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RANDOM…felt decidedly old yesterday. With the news that Van Halen was releasing “A Different Kind of Truth”, their first new album with David Lee Roth since 1984, I did what I would always do. Went to an HMV to purchase said product. Didn’t download it, have a friend burn it, load it on my computer or whatever all you bastards are doing that I can’t do…no, an excursion to a record store, a purchase, and a properly accessed product. I feel fine and smug, knowing the band will get their royalties and that I, at least for an hour or so, can still fit comfortably into a mid 1980’s mindset…

…the album itself is a pure throwback, vintage Van Halen with Eddie in great form. On Blood and Fire, Roth cheekily pronounces, “I told you I’d be back”. China Town is a great rocker and the whole disc (yes, disc) resonates with the power chords and dominating drum beats that made Van Halen, according to an article in last weeks Guardian, America’s most influential hard rock band. It’s a shame the way the band split at its peak, immediately after the breakthrough of “1984” and their first hit single, “Jump”…

…the revolting Sammy Hagar, long banished, must be in a rage after he threw the band under the bus in his recent autobiography, “Red” (12 copies sold). Hagar, a talentless loon (he claims to have been abducted by aliens – wish they had kept him) just about assured fans that Eddie Van Halen would never record again. He described the guitarist in horrible terms, going too far, and now looks a fool as the band launches what is sure to be a successful tour…it looks good on Hagar…

PRO LINE…on a whim, I did calculations for yesterdays hockey games on Pro Line, in order to determine if the odds had become any fairer.

As expected, the odds continue to be skimpy. Buffalo was a 2.58 chance at home against Boston, but only paid out at 2.1 on Proline.

Anaheim was a 1.49 chance at home against Carolina, but only paid out at 1.4.

Calgary was a 2.82 chance against San Jose, but only paid out at 2.5.

There was slight value on Detroit, a 1.25 chance paying out at 1.3, but in all other cases the government agency took an edge…

One would have to be extremely sharp, I mean deadly sharp, to beat the Pro Line odds over the long haul…

PUG LIFE…more good news for fight fans arrived with the announcement of a Lamont Peterson – Amir Khan rematch signed, sealed and delivered for Las Vegas on May 19^th. Peterson won a very controversial decision in their first encounter, one enabled by some “hometown cooking”. At a neutral site we’ll get a chance to see Amir strut his stuff. The great ones are dominant when avenging losses (see Roy Jones against Montell Griffin, or Ray Leonard against Roberto Duran) and we’ll gain some insight into Khan’s status during this fight.

A big win for Khan could move him into contention for a battle against Floyd Mayweather…