, Carter wants to play for the Ducks.

"What I'm happiest about with these [college] guys is that they chose to come here," said McNab. "Anaheim wasn't their favourite team growing up, they weren't drafted here, they didn't get more money from us. They were getting the same offers from other teams.

“It was their decision and I'm happy they have had success here.”

Tonight is the night

The title is stolen from one of my all-time favorite movies, Midnight Run ... and it's changed so that it's not with the curse word that Dennis Farina added.

But NBC tonight will have Lord Stanley's cup will be skated tonight after a dominating 5-2 win by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. If Andy MacDonald does anything great, he could have a shot at the Conn Smythe, but I will take J.S. Giguere in the pipes for that honor.

If you don't like hockey, I would ask you to Tivo the game and add an hour past the time slot so you can see the greatest trophy in sports skated and see how grown men turn into little kids around it.

I only wish I have the Canadian coverage for tonight - CBC and TSN do it by far better than ANYONE ELSE!!!!!

Tuesday sing-a-long

C'mon - you know you want to sing it with me...

Andy MacDonald scored two goals ... E I E I O!!!!

Can't you just hear Chris Berman doing the highlights and singing that???

Which by the way, you want to know what the NHL sucks??? NHL diehards like me are DYING to watch post game coverage and we get ZIP, NADA, NOTHING!!! I know I am nuts, but I am not the only one wanting to wind down after a great game with some anaylsis and interviews. Mr. Bettman - please for the love of God, step down after this year. Owners - don't let Bill Daly take over - just be the same old same old...

OK - not to say that I know my hockey, but I have this thing pegged dead on. The Ducks are 7-0 in closeout games of a series at home. Plus Chris Pronger is back in the lineup and don't you think he wants a little redemption. I am sure he was thanking J.S. Giguere last night something fierce after the game he played.

The game was over after the first period when Ottawa couldn't muster more than a goal and they got that with 0.3 seconds left on the clock. Anaheim stepped up and just played their game - kept it simple and physical and took advantage of their opportunities.

On the game winner, it was a nice play by the Ducks, but the Sens got caught with three men in the offensive zone - two trying to make a hit and missing the puck. As if that weren't bad enough Wade Redden made a horrible read and turned to the boards and got beat by Teemu Selanne, which set-up the odd man break for the Ducks and the Dustin Penner goal.

The only issue I had with the game is that there was no penalty called on Daniel Alfredsson on his bush-league shot at Scott Neidermayer at the end of the second period. If you saw the overhead NBC had, there was NO way to dispute he changed his shooting angle in his back swing. The league better look at it and think about suspending him for the next game - there is NO PLACE in the NHL for that kind of behavior and needs to be dealt with quickly. Just a farce if he, or anyone who would do this, gets away with it.

For the first time in NHL history, the Cup will be skated in the Pacific time zone and more importantly in California. And this time Giguere can win the Conn Smythe on the winning side of the ledger.

Let me close with my song of the day ...

Anaheim will skate the Cup on Wednesday night ... E I E I O.... (my dear friend Anaheim Asst. GM) Dave McNab will be drinking from it all night ... E I E I O.

Happy Monday

Hope ya had a good weekend. All good in Barkan household, but hey give me time to mess it up.

Went swimming with the kids yesterday and it was just fun hanging with them. Abbie and I played croquet - someone gave her a kids set for her birthday. Was classic.

So weekend news and notes - LeBron is going to the NBA Finals. No one should be rooting for him more than David Stern. If the Spurs win, the MVP should be Stern and the league for the Suns series. Just a joke.

Chris Pronger got suspended from game four for an elbow to the head of Dean McAmmond. Call was close - but fine, suspend him. The last time the league did so, the Ducks won and they will do it again tonight. Jean-Sebastien Giguere won't have two bad games in a row and he will win the game for the Ducks, 3-1.

Yanks took two out of three from the Red Sox and still look no better. Roger Clemens may look good in the pinstripes, but he cannot help the problems this team has. Hey, does anyone remember the April A-Rod had? It was good, but not as good as the blond he was with in Toronto that everyone is speaking of now.

So Billy Donovan wants to go back to Florida? Gee what a shock. What is wrong with these power hungry moron college coaches that think more money will make they happy? Donovan has a great gig and can call his own shots at UF. The Magic are an OK team - but they will never be his. They will always be Dwight Howard's team and if Donovan goes there, when they win it won't be because of Billy, but if they lose it will be.

Story of the day - the Yankees could get out of the Roger Clemens deal if they want to. Might be worth saving the money at this point George.... or maybe you can deal him to Houston for Roy Oswalt. NOT!

Has anyone decided who they are voting for in the 08 Presidential election? If you have, how and why have you chosen that person? I keep looking and watching and wondering

Of all the gin joints in all the world....

Why do I have to be in Orlando today?? I mean seriously.... I have to be here on the day that the Orlando Magic hire Billy Donovan. It's front page news on the Orlando Sentinel.

And while friends of mine who are Gators and will remain nameless, send out emails of how it will be "OK" - I sit back and laugh at them. It's going to be interesting to see who they hire next - do you stay in the Donovan family of coaches or go outside. You never want to be the coach to follow the great coach - you want to be the one to follow the man who followed the great coach.

I can't get away from these damn Gators ... even on a business trip, geez.

OK - back to the more important subject - Stanley Cup Finals! Tomorrow night 8 p.m. on NBC - prime time ... YEAH! Even better - Don Cherry will be on the NBC broadcast. For those that are used to watching him on CBC I am sure he will be more tame on American television ... I hope not, but I am sure he will be.

Back to game 2 for a moment - every broadcaster has said the same thing about it, they have never seen a more dominant performance in a 1-0 win and they are soooooo right.

Ottawa's Bryan Murray is going to have to do something with his lines to get some kind of sustained offense going. But I don't think he has the team to pull this one off. Anaheim is just to big, too strong and with the best goalie. I think Ottawa will get an early lead and then hang on to survive a 3-2 win.

I will say this, if the Heatley, Alfredsson, Spezza line doesn't get a goal they could very easily go down 3-0. I think they break out a little and keep the series alive for another day or so...

Still say Ducks in 5 - won't give it up.