Locked out NHL players get timely escrow payout

Locked-out NHL players are expected to have the pain of missing their first full pay period offset Tuesday when they receive last season's escrow payment, according to a spokesman for the NHL Players' Association.

Players are due to be returned 7.98 per cent of what they earned last year, plus interest, on the same day they would have received their second paycheque of the 2012-13 season if there hadn't been a work stoppage.

The escrow payments will amount to about $80,000 US for every million dollars a player earned — before deductions. For example, New York Rangers forward Brad Richards will gross approximately $960,000 after being the league's highest-paid player last season.

Under the terms of the expired collective bargaining agreement, NHL players had a portion of their salaries deducted throughout the season and placed into an escrow account. Once the final accounting for a year was completed, which ensured the correct percentage of revenue was paid out in salaries, players were refunded accordingly.

These escrow cheques come at an important time with the lockout set to eliminate another pay cycle. Players also missed a cheque on Oct. 15, but that would only have covered four days of work. The paycheque they would have received Wednesday would have been for a full half-month period.

NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr met with a group of players in Minnesota on Monday night and acknowledged in an interview with the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that some of his constituents are concerned about lost wages that are mounting.

"But that doesn't mean you make a bad agreement because of it," Fehr told the newspaper.

The NHL's labour talks have been on hold since Oct. 18, when the NHLPA countered a league offer with three proposals of its own. Each of those were quickly rejected.

Since then, a league-imposed deadline to play a full season has passed and the NHL cancelled all games through Nov. 30. The Jan. 1 Winter Classic outdoor game is expected to be wiped off the schedule later this week.

Superstorm Sandy forced the NHL to close its New York headquarters on Monday and Tuesday, but deputy commissioner Bill Daly indicated that it didn't affect the bargaining process. However, he added in an email that there was no progress to report on the labour front.

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The Package: Nazem Kadri

We at CBCSports.ca will be keeping an eye on the next generation of NHL stars on Canada's seven clubs, whether they're working on the "farm" in the AHL or honing their game overseas, waiting for the end of the lockout.

We'll periodically check in with these players throughout the 2012-13 season, no matter what league they'll be lacing up their skates in. In this edition, the Toronto Maple Leafs' Nazem Kadri.

An NHL lockout means that some of the youngsters ready to shine are relegated to playing elsewhere. That doesn't mean they aren't growing and developing into the stars of tomorrow.

We at CBCSports.ca will be keeping an eye on the next generation of NHL stars on Canada's seven clubs, whether they're working on the "farm" in the AHL or honing their game overseas while waiting for the end of the lockout.

We'll periodically check in with these players throughout the 2012-13 season, no matter what league they'll be lacing up their skates in. In this edition, the Toronto Maple Leafs' Nazem Kadri:

Nazem Kadri
Age/ Birthplace: 22, London, Ont.
Position:  C
NHL club/draft position: Toronto selected him 7th overall in 2009
NHL GP: 51
Current team: Toronto Marlies (AHL)
Stats on current team: 6GP, 0G, 3A, 10 PIM (as of Oct. 30)

How he will fit in with his NHL club: That's a good question for a player in his third season in the AHL. For a team that lacks centres, Kadri should have no problem finding a home on the Leafs' roster. Instead, the talk is that new Leaf James vanRiemsdyk will shift from the wing to pivot.

That's not even the latest setback in what's been an up-and-down ride with the Maple Leafs franchise thus far for Kadri, who (up until this past June) remained as the lone 1st round pick in the system after the Leafs traded their 2010 and 2011 picks away to the Bruins.

First, he wasn't big enough. He needed time in the AHL to grow and develop and work on his defensive game. Then just before the beginning of this season, Marlies coach Dallas Eakins complained, quite publicly, the 22 year-old was too big when he arrived to training camp. Many people wondered about the statement, including Don Cherry:

"Now [Eakins] comes out and rips Kadri in the newspaper saying he doesn't eat properly. Imagine headlines saying he's chubby and fatso. If anyone wants to get a blue print on how to destroy someone, just follow the Toronto Maple Leafs."

That being said, Kadri's real talent lies in his dazzling offensive skills and a wonderful set of hands, as you will see below.

Highlight: Fooling Marty Brodeur

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Wharnsby: Hockey pilgrimage fills lockout void

Last weekend, we filled our hockey void left by the NHL lockout by going home to the Twin Cities of Kitchener, Ont., and Waterloo, Ont., to take in three games in 26 hours. The excursion was well worth the time.

Do you have a hole in your hockey heart? Watching junior and AHL games on television just doesn't cut it for you?

Can we make a suggestion? Take a hockey pilgrimage. There must be some team or teams at another level you have a passing interest in. Come on, we all do, whether you live out East, in the West, in Quebec or the mid-west provinces.

Even though we moved to Toronto to go to school 26 years ago, we still follow the hockey teams of my youth - the University of Waterloo Warriors, Waterloo Siskins and Kitchener Rangers - from afar.

Last weekend, we went home to the Twin Cities to take in three games in 26 hours, and the excursion was well worth the time.

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Game 1: Windsor Lancers at Waterloo Warriors, Saturday 7:30 p.m.

The University of Waterloo's rink on the north side of campus reflects its name, the Columbia IceField. The 29-year-old arena is a frigid facility. Except for a few students who dropped by on their way to a Halloween bash and were in shorts, the regular visitors to Warriors games know to bundle themselves in blankets.

The rink only holds 700 people and it was half full for the Warriors' 7-5 empty-net loss to the Lancers, in which Waterloo blew a 3-1 lead it snatched 12 minutes into the game. The defeat halted a three-game Warriors win streak, but still the Waterloo players are excited about their 4-2-0 start that has them near the top of the standings in the OUA's tight West division.

The Canadian university game is one of the most underrated levels of hockey in the country, and despite the cold environment inside the IceField, the rink-side seats give you an intimate, up-close and personal feel for the speed and physicality of the game.

The Warriors are a young team, comprised mostly of first- and second-year players, including Waterloo native and former Barrie Colts forward Colin Behenna, a freshman math and business student who has five goals and 12 points in six games.

The future of this club is bright. The Warriors are 10 years removed from an embarrassing one-victory season. Waterloo hasn't won a Queen's Cup (provincial title) since 1995-96 and a University Cup since 1973-74, when U of W interrupted Toronto's eight-year run as national champs.

Warriors head coach Brian Bourque, in his eighth season, just happens to hail from Sidney Crosby's hometown of Cole Harbour, N.S. Bourque and his recruiting coordinator Dave Schlitt have built the program into a contender, and a good alternative with the NHL in limbo this fall.

Waterloo captain Kirt Hill, a relentless penalty killer who scored a third-period goal on Saturday to make the score 5-4, hails from Winnipeg. Bourque lured the forward to Waterloo after four seasons in the WHL with the Kelowna Rockets and Regina Pats and another in the USHL with the Lincoln (Nebraska) Stars.

The 24-year-old Hill does not regret the decision, especially with the possibilities for success in this, his final year at U of W. Because he is older, Hill is one of the few Warriors who has a perspective on how the program has grown. We wanted to know if he has noticed any increased interest in the Warriors because of the NHL lockout. 

"I've noticed the crowds have been a bit better this year, but we're also a better team," said Hill, a fourth-year recreation and business student. "There have been a few times, however, where some of my fellow students in class have come up to me and promised they will come out now that the NHL is in a lockout."

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Game 2: Listowel Cyclones at Waterloo Siskins, Sunday 1:30 p.m.

Where have you gone, Mike Yosurack and Marc Thiel, my two favourite Siskins from days gone by?

The historic and tradition-laden Waterloo Siskins almost ceased operations in June 2011. The community-owned team was $86,000 in debt to the city. But a six-person white knight group, led by local businessmen Nelson Leite and Curtis Clairmont, rode in to save the day.

They pledged to infuse the not-for-profit junior B team with $130,000 and worked out an interest-free 15-year payment plan to pay off the debt with the city. Times were tough. Siskin players had to buy their own sticks, but the team broke even financially last year.

This season, with an increased budget through bigger and better corporate support, the Siskins are, once again, supplying their players with sticks. And despite a three-game losing streak, including a 5-2 defeat to Listowel on Sunday, the immediate future looks better for the 9-8-0 Siskins, who are only six points back of the league-leading Cambridge Winter Hawks.

But the team's success and the NHL lockout have yet to translate into bigger crowds at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex. Only 350 fans were at the Listowel game on Sunday.

There was a time the fire marshal had to stop by to make sure the capacity succeeded for a Siskins game at the old torn-down Waterloo barn. Between 1940 and 1994, the Siskins won 11 Sutherland Cups (provincial titles), more than any other team. Between 1978 and 1994 the Siskins made 11 trips to the league final, winning seven times.

But they haven't advanced to a league final since 1994, and while the OHL's Kitchener Rangers down the street have flourished, hockey fans have stayed away from Siskin games for while now.

Clairmont, the Siskins president and director of hockey operations (Leite is out of the picture now), is bullish that better times are around the corner. He has visited with different neighbourhood associations around town, and offered free tickets in the hopes that families will show up and become smitten with the Siskins.

"This is good family entertainment," said Clairmont, a former Cornell University backup goalie to Bryan Hayward in the late 1970s.

"We haven't seen a spike in attendance because of the lockout, and we have a better team this year. But hopefully as we go along and grow a new fan base, things will change."

For the diehard Siskin fanatics, they're simply happy that the franchise is alive and kicking and looks like it will reach its 80^th season in 2013-14.

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Game 3: Plymouth Whalers at Kitchener Rangers, Sunday 7 p.m.

The Rangers are a month into their 50^th OHL season. To celebrate the milestone, their 61-year-old home, the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, underwent a mammoth, six-month, $10-million renovation. The building's roof was lifted to enable a 1,000-seat expansion on the Aud's south side. The team also has new offices and a dressing room that would rival any NHL one we've been in.

