Why Sports Fans should Boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Misc. Monday takes a look at the why the Olympics should be boycotted in the name of Chinese and Tibetan freedom. Listen to the message sent by those who die to speak it. Use your voice to spread the message to anyone who conscientious enough to hear it.

The weblog platform has been denounced and disrespected, ignored and persecuted sufficiently to anger those burdened by the foolishness of the ignorant. If the collective outrage amounts to action and subsequently reaction from the persecutors then we've succeed in regaining our journalistic integrity and our right to speak and be heard. The purpose of this platform that we've embraced is to share our thoughts and ideas to educate -- and thus empower -- others who mightn't be as enlightened. By sharing information and passing it along, a message from a singular source is proliferated into the hearts and minds of millions.

Imagine your voice silenced forever by fear, being without the fundamental rights or claims to your passion. In the context of blogging these ambitions are marginalized when considering the battle for basic human rights in China and Tibet. From a 2004 report issued by the US State Dept.:

“Citizens did not have the right to change their government, and many who openly expressed dissenting political views were harassed, detained, or imprisoned…Abuses included instances of extrajudicial killings; torture and mistreatment of prisoners, leading to numerous deaths in custody; coerced confessions; arbitrary arrest and detention; and incommunicado detention.”

In light of this, the detention, brutality and killing of protesters opposing the communist Chinese regime. The message from within China to those that oppose their operation to present themselves glowingly on the international stage: Shut Up, or well throw you in jail, kill you, or both.

“In what has become a familiar sight in Kathmandu in recent weeks, they waved signs and shouted slogans demanding independence for their Himalayan homeland, only to face beatings and detention.” (Reuters, 31Mar08)

Boycotting the Olympics and supporting Chinese and Tibetan freedom are juxtaposed on the path to moral utopia. The opportunity to make a statement is upon on as athletes, writers, activists, sympathizers, and plainly as human beings, and grows in anticipation of the Opening Ceremonies in Beijing.

So get informed, spread the message and make a difference. Stop idly sympathizing and have a voice for those that cannot: sign the petitions. Seize the chance to incite change in China lest we backhandedly endorse their mistreatment of its citizens to protect their identity and allow them to continually profit from genocide and oppression. I refuse to support the Olympics in Beijing in 2008 for these reasons and more.

• More: Protests in Tibet leave nearly 100 dead.
• China has declared a "people's war" of security and propaganda against support for the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists.
• Repression continues in China leading up to the Olympics.
  

MLB: Why baseball is the best outdoor sport on Earth

I want to preface my first piece (of the season) on the MLB with the a plain declaration of my love for baseball. Unless you grew up playing the game you might not share my fervent passion. With Opening Day approaching, it follows that I thrilled expound on why I think baseball is the best outdoor game on Earth.

While the pace might dissuade some potential viewers, it is more likely their inability to grasp (or lack of exposure to) the finer details that make baseball such a amazing spectacle. It is a sport of calculated decisions coupled with the physical demands of other major sports, traits that can be overlooked by those who fail to learn or study -- and thus appreciate -- the intricacies of this superficially simple, yet often surprisingly dynamic sporting event.

A players ability to hit, run, catch and throw are merely the seeds of the prerequisite abilities; abilities that proliferate and branch manifesting a players role or value to an organization. Like no other sport baseball demands a unique skill-set that is predominately composed of: patience and mental focus, athleticism and intelligence; characteristics that must be delicately balanced according to ones specialty (in other words, their position). But, how are the former fundamental prerequisites influenced and determined by the latter physical attributes?

Patient hitters tangentially add potency to an offensive attack. By taking and/or fouling off pitches, these patient hitters run deep counts thereby exhausting the oppositions starting pitcher and forcing typically less-talented relief pitchers into the game to weather the storm. Driving up your opponents pitch-count grants a determinable advantage to those teams with patient bats. Look no further than the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox for an example of this. Remember this to avoid frustration when you see 6-7+ pitch at-bats and enjoy it! More often than not you are witnessing one of the finer one-on-one duals in sport (especially in clutch situations).

