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GRID IRON…LaDainian Tomlinson is expected to work out for the Minnesota Vikings this week. The Vikes lost Chester Taylor to the Chicago Bears and have an opening for a third down back. The days of Tomlinson being anything other than a role player are over…ex New York Jet back Thomas Jones, treated shabbily by his old team, has ended up in Kansas with the Chiefs…the bizarre Michael Vick took to the St Louis airwaves Tuesday to campaign for a move to the Rams. Vick is pencilled in by the Eagles to remain in Philadelphia after they were underwhelmed by trade offers. Vick would be a back-up in Philly, whether to Kevin Kolb or Donovan McNabb, and is upset at this development. His radio musings are designed to, ummm, not sure, but a QB’s ambition to stand behind the creaky Ram O-Line speaks volumes about the individual’s sanity…the Buffalo Bills are professing no interest in Vick. Or in winning…the Cleveland Browns have acquired Seneca Wallace from the Seattle Seahawks. Mike Holmgren is obviously familiar with Wallace so it is likely he believes the fleet QB can be a starter with the Browns. Mike Holmgren also believes Avatar was a documentary (have you seen Wallace play?)…

ICE…here’s Vinny Lecavalier on Matt Cooke, currently persona  non grata after his cheap shot on Marc Savard, but also the player that ended Lecavalier’s season in 2007-08 with a vicious hit; “That’s the type of player he is. He runs around and hits guys when they are in a vulnerable position…I think they should suspend him for more than one game”…Boston GM Peter Chiarelli believes Savard could be done for the year, a devastating blow to the Bruins post season chances…Detroit is back on the outside-looking-in after losing to Calgary last night. The Red Wings now trail the Flames by one point for the final playoff spot. For years the Red Wings were accused of entering the playoffs “soft”, a result of a late season coast after opening up prodigious leads in the standings. It lead to a few untimely early round exits. Wouldn’t it be ironic if, this year, it was a battle hardened Motown squad who faced the San Jose Sharks in the first round? You could smell u-p-s-e-t from Silicon Valley to the Windsor tunnel…the Anaheim Ducks are seven points off the pace. It’s shocking to think a team loaded with the likes of Getzlaf, Perry, Ryan, Neidermayer and Hiller could be on the links when the tournament for Lord Stanley’s mug commences…the big surprises of the year have to be the Phoenix Coyotes and the Ottawa Senators, both safely locked into post season berths…the Toronto Maple Leafs are sixteen points out with sixteen games to play…Jonas Gustavsson has back-to-backs wins after defeating the Boston Bruins last night. The Monster is a restricted free agent after the season and continues to show maddening promise along with occasionally poor positional play. No way the Buds can let the Swede escape the Big Smoke…Jason Spezza has 12 goals and 8 assists in the past 17 games. The mercurial centre could be getting hot at the right moment…Tavares scores! Tavares scores! The New York Islander star had been blanked for seventeen straight games before finding the back of the net last night in a losing effort against Philadelphia…

PUG LIFE…Jerry Jones reports that 41,000 tickets have been sold for Saturdays Manny Pacquiao - Joshua Clottey fight. The stadium has been configured for a 45,000 seat capacity, making a sell-out a distinct possibility…the odds on Pacquiao winning have collapsed, currently requiring 800 of your hard earned bucks to win 100. Clottey can be had at +550, a price at which a punter really should have something invested. Clottey is motivated, fit and, after being “robbed” against Miguel Cotto, nursing a nice sense of grievance - allot of factors that indicate a very good performance could be in store. Clottey will also need a bit of a “letdown” performance from Pacquiao, something not entirely out of the realm of possibility given the dramatics surrounding the Mayweather situation…

PONIES…the reality is that Rachel Alexandra has, recently, looked decidedly un-Rachel-like. Her owner, Jess Jackson, has begun to drop hints that the April 9^th showdown with Zenyatta may not be a slam dunk. Jackson muses, “If we race and she beats us, they may just retire her”. Clearly, Jackson will not run his filly if she is not fit and peaking. I’m having problems determining just how she can be brought to her best on a very tight timeline. Trainer Steve Asmussen has admitted Rachel will not be cranked for her start on March 13^th, but the unspoken assumption is that she will be at 100% for her second start, on April 9^th. Thats dicey stuff. The filly went five months without a work and it is not unheard of for a thoroughbred to lose their taste for battle after a long period of rest. There is high drama surrounding her return on Saturday and she will likely be tested by both Zardanna and Clear Sailing in the eight and a half furlong journey. Must see TV, folks. The greatest filly of our lifetime may not be with us much longer if her sullen works are indicative of a decline in her interest in being a racehorse…Zenyatta, of course, has been immaculate on her beloved plastic. Her final serious work for the Santa Margarita, also on Saturday, was a blazing 1.11 and change, lengths superior to the efforts of her Grade 1 winning stablemate Life Is Sweet. Zenyatta is currently well ahead of Rachel in her preparations and I, for one, would much rather see this epic confrontation take place at Saratoga in late July than at a time when Rachel is  still struggling to get her groove back…