Slinging out the morning links:
And now we have two weeks to let the anticipation dissipate: Seattle and Pittsburgh are going to the Super Bowl in Detroit, Jerome Bettis' hometown. Two blowouts provided a humdrum end to a mostly low-key playoff tournament, and the morning line for XL is in: Steelers by 3 1/2, which sounds like a pretty healthy number to me. Perhaps too healthy.
Historic blowout: Raptors roll into L.A., and Kobe Bryant rolls all over them with 81 points all on his own. Apart from Wilt Chamberlain's fabled 100-pointer, no one has had a more prolific night in the NBA than Bryant's last night.
On the subject of odds, the Leafs have lost five in a row and it sure sounds like changes are coming, with a trade more likely than a coaching change. As for Dick Pound, he's calling the NHL's doping policy "seriously flawed" after Bryan Berard got a two-year ban from international hockey, but not the league.
Olympic countdown: Cindy Klassen sets a world points record, and Pierre Lueders and his new Canadian teammate are second best in the sleighride.
Canada beats Mexico at the CONCACAF women's tournament to motor into the semifinal round, thils the men's side managed a 0-0 draw in a friendly yesterday against the Germany-bound United States and Freddy Adu in his international debut.
Andy Roddick crashes out of the Australian Open, but Martina Hingis can roll on this morning. And oh, it's so hot (how hot is it?) the crowds are getting unruly.
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