Classy

So Sundin made his first non-Leaf debut in Toronto in 13 years. And the fans surely treated him well. Let me say to everyone who was on their feet applauding the former Leaf captain on Saturday night, KUDOS!!

It was one of those great "returning" moments in pro sports, and it was very very touching. The Leafs did their share by putting together a video tribute to Mats and his years in TO. The fans did their part by rising to their feet, and clapping for two whole minutes. Sundin did his part by tipping his cap (or helmet in this case) to all the supporters in TO. The moment was unscripted, but when it came, it played out perfectly.

The fans knew what Sundin brought to the city was much more than what was lost after he left. One day, I can see Sundin out on centre ice, with his family, in suit and tie, just like Douggie and Wendell earlier this season, tearing up as his #13 is being lifted to the rafters. That day will come, and it might not be that far away.

The Raptors surely played with some heart yesterday, having had four regulars pull a double-double each. The fans were in it, more than they were when they got pounded by the Cavs last week. Bargnani came up huge with 28 big points and they defeated New York with a true team effort. Sometimes, you wonder why this kind of team doesn't show up more often?

-D

Yet Another Weekend

Hard to believe another week has gone by. Last weekend, I spent a couple days out of town. Sunday night, I hit the slopes for the first time in over a year. It felt amazing. Sometimes, I wonder why I don't go skiing more often. The snow was fairly nice and the weather was not horrible. There were few skiers which made maneuvering really easy. Going on the moguls was a thrill too. Can't wait for the next time on the slopes.

Couple days ago, went down to the ACC for the Cleveland game. We lost, as the chances indicated. Shawn Marion made his debut and notched 10 points, not bad, but without Bosh, it seems like this team is hopeless. Today's also the 10 year anniversary of ACC itself. Interesting fact I read in the paper today, Raptors have 233 wins compared to the Leafs' 220 at the ACC over the last 10 years. Something to think about...perhaps an indication of the progression of the Leafs.

Raps at Knicks later tonight. Leafs lost to Columbus last night in SO.

Apparently, Alex Rodriguez had been injected steroids by his cousin. Oh well, like I said before, let's just move forward. BJ Ryan is said to be recovering well since that Tommy John surgery. He's gotta come up big for the Jays to contend. And it's really up to our young studs this year to perform, now that AJ's gone. More to come on spring training.

-D

Phew!

Another 6 days have passed since the last post. It seems like life is flying by at the speed of light. There's just no stopping. It's relentless, but it's been a great week, with a huge accomplishment coming on Thursday night.

Anyhow, let's talk sports. I can't say I'm surprised A-Rod has been linked to this network of drug scandals now. He's always had a...what's the word...flamboyant shall we say, side to him. It's good he's at least being somewhat honest. It's a sign that baseball is moving over this period of cloudy controversies. I just hope the new generation of stars like Ryan Howard and Evan Longoria and Jake Peavy stay away from the roids.

You have to realize, steroid revelation is a step in the right direction. It's part of a process to cleaning up the game. I still stick with my argument that baseball was way too lenient on steroids in the 90's and if there was no ban against the substance, then players should not be considered cheaters. But that doesn't take away from the fact that drugs destroy great athletes, not create them.

Let's just get over the steroids issue and look to the horizon for a better day. (a little Obama there for ya).

Thursday was also the one year countdown to the Vancouver Olympics. I still remember the night when I heard Vancouver won the bid in 2003. It's been a long time coming. It's exciting here with all the commemorative coins and newspaper clippings. And with the way Canadians are performing in World Cup circuits, I'm pretty confident we can pull off a number one finish in the medals next year.

Yesterday, our men swept the moguls podium, and they were short of flags. That's how well we've been doing.

Speaking of skiing, I'm off to my own ski trip! Check in on Monday!

-D

P.S. For all you basketball fans out there, enjoy tonight and tomorrow!!

Crazy

Nine days have gone by since I last posted. And I didn't even notice.

This week will be even crazier, as I've got so many things to attend to, all the way until next Wednesday.

Anyhow, I didn't get a chance to say how touching those tears of Federer were. Those tears were much more than your regular, "oh-dang-I-lost-this-is-tough" kind of tears. No, these tears represented lost opportunity for Federer. It represented a pain never felt before by the Swiss Maestro. He didn't even cry in London last year. So why now? Well, because everybody expected him to win, and he himself probably never believed he would lose in Melbourne. It was an amazing match, there are no words to describe it other than that.

Just how GREAT can this rivalry get?

Also, my friend raised an interesting point after the AO final. We know that Nadal will most likely get his 5th straight title at Roland Garros. Wimbledon will be a stretch for Federer, which makes the US Open very interesting to watch. Assuming the next two Grand Slams both go to Rafa, that means Nadal will have the chance to complete a prestigious Calendar Slam. And since Federer has won in Flushing Meadows for 5 straight years, his chances of winning his 14th (assuming he doesn't get it in Paris or London) will never be higher.

Oh, I can hardly wait until September, but don't get me wrong, Roland Garros and Wimbledon will both be really fabulous to watch just because of the Federer-Nadal rivalry.

What can I say about the Raptors? At the beginning of the season, I thought that they would make the play offs no problem. But now, they're one spot away from being cellar dwellers. Oh man, it's been a weird year for the Raptors. The inconsistency has proven to be a poison pill for us. But hey, I'll be looking forward to going to the Cavaliers game on the 18th!

Gotta go colour some maps for history. My teacher's Australian! Cool guy.

-D