In fact, 17 NFL teams are being favoured ahead of the Cards for next season’s championship.

The 2010 Super Bowl odds, released yesterday, list the Cards as 30-to-1 longshots. The New England Patriots, at 8-to-1, are favoured to prevail, followed by the Dallas Cowboys, at 9-to-1.

Then come the new champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and their Super Bowl-winning predecessors, the New York Giants – both at 10-to-1.

They’re followed by the Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers (12-to-1), Baltimore Ravens (14-to-1), Tennessee Titans (16-to-1), Carolina Panthers  and Philadelphia Eagles (18-to-1), New Orleans Saints (20-to-1),  and the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets (all at 25-to-1).

• The Cards may command more respect if the oddsmakers were sure 37-year-old quarterback Kurt Warner would re-sign with them. He’s a free agent, hmming and hawing about returning to Arizona, but wife Brenda Warner has publicly encouraged him to retire to devote himself to their seven children and strong Christian faith. . .NBC showed Brenda four times during Sunday’s broadcast, incidentally, so you won the prop bet if you wagered on over the 3.5. . .Santonio Holmes, who made the aforementioned TD catch (in triple coverage) for the Steelers’ last-minute triumph and was chosen the game’s MVP, received a new Cadillac, although financially troubled General Motors asked the NFL to refrain from publicizing the gift. . .And Holmes needs to  brush up on his football lore. Twice, he referred to the Super Bowl trophy, named after legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi, as the "Dicky Lombardi" trophy.

• We reported here in December that Eric Lindros’ days as ombudsman of the NHLPA were numbered because of complaints about his behaviour and his work (or lack of same) -- and, yesterday, the players’ association officially announced his departure as “a resignation.”. . .There’s trouble, too, in Vancouver – in-fighting, finger-pointing, second-guessing (like, why sign Mats Sundin for zillions?) – and don’t be surprised if Canucks coach Alain Vigneault soon becomes the fall guy, just as Craig Hartsburg was when fired by Ottawa Monday. . .Puzzling me equally these days: Bryan Murray staying on as Senators general manager while good hockey men (John Muckler, John Paddock, Hartsburg) are turned into scapegoats, Craig MacTavish sticking around as coach of the underachieving Edmonton Oilers, and the Toronto Argonauts hiring a bunch of new coaches with virtually no CFL experience.

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

But I’d like to think there should be a wee bit of substance to what babbling bloggers and television’s talking twerps try to pass off these days as salacious scandals.

Sorry, but Jessica Simpson adding a few pounds does not merit mountains of copy and hours of bafflegab in the electronic media. It doesn’t qualify as a legitimate scandal and neither, frankly, does Michael Phelps smoking pot. This is 2009, for crying out loud. Truth is, his bong may have been wrong but the media throng needs to move along and sing a different song. I don’t indulge, never have, but you needn’t be a pothead to realize smoking weed is no longer a dastardly deed. And Phelps’ reputation as the most dominant swimmer in history isn’t – and shouldn’t be -- damaged or tarnished.

Then there’s Joe Torre’s new book, The Yankee Years, which was supposed to be laden with 475 pages of scandals.

Puh-lease. Torre’s lineup cards have contained more controversial writing than his book does. The book’s a decent read but nowhere near as steamy as advance coverage pretended. Granted, the ex-Yankees-turned-Dodgers manager fires a few not-so-vicious zings at Alex Rodriguez, David Wells, George Steinbrenner and Yanks general manager Brian Cashman -- and there are suggestions that ex-Blue Jays pitchers used amphetamines -- but Torre’s main message is that the Yanks have evolved from a team built upon draft choices and shrewd trades into one relying on high-priced free agents and neglecting its farm system. There are few revealing passages in The Yankee Years and, in reality, the book is devoid of genuine scandals.

U.S. sports journalist Stephen A. Smith tried to come up with one yesterday about the Raptors’ all-star, Chris Bosh. Problem was, it wasn’t accurate, always a prerequisite for a good scandal.

Smith claimed Bosh told Raptors management that he has no intention of staying with Toronto when his contract expires after the NBA’s 2009-2010 season. Bosh, however, insisted he hasn’t even thought about 2010 yet.

Ultimately, he may well follow in the footsteps of ex-Raptors stars Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Antonio Davis and others by bolting, but there’s nothing to suggest this yet and so, sorry, but the Bosh story is no more scandalous than Torre’s book or Phelps’ pastime. Or Jessica Simpson’s weight.

Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of divulging genuine scandals.

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

Last night, not so much.

En route to capturing their record sixth NFL title, the Steelers’ defence broke down conspicuously in what will irrefutably rank as the most memorable, most unlikely and most spectacular fourth quarter in the Super Bowl’s 43-year history.

Ultimately, it was the Steelers’ offence that was needed to win this championship, as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger engineered a 78-yard, eight-play touchdown drive for a 27-23 come-from-behind triumph over the heartbroken Arizona Cardinals.

The game-winning TD was a doozy – a six-yard bullet, with only 35 seconds remaining, from Roethlisberger to receiver Santonio Holmes, who neatly kept both his feet in the end zone before being belted to the ground out of bounds. Holmes also was chosen the game’s most-valuable player.

“I told the guys (in the huddle) that it was now or never,” Roethlisberger said. “I said, ‘All the film study didn’t matter unless you do it now,' and we did. I was really proud of (his offensive teammates) the way we went down and scored.”

Realistically, however, it should never have come down to that.

The Steelers were ahead 20-7 after three quarters, primarily because its No. 1-ranked defence was its usual brilliant self. Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison, chosen the NFL’s premier defensive player during the regular season, even intercepted a pass on his team’s goalline on the final play of the first half and romped 100 yards for the longest touchdown in Super Bowl history. That gave the Steelers a 17-7 advantage.

But in the fourth quarter, veteran Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner started to dissect the Pittsburgh defence like a surgeon, eventually finding Larry Fitzgerald for a 64-yard touchdown pass. With 2:37 left, the Cardinals – 60-to-1 championship longshots when the NFL season began – suddenly took their first lead.

“What I thought at the time (of Fitzgerald’s long TD) was that there was still too much time left,” Cards coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “The Steelers were able to make the plays. That’s what good teams do.”

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin concurred.

“Steelers football is always 60 minutes long,” Tomlin said. “It’s never going to be pretty. Throw style points out the window when it comes to us. But we fight to the end, and we win.”

“Our team did a marvelous job,” club owner Dan Rooney said. “We had the toughest schedule in the league and we prevailed. . . .I’d like to thank President (Barack) Obama and the Steeler Nation for supporting us.”

Obama said before the game that he was rooting for the Steelers even though he had a soft spot for Warner because of his age. Warner is 37. He also is at the end of his contract and, after completing 31 of 43 passes for 377 yards and three touchdowns last night, is contemplating retirement.

“I’ll see,” he said. “I have some time to think about it. Right now, though, I’m just thinking about how close we came to winning this. And, obviously, I’m disappointed.”

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

I have, I confess, witnessed every single second of all 42 Super Bowls – whether as a tot in my parents’ family room, at friends’ parties, in the stands of the stadiums where some of the games were played, working in the press box at several, in a rowdy establishment slouching over a table with beer, or alone with popcorn in the privacy of my den.

And, naturally, I’ll watch the 43rd Super Bowl somewhere this Sunday, when the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals clash helmets.

I’m not especially jazzed up about this one, however, and I know I’m not alone.

Last year in Arizona, when the heavily favoured New England Patriots were supposed to shred the New York Giants in the 42nd Super Bowl, scalpers exploited overwhelming fan interest and sold tickets for beyond $10,000 apiece. This week, I’m told, you can buy the finest Super Bowl seat in the house in Tampa Bay for less than $3,000.

The recession is partly responsible, unquestionably, but there’s general apathy, too, as many football fanatics fear a major mismatch.

