"C" Stands For Currency

Ca$h Captains

In the end, money always talks. I know there is always a ceremonial loyalty, but dollars always dictate the results.

It's essentially official. The Sabres, as of some time in the next 36-72 hours, will be captain-less. It appears that the "excitement" of free agency was worth more than $5MM to Briere and $6MM to Drury. Of course, those numbers are all speculation, but if they can speculate what they will get on the open market, then I will speculate what they turned down from Buffalo.

While Camp Drury remains quiet, the Briere camp is nothing but smiles. Danny is excited to enter into his first stint as a UFA and it appears that while he is a tad nervous, he is optimistic that someone will call.

"On the one hand, you are a little scared that you're going to hit free agency and nobody is going to call you," said Briere. "But it's still pretty exciting. From hearing all the rumours, there should be more than one or two teams interested, so that's why it's exciting."

There it is. Briere is excited about the rumors he is hearing that one or two teams may or may not be interested in him. Could it be LA, Philly, or Montreal? No one knows anything other than there are a lot of teams that missed the playoffs last year that Briere is excited to hear from. That is the type of excitement a UFA experiences in this type of situation.

As for Drury, when you are about to become a multi-millionaire, well, everyone can wait until you are goddamn good and ready to discuss your thoughts on the future.

I can't say I blame them. I mean, I work for a corporation and I make pretty mediocre money, as far as people in my business make. If another company came in and offered me more money, I sure as well would take it and I don't have to wait until I'm thirty to do that. So, I can't bash free agents. Hell, I am an unrestricted free agent all year round so how can I complain?

I just hope that the offers that each of the soon to be former co-captains receive are fair enough to erase the awful memory of those horrific offers they received from the team just off another horrible season of almost getting to the Finals. If there is someone who knows the pain that they are going through, it's average people like myself.

No hard feelings gentlemen, I can't wait to pretend I care where your careers go.

Gots To Get Paid

$trait Cash, Homie

So much for the dream scenario. Like Ryan Seacrest at the end of each American Idol episode, Danny Briere is out. After turning down a 5-year, $25MM deal offered Wednesday, Briere's agent made it official that his client will look for more money in the open market, which most likely means that he will not return to the team that prevented him from a long and less than lucrative European hockey career.

Not much to say really here. Free agency means players come and go. It happens to every team
in every sport, but that doesn't make it less painful for fans.

It was a good ride, it could have been better, but why settle for $5MM a year from a team that has a real chance when you can go help re-build a team for $6+MM? It was the rap-star Mace who said it first, "It's all about the Benjamins". So much for a hometown discount.

Enjoy Philly Danny. Maybe I'll run into you some summer at the Shore, and I'll be sure to buy you a Yuengling and we can talk the old days. Also, I prefer Geno's over Pat's, in case you care.

Kane Goes First

Local Boy Does Good

For the first time in NHL draft history, the top two picks went to American born players with the first pick going to South Buffalo native Patrick Kane. Kane spent last season destroying the competition in the OHL playing for the London Knights (62 goals, 83 assists) and was picked number one by the recently struggling Chicago Blackhawks.

Despite ambiguous reports in the Buffalo News today regarding a last ditch effort by Darcy Regeir to try to "converse" with Chicago about trading the first pick, Kane went to a team that desperately needs something to get back to a tradition that seems to have been lost for some years. Kane brings a youthful spirit to Chicago that should create some optimism in the Chicago organization in a way similar to the youth invasion in Pittsburgh. Chicago has had some bad luck trying to rebuild with aged free agents so Kane should be a breath of fresh air.

It is great to see a lot of Buffalo success these days, even though its not the Sabres. With former Sabre Brad May hoisting the Cup along with Buffalo native Todd Marchant, and now Kane going first, at least Buffalonians can take some pride knowing that our tradition goes beyond wings and beef on weck. Of course, these are all consolation prizes and the real joy would be the Cup and only the Cup. Until then, we still have our local boy, who perhaps one day will wear the blue and gold. We all should remember the Versus interview with Kane during game 2 of the Rangers series, standing ice level wearing the Sabres hat. It fit just fine and so would a blue and gold sweater. Maybe some day.

Toskala Toronto Bound

Andrew Who?

