First, the leafs. They just lost to division rivals Boston. It was a good game and they could have won it. There are still moments of sloppiness that a team vying for a Stanley Cup just cannot afford to go through. As a Leaf fan I so want them to go all the way, but I have reservations. It looks as though they are going to finish 4th or 5th and play Ottawa. They have dominated that match up this year and, in the past, dominated any playoff square off the two teams have had. Can we repeat? I'm pretty sure we will, AS LONG AS BELFOUR IS HEALTHY. We are deep enough at every position except goaltender. The dropoff, as with just about every team, from starting goalie to backup is huge.
Every year, Leaf fans hope for their team to do well. This year we expect it. The only team I see beating them is Philly. There is something about that team that scares me. Every other team, we can beat if things fall into place, but Philly has something else - except a proven goalie. Time will tell.

The Raptors may not make the playoffs. There are rumours that there is strife between head coach and GM. At this point in time that should not matter. Their injured players are starting to come back. Things are looking brighter. However, they are still a club that is undersized, and lacks a physical presence. Teams take advantage of them inside, and the Raptors all too often settle for a jump shot rather than taking the pounding necessary to go to the hoop. Vince will have to change this...no one else can. If the rest of the team sees him putting that type of game together, they will follow suit. I think they will squeak into the last playoff spot and bow out of the first round.

Now, March Madness! It all starts this Thursday. The goal is the NCAA basketball championship. There is no other event in North America that draws more TV viewers than the 3 weeks of this tournament. The parity in US college hoops is unbelievable. In my estimation there are probably no less than 6 teams that have a legitimate shot at the title. And then there is always the team that comes out of nowhere. I have picked Pittsburgh the winner. But when it came to putting my money up, I picked Kentucky, although it pained me to do so. I like the underdog. I will be rooting for the underdog all through the tournament. There is something so much more intriguing about the college game that the pro game cannot touch. The heart break of these kids, even when they are not supposed to win, is something you rarely see at the pro level. These kids play the game for the love of the game, not the money. For many of them, this IS there final claim to fame. They will end their college career and go out into the real world to try to earn a living. They won't make the mega-millions the superstars will by turning pro. This is where the emotion comes from. This is why this tournament is so great.