Oh, I know that’s what folks said last year, before the Pats and the Giants met. New England, though, created a buzz because of the undefeated/historical season it aimed to record. And then the Giants went and upset them. And, sure, the Cards could defy logic as seven-point underdogs and could pull off another miracle Sunday.

They could, but they won’t.

Consider:

• Team histories: Pittsburgh has a rich, winning tradition and can garner a record sixth Super Bowl victory Sunday. “I knew when I got drafted I’d be in the playoff hunt every year,” Pittsburgh defensive end Brett Keisel said. “We ooze success.” Arizona, meanwhile, has never been in a Super Bowl and has qualified for the playoffs only three times since 1976.

• Defences: No Super Bowl team had permitted more than 360 points in a season until these Cards, who coughed up 426. Pittsburgh gave up 223 points and led the NFL in fewest yards allowed.

• Regular-season scores: The most points Pittsburgh surrendered in a game this season were 21 -- in a 26-21 triumph. Arizona was beaten twice by 21 points, once by 28 and once by 40. No previous Super Bowl team lost a game by 21 or more points in the regular schedule.

You get the picture. This could be one of those not-so-classic Super Bowl routs.

Like: Pittsburgh 28, Arizona 9.

Yep, that bad. Regardless, I’ll watch every second. Don’t plan to snap my streak just yet.

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

A player joins a CFL team, stinks, gets released, is waived through the league and becomes an NFL star.

Take Bertrand Berry, for example. At 33, Berry is largely responsible for his team’s stunning ascent to Sunday’s Super Bowl. There are no ifs, ands or buts about this. Were it not for his team-high seven sacks and exceptional efforts at defensive end, the Arizona Cardinals would not be in Tampa Bay this week preparing to face the Pittsburgh Steelers for NFL supremacy.

It’s bizarre, frankly, since the Edmonton Eskimos soured on Berry after a mere two games in 2000. In eight quarters, Berry recorded one tackle and no sacks. In the inferior CFL, he was both inconspicuous and incompetent. So into the scrap heap he was dumped, practically penniless, deemed a has-been and a never-was simultaneously.

And, yet, for the past four seasons, Berry has terrorized opponents and the Cards rewarded him a five-year contract worth US$25-million.

"I remember him disliking Edmonton,” said Berry’s agent, Greg Williams, “but I’m also sure his time there motivated him. He wanted so badly to make it in the NFL.”

He has. Big-time. He’s a discard leading the Cards’ defence and wise NFL observers suggest Arizona can’t prevail Sunday if Berry turns in a lemon.

• Canada's professional football championship will be decided on Albertan grounds the next two seasons. I'm told the CFL will announce formally within a week or so that Edmonton has been awarded the 2010 Grey Cup game. This year's Cup will be played in Calgary. Edmonton has been the site of the championship game three previous times -- 1984, 1997 and 2002...The Oakland Raiders plan to hire a new offensive co-ordinator soon, and atop their wish list is Marc Trestman, who led the Alouettes to the Grey Cup game in Montreal last November in his one and only season as a CFL head coach. . .Als quarterback Anthony Calvillo, the CFL’s premier player last season, is eligible for free agency Feb. 16 and will decide shortly whether to re-sign with the Als or retire. If Trestman jumps to Oakland, Calvillo might retire after 15 CFL seasons. . .Grey Cup ticket prices have risen dramatically. They ranged from $84 to $274 in Montreal. They’ll cost between $195 and $370 in Calgary this season. “I don’t think this (is an issue),” said Stamps president Scott Ackles, who may or may not know there’s a recession.  . .Don’t be surprised if ex-Winnipeg head coach Doug Berry joins the Esks soon as offensive co-ordinator. . .Ex-Toronto Argonauts head coach Gary Etcheverry is the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ new defensive co-ordinator. . .Calgary Stampders scout John Murphy is the Blue Bombers’ new general manager.

• In baseball, ex-Blue Jays superstar Roberto Alomar will join Toronto’s spring-training staff and will coach infielders.

Alomar hopes to follow in the footsteps of his father, Sandy Alomar Sr., and become a full-time coach or manager.

And the Minnesota Twins are close to signing Canadian Eric Gagne as a setup man for closer Joe Nathan.

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

In fact, after more than two seasons of inactivity because of post-concussion syndrome, Manitoban Corey Koskie is desperately trying to crack Team Canada’s roster for what very likely would be his last hurrah. Metro has learned the ex-Blue Jays third baseman has an agreement in writing with general manager Greg Hamilton that stipulates he’d be added to Team Canada’s 45-man, preliminary roster if he is deemed physically fit by Feb. 1.

“My wife and I have talked lots about this,” Koskie confirmed in an interview with veteran Winnipeg sports journalist Scott Taylor, “and we’ve agreed that (playing for Canada) would be a great way to retire.”

Koskie, 35, said he has been working out diligently for months and has received permission from the Minnesota Twins to train at their camp in Fort Myers, Fla., in February if he gets the green light from Team Canada.

Koskie starred for the Twins from 1998 through 2004. He was the Jays’ marquee free-agent acquisition for 2005 but struggled with injuries and was dealt to Milwaukee after the season. Concussions sidelined him while with the Brewers in 2006 and he had to sit out 2007 and 2008.

Should Koskie crack Team Canada’s final, 28-man roster, he’d unlikely play much. Manager Ernie Whitt plans to start the Kansas City Royals’ Mark Teahen at third base, the Houston Astros’ Chris Barnwell at shortstop, the Washington Nationals’ Peter Orr at second and Minnesota’s Justin Morneau at first.

• Doug Berry, who coached the Blue Bombers to the Grey Cup game in 2007 and was fired by Winnipeg after the 2008 season, is desperately seeking work after the Toronto Argonauts rejected his applications to become their head or assistant coach. . .Look for the Argos to acquire quarterback Kevin Glenn, at least as a backup to Kerry Joseph, now that new Winnipeg coach Mike Kelly intends to trade the veteran. . .Despite efforts by Argos co-owner David Cynamon to downplay it, Michael (Pinball) Clemons is indeed out as the club’s chief shot-caller– as reported here Tuesday -- and will take a significant pay cut to stay on in an ambassador role. . .The Hamilton Tiger-Cats, meanwhile, have told QB Casey Printers he’s not welcome back unless he accepts a pay cut that would reduce his $450,000-a-year salary to less than $200,000.

• And, to find out how a newspaper columnist unwittingly saved Nick Kypreos’ job as Sportsnet’s hockey analyst, check out my latest NHL Report.

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

That was the word from Don Newcombe, Robinson’s old friend and teammate. It was Robinson, of course, who busted MLB’s colour barrier in 1947, when he became its first African-American player. Newcombe, who joined Robinson with the Dodgers two years later and emerged as a superstar pitcher, remains an official spokesman for the club in Los Angeles.

And he told me tears streamed down his face as Barack Obama was inaugurated as U.S. president Tuesday.

“It’s impossible to articulate what Jackie and I went through,” Newcombe, 82, said via telephone. “We couldn’t eat in the same restaurants or pee in the same washrooms as white players. Jackie went through a living hell because he was the first. He was viewed as evil.

“And so to be alive now and to see Obama becoming president is truly incredible. I wish Jackie were alive. I wish he could see this. He’d have been so happy, so relieved. I’m sure he’s doing cartwheels today.”

Robinson died in 1972 of a heart attack. He was only 53.

• Dozens of NBA luminaries skipped practices on Inauguration Day – and will consequently be slapped with club fines –to attend the Obama festitivities in Washington.

Many were serious financial contributors to Obama, including LeBron James, Chauncey Billups, Baron Davis, Dwight Howard, Emeka Okafor, Luke Walton and Chris Duhon,

Duhon, as reported here in October, even played pickup hoops against Obama.

Asked what Obama’s best basketball move was, Duhon deadpanned: “I don’t think he has one.”

