THE ATHLETES OF LOST?

LOST, ABC's popular drama has gained quite the reputation for twists, turns, and all out craziness that often overtake its storylines. The current season, the show's fifth, is even more imaginative and intriguing than previous years, and the interweaving stories in each episode continue to amaze and bewilder even the show's most ardent fans. But why, you must be asking, am I writing about a show on a sports blog? Well, it turns out, many of today's most well-known athletes and sports people relate quite well to some of the show's main characters. Here are five of the LOST protagonists along with their counterparts in the sports world.

Kate Austen- Brett Favre

Kate, one of the most popular characters on the show, just can't make up her mind. She loves Jack. Now she loves Sawyer. Now Jack. Now Sawyer. Pick one already! Her indecision is reminiscant of Favre's will he or won't he retire sentiment that seems to envelope NFL storylines each offseason. That, and they both absolutely love attention.

Ben Linus- Scott Boras

Ben Linus is evil. Everything he does, he does for his own personal gain. He doesn't care about people, their feelings, or their lives, he only cares about himself. He embellishes, tells "half truths", and often just flat out lies in order to get what he wants. All of that (and more) is true about Scott Boras. The superagent, who represents some of Major League Baseball's most talented and well-known players, is not above making up stories to get more money for his players. Earlier this offseason, Boras said the Red Sox were the front runners to land prized first baseman Mark Teixeira after Teixeira had already decided he wanted to become a Yankee. This drove up the price for New York and caused outrage in Boston. Linus is the Scott Boras of LOST.

John Locke- Paul Pierce

Locke spent the first few seasons of the show looking for his place, his calling. Always valuable, Locke only recently ascended to being a true leader, and is constantly willing to do whatever it takes for his people. Pierce toiled on terrible Celtics teams for nine years before KG and Ray Allen came along. Pierce, Boston's captain, is driven by his superstar teammates and has turned himself into one of the NBA's best players. Coming back from a knee injury during the NBA Finals isn't quite walking again after being paralyzed (a la John Locke), but his value to the team can't be questioned.

Aaron Littleton- Sidney Crosby

I know what your thinking. How can Claire's baby (born on the Island in season one) be compared to Sid the Kid? Well, much of the plot of the current season revolves around him. The entire storyline regarding Kate and (now) Sun and Jack have to do with Kate being able to keep Aaron. He's young, but incredibly important to the entire show. Crosby is also young, and just as important to the league. Since he was drafted first overall by the Penguins, Crosby has been known as the savior of the NHL. Everything (at least from a marketing standpoint) revolves around Sidney Crosby. Without him, the NHL is completely different. Without Aaron, the show changes considerably as well.

Jack Sheppard- Michael Phelps

Jack is, without a doubt, the main character of the show. He is only doctor among the survivors, and becomes their leader in season one. Everybody looks up to Jack, and more often than not, he delivers for them. Phelps' rise to fame during the Beijing Olympics put him at the top of the sports world. For quite awhile, America followed Phelps carefully, waiting with baited breath for every word (especially the media) he spoke. He led all American athletes at the Olympics with his eight gold medals, but has recently been getting criticized loudly. Both have gotten into drugs since returning (Jack from the Island, Phelps from Beijing). Jack's addiction to painkillers and booze hurt his relationships with the rest of the Oceanic Six. It's unclear, at this point, how the photos of Phelps ripping a bong at a friend's house will affect his relationships (with sponsors mainly) at this point in his career.

NO SHOW TOMORROW

There will be no show tomorrow, Saturday, January 24, 2009. We'll be back next week at noon on 1550 am WNTN and WNTN.com.

RED SOX ALL-TIME GREATS TEAM

The newly formed MLB Network was recently showing Red Sox: All-Time Greats, a show about the three best players at each position to ever play for the Sox. Here is my team roster for the ultimate Red Sox team, complete with a starting nine, a bench, a five man rotation, and a bullpen.

The Starting Lineup
1. Bobby Doerr- 2B
2. Wade Boggs- 3B
3. Jimmie Foxx- 1B
4. Ted Williams- LF
5. Fred Lynn- CF
6. Carlton Fisk- C
7. Dwight Evans- RF
8. Johnny Pesky- SS
9. Pitcher's spot

The Bench
Nomar Garciaparra- SS/IF, Tris Speaker-CF, Carl Yastrzemski-LF, Jason Varitek-C, Joe Cronin-IF

The Starting Rotation
1. Cy Young
2. Pedro Martinez
3. "Smokey" Joe Wood
4. Roger Clemens
5. Bruce Hurst

The Bullpen
Bill "Spaceman" Lee (Long Relief), Luis Tiant (Long Relief), Dennis Eckersley (Middle Relief), Ellis Kinder (Middle Relief), Bob Stanley (Set Up), Dick Radatz (Set Up), Jonathan Papelbon (Closer)

There it is. The Red Sox ultimate 25-man roster, complete with starting nine, rotation, bench, and bullpen. Any disagreements? Let us know.