Joe McDonnell has been coming to the old Aud for four decades. The Kitchener native sat in the seats as a young fan. He idolized Dave Maloney in the early 1970s and later patrolled the Rangers' blue line for five seasons in the late 1970s and early 1980s, winning a Memorial Cup in 1981-82.

The next time the Rangers went to the national junior championship McDonnell was their coach in 1989-90. They lost the hard-fought final in double overtime to the Oshawa Generals. He now frequents the Aud as a scout.

"This building has always had character and a great atmosphere," said McDonnell, who has four Stanley Cup rings as the Detroit Red Wings' director of amateur scouting.

"They've done a good job in keeping it up with the times: new seats, improvements to keep the dressing room up to date, the two pads added [to the east end of the building] and the addition of private suites. But the improvements they've made to the old Aud are wonderful and have added to the atmosphere."

The atmosphere was somewhat subdued on Sunday evening. The Rangers and Whalers were playing their third game in three nights and their play reflected the mood in the stands. The building also held about 1,000 less fans than the 7,639 capacity.

But the crowd did come alive when Kitchener defenceman Ryan Murphy, who had a good shot at cracking the Carolina Hurricanes lineup if not for the lockout, set up rookie Justin Bailey for the go-ahead goal early in the third period of the Rangers' 2-1 win.

Bailey's first career OHL winner improved Kitchener's record to 5-0-1 (4-0-0 at the Aud) since they re-opened the building on Oct. 19. It has the locals excited about what is to come this season, with or without the NHL.

Photographs by Kathy Broderick

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Blue Jays face critical test with manager options

Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos has a big decision on his hands.

After failing to hit on John Farrell, Anthopoulos won't get another free pass should his next managerial hire result in another miserable ending.

The Farrell hire came with a lot of positive reviews, yet two years later he skipped town, headed to Boston along with a mediocre 154-170 record in two seasons as Toronto's skipper.

Who should be the Blue Jays' next manager?

During the news conference where he was introduced as the Red Sox' new manager, Farrell revealed that he expressed a desire for the Boston job to Jays president Paul Beeston after Terry Francona was fired in 2011.

Translation: Farrell was managing the Blue Jays with an eye on his "dream job" from the first day he took over in Toronto.

Anthopoulos must now find a manager who can lead the Blue Jays out of the doldrums and into the post-season, and someone who wants to remain in Toronto for the long haul.

There is no shortage of candidates for Anthopolous to choose from. The challenge is picking the right man.

Lead candidates

Sandy Alomar Jr.

The brother of Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar interviewed for the Jays' post in 2010 but the job ultimately went to Farrell. Alomar Jr. carved out an impressive 20-year catching career, so handling a pitching staff is right up his alley. He began his coaching career as a catching instructor in 2008 with the Mets before moving to Cleveland in 2010 to take over the first-base coaching duties. This past season Alomar was the Indians' bench coach and briefly managed the team in late September after Manny Acta was fired. According to Roberto, Sandy is the kind of person that will "put his heart and soul into his team, someone who wants to be here." After two years of Farrell-to-Boston talk, someone who is fully committed to Toronto would be a welcome change.

Tim Wallach

The former Montreal Expos third baseman has been ascending up the coaching ranks since joining the L.A. Dodgers in 2004. Wallach managed the Dodgers' triple-A club in Albuquerque in 2009 and was promoted to third-base coach with L.A. the following year. Anthopoulos thought enough of Wallach's credentials to ask the Dodgers for permission to interview the 55-year-old for the Jays' managerial vacancy in 2010, a request which was denied.

DeMarlo Hale

The former major leaguer has apprenticed for some impressive organizations in the last 20 years, but experienced his biggest success under then-Boston manager Terry Francona. As the third base coach, Hale was part of a Boston staff that won the World Series in 2007. He spent the 2010 and 2011 seasons as Francona's bench coach before returning to coaching third base this past season in Baltimore, which made the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. Hale, who interviewed for the Red Sox position prior to Farrell's hiring last week, has a reputation for connecting with players.

Don Wakamatsu

The 49-year-old was hired to manage the Seattle Mariners in 2009, although he was fired the following year while the team was in the midst of one of the franchise's worst seasons. Wakamatsu has been the Blue Jays' bench coach since 2011 and has made no secret of his desire to be the team's new manager. One aspect to his time in Seattle that may hurt Wakamatsu was the public way he lost the clubhouse during the Mariners' miserable 2010 season that saw them lose 101 games.

Other possibilities

Jim Tracy

The 56-year-old skipper surprised the Colorado Rockies when he resigned on Oct. 7 with a year remaining on his contract. After stops with the Dodgers and Pirates, Tracy found early success with the Rockies in 2009 — his first year as manager — leading Colorado to the post-season and earning the NL's manager of the year award.

Manny Acta

Acta, who was the Montreal Expos' third-base coach before the franchise relocated to Washington, joined the Nationals as their manager in 2006 and oversaw the development of some of their current stars. After being fired in 2009, Acta quickly joined the Cleveland Indians for the same post. The Indians got off to fast starts in the last two seasons but a second straight fade cost Acta his job with six games remaining on Sept. 27. Both Acta and Tracy have managed Jays outfielder Jose Bautista earlier in the slugger's career.

Brad Ausmus

A three-time Gold Glove-winning catcher, the San Diego Padres special assistant is in high demand. Ausmus has reportedly turned down an interview request with Florida and withdrew his name from consideration for the Houston job. A Cheshire, Conn., native, Ausmus lost in his attempt to land his most coveted position with the Boston Red Sox. Veteran Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte has been singing Ausmus's praises as a managerial candidate, saying his former Houston Astros teammate would "do a great job."

Matt Williams

Williams, a four-time Gold Glove winner at third base during a 17-year major league career, has already interviewed for the Colorado Rockies managerial opening. He has been the Arizona Diamondbacks' third base coach the past two seasons after serving as the first base coach in 2010. In describing his managerial style, Williams said he is aggressive in all aspects of the game.

With files from Doug Harrison

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Leafs' Bozak criticized for blackface Michael Jackson costume

(Photo from Twitter)

A photo of Toronto Maple Leafs centre Tyler Bozak wearing blackface as part of a Halloween costume appeared on his Twitter account Tuesday night.

The photo, which showed Bozak dressed as Michael Jackson and grabbing his groin area to replicate a familiar dance move by the pop icon, was removed from his account.

After receiving a flurry of criticism on Twitter, Bozak posted another tweet explaining that the costume was a tribute to the late singer.

"That's a tribute to one of my fave artists. For anyone saying its racist is crazy!" tweeted Bozak.

Bozak isn't the first hockey player to be criticized for wearing blackface as part of a Halloween costume.

Last year a photo of Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres wearing blackface while dressed as rapper Jay-Z at a Halloween party appeared online.

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Raptors have ingredients for a playoff push

But with seven new players, including three starters, cohesion and team chemistry will take time to develop. Their playoff hopes are also hampered by the 16 intra-divisional games.  Boston, New York, Philadelphia and the new-look Brooklyn Nets make the Atlantic Division one of the toughest in the NBA

In the end, too many things have to go right for the Raptors to crack their four-year playoff drought, while one key injury could land them right back in the lottery.

Here's what, and who, to watch this season for the Raptors:

Projected Record: 39-43, 9th in Eastern Conference
Key Additions: Kyle Lowry, Jonas Valanciunas, Landry Fields, Terrence Ross
Key Losses: Jerryd Bayless, James Johnson

Point Guard

Starter: Kyle Lowry
Projected Stats: 17.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 7.0 apg

It didn't take long for Lowry to make his mark. In a pre-season game against the Bucks, Lowry grabbed several late-game rebounds and hit the floor to tip a pass, igniting a fastbreak.  It's this type of heart and hustle that have been sorely lacking from the Raptors' roster. He's also shown a propensity for taking, and making, clutch shots, giving the team a late-game closer. His bulldog mentality (reminiscent of Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie) may be worrisome, as it could lead to injuries and Toronto can not afford to lose its best player.  

Backup: Jose Calderon
Calderon is the most polarizing player on the Raptors' roster. Supporters will point to his offensive stability and impressive shooting, while detractors will bemoan his abysmal defence and lack of creativity.  While his defence is hard to watch, he's a great change of pace to Lowry. His steady hand should lead to a stable bench. Either way, Calderon is one of the better backup point guards in the league.

3rd string: John Lucas III
Lucas played so well in the pre-season that the coaching staff is considering playing him and Calderon together in a two-point-guard lineup. So while he's listed as a third-stringer, expect him to get a sizable number of minutes. By the way, he shot 50 percent from the field and 50 percent from the three-point line. That's unsustainable, but outstanding.

Shooting Guard

Starter: DeMar DeRozan
Projected Stats: 16.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.0 apg

One thing was clear from pre-season: DeRozan will be the Raptors' main post-up weapon. And considering he's 6'7", it's probably not a bad idea. The key for DeRozan is to add another facet to his game that doesn't involve putting the ball in the bucket. Whether it's rebounding, playmaking or defence, he must make a difference outside of his offence. Considering he's in a contract year, he has all the motivation to do so.

Backup: Terrence Ross
A swollen knee and the flu kept the first-round pick from seeing significant pre-season action. So it's hard to know exactly what to expect. From his limited minutes, Ross seemed to be trying too hard to be a "system guy" and did little to stand out. Perhaps when the offence is a bit more structured, Ross will slide into a comfortable role of being a spot-up shooter, but he'll earn his minutes with pesky defence.

3rd string: Alan Anderson
Alan Anderson is a great third-string shooting guard. A low-mistake player with great range on his jumpshot, his steady presence might vault him up the depth chart if Ross struggles.

