And We’re Coming Home, Finally

by Jeremy Visser… The Raptors are heading home and it’s not a moment too soon. Chris Bosh and the boys wrapped up a four-game trip tonight, falling 104-91 in Utah — their third straight loss after taking the opener against the Clippers last Friday.

This one had blowout written all over it early, as the Raptors started the way they finished Tuesday in Denver, falling behind by 18 in the first quarter. Bosh and Marco Belinelli helped Toronto claw its way back in, cutting the lead to one early in the fourth before the wheels fell off for the second straight night. Bosh finished with 32 points and 17 rebounds and Belinelli had his fourth straight double digit effort off the bench, scoring 19 on 7-of-14 shooting.

The most notable difference in this one was the point guard play. Jose Calderon wasn’t himself of late, going 4-of-14 and finishing with two assists and two turnovers. His counterpart, Deron Williams, ran all over him, scoring 22 and adding nine dimes. Carlos Boozer added 22 and 18 boards for the Jazz and Andrei Kirilenko had 20 points off the bench while sporting a fresh “new lesbian” hairstyle, as my man Sully Sullivan would say.

Another loss, but at least one that signals the end of hellish trip out west. After playing seven of the last eight on the road, the Raptors are home to face Miami Friday in the first of three at the ACC.

Maple Leafs Face Bad Bounces and Questions To Be Answered

by Louis “King of Roncesvalles” Pisano… Again the Maple Leafs gave up the first goal of the game, this time against Ottawa last night, marking the 17th time in 19 games.

Still a ways to go to break Atlanta’s record of 57 of 82, but certainly on their way toward it—definitely one record we don’t want to own in Toronto.

Why is it that the Leafs can’t seem to stay focused for a whole 60 minutes?

Do they have ADD?

How many times can the expression “bad bounces” be used in conjunction with the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Almost every game, seemingly, as the first goal was due to a bad bounce and a flutter ball over the glove of Vesa Toskala.

The battle of Ontario is certainly alive and well, as there were a number of fisticuffs in last night’s game—four, to be exact—and Colton Orr sure let Matt Carkner know what’s what with a straight right that landed right on the money and rocked him.

But this ruckus didn’t add up to anything in the points column for the buds, though they certainly left an impression on the Senators and perhaps the league, reassuring them that the Leafs are no pushovers.

So this now brings us to the next game against the Carolina Hurricanes tonight, one of only three teams the Leafs have beaten this year.

Does this mean we can chalk up another win against this bumbling Hurricanes team? Perhaps; perhaps not!

Carolina took Montreal to overtime and eventually a shootout last night despite losing again, but the ‘Canes secured a point, tying them with the Leafs for last overall in the league, four points behind the Ducks.

Carolina has been playing better as of late, getting points in its last three games, though losing all three, while the Leafs seem to be returning to the form they started the season with and have lost four in a row.

The Leafs’ effort is there at times and then seems to fade at points in the game. The first period against the Flames, they were horrid, and the second and third they were all over Calgary.

Can they and will they bring it for the full game against Carolina? This remains to be seen, obviously. They haven’ been rewarded for efforts in the past, so motivation could be low. Time for another game of dodgeball?

If being in last place isn’t motivation enough to play with everything you got then I don’t know what is.

The question of who can centre Phil Kessel hasn’t been answered, though most believe no one on the team fits that role, period. At least at this moment. Kessel recorded his first point in a Leafs uniform in his second game against this Carolina team, and Toronto will have to lean on him for scoring, as he has been the only consistent offensive threat for the forwards.

Are we ever going to bang in some of these juicy rebounds that are bouncing around in the crease seemingly every game?

Which player is going to step up and get to these tough areas?

After we pounded the Red Wings, I—like many in Leafs Nation—felt perhaps we were turning a corner, but it seems we smacked face-first into another wall.

Many people have answers to what is ailing the Leafs, but they seem to be falling on deaf ears.

Could Ron Wilson’s system just not be applicable to this team’s makeup, and should he perhaps begin preaching a new strategy?