CHECK OUT "THROUGH THE FIVE HOLE"

Since I was writing primarily about the Bruins and the NHL for awhile, I decided it was time to start a blog entirely devoted to the sport. Check out "Through the Five Hole" for all your hockey needs. Of course, we will continue to post on here as well, and remember to listen to Saturday Morning Sports, noon to one every Saturday on 1550am WNTN, and WNTN.com.

BOSTON'S MOUNT RUSHMORE

One of ESPN's new features is a state-by-state "Mount Rushmore of Sports" debate in which fans can decide on who would make their state's monument. The Boston sports scene is one of the hardest to do because so many superstar athletes have passed through this town, and each brought something different to the table. But if I had to pick the four faces for Boston's Mount Rushmore of Sports, they would be:

Ted Williams
You can't have a Mount Rushmore for Boston sports without "the greatest hitter who ever lived." The Splendid Splinter hit 521 homers for the Red Sox in 19 seasons, and averaged 130 RBI per year. A two-time American League MVP, Williams is the last player to hit over .400, hitting .406 in 1941.

Red Auerbach
With respect to Bill Russell and Larry Bird, who each could have made this list in their own right, I'm going with the man who signed both of them, Red Auerbach. Red coached the Celtics from 1950 through 1965 (and stayed on as GM for many more years), and won NBA Championships in eight straight years (1958-65). Quite simply, the Celtics have won more NBA Titles than any other franchise, and you don't have that unbelievable history without Red Auerbach.

Tom Brady
The Patriots sixth round pick in 2000, Brady took over for an injured Drew Bledsoe in just his second season in the league and turned the New England franchise around. A career record of 86-24 in the regular season and 14-3 in the playoffs makes Brady the most important player in team history. He is a three time Super Bowl Champion, a two-time Super Bowl MVP, and has the NFL record for touchdown passes in a single season with 50. Brady has a career passer rating of 92.9 and won nine playoff games in his first five seasons, the most of any starting quarterback in his first five seasons in NFL history.

Bobby Orr
Considered by many to be the greatest player to ever lace up skates, Orr forever changed the way the game was played. Despite only playing 10 seasons in Boston (12 in his career), Orr won eight Norris Trophies as the league's top defenseman, was a two-time Hart winner (League MVP), and a two-time Conn Smythe winner as the playoff MVP. He won two Stanley Cups with the Bruins, was a nine-time All-Star, and his 120 points in 1970-71 was unheard of for a defenseman. He is perhaps best remembered for his game winning goal in overtime of the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals against the St. Louis Blues.

WHY GARY BETTMAN IS THE WORST COMMISSIONER IN SPORTS

When former NBA executive Gary Bettman took over the job of commissioner of the NHL on February 1, 1993, he wasn't exactly the most seasoned hockey mind. Bettman's lack of experience, in fact was so well known that famed hockey writer Pat Williams stated "I gave Gary a hockey puck once and he spent the rest of the day trying to open it." Nearly two decades later, Bettman is still hockey's head honcho, and it's not really clear how much he has learned. What is clear though, is the multitude of problems facing professional hockey, all of which make Bettman the worst commissioner in pro sports today.

Bettman started to ruin the sport by watering down the NHL with too many teams and moving existing teams into markets that clearly don't give a crap about hockey. While the Florida Panthers and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim had already been announced as expansion franchises when Bettman came into power, he has since added the Nashville Predators (1998), Atlanta Thrashers (1999), Minnesota Wild (2000), and Columbus Blue Jackets (2000). Minnesota, colloquially known as "the State of hockey", needed a team after the state's beloved North Stars moved south to Dallas in 1993.

Bettman further attempted to shift the NHL's focus into the American south by relocating teams from the hockey hotbed in the great white north. The Quebec Nordiques packed up and moved to Denver in 1995, the Winnipeg Jets became the Phoenix Coyotes one year later, and a year after that the Hartford Whalers moved to Raleigh and became the Carolina Hurricanes.