• The Detroit Tigers, you should know, are close to signing a new closer – ex-Blue Jay Brandon Lyon. . .Don Zimmer, who serves as a so-called adviser to the Tampa Bay Rays these days, is set to attend his 61st consecutive training camp next month, despite suffering a stroke that prevented him from speaking about a week ago. . .Add the names of Vladimir Guerrero (recovering from knee surgery) and Albert Pujols (recovering from elbow surgery) to the growing list of superstars who won’t likely participate in March’s World Baseball Classic.

• Quarterback Kurt Warner, a former Arena League player who was deemed unworthy of NFL employment for years, essentially sealed his induction into the league’s Hall of Fame Sunday, when he led the Arizona Cardinals to a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC final and to a berth in the Feb. 1 Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It will be Warner’s third trip to the Bowl. His teams are 8-2 in post-season play. Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts, in comparison, are 7-8 in the playoffs.

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

Clemons, they say, might remain with the Argos in a front-office and/or ambassador capacity but his agent, Gil Scott, isn’t sure.

“I really don’t know what’s going on with Pinball,” Scott said. “I can’t get a straight answer.”

Neither Clemons nor Argos co-owners Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon could be reached by Metro yesterday. General manager Adam Rita was contacted at the Senior Bowl site in Alabama, where he is scouting, but his cell phone disconnected after he was asked about Clemons and it went straight into voice mail the rest of the afternoon.

While Clemons may be mulling over a non-executive offer from the Argos, the sources say ownership is close to hiring a new CEO.

Clemons, 44, became the Argos’ head coach during the 2000 season after a legendary playing career in Toronto that started in 1989 and landed him in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

He finished with a coaching record of 68-55-1 and led the Argos to the Grey Cup championship in 2004. He was appointed CEO before the 2008 season and hired his defensive co-ordinator, Rich Stubler, as his head-coaching successor. He also was responsible for trading for quarterback Kerry Joseph, who was chosen the CFL’s top player with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2007.

Both Stubler and Joseph flopped. Clemons fired Stubler in midseason and replaced him with Don Matthews, who went 0-8. The Argos finished 4-14 and out of the playoffs. Sokolowski and Cynamon, unhappy with Clemons’ CEO performance, offered him the chance to return as head coach but he refused, sources said.

Last week, when the Argos hired ex-NFL assistant Bart Andrus, Clemons wasn’t consulted and didn’t attend the news conference that introduced the team’s newest head coach.

• Rita, incidentally, tried to influence Andrus to hire longtime CFL coach Dave Ritchie as the Argos’ defensive co-ordinator because of his Canadian experience, but sources suggest Andrus is choosing instead to hire a friend from the NFL.

• One of Canada’s premier sports columnists is retiring early.

William Houston, whose Truth and Rumours became must-read material after it launched in 1991, has accepted a buyout from The Globe and Mail and will write his final column next month.

“Bill ripped me a lot early in my career, but he made me better,” CBC sports reporter Elliotte Friedman said. “He was fair.”

From ex-TSN and Sportsnet anchor Jim Van Horne: “He made the media look over their shoulders and forced them to be honest.”

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

The reason? An opponent spit in his mouth during a game a month ago.

In his previous 13 NFL seasons, Mitch Berger of Kamloops, B.C., was more or less your typical punter and place-kicking holder – quiet, mostly unassuming and way, way out of the limelight. Near the end of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 13-9 triumph in Baltimore last month, however, the Ravens’ Frank Walker had what he subsequently called a “slobber moment” and spit at Berger.

Walker claimed it was accidental. Berger insisted it was deliberate. The NFL didn’t discipline Walker, explaining it couldn’t find visual evidence of the dastardly deed. Berger remains ticked. Oh, and the Ravens visit Pittsburgh for Sunday’s AFC final.

In the Dec. 14 game, Walker “dove and tried to take out a knee (of Steelers place-kicker Jeff Reed)," Berger said. "I went over there and then he got up and turned around and spit right in my mouth. I'm sure it was intentional, no matter what he says. He didn't even get a penalty. I can’t forget it. I’m not saying I’ll get him back, but. . .”

Walker told reporters he’s prepared for revenge tactics, but added: “It doesn’t even matter. I won’t be hiding.”

• Walker, incidentally, is ordinarily a special-teams player but would start at cornerback in Pittsburgh if veteran Samari Rolle (groin) can’t play.

Ravens defensive lineman Terrell Suggs (shoulder) might need to sit out, too. He’d be replaced by three players, including converted tight end Edgar Jones.

• Unruly behaviour in the stands Sunday will be monitored in unprecedented fashion in both Pittsburgh and Arizona (where the Cardinals entertain the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC final), thanks to a new security system.

Fans irked by their neighbours’ misconduct can simply text message their complaints, and action will promptly be taken.

“This feature allows spectators to report those around them, without directly confronting them or visibly reporting them to security personnel,” according to a news release from a spokesman for Ez Texting. “This anonymous reporting forum encourages those who feel threatened to come forward, providing a safe haven for fans to enjoy the game in peace – or at least without those who take the competitive spirit one step too far.”

• And, in case you missed it, Pittsburgh mayor Luke Ravenstahl plans to change his name to Steelerstahl Sunday, prompting this reaction from U.S. football analyst Tony Kornheiser: “This is so blatantly stupid and patronizing that he should be removed from his office by nightfall.”

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

A) End its collective bargaining agreement with the NHL or extend it another two seasons.

B) Fire former superstar Eric Lindros as its ombudsman or retain him.

Hockey sources predicted in chats with Metro on Tuesday that the NHLPA will announce during festivities surrounding the All-Star Game in Montreal Jan. 25 that its player representatives are choosing to extend the agreement. The CBA that ended the 2004-05 NHL lockout gave the players the option to either terminate the existing agreement next September or extend it two more seasons. The sources said players are not interested in a major labour battle during these troubling economic times, and have already voted to extend the existing agreement and intend to enthusiastically announce their decision in Montreal.

At the same time, the sources said, the union might announce the firing of Lindros. They said his firing is possible because of a major division in the NHLPA over his contributions. Union executives won’t publicly discuss Lindros but some say privately he’s caused rifts and has improperly handled his job.

• During the NHL lockout, sports networks picked up poker to fill air time and, years later, poker ratings remain high. But is poker a sport? I’m beginning to think so, and I’ll be profiling Canadian poker player Isabelle Mercier this week, but I’d like to know your thoughts. E-mail marty.york@metronews.ca to tell me if you consider poker a sport.

Incidentally, the most-searched word on the Internet in 2008? Poker.

• Mike Benevides stunned the Argonauts recently by rejecting their offer to become Toronto’s head coach, but his decision may well be a blessing for his predecessor with the B.C. Lions.

Dave Ritchie, who left B.C. before last season and was replaced as the team’s defensive co-ordinator by Benevides, has been contacted by the Argos and has emerged as one of the top two candidates for the job. The other is Bart Andrus, an assistant coach with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.

If Andrus is chosen, the Argos will try to recruit Ritchie as assistant head coach and defensive co-ordinator. Ritchie, 70, spent 25 years in Canada as a head and assistant coach and his knowledge of the league could help Andrus, who has no CFL experience.

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

“I’ve spelled it Pooria, with an I, since I was little, but all my documents spell it Poorya, with a Y,” he told me, “so what the heck? Go with the Y.”

All rightie, then, Poorya Nazari it is. And rich is what this 22-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont. is since collecting – and depositing – the $3-million U.S. he garnered for finishing first on the weekend at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, the largest tournament outside Las Vegas.

Nazari’s initial buy-in online was a mere $33, and he was one of 1,347 who qualified to participate in six days of play at Paradise Island in the Bahamas last week.

“I seriously started playing online (at www.pokerstars.net) last December and I was doing well, so I realized maybe I can do this for a living,” Nazari mentioned on the way to his bank. “Even when I was in school, I spent most of my time playing poker.”

Nazari graduated with a biochemistry degree from McMaster University last month but “my marks suffered and I barely scraped by with a degree.”

Doesn’t much matter to him at this point, he said. Oh, and a warning to anyone planning to ask him for loans:

“The answer, more than likely, will be no.”

