Certainly like the 'Northern Uprising' branding

As far as Toronto sports teams go, I’m really just a fan of TFC. Yes I’ll hate watch the Leafs. I don’t care about baseball, so I’m indifferent to the Jays. But the Raptors have been intriguing for quite a while. I’m by no means a big basketball fan… I’d certainly be classified as a bandwagoner but the Raptors story has been pretty compelling this year. The underdog, lonely Canadian team that everyone counted out, not only make the playoffs but win (an admittedly) weak division’s title. I’ve watched the occasional bit of Raptors ball this season. I can watch basketball and enjoy it. Unlike baseball which bores me to tears. The few games I’ve seen made me think the Raptors were a pretty hard working team. It was easy to get behind them. So now they have drawn the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs. An older highly skilled team in a favourable market for the NBA… The teams split the first two games and area now going back to Brooklyn. I was listening to 590 this morning and the talk show host was wondering if the Raptors will get any breaks from the refs in Brooklyn. We shall see. Go Raptors!

Speaking of breaks from referees… It is pretty funny the trouble Ron MacLean got himself into by suggesting a French Ref shouldn’t ref a game in Montreal. As a Sabres fan, I’ve heard many Sabres’ fans complaining, for years, about CBO “Canadian Biased Officiating”. Especially with the Leafs and Habs. I don’t know if it is sour grapes or true. But it is a thing that has been kicked around for a long time. I find it funny that a lot of comments on this issue are saying Ron was being more like Don Cherry than Don Cherry. It does seem pretty logical to not have local refs calling a game in their local city. Just because Ron worded it awkwardly doesn’t mean he isn’t right.

Ahh, the hockey pool. The land of upsets, underdogs and WTFs. So I backed the Kings with four players, which at the time seemed like a great idea. All the pundits picked them, they had a great season but now they, likely my playoff pool hopes, are in the toilet. Last night they had a chance to make their series interesting but they lost in overtime and are now behind three games to nothing in the best of seven. Le sigh. At least the only Canadian team, the Habs won, sweeping the Lightning. I was surprised, and jealous to hear a buddy JoeyJoe was at the game. The atmosphere looked like it was amazing on TV, and it was a very intense and exciting game. I wonder if I’m the Hockey Pool kiss of death… My number one pick, the first pick of the draft, Krejci from the Bruins… Zero points. My FOUR Kings picks have a combined two points. Yup, when you pick the wrong teams in a pool, it can get ugly. I guess there is still hope for Krejci…. so far…

Ugh. I had physio again this morning. My arm feels like it came out of a vise. Had acupuncture needles in my arms for the first time. Which is odd… the slightest movement is a big HELLO. The arm does appear to be improving. The range of motion and area of pain seems to be slowly diminishing. Very slowly.

Also captivated by the underdog Blue Jacket playoff run against the Pens. Go Blue Jackets!