Greastest Jays Pitcher of All-Time

New article is posted on the Bleacher Report website.

Go read and vote on who you think the best Jays pitcher of all-time is...

Pat Hengten
Tom Henke
Roy Halladay
Dave Steib

The countdown to opening day is on.

Fantastic Four

After the first round of the NCAA tournament many people complained that there were no upsets, everything went "chalk" and this was going to be the most boring tournament in years. Then during the sweet sixteen and elite eight we were given some very exciting games (Villanova vs. Pitt and Kansas vs. Michigan St.) and the teams that are moving on to Detroit for the Final Four have definately played the best during the tournament. Here is an early preview of what we can expect next weekend in Motown...

Michigan St. vs. UCONN

Michigan St. went and beat last years champion Kansas and the vaunted Big East champion and overall number one seed Louisville Cardinals during a two day spree. Led by sharp shooting, rebounding and the good coaching of Tom Izzo they have played consistently and will be a tough game for another Big East team, the UCONN Huskies.

The Huskies led by freshamn Kemba Walker and future NBA centre Hasheem Thabeet are a physical team that control the boards and have the ability to make the big shots when they are called for. Although the team is going through some off-court turmoil they have so far managed to put the distraction behind them and have turned in the performance many expected from the squad.

Look for the both teams to play lock down defence, a big battle in the middle between the Spartans Goran Suton who had a great game in the Elite Eight and UConn's aforementioned Thabeet will be a determining factor. Many of the games in the tournament have come down to which team comes out firing and playing in their backyard of Ford Field, the MSU Spartans will take the early lead and hold off a late charge by the Huskies, booking their ticket to the Championship game.

Villanova vs. UNC

Is this 1985? Seeing the Villanova Wildcats in the final four, it sure does feel like it. The Wildcats get to play in Detroit based upon a victory of Big East rivals Pitt in the Elite Eight. 'Nova beat Pitt for the second time this season, demonstrating that the Big East really was that good from top to bottom. After seeing such strong competition during the regular season and during the tournament so far, Villanova won't be scared of who is waiting for them - the UNC Tar Heels.

The Tar Heels are making their record 18th appearance in the final four. Led by the returning player of the year Tyler Hansborough and super guard Ty Lawson, they have been playing inspired basketball. A deep team that can attack from anywhere on the court, the Tar Heels put an end to the hopes of a title of this year's player of the year Blake Griffin. Hansborough returned for one reason - to win a national title and cement himself as one of the best college players of all time. He is two games away from his dream.

Villanova will have the Detroit crowd behind it as they are the underdog team playing in the semi-finals, but that won't be enough to stop the Tar Heels as they roll into the finals. UNC has too many options for 'Nova to defend, whether it is Hansborough or Ellington or Lawson, the Tar Heels will put this game out of reach for Wildcats.

Well - that will leave Michigan State vs. UNC in the Finals. My early pick should this scenario play out would be UNC. Again, too many options, veteran players and the determination of Tyler Hansborough to win that title and cement himself as the greatest collegian ever.

Another Reason to Hate Duke

On Sunday we were given another reason to hate Duke.

If you weren't aware one of the best freshman in the NCAA basketball action this season was Seth Curry at Liberty. Seth Curry is the younger brother of Stephan Curry who has been shooting the lights out at Davidson for the past couple of seasons. Both sharp shooters are the son of former NBA player Dell Curry. Well, on Sunday, Dell confirmed the rumour that Seth Curry would transfer out of Liberty to a bigger school to play against better competition. Today, we learned that school is Duke.

After being ignored during the recruiting process by all the ACC schools, apparently Coach K has been putting in some extra time wooing the freshman sensation who averaged 20.2 pts per game this season. Although Curry will need to sit out next season, he will start play in 2011 as the man since the current group of Dukies Gerald Henderson and Jon Schreyer will have graduated.

Enjoy losing in the second round of the tournament Seth!

Snack of the Day

With the start of the Formula 1 season early on Sunday morning in Melbourne for the Australian GP, the Sandwich Shoppe is serving up a local delicacy - Kangaroo Meat.

Since I am not all that familiar with Kangaroo, I'll let the Kangaroo Industry Association describe the meat for me;

Kangaroo meat is used by some of the worlds best restaurants because of its high quality and unique flavour, also because it's very low in fat and therefore very good for you. Kangaroo has a rich appealing flavour that combines well with many other foods.

Kangaroo meat is very low in fat, usually less than 2%. This is lower than most other red meats. This makes Kangaroo very healthy but also means it must be cooked carefully. Kangaroo is also very high in protein and iron. Fat contains a lot of moisture, hence meats like beef which is very high in fat can be cooked to very well done. However because kangaroo has virtually no fat it can easily dry out during cooking.

Now a sample recipe for you to try at home;

Kangaroo Fillet with Spring Vegetables

Serves 4

You’ll need:

500 gms Southern Game Meat Kangaroo loin fillet
50 ml olive oil
150 gms Cajun spices
2 yellow zucchini
1 pack snow peas
1 bunch spring onion bulbs
sprinkle mixed dried herbs
1 pack baby corn
1 bunch chives
50 ml green, yellow and red capsicum oils
sprig of rosemary.
Method: In this dish we present Southern Game Meat kangaroo fillet marinated in Cajun spices, pan-fried with an attractive selection of new season vegetables.

Dip fillets of kangaroo in olive oil to cover well. Roll oiled fillets in Cajun spices then cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 - 4 hours. Heat oil in a wok or heavy frying pan to very hot.
Brown fillets on all sides at a very high heat for two minutes then set to one side, cover with foil and rest.

Slice zucchini and blanch in boiling water for 1 minute. Blanch snow peas in boiling water for 1 minute.
Sauté spring onion bulbs with fresh garden herbs. Blanch baby corn in boiling water for 1 minute and wrap with chives.

Assembly: Serve kangaroo meat and vegetables with red, yellow and green capsicum oil sauces. Add a sprig of rosemary.

Thursday Thoughts

Random mind musings on a slow news day...

1. Lance Armstrong was involved in crash during a race a couple of days ago. Turns out he was injured pretty severely, breaking his collarbone. He had surgery and pins were inserted to repair the break. He is saying that he will still race in the Italian bike race and the Tour de France. Not certain if this is something we should be all be cheering for his resilience and fortitude or is this just another excuse for Lance to take allegedly take performance enhancing drugs. One thing is for certain, if he isn't in the Tour de France, no one of this side of the ocean will watch race.

