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PONIES…Woodbine is moving ahead with plans to expand their slot machine roster to 3,000. Each machine generates 850 dollars a day for a total careening above 2.5 million dollars. Staggering. Slots are for the pure degenerate, a tax on the stupid but also the helpless. Their dumb blinking lights guarantee only one thing; over the long haul you will lose money…I have an extremely hard working pal who is feted by Casino Rama every time he heads up for a visit. Free hotel rooms, concert tickets and meals are par for course. But I just sadly shake my head every time we part. I know the whole story and it disturbs me. This is a seven day a week, 12 hours a day workaholic kind of guy who only really indulges passions for NASCAR and slots. It pains me to think our government profits and encourages a reckless form of gambling that will surely empty his pockets…

PUG LIFE…they’re really pumping the Roy Jones Jr - Bernard Hopkins rematch hard. The fighters are available for interviews and are speaking with intensity about the importance of the fight. Seventeen years after their first match, a dreadful bore, if you recall, the pair are set to do it again. Promoters are promising they’ll chop off every internet connection they can find and also vow to never show a replay of the fight on free TV! Old timers are very familiar with the frantic machinations of a dying promotion…having said all that, I believe Bernard Hopkins is taking the fight very seriously. He may be the only person on the planet with that inclination but the fight really does represent a chance to revenge his notorious loss. What is left of Jones is debatable. Two fights back Jones danced around Jeff Lacy and critics proclaimed, “He’s back!” Then last out he was destroyed in the first round by Danny Green and worriers screamed, “He’s brain damaged!” The truth, as always, lies somewhere in between and I would expect Roy to move allot and likely last the distance. It is highly improbable that he can decision Hopkins based on their recent performances…Hopkins had his last stoppage win in 2004. That win should be accompanied by a Golden asterisk; Oscar De La Hoya seemed more determined to hit the canvas and preserve those good looks than he did in waging a war with Hopkins that night…the $49.95 price tag guaranteed a colossal box office flop. I’ve never seen fight fans so unanimous in their refusal to pay top dollar for a match that last held potential nine years ago…the old timer reunion of Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns in June 1989, eight years after they staged maybe the greatest welterweight fight of all time, was a staggering success. People flocked to the event and the fight was sensational with knockdowns, dramatic changes in momentum and, of course, a controversial decision. While the pair were noticeably heavier and slower, their determination to win was intact. The aggrieved fighter, the Hitman, fought a perfectly conceived battle and likely deserved the nod…Julio Caesar Chavez Jr and John Duddy will fight June 26th in Texas. Both fighters are overrated but, damn, this will be a great fight while it lasts. Both slug and bring the noise. While a top fighter would easily slice the pair up, against each other major fireworks are guaranteed…

ICE… okay, Jim Kelly, on S I, is the first to float an idea I think you’re going to hear allot about over the summer. Vincent Lecavalier is guaranteed 10 million a year for the next six years. The Tampa Bay Lightning have endured a lack of passion and effort so debilitating that the trading of Vinny may be an essential next-step for the franchise. Who can afford the hit? Toronto can. I don’t think Lecavalier necessarily fits the Brian Burke mold, but the GM does appreciate the need for skilled players. The Bolts are likely looking to give their Captain away for a collection of prospects and draft picks. The real onus would be on their trading partner to pick up the financial obligations. Would you be interested in bringing the inconsistent Lecavalier to the Big Smoke?…

RANDOM…Manchester United welcome Chelsea to Old Trafford tomorrow for the biggest game of the Premiership this year. If you can’t make it out to the pubs, make sure to watch the game on Justin TV. First place is on offer in what should be a compelling showdown…