Covering All The Bases...

Just a little bit on a lot of everything, based on the fact that I woke up at about five o'clock this morning with a fierce bug, anyway thank God for Immodium. Whoa slow down there, that's just a little bit too much information!

SPORTS
Anyway, former New York Rangers' defenseman Brian Leetch hung up his skates yesterday, after sitting out the 2006-2007 campaign. Leetch will get his night at M.S.G. this year, I'm assuming when the Rangers host the Boston Bruins. Leetch was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2004, and later signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Bruins for the 2005-2006 season. He forever will be remembered as a New York Ranger. I hope he comes back to the organization in some capacity. I read in a newspaper that he mentioned yesterday on Mike and the Mad Dog, that he would indeed love to be an assistant coach. Leetch would be great with the Blueshirts, especially with all the young defenseman they have, including the very much anticipated debut of Marc Staal.

This is not to take anything away from the Rangers' current assistants, Perry Pearn and Mike Pellino. Both men by the way are pretty well sought after to be N.H.L. Head Coaches.

Rangers' Assistant G.M. Don Maloney appears poised to take the G.M. job in Phoenix with the 'Yotes. My question is, why? We've got great golf courses around here! Seriously, New York has a bunch of young draft picks ready to make the jump to the N.H.L., why wouldn't Maloney want to be around to see the fruition of all his work. Plus, Glen"The Savior"Sather won't be around forever, but then again there is the Mark Messier factor. Messier has already said he would love to be the G.M. of the Rangers if Glen Sather left. So does that mean that Messier is the heir apparent?

I still believe the Yankees will make the playoffs, anyone counting the Bombers out at this point in time is clearly engaged in wishful thinking.

Don't overlook the Detroit Pistons, it seems that members of the fourth estate already have the Spurs winning the NBA Championship.

Is it football season yet?

NEWS
I just get the feeling that this could be an especially ugly summer in the Middle East. Last year, Israel battled Hezbollah to a stalemate and this year not only is Hezbollah and Hamas doing their usual rocket launching into Israel, but Islamic Jihad is also involved. Eye-opening fighting erupted yesterday between the Lebanese army and an al-Qaeda-linked group holed up in a refugee camp in Tripoli. I give Fox News' Steve Harrigan and his cameraman a lot of credit. I watched him reporting the battle while hiding behind an already burned out building with bullets whizzing by his head. If you recall, last year Harrigan's coworker Steve Centanni and his cameraman were kidnapped in Gaza, and later set free, to many people's amazement. Godspeed to those reporters, so many have already been casualties of war.

RETIREMENT
Bob Barker the host of the Price is Right hung up his wheel-spinning gloves this week. Barker, 73, won 18 Emmy Awards as the show's host. Anyone who ever stayed home sick from school most definitely would tune in to the CBS game show. Just to let everyone know, I've always wanted to spin "The Big Wheel" or at the very least make a $1 bid.

WRESTLERANT
Well, it didn't take long but Vince McMahon has ruined E.C.W. Resurrected a year ago after a four year hiatus, McMahon gave the founder of Extreme Championship Wrestling and Scarsdale native, Paul Heyman, the boot and quickly put his mark on the promotion. So much so that he is the E.C.W. World Champion. Look, I'm not going to take anything away from what Vince McMahon has done with professional wrestling, but c'mon, Vinny Mack as World Champ over former marine Bobby Lashley. I'm hoping his reign is short-lived. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

I can distinguish between the Raw and Smackdown brands; Raw has the better and more established talent. But I have no clue what E.C.W. is. Gone are the days when the promotion took things to the limit. The skits used to be hilarious and there was always something outlandish that occurred in a wrestling match that made announcer Joey Styles scream his patented, "Oh my God!"

The great Sabu was fired last week and it appears The Sandman is also on his way out. Meanwhile, my favorite active wrestler, Rob Van Dam in all probability is headed for T.N.A. (Total Nonstop Action), after rejecting every offer the W.W.E. has made to him. R.V.D. is the only man to hold both the W.W.E. and E.C.W. World titles simultaneously. I can't understand why they jerk this guy around!