Furthermore, Bettman has been accused as having an anti-Canada bias, a seemingly ridiculous stance for the leader of a sport so popular north of the border to have. But when multi-millionaire Jim Balsillie reached a tentative agreement to buy the Predators with the hopes of moving them to Hamilton, Ontario, Bettman wouldn't allow it. The Preds had just finished their best regular season in team history, yet were ranked 21st in the league in average attendance. When Balsillie went to put season ticket orders for the Hamilton Predators on Ticketmaster, he received more than 7,000 deposits on the first day alone. Despite having somewhere around 12,000 deposits from Hamilton fans (more than the Nashville season ticket base), Balsillie, who had done this to prove Hamilton as a viable NHL market, had his bid rejected by the league for not putting forth "a good faith effort" to keep the team in it's current location.

Bettman, who was tabbed as commissioner primarily to end the league's labor problems, has been forced into lockouts on two separate occasions, in 1994-95, and again in 2004-05. The NHL became the first major professional sports league to cancel an entire season of play after the second of the lockouts could not be resolved in time to start the regular season in early October.

The league is still feeling the effects from the lockout, and may not fully recover for years to come. One major problem that has since developed is the lack of suitable television coverage. Hockey is probably the best sport to watch in high definition, yet nationally televised NHL games primarily appear on Versus, a small network that is hard to find for non-hockey fans. It's not something anybody is going to stumble across while channel surfing. Not a good way to attract more fans.

Now don't get me wrong, Bettman has done some good as commissioner of the NHL. His work to create a better salary cap has helped bring some parity to the league, and he has stabilized some of the league's financial troubles. On the whole though, Gary Bettman has been an overwhelmingly negative influence on the game of hockey.

Let's hope that one of these days he'll finally stop trying to open the puck and just drop it already.

LIFE AFTER PIOLI

The Patriots have lost another top evaluator. First Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels bolted to take the reigns of the Denver Broncos, and now VP of Player Personnel Scott Pioli is moving west to take over as GM for the Kansas City Chiefs.

It will be very interesting how the Patriots respond. Pioli is obviously one of the top executives in all of football, and his loss is a huge one for a franchise that has been so successful in the new millennium. The Patriots have already named his successor in Pioli's former assistant, Nick Caserio.

In his column on Caserio in today's Boston Globe, beat writer Mike Reiss (friend of the blog) says that the Pats were right to name an in-house replacement because of how closely Bill Belichick works with the front office. Knowing exactly what kind of player the coach likes will save Caserio tons of time and should help the Pats remain one of the better teams in the AFC for years to come. Caserio is a system guy who has worked both on the field--as an offensive coaching assistant and wide receivers coach--and in the front office. He's an extremely hard worker and should fit right in in his new role.

And as long as Belichick is in charge of the team, the Patriots will be just fine.

MIDSEASON ROUNDUP

I know I know. Another hockey post? Well I promise, we'll switch it up soon! But for now, with the NHL's All-Star festivities coming up, and the season already past the midway point (41 games), let's look at where we are in the various award races. Keep in mind, these are only our predictions, feel free to disagree.

Hart Trophy (MVP): Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
The former first overall pick is quickly becoming the face of the league, and has the Caps battling it out for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Other Candidates: Evgeni Malkin, Joe Thornton

Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year): Steve Mason, Columbus Blue Jackets
Mason has come out of nowhere to emerge as a serious candidate for the Vezina Trophy as the League's top goalie. As a rookie, his stellar play is all the more impressive. Other Candidates: Blake Wheeler, Kris Versteeg

Norris Trophy (Top Defenseman): Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins
The Captain of the best team in the Eastern Conference (and for now the NHL), Chara is the heart and soul of the League's top rated defense. Other Candidates: Mike Green, Nicklas Lidstrom

Vezina Trophy (Top Goalie): Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins
18-4-3 with a 2.04 goals against average, Thomas has (literally) stood on his head for this team. His play is one of the main reasons why they are in such good position. Other Candidates: Steve Mason, Nicklas Backstrom

Selke Trophy (Best Defensive Forward): Mike Richards, Philadelphia Flyers
Richards is near the top of the league in blocked shots and takeaways. His play on the penalty kill has been tremendous for Philly as well. Other Candidates: Pavel Datsyuk

Adams Award (Coach of the Year): Claude Julien, Boston Bruins
That's right, another Boston award. Deal with it! Nobody expected this from the B's this season, after finishing eighth in the Conference a year ago. Boston is 32-7-4 through 43 games this year. Other Candidates: Todd McLellan

TOUGH BREAK FOR BRUINS

Just as everything was coming together for the Bruins, their top scorer gets shelved. Phil Kessel, Boston's 21-year-old superstar was placed on IR today with mono, and will miss anywhere from two weeks to a month. Kessel, who was one of the biggest All-Star snubs of the season, has had a breakout campaign so far this year, netting 24 goals and 17 assists for the East leading Bruins.