Small Forward

Starter: Landry Fields
Projected Stats: 9.0 ppg, 6 rpg, 2.5 apg

Fields does a lot of small things that go under the radar.  Moving without the basketball and help defence are trademarks of his heady style of basketball. Unfortunately, he seems to have completely lost the ability to shoot. With the range-deficient DeRozan at shooting guard, the Raptors can't afford to have a small forward who also can't hit the long ball.  With a hefty off-season contract in tow, Fields will be under a microscope from critical fans.

Backup: Linas Kleiza
Players that can shoot you into games can just as quickly shoot you out of them. Kleiza fits this basketball adage to a tee. He is probably playing out of position at the small forward, as he's better suited as a stretch power forward. If he struggles, he could be a prime candidate for the Raptors' amnesty clause.

3rd string: Dominic McGuire
I can't make this clear enough: I like Dominic McGuire. His length, athleticism and a defensive edge should make him the primary backup. I'd start a petition if it would make a difference.

Power Forward

Starter: Andrea Bargnani
Projected Stats: 20.0 ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.0 bpg

Something strange happened in pre-season: Bargnani looked completely disinterested on offence, but locked-in and focused on defence. It would be refreshing to see him provide a block per game, something he hasn't done since the 09-10 season.  While it's great to see the defensive fire, Bargnani's 20 points per game are crucial to the team's playoff hopes. He needs to avoid the temptation of the three-point shot (nearly four attempts per game in the preseason) since he's at his best when he's attacking the paint. If Bargnani can put together a solid effort on both ends of the floor, an All-Star nod will be in his future.

Backup: Ed Davis
Is this the same Ed Davis? The third-year power forward looked aggressive and confident in the pre-season. Despite his knack for rebounds, Davis's key to the season will be his 12-15 foot jumpshot. If he can hit from midrange consistently, expect him to be the first big off the bench.

3rd string: Quincy Acy
Acy will be lucky to see any minutes at all this year. In fact, the second round pick may be destined for the D-League.

Centre

Starter: Jonas Valancunias
Projected stats: 7.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.0 bpg

It took just one game for the 20-year-old rookie to snatch the starting centre job from Aaron Gray. His defensive mobility and relentless motor endeared him to Casey immediately and his maturity and offensive patience shocked even the harshest critics. Rebounding, blocking shots and always active, Valanciunas has an outside shot at Rookie of the Year.

Backup: Amir Johnson
At 6-foot-9, Johnson is undersized at the 5 spot. However, his warrior-like mentality and newfound 18-20 foot jumpshot will make him a valuable backup.

3rd string: Aaron Gray 
The slow-footed Gray will see limited minutes and will only be used to guard the larger centres of the league.

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Chick: Lakers will unseat Heat for NBA title

With Steve Nash's and Dwight Howard's moves to L.A. and James Harden's deal to Houston tilting the balance of power out west, here's a division-by-division breakdown of the entire NBA heading into the 2012-13 season.

Well, it only took one season of NBA basketball fully removed from the careers of Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming for the league to decide the position of centre didn't really exist anymore.

With teams playing smaller - and the true centre continuing to disappear (listening, Jonas Valanciunas?) - the NBA eliminated the five spot from All-Star ballots and will now offer selections of three frontcourt slots.

That's one of the changes heading into the 2012-13 NBA season. With Steve Nash's and Dwight Howard's moves to L.A. and James Harden's deal to Houston tilting the balance of power out west, here's a division-by-division breakdown of the entire league.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division
Predicted order of finish (*denotes playoff team):
Boston*
New York*
Brooklyn*
Philadelphia*
Toronto

Boston remains the best team in the Atlantic by default. Rajon Rondo and a healthy Jeff Green give you back anything that the age of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry takes away (which I don't think is much anyway). New York and Brooklyn have their shortcomings - Jason Kidd and defence, respectively - and Philadelphia's success pivots on whether Andrew Bynum will play a full season.

The Raptors will be in the fight for the No. 8 playoff spot, but on paper they're on the outside looking in. Then again, sports aren't played on paper. ESPN writer John Hollinger's much-maligned 33-win prediction was a little negative, but not light years off. It's the East, where a ninth-place team normally places in the mid-30s.
 
Central Division
Indiana*
Chicago*
Milwaukee
Cleveland
Detroit

The absence from the Bulls lineup of Derrick Rose likely until March isn't the only reason Indiana will take away Chicago's division title. Most of the Bulls' productive bench the last few seasons  including Kyle Korver, John Lucas III, Ronnie Brewer, Omer Asik and C.J. Watson - are gone, replaced by the likes of Marco Bellinelli and Nate Robinson. Meanwhile, the Pacers got a little deeper - and this is a team you got the feeling watching in the playoffs last spring that could make a jump.

Down in Cleveland, word from Brampton, Ont., native Tristan Thompson is that he gained 15 pounds of muscle over the summer. Along with last season's Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving, the Cavs could be ready to bypass Detroit and climb out of the Central's basement.
 
Southeast Division
Miami*
Atlanta*
Washington
Orlando
Charlotte

The Miami haters may point out that last season was truncated to 66 games because of the lockout, and therefore the champion should come with a Phil Jackson-issued asterisk. It's nonsense, but here's Miami's chance to dominate an 82-game sked and win a title afterwards. They're probably good for 60-65 wins.

For perennial midlevel squad Atlanta, second place comes by virtue of Josh Smith being in a contract year and getting rid of the frustration known as Marvin Williams. Rookie Canadian forward Andrew Nicholson of Mississauga, Ont., could be a bright spot in what's shaping up to be an atrocious season for the Orlando Magic.
 
Western Conference

Northwest Division
Oklahoma City*
Denver*
Minnesota*
Utah
Portland

Conventional wisdom says the Thunder put a bow on the Western Conference title for the Lakers late Saturday night when they traded James Harden to the Rockets. It's probably true, but it was something that the Thunder felt they had to do. Oklahoma City works on a strict financial template - playing in a small market, they can't afford to be bumping up into the luxury tax. As a result, a figure that could be as low as $4 million US broke up one of the best young trios in recent memory. Can they keep KD and Westbrook together down the road? We'll have to wait and see. The positive for OKC is what they got in return. Kevin Martin is a good player who has played on bad teams his entire career, there's rookie Jeremy Lamb, and there's two first-round draft picks (including the Raptors' lotto-protected one that went to Houston) in there as well.

Denver, Minnesota and Utah will jockey for position behind the Thunder. The Wolves' loss of Kevin Love for the first month of the season may turn out to be a blessing in disguise -- he should be getting into full gear alongside Ricky Rubio by early spring. And they could be dangerous.
 
Southwest Division
San Antonio*
Memphis*
Dallas*
Houston
New Orleans

I just put in San Antonio by rote, given Gregg Popovich's ability to keep regenerating this squad. And given changes in Memphis and Dallas (plus Dirk Nowitzki's knee injury), the Spurs are still the team to beat. The Mavs seem to be in a half-rebuild mode - as evidenced by a sketchy roster, but signing O.J. Mayo away from the Grizzlies and adding Chris Kaman - and it's quite possible they don't make the playoffs. If they fizzle, the Rockets could easily contend with their new backcourt of Jeremy Lin and Harden.
 
Pacific Division
LA Lakers*
LA Clippers*
Golden State
Sacramento
Phoenix

The whole villain thing is starting to become overplayed in the NBA. Part of it, of course, is that the general public has the memory of gnats. Two years ago the outrage from LeBron James's "Decision" was palpable. Throw in the bad blood directed from north of the border at Chris Bosh, and you'd think the Miami Heat were Ivan Drago. Then this past June, we all felt at least a little happy for them when they hoisted their first trophy.

The upside for Dwight Howard from the start in L.A. is that's he's neutralized by Kobe Bryant (another former villain) and Steve Nash. While D-Ho deserves the same criticism James got for the handling of his departure from Orlando, I suspect much of it will be forgotten next spring. While in a pure basketball sense it is going to take a little while for this trio to gel, the Pacific Division crown is theirs. Playing in the West will leave them behind Miami in terms of the league's overall best record (and home court in the Finals), but there's no reason - barring an injury, back or otherwise - that you won't see the Lakers topping the Thunder for best in the West.

Their housemates, the Clippers, need a big year in order to convince free-agent-to-be Chris Paul to stay put. Blake Griffin is still a highlight reel waiting to happen and DeAndre Jordan should continue to improve. Which brings up a good question - with Kobe, Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin all playing in the same building, who needs hockey in L.A.? Even if they are the Stanley Cup champs.

Western Conference Finals: Lakers over Thunder
Eastern Conference Finals: Heat over Celtics
NBA Finals: Lakers over Heat
Regular-season MVP: LeBron James, Heat
Rookie of the Year: Damian Lillard, Blazers
Rookies to watch: Lillard, Jonas Valanciunas (Raptors), Anthony Davis (Hornets), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Bobcats), Andre Drummond (Pistons).

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Steve Nash raring to go for Lakers

Steve Nash is about to begin a new — and final — era.

When Nash suits up in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform for their regular-season opener Tuesday night against the Dallas Mavericks, the 38-year-old will embark on his last quest for an NBA championship that has eluded him for 16 seasons.

"That's a big reason why I'm still playing," he said after practice Monday at the Lakers' practice facility. "It's because I enjoy the challenge. I haven't won a championship, and I'd love to know what that feels like.

' … I think, at the end of the day, he understands that he has the keys to the engine, and we're going to go as he wants us to go.' —Lakers coach Mike Brown

"Obviously, I can't say [what a championship would mean] until it happens, but it would be a great cap to my career — for sure."

Barring an unforeseen turn of events, the legendary Lakers will "most likely" be his last team in a storied career that has included two NBA most valuable player awards, back-to-back in 2004-05 and 2005-06 with the Phoenix Suns.

"I'll be 41 at the end of this deal," he said. "We'll see how my body feels and my mind is, and if I'm still effective and enjoying [playing]."

The Victoria native inked a three-year contract with the Lakers following a sign-and-trade deal in the off-season that saw him leave Phoenix after a second stint that lasted eight seasons.