2. Sad and disturbing story about NFL running back Ryan Moats ...thought we had moved past some of this.

3. Rumour floating around NFL circles that the Bills are looking into the possibility of making a trade for the KC Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez. Adding this offensive weapon, perhaps the best TE of all time, would make the Bills great on offence if all cylinders are clicking. It would also allow them to draft defence and o-line help in April.

4. Friday night is full of basketball. Beside the four NCAA games that will captivate most fans - the Toronto Raptors will try and ruin their draft position a little more when they go for a win versus the OKC Thunder. This is an opportunity for TO fans to see one of the best young players in the game, Kevin Durant. He is a hungrier version of Chris Bosh. Watch how he will take the ball to the basket, run the floor and rebound. All things Bosh did, but has stopped for now...just wait for next season in his contract year.

5. The Blue Jays are playing some exciting baseball down in Florida, which will hopefully continue when the open the season on April 6th vs Detroit. Stealing home, scoring in bunches, these are all things that will get fans going to the Dome again. They need the pitching to continue to mature and come through for them to have a chance at being competitive though. Don't forget - you can read my full Blue Jays preview over at Bleacher Report.

AFL Celebrates 50 Years

As a bit of a Uniform fanatic, the AFL 50th anniversary uniforms that were unveiled today came as a welcome change to some of the atrocities fans put up with these days.

Eight of the orginal AFL teams will partcipate in the throwback games. Most fans will be excited to see the return of the AFL uniforms of their favorite teams as it allows them to reminisce about the "good ol' days".

Some of the highlights;
The KC Cheifs who were originally the Dallas Texans before moving to KC, will be wearing the 1962 championship gear that features the state map of Texas on the helmet.

Tennessee Titans will be wearing 1960 Houston Oilers jerseys complete with oil rig helmets.

New England Patriots wearing the Boston Patriots uni from 1963 including Pat the Patriot on the helmet.

For the full treatment - NFL.com

P.S.=> could the Bills not get a Owens #81 made up prior to the announcement?

Too Much of a Good Thing

***UPDATE***
When writing this yesterday, I was unaware of the fact that Commissioner Goodall's plans were to increase the regular season games and reduce pre-season. Therefore, the owners can't make more money on tickets, since the same amount of games will be played, but since nobody comes out for pre-season the extras would still give them more cash. For another great look at why expanding the season won't happen visit the National Football Post.

The NFL concluded their winter meetings and announced some small rule changes for the upcoming season, but the major piece of news wasn't a Jay Cutler trade or Anquan Boldin signing - it was the idea that the NFL may choose to expand their schedule to from 16 to 18 games in the coming years. This idea has been greeted with mixed reviews from the both the players and the public.

The players see a longer season, more chance of injury and not any more money for playing extra games. The public is torn since they have turned football into "America's Pastime", but they are very fickle on when they watch games (September to January). With gambling and fantasy sports playing a large role in why the average fan pays attention would two extra games be any more beneficial?

The only winners in this scenario are the owners and the league. The owners make more money from ticket sales, concessions, parking, souvenirs, etc...and the league will get to charge more for TV contracts and ask more money from corporate partners, since the league is taking up more space on the sports calendar.

No matter how big of a fan you are, the 16 game season makes sense. It is the right length. The season begins just after labour day in September and finishes at the end of January/start of February. It takes up the right amount of time for a fan. Any more and the games will start to lose their meaning, like they do in the other major sports.

Basketball and hockey are the prime example of this. Both leagues have expanded their schedules in the past ten years to 82 games. This is probably 10 to 20 games too many. During the season there are two stretches of games where players seem to coast and would rather be at home than at the arena. The first is the week to two weeks before the all-star break. About 40 games in, the players know a break is coming and this is where players also start to feel the strain of all the minutes they have accumulated and get injured. This year alone saw Sidney Crosby, Allen Iverson and Chris Bosh all succumb to injuries and miss the all-star games. The other is the last 10-15 games of the year. Teams have for the most part have secured their fate. Either they are a playoff team or they are a lottery team. If teams want to make a push to the playoffs, they will know they have to do it earlier and play better quality games all season long.

Baseball is a whole other beast. With 162 games, the season is very long and they even have a nick name for the middle of the season "dog days of August". A way to help baseball trim their season would be to start the season in May instead of April, thus allowing for a proper Spring Training and perhaps even a proper World Baseball Classic. Another solution would be to give the players more days off. Instead of having hree and four games series, have two and three. For example, play one series Thursday and Friday, then another Saturday, Sunday, Monday. This would give the players Tuesday and Wednesday off most weeks.

Fans want to see the best players, performing at their peak at all times. The best way to accomplish this is to have fewer games, not more.

Would you mind if your favourite league cut back the number of regular season games?

March Sanity?

Well the first two rounds of the NCAA men's basketball tournament are behind us and with everything going pretty much to form (I don't understand the term 'chalk'), it is much less madness and way more sanity.

With almost all the top seeds advancing, this tournament is void of a Cinderella story, unless you can call Arizona the Cinderella. A 12 seed and by most accounts the last team to make the tournament, the Wildcats have impressed with wins over #5 Utah and #13 Cleveland St., who had real Cinderella potential after having the only 'real' upset of the first round against Wake Forest.

So now it is the best of the best remaining, which is probably good for college basketball. Although, the casual fan might like to see an underdog play in the sweet sixteen, it is much better to have the good teams remaining.

So who is the best of the best? UCONN looked extremely tough in their first two games, as have the Orange of Syracuse and Oklahoma. Unfortunately for them they play in the sweet sixteen. The other #1 and #2 seeds have done just enough in their first two games to progress. They have the week to regroup, watch some film, get players healthy and come out swinging for when it matters.

A quick viewing guide for the weekend, just the good match-ups;
Thursday
East: Duke-Villanova - Can the Big East keep everyone alive?

West: UConn-Purdue - A legitimate test for the best team in the tourney so far and another test for the Big East.

Friday
Midwest: Michigan State-Kansas - Will this be the end of the road for the defending champs?

South: UNC-Gonzaga - The original Cinderella, looks to play spoiler again. Ty Lawson better be fully healthy for this affair.
Oklahoma-Syracuse - The best game of the sweet 16 featuring two future NBA players Blake Griffin and Johnny Flynn.

Wonderlific!

The scores of the Wonderlic test the NFL draft prospects took during the combine weekend are now available on-line and to no ones surprise their are some dumb jocks. The Wonderlic is a test that challenges the intelligence of players with basic problem solving skills. An example of a question is;
The ninth month of the year is
a.October
b.January
c.June
d.September
e.May

or

Assume the first two statements are true.
The boy plays football. All football players wear helmets. The boy wears a helmet.
Is the final statement:

a.True?
b.False?
c.Not Certain

Now as you read through some of the scores, remember - 50 is perfect, 20 is average and 10 or below is illiterate.