The timing of the sickness is the main issue for Claude Julien's club. The B's five games leading into the All-Star break include a showdown with arch rival Montreal, and a trip to the Nation's Capital to see Alexander Ovechkin and the red hot Washington Capitals. The Caps had won 12 of their last 13 games, including a 3-1 victory over Boston, before losing two straight. The Habs have won seven of their last eight, and four in a row overall.

It's fairly amazing that Boston has been able to sustain it's early season pace, given the absence of some big time players. Patrice Bergeron, who missed 72 games (plus seven playoff games) a year ago, has been out since December 20 after suffering another concussion. And Marco Sturm, a 27 goal scorer last season, has barely played this year, and will almost certainly miss the rest of this season.

So far, the Bruins have been able to plug in pieces and still get the job done. But with an extended absence from Kessel, who knows what will happen? B's fans shouldn't worry too much though. As long as Savard, Krejci, and especially Ryder continue to light the lamp (the B's are 14-0 in games when Ryder scores a goal), they will remain the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.

IS NFL OVERTIME WORTH FIXING?

Going into their playoff matchup last week, most people expected the Indianapolis Colts, winners of nine straight, to roll over 8-8 San Diego. The Chargers had other ideas however, and behind running back Darren Sproles' spectacular effort, had the game knotted at 17 as the fourth quarter clock ticked down to 0:00. San Diego won the coin toss and never gave up the ball, eventually winning on Sproles' 22-yard scamper some three and a half minutes into the extra frame. So Indianapolis, who breezed through the second half of the season, was eliminated after picking incorrectly on the most basic question: heads or tails? While the simple answer is to play better defense, it's not always that easy. There is something that is just unfair about overtime in the NFL and that needs to be fixed.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, 44% of the overtime games since 2006 have been won on the first drive by the team that won the coin toss. All in all, 64% of OT games have been won by the team that gets the ball first. That's a really startling statistic, suggesting that NFL overtime, in it's current incarnation, really isn't fair for both teams. So, can anything be done to even the playing field? I don't think the College Football OT rules would translate well in the professional ranks. Another idea, as suggested by ESPN.com's Bill Simmons, says a team should essentially be able to match a field goal with a possession of their own. But this one comes across as confusing and gimmicky, something the NFL doesn't want or need.

One interesting suggestion is to leave overtime in the regular season alone, but change it in the playoffs to one full quarter of action. The coin toss would still determine which club would get the ball first, but the first possession wouldn't determine the outcome. It would be similar to the system used in the NHL, where five minutes of overtime (and, if necessary, a shootout) are played in the regular season, but the playoffs see continuous action until a team wins. Of course, now the football OT wouldn't be sudden death, but it would mean the outcomes would be decided by the players 100% of the time.

The Colts, of course, are still sitting at home watching the playoffs on TV (for the record, I'm happy about that). With any luck though, teams in that situation in the future will at least get a shot of their own. And who knows? Maybe Bill Polian will demand changes...again.


**For the record it was my dad that came up with the new playoff OT idea. Thanks Pops.

CHIARELLI DESERVES CREDIT FOR MUCH OF B'S SUCCESS

Peter Chiarelli has a plan. That was all we heard when the Bruins hired Ottawa's Assistant GM to become their new General Manager in May, 2006. After a tough 2007 season, the B's improved drastically under new head coach Claude Julien a year ago. And now, less than two years since the hiring of Chiarelli, Boston has one of the best teams in all of hockey. After the club's 5-1 thrashing of Carolina earlier today at TD Banknorth Garden, the Bruins improved to 31-7-4, good for 66 points and a 12 point lead over the rival Canadiens in the Northeast Division. Much of the credit for the leaps and bounds this franchise has made in the past couple of years should go to their third year GM.