The Leafs are flip-flopping their feelings, seemingly, of who should be the regular starter between the pipes, and that may be a sore spot for some.

All of these things add up to a lack of consistency that has to be there for a team that wants to succeed.

I have no doubt in my mind that these guys all want to win—hell, I haven’t slept well after ringing it off the a post or missing the top corner in a men’s league game, so I know our boys aren’t sleeping well at night.

Hopefully the Leafs stick it to this Hurricanes team and kick them when they are down while hopefully getting some answers. The Canes are backed into the same corner as they are, and when all is said and done, I’d bet they come out victorious in tomorrow’s tilt down in Raleigh.

Mike Tyson, Fedor Emelianenko, Tito Otiz: The Power of Name Recognition

by Stoker MacIntosh… The former heavyweight champion of the world and self-proclaimed baddest man on the planet, Mike Tyson, hasn’t fought inside the ropes since June of 2005, when a “Tomato Can” named Kevin McBride literally pushed him over during the end of the sixth round.

The Iron in Tyson was clearly rusted, and at that point in his long and storied career, the “has been” had been, and he simply was no more.

Tyson—in this, his very last fight—was fighting on his name recognition alone, and he merely rolled over, attempted to get up, staggered to his stool, and quit.

He was defeated, not by anything McBride had done, but by his own oxygen-starved body, which is a sad and pathetic byproduct of being past your prime, having diminished skills, and lacking the proper training and conditioning.

Still, these old and courageous pugilists fight on, like war-wounded soldiers from some distant and ancient battlefield.

Or jilted lovers who have long ago worn out their welcome yet feel they need just one more chance to get back in the good graces of their women.

A top prizefighter with name recognition, and specifically the money in which it brings, is insanely convinced he can push forward after the sport and the fans have long since divorced him.

For a great example which demonstrates my point that Tyson’s “name brand” power is still alive and well, albeit in a not-so glamorous way, we need look no further than last week.

Tyson, now 43 and tremendously overweight and out of shape, was arrested again recently after getting into a scuffle and punching a photographer at Los Angeles International Airport.

Although he hadn’t won any boxing titles or awards that day, he unquestionably would have garnered far less press coverage if that had been the case. The above mentioned scuffle was a top news item and was plastered on every news and sports Web site on the Internet.

A recently held cage-fighting event—aired on CBS during prime time—known as Strikeforce is another example of the power of name recognition.

Fedor Emelianenko is the Tyson of mixed martial arts, or cage fighting; people will pay big money to see him fight no matter where, but therein lies the problem.

Twice now, against Andrei Arlovski and Brett Rogers, Emelianenko’s fights have ended in somewhat thrilling fashion—he gets beat up in the early minutes but then comes right back and ends it all with one haymaker-style punch.

The guy has great name-brand recognition, but so far he has had no supporting actors and continues to insist on performing in one man shows; as a result, I’m doubtful he will survive while debuting “off Broadway.”

The former Huntington Beach, Calif., cage-fighting bad-boy Tito Ortiz will return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s 106th event this weekend, following an 18-month layoff due to contract issues and back surgery.

It’s unfortunate for us fans, but in the opinion of this writer, Ortiz’s career was over long ago.

He was pummeled twice by semi-retired Chuck Liddell and was showing signs of declining cardio and punching power in his original matchup with another name-recognition fighter—Forrest “Gump” Griffin.

Maybe it’s just me being me, but it boggles my mind as to why these two “soup cans” are scheduled to demonstrate to us, in an unjustifiable rematch this Saturday, just why we couldn’t care less about them.

There is only one answer which fits the equation.

Name recognition—it’s a powerful and hungry pay-per-view, money-grabbing beast, and it will undoubtedly trick you into thinking you are going to see something special.

But I will be the first to inform you that—if the fight is anything like the first one—you will be far better off to enter your local pub and punch the biggest guy in there in the back of the head, then blame it on the guy seated next to you.

A much more skilled and entertaining fight will erupt, and it will cost you far less in the long run.