The heyday of E.C.W. was in the '90s through 2001. Those days are sadly gone. No more will we see guys like Yonkers' resident Tommy Dreamer smashing The Raven with a steel chair as pictured. I'll also never forget when one of the Bruise Brothers took the chair I just happened to be sitting in, and smashed it over Mr. Hughes' head. That, my friends, occurred when E.C.W. came to Yonkers' Raceway.

McMahon has a monopoly on wrestling which is good for him, but bad for the fans. Not having a serious competitor hurts everyone. T.N.A. and R.O.H. (Ring of Honor) just don't have the money to make a serious run at Mr. McMahon.

But never fear old school E.C.W. fans, you can watch E.C.W. on W.W.E. 24/7. Yep, as soon as the channel became available on my cable system I ordered it, I guess back in the fall. For $7 a month I get access to all the great matches from the W.W.E., N.W.A., A.W.A., E.C.W., and World Class, plus many other promotions. They do a great job by going back into their deep archives to produce some real classics. I especially like the matches from E.C.W. back in 1995, but the W.W.E. classics from the early '80s at Madison Square Garden are priceless.

Finally, check out this montage of Geico Cavemen commercials!

Keep it in the Ring!

I Actually Do Care About Pollution...

although it seems as though nobody can get this issue straight. So are the toxins that we produce from our usage of fossil fuels causing global warming, or is it just a natural phenomenon? The very existence of global warming is also something that has been called into question. But once again the media has bastardized this issue by trying to send us all into a frenzy, rather than having a realistic debate that may lead to answers and a clear direction for our government. Hey, this just in...all major and minor media outlets are reporting that there could be thunderstorms in the Hudson Valley this summer. Stay tuned for exclusive team coverage...

WAR ON TERROR
President Bush has released intelligence asserting that Usama bin Laden in 2005 ordered the creation of a terrorist unit to hit targets outside Iraq, including the United States. So my question for you Mr. Bush is why did the CIA shut down the "Bin Laden Unit" in late 2005? Obviously, UBL has been relevant, so why was a unit shut down that had been searching for Mr. B.L. for a decade? Was it because they were so unsuccessful?

Meanwhile, a poll out today reports that 26% of young Muslims believe it is OK to use suicide bombers to defend Islam? We've done a horrible job of winning the hearts and minds...

Presidential hopeful John Edwards says there is no "global war on terror" and that it is just an ideology that has been pushed by the Bush Administration. Anyone, who examines the trouble spots in the world will clearly see that Islamic militants are at the root cause of the fighting in those areas, not Mr. Bush. The Janjaweed (Islamic fighters) are murdering thousands in Darfur; Hamas is fighting Fatah in Gaza; Lebanon is fighting an Al-Qaeda group in Tripoli; and Islamic militants routinely storm cruise ships off the coast of Somalia.

Edwards, a liberal, once again shows why he has no clue and should just continue charging $55,000 to give speeches on poverty! So add Edwards to my list of people who should never be allowed to have a key to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

SPORTS
I picked Anaheim over Buffalo in 7 back in October as my Cup prediction. I stick with Anaheim in 7; but over Ottawa not the Sabres. Sorry Canada, the "Curse of Patrick Roy" continues.

OTHER
Happy 62nd Birthday to Pete Townshend Saturday; mine and Eddie Vedder's hero!

Finally, wish me luck, I entered a collection of poems into a contest conducted by Slapering Hol Press and the Hudson Valley Writer's Center. I entitled it - Seard's or Sean Gerard's Poems - hopefully that is not too pretentious. I plan on posting some if not all of the poems on here. I know the suspense is overwhelming.

Finally, finally, enjoy this video of the Geico Cavemen playing golf with Phil Simms!

Please God, Anyone But These Two...

Add Senators John McCain and Hillary Clinton to my list of folks that I don't want to see in the Oval Office come January 2009. I respect McCain's military career and the fact that he was a P.O.W. for five years! However, I don't think he is Presidential material. As for Clinton, if this country is burned out by the Bush family, it is doubly charred by the mere thought of another four years of a Clinton occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

A Must Read...

This letter should be read by all the wimps in Washington, D.C. particularly Mr. Wimpy himself, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid:

I'm Tired

Two weeks ago, as I was starting my sixth month of duty in Iraq, I was forced to return to the USA for surgery for an injury I sustained Prior to my deployment. With luck, I'll return to Iraq to finish my tour. I left Baghdad and a war that has every indication that we are winning, to return to a demoralized country much like the one I returned to in 1971 after my tour in Vietnam.