Mental Focus is paramount to the passage above. Without unwaivering concentration and mental focus not even Yoda could hit Johan Santanas' curve ball, yet alone intentionally foul it off in search of a more suitable pitch. Fielders also require intense focus in a game where every ground ball or pop-fly comes in differently. Subtle variations between ball parks, playing surfaces, and weather conditions all play tricks on the spin and trajectory of the leather-covered rubber & cork sphere. If that isn't enough to rattle your cage, the nature of scoring baseball subjects the players to the greatest level of individual scrutiny.

Athleticism is one of the most obvious and anticipated traits of pro athletes, albeit not mutually exclusive with ball players. Indeed, some players – due to their position (pitchers and DH's come to mind) -- can get away with unflattering physiques because their skills are so specialized. Oddly enough, some would argue fatter pitchers are more durable and bigger hitters generate more power effectively supporting certain players paradoxical conditioning. Aside from these quirks, reaction time, agility and kinesthetic intelligence are enormously vital to all ball players.

Intelligence is the tie that binds the above characteristics. Intelligence – as it pertains strictly to the game itself – is a trait nearly all major leagues possess. The mental dual that is every at-bat can be drawn upon as an example. Hitters who study a pitchers tendencies (and vice versa) invariably perform better over the long haul – and when you play 162-game seasons, proper scouting reports and quick analysis become a necessity. Every time you hear a broadcaster drop the phrase '(the batter) was waiting on that pitch', following a jack over the wall in left-center, think of how critical it was for that individual to anticipate and identify the pitch.

The importance of the physical attributes and cognitive characteristics documented above could be expanded upon in great length, something I'll forgo in the sake of brevity. I have also focused primarily on hitting and fielding, leaving pitching for another piece altogether. Please consider the minutia the next time your watching a ball game and I ensure you'll gleam added entertainment from always slow, but never boring sports that is the best the outdoors has to offer.

Thanks for stopping in, I hope you enjoyed the read. Cloud9 produces great content daily, so please click here to subscribe. Cheers, Derek.

Weekly Wed. All-NHL Podcast #7

Another auditory beauty here containing a detailed breakdown of the Western Conference Playoff picture followed by a feature on the Hart Trophy Candidates. The podcast concludes with a brief look at the two-horse race b/w WASH & BOS for the final playoff spot in the East and lastly, a commentary on the Roy Incident in the Q. Enjoy, and thanks for listening - Derek.

Tuesday Linkfest

MLB:

Canseco's new book talks about A-Rod in detail. Also, Mike Wallace looking to buff up? (Link)

Greatest Catch in Amateur Sports History? (Oldie, but goodie.)

Pre-season rankings, with an unsurprising shaft to the Blue Jays.

NHL:

The Penguins warm-up with a dirty soundtrack. (@@@)

On the NHL in Russia? (Red Army is Old Skool)

NFL:

Scouts Inc. Ranks the Top 64 Recievers in the league. (Don't drop it)

Misc:

Sports Ill. has opened their archives for free. (Pretty dirty.)

Underage drinking + Athletic Scholarship + Facebook = Suspension?

On the J. Roy Brawl and the Powder-Puff Media

Like fighting – which is endorsed ubiquitously -- line brawls are indeed part of the game, particularly when the intensity is cranked for a playoff series against a bitter rival. Given the frequency with which they kick off, what about this incident lends itself to the scorn of all the disapproving windbags in the mainstream media? Look no further than the legacy of Patrick Roy.

At this point everyone has seen the incident in question with enough frequency to have passed their judgment -- judgment that has unfortunately been clouded by those whose vigorously wagging fingers have (apparently) obstructed their view.

The sports pundits synchronously aligned in their steadfast disapproval have either never played the game, or are to old to remember the way things were – nevertheless they are doing a disservice to their viewers and fans by screaming bloody murder over what amounts to a turtling French-Canadian goaltender and a dust-up in the second period of a blowout hockey game.

As Ray Emery showed us last February, goalies are generally polarized when it comes to their willingness to fight. His combatant (Marty Biron) was almost as unwilling as the poor soul Jonathon Roy beat on. While I fully condemn beating on an opponent unwilling to fight, it is difficult to sympathize with anyone cowardly enough to ball themselves on the ice without even throwing a punch or attempting anything resembling honorable self-defense. This wasn't AC Slater beating on Screech, but it sure appeared that way.