Nash helped both Dallas (2000-01) and Phoenix (2004-05) reach the Western Conference finals, but the Suns have had limited success in recent seasons while going through coaching and management changes and rebuilding efforts.

Now, the veteran point guard is being asked to help provide some of the passing and shooting wizardry that have helped him rank among the all-time greats of the game after being a rare Canadian drafted in the first round of the NBA draft (15th overall) by Phoenix in 1996.

Nash's championship quest will be aided by a star-laden Lakers squad that includes Kobe Bryant, who is nursing an injury and may not play Tuesday, newcomer Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace. While dishing the ball to them, and not playing favourites, Nash will also attempt to introduce a sense of unselfishness to a squad not necessarily known for it.

He will also try to provide cohesion among the brash personalities.

"Guys have been great — so far," said Nash with a smile. "I've enjoyed it. We have a great group of guys — guys that are hungry — and, obviously, guys just have to be honest and have the best interests at heart."

While Bryant is perceived as the face of the franchise and the key to its attack, Lakers coach Mike Brown said Nash will drive the offence.

"He's extremely intelligent and helps out a lot," said Brown. "But, I think, at the end of the day, he understands that he has the keys to the engine, and we're going to go as he wants us to go."

Brown said Nash can also play a key leadership role as the Lakers attempt to manage "the chatter" that comes from media and others who place high expectations on the club annually. He wants his players to adopt a bunker mentality that will help the team "stay the course" — in other words, avoid distractions — until the end of the season.

"There's a lot of chatter out there about this or that, and we have to ignore the noise," said Brown. "We've gotta stay united as a group."

Nash will also play a key role in introducing a new system — the Portland offence — that Brown covets. The coach said learning the system will be more difficult than introducing the new players.

On Nash Street

World Peace called Nash "the quarterback" of the L.A. offence.

Howard, who will be backed up by North Vancouver, B.C., native Rob Sacre, who is expected to make his NBA debut Tuesday, indicated Nash will make a talented Lakers team even better.

"Steve Nash is a veritable point guard," added Howard. "He sees the game very well, great leader, and he's just a positive person. He knows how to pass the ball. He knows how to find guys in the right position to score.

"I've watched him over my NBA career, how he's turned guys into great players."

Whether the Lakers can be a great team again remains to be seen. But it looks like a good fit for Nash, who joined L.A. so that he could be close to his children, who live in Phoenix with his former wife, and have a shot at the elusive NBA crown. if the Lakers win a title with him, efforts to name a street after the Canadian will not be necessary.

The Lakers' practice facility happens to be located on Nash Street. But how long he can keep the drive smooth or have a shot at a title remain to be seen.

"I'm just excited for the opportunity this season," said Nash. "That's all I'm worried about. We'll worry about next season when it comes around."

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Rycroft: Match-fixing in Canadian soccer taken seriously

For the first time since a CBC documentary showed how an international match-fixing syndicate had set its sights on the Canadian Soccer League, the CSA is speaking out about the issue, the allegations and what it plans to do.

Earlier this month, the Canadian Soccer Association's general secretary Peter Montopoli and president Victor Montagliani travelled to Zurich, Switzerland, to meet with FIFA officials for advice on how to proceed with handling the issue of match-fixing in Canada.

For the first time since a CBC documentary showed how an international match-fixing syndicate had set its sights on the Canadian Soccer League, the CSA is speaking out about the issue, the allegations and what it plans to do.

"These things do occur," Montagliani said. "We aren't exempt.

"This is the first time we've had to meet with FIFA on an issue like this. And as the CBC report showed, this is a bit of a spider web.

"It's not just Canada. It's all over the world.

"We're taking it very seriously. FIFA not only has this on its radar, but is front and centre in terms of making sure they deal with it."

The most recent developments don't just have implications for Canada, but the entire region. FIFA and CONCACAF will host a conference in early 2013 on match-fixing and the risks it presents to North American soccer.

"FIFA has engaged CONCACAF in the areas of prevention and education in this area," Montagliani said. "The conference will lay out how to deal with issues that, for the most part, we've been untouched by over the years.

"Unfortunately, that is no longer the case and we can't and won't be burying our heads in the sand."

The CSA has faced criticism internally and through the media for not responding more quickly to the allegations and for not taking a more active role in monitoring the CSL.

OFFICIAL TO LOOK FOR RED FLAGS 

"I don't think it's fair to say we have been passing the buck on this issue," Montagliani said. "We followed proper procedure when reporting it to the authorities.

"But we want to take care of our own house. So one of the recommendations we're going to adopt after the conference will be that we bring on a domestic security advisor to monitoring fixing issues in Canada."

Montagliani expanded on what the responsibilities of the domestic security advisor will be.

"Their role will be working with our professional leagues and working with our clubs and the people involved in the game to identify allegations," he said. "And also, on the other side of that, looking at the monitoring of the game and addressing some of the areas that are red flags."

RCMP NOT INVESTIGATING 

But the fact remains that the current issue, as it pertains to revelations found in the CBC documentary, remains unresolved. According to the CSA, the RCMP is not investigating anything related to match-fixing in Canada.

"As far as Canadian soccer knows, they are not investigating," Montagliani said. "We had advised the police authorities in Canada -- the RCMP and the OPP -- but they had chosen not to proceed with any further activity.

"From what I understand, they didn't have jurisdiction to make arrests based on the CBC report because they felt the actual crimes, while they took part in the CSL, were done outside of our country. I don't know if that's right, wrong or indifferent."

So does the CSA consider this a dead issue with regards to the CSL?

"We take this issue very seriously," Montagliani said. "We have done our due process.

"If the RCMP and the OPP are not willing to move on this issue, I think it makes it very difficult for us to act. So what we can do is work to ensure these types of issues don't ever come to the forefront again in Canada."

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Giants sweep Tigers to win another World Series

Finally pressed in the World Series, the San Francisco Giants finished off a most unexpected and stunning sweep.

Marco Scutaro delivered one more key hit this October, hitting a go-ahead single with two outs in the 10th inning that lifted the Giants over the Tigers 4-3 in Game 4 on Sunday night in Deetroit.

Nearly eliminated over and over earlier in the playoffs, the Giants sealed their second title in three seasons when Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera looked at strike three right down the middle for the final out.

On a night of biting cold, stiff breezes and some rain, the Giants combined the most important elements of championship baseball — great pitching, timely hitting and sharp defence.

Series MVP Pablo Sandoval and the underdog Giants celebrated in the centre of the diamond at Comerica Park after winning six elimination games this post-season.

"Tonight was a battle," said Giants star Buster Posey, who homered. "And I think tonight was a fitting way for us to end it because those guys played hard. They didn't stop, and it's an unbelievable feeling."

Cabrera delivered the first big hit for Detroit, interrupting San Francisco's run of dominant pitching with a two-run homer that blew over the right-field wall in the third.

Posey put the Giants ahead 3-2 with a two-run homer in the sixth and Delmon Young hit a tying home run in the bottom half.

It then became a matchup of bullpens, and the Giants prevailed.

Ryan Theriot led off the 10th with a single against Phil Coke, moved up on Brandon Crawford's sacrifice and scored on Scutaro's shallow single. Center fielder Austin Jackson made a throw home, to no avail.

Sergio Romo struck out the side in the bottom of the 10th for his third save of the Series.

The Giants finished the month with seven straight wins and their seventh Series championship. They handed the Tigers their seventh straight World Series loss dating to 2006.

NL has won 3 in a row

"Obviously, there was no doubt about it. They swept us," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "So there was certainly no bad breaks, no fluke.

"Simple, they did better than we did."

An NL team won the title for the third straight season, a run that hadn't occurred in 30 years. Some find the streak surprising, considering the AL's recent dominance in interleague play. Yet as every fan knows, the club that pitches best in the post-season usually prevails.

Until the end, the Tigers thought one big hit could shift the momentum. It was an all-too-familiar October lament — Texas felt the same way when the Giants throttled them in 2010, and Tigers knew the feeling when St. Louis wiped them out in 2006.

Howling winds made it feel much colder than the 7 degrees Celsius at gametime. Two wrappers blew across home plate after leadoff man Angel Pagan struck out, and fly balls played tricks in the breeze.

The Giants started with their pregame ritual. They clustered around Hunter Pence in the dugout, quickly turning into a bobbing, whooping, pulsing pack, showering themselves with sunflower seeds. A big league good-luck charm, Little League style.

And once again, San Francisco took an early lead. Pence hit a one-hop drive over the centre-field fence for a double and Brandon Belt tripled on the next pitch for a 1-0 lead in the second.

The next inning, Cabrera gave the Tigers a reason to think this might be their night.

With two outs and a runner on first, Cabrera lofted an opposite-field fly to right — off the bat, it looked like a routine out shy of the warning track. But with winds gusting over 25 mph, the ball kept carrying, Pence kept drifting toward the wall and the crowd kept getting louder.

Just like that, it was gone.

Cabrera's homer gave Detroit its first lead of the Series, ended its 20-inning scoreless streak and reaffirmed a pregame observation by Tigers Hall of Famer Al Kaline.

"The wind usually blows to right at this time of year," Kaline said.

In the fourth, Max Scherzer and catcher Gerald Laird teamed on a strike 'em out-throw 'em out double play. Scherzer yelled, first baseman Prince Fielder clenched his fist and the Tigers ran off the field on a chilly, windy, rainy evening. At last, it seemed, all the elements were in their favour.

Trailing for the first time since Game 4 of the NL championship series, Posey and the Giants put a dent in Detroit's optimism. Scutaro, the NLCS MVP, led off the sixth with a single and clapped all the way around the bases when Posey sent a shot that sailed just inside the left-field foul pole for a 3-2 lead.

Posey, the only Giants player on the field from the starting lineup in the Game 5 clincher in 2010, almost tripped nearing first base and he watched the ball and began his trot.