Maybe it's because I'll turn 60 years old in just four months, but I'm tired: I'm tired of spineless politicians, both Democrat and Republican who lack the courage, fortitude, and character to see these difficult tasks through. I'm tired of the hypocrisy of politicians who want to rewrite history when the going gets tough. I'm tired of the disingenuous clamor from those that claim they 'Support the Troops' by wanting them to 'Cut and Run' before victory is achieved.

I'm tired of a mainstream media that can only focus on car bombs and casualty reports because they are too afraid to leave the safety of their hotels to report on the courage and success our brave men and women are having on the battlefield. I'm tired that so many Americans think you can rebuild a dictatorship into a democracy overnight.

I'm tired that so many ignore the bravery of the Iraqi people to go to the voting booth and freely elect a Constitution and soon a permanent Parliament. I'm tired of the so called 'Elite Left' that prolongs this war by giving aid and comfort to our enemy, just as they did during the Vietnam War. I'm tired of antiwar protesters showing up at the funerals of our fallen soldiers. A family who's loved ones gave their life in a just and noble cause, only to be cruelly tormented on the funeral day by cowardly protesters is beyond shameful. I'm tired that my generation, the Baby Boom -- Vietnam generation, who have such a weak backbone that they can't stomach seeing the difficult tasks through to victory.

I'm tired that some are more concerned about the treatment of captives than they are the slaughter and beheading of our citizens and allies. I'm tired that when we find mass graves it is seldom reported by the press, but mistreat a prisoner and it is front page news. Mostly, I'm tired that the people of this great nation didn't learn from history that there is no substitute for Victory.

Sincerely,

Joe Repya,
Lieutenant Colonel,
U. S. Army 101st Airborne Division

Please God, Anybody But Rudy!!!

Last night I got to see the Republican debate on Fox News from the University of South Carolina. There were a number of things that stood out to me, for instance, Fox News' Chris Wallace, Brit Hume, and Wendell Goller are far more professional and have a much better grasp of the issues than the folks over at MSNBC. The candidates were given ample amount of time to answer, but also were not allowed to drone on. I sat there watching and I think to myself, who the hell does Rudy Giuliani think he is? America's Mayor? You're not even New York City's favorite mayor (Mike Bloomberg is) and as far as 9/11 goes. Why doesn't Rudy go poll the FDNY and NYPD and find out how popular he is with them? The answer is that he is extremely unpopular with the Bravest and the Finest.

I thought that the way Rudy jumped all over Texas Congressman Ron Paul was appalling. Rudy went after Paul because Mr. Paul said that America has to be more vigilant when making foreign policy to prevent future terrorist attacks. I think it is actually a fair and practical point. Yet, Rudy decided to turn bulldog and went into this whole thing that Paul was blaming America for being attacked. He then went on to talk about "what it was like to live through 9/11." OK fine Rudy you did show great poise in the face of unprecedented evil. However, America has to ask herself who it supports, why, and what is the potential risk involved? Quite often we end up fighting people that we have supported in the past. I'll give you an example:

A few days ago an Afghan warlord said that he had been in touch with Usama Bin Laden and that Mr. B.L. is doing fine, etc. etc. That warlord - Gulbaddin Hekmatyar - is leading the insurgency in Afghanistan, separate from the Taliban. Oddly enough we used to give money and arms to this warlord, yet it was only a few years ago we tried to kill him with a missile.

Paul was trying to say that maybe we should examine why we are getting involved in other countries' affairs, when quite frankly we have enough of our own to mind. He is one of the view brave enough to say that we should hold our allies accountable for their actions.

The old Arab expression, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend," for me doesn't cut it anymore. I'm glad that Paul mentioned that the U.S. is building 14 permanent military bases throughout Iraq. Yeah, that's right, 14. That's why I've always found it quite phony when I hear politicians talk about bringing home the troops. I'll bet anyone we have 50,000 troops in Iraq 10 years from now. We are establishing a permanent presence there and the American public should understand that. I'm not going into if it is right or wrong in this post, that's for another time.

