THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: What a night Thursday was. Cards lose in the bottom of the ninth. Mizzou gives up 27 points in the fourth quarter and falls to Nebraska. Blues give up 1-0 lead to lose their home opener. In your time covering sports here in St. Louis, what has been the most devastating loss you’ve witnessed?

DAN O’NEILL
What happened Thursday night was bad, but not close to being the most disappointing for this scribe. There was the Cardinals losing Game 7 of the 1968 World Series to Detroit, with Bob Gibson on the mound and Curt Flood misplaying a ball in center field. Gibson losing Game 7 — unthinkable. …There was Missouri’s overtime loss to Nebraska in 1997 when the Cornhuskers caught a bogus tipped pass in the end zone to stay alive. … Missouri’s basketball loss to UCLA in the 1995 NCAA Tournament when Lollipop Guild member Tyus Edney went the length of the floor with six seconds remaining. … the Don Denkinger call in the 1985 World Series. … Adam Vinatieri’s 48-yard field goal as time expired to beat the Rams in the Feb. 2002 Super Bowl. … Neil O’Donoghue’s miss from 50 yards as time expired in Washington, denying the Football Cardinals a playoff spot in 1984. … all were more disappointing than Thursday.

JIM THOMAS
Well, that’s a lot of ground to cover. I was in Oklahoma that sunny day in 1986 for the Norman Conquest: Sooners 77, Missouri 0. LB Brian Bosworth — The Boz — eating a hot dog, standing near the stands in the second half. … I covered a succession of Missouri basketball losses to the likes of Northern Iowa and Rhode Island in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. … And I’ve seen the Rams lose in just about every manner conceivable. But I have to go with Super Bowl XXXVI, New England’s stunning Super Bowl triumph over St. Louis. The Rams, Mike Martz, the Greatest Show on Turf were never the same after that one.

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
For sure, the Rams’ 20-17 Super Bowl loss to New England in 2002 was the worst in recent memory. Watching the Rams tie the score and then seeing Tom Brady march the Patriots 53 yards on six completions for Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning field goal was tough. But I’m going to throw another heartbreaker into the mix for the hockey fans. … It happened on Dec. 6, 2006. With a sellout crowd in attendance at Scottrade Center, where a lavish pregame ceremony took place to retire Brett Hull’s No. 16, the Blues laid a complete egg in a 5-1 loss to the Red Wings. To me, that was rock bottom of the Blues’ freefall. I’ll never forget Hull doing an interview with a few us during the game, and he made a comment about it being a great night despite the debacle on the ice. A few days later, Blues coach Mike Kitchen was fired, and the Andy Murray era began.

BILL COATS
Game 7 loss to the Tigers in the 1968 World Series. Cardinals were up 3-1 in the series, then Curt Flood slips in center field, then Mickey Lolich shuts down the bats. That took a while to get over.

KATHLEEN NELSON
Game 7, 1985, the game after the Denkinger fiasco against KC. The Cardinals lost 11-0. For goodness sake, it was the seventh game of the World Series and the Cardinals totally flopped. Their inability to rebound for the biggest game of the year was far more disheartening than losing because of a blown call.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: The Blues kick off their season at 2 p.m. today against the Red Wings. Hockey in St. Louis finally has arrived again. Who or what most intrigues you about the 2009-10 St. Louis Blues?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
What intrigues me is whether the Blues will be able to stay healthy. Because if they stay healthy, they have a shot to be pretty good. Not only have the Blues suffered a number of injuries the past few seasons, but the injuries seem to happen to their best players. I realize that 20 guys aren’t going to play 82 games each. But the Blues can’t have a situation like last year when Paul Kariya played 11 games, Andy McDonald (46), T.J. Oshie (57), Eric Brewer (28) and D.J. King (1).

BERNIE MIKLASZ
I want to see how much Paul Kariya has left, and whether he’s still an elite offensive player. I want to see how quickly Erik Johnson emerges as the new Scott Stevens. I want to see if Chris Mason was for real. I want to see if David Perron can convert his enormous talent into 30 goals. I want to see if Alex Pietrangelo has the toughness to play in the NHL. I want to see how an ascending team handles the pressure of expectations. The Blues aren’t the scrappy little underdog anymore. They’ll be counted on to get to the playoffs and win a series and that’s a big change from the past few years.