To The Bitter End

Today is a happy day in Raptor land - it is Chris Bosh's 25th birthday. Now if they can only make his wishes come true with a win over the lowly LA Clippers at the Air Canada Centre this afternoon. Although the game is the first thing Bosh will do today, his mind is probably more focused on his bash after the game.

Unfortunately, I don't think this is uncommon for the Raptors these days. With the team struggling, 1-9 in their last ten games, only 24 wins on the season, this season is over and the players and management need to start evaluating and preparing for the draft and next season. How does a team that has 13 games left (including today) come out day after day knowing that the season can produce nothing? You would hope that the players are professional about it and play hard, try and win, perhaps end the season on a positive, but does that only give false hope to a rabid fan base who is looking for any sign of life? Does that give management a false sense of security?

One goal the team should have for the remaining games is to make them competitive. 11, 8, 20, 11, 10, 6, 8, 9, 4, 26 and 13 are the margins of defeat during their current run of poor form. This is a team that is coming out flat for the second half of games, not executing in-bounds plays properly and allowing other teams to score at will in the paint.

These characteristics might not change before now and the end of the season, so Raptor fans should not be afraid to send the team a message with a chorus of boos when they go down by 15 to the Clippers.

Possibly the Best Beer in the World

Well this might not be the companies exact marketing slogan and no one actually cares what this beer tastes like. They don't care so much about the taste, just how quick they drink it. That is because as you consume the beer the label well...let's just say it reveals itself.

with files from next round.net

On Sale Soon at the Sandwich Shoppe

A new product is going to be taking on the giants of bottled water -
Boxed Water.

It is an interesting thought and look and it reminds me of my youth. Drinking milk or juice out of the carton. I could buy into this idea.

Let me know what you think of boxed water...

Random Thoughts and Ideas

Couple of quick hit things to finish off a Wednesday and get you into a Thursday. For the record this post isn't going up late because it was St. Patrick's day yesterday, when I am hung over, I just don't post - see February 25th (the day after Mardi Gras).

1. With all the time and energy President Obama is spending on AIG it is a wonder he had the time to pick a NCAA bracket, but he put aside the health of the country to concentrate on his selections. For those of you without the time to click on the link and analyze his selections - final four includes Louisville, Memphis, Pitt and UNC. Louisville and UNC in the finals, with UNC winning it all.

2. The USA overcame a 9th inning 2 run deficit to beat Puerto Rico and move on in the WBC. This is a bad thing for the tournament. The USA needed to lose that game and be embarrassed. This would have led to a greater sense of pride the next time the tournament comes around, which means the stars would have to come out in play. This happened to USA basketball and Canada hockey, it would have been a wake up call for USA baseball.

3. The Jay Cutler vs. Denver Broncos situation is getting out of hand. Cutler has demanded a trade because he feels disrespected by the Broncos for trying to trade him. He feels that he won't be seen as a leader in the dressing room and will not have the confidence of his coach as the season progresses. I think Cutler realizes it is a business and that someday he might not be wearing an orange uniform, but in the back of his mind he probably wanted to be like Elway and have that be his only uniform. Cutler has put himself and the Broncos in a bad situation by demanding the trade. The Broncos can't get fair market value for him and won't be able to trade him to any team. The teams rumoured to be in the hunt for Cutler are the Lions, Redskins, Bills and Bucs. Could the Bills actually pull in two marquee players in one offseason. Would Cutler, Owens and Lynch be the nucleus to lead the Bills to the Super Bowl?

4. The MLS season kicks off tomorrow. Did any one realize? Who starts the season the day March Madness kicks off? The commissioner should be fired for agreeing to this. If you are interested and somehow get ESPN2 you can watch the NY Redbulls vs. Seattle Sounders. Seattle is this years expansion team. Even as a soccer fan I have trouble getting excited about the MLS. The soccer is disorganized and the play can get sloppy at times. Just so you are aware - Toronto FC kick off their season on Saturday in Kansas City versus the Wizards, the home season begins at BMO Field April 4 against Seattle.

The other big MLS news today was the announcement that Vancouver will be getting an expansion team that will start play in the 2011 season. The Whitecaps will get a new stadium and will no doubt start a rivalry with TFC that will pale in comparison to the Grizzlies vs. Raptors.

5. The Olympics are a little under a year away and is it bad that I am already tired of the seeing the spots on TSN and SportsNet that talk about athlete's and their dreams of success on home soil. Even more tiresome than the talk about athlete's is the RBC commercials. You'll no doubt hear more complaining in the next 10 months.

Tips for Filling Out Your Brackets:

I would like all the diners at the Sandwich Shoppe to welcome "NorthernGuy". He is very well versed in NCAA Football and Basketball and over the next couple of weeks, he will be sharing his insights on the March Madness tournament. Here is his first installment...

Tips for filling out your brackets:
I have had moderate success at filling out my bracket year in and year out, and I have tried to document each lesson and try to come up with an overall concept. There are many types of pools; many have various weighing factors, so know what pool you’re entering, before submitting picks.

Concept #1:
Take the top 4 seeds in each bracket, establishing the way the committee saw the Top 16 teams in the Tournament. If you survive the 1st weekend you’re in the sweet 16. This is where I like to begin. Do all these teams belong in the top 16? Let’s look at some candidates who I believe are flawed:

1. Xavier had a tough finish; they went 4-4 in Conf play and were eliminated in the semi’s of the A-10
2. Wake Forest looked like world beaters before Mid January, and if they were going to hand out the trophy then, I wouldn’t have listed them. They look like a Turnover prone team that could get frustrated and unglued in the tournament.
3. Kansas falls under the defending champs, who are not going to win it all again this year, and once they realize this; the Jayhawks will come apart in the 2nd half of one of their 1st 2 games.

Concept #2:
Offense wins championships. Often I hear the talking heads at ESPN talking about Defensive Efficiency, and how important it is at this time of year, and it is, and I won’t down play it, but hear is the truth...Defence in basketball is predominately effort based, no matter what your playing, match, man, 1-3-1, 2-3, 3-2, box in 1, etc.... In this single elimination format, effort is always there and the difference in games is the guards who can break your zone, timely rebounding, and clutch shooting. The key stat in watching games is 5 or 6 minutes without a FG. Every time this happens you’re going home. If you score 60 points or less you are likely going home. If you are less than 20% from the arc, you’re going home. If you have more turnovers than the Pillsbury dough boy, you’re going home. If you’re not averaging 70 points a game, I can’t even look at you.