Oh yeah, and by the way Rudy please stop mentioning your name with Ronald"Dutch"Reagan's. You my friend are not the shining light for the Republican Party. Rudy, also went on and on about how he supports "any means" in getting information from terrorists. So if we decide to torture, then I don't want to hear anyone complain when our civilians or troops are tortured.

"America's Mayor" also made reference to the time shortly after 9/11 when he told then-Crown Prince Abdullah to take his $10 million donation and stick it. Well, if Rudy gets elected he still gets to deal with Abdullah, who is now King of Saudi Arabia.

Terrorists have struck America for many reasons, it is not limited to our freedom and the freedoms that women enjoy. Foreign policy has had an impact, there is no question about that. Not just ours, but that of our "buddies." Paul made a good point, but Rudy couldn't bear to hear a differing view. Paul was not expressing a conspiracy theory, he was backing up what he was saying, unlike the increasingly loony Democrats who believe that the Twilight Zone actually was based in reality.

I have no idea who will get my vote for President, but God please, don't let Rudy get the nomination or at least give us a third party candidate like, Mike Bloomberg.

Rangers' Thoughts...

Although the Rangers' loss to the Sabres was heartbreaking, their is reason for optimism in Rangerland. The New York Rangers, remember, were out of the playoffs for seven years and spent money like drunken sailors. G.M. Glen Sather initially continued with that approach upon being hired, but decided/was forced to build a team from within. It began in March 2004 really, and for the John Dellapinas of the world; yes it was time to get rid of Brian Leetch. Hey John, get over it! The Rangers have to find a way to balance improving their team's chances at the Stanley Cup, while continuing to bring along their plethora of bright prospects. Let's look closely, shall we:
GOALTENDING
This part is relatively simple. Henrik Lundqvist we'll probably get locked up this summer to a seven year deal. He has one more year on his contract, despite Larry Brooks' otherwise assertion. It was reported that a deal had been struck, but both sides have since denied any contractual agreement. Kevin Weekes will not be back; too expensive of a backup in this new salary cap world. So, it appears as though Stephen Valiquette will serve as Henrik's backup. Al Montoya, meanwhile, will continue to hone his craft in the A.H.L., unless of course, the Rangers use the super prospect as part of a blockbuster trade. Can you say Vincent Lecavlier? The Blueshirts probably will draft a goalie or two this summer, to give the organization more depth at that position.
DEFENSE
I can't understand why Rangers' fans boo Marek Malik. Yes, he makes boneheaded plays at times, but you don't boo your own player, especially in the playoffs. Malik has one year left on his deal, and I believe he returns. Dan Girardi and Fedor Tyutin look like a pairing that will be together for the next ten years, depending upon Girardi's development. Toots is a #3 or #4 d-man; Girardi is a #3 or #4 right now in basically half a season of work. He could develop further, we'll see. Paul Mara played above what many thought he was capable of. Karel Rachunek is a restricted free agent, and I hope the Rangers let him walk by not offering him a qualifying deal (one year at the same price he was paid for 2006-07). He was mediocre for the first part of the season, good at times in the latter half, abysmal in the playoffs. Thomas Pock came a long way this season when he was given the opportunity. If I'm the coach, Pock plays every night. I'd like to see the Blueshirts sign Jason Strudwick who spent some brief time with the team this year. He's a good seventh d-man and can also play as a wing. Marc Staal should absolutely be on the team next year, I expect him to be paired with Mara, unless of course the Rangers deal Malik, then we could see Staal with Michal Rozsival. Staal is projected as the cornerstone of the Rangers' blueline for years to come. New York's 2006 1st round pick, Bobby Sanguenetti, from all that I have read is still a year away. Now let's take a look up front:

FORWARDS

This is where things can be a bit sticky! Let's take it line by line. Michael Nylander is an unrestricted free agent. I'm not entirely sure he will be back. He plays well with Jaromir Jagr, however, at 35, one has to question if he should be your top pivot. More importantly, though, he will command big money if he goes to July 1, without a contract. Jagr will be back next year. Ditto Martin Straka. Matt Cullen played his best this year as a third line center, which is why the Rangers are going to look hard at unrestricted free agents Daniel Brierre and Chris Drury. My money is on Drury playing on Broadway next season.