• After attending and observing the Caribbean tourney, incidentally, I’ve decided poker qualifies as a sport – a mind sport.

Players can’t win without fierce, competitive mindsets. And one of the toughest is a diminutive dynamo from Victoriaville, Que. -- Isabelle (No Mercy) Mercier, who gave up her law practice for poker and has made hundreds of thousands at the table.

She’s fascinating. To find out why, check out my feature on her in Metro and at www.metronews.ca later this week.

• In baseball, don’t be surprised if the Blue Jays soon appoint Washington Nationals president Stan Kasten as their new prez. It’s essentially a done deal. . .Kasten is also ex-bossman of the Atlanta Braves, who, by the way, are close to signing two prominent free agents – pitcher Derek Lowe and outfielder Adam Dunn. . .The latest in the personal affairs of the New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez: He and Madonna are no more, but he dated actress Kate Hudson on the weekend. . .And, yes, Rickey Henderson was a no-brainer for Hall of Fame nomination yesterday because he was the most prolific leadoff batter in history. But what about Tim Raines, the second-best leadoff batter in history? Will he perpetually be bypassed by Hall voters because, like the perpetually bypassed Andre Dawson, he excelled with the old Montreal Expos?

It’s a delicate, unprecedented strategy – created, of course, by the economic crisis -- and it’s become commonplace throughout the NBA, even in Canada, where the Toronto Raptors are suffering through a lamentable, losing season.

Despite the discounts, attendance figures throughout the NBA are plummeting. Empty seats are sometimes outnumbering those with kiesters in them.

And NBA executives are so concerned, sources tell Metro, they’ve called an emergency meeting, to be held in Phoenix next week. NBA commissioner David Stern has issued a gag order on the meeting but a league exec told Metro: “There’s a fear that our fans can’t afford or won’t keep paying what they’ve paid in the past for tickets. So next week’s meeting is critical.”

Best guess: The NBA soon will announce a decrease in ticket prices across the board.

• The NBA’s problems in Canada are unquestionably complicated by the fact that some of the Raptors’ games are carried on TSN2, which is not available on the country’s largest cable carrier.

Rogers is depriving Canadian basketball fans by excluding TSN2 from its menu, and industry sources suspect its motive is at least partly attributable to its desire to see less competition for its own all-sports network, Rogers Sportsnet.

Whatever, it’s a sad and silly situation. And, last Friday, TSN2 drew a mere 18,000 viewers for a Raps-Houston game. That’s pathetic, considering the average Raps game on the original TSN network attracts audiences of about 200,000.

• Speaking of Houston, ex-Raps star Tracy McGrady is upsetting Rick Adelman these days.

The Rockets’ coach suspects the 6-foot-8 guard has been dogging it on occasion.

“Tracy’s been very unaggressive at times,” Adelman said. “He can’t keep playing like this or we just won’t be any good.”

• The CFL’s first major surprise of the year has come in the first week of the year.

Toronto native Mike Benevides -- despite receiving a multi-year head-coaching offer that sources figured he would gladly accept from the beleaguered Argonauts – has elected to stay on as the B.C. Lions’ defensive co-ordinator.

“Can’t figure it out,” an Argos source said yesterday. “The guy (Benevides) all but officially signed. We’re puzzled. Are we this undesirable?”

• CFLers such as B.C. defensive lineman Cameron Wake, Edmonton Eskimos offensive lineman Patrick Kabongo and Calgary Stampeders long snapper Pat MacDonald have been impressing NFL types during recent workouts and may be close to bolting to the bigger and better-paying league.

And Greg Marshall has jumped from his longtime position as defensive co-ordinator of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to become the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ defensive co-ordinator.

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

In fact, while in high school in Oklahoma City, quarterback Sam Bradford had a ritual in which he’d watch The Mighty Ducks movie and check out the latest Canucks’ results before turning in for the night.

“Hockey was, and maybe still is, my favourite sport to watch,” said the Heisman Trophy winner, who will lead the  No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners against the No. 2 Florida Gators in the BCS national championship game Thursday night. “I love the Canucks. (Vancouver goaltender) Roberto Luongo is outstanding.”

• Spring training, believe it or not, begins next month but one of baseball’s premier sluggers remains a ManRam without a home. Not that Manny Ramirez isn’t attracting interest.

“The problem,” an MLB general manager told me yesterday, “isn’t Manny. It’s Manny’s agent. He’s ridiculous.”

Scott Boras has long had a reputation for stubborness. In Ramirez’s case, the agent hasn’t budged on demands for about $20-million U.S. a year, despite the lamentable economy and his client’s age (almost 37).

“Manny’s one of the great hitters of our lifetimes, a clutch batter who’d fit into the heart of every order in baseball,” the aforementioned GM said. “And he might have an attitude issue, too, but the pros outweigh the cons for him. It’s just his agent’s stance that’s hurting him now. If he had another representative, I’m sure he’d have a team by now.”

Ramirez was a major boon on the field and at the box office for the Dodgers after they acquired him in a trade with the Boston Red Sox last season, and Los Angeles continues to pursue him, as do the San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees. Even the Blue Jays might make a pitch for him if they could succeed in their attempts to unload Scott Rolen and/or Lyle Overbay and their guaranteed contracts.

“Manny ultimately will get a contract and will get a lot of money,” the GM said, “but, unless he switches agents, he may not sign any time soon. That just won’t happen. There always has been an owner who’s lost his mind when it comes to offers for players of Manny’s calibre, but I strongly doubt it’ll happen this time. The general consensus is that Boras is just too unreasonable.”

• An athlete who has lowered his financial demands: Shaquille O’Neal.

In November, the NBA star listed his Miami Beach mansion for $35-million. His new asking price: $25-million.

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

In an interview with NBC, B.C. native Steve Nash confirmed what appeared in this space Nov. 24 – that he is considering the idea of joining the New York Knicks as a free agent in 2010, after his contract with the Phoenix Suns expires. He emerged with another eyebrow-raising possibility, however, by mentioning the Toronto Raptors to NBC.

While not ruling out re-signing with the Suns, Nash said: "I feel fortunate there could be other possibilities for me. New York, obviously, is my off-season home, so I love the city. It's a basketball mecca. (Ex-Suns-turned-Knicks coach) Mike D'Antoni is there so there's a lot of attractive variables. And then Toronto, to go back to Canada to play for the home team, so to speak. I feel good that one of those could really be a really strong possibility.”

• Heaven knows the Raptors need help.

Despite Canadian media apologists who regularly utter nonsense about the Raptors “keeping close” to their opponents, the reality is that Canada’s NBA franchise has deteriorated woefully, to the point where management is planning ticket-price reductions.

Fan interest is waning partly because many of the Raptors’ games aren’t televised by any network that allows the masses to watch them. Mind you, considering the Raps’ ineptitude, that may be a positive for the club.

Oh, and then there’s word spreading around the NBA like wildfire that first-year Raptor Jermaine O’Neal has become a frequent complainer about injuries that may be more imagined than real.

• Ex-NBA superstar Charles Barkley, my favourite TV sports analyst, was drinking with Jaleel White -- aka Steve Urkel of the old Family Matters sitcom -- at an Arizona nightclub called Dirty/Pretty shortly before he was arrested for DUI Tuesday night. . .Ex-NFL star Andre Rison, who also spent some time with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, also was arrested this week on charges of public intoxication in Texas. . . Look for left-hander Andy Pettitte to re-sign with the New York Yankees next week as the Evil Empire continues to spend on a refurbished pitching rotation. . .I’m told, incidentally, that the Blue Jays wouldn’t mind signing an ex-Yank to fortify their offence. The question is whether they’re willing to pay Bobby Abreu the millions he’s seeking. . . And soccer icon David Beckham has an interesting, new tattoo on his arm. It’s in Hebrew, and it says: "My son, do not forget my teaching but keep my commands in your heart."