Goalie heavy San Jose landed a few extra draft picks by sending Mark Bell and Vesa Toskala for draft picks in this year's first major draft day trade. For these two players, San Jose is receiving a conditional 2007 first rounder, a 2007 second rounder and a 2009 fourth rounder.

Toskala is a sound goaltender who lead the Sharks this past year in wins and goals against. TSN has him ranked as a no. 2 goalie, but most would disagree with that assessment as demonstrated by his record from this year (26-10-1). Toskala was definitely grouped with Ilya Bryzgalov and Manny Fernandez as this year's top goalie trade bait.

Mark Bell is a solid left-winger who has size and decent scoring ability. In a division where you need to deal with the bangin' Sens and my pesky Sabres, a power forward like Bell will do just fine.

The Bell move makes sense and could serve the Leafs well. The Toskala move is a little more puzzling than brilliant. I'm sure there are Leaf fans who have seen Toskala play and look forward to him playing in the ACC, but the move does beg the question, what about Raycroft?

Raycroft signed a decent size deal last year to come in and solve the inconsistency in the Toronto net, but it seems the Leafs' brass was not convinced. Now, it's Toronto that is goalie heavy and may have backed themselves into a corner cap-wise.

In the old days, these move would have made perfect sense. The Leafs would just pay both and be done with it. But now, they need to be a little careful because there are other things to consider in the cap era, like injuries. The last time we checked, there are some Leafs that are getting up there in age, eh-hem, Sundin.

Now, of course, it's not like either guy is getting Guigere money, but carrying $4MM in goalies is never a good strategy when you got close to $14MM tied up in Sundin and McCabe. Also, when you have guys like Ilya Brzgalov, Christ Mason and Manny Fernandez out there as coveted trade bait goalies, the market isn't so hot for under performing starters or high-priced back-ups. So, the Leafs may be stuck with Raycroft's salary. All this is, of course, predicated on the assumption that brining in Toskala meant that Raycroft is out of a starting job, neither of which was announced by Toronto.

On the San Jose side of things, I just hope it's not a move to clear space for a certain Buffalo UFA that may or may not be set on moving out to Cali. That would just plain suck.

Muckler Out

Muck Raking In Ottawa

What does a Stanley Cup Finals appearance get you in Ottawa? Well, if you are a GM entering a contract year, it gets you fired. Almost a month after losing a Cup bid in the finals, the Ottawa Senators showed GM John Muckler the door and handed the throne over to current, and soon to be ex, head coach Bryan Murray.

Reports broke over the weekend in the Ottawa Sun making it to TSN and other Canadian outlets but the Sens leadership remained quiet until it was made official at a press conference today.

Citing a team at a crossroads, owner Eugene Melnyk felt that the Sens were better off handing front office control to Murray rather than re-upping his coaching contract and waiting to renegotiate with Muckler next year. Muckler had one year left on a contract and began his tenure in Ottawa in 2002.

I think it is premature to evaluate this move. In terms of the GM position, Murray is no step down. He was GM of the 2003 Ducks team that went to the finals and seems to know how to put together a good team. The tale of this move will be who ends up behind the bench in Ottawa. Since Murray will not continue as head coach, the Sens will be breaking up a coaching staff that seemed to have clicked with the players this year, especially in the playoffs. Depending on how the new coach works out, this could be a good or bad move for the Sens. We won't know until the new coaching staff takes over and Murray gets done with the off season tasks, the likes of which include Ray Emery, Mike Comrie, and the bloated salary of Martin Gerber.

Muckler's legacy in Ottawa will most likely differ from fan to fan. Some will argue that Muckler has been a failure for years of playoff futility and no Cup. Some blame Muckler for not pulling the trigger on the Gary Roberts deal, which could have helped them against Anaheim, but some also credit Ottawa's strength the past two seasons to Muckler's trade giving up Marien Hossa while bringing in Heatley. Either way, Muckler's tenure in Ottawa will be debated for months to come.

I don't see Muckler going to a new club. I know that he said he was having too much fun in Ottawa to consider retiring, but that was after years of building Ottawa into the club they are today. Does he have the energy to start over with a new club that would most likely need rebuilding and a lot of patience? He would probably say yes, but at 73, other clubs may not be so sure.

It will be interesting to see how Murray handles the off-season and how the coaching staff unfolds in Ottawa as well as if I am wrong about Muckler's career being done. Since Calgary hired Mike Keenan, anything seems possible these days.