So how can you spot this? Here are the Offenses that look shaky and are primed for an upset:

1. Illinois, this is like taking candy from a baby. The Illini played a game where the final score (against a team that was on the bubble, and most people thought would have qualified in Penn St.) was 38-33. Also, Illinois is playing with injuries.

Here are other Offences that are not consistent enough:
Ohio St
Wisconsin
Michigan
Purdue
Minnesota
Florida St
USC
Arizona St.

Concept#3:
Picking your upsets. In many years, and this year in particular, I wouldn’t choose upsets from the 7-10 or 8-9 match ups, considering these winners will be playing the 1 seed or the 2 seed, and your coin is as good as mine. Most of us are aware of the success of the 5-12 game; I like the 6-11 games. There are 8.5 upsets per tournament. Use them wisely. It will pay off. Here are my upset selections:

#12 West Kentucky over #5 Illinois
#13 Portland St over #4 Xavier
#11 Utah St over #6 Marquette

Note: I really like VCU-UCLA upset, but everybody picked that, and generally I like to go against that much public sentiment. I loved Siena coming into the tournament, but Ohio St, practically at home? Then followed by Louisville? They would have been better off being a 11 or 12 seed. Both West Virginia and Arizona St could have a hard time from the A 10 entries but should survive.

I’ll be back after the weekend to pick the Big Boys and a National Champ.

Names NOT to Know - Pops Mensah-Bonsu

Usually the names to know feature you read about up and coming stars, this time we are doing the opposite.


Pops Mensah-Bonsu is the newest addition to the Raptors. He has made quite the impression on the fans in his first six games with Toronto. He has been able to be the "energy" off the bench, grab some rebounds and attack the rim. Even when interviewed after the win against Indiana on Sunday he said all the right things. Pops thanked the fans and said he would continue to work hard and wanted to make that push to the playoffs.


Mensah-Bonsu played all four seasons at George Washington, where as a senior he averaged 12.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.65 blocks. In 2007, he signed with the Dallas Mavericks where he spent a little time. After that, Pops bounced around Europe and then to the D-League, until he signed a 10 day contract with the San Antonio Spurs in early Februrary 2009. The Mavs didn't renew the contract. The Raptors didn't want any of the 10-day wait and see, he impressed so much that Bryan Colangelo could not pass up the opportunity to a sign him to a guaranteed contract for the rest of the season.


Now, I am not saying that Pops hasn't impressed in his first six outings. He has been averaging almost 7 rebounds and put up a career high 21 points on Sunday. The problem with Pops and the reason you don't need to remember his name, is that Toronto has been full of players like him. Complimentary players the fans love, but really unable to contribute to a winning atmosphere. The list is endless - Jerome Williams, Alvin Williams, Matt Bonner, Keon Clark, Jorge Garbajosa and those are just the basketball guys, don't get me started on the hockey players. Pops will have a season and a half of popularity, lots of parents will waste money on his jersey for their kids and then he will move on. The fans and media will complain for a couple of days that the Raptors let a piece of the team get away and he will probably get a standing ovation when he returns for the first time, but all this for no real apparent reason.


Toronto has turned into Hamilton. A blue collar sports town. A group of fans that is more concerned with the effort a player puts forward than with winning a championship. Give me a team full of superstar headcases that can win games and take the Raptors to the playoffs - that will put my butt in the seats more often that one "good guy" in the locker room.

First Impressions

Growing up I used to sit in front of the TV as CBS announced the field of 64. With my pen and pad I would write down all the seeds and match-ups - with nicknames of course. Then I would have the whole family reluctantly fill out brackets. Now I get to get all my friends to reluctantly fill out brackets.

This year, the number one seeds could have been any of 7 teams. Three Big East teams get the nod as number one seeds this year, UCONN, Pitt and Louisville. The fourth number one is filled by UNC. Louisville is a small surprise as a number one, but Rick Pitino will have his squad ready to defend their placement. As always the biggest talk is over who is in and who was left out. The biggest bubble team on the outside looking in is St. Mary's (CA) who had a great season, for the most part without their star Patrick Mills. They were still able to make it to the finals of their conference tournament losing to Gonzaga. Unfortunately, their conference schedule is not the most difficult and the tournament selection committee could not put them into the big dance. The other team that got their bubble burst was the Creighton Blue Jays. The biggest surprise team that actually got into the tourney is Arizona. The Wildcats have been struggling recently and this will usually get a team on the sidelines come March, however the committee took into account the entire Wildcats season and put them in for the 25th year in a row, heck maybe the selection committee just wanted to see the streak continue.

Here is a blimp view of the different regions and who to look out for. My picks will be printed on Thursday morning, no one cares about the play in game.

Midwest Regional
Louisville as a number one seed over Memphis, Oklahoma or Michigan St. is a little surprising even though they did very well in the tough Big East which produced 3 of the #1 teams. The Cardinals won't be tested until they probably meet Wake Forest in the sweet 16. The bottom half of the Midwest is a little trickier. The teams that were placed here all seem to be on a nice run to end the season and have momentum into the tourney, Kansas, Boston College and USC. If USC's freshman DeMar DeRozan and junior Daniel Hackett continue their stellar play, I really like the Trojans in the Midwest.

West Regional
The West bracket is one that could go to form with all the top seeds winning in the first round. UConn has been near the top of the Top 25 all year long and should have a nice run in the tourney. UConn standout Hasheem Thabeet needs to have big games and stay out of foul trouble for the Huskies to succeed. Missouri and Memphis are the two teams to watch out for in the bottom half of the West bracket. According to Bob Knight, Memphis is the most dangerous team in the tournament. Even though they play in the weaker Conference USA, they play great defence and can now shoot free throws. They won't surprise anyone when they start racking up the wins.

East Regional
Led by player of the year candidate DeJuan Blair, the Pitt Panthers will take advantage of their number 1 seed. They have only a few roadblocks on their way to the final four in Detroit. They need to look out for Xavier who have played well recently and could pose a threat. The bottom half of the East Regional won't be a cake walk for number 2 seed Duke, but the "DUKIES" *Kornheiser voice* should have enough in the tank to outlast Villanova and UCLA who are travelling across the country with Texas to play in Boston.

South Regional
Probably the toughest bracket looking at the teams involved. Two of the best players in the country will be involved in Tyler Hansborough from UNC (number 1 seed) and former "Name to Know" Oklahoma's (number 2 seed) Blake Griffin. Also involved in the South Regional will be Syracuse who played an unbelievable Big East tournament, Arizona State (runners up in the Pac-10 tourney), and LSU who feature senior guard Marcus Thornton. This bracket will become a knock down and drag out affair and although some of the best teams may be in the South Regional the best (Oklahoma) might not make it to the final four.