Detroit wasn't about to go quietly, however. Young, the ALCS MVP, made it 3-all with another opposite-field homer to right, this one a no-doubt drive.

Fielder finished 1 for 14 (.111) for the Series.

All 24 teams to take a 3-0 lead in the World Series have won it all. In fact, none of those matchups even reached a Game 6. This was the first sweep for an NL team since Cincinnati in 1990.

Working on nine days' rest and trying to extend the Tigers' season, Scherzer kept them close into the seventh. Often recognized for his eyes — one is light blue, the other is brown — he's also known as a solid post-season pitcher.

Ditto-plus for Matt Cain, who was working on a nearly perfect year.

The Giants' ace threw a perfect game in June, was the winning pitcher in the All-Star game in July, beat Cincinnati to clinch the division series and topped St. Louis in Game 7 of the NL championship series.

After they left, the relievers decided it.

Octavio Dotel shouted, "Yeah! Let's go!" toward his dugout after striking out Posey to end the eighth. In the bottom half, winning pitcher Jeremy Affeldt got around a leadoff walk when he struck out Cabrera, a flinching Fielder and Young.

Coke returned the favour in the top of the ninth, fanning the side. With Jose Valverde having lost his closer role during a shaky month, Coke stayed in for the 10th and faltered.

The Giants became the first champion that hit the fewest home runs in the majors since St. Louis in 1982. Sandoval's three drives in Game 1 started San Francisco's romp, and its dominant pitching took over from there.

The parade to a sweep masked the problems San Francisco overcame to get this far.

Faced elimination 6 times

Closer Brian Wilson pitched only two innings before an elbow injury ended his year. All-Star game MVP Melky Cabrera was suspended 50 games for a positive testosterone test, and not welcomed back when the ban ended. Two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum struggled and wound up in the bullpen.

Swept in a three-game set at Arizona to start the season, the Giants were floundering under .500 in mid-May. They soon hit their stride and, boosted by trade deadline deals for Scutaro and Pence, passed the Dodgers in the NL West for good in late August and posted 98 wins.

Getting past Cincinnati and St. Louis in the playoffs presented challenges. Down 2-0 in the best-of-five division series, they rallied for three straight victories in Cincinnati. Trailing the defending champion Cardinals 3-1 in the NLCS, they again took three in a row to advance, clinching in a driving rainstorm.

Six elimination games, six wins. Facing the Tigers, San Francisco proved it could play with a lead, too.

The Giants became the first NL team since the Big Red Machine in the mid-1970s to win two titles in a three-year span. Shut out for 56 years — Juan Marichal, Willie McCovey and Barry Bonds never won it all — their self-described "misfits" captured that elusive crown in 2010.

While many of the pitchers have remained, the lineup has seen quite a turnover. Posey, the NL batting champion, was the only position player to start Sunday night who also started the Game 5 clincher in 2010 at Texas.

The Tigers' flop finished off a season in which Cabrera became baseball's first Triple Crown winner since 1967. Detroit overtook the White Sox in the final week to win the AL Central and wound up at 88-74, the AL's seventh-best record.

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Giants' Pablo Sandoval named World Series MVP

Pablo Sandoval not only has baseball's neatest nickname, Kung Fu Panda has a World Series MVP award to go along with it.

Sandoval took home the trophy following the San Francisco Giants' sweep of Detroit, hitting .500 with three home runs, a double and four RBIs in 16 Series at-bats.

"I was ready for the moment," he said after a 4-3 victory in 10 innings Sunday night. "It's just an incredible moment you're never going to forget."

This Panda works with maple, not bamboo.

Sandoval got the Giants off to a powerful start by hitting three homers in the opener against the Tigers, becoming the fourth player to accomplish that feat in a World Series game.

He made his big league debut on Aug. 14, 2008, and earned his nickname just a month later. That Sept. 19 at Dodger Stadium, Sandoval scored from second on Bengie Molina's first-inning single off Greg Maddux, leaping sideways to avoid catcher Danny Ardoin's lunging tag on the throw from centre fielder Matt Kemp.

Maddux and Dodgers manager Joe Torre argued Sandoval ran out of the baseline. Barry Zito, on the mound for the Giants that night, coined the nickname for Sandoval's oversized personality and roly-poly shape — the animated film "Kung Fu Panda" had been released in theatres that June.

'Have fun, like a little kid, fight for everything, never lose faith. It's important when you have teammates thinking that way, you are that guy.'—World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval

"The Panda has special powers," Zito said in the middle of champagne spray in the Giants' crowded clubhouse. "I watched that movie and thought, he's a guy that if you see him, you may not think he's so athletic, and then all of sudden, you're like, wow! This guy is one of the better players in baseball."

And the jovial Sandoval loved the moniker.

"It's me. The character is me," he said. "Have fun, like a little kid, fight for everything, never lose faith. It's important when you have teammates thinking that way, you are that guy."

Change in lifestyle

While Sandoval hit .330 in 2009 and finished second to Hanley Ramirez in the NL batting race, the Giants launched "Operation Panda" that off-season, telling him to ditch the Big Macs, fries and milkshakes in favour of chicken breast on wheat bread, watermelon slices, bananas and oranges. He started lifting.

Sandoval's weight is listed at 240 on the Giants' website, 235 on the players' site. At one point, he had been up to at least 272.

"I just want to keep that a secret," he said three years ago, trying to avoid an exact number.

By the time the 2010 World Series rolled around, when the Giants won their first title in 56 years, Sandoval was benched for four of five games following a slump. His weight had gone up again, and his batting average had gone down to .268. He made 13 errors and grounded into a league-high 26 double plays.

"I know it was a tough time in 2010 when he got relegated to the bench there," manager Bruce Bochy said. "He really wanted to, I think, shine on stage. He's a great talent and we got him hot at the right time."

Sandoval hit .369 this post-season with five doubles, six homers and 13 RBIs. Quite a turnaround from his .176 average with two RBIs two years ago.

He has come a long way since then. He hired a personal chef. He ran up desert hills in Arizona during the off-season, causing him to throw up regularly. Sandoval's average rebounded to .315, and he made his first All-Star team. Then at this summer's showcase in Kansas City, he hit the first bases-loaded triple in All-Star history, a drive off Justin Verlander in a five-run first inning that helped secure home-field advantage for the NL in the World Series.

After Sandoval went deep three times in the opener, matching the Series record shared by Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson and Albert Pujols, the Giants sold 760 more of their furry panda hats, including 466 at AT&T Park during Game 2. Venezuela President Hugo Chavez tweeted, "Pablo going down in history! Long live Venezuela!!"

"I still can't believe that game. It's the game of your dreams," Sandoval said. "You don't want to wake up."

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CFL Power Rankings: Week 18

1. B.C. LIONS [Unchanged]
Overall record: 12-5
Streak: Lost 1

Not going to join the wo sind de lowen brigade after one bad game, because I know where they are - thinking ahead to the West final on Expo Boulevard. This is not a great place to be, however, as home and cooled too often can mean heading home earlier than you thought. Wally Buono looked like he was going to dive out the front of the spotter's box before the 1st half ended and strangle everyone himself. Backup Mike Reilly is finding out playing QB here is more than just keeping your ears warm, but he's still going to be a good one. Travis Lulay will return. Getting healthy now. Not to worry Lions fans, I'm sure they'll be fine. Pretty sure.

2. MONTREAL ALOUETTES [Unchanged]
Overall record: 11-6
Streak: Won 3

Cruising along (a little too much in that fourth quarter) and preparing for the East final at McGill, the Larks are problem solving, most especially finding someone who can run the ball consistently with Brandon Whitaker out for the season. Still looking. Expect to see Anthony Calvillo for a half against Winnipeg because they have to keep him sharp. Yes, that's taking a chance, but AC is aging and missing games is not good for his consistency. Marc Trestman will be unhappy with his club's performance against Edmonton and will let them know. An extra week off with all of this team's bumps and bruises will be welcomed. Gives Shea Emry a chance to cool off.

3. CALGARY STAMPEDERS [Unchanged]
Overall record: 11-6
Streak: Won 3

By the time everyone had found their seats, brushed off the moisture, put down the little cushion they brought and adjusted the blanket, the Stamps were so far in front of the Lions everyone could have left again and to get warm. This is a hot, hot team at the correct time and, better yet, there isn't a week off in Round 1 to take the edge off. They also have two QBs in Kevin Glenn and Drew Tate going "watch me, Huff, watch me," when they're on the field, so the offence will keep working hard through the final game against Edmonton. On the other hand, those two QBs might, methinks, become something of a distraction if a decision on starter doesn't come quickly.

4. EDMONTON ESKIMOS [Unchanged]
Overall record: 7-10
Streak: Lost 2

I swear that was Matt Dunigan leading the Eskimos to three final quarter touchdowns in Montreal and almost pulling off a miracle comeback. 'Twas actually Matt Nichols, pride of Eastern Washington, who has been learning the league for three seasons and now has to (has to) be the choice to helm the green and gold on Friday night. If the Kitties beat Trawna on Thursday, Edmonton needs a win against Calgary. So, go for it. Defence has to get pressure on the QBs. And can someone please send Jerome Messam in at halfback and give him the ball? Players always say if they can have it in their own hands when it counts the most ... So, let's see what you do.

5. SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS [Unchanged]
Overall record:8-9
Streak: Lost 3

Bad time for a losing streak from a team that is having trouble finishing drives. They won't be able to do that against Calgary in the West final. Can't rely on Sandro DeAngelis to kick six field goals for a win. Because he can't. Coming out cold against the Argonauts was rather shocking, given the importance of the game. Kory Sheets carried half the Toronto defence into the end zone for a touchdown this week, and should be given more of a chance to carry the Riders offence from here on in. May need a victory over B.C. to clinch third in the West.