Budget Rumors Finally Put To Rest

Players' Salary Budget Going Up

Putting to rest past rumors regarding the Sabres' player spending decreasing, the Sabres made it perfectly clear today that those rumors were false. At a morning press conference today announcing the re-signing of Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier, Larry Quinn, who most likely advises Golisano on spending matters, announced that the spending on players this year will be higher than last year.

Although figures were not disclosed, it lifts a large cloud of gloom regarding the Sabres' willingness to spend the money required to sign Briere, Drury, etc. There were still no guarantees, but the increased probability is sure to help fans sleep a little bit better.

This also goes to prove that Golisano is a billionaire of the Richard Branson school of thought. Golisano, a keen business mind, has shown he knows how to keep markets interested while keeping his own interests in the front of his mind. He, like Branson, enjoys throwing out business man phrases that keep people talking but in reality, while Paychex is his living, the Sabres have become his passion and his personal pride. Much like Branson's space tourism aspirations, the Sabres are something that Golisano wants to give to WNY as his legacy.

If Golisano didn't run for governor and didn't buy the Sabres, what would his legacy be? In the business community, it would have been Paychex, but that is the vast minority of people in the area. Golisano knows that a Stanley Cup in this town will make him immortal. There would be a parade followed by a statue and "Tom Golisano Ave" somewhere downtown.

When you have billions, and I am just guessing, life becomes about different things. Most wealthy business men do not like to sit back and watch time roll by, and they also don't want to work 20 hours a day towards a goal they already achieved. Instead, it becomes about legacy and how they will be remembered. If this wasn't the case, there would be no Vanderbilt University and no Carnegie Mellon.

Golisano has clearly seen what this team's success can do for this town and it appears that he sees this team as an opportunity for his legacy. One thing is for sure, if this team ever marches down Delaware Ave hoisting that Cup, the loudest cheers will be for Golisano and his legacy would sewn up as an immortal hero that gave Buffalo something to smile about for generations.

So, am I surprised that he'll spend the money? Not one bit.

Headline Summarizes It Well

Stanley Cup finals draw record-low ratings

There is no interpretation or commentary needed. The headline says it all.

Governors, Bettman believes this is OK and acceptable. Do you?

Back To This Again

Ottawa Sunburn

... Makes me laugh that Daniel Alfredsson took a lot of heat and was even called "classless" by American TV broadcasters for shooting the puck at Scott Niedermayer with time running out in the second period of Game 4. The only thing he did wrong was fire it too low. In the Stanley Cup final, you should be doing everything you can to win. With two seconds left on the clock and standing at your blue line, you're not going to score. Attempting to take out the opponent's best defenceman is the next best thing. Believe it's called competitiveness ... (Don Brennan, Ottawa Sun)

Most assumed that once the Senators got the Finals, the Ottawa hockey press would maybe give up on their fantasy notions of what good hockey really is. I think after game 3 when McAmmond lay flat and motionless on the ice after a Chris Progner elbow, that the definitions of clean and dirty would become much more apparent.

Well, we can scrap that idea. It seems dirty does not apply inside the Senators' dressing room. Not unlike the league, the Ottawa press holds this umbrella of protection over the Sens and constantly reiterates that the Sens can do no wrong.

The Pronger hit was dirty. There is no argument to the contrary, it is cut and dry. Being that we can all agree on that, why can we not just agree that Alfie's slap shot at Niedermayer was also dirty?

First we need to clarify Brennan's argument. He doesn't defend Alfie by saying that what he did was not on purpose or was a fluke. He says that Alfie did it on purpose, he was trying to "take out" the Ducks' best defenseman, and that it was competitiveness, not a lack of class. If you don't believe me, please stop, re-read the quoted passage above before you continue.

Taking a slap shot at someone 20 feet away on purpose is equal to purposely trying to injure someone with a stick, or an elbow. There is no difference between the three. Pronger wanted to injure McAmmond with his elbow and Alfredsson wanted to injure Niedermayer with the puck. You cannot say that one is dirty and one is competitiveness because both are intending to hurt using blunt force that is coming from things that are other than the shoulder.