Since taking over for Mike O'Connell, Chiarelli has built a team ripe with young talent. Phil Kessel, the team's leading scorer, is only 21 and already one of the top forwards in all of hockey. Matt Hunwick, 22, Milan Lucic, 21, and David Krejci, 22, are all young talents coming into their own this season as well. Throw in free agent singing Blake Wheeler, the fifth overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, and the Bruins are stocked with cheap young players that bring fun and energy to the rink every night.

Additionally, Chiarelli has signed some big name free agents to bolster the roster and provide veteran leadership. 6'9 defenseman Zdeno Chara signed a five year, $37.5 million contract in July, 2006, and has been an All-Star selection each of the past two seasons. The heart and soul of Boston's league leading defensive unit, Chara has averaged well over 20 minutes per game in each season with the club. Chiarelli signed Marc Savard that same offseason, and "Savvy" has been a whiz in the offensive end during his stint in Black and Gold. Savard, who makes $5.5 million annually, has 38 assists so far this season, good for second in the entire NHL in that category.

Chiarelli has also made some key trades to improve the team as well. The GM was harshly criticized for trading fan favorite Brad Boyes to St. Louis for puck moving defenseman Dennis Wideman, but that trade has largely worked out for Boston. The offensive minded Wideman has been tremendous for the Bruins with 27 points (third most among Eastern Conference defenseman), and is a plus-24, trailing only teammates Savard (plus-28) and Wheeler (plus-25) on the season.

Other Chiarelli pickups include Aaron Ward, Andrew Ference, Chuck Kobasew, and Stephane Yelle, with each playing key supporting roles in the Bruins' current run to the top of the standings. Only time will tell how far this team can go, but they certainly have the depth to make a run. Call-ups Byron Bitz, Martins Karsums, Martin St. Pierre, and Vladimir Sobotka have all made appearances with the big club in 2008-09, and all have held their own while wearing the Spoked-B. Regular season wins may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but Chiarelli's boys appear to be in it for the long haul. A master plan indeed.

HOW IS PHIL KESSEL NOT AN ALL-STAR?

Really? There are actually 12 better forwards in the Eastern Conference right now than Phil Kessel? I can understand Boston's 21-year-old forward not starting for the East squad, but missing the team entirely? Come on.

Kessel currently ranks fourth in the conference with 24 goals, only three behind the triumvirate of Ovechkin, Carter, and Vanek, all All-Stars themselves. He had a stretch of 18 consecutive games with at least one point earlier this season, and is currently a plus-17, good for seventh best in the league, despite playing only 16:46 per night, ranking him 68th among Eastern Conference forwards.

Compare Kessel's numbers to those of Carolina centerman Eric Staal (who did make the team), for example:

Kessel: 24 goals, 17 assists, 41 points, 143 shots, 16:46 average time on ice
Staal: 18 goals, 14 assists, 32 points, 176 shots, 21:20 average time on ice

Of course, the B's leading goal scorer was left off because the fans voted Alexei Kovalev into the game as a starter for the East. Nevermind the fact that his 11 goals have him tied for 48th in the conference, or that his 31 points put him in 32nd. The voting for All-Star starters is a lot like the race for class president in middle school. It's all about who is more popular, and unfortunately for Kessel, Kovalev won that battle.

There are plenty of other snubs and ridiculous selections for this year's game, but Kessel, along with Caps defenseman Mike Green, appear to be the biggest mistakes. Oh well, there will be plenty of other Bruins to root for on All-Star weekend. Tim Thomas, Marc Savard, and Zdeno Chara will be representing the East in the game, and Milan Lucic and Blake Wheeler will be facing off in the Young Stars Game.

TIME TO TRADE BUCHHOLZ?

This offseason has been insane. Starting with the Phillies/Rays matchup that nobody saw coming, baseball has been on a roller coaster ride for the past three plus months. Twists and turns have swept up all 30 teams, and we have seen some ridiculous changes.

With the Yankees sweeping up all the top free agents, apparently trying to form some sort of fantasy baseball team, the Red Sox have struggled to counter. CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Mark Teixeira are all huge additions in the Big Apple, and in the view of many an "expert", have propelled the Yankees ahead of the Sox and Rays as the favorites to win the AL East this season. But in the words of Lee Corso, not so fast my friends! The Red Sox keep adding players, and will have a very formidable rotation come the regular season. But there is one more thing Boston should do to keep pace with New York: trade Clay Buchholz.

Having signed John Smoltz and Brady Penny, there is no room for Buchholz in the rotation this year. The club already is having issues finding a spot for young gun Justin Masterson, and Buchholz's shaky mechanics have no use in the bullpen. Should injuries occur, as they always seem to, Michael Bowden is ready to step up and take the hill for the big club.