The other big question is Brendan Shanahan? Most likely, it looks as though he will come back for an encore.
Then you have to wonder where everyone fits in and who could get traded? Does Petr Prucha get dealt? Head Coach Tom Renney finally found a role for Prucha - hurt by the arrival of Shanahan - the Czech sophomore played brilliantly with Ryan Callahan and Matt Cullen.
One guy who may get overlooked is Jed Ortmeyer? A free agent who wants to be back and absolutely should be signed. Great penalty killer and plays relentlessly on the puck. Yes, Lundqvist's play around Christmas improved a solid two notches, but Ortmeyer returned from a heart embolism around the beginning of the year and I noticed a definite commitment to playing solid defense from the Rangers at the same time. I hope they don't let him walk, because they'll regret it.
Other guys like Brad Isbister and Marcel Hossa probably will start training camp with the Blueshirts, but I'm hoping the Rangers give Brandon Dubinsky and Nigel Dawes legit shots at making the team. There are some other questions? Do the Rangers make a run at Scott Gomez, an unrestricted free agent. Or how about this one folks. Would the Rangers pull off a major coup or what in signing, Ryan Smyth, a free agent from the New York Islanders. Hmmm, former Oiler, gritty forward, can score, cost the Islanders a few handful of first-round picks. Wow, did I just have a V8 moment. Stay tuned! In the meantime, I'm up for Starbucks. Meanwhile, don't forget...
Stay Onsides!

NHL Thoughts...

You know I find it comical that Pierre McGuire is a broadcaster, I really do. He was at his finest over the weekend when he asked Red Wings Head Coach Mike Babcock, "So, this probably isn't the start you wanted," after Detroit fell behind 1-0 to San Jose in Game Five. I also find it laughable that Bill Clement pretends to be objective when it comes to commentating about any of the New York area teams. Hey, he's a Flyer through and through, no problem. Go ahead Billy Boy wave your orange crush pompoms. But let's get to my predictions for the Conference Finals, however, let's first look back and see how the Dog and I did in the second round:

I said San Jose in 6, Dog said Detroit in 7. Wings won in 6.
I said Ducks in 7, Dog said Canucks in 7. Anaheim won in 5.
I said Rangers in 6, Dog said Sabres in 5. Buffalo won in 6.
I said Devils in 7, Dog took the Senators in 5. Ottawa won in 5.

So now we move on...

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Detroit vs. Anaheim
I was thinking earlier about how the Red Wings have been so good for so long, despite all the changes. However, they do have some constants. Solid goaltending: Dom Hasek. An amazingly gifted but in some ways overlooked d-man, Nic Lidstrom. The main thing, though, is the team's commitment to playing solid defense and being masters at puck control. Detroit has also somehow been able to make Matt Schneider look like a big-time defenseman; and Chris Chelios looks to be playing like he is in his 20s, not in his 40s.

Anaheim meanwhile, has a great blend of young players and vets looking to get a ring. I always start in goal and work my way out, by the way. J.S. Giguere doesn't face many shots on most nights, but is very good between the pipes. Now let's work our way out and look at the awesome tandem of Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer. When you have two guys as good as they are, it gives Head Coach Randy Carlyle many options. They can play together or on separate pairs, which would mean that one of the two d-men would potentially be on the ice for the entire game. Those two regularly log at least 30 minutes per game.

Anaheim plays very close games and for some reason does not score as many goals as I would expect, what with Teemu Selanne leading the charge.

The Ducks have been the consensus pick of many around the NHL to go to the finals since they lured Chris Pronger away from Edmonton last summer. I agree, and take the Ducks in 6.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Buffalo vs. Ottawa
Ottawa boasts some incredibly exciting forwards in Dan Heatley, Dan Alfredsson, and Jason Spezza. Plus, they've got Chris Phillips on the blueline. But they are a bit suspect in goal with Ray Emery. The goalie is definitely prone to letting in the soft goal, and becoming unnerved. With the speed that Buffalo can generate that is a recipe for disaster for the Senators. There's plenty of pressure on both these teams, and there actually is some bad blood stemming from an incident earlier in the year. Buffalo wins this won in a breeze, I like the Sabres in 5.

By the way, the Dog was too busy chewing on a bone and was unable to make his predictions.

Rangers Iced!

