racingmeridian.com

The last two seasons Nikolai Zherdev put up 61 (26 g) and 58 (23 g) points. Last year, as a New York Ranger, Zherdev tied Scott Gomez for the team scoring lead. The six foot, 200 lb winger is only 24 years old and is physcially sound. His playoff stats for the Rangers last year were a disaster, pointless in seven games, but there is clearly an enormous upside for the player. While Zherdev has fought bitterly with coaches and management, what organization is currently better suited for a cantankerous mo’fo than the Toronto Maple Leafs? Ron Wilson and Brian Burke are not only the match for the obstreperous winger; they may actually provide the impetus for improvement and growth. Point blank, Nikolai Zherdev would be the leading scorer for the 2009-10 Leafs. At under 4 million a year, the Buds should pull the trigger…Paul Kariya would have been available to the St Louis Blues they had been able to push the Vancouver Canucks to a fifth game in their playoff series last spring. Kariya reports intensive rehabilitation efforts had him ready to resume his career at that point. The implications for this year are clear; Kariya is set for a big time return to form. The St Louis Post-Dispatch speaks glowingly of a point a game for the former all-star…when Calgary Flame Todd Bertuzzi was asked by the Sporting News what characteristic he valued most in others, the lying dirt bag replied, “Honesty” …New York Giants QB Eli Manning has graduated to the 100 million dollar club; his new seven year contract averages out to 15.27 million a year. The New York Daily News reported Manning had initially asked for 20 million a year, and thus offers kudos to the Giants for “holding their ground”. Lads, paying 15 million a year to Eli Manning, a capable and occasionally excellent player, is nothing to crow about. I’d rank Eli behind, at a minimum, his brother, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Carson Palmer and Ben Roethlisberger. I’d put him ahead of such luminaries as Tony Romo, Donovan McNabb and Kurt Warner. Looks like the Giants have pretty much established 15 million as the going rate for a top ten QB (Jay Cutler is licking his chops, somewhere) …the credentials of left tackle Orlando Pace are overwhelming. He was an all star for seven consecutive years, from 1999-2005, and blocked for three consecutive NFL MVP’s (Kurt Warner twice and Marshall Faulk). Pace has been plagued by injuries the past three seasons but could be a huge addition to the Chicago Bear line if, as is claimed, he is healthy and rejuvenated after vacating the St Louis mad house…Toronto Raptors at Portland March 14^th is already being hailed as one of the most anticipated matches of the NBA season. Hedo Turkoglu, get ready to duck…current World Golf rankings have Canada’s Mike Weir number 27. Ernie Els looks most uncomfortable at 25…Dinara Safina looks wildly out of place residing in the top spot of the WTA’s new rankings. Serena Williams, who could beat the snot out of Dinara on or off the court, resides in second, a spot above sister Venus…the Arlington Million goes this Saturday. All eyes will be on sensation Precious Passion, currently 6-1 in the morning line odds, as the hellacious speed demon steps up to challenge top American turfer Gio Ponti…we balefully note the “Horse That Shall Not Be Named”, winner of this years Kentucky Derby, was dead in the water, crawling the final three furlongs in over 40 seconds, while being drubbed in the West Virginia Derby this past weekend by Soul Warrior. Nice. The miracle horse has not won since his farcical performance at Churchill…New York gossip columnist Liz Smith has long been known to be the avenue Madonna uses when she wishes to make her feelings known surreptitiously. The kerfuffle over the “arms” photo, you’ve all seen it by know, finds Smith accusing the paparazzi of doctoring the photo and, further, noting that Madge’s arms have never looked that gross in the abundant shots produced during the Sticky and Sweet tour. Interesting. On a different note, Smith casually lets slip that the Material Girls incendiary masterpiece, “The Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You” is, in fact, about her ex Guy Ritchie. Wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of Ms Ciccone…speaking of Ritchie, you can see trailers on You Tube for his upcoming film about Sherlock Holmes. I’d heard the dark whispers of casting being recalled, at the studio’s behest, to reshoot certain scenes, an almost certain indication of dissatisfaction with the finished product. The clips indicate Robert Downey will play Holmes as a randy, sexually ambiguous dilettante, certainly not the Sherlock of the Arthur Conan Doyle works.  Ritchie’s latest has BOMB written all over it…