The QMJHA announced they will hand out suspensions on Tuesday and if you take a peek into the rule book, it's doubtful J. Roy will be playing anytime soon. As for Coach Roy? I think his involvement will be overlooked in favor of throwing the book at the players, as J. Roy and company are much more deserving of any forthcoming reprimand. And speaking of punishment: if you agree with my assessment of the soft media who prefer watching the von Trapp family sing their way through the Alps over a little old-time hockey, then subscribe to Cloud9 and keep reading. Thanks for stopping in, Cheers -- Derek.

Forget No-Touch Icing, Lets Abolish it all together.

I wasn't the first to move on this issue, so I'll state that straight away. But, much like my previous piece which listed numerous viable -- and frequently radical -- changes that would help revolutionize the NHL, I've found another rule that needs to be altered. The climate following Kurtis Fosters' unfortunate leg injury has created yet another opportunity to start some buzz around a similarly radical and potentially beneficial alteration to the NHL rule book.

The debate has been focused on two options: keep the status quo or enact the no-touch icing policy currently observed by International and minor hockey associations. Regardless of your position in this arena, I urge you to consider the following in lieu:

Lets abolishing icing all-together.

To begin, this is a dated rule which the game has outpaced. It was enacted in 1939 to deter over-matched teams from repeatedly rifling the puck the length of the ice in desperation. Todays rich talent pool ensures completive balance effectively nulling the original impetus for the rule.

Less empirically, the main reason we (I and others) support touch icing is because it serves to reduce whistles and generate offense, two desirable events that are attenuated by the no-touch variation of the rule.

Granted these injuries are terribly unfortunate while happily few and far between (which is illustrated by the fact that we don’t talk about change unless the GM meetings are being held, or someone has recently been injured as a result of the current rule; see Bergeron & Foster). Safety risks are inherent to professional sport and attempting to mitigating these risks by altering the structure of the game should be avoided.

To account for eliminating icings in their entirety, why not provide each team with an icing quota to serve as a deterrent for endlessly dumping the puck 200ft? Say a happy alternative is reached whereby each team is allowed 1, 1, and 2 icings respectively per period after which a minor penalty will be assessed (with penalty killing being the exception). Players will quickly adapt and fine tune their dumping skills or face the consequence of either a minor penalty, or rewarding your opponent with a scoring opportunity.

It's time the NHL changes this rule and it's incumbent on them to considers all potential options when doing so. Don't pass judgment based on the aesthetics or the complexity of the rule itself (which admittedly is far less cut-and-dry than the current form), but judge it on the merits of said rule and its ultimate impact on the game. Our sweeping objectives are to reduce injuries, keep the pace and continuity of play high, while reducing the time in which a game is played – all of which are address with by the above proposal to abolish icing.

Thoughts?

Best Blogger Contest Announcement.

Surely everyone with a pulse is well jazzed for the NCAA March Madness. Even if you don't like basketball the TV programming is ideal for a casual fan to take in the last 2-3mins of a given contest -- essentially the only part of a basketball game that is worth watching.

Whats more is the fact that I have entered a dirty little Best Of 64 tourney myself, this in the for of The Next Great Hockey Blogger contest at Hockeybuzz.com. Scroll down to the bottom there and check out the old boy DB cracking the field of 64 beating out 450+ applicants.

I have little doubt that I can win this, so look forward to updates and the like from me whenever I get them.

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More people need to listen to this Wed's Podcast; plainly it's great. Pronger, Avery, Eastern Conference playoffs races Rick Dipietro, Lions, Tiger, Bears and Bendy woman galore! So scroll down and get into it! Cheers, Derek.

Weekly Wed. All-NHL Podcast #6

I might be suffering from goldfish-eating-induced anemia which has absolutely shattered my vocal chords, but dammit it all if I didn't come through with the Wed. All-NHL podcast.

It kicks off with some bragging about Sean Avery, before breaking down teams 6 thru 10 in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The latter sections break the season-ending surgery for Rick DiPietro and explain why he is a clear disappointment with a great contract. The last section explains the life lesson Chris Prongers stomp taught us. Thanks for listening, Cheers - Derek.

Stompin' Chris Pronger Teaches a Valuable Life Lesson.

I intend on revisiting this with my Weekly Wed. All-NHL podcast tomorrow, so I will be terse here. This has been a real hot button issue and I wanted to give a few readers a fresh perspective on how this relates to life.

Sport, like society, judges every amoral or criminal wrong-doing not solely based on the offense itself, but with marked consideration to the multitude of situational variables. Of these factors is the status of the person facing judgment.