JEFF GORDON
There are a lot of good stories on the Note, but T.J. Oshie is a real catalyst. He scores, he passes, he hits, he stirs it up. Had the Blues had him all last season, they wouldn’t have been half-dead at the holidays. A lot of national experts overlooking the Blues don’t know how good this kid can be.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
I’m most curious about the big picture. Can this team advance in the playoffs facing the likes of San Jose, Detroit, Vancouver, Chicago, etc. in the 1st round? That’s what I’m focusing on. I’d be shocked if this team isn’t in the playoffs but once there, what will they do? A lot of that, of course, will depend on what they do throughout the course of the season. If they’re reasonably healthy all season long they will be a dangerous team regardless of the opponent and if the young guys continue their rapid improvement they could make a run in the playoffs. None of that will be known, however, until the end of the regular season.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)
Can they continue where they left off last spring? Having expectations to win hockey games is new territory for the St. Louis Blues. This will be really interesting to follow this season. No longer can the Blues rest on the idea that they’re in rebuilding mode. People around the NHL are expecting the Blues to not only reach the playoffs but believe they have potential to make a little noise once they arrive. John Davidson recently told me the goal this season is to have home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. In order for this to happen the Blues need consistency in their game from day one. Are the Blues, as an organization, prepared to handle the pressure to win? It’s fair to say they’re slightly ahead of schedule from where they expected to be when Dave Checketts and company took over in 2006. There will be more attention on this hockey club to begin the season than we’ve seen in years. Thanks to the dismal performances football fans are growing accustomed to watching on Sundays, more and more eyes are focused on Andy Murray and his team this fall.

Managing adversity is critical for any team in any year and there will be times when things don’t go in the Blues favor. How they respond when things get tough will tell us whether or not this club is prepared to take a step forward. The Blues have a real chance to even more solidify themselves once again in the sports community and there is little reason to believe they won’t take advantage.

I’m also very intrigued to see if this will, in fact, be Keith Tkachuk’s last season in the NHL. The guy can still score goals and if he snipes 20-25 I can easily see the Blues extending “Big Walt” for another year. Will he accept? It’s never easy to walk away.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Fans seemingly are always debating who’s the Blues better brawler — D.J. King or Cam Janssen? What are the differences in style and impact these guys bring to the ice for the Blues?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
D.J. King and Cam Janssen are both enforcers, but they’re completely different on the ice. King (6-3, 228) is considered a bigger heavyweight in the NHL, while Janssen (6-0, 210) is seen as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the league. Both can put an opponent on the ice with one punch. King might be able to land the haymaker, which could come from the left or right side, but Janssen can deliver a series of blows that can accumulate quickly.

But when they’re not brawling, that’s when they are even more different as players. King is the better puck protector, holding it in the corner and keeping it away from the opponent. He’s not an offensive threat by any means, but he can handle his own. Janssen, while not as good with the puck, is better than King at sizing up opponents on the boards and delivering bone-crushing hits. That’s a very key part to Janssen’s game. As feared a fighter as King is, the Blues wish he were as physical during the play as Janssen.

But that’s what makes the game entertaining. Every player brings something different.

JEFF GORDON
King is a true heavyweight, capable of taking on the biggest and toughest enforcers in the NHL. Janssen can fight almost anybody, but he isn’t a Tony Twist-like deterrent. But he skates well enough to make big hits and agitate the other side. Janssen has more game-to-game value on the fourth line, stirring things up. And he can certainly handle himself. He embraces his role with some flair and helps fuel the Blues’ home-ice advantage.