We'll have more on this in the coming days, but as most of you know it's all over for the New York Rangers, losers yesterday to the Buffalo Sabres 5-4. The Rangers were ousted in six games, but really it was over Friday night. When Buffalo tied the game with 7.7 seconds remaining, I just never thought New York had a chance after that. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist played brilliantly, but the failure of the Rangers to get the correct guys on the ice in the closing minute, cost them the game. I'm sure that Head Coach Tom Renney learned a great deal from this series as he did from last year's matchup with the New Jersey Devils. Buffalo had pulled their goalie, Ryan Miller for an extra skater, but the Rangers were unable to get their more defensive-minded players on the ice. The flurry of activity around the Rangers' net was too much to withstand, thus leading to the tying Chris Drury goal.

I also wonder why Nigel Dawes somehow was unable to get in a game in November, but Renney was able to find a role for him in an elimination playoff game yesterday? Nonetheless, that's not why the Rangers lost. Buffalo Coach Lindy Ruff told the media after the fourth game that his team needed to do "a little extra." That is what the Rangers did not do in the final two games of the series. Sean Avery, who made the ridiculous comments before the series that he was "going to hurt Buffalo," was great killing penalties, but largely invisible during the series. The Rangers most active line was their third line consisting of Matt Cullen, Ryan Callahan, and Petr Prucha. The Rangers just couldn't get an edge on Buffalo. When the Blueshirts would score; the Sabres would answer right back. If Buffalo took a penalty, the Rangers would remain pedestrian with the man advantage, except for Jaromir Jagr.

I'm quite interested to see what the Rangers' management plans to do this summer. Free agents that are of the unrestricted kind include Brendan Shanahan, Michal Nylander, and Kevin Weekes.

Kevin Weekes is the easiest one, don't sign him. He's an admirable backup but Lundqvist needs to play a lot of games to be effective, and that type of roll does not suit Weekes.

Nylander a good friend of Jaromir Jagr will most certainly be back. Shanahan, however, is another question. Does he want to come back? He certainly looked a step slow during the playoffs and my question is was it because of the time missed recovering from a concussion or is age catching up with Shanny.

In the end, Buffalo was the better team during the regular season (by only two points in the second half) and in the playoffs. I've got a few thoughts on the Rangers' future in the coming days and on the playoffs generally. However, expect to see more politics, news, frivolity, laughs, giggles, etc. in this space than sports for a while, Friday night's loss was a bummer!

So Easy A Jagr Can Do It?

So here we are folks. Tonight is THE night. The biggest game for the New York Rangers since that fabled night oh so long ago, June 14, 1994. The Broadway Blues have to win one of the two games in Buffalo, and in my eyes although nothing is impossible, winning a Game 7 on the road would be about as tough a game as possible. Here we have the Buffalo Sabres, winners of the President's Trophy with the most points in the league (113), and with the most potent offense in the league during the regular season (308 goals), being held to only a pair of goals in the two games at MSG.

The New York Islanders won Game 2 of their series in Buffalo, mostly on adrenaline fueled by the inspirational return of their netminder Rick DiPietro. The Rangers have to feel a similar sense of desperation, because I'm sure they realize that if the Sabres' confidence is not shaky at this point, it would be severely rattled with a win tonight. But really it's more than that. Win tonight and the Rangers would have a raucous crowd on their side for the possible clincher at home Sunday afternoon. Although no guarantee - the Rangers have performed better on the road overall this year - again it's much better than winning a seventh game in Buffalo. Vets like Brendan Shanahan and Jaromir Jagr know that the number of opportunities for them to do something "special" is limited while they finish out the back nine of their illustrious careers.

When asked yesterday about the prospects of winning in Buffalo, Jagr jokingly said "Yeah, it's so easy even a caveman can do it." I don't know what the deal is for some of these guys in other cities, but Jagr has been a model professional athlete since coming to the Rangers, despite the bad rap he got in Pittsburgh. Same was true for Eric Lindros, target of a continual onslaught of Bobby Clarkism in Philly, but a model Ranger despite playing on some quite dismal teams. Jagr though has gotten the Rangers into the playoffs during both of his two full seasons spent in New York and he has helped to restore some of the magic to MSG.

