Sports Shorts: The Good, The Bad, A Comeback and The Sad

From wwe.com:
Fifth and sixth grade students at Reed Intermediate School in Newtown, Conn., heard that WWE was bringing WWE Superstars and Divas to visit the troops in Iraq for the sixth annual Tribute to the Troops tour. They wanted to do something to participate, so right before Thanksgiving, with the help of their teachers – Jill Beaudry, Julie Shull, Sara Strait and Barbara Mancher – they wrote letters to the men and women of the U.S. military for WWE to bring to Iraq. To see some of the letters, click here.

The WWE Universe can join the Reed students in sending holiday wishes to the troops by joining the WWE Tribute to the Troops Forum at http://fans.wwe.com/go/forum/viewboard.

The W.W.E. wrestlers left yesterday for Iraq.

Sean Avery had this to say on Calgary Flames' Dion Phaneuf dating Sean's ex, Elisha Cuthbert:

“I am really happy to be back in Calgary, I love Canada,” Avery said on camera yesterday morning in Calgary. “I just want to comment on how it’s become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don’t know what that’s about. Enjoy the game tonight.”

The N.H.L. has rightfully suspended Avery indefinitely, pending a hearing. The Dallas Stars' players have not liked Sean Avery from the time he signed his big contract over the summer and I'm sure management is regretting bringing him in. Incidentally, the Stars beat the Flames, 3-1.

Claude Lemieux is making a comeback with the San Jose Sharks' farm team, the Worcester Sharks. Lemieux is known for his on-ice antagonistic play, but he is also the winner of Stanley Cups with three different teams (Montreal 1986, New Jersey 1995, Colorado 1996 & 2000).

Let's all keep former golfing great Seve Ballesteros in our prayers as the 51-year-old undergoes a fourth brain operation in Madrid. Ballesteros was diagnosed with brain cancer in October.