In this case Pronger was protected by the cache he carries around the league, his current GM (who used to do the job Colin Campbell does now), the time of the year, and his otherwise good behaviour this season. Simon had none of these factors on his side, nor was he far enough removed from the vicious face-slashing of Ryan Hollweg.

Additionally, the stomps were very different. Simons was more malicious and clearly and attempt to injure. Pronger stomped on an area that is formidably protected much unlike the ankle region where Ruutu was struck. Pronger also looked to lower more of a swift blow, almost a kick with the blade flush, however his weight was clearly distributed on his non-stomping foot effectively reducing the force and thus intent to harm. By contrast, Simon applied the full force of his weight onto Ruutus' poorly protected ankle joint and proceeded to grind the sharpened blade as deep as possible. Evidence:



Add it all up and he probably should have gotten 15 games. Mitigating factors listed above combined with other intangibles resulted in a favourable ruling for Pronger and the Ducks. It didn't live up to the precedent because it didn't have too -- the circumstances were very different and I am not at all surprised at how the chips fell in this scenario, nor should you be.

This situation is only understood outside the context of the Utopian concept of fairness. The elusive concept of equality that plagues every facet of life. The non-existent level playing field which persistently harms the judgment of those who incorrectly support its existence.

Of course stars are protected in the NHL, just as they are outside of sport and throughout culture. NHL stars get more lenient judgments the same way Hollywood celebrities rarely get convicted. Star power turns 20-to-life into a mistrial or community service, or 30 games into 8. One can make the case for the lack of fairness in the outcome here, but much like life: sport is far from fair. File this alongside the dense catalog of similar anecdotes and stop whining.

Tiger Woods: Legendary at the Bay Hill

So golf might not be your bag? No problem, Tiger's pure dominance makes every stroke captivating. As fans of sport and athletic competition all agree, the display of greatness Tiger provides with unfathomable consistency is a spectacle like no other.

He delivered today in heroic fashion. Coming from 7 shots back with 36 holes to play Woods capped off his 9th victory in last 10 tournaments and kept his perfect season alive. For the record, his only non-win was a 2nd place finish to Phil Mickelson.

Tigers unprecedented ability to execute in the clutch with flawless proficiency could excite a corpse. Standing on the green of the 72nd hole he eyed a slippery left-to-right downhiller for the birdie, the win, the streak, and history. After watching the first of his twenty-one 20ft+ putts of the week drop he stoked up the crowd with a flurry of raw emotion, perhaps knowingly celebrating the fact that he just matched Ben Hogans' 64 career PGA Tour victories.

But Hogan played in a vastly different era when golf was exclusive and elitist rendering the field notably less competitively balanced. Yet somehow Woods has managed to mirror his winning percentage (29.2 and 26.1, respectively) in spite of the dissimilar competitive climate in the PGA.

Whats most compelling about Tigers reign as the most dominant athlete in the world -- possibly ever -- is the reasonable assertion that he is the only player in the history of golf who loses every tournament he doesn't win. For far too many players in the PGA characterize success by Top 10's and good paychecks, whereas Tiger and his endless millions and unwavering champions' mentality plays like second best is as good as last.

It's this mindset that has propelled him to greatness throughout his career. It fosters his work ethic, his killer instinct and his zen-like concentration that will continue to project him towards every single all-time record the game of golf recognizes. Fans of super-human accomplishments rejoice, we've got another 15 years for this man to run away with the title of best golfer in history.

Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this, be sure to subscribe for more analysis and opinion on the sporting world at Cloud9. Cheers, Derek.

Weekly Wednesday All-NHL Podcast #5

This Weekly Wednesday podcast kicks off with the buzz surrounding next years outdoor game followed by a look at the top of the standings in the East and Western conferences. It finishes in style with back-to-back commentary on the Sean Avery contract situation and intricate analysis on why the butterfly goaltenders maybe be fatally flawed. Thanks for listening and we'd love to hear your feedback!

How to Fix the Maple Leafs: Player-by-Player

So the task is obvious: rebuild. The methodology is – in stark contrast – very much up in the air. Until a permanent GM is in Toronto this raging debate about how to rebuild will incessantly be overheard. So in a light piece, enjoy how to repair the Maple Leafs one player at a time.

