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I have a crystal clear feed of the fights from Germany, so hop onto Justin TV if you want to watch Vitali Klitschko battle another American challenger. Also, I’m adding longshot Pulsion to the mix, with Radiohead and Rule, in this afternoons Florida Derby. Some nice action coming up…

GRID IRON…The New York Times “Fifth Down” blog is doing an amazing job analyzing the 2009 season on a team by team basis. Their reviews are controversial and though provoking. Their appraisal of the New England Patriots, for instance, remarks on the marked decline of Randy Moss and the resulting importance of Wes Welker. Watching the Pats on TV it is often hard to see if the QB or the receiver is at fault on botched plays. The blog asserts Brady found his confidence as the season progressed but he was undermined by Moss’s poor play and inability to properly run routes. When Welker succumbed to a late season injury, the Pats were dead in the water…

ICE…ex Leaf Doug Gilmour, currently the coach of the Kingston Frontenacs, revealed this week that he had as many as ten concussions during his playing career. Back in the day, Killer said, you took an aspirin and went back on the ice…the Calgary Flames refuse to go away. Their defeat of the San Jose Sharks last night put them into a tie with the Detroit Red Wings for the final playoff spot in the West. I watched the game at The Rail with Lex Luthor and, as he commented, it is shocking, but refreshing, to watch the Flames and Wings battle for the final spot while teams like the Coyotes and Avalanche are nestled safely above them in the standings. I can guarantee you both the Wings and Flames are salivating at the prospect of facing the swooning Sharks in a first round series. Even the Blackhawk’s, with Cristobel Huet in net, offer tantalizing vulnerabilities. The West is going to feature some tremendous playoff action with upsets guaranteed…the East, in contrast, seems somnolent. The only team that can possibly topple the top two, Washington and Pittsburgh, are the New Jersey Devils. If Martin Brodeur continues to rediscover his game, and with an offense emboldened by the acquisition of Ilya Kovalchuk, the Devils loom an imposing challenge…at the start of the year The Hockey News proclaimed the Phoenix Coyotes as the NHL squad with the best and deepest vein of young talent. The Yotes have surprised many with their play this year but it is no fluke. The Desert Dawgs could be initiating a string of deep and impressive playoff runs…

PUG LIFE…Mexican legend Erik Morales will return after a two year layoff on March 27^th, campaigning as a welterweight. Morales has talked about a fourth fight with Manny Pacquiao, despite being annihilated in their last encounter. Morales remains the last fighter to defeat the Pacman…Paulie Malignaggi has commented that a peak Manny Pacquiao, fighting as a featherweight against Juan Manual Marquez, couldn’t throw 100 punches a round. Now, as a welterweight, he can. The outspoken New Yorker continues to laugh at those who don’t believe Pacquiao is juiced. Is he jealous, or insightful?…Rafael Marquez and Israel Vazquez have engaged in one of the greatest trilogies in the history of the sport. The pair have just signed for a fourth encounter, on May 22^nd, and fight fans are rejoicing. Vazquez holds a 2-1 edge and I expect the brilliant Mexican to gut out another win…when I asked Len at The Rail if he’d be shelling out for the Roy Jones - Bernard Hopkins fight he responded with a string of obscenities. My guess is that particular reaction is playing out in bars across North America. Not much demand for this fight…I can never get away from recollecting just how boring virtually all Bernard Hopkins fights have been. He is not a master boxer at all, he has refined his game and changed stances to ensure minimum risk. Here’s an example; one of the most exciting punches in boxing is the left hook, a crushing blow when delivered correctly, with a pivot and swing of the hips. It is also dangerous, leaving you open to a counter right. When Hopkins throws a left hook, he simply swings his arm, with no foot or hip movement. It means the punch has no power but also leaves the Executioner poised to pull back and avoid any retaliation. Master boxer? Master fraud is more like it…

PONIES…Irish jockey Keiran Fallon was punched by a rival owner after a race in England yesterday. The famed rogue had allegedly interfered with the disgruntled owner’s animal and was held accountable with a blow to the face. Fallon’s response? “He punches like a girl”…the Cheltenham Gold Cup had been billed as an epic confrontation between Kauto Star, going for his third successive win in the race, and stablemate Denman. As often happens the battle never really materialized and Imperial Commander, at 7-1 despite losing to Kauto Star by only a nose at Haydock in November, sprung the upset. Kauto Star fell but had never really looked the winner, coming under immense pressure from Ruby Walsh, his champion rider…