The motivation to "take out" any player is in no way competitive, it's classless. Most good open ice checkers hit very carefully and will almost always stay away from the other player's head and knees. The goal of any good checker is to take someone out of a play, not out of a game, a season, or a career. To suggest otherwise is ludicrous and to even hint otherwise borders a level of stupidity and ignorance that no one should reach. This is supposed to be a game played by gentlemen, who understand that everyone is in the league to make a living and should respect the fact that purposely injuring someone, no matter what the stakes, can not only ruin someone's career but also their livelihood. This is not Ultimate Fighting, and not WWF Wrestling. Physical play is good but physical punishment has no place in hockey.

Brennan would have been much better off had he tried to play the "it was an accident" card. He could have said Alfie didn't see Niedermayer and that the shot had a one in a million chance of hitting him. Instead, like the Canadian Press always does when a Sen is involved, tries to play it like its noble and its part of the game.

Hey Brennan, what if Murray told Alfie to "go out and run 'em" right before he shot that puck? Would that change your opinion on "taking out" other teams' best players? Rational people can only hope so.

You'll Never Walk Alone

All Too Familiar

As much as I want to enjoy Ottawa's misery, I can't help but be reminded of my own and as a big believer in Karma, I must take the high road.

Seeing the stunned Senators shake hands with the Cup champs then slowly glide off the ice only reminded me of the 1999 Cup Finals, 2006 ECF and the 2007 ECF. There are never any words, realizations, or silver linings that can console a hockey fan after his or her team has just been eliminated. In fact, all of the above usually tend to make it worse.

It's almost tragically comical how you immediately forget all the good things and good memories of the season when you see your team shake those hands and make the slow skate back to the bench. The only thing you think about is what could have, what would have and what should have been and there are not enough Prince of Whales Trophies or President's Trophies in the world to make any of it easier to take. True hockey fans like the ones found in cities like Buffalo and Ottawa have one thought and one thought only when the season starts and that is going to a Stanley Cup Parade in June. It's tough and it never seems fair.

I always debate whether it's easier to suffer a loss in the first round or to get all the way to the Conference or Cup Finals and lose. The truth is, it doesn't matter. I think back to all the years where the Sabres were ousted before May and they never seemed to be any easier than the equally miserable losses deep into the rounds. I guess it doesn't make any difference and the rule is essentially no Cup, no joy.

So, I do feel for Ottawa fans. Up until this year, we had made a habit of wrecking their Cup dreams in the playoffs and when they finally ended that streak this year, it seemed that it was finally their year with everyone in the Red and Gold feeling happy. It's amazing how emotions can change in two short weeks after you think you couldn't be happier and it is always a challenge to look past it. From past experience, I have learned that it may make you feel a little better to see your rivals' sadness, but it doesn't change the fact that you were once that sad. So for now, I'll give the Senators and their fans a few days to mourn, but when that is up, it will be back to hating them as usual.

Until then, just know that your rivals just south of the border know that feeling all too well.

Cup Evades Canada, Again

Cup Lands In Orange County

First, a movie starring Tom Hanks' son, then a hit Fox TV show, then multiple reality TV shows on MTV and Bravo, and now, a Stanley Cup has found its way to the OC. The Los Angeles Ducks Of Anaheim have given the folks of Orange County something to really cheer about today as they finally took out the Ottawa Senators last night in a not-so-subtle fashion winning 6-2. The Stanley Cup now finds itself on the West Coast for the first time in history, and for the third year in a row, evades Canadian hockey fans.

In a game that was not so much a nail biter as it was a formality, Anaheim lit up Ottawa for 6 goals, well 5 if you don't count the one Chris Phillips scored on his own goalie. Both teams registered less than 20 shots (18-13 in favor of the Ducks) , so it really was not a goalie battle either. In all, it seemed like the Cup clinching game could be categorized as a defensive battle backstopped by par to sub-par goal tending, not exactly what the TV execs wanted, but at least this year, fans got to see the cup celebration for more than 10 minutes before NBC cut to local news.

The Conn Smythe went to Scott Niedermayer, and in my opinion, you can't celebrate an award like the Conn Smythe or the Cup in a classier fashion than he did. Scott was soft-spoken and could not go five words without mentioning his joy of being able to celebrate all of it with his teammate and brother Rob, who raised the Cup immediately following Scott. It was easy to tell by his speech that Scott's emotions were running very high being able to stand next to his brother and talk to Pierre McGuire about the Cup they had just won together. It was a great moment for hockey and a great moment in sports. After that, it's tough to dislike either player, even though Scott had made a nice career in New Jersey of shutting down Buffalo scoring lines, especially in the playoffs.