Going out from the net:

Starting Goaltender: Vesa Toskala (27-21-6, 3SO, .909SV%, 2.59GAA)
Has proven himself as a viable #1 on a poor defensive team. One of few Leafs that has played to their potential this year. The main issue with Toskala will be his tolerance for playing on a losing team next year, as goaltenders are not immune to flaking when presented with the opportunity.

Backup: Andrew Raycroft (2-8-4, 1SO, .868SV%, 4.07GAA)
Had one good year, continues to disappoint and has all but officially been cut. He needs to earn some starts in the AHL in order to become a tradeable commodity, otherwise he'll get cut, or bought out (or both just to make a point!).

Defensemen:

Tomas Kaberle (7g, 39p, -6)
Lose 15-pounds bag-skating. Force yourself to uphold a two-shot-per-period quota and welcome to elite status.

Brian McCabe (5g, 21p, +1)
Drop your no trade and take your shattered stock to Long Island.

Carlo Colaiacovo (2g, 4p, -3)
Say healthy. Really, just stay healthy and you'll be a solid defender on any 2^nd pairing in the NHL.

Pavel Kubina (6g, 28p, +2)
Drop 10lbs bag-skating with your Czech brother, Tomas. At NHLPA meeting kick Dion Phaneuf in the onions and remember the intensity with which he responds so you can incorporate it into you game.

Ian White (3g, 19p, -3)
As a puck mover, he is solid. Otherwise, his game leaves too much to be desired. In order to stay in the NHL White needs to get his +/- near the top of the team and be among team leaders in helpers, both sadly unforeseeable events.

Anton Stralman (4p, -11)
Unlike most of the Maple Leafs squad, the upside is that he actually has an upside. The Leafs are hoping he matures a little more Kaberle-ian and less Kubina-ian, which at 21 is not outside the realm of possibility.

Forwards:

Mats Sundin (31g, 75p, +14)
By far this years MVP. How to fix Mats? Magically make him 28 again.

Nik Antropov (26g, 52p, +8)
Is playing the best hockey he is capable of and might be enjoying the peak of his career. Keep it up, but watch his value drop if/when Mats retires.

Jason Blake (13g, 43p, -1)
Re-negotiate his contract or trade him. Skill players who don't produce are like wooden sticks – when something better comes along they are easily replaced.

Darcy Tucker (15g, 26p, -5)
Make him the key to the powerplay again to inflate his stats and justify his ludicrous contract. Since that won't happen, begrudgingly buy him out and sign a bigger, younger and faster grinder who can play the role the way it should be played.

Kyle Wellwood (6g, 16p, -10)
To be an undersized dangler, he needs to bolster his dangling. The size if fine, but hes no Scott Gomez or Danny Boyle. Get in the gym – it might be news to Wellwood, but weight training has been shown to help athletes perform better!

Matt Stajan (14g, 30p, -5)
Get the trainer to fit you with a flac jacket and learn how to play like Tomas Holmstrom, but with more speed through the middle.

Alexei Ponikarovsky (15g, 26p, +2)
Compete with Stajan to become the Leafs version of Tomas Holmstrom. The loser goes home and opens a car dealership.

Alex Steen (13g, 34p, +3)
What to do with a smart player who offers average hands and size? Steen is a prime example of a player being reward for his position in the draft. He is an interchangeable part of this team that could play on the first line and thrive, or kill penalties for the Marlies. His role needs to be defined and he needs to start making a difference, even if it means by giving up his roster spot.

Dominic Moore (4g, 12p, -5)
Confident puck-handler with good speed and hockey sense. Moore will likely be a good fit centering the 2^nd line with a capable scoring winger (see below).

Jiri Tlusty (5g, 10p, -10)
Drag Moore to the rink daily in the off-season and start watching tape of Datsuk and Zetterberg in Detriot. This is how undersized skill players produce points, so take notes and learn how to win battles and anticipate the play. As a 19yo he has time to mature into a valuable offensive contributor, lest he become another ineffectual Alex Steen.

These are the players worthy of an appearance on this list as the remaining players on the roster are notably less significant. As the course of the season plays out it will be interesting who will demonstrate their willingness to compete for a job, because once the the curtain falls the axe from the GM's office won't be far behind. Expect as many as half of these players to be purged from this horrendously average roster and hope, pray – whatever – that the Leafs can get lucky in the draft for years to come.

