First blood

The Philadelphia Phillies took Game 1 of the NLDS with an entertaining 8-6 win over the home side LA Dodgers. Neither team can feel very positive about starters Cole Hamels for the Phillies or Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers, but at least the Phillies got a save out of Brad Lidge instead of his usual blow up he's delivered in 2009.

The ALCS gets under way tonight, assuming the rain holds off. Or snow. It'll be interesting to see what the long break - both have been off since Sunday - does to both the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Orange County. With CC Sabathia and John Lackey starting, and cold weather and bats not in a groove, it could be a real low scoring one at The Stadium. Me, I've got the Yankees to win this series in six. You?

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says that there are "no circumstances" under which he'd fire head coach Wade Phillips. None? And yet he once parted ways with the über successful Jimmy Johnson. Figure that. Regular reader BK passed an awesome piece from the Sports Pickle that suggested the "players coach" was about to get axed and become the "players friend". A satirical piece shows again that truth is stranger than fiction.

Two things about Manny Ramirez. One: why does he have snakes growing out the back of his head? Two: how does a guy born and raised in Washington Heights of New York City have a complete Hispanic accent?

St. Louis Cardinal Albert Pujols has a contract that expires after next season, albeit with a club option for 2011 that surely gets picked up, and he's arguably a top three player in the game, if not tops. He has to have Cards fans in a panic after saying he's in no hurry to talk extension. What do the Cards do? Probably not declare that they're going to trade him at the All-Star break and repeatedly tell teams they need to be blown away to make the move.

Hard to believe that not only do the Toronto Maple Leafs pay among the most for their atrocious defenceman at a combined $23 million, but three - Tomas Kaberle, Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin - are/were under Olympic team consideration for their respective countries.

Canadians, and Canadian lawmakers and law enforcement particularly, are way too sensitive about people peacefully crushing a few beers in public. Why else would some fans be facing future charges if they continued tailgating at Windsor Spitfire games? South of the border, on the other hand, yours truly, Bukakke and others were hitting it hard in Baton Rouge last weekend prior to Florida and LSU. In a church parking lot. That they let us park on the lawn at. And left the doors open should we need a bathroom. Lighten up, Canadaland.

Early NHL surprises of the positive variety have to include the New York Rangers and Colorado Avs. Of the negative? Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins. Check the standings here. As for the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins, check out their rings for last year's win. Infreakincredible.

Despite the frustrating up and down year, at least Toronto FC and its supporters can be happy that they got their three first round draft picks right in the last draft.

What is wrong with the city of Cleveland? They've had a lake on fire, the Browns have stunk since returning to the NFL despite repeated high draft picks and only lead the league in staph infections, the Indians were a total disaster this year, and they're getting set for LeBron James to leave the Cavs on July 1st, 2010. So what happens in between? LBJ gets treated for Swine Flu. Come to think of it, Cleveland sounds a lot like Toronto in a sporting sense if only they had a hockey team and a soccer team.

There are a lot of solid sports books out there, and I'm almost certain that Theo Fleury's bio will be one of the most amazing, for reasons good, bad and ugly, if this preview is any indication.

Have a great Friday. Go Yanks!