DAN O’NEILL
D.J. King is 20 pounds heavier and three inches taller than Cam Janssen, so that presents some obvious differences. In most of his fights, King is the physical equal of his opponent, if not superior. Janssen is often fighting someone bigger. His fights are usually marathons, not sprints. And he often overwhelms the opponenent with the number of punches he throws. It would be interesting to see both guys fight a common opponent — and I’m thinking Kanye West might be a wonderful study subject.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
What these guys do is give the Blues a “nuclear deterrent,” a form of protection for the skill players. You could also say they provide a shot of adrenaline at times when the team appears to be dragging a bit. Cam and D.J. also understand that what they do needs to fit into the structure of the game on any given night. As for the difference in style, it’s as different as their off-ice personalities. D.J. is soft spoken, a bit reserved and when he fights he works calmly to set up one or two big blows. Cam is outgoing, energetic and fights like his hair is on fire. What they’re both working on is improving the other aspects of their games, per Andy Murray’s wishes, so that they’re more than just brawlers and can serve as important physical forces outside of their fights.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)
The immediate difference one sees between D.J. King and Cam Janssen is the size. King stands about 6-3, 230 while Janssen weighs in much smaller at about 6-foot and about 205. King is also a true NHL heavyweight, Janssen is not. Janssen may not be a heavy but he’s proven he’s willing to go the heavies anytime. Their styles are pretty different on the ice. Janssen is one of the more effective pests in the league. He irritates the opposition by getting under the skin of opposing players and more often than not can have an impact on a game without dropping the gloves. Players around the league know King is extremely tough and can throw with anybody but he doesn’t play the same physical, aggressive style you see Janssen bring to the ice.

You can argue King is better with the puck than Janssen and is pretty good at controlling the puck along the wall, especially below the goal line in the offensive zone. The Blues would like to see King have more of a presence on the ice and play a more tenacious, in-your-face style. There are ways to play tough without dropping the gloves and King could throw his body around a little more than what we’ve seen in his short time in the NHL.

Opposing D-men know when Janssen is on the ice. He’s a tremendous north and south skater and uses his speed to deliver some serious bone-crushing hits nearly every time he touches the ice. King may be considered the better fighter but Jannsen undoubtedly plays tougher. Janssen plays an even bigger role on home ice with his ability to get the crowd into the game. He’s also one of the more popular players among his teammates and the fans. I wrote last year the Blues record when Janssen dresses is incredibly impressive.

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH BLUES COACH ANDY MURRAY

St. Louis Blues coach Andy Murray will be in Las Vegas this evening as the NHL hands out its annual awards. Murray is a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, which is given to the league’s coach of the year. Murray made the short list after leading the injury-depleted Blues to a No. 6 seed this season in the Western Conference. The other finalists for the award are Todd McLellan of San Jose and Claude Julien of Boston. The event will be broadcast on Versus, starting at 6 p.m.

I caught up with Coach Murray by phone yesterday to ask him a few questions before tonight’s ceremony. Here’s what he had to say:

Q: What does it mean to you to be a finalist for NHL coach of the year?

A: Well, my personal gratifiction comes from the recognition of our team, and the Coach of Year award is definitely a team recognition award. It’s gratifying that our players, our coaches, our support staff, our front office, our whole organization is being recognized. So it’s not just a personal thing, it’s an an organization thing … and I feel good about it for that reason.

Q: What do you think were the keys to the Blues coming together the way they did down the stretch this past season to make that incredible playoff push?

A: I think it’s the commitment players made last summer, the conditioning they did that enabled them to play at a high level all year — and play without key players in the lineup due to injuries. From day one in camp we stressed we wanted to put out a big, physical effort and that made us hard to play against. Even with all the injuries, guys played hard and never gave up. No excuses. No excuses. The idea was just to take the next game and just keep playing that way. And because we played that way, and stuck with it in first half, we were rewarded in the second half.

Q: If you could go back in time, are there things you might have done differently with the 2008-09 Blues?

A: I can’t go back in time. I don’t think, to be honest with you, I’ve ever felt that way as a coach … looking back at things you could have done differently. You do your job and things happen for a reason. You worry about the next game, not the last one. I never give it a second thought. I don’t look back. I’m already focused on the 2009-2010 season.

Q: What are you most looking forward to next season?