Movie Time

Over the weekend, I was able to take in two movies. One on TV and the other as a rental. Both had their merits and I would watch both again if that means anything.

Crank
Jason Stratham (Transporter) plays Chevy Chelios a hit man who was hired to take out a Chinese Triad. Unfortunately, the hit doesn't sit right with other gang members in LA and as retribution Chelios is infected with a poison that is intended to slow his heart down and kill him. The only way to save himself is to keep his heart rate up with adrenaline.

Not really a film for the ladies, but this had everything for the guys - car chases, gun fights, freaky violence and of course a mandatory boob shot of co-star Amy Smart who is never shy to take off her top.

Some great action sequences, and one liners make this a fun movie that I could watch on cable over and over.

Role Models
Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott are co-workers who get in trouble with law and are sentenced to 150 hours of community service. They do their work at a "Big Brother" knock-off and get assigned to wack job kids. Hilarity ensues...

From the relationship with the kids and the owner of the Big Brother company both Rudd and Scott have some wicked lines. The little brother of Scott, Ronnie is hilarious and was given a great part. There will be roles for him in future comedies for sure. I laughed out loud at numerous parts. You have to be quick to catch all the jokes, some are whispered under breath, so try to pay attention. As a bonus feature to all the jokes this comedy doesn't disappoint with random naked ladies as both Wheeler (Scott) and his little brother Ronnie are obsessed with breasts and we thank them for that. This movie will have a cult following once the word spreads. Paul Rudd has written and starred in comedy gold and has another one out in theatres right now with "I Love You, Man". Might have to go see that one on cheap Tuesday!

Most Successful Pro Sports Franchises

An interesting list has popped up that ranks the 122 professional teams from best to worst performance in the 2008 calendar year. (h/t Dan Shanoff) There are some other factors involved in the ranking like profit, attendance, etc..., but with the Celtics at number 1 and the Detroit Lions at number 122, looks like they got some things right.

For those of you too lazy to open the list, a quick synopsis;
1. Boston Celtics (NBA)
2. New York Giants (NFL)
3. Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
4. Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
5. Boston Red Sox (MLB)

51. Toronto Raptors (NBA)
53. Vancouver Canucks (NHL)
64. Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)
83. Toronto Blue Jays (MLB)

118. Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB)
119. Atlanta Thrashers (NHL)
120. Memphis Grizzlies (NBA)
121. New York Islanders (NHL)
122. Detroit Lions (NFL)

NL Central Preview

The National League Central is complicated place where all the teams seem to have a chance to win the division, except the Pirates. You have the star crossed franchise, the team with the MVP and perhaps best player in the league, and a couple of up and coming franchises who have built through the minor leagues but lose big name players to the Yankees.

Chicago Cubs
On paper one of the most staked team in the majors and a favourite to win not only the NL Central, but the World Series. At the corners they start Aramis Ramirez and Derek Lee who have the potential to combine for 60 homers. Although they are a little thin up the middle, depth and experience should get them through the season. An extremely talented outfield is led by left fielder Alfonso Soriano and Fukodome. Fukodome needs to have a good start to the season to ensure that he stays manager Lou Pinella's good books. The pitching staff is strong led by Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, Rich Harden and Ryan Dempster. Any team would certainly take those four starters. The bullpen is adequate as long as closer Carlos Marmol doesn't have to face anyone from the Netherlands. Look for the Cubs to win 100 games this season.

St. Louis Cardinals
Although it was the Brewers who made a push last year and won the wild card, look for the Cards to bounce back and make that same move this year. A solid, but not spectacular pitching staff will keep them in games. Led by Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. They show their age in the 5th starter spot with Joel Pineiro. In the bullpen, the closer role is still up for grabs, but will probably go to Chris Perez. The offense is where this team should really shine. Automatic All-Star and MVP candidate Albert Pujols will lead the way and will have protection in Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick. Ludwick could be the x-factor as he will need the same type of season as last year (37 hr, 113 rbi and .299 avr) for the Cards to challenge in the NL Central.

Milwaukee Brewers
Last year the Brew Crew took a step forward and took the NL wild card. Although they are now without ace CC Sabathia, the pitching staff is decent with everyone former Blue Jay - Dave Bush, Jeff Suppan and Brandon Looper and youngster Yovani Gallardo who started 4 games for the Brewers last year, got no decisions, but had a 1.88 era and had 20 K's in 24 innings of work. The closer role is solid with Trevor Hoffman. The line-up is strong with Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder as the heavy hitters. Corey Hart has the energy and ability to hit 20 hr and 100 rbi this season as well as swipe 20 to 30 bases. Catcher Jason Kendall will provide veteran leadership behind the plate for the pitching staff. The Brewers will again be in the mix for the NL wild card and if they can get Billy Brewer off his perch enough times it just might happen for them.

Houston Astros
It has now been a few years since the "Killer B's" of Biggio and Bagwell owned the NL Central, but a new breed of players are starting to make an impact in Minute Maid Park. Hunter Pence and Carlos Lee will own the OF, while the infield will certainly be able to do some damage with Geoff Blum/Aaron Boone platoon, Miguel Tejada, Kaz Matsui and Lance Berkman around the horn. The question is at catcher where any one of 3 players could start. The pitching staff is pretty thin behind ace Roy Oswalt. Brandon Backe and Mike Hampton will try and get wins at the back end of the rotation. Closer Jose Valverde will try and duplicate his 44 save season from last year. The Astros are getting closer to the top, but will still need to make some moves behind the plate and get some pitching help to compete with the Cubbies and Cards.

Cincinnati Reds
These are your parents Big Red Machine. Although the Reds have some very good starting pitching in Aaron Harang, Edinson Volquez, and Bronson Arroyo. Closer Francisco Cordero is a solid closer for the Reds when they are able to get the game to him. The bats and speed are there in certain spots. Joey Votto and Jay Bruce will lead the team in all offensive categories. The rest of the line-up is made up of veterans trying to get one last hurrah. If the veteran presence doesn't produce wins they should at least provide leadership for the young team the Reds are building.

Pittsburgh Pirates
Nothing has gone right for the Pirates the last couple of seasons. There young talent hasn't developed and being a small market team they can't spend like the Cubs to keep up in the arms race. The one thing they have going for them this year is Eric Hinske. Does that say enough about the future of the 2009 Pirates? Other than Hinske they have Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez who are a very good double play combo. With Adam Laroche at first, the infield can get on base and cause problems for opposing pitchers, unfortunately it just won't be enough and the Pirates might be out of contention before April is over.

