Consider this the last big blowout weekend of the playoff season. By next weekend, we'll be down to a more manageable, eight combined NBA and NHL series. Sleep patterns will be returning to normal. I will be able to purge the PVR, and re-introduce myself to solid foods.
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| CHARLIE RIEDEL/ASSOCIATED PRESS |
| Brother Derek: Derby fave and JABS pick. |
But first comes this: Another round of NHL starts up - Buffalo-Ottawa is must-see, and I'll be especially looking in on San Jose as well; the Kentucky Derby; the world hockey championships start; as many as three Game 7s in the NBA; the Jays, back at home; OHL Final begins tonight. And it's tape-delayed Sunday night, but Arsenal says goodbye to Highbury with the final game at the old relic. Truly, something for everyone. Enjoy it. And please, don't forget to stock a little extra Viseine.
Breaking news. Seven more inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. Now, if only the Hall could find a home.
One last read. If you've last this long with The Sopranos, congratulations. But they're losing me, and I'm a Day 1'er. I'm beginning to think the Vito storyline is an elaborate fantasy, with its stilted dialogue, fairyland setting and large question marks (like, what does Vito do now? How does he earn a living, or is it really just johnnycakes and romantic waddles through the village green?). Here's Alan Sepinwall's latest review:
Either last night's Dartford scenes were a deliberate homage to Sirk or writers Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider went overboard trying to illustrate how different Vito's new world is from the one he abandoned. There were times where it didn't just feel like a different world, but a different show.
Okay, okay, one last sports read. Via Tom Benjamin, here's Jamie Fitzpatrick's grades on entertainment value for the NHL's first round. I especially liked his take on the Sabres vs. the Flyers:
Like watching a pack of young hyenas bring down a fat, aging, lame wildebeest.
Sports around town. The Sporting Life 10K goes Sunday morning on Yonge just south of Lawrence, the route ending up hard by the Rogers Centre. A nice day, the largest field of the year, good crowds watching -- and downhill all the way.
Watching. The Kentucky Derby, Saturday, 5 p.m., NBC. I find it hard to go by Brother Derek here, but he's the favourite and he looks to me like he can handle this competitive group and maybe even that lousy post. But be warned: I haven't picked the Derby winner since Thunder Gulch (at 25-to-1, hey!).
Not watching. PGA Wachovia Championship golf, Sunday, 3 p.m., Global, CBS. If Miguel Angel Jimenez isn't in it, JABS ain't interested.
Hurrah, distance running in the media! I wonder why these events aren't covered more? Is it because there is not enough big money involved? I mean, in terms of being exciting to watch, a foot race kills golf every time (don't even mention figure skating), yet somehow these "sports" find their way to the front pages with alarming regularity.
I guess a 10k point-to-point road race is not exactly spectator friendly. How about track and field? It's all very contained. There will be some high profile meets in Ontario and Eastern Canada this year:
http://www.sportclix.com/guelphtrack/ECHPASmainpage.html
The national championships are in Ottawa, as well.
http://www.athletics.ca/article.asp?id=8273
And, what, no mention anywhere of the new course record set at the Huronia Half Marathon in Midland last weekend? I hear the guy came away with a whole lotta chicken!
Posted by: Jlo | May 05, 2006 at 04:23 PM