racingmeridian.com

Stevie Y made a rare mistake by inviting Dany Heatley to the Team Canada training camp. The public remains revolted by the antics of the scurrilous winger and his inclusion on the squad would be a sour development. Our Olympic team should be both a celebration of our heritage and a joyous occasion. An individual’s character, not pure talent, should be a critical component in the decision to offer a berth. Heatley is a detriment to the squad, a selfish ingrate who should be left to scurry along to his next paid assignment. Let Team Canada hit the moral high note through a selection of great players and admirable people…had fun with Sporting News list of notable absentees from the Team Canada invitation list; Steve Stamkos, Marc Savard, Brian Campbell, Jason Spezza (with you so far, S News) and then, ahem, Chris Osgood and Carey Price(??). Really? Osgood and Price should have been extended invitations? The list of Luongo, Ward, Brodeur, Fleury and Mason strikes me as reasonably solid. Would have thought the Price bandwagon had just about run out of steam and I don’t think Osgood ever was even a top fifteen NHL goalie…the Chicago Blackhawks made a wonderful move yesterday, adding John Madden. The 36 year old will be a steadying influence on a team full of piss and vinegar…Atlanta Thrasher GM Don Waddell believes the addition of Nick Antropov will serve as an inducement for Ilya Kovalchuk to sign a long term contract with the team. No, Don, after Kovalchuk plays a quarter of a season with Shaky Nick, he’ll be singing “The Maple Leaf Forever” while waiting for Brian’s call… the Columbus Blue Jackets opened contract negotiations with star Rick Nash by tossing a lowball five year offer. Nash will be the most sought after free agent commodity next summer if the forlorn Jackets don’t ante up to the ten year/eighty million dollar range. If they won’t brandish that type of coin, Brian Burke most assuredly will…Alex Ferguson has pulled a stunner, bringing Michael Owens to Manchester United. The erstwhile superstar, seemingly on the downside of his career, had been looking for work since playing a part in Newcastle’s inglorious tumble from the Premiership. At Old Trafford Owens will be accorded an opportunity to revitalize his somewhat disappointing career…Serena and Venus Williams have met twenty times on the Woman’s Tour. They have an even 10-10 record but Serena has a critical 5-2 edge in Majors. I’ll buck the trend and make a strong play on Venus in tomorrows Wimbledon final after Serena’s gruelling semi final match…maybe Jeremy Mayfield could enter the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona Saturday night without a car? Let that wild man race!…the Boston Celtics have slammed Stephan Marbury with a pitiful one year 1.3 million dollar contract offer. Clearly, the former champs were not happy with the Starman’s playoff efforts…Epsom Derby winner Sea the Stars faces Breeder Cup Turf Champion Conduit in a delectable showdown Saturday in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes from Sandown. Sea the Stars was scratched from last weekend’s Irish Derby due to the ground conditions, but his form was complimented when the Epsom runner-up, Fame and Glory, romped to an emphatic win. The big challenge Saturday may come from fellow three year old Rip Van Winkle. The Aidan O’Brien runner could have a more emphatic kick cutting back a quarter of a mile…David Goodis’s “The Burglar” remains the best piece of noir fiction I’ve ever read. Give it a try for a thoroughly engrossing read…I sat in a creaky old library in Cork, Ireland for three consecutive days reading Wayne Johnston’s “The Navigator of New York”. The unassuming masterpiece tracks the race to the North Pole while outlining the sallow recesses of the human soul…