Seniors Looking to Impress During March Madness

More and more excitement is starting to build with regards to this year's NCAA tournament. It definitely has something to do with the quality of teams at the top and the fact that there are 5-6 teams that will have a legitimate shot at cutting down the nets at Ford Field.

Some players make their name in the tournament (see: Curry, Stephen), and this year is no different. Here is a list of seniors who are looking to make a name and hence improve their draft stock.

Benjamin Bixby

Tuesday night there was a special event at the Holt Renfrew flagship store in Toronto on Bloor. It was a meet and greet with music and fashion icon Andre Benjamin aka Andre 3000 of Outkast fame. He was in town to promote his new clothing line, labeled Benjamin Bixby.

This is his second full season of designing men's wear and much of it bears his trademark look. Brightly coloured polos and button down shirts, khakis and blazers and nice accent pieces like suspenders and ties in patchwork prints. Mr. Andre 3000 took the time to address the crowd of about 150 fashionistas and break down the clothing line.

First he explained where the name of the line actually comes from. Those of you who are fans of the show punk'd will recognize the story. Ashton Kutcher arranged for a Maybach that Outkast had borrowed for the weekend to attend some awards shows to be trashed and turned on its side. When he arrived at the scene a "representative" from Maybach approached him and asked his name. Not wanting to tell him his real name, Andre 3000 spit out - Bixby. When it was time to name his line, he recalled the story and paired that with his family name. After that he explained the logo of the line - a hot air balloon. To him it represents the adventure that the clothing line will take every season. He spoke about his favorite pieces in the collection, many of which are inspired by early 1900 American Football and some of his influences in the fashion world. After he was finished promoting his line he took a minute to speak about his upcoming music endeavours. At the end of March, his Outkast partner, Big Boi is set to release a full length solo project which Andre 3000 appears on. Then in the fall Andre 3000 will release his own solo album and is currently working with Big Boi on another Outkast album.

After he had completed his presentation to the crowd, Andre 3000 took time to mingle with the star-struck crowd, many of whom took photos with singer turned designer. Very friendly and open with the crowd, this fashion loving crew will no doubt be rocking the fresh gear come spring.

Tuesday Quick Hits

Couple of quick tidbits to get you through a Tuesday and into Hump Day;

1. College Basketball is about to reach its peak. With all the conference tourneys either finishing in the next couple of days or over the weekend, all leading up to Selection Sunday.

The most interesting major-conference tournaments will be the Big East where everyone has beaten up on each other all season. My best guess is that Pittsburgh comes out with the title this time. The other tournament to watch will be the Big 10. Even though Michigan State probably has the best team in the conference those game are always so tight. Hard to say who comes out ahead, my pick for the champs of the Big Ten is Michigan.

2. A-Fraud's surgery went well. Hopefully he'll be able to stay out of the papers for a little bit. Maybe he should take some advice from Captain Jeter on how to keep his mug from the back page of the NY Post.

3. Roger Clemens is back in the news for steroids. There are reports that Clemen's DNA and other drugs were on the needles that trainer Brian McNamee gave to the Feds. D'OH!

4. Pedro Martinez and Ivan Rodriguez are making some pretty good cases for themselves at the WBC as to why they should get another shot in the Majors this season.

As a Blue Jays fan, is I-Roid not worth signing for a one year deal? Is he not better than Rod Barajas? He would also be a welcome coach on the bench to the developing catchers.

5. Have a look at Michael Vick's house which is on the market in Atlanta. Do I get to keep the #7 rug. (h/t to Thrill for the link)

J. Russel Martin

So the WBC game yesterday between the USA and Canada was very entertaining. The SkyDome was filled with 42, 000+ fans and made it really enjoyable to watch baseball live again. The only downfall, beside, the loss - was the huge lines at the concession stands. There was a severe lack of staff. The ice cold beer guy visited our section in the first inning and then we never saw him again. To get any sort of food and drink took 45 minutes. Pretty awful.

As some of you may have seen during yesterday's game, catcher Russel Martin who plays for the Dodgers during the MLB season was wearing a jersey with "J. Martin" on the back. This confused most in attendance if they noticed, but ESPN apparently cleared it up for viewers at home;

Russel Martin will be wearing J. Martin all year in honor of his mother according to the ESPN announcers at the WBC (his mother’s maiden name is Jeanson).

Snack of the Day

Since it is Saturday and the opening game of the World Baseball Classic in Toronto between Team Canada and the USA (which I am attending), it is best to have a snack to watch baseball with.

Peanuts
Make certain that you purchase the peanuts outside the stadium. This is very important as it will save you some money to buy drinks inside the stadium. Ensure that they are the salted version, also very important because it gives you an excuse to buy drinks inside the stadium.

With Salted Nuts you definitely need a ICE COLD BEEEEEEER! At the Rogers Centre you don't have many choices, but you can get a Keith's which will satisfy that thirst.

World Baseball Classic

The World Baseball Classic (WBC) debuted 3 years ago to much fanfare. It was going to be to baseball what the World Cup is to soccer. Unfortunately, being spread out in several countries, not all the superstar players making appearances due to insurance or team commitments and injuries to key players have kept the WBC from taking its place as a important world sporting event.

The inaugural WBC was won by Japan, who opened this year's tournament yesterday with a win over China. On Saturday, Team Canada opens the pool that features them, USA, Venezuela and Italy. Let's take a closer look at Team Canada's chances.

They have a tough draw in the double elimination tournament by facing the USA in the opener on Saturday. The strength in Canada's roster will come from their line-up and their pitchers will have to try and hold their own while facing some big bats.

Leading the charge are the group of Major Leaguers who make up the roster - catcher Russel Martin of the Dodgers, 3B Corey Koskie who is now a member of the Cubs, first baseman Justin Morneau of the Twins, first baseman Joey Votto of the Reds, outfielders Jason Bay of the Red Sox, Matt Stairs of the Phillies and Mark Teahan of the Royals and who can forget former major leaguer Stubby Clapp (just a fun name to say!). The pitching staff is not as thick with major league talent. Scott Richmond of the Blue Jays looks like the number one starter and he'll be supported by Jesse Crain of the Twins. The other pitchers on the staff are for the most part members of Major League organizations but haven't seen alot or any action with the big league clubs.

Team Canada will put on a good show behind manager Ernie Whitt and if they can somehow squeak past Team USA like they have done in previous world competitions they have a decent chance to advance out of the Pool.