A: I think it’s the challenge of playing in the best division in hockey. Four of the eight teams that made the playoffs (in the Western Conference) last year were from our division. There’s three divisions, so to have four of those playoff clubs coming out of our division is saying something. You’ve got to be ready to play every night. And there’s a sense of energy and passion that the fans feel for our team, so when you step on the ice at Scottrade, you look forward to doing that. We emphasize skill and playing hard, and I’m excited about feeling the energy in our building again. But we also have to realize that we start from scratch next season and what we did last year means nothing. There are new challenges. It’s the good thing about life, meeting challenges.

Q: A six-month, 82-game schedule has to be a grind for a coach. What do you do during the offseason to recharge your batteries and get ready for training camp?

A: I try to catch up on the family time that I don’t get to have during hockey season. It’s a chance to get involved in my family a little more. It’s all about family in the offseason … if there really is an offseason. The truth is, there’s not a moment that goes by that you’re not thinking about your team, your players and what you can do to get better.

(Oh, and for the record, Murray said his vote for coach of the year would go to Claude Julien because of how well Boston played all season.)

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THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: What do you think Blues coach Andy Murray’s chances are of winning the coach of the year award?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
Murray has a realistic chance to win the award, which is voted on by the NHL Broadcasters Association. To me, it will be determined by where voters placed Murray on their ballot once the Blues made the playoffs.

It’s a given that most voters had Boston’s Claude Julien and San Jose’s Todd McLellan on their ballot already. There was probably a group of other candidates for the third spot, and it’s likely that some voters may have been waiting to see if they Blues made the playoffs before writing Murray’s name on their ballot. The question is, “Once the Blues made the playoffs, climbing from No. 15 to No. 6 in the West, where did those voters rank Murray?” Did they give him the third spot on their ballot as an obligatory vote? Or did many of them weigh the Blues’ accomplishment and give Murray their first or second choice?

Winning the award would be great, but as Murray told me Wednesday from Las Vegas, even if he doesn’t win, being one of three finalists has put the Blues’ organization in the spotlight.

JEFF GORDON
I realize Julien is getting a big push from the East Coast voters, so that really works against Murray. Andy SHOULD get the award, but I’m not sure that voters on either coast really understood what he accomplished here. This team got crushed by injuries and saw its No. 1 goaltender fall apart. Murray took a bunch of kids and fill-ins and went on one of the NHL’s greatest stretch runs. But . . . Boston had an epic regular season and Original Six franchises get a lot of love in the awards vote. I fear that Andy will get cheated.

TOM TIMMERMANN
Coach of the year is never easy to handicap because it lacks the clarity of other awards. Scotty Bowman won coach of the year twice. Twice. The voters seem to define coach of the year with who did the most with the least, and if you consider what Murray had to deal with much of the year — or who he didn’t have to deal with, Johnson, Brewer, Kariya, etc. — he got a lot out of not much. Will that sway voters? Certainly the late run didn’t hurt. Boston made a league-high 22 point jump, and they were starting at a decent 94, not a crummy 79. Todd McLellan squeezed nine more points out of a team that had 108 the year before. So this is a real tough call. I think Murray has a decent chance and is deserving, but if he doesn’t win, there’s no reason to demand a recount or cry in outrage. All three of these coaches had pretty good seasons.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)
I’m not going to lay out the case as to why Andy Murray deserves to win the Jack Adams Trophy, but rather answer the question, which is to handicap his chances of winning. Murray has a decent chance heading into tonight’s awards ceremony in Las Vegas. All three finalists are deserving of the award, but I see it as a two-horse race between Boston bench boss Claude Julien and Murray. The award is voted on by NHL broadcasters and will come down to the Canadian vote. I wrote several weeks ago on hockeybuzz.com that the American vote is extremely close between Julien and Murray, (league sources tell me maybe the closest ever.) I see Julien pulling the majority of the Canadian votes considering the time he spent coaching the Montreal Canadians. Julien is certainly deserving of the award considering his club finished with 116 points. Would it be an upset if Murray was handed the award? No. Would I be slightly surprised? Yes, I would.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
I’d say his chances are solid but I get the feeling that the East Coast guy, Boston’s Claude Julien, is going to get the nod. I hope not but that seems to be the buzz.

Murray’s team lost 268 man-games from Erik Johnson, Eric Brewer, Paul Kariya, Andy McDonald and T.J. Oshie last season and that doesn’t count all the games missed by so many others. To overcome all of that with a young team that was gradually pulled together over the course of the season is quite impressive, especially when your team was picked dead last in the conference by many experts in the preseason.