Another longtime veteran player that deserved to finally win one was Teemu Selanne. A long time class act and future Hall of Fame player, he too was overwhelmed with emotion as he, teary eyed, hugged his wife after the Ducks were presented with the Cup. He was the third Duck to carry the Cup. My opinion on Selanne was always indifferent since he is a career Western Conference player, but his play during last year's Olympics changed that. Watching him continue playing in the medal round after getting hit in the mouth, losing teeth, and seeing his emotional reactions to receiving the silver medal instead of the gold showed the pride he had not only in his home country of Finland, but also his dedication to the game.

Chris Pronger is one lucky bastard and if Anaheim fans need someone to thank, it's Mrs. Pronger for wanting out of Edmonton. Enough said.

In all, despite the fact that most Buffalo fans would never route for Ottawa, I enjoyed seeing the Ducks win. Their celebration was sincere as shown by the reactions of the Niedermayers and Selanne. The ratings sucked and Canada will be in mourning for a little while, but in all, I thought it was some great hockey and we can now put this year behind us and count down the days until the puck drops for next season where every fan will hope to be next year's Anaheim Ducks.

Yashin's Retirement Plan

$2.2 Million/Year Pension Plan

Just when it seemed as if honor of being called the most envied NHL player was sewn up by Sydney Crosby, news broke today of now ex-Islander Alexei Yashin's contract being bought out by the Islanders at a whopping bargain of $17.6 million.

Yashin had $26.45 million owed to him, but under the new CBA, the Isles had the option to buy out the contract at two-thirds of that price over the next 8 years ($2.2 million per year) and have only that amount count towards the cap each season.

So, after a very disappointing playoff performance this year, and a below expectations Islander career, Yashin will now make $2.2 million per year, for the next 8 years, on top of what he has already made in his Islander career, to do nothing more than chill-out on the beach in the Hamptons.

I used to envy Sydney Crosby because of his skill, youth, popularity, and endless potential. Not any more. I now envy the man who proved that with one good year in pro sports, along with a good agent, can set you up for life regardless of how you perform later on. I'm sure that Yashin will still want to play and does want to be a Cup champ, but if I was his close friend, I would sit him down and say, "Are you f**king nuts?".

If only I had a pension plan like that waiting for me.

Oh Captain!

Did Captain Alfie Sink The Ship?

Every series has a turning point. Chris Drury scoring with 7.7 seconds left to tie the Rangers in Game 5 of round 2, Scott Niedermayer's tying goal with 48 seconds left in Game 5 against Detroit, and Joe Corvo's bouncing double OT winner in Buffalo were all series changing events that eventually led to the demise of each team's opponent. The question is, was Daniel Alfredsson's shot "at" Scott Niedermayer the series changing event for these Finals?

Whether or not Alfie did it on purpose is debatable but in reality, it's irrelevant. It doesn't matter what his intentions were, the only thing that matters is that the Ducks interpreted it as an intentional and classless act. It was all the Ducks needed to come out firing in the 3rd period to get the eventual game winner. The shots in the 3rd were equal, but Ottawa could not ride the momentum of the late 2nd period Heatley goal into the 3rd due to the buzz-kill of a "failed" shoot-in attempt by Alfie as time ran out. Had Alfredsson not shot that puck, perhaps Ottawa could have rode that wave of good momentum into the third and perhaps scored the decider, but instead, Anaheim capitalized on their emotions and now head back home one win from a Cup.

Like I said before, maybe Alfie aimed for Niedermayer and maybe he didn't. Truth be told, unless he is the dumbest Swede this side of the ocean, I can't see the Ottawa captain doing that on purpose, even as much as I would like to think he did. But none of that matters. What matters is that the Anaheim players thought he did, used it as motivation to play hard and wound up with the win.

If things end up not working out for Ottawa in this series, players and fans will look back to find that one play or one shift where things went bad. If this is to be the case, the unfortunate thing for Alfredsson is that his shot that hit Niedermayer will most likely be the play that people will interpret as the bad play that sunk the ship.