As for the other teams;

Team USA will feature starting pitchers Ted Lilly, Roy Oswalt and Jake Peavy and closers JJ Putz, and hard throwing right hander from the Oakland A's Brad Ziegler. The infield is going to hold this team together with veterans Derek Jeter, Chipper Jones and then up and coming super stars Jimmy Rollins, Dustin Pedoria and David Wright. The outfield is surprisingly shallow with Adam Dunn and Ryan Braun as the big bats.

Venezuela is able to throw some decent talent on the field at Rogers Centre. Felix Hernandez, Carlos Silva and closer Francisco Rodriguez will try to shut down the opposition. As for bats the Venezuelans will have some good lumber - Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Guillen, Melvin Mora and Marco Scutaro will patrol the infield and Bobby Abreu, Endy Chavez and Magglio Ordonez will be the outfielders. A good team with alot of talent, who should force the USA to work hard to win the Pool.

The Italians may be the best dressed on the field, but they will be hard pressed to win any games. The Italians don't feature many major league players. They will be led by former Blue Jay Frank Catalanotto and Nick Punto of the Minnesota Twins. They have some young talent in major league systems, but it will be another 3 years at least before the Italians will be able to compete.

Fallen Star

Well the Terrell Owens experiment in Dallas is complete. Let's check the results. No Super Bowl titles, no playoff wins and in 2008, the Cowboys didn't even make it to the playoffs. Impressive. All this while being a problem in the locker room, on the sideline and in the driveway of his house.

So what happens to the talented, but troubled wide receiver now? He has blown opportunities in San Francisco, Philadelphia and now Dallas. We know someone in the NFL will give him a shot. If Michael Vick can get signed, TO can get a contract. The guessing game begins on which wealthy owner, risk taking GM or hard nosed Coach thinks they can keep him on the straight and narrow for 2-3 seasons and make a push to win the Super Bowl.

So let's play GM - which team takes a chance on Owens;

Detroit - an O-16 team, without strong leadership and no QB - off the list.

Pittsburgh - the Super Bowl champs have a decent WR crew and strong leadership, but I don't think Owens is ready to play second fiddle to Hines Ward.

Chicago - desperately need WR help, but this storied franchise is where receivers go to die and TO isn't on his death bed yet.

Green Bay - although the Packers had a down season, QB Aaron Rodgers is ready to make the move to a top 10 pivot. Having another target would definitely help, again, not sure if Owens can play second fiddle.

Buffalo - the Bills lost out on Laveranues Coles to Cincy so they are still in the market for a receiver. Trent Edwards might be strong enough to handle the personality of Owens, just not sure the media is ready.

Indianapolis -If anyone can calm the beast it would be Manning, and after losing Harrison they have an opening, just not sure Manning wants to deal with it.

Minnesota - They have already made it through the Randy Moss era, we can't have them sit through the Terrell Owens era also.

Washington - We know Dan Snyder isn't shy about spending money, but I don't think he is even this crazy. With Jason Campbell at QB, Owens would cry like a baby to get the ball.

Oakland - Where crazy lives! A perfect fit according to many reports. Teaming with Javon Walker would be a nice situation.

New England - Owens, Moss, Marbury, and Ortiz in one city? It isn't big enough.

St. Louis - With Torry Holt demanding to be traded, a high draft pick coming, a talented RB and proven QB, the Rams are an interesting option. They are on my short list.

Kansas City - New management has already made a splash by acquiring Cassel and pairing Bowe and Gonzalez with Owens would make life easy on their new star. Maybe Larry Johnson agrees to stay if this happens. This allows them to get better on defense in the draft and have no worries on the offensive side of the ball.

Arizona - God and Kurt Warner won't let this happen, but Fitzgerald, Boldin, Breaston and Owens. That could be my fantasy team and I would be jumping for joy.

I have this coming down to St. Louis and Kansas City, with Owens choosing the KC Chiefs!

UPDATE:

Bodog.com has come out with odds on where Owens lands,

Oakland Raiders 7/2

Washington Redskins 4/1

New York Jets 6/1

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13/2

New England Patriots 13/2

Tennessee Titans 13/2

Miami Dolphins 8/1

Philadelphia Eagles 50/1

Field (any other team) 5/2

What are your thoughts on where Owens lands?

NHL Trade Deadline Special

Hockey Christmas as some fans call it - the NHL trade deadline ended today at 3pm with a total of 22 trades, involving 45 players and 21 draft picks. It is probably the most active of all trade deadlines in the major sports, if you can still call hockey a major sport.

The deadline deals that occurred were for the most part so insignificant that it is hard to believe that the major Canadian sports networks spent 8+ hours of coverage on it. Is our nation really that obsessed with hockey - I guess so.

As a sports fan, I pride myself on knowing what is going on in all the leagues. Who has the top teams, who is leading in scoring and which celebrity hottie is now dating another Ottawa Senator. With this trade deadline however, I find myself scratching my head over why these players were traded (economics for the most part), who these players are and how they will help their new team get better. In the case of the Maple Leafs, who made two trades, it was helping them get worse, so they can get a better draft pick, which in turn will make them better.

In the other major sports, the teams that make moves at the deadline are normally involved in the playoff race. Either they are on the bubble of making the playoffs, so they acquire a piece to push them into the big dance or they are already a championship contender and they obtain the "hired gun" to win that elusive trophy. I don't see that in hockey. General Managers seem to be making moves, just to appease the Canadian sports broadcasters or their own egos. How does Columbus and Ottawa making a trade effect the destiny of either of these teams? Carolina and LA Kings. Both teams out of the playoff picture, both in serious economic trouble, is it worth it?

The one trade that might actually help a team was the acquisition of Olli Jokinen by the Calgary Flames. The Flames add a number one centre to a team that is making a push for the Stanley Cup. The only issue I see with Jokinen is his playoff inexperience. He has the most games played of any player without going to the playoffs. Is this really the guy you expect to carry you to 16 wins in April, May and June? He has never grown that playoff beard, will it come in patchy, will it be too itchy for him, you just hope that the Flames did their homework.

Maybe I should just keep to the sports that I enjoy more than getting four vials of blood drawn.

Season Preview - AL West

Every Wednesday The Sandwich Shoppe will take a look at a different division in MLB and by the time the season starts in April we should be about half way there...makes it much easier on predicting the future.

American League West

The AL West always seems to get overlooked. There is usually one team that is predicted to run away with the division while the other three rebuild. That is no different this year. The Los Angeles Angels are clearly the most talented team in the division and maybe in the whole American League, but the A's, Mariners and Rangers have been making progress, developing prospects and might surprise some teams.

