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GRID IRON..it shocked many observers when the New England Patriots released their third round selection of last season, QB Kevin O’Connell. What I find even more intriguing is the list of teams that put in claims for the player (eventually sent off to the bog that is Detroit).  Cleveland, Denver and the New York Jets all put in waiver claims for O’Connell. Can we speculate that the Browns are not looking at Brady Quinn as a blue chip prospect, that Kyle Orton and Chris Simms are creating fear in Denver, among the Bronco’s, and that the Jets may not sold on Mark Sanchez as their putative saviour? Maybe, maybe not. But this is a player that New England deemed expendable. Most teams would quietly accede to the judgement of that organization. For a team to risk a roster spot indicates a willingness to gamble, pointing to an unease with their current starters…ICE..Darren Eliot fires an opening salvo at six NHL players whose play must improve if their team’s fortunes are to rise during the upcoming season. Those on the hot seat; Marty Turco, goaltender in Dallas, Dion Phaneuf, defenseman in Calgary, Ryan Suter, defenseman in Nashville, Tomas Plekanec, forward in Montreal, Daniel Briere, forward in Montreal and Rob Brind’Amour, forward in Carolina. Turco is in the final year of a lucrative contract and will be supremely motivated. Phaneuf quietly bombed out West last season. I had Plekanec in assorted pools and was keenly aware of his indifferent approach to hockey last season. At one point he berated himself as, “playing like a little girl”. It was an insult to little girls. Brind’Amour, hmmm, don’t know about that. He’s thirty nine and the Hurricanes would be foolish to bank on his return to front line status. I am bullish on the ‘Canes due to the continued professionalism and commitment of Eric Staal and Cam Ward…high profile Globe and Mail political columnist Jeffrey Simpson has weighed in on the Dany Heatley saga. Simpson notes Heatley has refused to play for two Canadian teams but, nonetheless, expects to play for Canada at the 2010 Olympics. Naming Heatley to the team, Simpson believes, would be an “outrage”…THE COURT..ESPN’s 2009-10 NBA Eastern Conference predictions have the Toronto Raptors ninth and out of a playoff spot. Cleveland and Boston are selected to dominate…MEDIA..when Rick Reilly commanded the back page of Sports Illustrated magazine he had the reputation and readership of a media star. He opted to take a phat pay package from ESPN and leave his pulpit behind. It was a serious error. Reilly is twinned on the ESPN page (no one reads ESPN The Magazine) with the savage wit of Bill Simmons and, in comparison, his columns come off as stodgy and conservative…when Dan Rafael left USA Today, it was viewed as a similarly foolish move. But ESPN has given Rafael control of the boxing page, multiple approaches (blog, column, weekly review) and the freedom to cultivate his “fight freaks”. The Rafael move has been a stunning success, making the ESPN page a must-read for fight fans…PUG LIFE..Juan Manuel Marquez reports he has trained five months for his Sept 19^th fight with Floyd Mayweather. The Mexican has been employing a hyperbaric chamber to maximize the amount of oxygen sent to his organs and blood. Interesting. A real shift is occurring among hard core fight fans. East Side Boxing is only the latest site to predict an upset on the 19^th, factoring in Mayweathers long layoff and current legal woes as possible impediments to a peak effort. Marquez, incidentally, performs 900 sit-ups before starting his 3 mile daily run…PONIES..the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday could be the next start for English superstar Sea The Stars. Trainer John Ox is waiting to clarify ground conditions before committing his transcendent runner. Confirmed for the race are Aidan O’Brien’s big guns, Irish Derby winner Fame and Glory and Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Mastercraftsman. Yeah, I look at the money I’m saving for a U2 ticket and contrast that with hopping on a plane Thursday night to be in Ireland if Sea The Stars commits. It’s a tough choice. I’ve never seen Bono perform, but I’ve also never seen Sea The Stars. Bono will be around for another decade; Sea The Stars will likely retire in a few months. I hopped back to the Curragh to see George Washington and Hurricane Run compete on consecutive days in 2006 and I’ve never regretted it, never questioned the amount of money spent…