Winning more games with better talent doesn’t mean you did a better coaching job. This is a “coach of the year” award, not “team of the year.” Does anyone think Claude Julien would have liked to have switched places with Andy Murray this past season?

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: The Blues are riding a five-game winning streak and currently sit in the eighth and final playoff spot. What do you think the keys to this late-season push have been?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
You can point to many stats, but in my mind, the Blues are in the eighth spot in the Western Conference today for two reasons:

No. 1 — Preparation: This is Andy Murray’s top trait, and he gets a lot of help from assistants Brad Shaw, Ray Bennett, Rick Wamsley and Scott Masters (video). The Blues go into each game like a high school student taking a test with a cheat sheet. Their detailed preparation gives them a better chance of executing with less talent.

No. 2 — Team chemistry: The Blues have had decent team chemistry the past few seasons, but nothing like this season. The players in the Blues’ locker room genuinely care for each other and each other’s success on the ice. The Blues are one unit taking the ice each night, not 20 talented individuals with varying agendas.

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Obviously, it starts with Chris Mason in goal. The Blues have the NHL’s best winning percentage since Jan. 3 and it’s no coincidence that Mason is No. 1 in the league in save percentage during that time (.925). The Kid Line has been incredibly effective; the star power of T.J. Oshie, David Perron and Patrik Berglund is shining through, just as Blues’ management predicted.

But there are other important factors. Defenseman Jay McKee is a +14 since Jan. 3 and has really stepped up his play. The return of Andy McDonald and defenseman Roman Polak from injuries has been a big help. Defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo has sharpened the Blues’ passing out of their zone, and he’s been a positive presence at the point on the power play. And while Brad Boyes is a minus-20 for the season, he’s a +1 since Jan. 3. And Boyes’ timing is good; when he scores a goal the Blues are 9-2 since Jan. 9.

Let’s not forget center Jay McClement, who is playing the best hockey of his career. McClement is often on the ice against the other team’s top line, but since Jan. 3 he’s at even in the plus-minus, is winning more than 50 percent of his faceoffs, and has nine goals and four assists. McClement is probably the team’s most unsung contributor.

And kudos to coach Andy Murray for holding this team together during the blitz of injuries.

JEFF GORDON
No. 1: Goaltending. This has been the team’s Achilles heel for some time. Chris Mason has been awesome. It all starts there.

No. 2: The kids are producing. Patrik Berglund got his second wind. T.J. Oshie is crushing people. David Perron is scoring big goals. The future is bright, yes, but the kids are good right now. Their recent play has been remarkable.

No. 3: The makeshift has held up, against all odds. Mike Weaver is playing great. Jay McKee has made himself a plus. Barret Jackman is holding up against top lines. Roman Polak is showing great poise for a young player. Give all these guys credit for pulling it together.

DAN O’NEILL
The key to any success in hockey starts with, and most heavily depends upon, goaltending. Like pitching in baseball, like quarterbacking in football, goaltending is the cure for any problem, the problem in any cure.

Chris Mason has given up some soft goals of late (follow the bouncing puck), but he has continued to make numerous clutch saves and give the Blues a chance. While Mason plays well, the Blues have to be effective on the power play. Special teams are crucial. For that to happen, they need more frequent contributions from their veterans, i.e. Brad Boyes and Keith Tkachuk.

Last but not least, they need T.J. Oshie and David Perron to keep taking whatever vitamins they have been taking, and share them with the rest of their teammates. They have been terrific over the last couple of weeks.

TOM TIMMERMANN
Chris Mason. 4-0-0 in the past four, 1.72 GAA, .930 save percentage. You can point at some other things, but without Mason, the Blues are cooked. Goalie play is a fickle matter, but you’ve got to give the Blues management credit for farming Manny Legace out and riding Mason. Talk about making the right choice.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
The biggest key of all in the Blues’ 5-game winning streak is that every single player on the team is contributing. That’s a little broad in scope, so I’ll narrow it down a bit below, but it is absolutely true. Everyone is pulling their weight.