1. LA Angels of Anaheim

As mentioned the dominant team of the division. Look for them to get close to the 100 win mark by beating up on the teams in their own division. They have a solid starting rotation, especially the top 3 with Lackey, Santana and Saunders. The 4 and 5 starters either have some miles on their arm (Weaver) or a starter with no miles (Mosley or Adenhart). Expect Lackey to come close to the 20 win barrier if not break it. In the bullpen they probably had the most significant loss of any team with K-Rod (Francisco Rodriguez) going in free agency to the Mets. Brian Fuentes will have a tough time replacing him, but they will get him a lot of work and he'll be able to settle into the role nicely. Unheralded bullpen savior Scott Shields will probably see his role expanded and become a household name as the Angels rack up the wins and Shields heads to the All-Star game.

As for the line-up, it will be potent and opposing pitchers will fear going through these hitters two, three and four times a game. The strength will be in the outfield, where there is an abundance of talent, which probably means the Angels will have to move one of them before the season starts. Patrolling the grass in the outfield will be Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter and Vlad Guerrero. With Gary Matthews Jr., Juan Riviera and yougster Reggie Willits as back-ups they could field two teams. The infield is solid, although not spectacular. They will have a difficult time replacing the power at first base with the loss of Mark Texiera, but the Angels are hoping that Kendry Morales, another youngster can put up some numbers. He will have enough protection from those Angels in the Outfield (sorry).

2. Oakland Athletics

Full disclosure - when not cheering for the Blue Jays, I do cheer for the A's.

No one can quite figure out the Oakland A's. Is Billy Beane trying to produce a winner this year? Is he stockpiling talent with expiring contracts to trade for more prospects? No one can figure this man out.

The A's go into the season with questions in the starting rotation, but the rest of the team around them will be very solid. Bringing back Oakland folk hero and steroid poster boy Jason Giambi to play first and DH, along with recent additions Orlando Cabrera and Nomar Garciaparra will solidify the infield that already boasts Kaz Suzuki, Eric Chavez and former rookie of the year Bobby Crosby. Moving to the bench will be Daric Barton and Jack Cust, who will also see some time at DH. In the outfield, the A's will be led by Matt Holliday, who arrives from Colorado during an off-season trade. Holliday will play out the final season of his contract in Oakland and how long he stays in green will depend on how close the A's are to the playoffs in July/August. Joining Holliday will be Ryan Sweeney and Travis Buck. If one of these two guys fail to produce look for Cust or prospect Aaron Cunningham to get a look from second year Manager Bob Geren.

The pitching staff, especially the starting rotation is young and inexperienced. Most die-hard fans won't even recognize 4 of the 5 starters. Justin Duchscherer will be the ace of the staff, but he is coming off some injury trouble and might not make as many starts as the A's need. The bullpen will keep Oakland in the playoff hunt. With the closer role being shared by Brad Ziegler and Joey Devine and the long relief being held down by veteran Russ Springer they will get alot of work this summer.

If they are in the running come August for one of the four playoff spots, GM Billy Beane could be looking to acquire the final pieces for a playoff push, if he can get other teams to trade with him.

3. Texas Rangers

Every winter the Rangers spend money on big name free agents and every summer they end up falling on their rears. This winter was no different. The Rangers signed reclamation project Andruw Jones to try and help them to the promised land.

The Rangers offence will provide lots of run support to the pitching staff. If they struggle or go through any droughts it could be difficult for the Rangers to get wins. In the outfield will be all-star Josh Hamilton. Hamilton coming off his Cinderella season, hitting .304 with 32 HRs and 130 RBIs and a monster of an all-star game home run derby performance, will be the key. Pitchers will try and go around him so he needs protection Michael Young, who is moving to third base and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The reason for Young moving to third is rookie shortstop Elvis Andrus who has never played above Double-A, but seems to have believers. Just as insurance the Rangers have Frank Catalanotto and Hank Blalock on the bench.

All this offence and a pitching staff that is on the verge of being a top staff. Led by Kevin Millwood and Vincet Padilla, the top two will pull the other 3 along. The bullpen is led by Brendan Donnelly who was a stand-out with the Angels a couple of years ago and was solid last year, his first as a Ranger. The closer role goes to Frank Francisco who only had 10 saves last year but is developing quite nicely into a top tier closer.

4. Seattle Mariners

The Mariners made one huge splash this winter by signing Ken Griffey Jr. who broke into the big leagues with Seattle in 1989. Other than that, they made many smaller moves that will help transform the 101 loss team from a year ago into a respectable big league team again. They are building some interesting pieces - a young talented pitching staff, lots of speed, but not alot of power to light up SafeCo Field.

The pitching staff of the Mariners will carry them through the season. "King Felix" will continue his development into one of the elite starters in the American League and will be one of the only untouchables as the Mariners continue to tinker with their roster. The rest of the rotation looks great on paper with Erik Bedard, Carlos Silva and Jarrod Washburn, but if they aren't getting run support, their records might not look good on paper. The bullpen will be a bigger question mark. With no outright closer to end games, the job will fall on the shoulders of Mark Lowe and David Aardsma.

The offence will have trouble producing runs. A huge lack of power in the line-up, will end up putting a lot of stress on small ball. In the outfield they have the consistent Ichiro in right field, but in centre and left they have newly acquired Endy Chavez and Franklin Gutierrez who will provide spark, but no pop. Around the infield you will find some good talent which might allow the Mariners to make some good deals to contenders in August. Adrian Beltre at 3rd, Betancourt at 2nd, Russ Branyan at 1st and Kenji Johjima behind the plate is a decent line-up. The Mariners are getting better, but even in the AL West they won't have a chance to compete for a playoff spot this year.

Almost A Snack of the Day

This just confirms what we all suspected...Americans are addicted to deep fried fast food. An exert from the article, full read here...

Angered that her local McDonald’s was out of Chicken McNuggets, a Florida woman called 911 three times to report the fast food “emergency.”

Even after being issued a misdemeanor citation, Goodman contended, “this is an emergency, my McNuggets are an emergency…

This is just impressive. I am not sure what fast food shortage would make me call 911, maybe Pizza Pizza, but that is even a big maybe.

Snack of the Day

Well since today is the Carling Cup final between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, I am going with an English theme.

Fish and Chips

It may be a little early in the morning to start a fresh batch of halibut and chips, but who cares. Make sure you have your beer batter and some tartar sauce handy. Serve in a copy of the Daily Telegraph with just enough grease that it starts to show through the paper. MMMM...good.

Now for those of you who will have the fish and chips for lunch, but will crave that afternoon snack while watching golf, I have a different suggestion for you. You should try the dry toast.