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

Three sources with the NHL Players Association have told Metro they are unhappy with the work – or lack of work – from Lindros as the union’s ombudsman this season and are discussing the notion of dismissing him early in the new year.

At the same time, sources outside the NHLPA have told Metro that Lindros is dealing with health problems not usually associated with anyone as young as him.

Lindros, 35, couldn’t be reached for comment and his father and ex-agent, Carl Lindros, told an NHLPA employee that he isn’t interested in discussing his son with Metro.

Glen Healy of the NHLPA told Metro he has not seen Lindros in at least three weeks, comments echoed by several other union employees.

“Eric’s not easily accessible,” an NHLPA employee said. “You can’t leave him voice mail anywhere and he seldom comes into our office. We haven’t seen him in a very long time.”

CBC hockey analyst Mike Milbury, a former NHL general manager, coach and player, said the other day he has information that the NHLPA feels Lindros has been doing a poor job as ombudsman and has been causing problems between the players and executive director Paul Kelly.

Ex-NHLer Steve Larmer, a member of the NHLPA’s advisory board, told Metro he wasn’t “at liberty to either confirm or deny anything at all about Eric.”

Both Larmer and Healy said they weren’t aware of any health issues affecting Lindros.

Another NHLPA executive, however, said Lindros has put on “an unbelievable amount of weight” since retiring as a player after last season.

The Big E, as he is known, spent 13 seasons in the NHL. He joined the NHLPA in the newly created role of ombudsman before this season and was also supposed to double as a non-voting member of the executive board.

• MLB Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins of Chatham, Ont., will be among the ex-Cubs superstars at the Blackhawks’ Winter Classic at Chicago’s Wrigley Field tomorrow.

“Hockey was my first love,” Fergie said. “I was a Junior B defenceman.”
• The da-da-da-da-duh Hockey Theme music finally will include lyrics tonight, thanks to the Barenaked Ladies. Check it out at TSN tonight.

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

According to the sources, including one at CFL headquarters, Mike Benevides has all but officially dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s on a contract with the Argos and will be introduced as their coach at a media conference either this week or next.

“It’s essentially a done deal and it’s just a matter now of choosing the best possible time to announce it,” one of the sources said. “They (the Argos) are looking for maximum media exposure so they’ll probably wait till the holidays are over. But it’s safe to report that Mike will be coaching in Toronto in 2009.”

Regular Metro readers won’t be surprised. It was reported first in this space on Nov. 12 that Benevides would be offered the Argos’ job if Michael (Pinball) Clemons rejected ownership’s wish for him to leave the club’s presidential office and return as coach. Clemons decided against a coaching comeback and so club management prepared a list of coaching candidates, with Benevides right at the top of it.

For the past nine seasons, Benevides has been an assistant coach in the CFL. Last season, he was the B.C. Lions’ defensive co-ordinator and his unit excelled, with seven Western all-stars.

Benevides will be the Argos’ first Canadian head coach since Hall of Famer Russ Jackson in 1976.

Sources suggest Benevides is highly touted by Argos co-owner David Cynamon. Both studied business at York University.

• The Blue Jays were diligently pursuing Milton Bradley until last week, when they heard through the grapevine that the free-agent slugger would be signing for megabucks with the Chicago Cubs.

But hold on.

Adam Dunn, who has hit 40-plus home runs in five consecutive seasons, is trying to persuade the Cubs to sign him for their right-field vacancy instead of Bradley. Despite Dunn’s defensive deficiencies (he’s even worse in the outfield than Bradley), the Cubs might bite, which would mean a Toronto-Bradley connection is still possible, although other clubs, including the Tampa Bay Rays, covet him, as well.

• So get this:

Rutgers runs a planned play in a U.S. college bowl game yesterday in which the quarterback throws a behind-the-line pass to a 6-foot-7, 320-pound offensive lineman, who then turns around and fires a forward pass into the end zone to a receiver.

The pass was incomplete. Wasn’t even close, actually, prompting ESPN analyst Shaun King to emerge with this gem: “This is what happens when an offensive co-ordinator has too much time on his hands waiting for a bowl game.”

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

Today, however, I’m actually feeling somewhat sorry for some of these same dudes. I guess it’s the time of year.

Like, honestly, I’m finding myself hoping Michael Vick and Sean Avery and Plaxico Burress – perpetrators of loathsome acts -- get second chances in the new year and rebound from adversity.

I’m hoping Todd Bertuzzi reaches a mind-easing settlement to an issue that was created by his despicable violence but that has dragged on too long.

I’m hoping Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds somehow prove they didn’t load up with performance-enhancing drugs and receive the bouquets we long figured were coming to them for their domination in baseball.

I hope MLB revisits its stance on Pete Rose and welcomes the hits leader into the Hall of Fame before it’s too late for him to treasure it the way he should.

I hope Casey Printers is allowed to stay with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and shows he deserves the CFL-high salary this woebegone franchise inexplicably gave him.

Heck, I’m in such a mood today that I actually hope Don Cherry continues to regurgitate his bafflegab on CBC and keeps on dressing like a clown.

I hope Manny Ramirez signs for the unfathomable dollars he craves and is allowed by his new manager to let his hair grow down to below the butt inside his baggy pants.

I hope Craig MacTavish survives as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers, though I seriously doubt that will happen with a struggling squad proving it has nowhere near the type of talent we reckoned it would this season.

I hope the Detroit Lions can somehow muster up enough to finally record a victory this weekend and avoid becoming the first 0-16 team in NFL history, though I seriously doubt that will happen because they are so very, very awful.

I hope Jay Triano – the first Canadian head coach in NBA history and a decent chap by all accounts – can revive the Raptors, though I seriously doubt that will happen since overrated club czar Bryan Colangelo has provided him with a dog of a team (that has only two bona fide players – Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon).

I hope Maple Leafs bossman Brian Burke smiles. Just once.

I hope the Blue Jays can talk MLB into moving them to a different division.

And I hope you enjoy the holidays.

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

Were it not for the worst-to-first ascent of Parcells’ Miami Dolphins, in fact, Thomas Dimitroff would be a shoo-in as the NFL’s top exec of 2008.

Last January, Dimitroff accepted an offer to become the Atlanta Falcons’ general manager, a position established NFLers flat-out rejected. The reason was that the Falcons were dogged – you should pardon the expression – by unprecedented nightmares last year. They were 4-12. Their franchise quarterback – Michael Vick – was jailed because of his role in a dogfighting
ring. Their coach, Bob Petrino, quit after 13 games to return to college football.

Desperate, owner Arthur Blank turned to Dimitroff, who was scouting for the New England Patriots. Dimitroff hired Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Smith as coach, acquired running back Michael Turner as a free agent and chose quarterback Matt Ryan third overall in the NFL draft.

All three flourished and, on Sunday, the Falcons qualified for the post-season.

“Never thought this could happen this year, never,” Blank said after Atlanta’s playoff-clinching triumph in Minnesota. "This is the season of miracles, thanks to Thomas.”

Those of us who followed the CFL closely in the late 1990s knew Dimitroff as a poorly paid (about $16,000 a year) front-office employee in Saskatchewan.

After an ordinary stint as a defensive halfback at Guelph, he joined the Riders for odd jobs, ranging from ticket sales to promotions.

Football was in his blood. His father was a football lifer. Tom Dimitroff coached and scouted in the CFL and NFL before dying of kidney cancer in 1996. The junior Dimitroff grew up in Ontario as his dad coached in Ottawa and Hamilton. Tom Sr. continually advised his son to chase his GM dreams by paying his dues. Thus, Thomas did the Ordinary Joe Jobs in Saskatchewan, the World League of American Football, a Japanese league and then in Cleveland, where he spent much of his time literally painting the Browns’ football field.

At 42, Dimitroff is through with behind-the-scenes work in football. He’s front and centre in Atlanta, toast of the town, architect of an awfully surprising playoff team.

“I gave Thomas years to rebuild our team,” Blank said, “and he did it in months. He’s a special guy. We’re very proud of him. Canada should be proud of him, too.”

