May the winners be ours!

Another day, another PTP winner, and a hefty +146 at that. How fun was it watching the St. Louis Cardinals race out to an early and big lead and cruise? For me, it was +146 fun. Hope you're enjoying the ride...in news that makes it all but official, the Montreal Canadiens are for sale. I'm sure it'll eat at Canadians coast to coast that the most famed and winningest franchise is being ditched so George Gillett can maintain a soccer team, but Gillette knows where the real fame and fortune are, and owning a truly global brand like Liverpool blows owning the Habs away...Sir Alex Ferguson is sour with his Manchester United squad after another uninspired start yesterday that ultimately cost them a home Champions League win against FC Porto, who scored to tie in the dying minutes. The rematch goes next Wednesday and United will have to win at Porto, something no English squad has done...suddenly Troy Aikman has an opinion, though I can't disagree with it. He says the cutting of Terrell Owens is an okay move, if Roy Williams steps up, but if he doesn't, thinks the trade for Williams "would be one of the biggest busts in the history of the league." No pressure, Roy and Tony Romo...saw a sign on the way into work for a salon. Name? Hairway to Heaven. Awesome...on the Jim Rome Show, noted rabble rouser AJ Pierzinsky worked in a comment about "working in a bunt to save your average Derek Jeter style." That's multiple stabs at Jeter in the last week from people in and around the game, a first in DJ's 15-year career...Tank Johnson has agreed to a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals, who apparentely require "run ins with the law" on a players resume before they become interested...back with your PTP shortly.

Sid The Kid bows to the pressure

Classy move of former-Tampa Bay Ray and now Boston Red Sock Rocco Baldelli to take out an ad in the Tampa papers thanking them for the support over the years. I'm sure both their fans appreciate it...if the Jacksonville Jaguars are the "Jags", the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the "Bucs", what does that make the Tennessee Titans? Blame the latest Playboy for that one - it was a party joke in the February 2009 issue...for a team that isn't exactly lighting the world on fire, the belief that the Toronto Maple Leafs can pull high draft picks and young talent for some of their talent seems awfully ambitions. Shame they didn't do that Tomas Kaberle for Jeff Carter deal last year, no?...sounds like the threat of being forced to sit a game because of skipping the all-star game has convinced Sidney Crosby to make the trip to Montreal, though he won't play. Not so much for Niklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk, who will miss Detroit's game Tuesday. How lame of the league to mess with the competitive integrity of its season for a nothing game...Toronto FC finally signed an extension with local boy Dwayne DeRosario that most importantly, will not see him tagged as a designated player, so TFC still has that option available to them...Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones continues to fumble the ball. One of the obvious moves would be to fire Wade Phillips and hire a proven winner like Mike Shanahan. Instead, Jones is dawdling and will more than likely see Shanahan continue his tour of the AFC West by taking the now-vacant Kansas City Chiefs job after Herm Edwards was axed...and as if my beloved Cowboys weren't a circus enough, they're working on a reality show that will see one of 12 make the 80-man training camp in the summer. Lovely...Gabe Morency of Drive This on Troy Aikman's criticism of Tony Romo: "if a classy guy like Aikman is calling him out like that, what do you think the rest of the guys on that team think of Romo?" Morency has to be the sharpest sporting mind in this country, and the sharpest tongue to boot...that's three on the spin for Prime Time Picks, and look for the fourth later today, most likely NBA. After all, streaks only end once!...no EPL action today, but there are some F.A. Cup matches being played, with the featured one being Tottenham facing Manchester United...have a great Saturday.

PRIME TIME PICK: Just posted the play of the day - the "under" on the New York Knicks/Philadelphia 76ers game. Liked it at 206, and when I saw it moved to 207, I liked it that much more. Good luck, four straight, comin' up!

Back in the saddle!

Football has to be the only sport to roll credits during a game, putting into question the brilliant quote that GBVH once said, "football is just what they show between commercials"...Max Kellerman calls Isaiah Thomas the New York Knicks George W. Bush, with the role of Barack Obama occupied by Donnie Walsh. I think Zeke got off light there...could Ben Sheets end up a Yankee on an incentive laden deal? Could be, says Fox Sports Ken Rosenthal. As risky as Sheets is, he's also got huge upside for any team that signs him if he stay's healthy because he's got nasty stuff...how bad are the Toronto Raptors? Bad enough that I flipped to the Maple Leaf game instead of watching them on the wrong end of a senseless slaughter again...with a Super Bowl win next Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be the winningest franchise in the NFL. Expect to hear that repeated about 26,212 times ahead of the game....Troy Aikman has never been one to go out of his way to say anything that stirs any pots, though not to the embarrassing Derek Jeter level where he'd go mute when asked if the sky was blue. So when he lays out Tony Romo for not recognizing that perception of effort plays a very big part in a career, Romo best take notes...if you don't find Kurt Warner creepy, perhaps this will help you: Warner draws out what God looks like in his mind...New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro is out for the year with a knee injury. Good thing he's got another 12 years left on his contract to make up for it...thank you, Houston Rockets, for righting the listing good ship PTP. Back later with tonight's pick...if tonight's Office is half as good as last week's, not sure my ribs will be able to handle it...have a great Thursday.

Prime Time Pick: with a small selection of games tonight, going with a total play for the first time. Taking the "Under" on 192.5 (-109) in the Boston/Orlando game.