This team may - and yes I did say may - have something here. It's a tremendous mix of older vets like Jagr, Shanahan, Michael Nylander, and Martin Straka, mixed in with a solid young nucleus led by Henrik Lundqvist, and filled out with Michal Rozsival, Fedor Tyutin, Dan Girardi, Ryan Callahan, and Sean Avery. Jagr's done things all year with a great sense of humor and yes he has played hard, even paying attention to defensive zone coverage. Now in the playoffs, Jagr has stepped things up a notch. He's ready to roll and so am I. The Rangers vs. the Sabres at HSBC Arena tonight at 7. Let's hook 'em up! But before we do that, let's all share a laugh with this video starring the Geico Cavemen, that I'm betting you haven't yet seen:

A Quick One...

Nothing much to say today except I am really looking forward to tomorrow night's Rangers-Sabres Game 5. I'm sure the folks up at the HSBC Arena will have the place rockin'. Meanwhile, Anaheim is up 3-1 over the Canucks, who played their best game but blew a 2-0 lead, putting the Ducks one win away from advancing. I don't see Vancouver coming back, too bad for the Canuckleheads. Jersey is also down 3-1, but I still believe they are going to make a comeback.

The Republican debate is on MSNBC tonight for all those vying for the nomination. I just can't believe anyone watches MSNBC, particularly after they got rid of Imus. I'll get to the state of the Republican party someday soon, but it's not good at this point in my eyes. We need some fresh blood; hey folks I'm not eligible yet so don't go there!

Meanwhile, I found this video on YouTube, it's probably my favorite Led Zeppelin song and apparently is about Jimmy Page's infatuation with songstress Joni Mitchell, who I also like. In fact, after Robert Plant sings, "To find the queen without a king they say she plays guitar and cries and sings," Plant, when performing live, would often say the name "Joni." It's not the whole song, but enjoy nonetheless. I'm thinking Subway for lunch...

Rangers, Who Take A Walk On The Wild Side...

OK, so the Rangers-Sabres are even in more ways than one. I was shocked that Daniel Brierre's goal late in the game against the Blueshirts did not count. It wasn't ruled a goal on the ice, so there had to be conclusive evidence when they went to the video replay to prove otherwise. I thought it was in and we were going to overtime, however, with the logic that the video crew used I can understand why it was not counted. But the officiating has been dreadful and I suppose is now even for both teams, as is the series 2-2. I was sweating though during the review, as I'm sure was Henrik Lundqvist. We take a break until Friday night when the Rangers will face the Sabres in Buffalo. Hey, the Islanders won a game at the HSBC Arena, so why can't the Blueshirts.

A few other thoughts on the N.H.L. and the Playoffs:

• Is it really possible that the Devils are going to lose to Ottawa? I say they tie things up tonight.


• The Ducks are up 3-1 against the Canucks and look to me like they'll be in the Stanley Cup Finals. But I also expect Anaheim to have a hell of a series first, with either Detroit or San Jose.


• Bill Clement is tough to take, but Joe Beninati and Darin Elliott are the worst announcers ever!


• If the N.H.L. continues to send their players to the Olympics, the U.S. is in great shape in between the pipes with Ryan Miller and Rick DiPietro.


• Rumors are swirling about Alex Kovalev getting traded to Washington; Vincent Lecavlier going to Montreal; and Ryan Smyth getting a whopping contract offer from Calgary.

Meanwhile, we can all mull over if NBC's President and CEO Jeff Zucker and NBC's hockey analyst Pierre McGuire are indeed separated at birth (Zucker's picture above is first then McGuire's).

Or you can check out this video of Pete Townshend and Lou Reed performing at Joe's Pub in New York City.

The Rangers' Future...

This video is of current New York Rangers' prospect Marc Staal, a defenseman, while playing for the Sudbury Wolves in the O.H.L. Marc is on the same team as his younger bro Jared; while Jordan plays for the Pens and is a Rookie of the Year candidate; brother Eric suits up for Carolina. Now this is hitting:


Can someone give me a loud "Stone Cold" Steve Austin hell yeah or at least an ooffaaa!!!

Definitely,

Stay Onsides!