Furthermore, Buchholz could be a centerpiece in a deal for a catcher or big bat for the lineup. Since the Sox missed out on Mark Teixeira, they are still looking for a big bat to replace the loss of Manny Ramirez, and Buchholz could be a big part of finding that missing piece. If Boston can use their young pitcher to land a catcher, like Texas' Jarrod Saltalamacchia, that would help immensely as well, for a roster that has only Josh Bard behind the plate.

A lineup of Ellsbury (CF), Pedroia (2B), Ortiz (DH), Lowell (3B), Youkilis (1B), Drew (RF), Bay (LF), Saltalamacchia (C), and Lowery (SS) would be quite formidable. With a rotation of Beckett, Matsuzaka, Lester, Penny, and Smoltz, the Sox would be one of the top teams in the AL this season.

All we know now though, is that this roller coaster will have gut-wrenching action right up until the end.

MY 5 FAVORITE BRUINS OF ALL-TIME

The recent book Black and Gold: Four Decades of the Boston Bruins in Photographs is amazing. Photographer Steve Babineau has shot the B's for the past forty years or so, and has snapped some of the most memorable and transcendent pictures in hockey history. The book has reminded me countless times of my own past with the team. My first game, back in January, 1993 was between the Bruins and the fledgling San Jose Sharks. I remember the distinct smell of the old Boston Garden, an odd combination of age, cigarettes, and popcorn; and then B's forward Joey Juneau's collision with a Shark, causing his stick to fly straight up high into the air. As I grew up, I continued to follow the Bruins. I saw the Garden torn down and replaced by the new building, the third jerseys turn an ugly mustard yellow, and hall of fame worthy players come and go on numerous occasions. So, with that said, I think it's time for me to look back at five of my favorite players that I distinctly remember watching don the spoked B. This eliminates Bruins greats like Orr, Esposito, and O'Reilly, but those guys were all a little before my time. Here goes...

5. SERGEI SAMSONOV
The eighth overall pick of the 1997 draft, Samsonov is still lacing 'em up, now for the Carolina Hurricanes. The 5'8 winger was an incredibly gifted stickhandler, often confusing opponents with ridiculous dekes and drags. Just a couple years ago, Sammy scored a jaw dropping goal by taking a feed and wristing the puck between his legs and over the shoulder of the Philadelphia goalie. An immensely talented player.

4. JOE THORNTON
Sticking with Bruins first round picks in 1997, we come to Joe Thornton, the top overall selection that year. Thornton was a much maligned figure in Boston for some reason, as media members and fans jumped on his back for not winning the big one right away, and not deserving the captain's C. What I remember though, is one of the most talented, strong, tough players I've ever seen. He's one of the best passers in NHL history, and someone who was extremely fun to watch. Since his trade to San Jose, Thornton has thrived, helping the Sharks to one of the best starts in NHL history this season.

3. ANDY MOOG
One of my first memories as a Bruins fan was watching Andy Moog make some tremendous glove saves. My friends and I would imitate him playing hockey in my basement, always taking turns to see who could make the best save with the glove, just like Moog. He only played in Boston from 1988-93, but was great in that span, helping lead the B's to two Stanley Cup Finals appearances, both losses to his old team, the Edmonton Oilers.

2. CAM NEELY
Current Bruins President Cam Neely ranks number two on this list, as he was one of the most iconic and skilled Bruins ever. Neely played thirteen NHL seasons, the last 10 with Boston, but was forced to retire young because of knee and hip problems, largely because of cheap shots by Ulf Samuelsson over the years. But while he was on the ice, Neely was pretty much unstoppable. One of my favorite memories of Neely is him deking through the entire Ottawa Senators team, including the goalie, for an easy tally. Neely pretty much revolutionized the "power forward" position in the NHL as well.

1. RAY BOURQUE
Bourque was the reason I wore number 77 in my first year in hockey. His early years were before my time, but as I grew up, he remained one of the best players in league history. His offensive prowess was amazing for a defenseman, as he scored 410 goals in his illustrious career. Who can forget an aging Bourque, playing in the 1996 All-Star Game in front of him hometown fans at the Fleet Center, scoring in the final minute to give the East a 5-4 win and taking MVP honors to boot? Bourque was one of the best players to ever wear the spoked B, and that's why he ranks first on my all-time list.