6. TORONTO ARGONAUTS [Up from 8]
Overall record: 8-9
Streak: Won 1

Same story as last week. Apparently, the only thing wrong with the Argo defence was a needed trip to the woodshed out there in Mississauga for a whuppin' and a talkin' to. Night and day better against the Riders in a tough road location for a win that clinched not only a playoff spot but a home date, if you please. Recall, this team won just six times last season. Chad Owens continues to astonish despite his hand injury. Ricky Ray, four TDs, drops passes in over receiver's shoulders like nobody else. Chad Kackert back healthy again and taking pressure off the overland game. Could they be back to a possible upset special in the East? Discuss.

7. HAMILTON TIGER-CATS [Down from 6]
Overall record:6-11
Streak: Won 1

So fitting it rained Cats and dogs at the Ivor Wynne abattoir on Saturday as the Kitties rumbled over the Bombers and bid adieu to that sewer of a stadium. Those great, loyal Hamilton fans have deserved better for years and now they'll get it with the new digs. Unfortunately, they have to put up with being homeless in 2013. Defence was great in this one, no surprise since Angelo Mosca probably threatened anyone who didn't play up to his standards when he met with the boys on the field beforehand. Still a real chance for the Cats. Beat Toronto on Thursday, pray for the Stamps to beat Edmonton on Friday.

8. WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS [Down from 7]
Overall record: 5-12
Streak: Lost 1

Great stat from Kirk Penton of the local Sun: Bombers are now 0-9 after a win the week before, going back to last year. Momentum moved to the MTS Centre to watch the Jets (where he's currently sitting alone in the stands). News for the Bomber faithful - word around is the committee that runs this club is thinking of giving GM Joe Mack another run at it. So many questions, chief being what to do with interim coach Tim Burke, who looks like he's doing OK there. Oh, and Buck Pierce is hurt again. New defence. New QB. New attitude. New stadium. Lots to do.

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Technical Difficulties: Comments down on CBCSports.ca

Due to technical difficulties, commenting is temporarily unavailable on the CBCSports.ca and Hockey Night In Canada websites.

We're working to resolve the issue and apologize for any inconvenience.

— CBC Sports

This story is closed to commenting.

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3rd And Long: CFL MVPs in Week 18

"Mac's Main Man" comes from the Toronto Argonauts-Saskatchewan RoughRiders matchup, the one game this past weekend where both teams had something to play for. Ditto for Carlan's Darling.

MAC'S MAIN MAN 

"Mac's Main Man" comes from the Toronto Argonauts-Saskatchewan RoughRiders matchup, the one game this past weekend where both teams had something to play for. Toronto was trying to lock up second place in the CFL East Division and Saskatchewan was fighting for playoff positioning.

The Argonauts showed heart and soul in a dogfight of a 31-26 road victory. Quarterback Ricky Ray and the Toronto offence have garnered splashy headlines. However, the meat and potatoes of this win came from the defence, which has been inconsistent all year but came together in an effort where they bent, but would not break.

Leadership for this overall effort came from linebacker Brandon Isaac, who rise like a defensive phoenix. Simply put, the third-year import was pure chaos for the Green and White. Isaac led all players with eight (crushing) tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Applying constant pressure to Roughriders pivot Darian Durant, Isaac motivated his crew for a combined four sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception.

The hype that surrounded the Double Blue's defence coming into 2012 is looking more legit -- and at exactly the right time. We all know that the CFL's post-season means cold weather and that the passing game can quite often be negated.

The running game, along with a hard-nosed, stingy defence, is what wins championships in this league. Argos running back Chad Kackert has shown that he has the potential to be a clutch rusher, and if Brandon Isaac can continue to perform in such a dominant fashion, it could complete the puzzle and make Toronto a darkhorse threat come November. 

-- Andy McNamara 

CARLAN'S DARLING

When the Argos traded for Ricky Ray in the off-season, their main objectives was to make the playoffs and play in the 100th Grey Cup at Toronto. On Saturday, we saw them complete half of that mission -- locking up a home playoff game.

You don't win in the CFL without a capable quarterback and the Argos -- and more importantly, their fans -- were forced to watch a laundry list of sub-par signal callers try to lead the Double Blue back to the promised land. However, with Ray in the fold, they have the guy that has the talent and track record to erase the memories of the past few seasons. 

Ray's performance in Regina was something that Argos fans haven't seen in a while, but they would love for it to happen more often. For the second straight week, he threw for over 300 yards, going 24 of 30 with four touchdowns. 

Since returning from injury, Ray has looked like a more confident quarterback, completing 64 per cent of his passes for a combined total of 688 yards and eight touchdowns with only one interception.

The Argos offence had been subject to criticism in the early part of the season, when it was moving the ball up and down the field, but failing to close drives off with major scores. All too often, Toronto had to settle for field goals. In the last two games, Argos kicker Swayze Waters has only appeared three times in field-goal kicking opportunities. The killer instinct is now there.

The Argos' official Twitter account tweeted out "TURNOVER! Playoff Football is back in #Toronto! RETWEET your pride #Argos nation!" after the game-clinching turnover. The tweet was retweeted more than 75 times by a playoff-starved Argos fan base.

The dream may be becoming a reality for the Argos.

Ray is playing his best football to date, the defence is, once again, making plays at the right time and the players seem to believe they can go out and compete with any team in the league.

The Argos may very well be that team that no one wants to see in the post-season.  

-- Carlan Gay

Follow the show on Twitter @3rdandlong

Follow the hosts on Twitter @AndyMc81 and @carlangay

Email them at 3rd.longpodcast@gmail.com

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3rd and Long: NFL Week 8 preview

Tom Brady's comments about New England fans, injuries in Jacksonville, and Mike Holmgren leaving Cleveland are all part of the talk heading into Week 8 in the National Football League.

Tom Brady's comments about New England fans, injuries in Jacksonville, and Mike Holmgren leaving Cleveland are all part of the talk heading into Week 8 in the National Football League.
 
On this week's show, 3rd and Long hosts Andy McNamara and Carlan Gay are joined by Seahawks tight end Evan Moore, who discusses his transition from Cleveland to Seattle, his love of basketball, and what to expect from the Seahawks in the season's second half.

Hail Mary bold predictions and can't-miss games round up a jam-packed show.

Follow the show on Twitter @3rdandlong.

Follow the hosts on Twitter @AndyMc81 and @carlangay

Email them at 3rd.longpodcast@gmail.com.

Find and rate the show on iTunes.

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Rycroft: Cuban soccer defector starts over in Canada

When Reisanndri Fernandez left Havana with the Cuban national soccer team on Oct. 10, he told no one of his plans to defect. Not even his family.

When Reisanndri Fernandez left Havana with the Cuban national soccer team on Oct. 10, he told no one of his plans. Not even his family.

The flight to Canada, the bus ride to the hotel, it all went off as the Cuban team had intended.

Athletes defecting is a common occurrence for communist Cuba, especially when travelling anywhere near the United States. So when in Canada, teams take extra precautions to prevent them from making an escape.

The players were instructed to surrender their passports to team officials once they had checked in at the Delta Chelsea Hotel in downtown Toronto, and would be under close watch for the remainder of the trip as they prepared to take on Canada in a World Cup qualifying match a few days later.

As the bus pulled up to the team hotel, Fernandez was working his own angle. He had chosen a seat near the front of the bus, so that he would not be the first player off and assured he would not be caught behind the crowd.  

As his teammates descended and made a right towards the hotel, Fernandez walked left, slipping out to the street. He quickly flagged down a passing cab. Not knowing a word of English, he shouted "Vamos!" Vamos!" and the confused cabbie sped away. 

Dropped off only a few blocks away, he had done it. But with only a few dollars in his pocket, his team gear and his passport in hand, he suddenly found himself alone, dead-smack in the middle of Canada's biggest city.

Flash forward to today. Thanks to the help of a few generous strangers, Fernandez is starting to make a new life for himself in Canada.

Sitting in the kitchen of a house in one of Toronto's wealthiest neighbourhoods, you could never tell the soft-spoken man in front of you was a Cuban defector. Well-manicured and wearing nice, clean clothes, through the aid of a translator he told the exclusive story of his escape, of seeking asylum and of his true love -- soccer.

"That cab driver sure was confused," Fernandez laughed. "But it was God who dropped me off here," gesturing to the soccer field behind his new home.

"I have been playing soccer since I was nine-years-old. All I did in Cuba was soccer, soccer, soccer -- it was my life.

"I love the game and it has brought me here," he continued. "I hope to continue my career in Canada."

But Fernandez leaves behind a huge hole back home. His brother, who also plays for the national team, did not travel with it this time. Keeping family members separate is one of the precautions Cuban officials take to prevent defections.

Fernandez lived in a small, three-bedroom house with his siblings, mother and wife, and spoke to them on the phone last week for the first time since he got out.

"Of course, they are sad that I left," he said. "But they are very happy for me as well.

"My mother knows this means a better life for all of us."

In Cuba, he would make $10 a month playing for the national team and his local club team. When he travelled with the national team, he would bring cigars and sell them to the locals in whatever country they were playing in. One box of cigars could mean nearly a year's worth of wages for Fernandez and his family.

"Cuba is very poor," he said. "It's a very hard life.

"This is a big opportunity now, for all of us."

'It's just very different here'

Fernandez was not the only player to defect. Three others made their way to the U.S. ahead of the game and were granted entry. Fernandez knew nothing of their plans, but knows he faces serious jail time if he were ever to return to Cuba. As such, he chooses his words carefully.

"It's just very different there," he said. "But I like Canada.

"The weather is a bit cold. But the people are very nice."

It's never easy moving to a new place and more so given the circumstances. But Fernandez is learning how to get by in a completely different world -- one with Facebook, fast food and subways -- as he continues to do what he loves. Training twice a day, the defender is now speaking to soccer contacts as much as he is immigration lawyers.

"I am looking at playing for teams here," he said. "At 28-years-old, I would be a good addition to most clubs.