As Bernie Miklasz noted in his “5 Minutes for Blogging” entry today, the offensive re-emergence of the “Kid Line” has been a driving force in this late-season push. T.J. Oshie has been leading the way with dynamic offensive play, gritty corner work and an amazing physical presence (Paging Mr. Nash, Mr. Rick Nash. Please come pick up your pride at the customer service counter.) Patrik Berglund and David Perron have elevated their games right alongside Oshie and it’s been a thing of beauty to watch.

It should also be pointed out that goalie Chris Mason continues to play at an elite level. Even though he’s not getting any rest, Mason is still carrying the mail. In this 5-game winning streak he’s stopped 126 of 135 shots (.933 save percentage) and made some absolutely huge saves, including in the shootout against Columbus with the game on the line.

Finally, the defensemen need to be recognized for the consistency of their play. They’ve been rolling with the same 6-man unit for a while now and they’re doing a solid job night in and night out. It may be an unofficial St. Louis pastime to find some poor defenseman and nitpick his every move, but right now there isn’t much to complain about.

It’s great to see it all come together, isn’t it?

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, Team 1380)
There has been an absolute revival of Blues hockey in St. Louis and it has been pretty amazing to get an up-close and personal view of what has taken place. There are several keys that have allowed the Blues to skate their way back into contention.

First off, head coach Andy Murray doesn’t let these guys off the hook when they make a mistake. He holds them accountable and doesn’t allow them to become complacent or satisfied.

Since the turn of the New Year the Blues have been one of the top hockey clubs in the NHL. You can’t be a playoff team in this league without goaltending and quality special teams. The Blues rank in the top ten in both power play and penalty killing percentage. Thanks to the consistent play of goaltender Chris Mason, the Blues also have climbed all the way into the top ten in goals against average. It wasn’t too long ago the team was ranked 26th in the league in GAA.

The team is playing their system almost to a “T.” How good is this team playing defensively? The Blues have done an outstanding job of controlling their scoring chances against. They don’t give up many chances, which allows the team to be in virtually every game. How many odd-man rushes or breakaways do you see the Blues allowing from game to game? (The goal by Antoinne Vermette the other night for Columbus was a player showing incredible explosiveness and beating two guys to a loose puck.)

The Blues have the ability to counter and score better than we’ve seen in recent seasons. When they create a turnover or force a mistake they have skilled players who can make you pay offensively.

The Blues became a bigger team by adding guys like B.J. Crombeen and Brad Winchester and they use their size very well. Management deserves some credit here, as well, for pulling off a two-for-one trade in which they’ve added two professionals in Alex Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo. This move was a major turning point for the season.

The bottom line is this team was picked to finish last at the start of the year and have used the underdog role as motivation. Throughout the last 30 games the Blues and coaches have maintained a level headed approach which has their focus where it needs to be.

Did I mention Oshie, Perron, and Berglund?

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Most have assumed the Rams would grab either an offensive tackle like Eugene Monroe or linebacker Aaron Curry with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. However, with last week’s release of Orlando Pace and Torry Holt, the team is down to just three young WRs and face a draft class with a lot of talent at the top of the WR pool? Which direction do you believe this team needs to go in the draft: Offensive tackle, linebacker or wide receiver?

JIM THOMAS
Tackle. Tackle. Tackle. Alex Barron is the only player currently on the roster with substantial experience at the position. And his contract expires after this season. Assuming that he can make a seamless transition to left tackle and Jacob Bell can step right in at right tackle without a hitch goes a couple of steps beyond optimism.

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Good question. I am planning to write a column on this subject. More than anything the Rams can’t afford to be prisoners of need. They have a new GM and coaching staff in place. This is the beginning of an era. This is the start of something new, and hopefully it will be built to last. The Rams have to draft with the next 10 years in mind. They can’t worry about immediate needs. They have to go with the player who will best help them win over the long haul. So I don’t care who they draft in terms of position. They have to rely on their scouting and trust the grades they give each prospect. If the top grade conclusively belongs to Aaron Curry, then draft the LB. The same principle applies to OT, WR or even QB. Trust your scouting. Go with the best player and you won’t go wrong.