MY NHL ALL-STAR PICKS

The NHL All-Star starting lineups are out and, once again, the fans got it wrong. Of the six starters (including the goalie) representing the Eastern Conference, four are representing Montreal, and the other two are Pittsburgh Penguins. While fan voting for starters does leave something to be desired, here are my picks for the reserves for both the East and West rosters.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards (9):
Alexander Ovechkin, Capitals
Marc Savard, Bruins
Zach Parise, Devils
Phil Kessel, Bruins
Thomas Vanek, Sabres
Jeff Carter, Flyers
Simon Gagne, Flyers
Nicklas Backstrom, Capitals
David Krejci, Bruins

Defenseman (4):
Zdeno Chara, Bruins
Mike Green, Capitals
Mark Streit, Islanders
Dennis Wideman, Bruins

Goalies (2):
Tim Thomas, Bruins
Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards (9):
Jarome Iginla, Flames
Joe Thornton, Sharks
Pavel Datsyuk, Red Wings
Rick Nash, Blue Jackets
Loui Eriksson, Stars
Marian Hossa, Red Wings
Brad Boyes, Blues
Patrick Marleau, Sharks
Daniel Sedin, Canucks

Defenseman (4):
Dan Boyle, Sharks
Brian Rafalski, Red Wings
Nicklas Lidstrom, Red Wings
Duncan Keith, Blackhawks

Goalies (2):
Evgeni Nabokov, Sharks
Nicklas Backstrom, Wild

In case you're wondering about some deserving players not on my list, keep in mind that these are only reserves. The starters, as voted by the fans, are as follows:

LW: Evgeni Malin, Penguins
C: Sidney Crosby, Penguins
RW: Alexei Kovalev, Canadiens
D: Andrei Markov, Canadiens
D: Mike Komisarek, Canadiens
G: Carrie Price, Canadiens

LW: Ryan Getzlaf, Ducks
C: Jonathan Toews, Blackhawks
RW: Patrick Kane, Blackhawks
D: Brian Campbell, Blackhawks
D: Scott Niedermayer, Ducks
G: JS Giguere, Ducks

CAN STARBURY HELP THE CELTICS?

After winning 19 straight games, something happened to the Boston Celtics. They lost three of four on the west coast, and then were embarrassed at Madison Square Garden by the lowly New York Knicks.

With the team struggling, rumors began to swirl about bringing in Knicks malcontent Stephon Marbury as a backup point guard. Marbury, who is still under contract in New York, would bring veteran depth to Boston's struggling bench, and would allow Eddie House to play his natural position, getting open and shooting the rock. But Starbury should only don the green and white if he can accept a few basic conditions:

• Rajon Rondo is the starter, no questions asked. Marbury will be his backup, but Rondo will continue to start and get the crunch time minutes.
• Steph will make next to nothing for the rest of the season. The Celtics shouldn't compromise any cap space on him, and he will only be signed for the rest of this year. Besides, it's not like he needs the money, New York is paying him $22 million not to play for them this season.
  
• One strike and you're out. The Celtics have really good chemistry, which is one major reason they are currently the defending champs. Chemistry has never really been what Marbury is known for, so any kind of pouting should end this experiment quickly.
  

If Starbury can abide by these three rules, he can be a huge asset to a struggling Boston team. And if not, there's a nice seat for him on the bench at MSG.

MARK'S PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

Wild Card Round:
Indianapolis @ San Diego (Sat 8 PM)
Colts 27, Chargers 6
-The Colts enter the playoffs as the league's hottest team. The Chargers come in on the momentum of defeating the Broncos in week 17 to win the West, and are probably the first 8-8 team to ever have a home playoff game. The key to beating Indianapolis is pounding them with the run, and LaDanian Tomlinson has been a huge disappointment this season. Combine that with the fact that Norv Turner refuses to use Darren Sproles enough, throw in the Colts tough pass D versus Philip Rivers, and the Indianapolis offense against a shaky Charger's D, and you have a recipe for a potential blowout.

Baltimore @ Miami (Sun 1 PM)
Ravens 20, Dolphins 14
-Miami got into the playoffs thanks to great coaching, an offense based on trick plays and unusual formations, not committing turnovers, and most importantly, Brett Favre, who singlehandedly affected the seasons of four different teams (only one of them positively): the Jets, Packers, Patriots, and Dolphins. Despite the great story the Dolphins have been, I don't see their offense of trickery working effectively against Baltimore. I see a consistent Ravens offense combined with a defensive touchdown leading them to victory.