"But I am looking at my life, looking for jobs, after soccer as well."

'A boring game' 

Fernandez has friends at the Montreal Impact. But he has been temporarily adopted by some in the soccer community in Toronto.

He finally arrived to BMO Field last Saturday, albeit about two weeks late, as the guest of a Toronto FC season-ticket holder. Sitting in the upper deck of the stadium, he watched the local side limp to scoreless draw with rival Montreal.

"It was, kind of, a boring game," he said. "I could not figure out why they were not playing the ball in the air more.

"They did not move the ball very well, given that it was wet." 

Assessing the troubles of the beleaguered, local soccer team?

Seems like Fernandez will fit in just fine.

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Kaetlyn Osmond wins Skate Canada gold on 4-medal day for Canadians

Kaetlyn Osmond barely stopped smiling as she signed autographs, posed for pictures, and talked to reporters Saturday.

The Canadian teenager found herself in the spotlight after capturing gold at Skate Canada International in her first-ever Grand Prix appearance — and she didn't mind it at all.

"Not used to it. But definitely could get used to it," she said laughing.

'Everything has just been coming together a lot more. But I've also been putting a lot more effort into it.'—Newfoundland teen Kaetlyn Osmond

The 16-year-old from Marystown, N.L., was virtually unknown before she won a surprise bronze at the Canadian championships last winter. On Saturday, she fell once on her triple Lutz but skated an otherwise strong program to Carmen to win gold among a world-class field.

It was a good start to the day for the Canadian team, as Olympic and world champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir captured gold in ice dancing while Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford won silver in the pairs.

Two-time world champion Patrick Chan of Toronto had to settle for silver, falling on his triple Axel en route to finishing second behind Javier Fernandez of Spain.

The 21-year-old Chan, who is known for his rocky starts to the season, has new choreographers, new programs and a new lead coach in Kathy Johnson this season, and said he wasn't dismayed by the result.

"I've won these competitions before and for me it goes beyond winning," Chan said. "It's become a learning process and taking this and taking it step by step for the world championships — worlds is my end goal, and it's my only goal, and the year after that will be the Olympics."

Chan landed his opening quad toe loop but touched a hand down on his second one in his program to La Boheme. He finished with 243.43 points overall.

Fernandez fell on his opening quad, but landed two more to finish with 253.94.

"It was my first gold internationally, so it just feels amazing," Fernandez said. "It's not about Patrick, it's about all the skaters. Patrick is still Patrick, he's a star. Of course he could have skated better. But it's only one competition, there's a lot of competitions in this year."

Nobunari Oda of Japan won the bronze.

In ice dance, Virtue, from London, Ont., and Moir, from Ilderton, Ont., scored 104.32 points for a debut of their free dance program to Carmen and scored 169.41 points overall for the win.

Osmond, looking older than her years in red dress and dark red lipstick, scored 115.89 for her Carmen rendition, and 176.45 overall. Reigning world bronze medallist Akiko Suzuki was second with 175.16, while Japanese teammate Kanako Murakami was third with 168.04.

Elene Gedevanishvili of Georgia, the leader after Friday's short program, had an error-filled long program to fall to fifth. Amelie Lacoste of Delson, Que., finished eighth.

Osmond grew up in Marystown — population just over 5,000 — but by the age of six was already travelling to Montreal in the summers to train.

"It was definitely a town where not many people lived and there was one rink that was only open in the winter, and a pool that was only open in the summer," Osmond said.

She moved to Edmonton when she was 10 after she parents got jobs there.

At this time last year she was barely on Skate Canada's radar. She'd finished ninth and 10th in her first junior Grand Prix events and had been battling an injury.

But she saw the possibilities and buckled down in her training, hiring a personal trainer and dietician. She began last season with just two triple jumps in her arsenal, but by the end had mastered almost all of them.

"I think most of it is my body maturing," Osmond said. "Everything has just been coming together a lot more. But I've also been putting a lot more effort into it."

After her bronze at the Canadian championships in Moncton, N.B., where she won the short program and landed the only clean triple-triple combination, Osmond opened this season with a victory at the Nebelhorn Trophy last month.

Because of her world ranking from last year — in the mid-40s — Osmond isn't entered in another Grand Prix this season. She still has a good shot at making Canada's team for the world championships in London, Ont., in March.

Her recent performances also have Osmond dreaming about the Sochi Olympics.

"It definitely starts putting a whole bunch of thoughts in your head," Osmond said. "It just gains you so much more confidence, and a better knowing of what you can do on the ice, how much it can lead you to.

"[The thoughts]have always been there, just not as loud."

Canada hasn't had a woman win at Skate Canada since Olympic bronze medallist Joannie Rochette skated to gold in 2009. Her coach, Ravi Walia, knows hopes are high for a world-class Canadian female, but believes Osmond can handle any pressure that comes her way.

Inspired by Osmond

"We've talked about that," Walia said. "She's still the same skater. It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks she should be doing, it's what her and I think she should be doing."

Duhamel and Radford were just walking into the WFCU Centre when Osmond's medal ceremony was beginning.

"We felt really inspired," Duhamel said. "We watched the medal ceremony, and we were so proud of her and proud of Canadian skating so I think that gave us a little boost."

Skating to music from the British movie Angel, Duhamel, from Lively, Ont., and Toronto's Radford scored 126.00 points for their free program and 190.49 points overall.

"Last year when we skated our very best, we barely got 120 [for the free program] and now we didn't skate our very best, it was still good, and we're at 126," Duhamel said. "We're very excited to see where this season takes us, and that will be to the podium in London."

The Canadians finished behind four-time world champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy, who scored 201.36 in a program that was more memorable for its costumes than the lifts and spins.

Skating to "Bolero," made famous by Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, the Germans wore multicoloured bodysuits — they looked as if someone had tossed cans of red, yellow and black paint at them, like something you'd find at a modern art exhibit.

"It's not my favourite style but to be honest, I know we are figure skaters so we have to wear something that is in a way comfortable and wear suits like this that I would not go out [wearing]," Szolkowy said. "If it fits the music and Aliona's costume, and everybody is talking about us, it's OK."

Italians Stefania Berton and Ondrej Hotarek won the bronze with 172.03.

Paige Lawrence of Kennedy, Sask., and Rudi Swiegers of Brandon, Man., were fourth.

In ice dancing, Italians Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte won the silver with 160.06.

Russians Ekaterina Riazanova and Ilia Tkachenko won bronze with 143.39.

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Giants pitching trio blanks Tigers for 3-0 World Series lead

Nothing is stopping them — not even the Triple Crown winner at the plate with the bases loaded.

Armed and accelerating, the San Francisco Giants became the first team to throw consecutive World Series shutouts in nearly a half-century, blanking Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers 2-0 on a chilly Saturday night for a commanding 3-0 lead.

"I'll say this: The club is playing well," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

No team has ever blown such a huge margin in the World Series. And with the way Ryan Vogelsong, Tim Lincecum and the Giants are pitching, it seemed unlikely the Tigers would even score a run, yet alone win a game.

Gregor Blanco hit an RBI triple and trotted home on Brandon Crawford's single in the second inning, and that was ample for the Giants. Timely hits, combined with another dominant effort on the mound and sharp defense put them close to their second title in three years.

After playing a nearly perfect Game 3, the Giants will turn to Mr. Perfect Game himself — ace Matt Cain — to try for a sweep Sunday against Max Scherzer.

At this rate, it appeared only a bailout by the San Francisco staff could help the Motor City.

Don't count on it. Switching to an AL park, chilly weather and a crowd of towel-waving fans ready to rock didn't slow `em down at all.

"Well, it's a good situation, but there's nothing been done yet," Bochy said. "It's a number, just like I said about two. Now it's three. But that's not the Series."

The Giants won their franchise-record sixth straight postseason game, and haven't trailed in any of them. Quite opposite for the Tigers: Coming off a sweep of the Yankees in the AL championship series, they haven't held a lead in the Series.

"We couldn't get the killer hit or the killer blow," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.

Vogelsong, a career journeyman whose path to the World Series took a detour to Japan, improved to 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in four starts this postseason.

"I knew my stuff was pretty good," Vogelsong said. "I was really pumped up to be out there."

Vogelsong joined Blue Moon Odom in 1972 and Burt Hooton in 1981 in making four straight starts in a post-season allowing one run or none.

Vogelsong induced two early double plays, then faced his stiffest test in the fifth.

The bases were loaded with one out when Vogelsong fanned rookie Quintin Berry. That brought up Cabrera, honored on the field before the game with an actual blue-and-gold crown for his Triple Crown accomplishments.

With the fans chanting "M-V-P!" and likely sensing the whole Series was riding on this at-bat, Vogelsong seemed completely calm while chewing gum. He won the matchup, too, getting an easy popup that prompted Cabrera to slam his bat to the ground and elicited cheers in the San Francisco dugout.

Lincecum took over with two outs in the sixth, and the two-time reliever looked as if he had been coming out of the bullpen his whole life and shut down the Tigers.

Closer Sergio Romo finished off the combined five-hitter with his second save of the Series.

Blanco punctuated the ninth inning with his latest fancy grab, a sprinting catch into foul territory in left field.

Combined with Madison Bumgarner's effort in Game 2, San Francisco threw the first consecutive shutouts in the Series since Baltimore in 1966, when Jim Palmer, Wally Bunker and Dave McNally did the trick to finish off the Dodgers.

Shut out only twice all year, the Tigers once again looked lost at the plate. When fan favorite Prince Fielder struck out in the eighth, some boos bounced around Comerica Park. Big hitters with teeny numbers, Cabrera and Fielder are a combined 3 for 19 against the Giants.

"It is what it is," Fielder said.

The fearsome Tigers have totaled a mere three runs and 15 hits while hitting .165 in three games, and were shut out twice in a row for the first time since April 2008.