At Least There's One Dog I Like...

and believe me it's not Chris"Mad Dog" Russo. After Sunday's Rangers-Sabres' game, I posted about how exciting the double overtime thriller had been. I remember taking out a sentence in the post before I published it in regards to what I was expecting the next day (Monday) from Mike and the Mad Dog. Some of you may know that the WFAN talkies love to go over the ratings on Mondays from the weekend. The banter is really exciting, it usually goes something like this:

Dog: Spurs-Lakers?

Mike: Uh, um, that was a four o'clock game, the weather was nice, Mother's Day. I don't know, um, er, um, duh um, I say a 4.7.

Dog: 3.4.

Mike: Yeah, I knew that!

Well, Mike if you knew it was a 3.4, why did you say 4.7? Nonetheless, in my post I decided to leave out any mention of what I anticipated would be a Russo rant. I fully expected Dog throwing cold water on the Rangers' win by referring to the game's low ratings. Most of us know that hockey does not do well; people just don't watch it here in the U.S. So yesterday I was not surprised when I heard the two - mostly Chris Russo - going over and over the ratings for the N.H.L.'s Sunday matinee. No talk about the game. Nothing about how exciting it was.

The two claim they are not disparaging the sport or its athletes, but I've heard them long enough to believe otherwise. It's an old song with these two, they do it to generate controversy. That, my friends, is why it is so hollow. We've all seen Russo say things just to get people unglued. The insipid "Enter Sandman" controversy, with Russo screaming about who should really be allowed to use the theme song, Billy Wagner or Mariano Rivera. The '96 Yankees vs. the '86 Mets comparison, after the Bombers had beaten Atlanta in six games. It goes on and on.

A few hockey fans called in and had some pretty angry exchanges with Russo, while Mike slurped his Diet Coke. The whole thing was boring to me. I actually don't like when they talk hockey because they don't know the sport. I'm also learning that their knowledge is pretty limited when it comes to other things as well. For example, Mike shot down anyone who dared disagree with him that Leonard DiCaprio stole the show in the hit movie, The Departed. Huh? I saw that movie and didn't walk away thinking their was one actor or actress that put on a most memorable performance. The issue, though, really was Mike's holier-than-thou stance.

I used to listen to WFAN as much as possible, however, now it is just a few minutes a day listening to Mike and the Mad Dog. I know a lot of folks have gone over to ESPN Radio. But for me I put on either WABC Radio or NPR, or I just listen to music. WFAN has become too negative for me; with so many of their hosts just trying to be like Mike Francesa. Ho hum! I just don't get how the rating has anything to do with the fact that it was a very exciting game. I watch C-SPAN from time to time. I don't know who else does, but that's not going to stop me from watching it nor does it take away from the excellent programming of C-SPAN and its sister stations.

Yes, Phil Mushnick, somewhere a village is missing an idiot and somewhere another village is missing a giant blowhard. If either village cares to send out a search party they can find both idiots, weekdays from 1-6 in Astoria, Queens.

SPORTS
The New York Rangers' top farm team the Hartford Wolfpack lost a Game 7 to the Providence Bruins, so therefore the Rangers have recalled Al Montoya, Alex Bourret, Dane Byers, Nigel Dawes, Brandon Dubinsky, Jarkko Immonen, Hugh Jessiman, David Liffiton, Greg Moore, and Hannu Pikkkarainen. The only one who might get a shot to play with the Blueshirts would be Dubinsky, but that's doubtful at this point. Meanwhile, Marc Staal continues to lead his junior team, the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL Playoffs. The Wolves, a sixth seed, now face Belleville, a three seed, in the Conference Finals.

NEWS
Mayor Mike Bloomberg unveiled a very ambitious plan recently for NYC to become green. I'm just wondering if this is another step toward Bloomy announcing his intentions to run for the Oval Office. I hope so, Mayor Mike is a guy who has gotten it done and doesn't run around telling everyone how great he is nor is he so willing to take the credit when things go right and looking for someone to blame when things go wrong. Could I be talking about his predecessor? Well, you know the expression if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck...

Republicans and Democrats fear Al Gore, that you can take to the bank.

Reports out of Iraq are that Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the al-Qaeda in Iraq leader, was killed in a battle between rival insurgent groups. Let's wait and see if this is true.

ELSEWHERE
Finally, is there any possible way that John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, and Hillary Clinton can all move to Siberia? Please? Pretty please?