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

Clearly, fans are saying no to the NFL’s historic tilt at the Rogers Centre on Sunday afternoon and will either be leaving a considerable number of seats empty or paying more reasonable amounts for tickets than the game’s organizers initially sought. In fact, visitors to websites such as Craiglist or Kijiji will find they can purchase tickets at half the original asking prices for non-VIP seats, which ranged from $110 to $350.

Oh, technically, the game’s a sellout. Organizers with the Rogers corporation claimed almost all remaining tickets yesterday, I’m told, thus ensuring a theoretical sellout and eliminating any possibility of a local television blackout of the match between the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins.

But, “If you wait till Sunday morning (to check web sites), I’m sure tickets will be going for even less than half price,” said Gus Lambrinakos, co-operator of the Ultimate Touch Football League in Toronto and the owner of season-ticket subscriptions for nine NFL teams. “I mean, you’re talking about Buffalo and Miami, not the Super Bowl. People aren’t stupid. They (organizers) overestimated the public. They thought they’d be well received but they’re getting a rude awakening.”

Lambrinakos himself purchased several end-zone tickets for Sunday’s game at $140 each a few months ago but, because of his distaste for the NFL exhibition game played at the Rogers Centre in August, he sold his seats for a slight profit and instead will be in New Jersey Sunday to watch the Philadelphia Eagles visit the New York Giants. For that game, Lambrinakos paid $110 U.S. for a seat on the 30-yard line.

• OK, I have a question about the Raptors’ decision Wednesday to fire Sam Mitchell as coach:

WHAT TOOK SO LONG?

Mitchell was a liability to his team. Many of his players told me over the years they couldn’t stomach his methods. He was ornery, arrogant, condescending and confrontational – and those were his good traits. Replacing Mitchell with Canadian Jay Triano should help this country’s NBA franchise.

It is wrong, however, that Raps bossman Bryan Colangelo continues to get a free pass from many of the team’s followers. The Raps are a weak team, lacking depth, and that’s Colangelo’s fault. And, really, no Raptor obtained by Colangelo is above average.

• NBA superstar LeBron James can’t be a free agent for another two years but betonline.com already lists the Cleveland Cavaliers as 6-to-5 favourites to re-sign him.

The New York Knicks follow the Cavs at 5-to-2. The Raptors, believe it or not, aren’t that far behind in The LeBron Sweepstakes – at 15-to-1.

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

The Jays are the first sports organization in Canada to demonstrate their troubles with massive layoffs. Sources who know about these sorts of things told me no Canadian sports franchise in history has laid off as many employees in one day as the Jays did yesterday.

And brace yourself because, sadly, other clubs surely will follow suit.

“It’s an awful feeling,” one of the Jays’ laid-off salesmen told me.  “It’s hard to believe that they can offer tens of millions of dollars to a pitcher like A.J. Burnett and yet get rid of all of us like this. Put all of us (laid-off employees) together and we wouldn’t even make half of what Burnett would get for one year ... it’s hard to take.”

And, oh yes, the Jays also have cancelled their annual Christmas party.

• It should be a happier day Sunday at the Rogers Centre, where the NFL will play its first regular-season game on Canadian turf.

The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins (including ex-Argonauts dud Ricky Williams) will meet, though Rogers Centre sources anticipate empty seats.

“It’s not sold out,” one said. “People obviously are reluctant to spend money these days for overpriced tickets.” In recent weeks, Rogers reduced prices for some of the seats for the Bills-Dolphins tilt.

• Like Calgary Stampeders kicker Sandro DeAngelis, Hamilton Tiger-Cats kicker Nick Setta has drawn considerable attention from NFL sources. Setta, however, is strongly leaning toward re-signing with the Ticats for considerably less money than he could make if he cracked an NFL roster.

“In all honesty, I like Hamilton,” Setta said. “I honestly want to stay.”

Setta led the CFL in the past season with a punting average of 47.4 yards.

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

NHL sources told Metro yesterday the Oilers are poised to complete a significant trade and/or fire coach Craig MacTavish, likely this week.

“They (the Oilers) have come nowhere close to what they expected to be this season and (club chief) Kevin Lowe is extremely annoyed,” an NHL source said. “Kevin’s just about ready to pull the trigger.”

The Oilers were supposed to be a contender this season. Oddsmakers reckoned they’d likely qualify for the playoffs. Yet they’ve turned out to be inconsistent, at best, and are below .500.

Pre-season prognostications predicting prolific production from the Oilers’ forwards are proving false and it’s actually defencemen leading the team in scoring.

Edmonton players are bracing themselves for changes, but defenceman Sheldon Souray hopes MacTavish isn’t affected.

“It’s not Mac’s fault,” Souray said. “It’s up to the guys here to bring a little more and be a little more accountable for our production.”

MacTavish is in his eighth season as the Oilers’ coach. Only two of his counterparts – the Buffalo Sabres’ Lindy Ruff (11 seasons) and the Nashville Predators’ Barry Trotz (10) – have coached their NHL teams longer than MacTavish.

• From the hard-to-believe department comes information of a mind-boggling bidding war for pitcher A.J. Burnett, who is 31, injury-prone and has started 30 games in a season only twice.

The Blue Jays would like to re-sign the right-hander, but they won’t come close to matching offers made by the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.

When all’s said and done, Burnett will collect a guaranteed $85- to $90-million U.S. for five seasons. Unbelievable, eh?

• Syndicated baseball columnist Tracy Ringolsby listed Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi as one of his top turkeys for a U.S. Thanksgiving Day piece last week.

Why?

“For continuing to moan about the struggles of competing in a division that includes the free-spending Yankees and Red Sox while Tampa Bay, with the second-lowest payroll, was winning the American League East.”

• The Milwaukee Brewers are dumping Quebec-born reliever Eric Gagne, who compiled a 5.44 earned-run average last season and lost the closer's role in May. . .The Red Sox are adding two quality Japanese pitchers – 22-year-old Junichi Tazawa and 33-year-old Kenjin Kawakami. . .Boston’s also hot to trot after star first baseman Mark Texeira. . .And the Jays still covet slugger Milton Bradley, although they have yet to talk dollars with him -- and he’s leaning toward a deal with the Rays.

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

Yep, production by the Lakers’ marquee player is down across the board. Yet the Lakers are winning, and usually by huge margins.

“Kobe seems to understand now that if it’s not his night, he has to help the other guys play well,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson told me yesterday. “He’s become more of a we-we guy and less of a me-me guy.”

• The Lakers’ cross-town rivals, meanwhile, are performing in diametrically opposed fashion.

The Clippers, perennial dregs, are 2-12, and they’re already planning to shake up their roster. They’re even willing to trade their top off-season acquisition – former Toronto Raptor Marcus Camby.

• Quarterback Michael Vick, completing his sentence for mistreating dogs, is keeping in first-rate shape in prison and plans to formally apply soon for reinstatement with the NFL and the Atlanta Falcons.

The Falcons, however, don’t want him back and there’s widespread speculation that, despite his exceptional talents, NFL clubs will stay away from him.

Which raises the question: Could Vick wind up in the CFL?

"Anyone who wants Michael better be prepared to face the dog lovers of America," Kansas City Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson said. "There’ll be a lot of problems. People love their pets, and particularly dogs. There’ll be protests, people expressing their thoughts -- even though he's served his time. And that goes for Canada, too.”

• Although kicker Sandro DeAngelis is commanding lots of attention down south, he’s telling everyone and anyone that he’ll return to Calgary for his fifth year with the Stampeders unless he is guaranteed a respectable signing bonus from an NFL club.

For more on DeAngelis, check out my latest CFL Report.

• The New York Yankees are strongly pursuing ex-Blue Jays second baseman Orlando Hudson and will trade Robinson Cano if they sign the O-Dog.

And the world champion Philadelphia Phillies are about to re-sign 46-year-old pitcher Jamie Moyer.

