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Bryan Colangelo was the NBA Executive of the Year for 2006-07. The silky smooth one had ratcheted the Raptors win total from a paltry 27 to a robust 47, and only bliss and success loomed on the horizon. My, how things have changed. Colangelo admitted at his season wrap up press conference that he has been calling season ticket holders imploring them to give the Raptors another chance next year…Colangelo was vague as to his plans, but did stress the meekness and passivity of the Dinos was culpable in their 2008-09 swoon…maybe he should have stolen a little from Burke and announced he was going to get LeBron James, tampering be damned…The Toronto Raptors have had two players win rookie of the year, Damon Stoudamire in 1996 and Vince Carter in 1999…Forbes magazine has released their annual ranking of the value of sports franchises. Number one, with a net worth of 1.5 billion, is the New York Yankees. The Mets (933 million) and the Red Sox (833 million) follow…Bill Belichick is 116-45 won loss after nine years as the head coach of the New England Patriots. This offseason the cagey rapscallion has added Fred Taylor at running back and Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden at corner. Further, the Pats have eleven picks in the weekend’s draft. Belichick’s drafting record? Of the 77 players chosen during his regime, 42 are still in the NFL, an amazing 27 still with the Pats. Where I am I going with the outburst of statistical profundity? Well, with reports that Tom Brady is virtually 100% again, methinks it might be time to grab the 4 or 5 to 1 currently being offered on the Pats to win the 2010 Superbowl. This franchise, arguably the second or third best team in football by the end of the 2009 season, is gearing up for a dramatic push for gridiron dominance…it was desperately disappointing to see three NHL teams shut out last night. Lads, it’s playoff time, let’s rack em up!…as a human interest story it is hard to find a development as a compelling as the collapse of Joe Thornton and his San Jose Sharks. Like watching a developing car accident, I can’t take my eyes off the inevitable first round ejection of the Western Conference champion. Now, all of us have, at some time, taken a ride on the intoxicating Shark carousel. My spin was last year when I papered my pools with the boys in teal. After watching them intently I vowed to never support the team again while Marleau and Thornton were the putative leaders. Many went back to the well this season and they have been blindsided by a tepid display. Thornton and Marleau have left their reputations in shambles; sports does not embrace the ones who go cold when the big prize is on the line…Joe Thornton was a minus 3 in last night 4-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. Team Canada, are you watching? No Show Joe should have no place on the National squad…Rotoworld reports Martin Brodeur tied Patrick Roy’s record for post season shutouts as he notched number 23 last night…the Detroit News is buzzing over a supposed injury to Red Wing netminder Chris Osgood. The back-up is Tye Conklin and, my god, will things get interesting if the defending champs have to turn to that wildly inconsistent off season pick-up…the rebirth of Martin Havlat hit an enormous pothole Wednesday as the winger ended the game a minus 4 as his Blackhawks lost to the Calgary Flames…my mates are piling into a bus and heading down to Kentucky next weekend to see the Derby. I was sorely tempted, but I have a different flavour of racing in the offing. I’m off to Dublin to see the Irish 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas on the 23^rd and 24^th of May at the Curragh. I felt if I went down to Kentucky I might do something foolish when laying eyes on my hero PioneeroftheNile, like throwing all my vacation cash on his impressive nose…the White Ghost has insisted I take a few coins from the cookie jar and wager on David Reutimann in the weekends Nascar race from Talladega. OK, Ghost. I can’t see it, but my comrade has been the keenest of observers over the course of fifty years watching the moonshine boys tackle tar. At long odds I’ll go along…I like Selective Shopper in the last today at Woodbine. With a nice energy display in her opener she can emerge from that key race with bad intentions this afternoon…over 100 horses will start tomorrow at Woodbine. The feature is the Jacques Cartier Stakes and that speed duel highlights a day full of wagering opportunities…