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It shouldn’t fall to just Jewish groups to condemn the insipid comments of F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone. We should all speak out. The Holocaust wasn’t a Jewish issue; it was a blow against all humanity. For a man in a position of authority to express such historically illiterate sentiments is a scandal…Brian Burke has assembled a solid, gritty crew for the Toronto Maple Leaf defence.  The core, in order of preference, is as follows; Francois Beauchemin, Luke Schenn, Mike Komisarek, Garnet Exelby, Ian White, Mike Van Ryn and Jeff Finger. That is pretty damn impressive; especially with only Finger signed at an exorbitant price (by Cliff Fletcher, for reasons that still escape most observers).We’ll presume Tomas Kaberle is on the way out. The Leafs have only Mikhail Grabovski, Matt Stajan and John Mitchell as veterans signed at the center position, so Burke’s work is not finished. The left wing is set to include Jason Blake, Alex Ponikarovsky, Niklas Hagman and Colin Stuart. The right wing will be handled by Lee Stempniak, Nikolai Kulemin, Jamal Myers and Colton Orr. Goaltending looks promising with Jonas Gustavsson backing up the surgically repaired Vesa Toskala. Wildcards include recent signees Tyler Bozak and Christian Hanson. Look, the addition of a top six forward in a Kaberle trade makes this team a solid prospect for a playoff berth. When’s the last time Toronto fans could say that? We are finally seeing demonstrable evidence that Burke, say it with me!, is turning this franchise around…Montreal GM Bob Gainey has also made wholesale changes to his franchise. I disagree with just about every adjustment he has made. The refusal to bring Alex Kovalev back is the latest head scratcher. A highly motivated Kovalev, playing for the Ottawa Senators, is going to prove a major burr in the side of the Habs. How badly, with the inconsistent Carey Price manning the pipes, will the Canadiens flounder during the upcoming season?…Seattle Seahawk Coach Jim Mora revealed the team passed on prospect Mark Sanchez in the recent entry draft based on the current health and vigour of incumbent quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. The Seahawks, similar to the San Diego Chargers and their optimism concerning LaDainian Tomlinson, hope to buck a trend and have their bruised veteran return to prime form. I’m quite sceptical. The NFL has become so violent and intense, with players dramatically larger and stronger, that it is only logical that those playing the skilled positions may be subject to sudden and pronounced deterioration. Reversing the inclination of the human body to crumble under an onslaught is risky, at best. They ‘Hawks should have drafted a QB…a man, reading of Steve McNair’s dalliance with a 20 year old, immediately understands this is likely a short term entanglement. One can expect the dude, father of four, to return home at some point. The female expectation, evidently, can be quite different. It appears Sahel Kazemi purchased a gun two days in advance of a final deadly showdown with the man she believed would marry her. McNairs intention to eventually return to his “home ” life is evidenced by the secrecy with which he conducted the affair; neither his best friend or agent, nor his wife, had any idea Kazemi existed…the NFL season hasn’t even begun and I’m already sick of reading about Dallas Cowboy Roy Williams. The ‘Boys overpaid atrociously for the winsome wideout and no amount of media spin is going to alter that fact. Williams caught a tepid 19 passes in his ten games with Dallas last season…the Toronto Blue Jays are currently ranked 17^th by the Sporting News. Every week brings a fresh drop…today’s Globe and Mail has a stunning picture of 80,000 Spaniards at Santiago Bernabeu welcoming Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. Ronaldo appeared on a walkway all decked out in the home uniform. To captivate and amaze, Ronaldo performed a magnificent dive as he sashayed down the catwalk…Lance Armstrong, tested incessantly, has crept into third place at the Tour de France. There is much at stake for Armstrong. A win, at the age of 37, effectively pulls the rug out from all who claimed his previous wins were drug aided. Could Lance actually have been clean all those years? Or, alternatively, has stringent testing meant this years Tour is the first in memory to actually be conducted on a level playing field?…Sea The Stars has been given a Timeform rating of a staggering 131 for his impressive win at Sandown on Saturday. Take the time to watch the colt on You Tube, the amazing runner has proven the best in Europe from a mile to a mile and a half and, tentatively, is booked for an American appearance at the Breeders Cup…Eye of the Leopard has been accorded a 92 Beyer for his workmanlike score in the Queen’s Plate. The top finishers from the Plate will hit the dirt on Sunday to contest the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie on Sunday. A bounce back effort from Milwaukee Brew will make the filly very difficult to beat. Enthusiasm must be tempered by the fact she is making her third start in five weeks…