Only one team in baseball history has overcome a 3-0 deficit in the postseason, with Boston doing it in the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees.

"Well, you don't really have to tell them anything. They can count," Leyland said. "They're big guys, they know what the situation is."

For the Tigers, it was the sixth straight Series loss dating to 2006 against St. Louis. They got a fine effort from pitcher Anibal Sanchez this time, but it wasn't enough against these Giants.

Losing posture

It was 47 degrees at gametime, a drop of 17 from Thursday night at AT&T Park, and the Tigers clearly knew this was their chance to pull back into the Series.

Soon enough, Game 3 took on a familiar look.

During the Giants' early two-run burst, Detroit's body language said all you needed to know about this Series. At one point in-between pitches, Cabrera put his hands on his hips at third base, shortstop Jhonny Peralta scuffed the dirt, second baseman Omar Infante turned his back to the infield, Fielder stared down at first.

A losing posture, plain and simple.

The Comerica crowd, so pumped earlier in the postseason, quickly fell silent. Desperate to cheer for anything, the fans hollered for a long, albeit routine, flyout by Delmon Young.

Detroit grounded into the most double plays in the majors this year, and two slick turns by Crawford at shortstop added to the Tigers' total.

Both DPs came with two on and one out, by Fielder in the first and the speedy rookie Berry in the third. Berry put both hands on his batting helmet as he zoomed well past the base, running out his frustration.

Working on 12 days' rest, Sanchez may have been the latest Detroit player to be caught in the Rust Belt, at least in the second inning. That's when he constantly overthrew his fastball and did not resemble the pitcher who had made two sharp starts this postseason.

The San Francisco hitters also were amply familiar with Sanchez. This was the fourth time he had matched up with Vogelsong in the last two years — Sanchez twice won duels, then lost a slugfest.

Hunter Pence, who scored one run and drove in the other during a 2-0 win in Game 2, drew a four-pitch walk to begin the second. It was a telling sign — Sanchez had not walked a right-handed batter since August.

Pence stole second, took third on a wild pitch and, with the Tigers' infield playing in, trotted home when Blanco tripled off the wall in right. Crawford looped an RBI single with two outs for a 2-0 lead, and Rick Porcello began warming up in the Detroit bullpen.

Earlier in the game, Cabrera reached safely in his first 23 post-season games, two shy of Boog Powell's record, according to STATS LLC.

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NHL lockout Day 43: Fan's comment of the day

Until the NHL returns, we will continue to highlight one fan's take on the lockout each day from the posts we've received on Facebook, Twitter and the comments sections on CBCSports.ca.

With the NHL officially cancelling games through Nov. 30, CBCSports.ca has been helping give fans a voice.

Until the game we love returns, we will continue to highlight one fan's take on the lockout each day from the posts we've received on Facebook, Twitter and the comments sections on CBCSports.ca.

Here is Sunday's fan's comment of the day from commenter Mackinley, who had her mother record this video plea to those in charge of the NHL labour negotiations:

Want to share your opinion? Tweet me @JordanShifman or post a comment to our Facebook page at Facebook.com/CBCSports and come back every day to see what fans like you are saying.

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Skate Canada International

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating tour is in Windsor, Ont., for Skate Canada International, where men's world champion Patrick Chan and ice dance champs Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are making their Grand Prix season debuts — and showing off their new programs — along with a host of fellow Canadians.

Check out our Scribble Live blog to follow the event through news, notes, photos, video and analysis from CBC figure skating analyst Pj Kwong, and comments from fans across Canada.

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Wharnsby: Bettman appears to want players pressured

What was the aim of the NHL on Friday when it cancelled an entire slate of games in November?

After 40 days and 40 nights of its latest lockout, the NHL lowered the boom Friday on the 41st day with the cancellation of regular-season games for the entire month of November.

There also was speculation the Winter Classic will be scrapped next week, which makes sense. According to the contract the league signed with the University of Michigan to use its stadium for the outdoor game on New Year's Day, the NHL would recover all but $100,000 US of its $3-million rental fee if it was to cancel the event by Nov. 2 or sooner.

What was the aim of these latest developments? After all, everybody knows that if there is a miraculous turn of events in the next few weeks and a new collective agreement is consummated, the league would be up and running a week to 10 days later, and all those cancelled games would be back on the docket.

So why did the NHL make such a manoeuvre on Friday? Because league commissioner Gary Bettman hopes this move applies more pressure on the players and they'll eventually wave the white flag. Don't be surprised, too, if down the road the league also makes a proposal worse than the 50-50 split of hockey-related revenues it put forth last week.

But those are my thoughts. We wondered how player agent Ian Pulver viewed the current messy situation.

Pulver knows labour disputes between the NHL and NHLPA well. He worked for the players through the 1994-95 lockout and the second one in 2004-05 that cost the NHL an entire season.

We asked Pulver which group is under the most pressure?

"Based on the most recent exchange, when the parties were together in Toronto [last week], it appeared to me that that the parties were coming together and speaking the same language, but the league pulled out after 10 minutes," he said. "You begin to wonder, what are the motives of the league? Are they attempting to break the union?

"The pressure, at this point, is on everyone to negotiate a collective agreement. The one thing that is clear is the league continues to lead the four [North American] professional leagues in games cancelled because of lockouts in the last 20 years. It's not a lead that anybody should be proud of."

If the NHL does lose the entire month of November off its schedule, the number of games cancelled because of the three lockouts and the 1992 players' strike would surpass 2,000 - or 600 more regular-season games cancelled due to labour disputes than Major League Baseball (938), the NBA (504) and the NFL (0) combined in the last 20 years. 

Pulver has been surprised that the NHL is engaged in another lockout.

"I really thought Gary Bettman would want to show the world that he had the ability to get a deal done without locking out the players," Pulver said.

"Based on him raising revenues to record heights since the last lockout, and based on the fact that the game has never been more exciting, I thought that it would have been a perfect way to leave his legacy with this sport and not have three consecutive lockouts."

But here the NHL is, once again, in another heated lockout with no end in sight.

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How will Bill C-290 change sports gambling in Canada?

Want to put a couple of dollars on the winner of the Super Bowl? Right now you can't legally bet on just one game in Canada, but a private member's bill on Parliament Hill is close to making it possible.

Bill C-290, legislation that would legalize betting on single games, is close to becoming law.

Needing just a third and final reading in the Senate, the bill has caught the attention of professional sports leagues.

Toronto Blue Jays president Paul Beeston spoke to the Senate on Tuesday, arguing that legalized betting on single games would increase the probability gamblers would try to influence the outcome.

But with support from all of the major parties, there seems to be little to stop this bill from passing the Senate.

An unnamed source cites caution, however. He said there's a real possibility the NBA, NFL and maybe even NHL might think twice before bringing a new franchise up north.

New Jersey recently passed a new state law allowing sports betting on individual collegiate and professional games.

The NCAA, saying it wants to protect the integrity of its game, is now planning on relocating six championships out of New Jersey over the issue.

The NCAA and all four professional sports leagues filed a lawsuit in Federal Court in August trying to stop New Jersey from allowing single-game betting.

CBCSports.ca spoke with Jim Warren, president and CEO of Riseley Gaming Inc., to get a better understanding of the bill. He is part-owner of Canada's only privately owned and operated casino, located in Moncton, N.B.

Why was the bill introduced?

Warren: It was primarily done by the provinces that have border casinos to try and get Americans to cross the border and come over to Niagara Falls and Windsor. That was the original idea and why the request was made to the federal government to make the change.

For years, people in Detroit went to Windsor because there were no casinos there. So when there was competition, people decided to stop going.

There's been a massive decline of Americans crossing the border due to Sept. 11, the mandatory use of passports when crossing the border and the price in gas.

The idea is you could put together a package on Final Four weekend, the World Series, etc. and get Americans to return to Canadian casinos because they can do single-event sports betting instead of multi-event.

How much will the government earn?

Warren: It's not going to be a huge moneymaker, because ProLine is so profitable for Ontario now. It's really about giving Americans incentive to come back to Canada to visit Niagara Falls and Windsor. It's primarily based on that.

It will repatriate some grey matter betting that happens now on the internet. People will now be able to make that same bet legally. It's not, at the end of day, a huge government windfall, but it's about creating a fun environment for people to come back to the casinos.

The government won't earn a lot of money?

Warren: Really, no. When you look at ProLine in Ontario, it's one of the most profitable sportsbooks in the world.

They make so much more money by having the multi-events. It will make more money for the governments, but it's not a huge cash grab. It's more focused on economic development and protection of jobs on the border cities.

It's more to ensure the border casinos have something to compete with that their American counterparts don't have to offer.

Why are pro sports resistant?

Warren: When you have multi-event betting, when there's three different outcomes, it's nearly impossible for one-person to affect the outcome. The leagues are doing their due diligence to make sure there's not a situation where one individual or a referee or a manager can make a huge impact.

Now, there's so much transparency with the way gambling works, with the way huge bets are made, with security, etc.

It's more an understanding on how the system would work and what measures would be in place to prevent bad things from happening. With any change like this, an abundance of caution is a good idea.

I think that if you can put in enough protective measures, you can have single-event betting occur and still not have people engage in criminal activity. In Ontario, right now, you can go on the internet and make the same bet with less regulation.

So really, at the end of the day, there's going to be more measures.

You are going to have to physically go into a casino. You will be on a security camera. Any transaction over $10,000 is logged inside the casinos. So those measures are in place to have transparency and integrity in the games.

If the law is passed, how soon will we see single-event sports betting?

Warren: In 2007, they spent the money in Ontario at Casino Niagara and they have a sportsbook now where you can make ProLine bets in Niagara Falls. Those ProLine bets pay out differently from the same bets you make at the corner store.

It's a different set of rules and regulations. So the government, I believe, is ready to have a turnkey operation. So once they get permission, it will be months, if not weeks, for them to implement it to the border sites.

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