Welcome To The Club

I dont get whats wrong with Ottawa. They started off dominating the first period and got that last second goal. Ever since then, it seems they just fell back into a deep sleep, like the first 2 games. It just doesn't seem like Ottawa has the desire to win, they just don't seem to want it enough and it really showed tonight. Ottawa beat themselves tonight. And who was it that said Redden was playing some of his best hockey? Another bumbled play by him tonight costed Ottawa another goal.

This was a post on espn.com last night from an obviously distraught Ottawa fan who was wondering where his dominant playoff team is. The scary part of it is that if you change Redden to Spacek (or Kalinin) and Ottawa to Buffalo, it's pretty much our identical thoughts about two weeks ago. Strike the "pretty much", it is exactly what we were thinking to weeks ago. All I can say to the writer of that post is that I hear you loud and clear and I just want to officially welcome you to the club.

1 Million Viewers. Phew!

NBA ECF Game Destroys Game 3 Of Stanley Cup Finals

Ratings were higher on NBC for Game 3 (~1.25MM viewers) than they were for Games 1 and 2 on Versus, but were still fairly embarrassing. US viewers, instead, seemed to prefer Lebron James and Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals which was airing on TNT at the same time. The difference was in the 4 to 1 range.

Not quite sure how Bettman spins this one, so we'll just have to wait for him to reiterate that the NHL, under his administration, is STILL not defined by TV ratings.

We would sure hope not. But until then, we can only hope the SCF can break the 2 million viewer mark for at least one game of these Finals.

The Bettman Regime of Denial

"He said the player wasn't injured, so mind my own business."

Once again, Colin Campbell proves he is nothing short of a biased dictator who refuses to punish teams that he favors and is too chicken $hit to punish a Canadian team. In the case from last night, as in many other cases involving Ottawa, specifically Chris Neil, Campbell believes that Ottawa players can do no wrong.

On the Pronger issue, I believe that he was correct, but Brian Burke is 100% correct about Campbell's decision to do nothing about Chris Neil. Chris Neil is a piece of garbage head hunter who appears to be authorized to do whatever he wants to whomever he wants under and obvious umbrella of league protection. Neil's hit on Andy McDonald was dirty and his intent was to hurt him. Campbell knows it, but purposely did nothing about it since the pride of Canada is at stake here, never mind the integrity of the joke of a game this has become.

Bettman, like Campbell, is also blind to reality. No one in America, except for hockey nuts, are watching the finals. Newspapers are not even spending the money to send writers to cover it. Yet, Bettman claims that the league is OK and that despite all the numbers that show the league's popularity declining and growth halting, he still feels that all is well. Let's see, a leader who claims that all is well despite mounds of evidence suggesting otherwise, does this all sound familiar?



The league is not OK. The salary cap may keep going up but nothing else is. The Nashville Predators are all but out of Tennessee, Carolina couldn't sell out the season after their Cup win, and the Finals can't even draw as many viewers as a regular season Orioles game. Americans, even those in the Northeast and Great Lakes, are not watching and not caring and Bettman should be, but is not, scared to death about the long term viability of this league. Bettman is and will be until he either resigns or is ousted, a lame duck.


Campbell, who is in charge of league operations, seems to be operating a beautifully scripted TV series that should be played all summer on Versus between Bull Riding and Sailing. Video replay appears to be the reality TV portion of the series where Co Executive Producer Campbell lets the audience vote, but only takes calls from Ontario. The Jerry Springer portion of the show is everything in between video replays with hardest working slobs in all of sports controlling the action on the ice because they were the oldest horses in the barn (and because McCreary's mustache looks so damn funny). It's not even worth going into detail about the officiating of the playoffs from the mysterious "Toronto War Room" to the missed on ice calls that have now lead to two suspensions by a guy who seems to again take his advice from his audience living north of the border. It's rampant, it's obvious and it is making this league a bigger joke than it already is.

The only thing that one can hope is that when baseball, football, basketball (NBA and WNBA) start lapping the NHL, double lapping in some cases, in all relevant business and marketing categories, the owners will finally realize that the "New" NHL isn't going to succeed with new rules, but by the ousting of the bums who cannot seem to enforce them and who cannot make even the easiest decisions about how to better the league. Hopefully, the owners will oust the regime that is trying to turn hockey into a scripted form of entertainment in order to attract a larger audience. Sound familiar?

This week's SJ Humanitarian Award goes to the lovely and tolerant people Canada for having a society open enough to allow Chris Neil to procreate. Well done. Well done, indeed.