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Brian Burke has guaranteed Leaf fans an interesting run-up to the June 26^th draft. His bombastic pronouncements have puck heads swirling and dancing in anticipation of major moves in the offseason. His commitment to taking whatever step necessary to obtain phenom John Tavares will certainly have the media detailing his every move. I don’t believe there is any big plan or secret strategy. Burke has command of the biggest hockey market in the world and he will, assuredly, flex his muscles in an attempt to return the team to a status befitting its economic clout. Four years without a playoff spot is just pitiful and Burke is simply letting out a roar to let all interested parties know that the new Sherriff in town aims to overhaul the moribund carcass of Leaf Nation…if the price for Tavares includes Luke Schenn, Tomas Kaberle and the CN Tower, that’s fine. Just get him…I follow sports all around the globe. I’ve been amazed and inspired by courageous efforts, mind boggling intensity and astonishing displays of grace and speed. But, let me be clear, no tournament or competition compares to the NHL playoffs. No sport makes the same demands of the players or results in the sheer excitement of playoff shinny. Tonight we kick off what could be an especially brilliant playoffs with the top teams streaked with vulnerabilities. I know, know, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton are absolutely terrified by the prospects of another meltdown. And, seeping into the recesses of Chris Osgood’s cerebral cortex are doubts about whether he has enough left for another successful march. Marc Savard is in a diaper and Mats? Beloved Mats? Well, Seldom will be comforted and warmed by the thought he’s potentially four games away from booting it out of North America, phat paycheques in hand…Boston beat Montreal in five of six games this year. The lopsided success does not begin to reflect the nastiness expressed, especially in their final encounter last week. There is no question Montreal will enter this series confident they can pull an upset…the NFL schedule was released yesterday and the big losers, according to an entertaining Sporting News piece, include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Carolina Panthers and the Miami Dolphins. The complexities of the schedule making progress guarantee a degree of fluidity in the NFL standings and the above three teams, off boisterous seasons, will find slogging through a calendar rich with playoff contenders a real challenge…the big winners? The Chicago Bears, the Baltimore Ravens and, gulp, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their schedules resemble soft vanilla ice cream on a hot summer day…it was such a terrific move for the Bucs to add Byron Leftwich to their roster. The QB spoiled the abundant promise of his youth with an arrogant and undisciplined approach but, after a couple of years in the wilderness, he should relish the chance to lead a team again. The Bucs have made a number of controversial moves this offseason but the acquisition of Leftwich is a beauty…Mike Tyson appears on the Jimmy Kimmel show tonight. He is promoting a new documentary on his life…junior middleweight Paul Williams had a breakout performance Saturday, blasting Winky Wright for twelve lopsided rounds. Williams suffered an embarrassing loss last year to Carlos Quintana, but the fighter that night scarcely resembled the piston like advances of Saturday night’s warrior. Congratulations, Paul. The bad news? Williams goes back to the top of the “fighters to be avoided” list…Papa Clem surprised by taking the Arkansas Derby last weekend. Papa had, like current Derby favourite I Want Revenge, been unable to better PioneeroftheNile on the West Coast, so headed east looking for fortune and fame. Pioneer has vanquished two subsequent winners of critical preps yet, because of his pedestrian times, he is receiving only a lukewarm reception from punters. Interestingly, one handicapper on the Equidaily site posited that the Pioneer’s preparations are geared for Bob Baffert’s real goal; a Triple Crown winner. This seems a bit specious, considering the colt has not started on the dirt. But he is bred top to bottom for the brown stuff and I can’t help but wonder if the serene confidence exuded by his connections traces back to their belief that he will, in fact, be boosted by a move away from polytracks…