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Appalling news continues to torment boxing fans. Canada has recently lost luminaries Arturo Gatti, Mark Leduc and Mike Post. Legend Alexis Arguello died of a self inflicted gun shot. And, hopefully as the final act in this carousel of death, the respected and much loved Vernon Forrest has been killed in a botched carjacking. Vernon was well known for his commitment to special needs children and other charitable causes. The tall, rangy welterweight notched a couple of huge wins over Shane Mosley in 2002 before being thumped by Ricardo Mayorga in a pair of 2003 contests. Burdened by an assortment of injuries, Forrest nonetheless recorded comeback wins over Ike Quartey and Sergio Mora and was certainly in the thick of the junior middleweight division. The fighter leaves behind a legacy of compassion and stellar achievement and will be most sorely missed…whispers claim Dany Heatley has told friends he will not return to the Ottawa Senators because of the rampant cocaine use on the team. Heatley also just snubbed Jason Spezza by opting not to attend his wedding this past weekend…word from Detroit states the Red Wings were disappointed by Marian Hossa’s inability to perform at an acceptable level against physical, punishing teams. They were not torn up by his departure…the Wings are a rumoured destination for washed up Todd Bertuzzi…Boston Bruin sniper Phil Kessel is expected to be fit for a return to active duty in December. The only question at this point is whose jersey will he be wearing? The Boston Bruins have only 1.3 million in cap room available to sign Kessel…Cincinnati Bengal pivot Carson Palmer has been declared 100% fit for training camp. Palmer, as dynamic a QB as can be found in the NFL, played only four games last season…also in fine fettle and set for a big year; Tom Brady in New England…Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniel’s has promised his offense will do things this year that “no team has ever done”. Is everyone in Denver suffering from short term memory loss? The starting quarterback is Kyle freakin’ Orton. The talent was run out of town and now, Broncos, you’re going to endure a decade of regret and recrimination…Terrell Owens has echoed our sentiments concerning Michael Vick. The man has done his time, let him play. I still get woozy at the thought that this man did seventeen months in Leavenworth, for god’s sake, for dog fighting infractions…footballer David Beckham, brought to America to develop a positive image for the game stateside, has taken a unique approach over the past few days. A series of ugly confrontations with fans must surely have the Los Angeles Galaxy questioning the need to continue this charade…U2 plays the last of three shows at Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland tonight. With the Irish economy in tatters, the shows have struck a galvanizing note with a weary populace. Family and friends have told me the performance of the band was transcendent. I had chills reading an e-mail from my sister that described the “Claw” sputtering to life at around 9pm, belching smoke and flashing lights, before the band walked on stage. After a series of brutal performances U2 (check You Tube for the Barcelona and Amsterdam shows) found their game and rocked the Republic with passion and zeal. Good on ‘em. Now they can just carry that momentum to the Big Smoke for their two September gigs…I’m glad my godson was able to enjoy the show. Returning from a camping trip in Wales on Saturday, the young lads were caught in a storm and tossed to and fro as they ferried across the Celtic Sea. Much, m u c h vomiting ensued with almost every youngster taking a turn swamping the washroom. Upon arrival in Waterford authorities made the decision to simply sink the boat, decrying its puke encrusted decks as unsalvageable…