Taking the Hockey Media to Task: Cox and Proteau

The world of journalism is rarely deficient when it comes to favourably quantifying ones argument. In different terms, writers spin and manipulate numbers to support their case in the same manner other professionals do. Lawyers, research scientists, doctors, salesmen all fudge a number or two every now and then. The simple explanation for this phenomena: because they can.

Which brings me to this piece by Damien Cox in the Toronto Star (and subsequently, Adam Proteau of THN):
“The most compelling stat to emerge from almost two full seasons of mandatory visor use in the AHL has been a more than 40 per cent drop in major stick penalties and a more than 15 per cent drop in stick minors. ”

Ohh?? The use of the word almost is very sneaky. In this case, almost equals ¾ of the season. To get around correctly assessing the figures he presented (shown below), Cox also sneakily denotes the 2007-08 stats as “(to date)” to further substantiate his otherwise weak data. Here is the raw data (courtesy of the AHL), but reproduced in Cox's column:

HIGH-STICKING MINORS
2005-06 (pre visor rule): 757
2006-07 (post visor rule): 632
2007-08 (to date): 553
HIGH-STICKING MAJORS
2005-06: 109
2006-07: 59
2007-08: 57
FIGHTING PENALTIES
2005-2006: 8.95 min./game
2006-2007: 8.22 min./game
2007-2008: 9.02 min./game

As was mentioned, the number from this season requires adjustment by a factor of 1.25, as 25% of the games are yet to be played. (They play an 80 game season in the AHL, and to date, most have played 60. 60/80= ¾, or 75%). In order to correctly assess these data, we'll project these stick infractions to seasons end.

Projected after 80 games (or a full AHL season):
High-sticking Minors: 691
Majors: 71.5
Fighting: 9.02 min/game (unchanged as it is already averaged on a per game basis)

Doesn't that change the landscape significantly? We'll start with high-sticking minors. When you correctly adjust the numbers for valid comparison, you see that the value lies almost exactly between that of the previous year (06-07) and the last year of voluntary visor usage (05-06). While three years is a CRAPPY data sample under any circumstance, it would seem that (contrary to the assesment of Cox and Proteau) the 06-07 season was the anomaly and that things are beginning to normalize.

Moving unto high-sticking majors, which are notably subject to judgment from the referee. Infact, Rule 61 of the NHL Rulebook surprisingly offers no direct characterization of a 'high-sticking major'. This in and of itself should alert one to the potential for inconsistencies in the data. Anything of this nature leaves itself vulnerable to a substantial degree of variability, as is demonstrated by the above figures. Consider how many refs will call a given high-sticking infraction a double-minor in lieu of a 5min major, or vice versa? Thus, the discretion awarded to the official limits any definitive statistical conclusions. That being said, much like the high-sticking minors addressed above, the adjusted figure for this seasons high-sticking majors (71.5) lies significantly above last seasons tally, and a mere 34% below that of the number provided for the pre-mandatory visor year(109 v. 71.5).

Fighting is up? Not really. It would appear to be leveling off (from last years dip) and returning to levels observed in the 05-06 season. Since fighting is up marginally over the previous season, but nearly equal to that two seasons prior, the numbers do not allow us to conclude that visors have ANY effect on the amount of fisticuffs -- a factor that Cox intentionally overlooked. Fighting is a multi-variable event that is dependent on a dozen or more factors unrelated to visors in any way. What is the score of the game? Are they rivals, or in a playoff hunt? Do the coaches dislike each other? Have the refs lost control of the game, or was their a dirty play that sparked a line brawl, or two? The intangibles that go into a fight kicking off far outweigh the fact that all players are wearing faceshields.

I suppose the moral of the story is best summarized from a quote via Leonard H. Courtney: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” Whether you want to believe my numerical manipulation(s) or Cox/Proteau's is up to you, but my point about statistics has been well illustrated -- beware.

Weekly Wednesday All-NHL Podcast.

This weeks Wednesday Podcast in association with The Hockey Herald takes a look at rumors surrounding Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs GM job followed by an explanation of why the NHL needs more player blogs. The podcast closes with the influence Brian Murray has on the Ottawa Senators down the stretch, and lastly a debate on which conference is superior: East or West? Enjoy and Thanks for listening. - Derek.