Divisional Round:
Baltimore @ Tennessee
Titans 10, Ravens 3
-The Joe Flacco-Kerry Collins QB matchup combined with two great defenses, points should be at a premium in this one. And despite the fact that the last game the Titans played prior to this was a pathetic 23-0 loss to the Colts in week 17, I still think they're a better team than the Ravens.

Indianapolis @ Pittsburgh
Colts 20, Steelers 16
-The Colts beat the Steelers in the regular season thanks to some boneheaded plays from Ben Roethelisberger. I'll still take Peyton Manning and crew over the vaunted Steelers D, and I would not be surprised in the slightest if Roethelisberger made some more boneheaded plays.

AFC Championship
Indianapolis @ Tennessee
Colts 31, Titans 9
-Just a terrible matchup for the Titans. Collins should get shut down compeltely by a rejuvenated Colts pass D - the only shot Tennessee has in this one is Chris Johnson and Lendale White each running for over 100 yards. Manning and the Colts offense can pick apart an overrated Titans defense.








Wild Card Round:
Atlanta @ Arizona (Sat 4:30 PM)
Falcons 34, Cardinals 28
-A suspect Atlanta secondary could make this game much more winnable for Arizona than most people think. However, an even more suspect entire Cardinals' defense should not be able to stop the Turner/Ryan combo on offense. If the fumbling/interception throwing Kurt Warner shows up instead of the MVP-caliber one, it could get ugly fast for the Cards.

Philadelphia @ Minnesota (Sun 4:30 PM)
Eagles 22, Vikings 18
-I actually had no idea that Brad Childress had been a former assistant to Andy Reid - it is the absolute perfect explanation for his entire retarted coaching style. This should be the ugliest game of the weekend by far, and is going to be one of those classic "who wants it less" games, where each team is constantly just making mistakes and being completely inept until evenutally someone just has to win the game. A Vikings home field advantage could come into play, but I think Childress is still slightly dumber than Reid, and Philly is a bit more talented. Oh, and did I mention it's Tavaris Jackson vs. Donovan McNabb? I don't care what people say, McNabb is still a solid QB.

Divisional Round:
Philadelphia @ New York
Giants 27, Eagles 13
-This should be a cakewalk for the G-men, who given a healthy Brandon Jacobs should have no troubles moving the ball effectively against the hapless Eagles.

Atlanta @ Carolina
Panthers 27, Falcons 20
-I was very tempted to pick the upset in this one, but I think John Fox is too smart to let a rookie quarterback beat him in the playoffs. The gameplan? Stop Michael Turner and make Ryan beat you himself - the most overlooked storyline of the Falcons season has been Michael Turner. Without him they would be lucky to win eight games, and Ryan definitely would not have won offensive rookie of the year.

NFC Championship:
Carolina @ New York
Giants 13, Panthers 3
-A rematch of the fantastic week 16 game that the Giants took in OT, I see another great game between the two teams for the NFC title - this time with much less offense. A consistent Giants run game led by Brandon Jacobs will give New York it's second NFC title in a row. Of course, the entire playoff run changes if he gets hurt again.






SUPER BOWL XLIII:
New York Giants: 17
Indianapolis Colts: 13
-It's a media orgy and my worst nightmare: a Manning v. Manning Super Bowl. This would be even worse than the Colts/Bears game a few years ago, in which I couldn't decide which team I wanted to lose more. Despite the fact that Eli Manning is the most overrated QB in the league, the Giants run game matches up perfectly against the Dungy-created paper mache defensive front of the Colts. Jacobs, Ward, and Bradshaw should tear the Colts' front seven apart - the only thing that will keep the Giants scoring down will be red zone ineptitudes and turnovers by Eli. The Giants as back to back champs, ugh. Good thing my picks are always wrong!

WEEK 17 PICKS RECAP, AND THE WINNER IS...

Mark! Carrying a lead for the majority of the year, I successfully closed Evan out in week 17 by going 8-8. Evan, of course, picking all the opposites of me in order to try and make up six games in the final week, also went 8-8. Here's how the season standings ended up:

MARK: 111-117-2
EVAN: 105-123-2

Unfortunately, neither Evan nor I could crack .500 for the season - example #324745 why our predictions should never be used outside of anything but a recreational setting.

And since Evan and I both agreed that the loser would treat the winner to dinner, Evan will be buying me a romantic dinner at Anna's Taqueria.