Sports Ruminations

Leafs:

- Why will nobody talk about Brian McCabe's awful contract? Or the fact that he's an average-at-best defenceman making elite-defenceman money? And how does Raycroft get dumped on? He's somehow the problem here, on a team with one (1) elite offensive player (Sundin), and one (1) elite defenceman (Kaberle)? I'm outraged about this. Someone should tell McCabe to take another goddam penalty.

- If the Leafs make the playoffs, and Wellwood and Tucker are healthy, and Peca comes back for the first round, does anyone want to play them? Short answer: NO.

- Pohl, Steen, Stajan, White, Colaiacovo... names Toronto fans should get used to. No more Quinn to unload them for 35+ year old vets. That's a good thing.

Raptors:

- I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but I am outraged. Outraged at the complete lack of recognition for the Raptors continued improvement from the first game of the season until now. Outraged that after going 12-5 in their last 17 games, including a 2 point loss to Phoenix and a 1 point loss to Dallas, the two best teams in the league, somehow Miami is the team to watch in the east, with a middling record of 9-8 over the same span, including losses to the Knicks and Sixers. And I get it, Shaq is back, but we all know Shaq and what he brings, we all know that Miami with Wade and Shaq are good. Everybody knows this. Does anybody really need someone else to tell us this? Is there not a single person in the American media that can stand up and say "The Raptors are pretty effing good in the East, the Nets are a train-wreck mainly because of Vince Carter's total lack of any type of positive leadership on or off the court, and that Miami is a two man show with basically zero depth"? Anyone? No? Good work people. Good work. Apparently even the addition of Colangelo, reigning GM of the year, isn't enough to make people sit up and pay attention. Well, I suppose when the Raps win their division and possibly two round in the playoffs, someone might get around to reporting it other than in Toronto... which just happens to be one of the biggest cities in the world. But once again, nice work.

- Still not sure what's going to happen to Sam Mitchell. He's clearly saved his job for this season, but I just can't be sure he's the guy Colangelo wants. I guess so long as the players are buying into his plan, he'll be the guy.

- Is Jose Calderon the best back-up point guard in the league (he's clearly the most improved)? Is he better than T.J. Ford? Probably yes to the first, and not yet to the second. Either way, the two combine to create one of the most effective point guard tandems in the entire NBA. But Miami is the team to watch. Oh wait, it's in Toronto, so nobody cares, right? More good work America.