• A new offer for megabucks has been made to NHL free agent Mats Sundin, who likely will narrow his list of possibilities to three teams next week. He’s eyeing a January return. Besides Tampa Bay, clubs pursuing him include the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Vancouver Canucks, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, New York Islanders and Anaheim Ducks.

And I only have one word about the Leafs’ decision to hire the irascible Brian Burke as club bossman:

Why?

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

Sandro DeAngelis, who connected on five of five field-goal attempts to lead the Calgary Stampeders to the Grey Cup last Sunday, has attracted the interest of dozens of NFL scouts, many of whom attended the CFL’s championship game in Montreal.

DeAngelis, a 27-year-old native of Niagara Falls, Ont., scored 217 points to finish atop the CFL in the past season.

• The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – yes, that’s still their official name – couldn’t win a championship last season but they have won a weird lawsuit.

A California court has ruled the Angels did not discriminate against men by giving free tote bags to women who attended their game last Mother’s Day. A three-judge panel ruled unanimously that the claim, made by a group of men, threatened to undermine the legitimacy of civil rights law.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers, meanwhile, charged fans $500 U.S. each the other day to take batting practice alongside two of their players.

The club collected $125,000 U.S. – for themselves, not as a fundraiser -- from 250 fans who paid the $500 fee in these difficult economic times to swing at a handful of lobs in the Dodgers’ batting cage and pose for pictures with their catcher, Ontarian Russell Martin, and outfielder Andre Ethier.

• The Dodgers, incidentally, are trying to re-sign free agent Rafael Furcal, whom the Blue Jays dearly covet for two roles – leadoff hitter and shortstop. The Jays likely won’t outbid the Dodgers, San Francisco Giants or Oakland A’s. . .If the A’s successfully lure Furcal, they’ll trade shortstop Bobby Crosby - and the Jays already have let Oakland know they’re interested. The A’s might be willing to pick up part of Crosby’s $5.25-million salary. . .The Angels won’t be re-signing Mark Texeira because the all-star first baseman is seeking a 10-year, megazillion-dollar contract. . .I reported here yesterday that C.C. Sabathia would sign a $140-million deal with the Yankees before tomorrow, but the Angels have come in with a late attempt to match the New York offer for the pitching star. . .The Jays, meanwhile, continue to pursue slugger Milton Bradley but sources whisper their Plan B for power could be Ken Griffey Jr. . .After recently trading Coco Crisp, the Boston Red Sox have opened negotiations with outfielder Rocco Baldelli, formerly of the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays likely won’t try to retain Baldelli because of his mitochondrial disorder, which often exhausts him during games.

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

That’s the word in and around the NBA, and it’s being spread like wildfire by league sources who know their stuff. They predict Nash will be with the Knicks before 2010.

Makes sense, too. Nash already has an off-season home in New York. He plays in a Manhattan soccer league during the off-season. And he has gone on record as saying New York would satisfy his cultural interests and foster his filmmaking desires.

There’s also the fact that Mike D’Antoni is the new Knicks coach and used to be Nash’s coach in Phoenix, where the point guard and the Suns excelled in a fast-paced system that is being introduced these days in New York.

And, oh yes, the Knicks made two trades last week that cleared $27-million U.S. in their salary cap.

• A Knicks team featuring Nash, of course, likely would make life more miserable for their Eastern Conference rivals, including Canada’s NBA franchise.

Despite starting the NBA's tallest frontline in 6-foot-11 Jermaine O’Neal, 6-foot-10 Chris Bosh and 7-foot Andrea Bargnani, the Raptors have been playing subpar ball and languish near the bottom of their conference with a below-.500, 6-7 record.

And some of the same folks who are whispering about Nash’s future in New York are buzzing about what they perceive as the likely firing of Raptors coach Sam Mitchell before the all-star break.

Indeed, Mitchell has been getting outsmarted by opponents too frequently this season, and it’s making NBA types believe they were bang-on a few years ago, when they voted him the league’s worst coach in a Sports Illustrated poll.

Not that Mitchell is entirely to blame for the Raps’ woes. Club bossman Bryan Colangelo also needs to take some heat, for a change. The Raps have virtually no depth – and that’s his fault.

• Leftovers from Sunday’s Grey Cup turkey:

The oddsmakers’ line for most of the week was a pick ‘em but the Alouettes were favoured by 1.5 points at kickoff, largely because national media types such as Chris Schultz and Stephen Brunt -- who seldom dig up new information but often feel inclined to offer up predictions – suggested unabashedly that a home-field advantage would make Montreal a winner over the visiting Calgary Stampeders.

Well, the Stamps’ defence and field-goal specialist Sandro DeAngelis dominated the game and led Calgary to a 22-14 victory.

Bottom line: Always consider your sources before wagering on games. And, remember, Metro told its readers last week that Calgary would prevail largely because of its defence and kicker.

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

Well, Chris Jones was able to turn such a desire into reality in a tangible way last night. A defensive coach with Montreal the past seven years, Jones was unceremoniously discarded by the Alouettes before this season after he had applied to the club for the then-vacant position of head coach.

Last night, Jones got sweet revenge in the form of a Grey Cup championship. Jones is the defensive co-ordinator of the Calgary Stampeders, and it was primarily his unit that was responsible for a 22-14 triumph over those Alouettes in the 96th edition of the CFL’s showcase event.

The game wasn’t especially entertaining – unless you’re turned on by field goals and a dearth of touchdowns – but the Stamps could care less. For them, this fifth championship in their history was bone-chilling.

Calgary quarterback Henry Burris passed for 328 yards and rushed for 79 and was chosen the game’s MVP. Calgary kicker Sandro DeAngelis was the game’s top Canadian after connecting on five of five field-goal attempts, including a 50-yarder late in the game to cement the victory.

But it was the Calgary defence that particularly prevailed last night.

Using a brilliant game plan that stymied Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo, the CFL’s premier player this season, the Stamps knocked down a staggering four passes, intercepted two and limited the Als to only one touchdown – and a measly single point in the second half.

“Chris Jones deserves so much credit for this,” Calgary’s rookie head coach, John Hufnagel, told reporters after the game. “He taught a lot of young football players how to play defence. It grew and we progressed.”

Calvillo, who has only one Grey Cup ring despite six appearances in the final in a nine-year span, clearly was flustered by Jones’ strategy.

Jones “made great adjustments before the second half,” Stamps defensive lineman Mike Labinjo said, “and we rattled Calvillo.”

The Stamps trailed 13-10 at halftime, but Labinjo insisted they weren’t bothered by the partisanship at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, which was occupied by 66,308 spectators – the second-largest crowd in Cup history.

“We faced plenty of adversity all year,” Burris said, “and we knew we could come into Montreal and get through this kind of adversity, too.”

Burris was able to abort suggestions from skeptics who felt he couldn’t win a championship game.

“If you keep knocking on the door,” Hufnagel said, “the door will open for you and it opened wide for Henry tonight.”

The Stamps in general felt they were treated poorly when they were shut out at the 2008 CFL awards ceremonies last week. Calvillo got the nod over Burris as the CFL’s outstanding player while DeAngelis lost out to the Toronto Argonauts’ Dominique Dorsey as the league’s best special-teams performer.

“They can take awards from us,” Calgary receiver Nik Lewis said, “but they can’t take the Grey Cup from us now.”

Click here to see which of Marty's Grey Cup game predictions came true.

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell. Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca

Defence wins championships

And the Stamps’ defensive unit, sparked by linebacker JoJuan Armour and lineman Mike Labinjo, was the stingiest in the CFL this season. The B.C. Lions couldn’t even notch a touchdown against Calgary in last week’s Western final, and that’s extraordinarily unusual in the high-scoring CFL.

Calgary’s defence subscribes to a bend-but-don’t-break mentality, drummed into the unit by defensive co-ordinator Chris Jones, who spent the past seven years as a Montreal assistant coach. Jones is entirely familiar with the tendencies of Als quarterback Anthony Calvillo.

A clutch kick could do the trick

The Stamps’ Sandro DeAngelis led the CFL in scoring this season. He also established himself as the league’s most dependable kicker. And clutch field goals historically have been key – and often dramatic – components of Grey Cup victories.

Als kicker Damon Duval is no slouch and his relationship with club president Larry Smith (Duval married Smith’s daughter) isn’t the only reason he is on the Montreal roster. But Duval became inconsistent this season and squandered several chip-shot opportunities.

Home-field disadvantage

This will surprise you, I suspect, but playing in Montreal won’t hurt the Stamps a lick.

Since 1958, when the CFL was officially formed, teams competing in the Grey Cup in their home city have a losing record – 3-5. Besides, Olympic Stadium isn’t really the Als’ home. They play their regular-season games at the McGill University field.

As for the fan noise and the so-called 13th man in the stands supporting the Als, the Stamps have prepared themselves by pumping taped, near-deafening sounds into the public-address system during practices at Olympic Stadium this week. And they need only to score quickly to take the crowd out of the game. Which leads me to my next reason. . .

The Stamps sure can score

No CFL team is more explosive. Joffrey Reynolds was the CFL’s leading rusher; Ken-Yon Rambo, its leading receiver.

Calvillo’s crashes

The Montreal QB doesn’t exactly have a great Grey Cup record. This will be his sixth championship game in a nine-year span. He has won only once before.

Trestman untested

Montreal’s Marc Trestman exceeded expectations in his first CFL year, no question, but Calgary’s John Hufnagel has oodles of CFL experience as a player and assistant coach and knows exactly what Grey Cup week entails. That’s a significant advantage.

Moi

Heck, I picked the Stamps in print to capture the Cup before training camp started this season. I’m not changing my mind now.

This would be Chris Jones, the Stamps’ defensive co-ordinator.

Jones, you see, was bitter and irate that the Montreal Alouettes refused to hire him as their head coach before this season. He was livid that they rejected his application and instead selected Marc Trestman, an NFL coaching castoff who had virtually no CFL experience.

Jones had spent seven seasons as a Montreal assistant coach – five as the Als’ defensive co-ordinator – and, understandably, he felt he deserved a shot.

Not that he ever went public with his fury. The University of Tennessee graduate is sharp enough to know how the political game is played in the CFL, and he realizes public criticisms usually get aspiring head coaches nowhere in the little league.

So he bit his tongue, and likely will continue to do so in Montreal this week while the Stamps and Als prepare to meet for CFL supremacy.

Jones certainly has let his friends know his feelings, however, and several tell us his anti-Montreal sentiments haven’t exactly dissipated.

“Chris wants revenge Sunday, no question about that,” a source close to Jones told me. “You won’t be off-base if you said he’s still bitter and wants to shove it down (the Als’) damn throats.”

Could happen, too.

Quietly under Jones, the Stamps’ defence progressed from one of the CFL’s worst units last season to the very best. No CFL team yielded fewer points and fewer touchdowns this season than Calgary.

“Chris is a great football coach and he deserves more credit than he seems to get,” said B.C. head coach Wally Buono, whose Lions were held to no TDs (six field goals) by the Stamps’ defence in last Sunday’s Western final. “You could score a lot on Calgary in the past, but not this year.”

Jones’ first-hand knowledge of the Als’ offence gives the Stamps a notable edge. As he said in July, before Calgary upset Montreal in the Als’ only meaningful loss at home this season, “I know the things (Montreal quarterback) Anthony Calvillo doesn’t feel comfortable seeing and we’ll certainly try to exploit some of those if we can.”

The Als lost that game 23-19, and I’m sensing a similar outcome this Sunday. I’ll elaborate here later this week.

No, the oddsmakers decided yesterday to make the game between the Als and the visiting Calgary Stampeders a pick, meaning bettors will have to lay $1.10 either way to win a dollar.

“If the game were being played at a neutral site, Calgary definitely would be favoured,” Canadian handicapper Randall (The Handle) Steinberg, who is primarily responsible for establishing point spreads on CFL games, told me yesterday. “The Stampeders come out of a much tougher division in the West and they didn’t get to play the weaker Eastern teams as much as Montreal did. So, in reality, Calgary is the better team. But home-field advantage matters, and Montreal has that, so the game has to be a pick.”

Actually, the Stamps were one of the only two teams to defeat the Als in Montreal this season -- a 23-19 triumph back on July 19. The Als’ only other loss in Montreal was on Oct. 26, when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated them 24-23. That game was meaningless, however, because the Als already had locked up first place in the East.

The Stamps also downed the Als 41-30 in Calgary in September.

“We know we can beat Montreal,” Stampeders receiver Nik Lewis said. “But we have to be all business. Montreal is a party town but we can’t let ourselves get caught up in all the atmosphere.”

The Stamps also will need to play better than they did last Sunday, when they edged the B.C. Lions 22-18 in the Western final. Other than linebacker Mike Labinjo, a Torontonian who recorded eight tackles and three sacks, no Calgary player was spectacular. In fact, the Stamps couldn’t even end the game properly. They tried to run out the clock – a pretty routine task in this era of quarterbacks kneeling – but they failed and actually left the Lions with a second on the clock and a shot at winning with a Hail Mary pass.

The Als, on the other hand, turned in a first-rate performance in their Eastern final victory over the Edmonton Eskimos. They weren’t even penalized once all game.

So you might be inclined to pick Montreal over Calgary this Sunday. Not so fast, though. I’m taking Calgary, and I’ll explain why later this week.

Strangely, visiting teams have won the CFL’s past four playoff games, all as underdogs.

Almost as bizarre – or perhaps more bizarre -- is that Michael Bishop was the losing quarterback in two of those four games. He was the Toronto Argonauts’ QB when they lost to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Eastern semifinal last season and was the Roughriders’ QB when they lost to the B.C. Lions in the Western semifinal last Saturday. Saskatchewan released Bishop immediately after the loss.

“The Roughriders might still be playing,” CFL guru Jack Morrow cracked, “if they’d been as quick to remove Bishop during the game as they were afterwards.”

• Thursday's selection of Montreal’s Anthony Calvillo to the CFL's offensive all-star team should tip you off on who’ll be chosen the CFL’s most-outstanding player this season. . .Calvillo would be the CFL’s comeback player as well -- if the league had such an award. . .Wes Cates was traded by Calgary to Saskatchewan before last season because he couldn’t supplant Joffrey Reynolds as the Stampeders’ running back. Yesterday, Cates and Reynolds were chosen the CFL’s all-star running backs. . .The Als’ Jamel Richardson, who couldn’t establish himself as a mainstay during his years in Saskatchewan, became Calvillo’s favourite target this season and became one of the CFL’s all-star receivers yesterday. He’s telling friends he intends to bolt to the NFL in the off-season. . .For my playoff picks, incidentally, check out this week's CFL Report.

• Orlando Hudson, discarded by the Blue Jays before becoming an all-star second baseman in the NL, is No. 1 on the New York Mets’ wish list of free agents, which means he’s in for megabucks.

Atop the Jays’ wish list, as reported here before, is the cantankerous Milton Bradley, who has a personal policy of never smiling.

The interest in the slugger puzzles Jays fan Ajoy Pinto, Metro’s marketing and promotions specialist. From the stands, Pinto once shouted this at Bradley: “You suck at the game of life,” which, of course, was a not-so-subtle reference to the other Milton Bradley, who invented games for a living. Suffice it to say that Bradley didn’t smile when he heard Pinto’s observation.

• And get this:

Men needing to pee during their golf games will no longer need to visit a washroom.

No joke. A Florida-based urologist has invented a golf club that doubles as a urinal. Seems the urologist heard too many complaints from male golfers.

For details, and photos, visit www.uroclub.org.

Marty York is Metro's national sports columnist as well as an instructor at the College of Sports Media in Toronto.

He can be heard regularly on Vancouver radio station CKNW with Sportstalk host Dan Russell.

Contact Marty at marty.york@metronews.ca