BRYAN BURWELL
If only we could see what the Rams draft board looked like, it would make this an easier task. But I think you build your team from the offensive line because the ability to run and protect the quarterback is the most important key to having a functional offense. Go with a tackle in the first round, and I’d be tempted to get a block-out-the-sun guard like Duke Robinson in the second round if he’s the best player available, too.

BILL COATS
If the Lions don’t take Curry with the No. 1 pick, he’d be my choice. Otherwise, I’d target the offensive line. It’s so important, and the Rams really need to beef things up there. I don’t want to say wide receivers are a dime a dozen, but the Rams will be able to fill out that position without much difficulty.

JEFF GORDON
It appears that Curry is a cornerstone defensive player. Since Steve Spagnuolo wants to rebuild the Rams around its ground game and defense, Curry would be a great get. Crabtree is an attractive option, too, since he appears head and shoulders above the other WR prospects. There are lots of good tackles in this draft, but its debatable whether any merit a No. 2 overall pick and the huge money that comes with it.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
I like the “best player available” theory. If the Lions take anyone not named Aaron Curry, the Wake Forest linebacker would be my selection. I’ve heard far too many NFL scouting types refer to Curry as the “cleanest” player on the board to think about passing him by, plus linebacker is an area of significant need.

Also of note, the offensive line and wide receiver positions are deeper in this year’s draft. There are several receivers that could be available at the top of the second round who are attractive to teams looking for bigger receivers. I’m a particular fan of Brian Robiskie of Ohio State — he’s got size (6’3”), good hands and great football sense.

Offensive tackles Eugene Monroe and Jason Smith are excellent prospects but they’re not “the next big thing” at their position. Taking one of them at No. 2 would be fine with me as they seem to be solid players and people but neither is at the level Orlando Pace was coming out of college. Heck, a couple of months ago Andre Smith was viewed by many as the top tackle in this year’s draft class.

Ideally the team would add a little more free agent depth so they could follow the “best player available” strategy.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND NOTES

CUTLER DESERVED BETTER: Sure, QB Jay Cutler may be a little over-sensitive right now about his situation in Denver, but coming off a Pro Bowl year, who can blame the guy for being upset after finding out his new head coach was trying to make backroom deals to ship him off for another (and in my opinion, inferior) quarterback in Matt Cassell? Perhaps this is what happens when you hire a 32-year-old wunderkind offensive coordinator to be your head coach, as it appears Josh McDaniels poked a stick in a beehive he has no hope of containing at this point. Cutler has now requested a trade and the Broncos may be left to move on with Chris Simms at QB, an underachieving sort who hasn’t thrown an NFL pass in two years. If I were a Bronco fan, I’d be spitting mad at McDaniels and team owner Pat Bowlen, who sat back and allowed this all to happen.

While some Denver columnists are pointing out there is plenty of blame to go around in this mess, the Denver Post’s Mark Kiszla says “good riddance” to Cutler today. I think he’s delusional, but that’s essentially his stance. He offers up three QBs he somehow thinks the Broncos can get now that will outperform Cutler. Good luck with that. You can check out Kiszla’s column here.

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SOMETHING TO PONDER

BLUES FACE BIG WEEK: Heading to western Canada for a three-game road trip is never an easy task, but it’s one the Blues must face head-on this week. So far in recent weeks, this young Blues team has been up to the challenges it’s faced. Last week’s homestand featuring games against Dallas, San Jose, Detroit and Minnesota was vital before this team hit the road. The Blues came away with six of a possible eight points … very respectable. Canada can be a tough place to play for road teams given the raucous Canuck crowds, and the 9 p.m. starts can be tough on a team that is normally finishing up games by about 10 p.m. here in St. Louis. But the Blues must once again find a way to get two out of these three games — and it must start tonight in Edmonton. You just don’t want to start this road trip with a loss.

Coach Andy Murray has done a commendable job keeping the club focused solely on the game in front of them. If the team is able to do that tonight, and get out to a quick start, they should pocket the points this evening. And then it’s on to Vancouver …

Regardless, who among you would have believed near the end of December this team would be sitting just one point out of the playoffs on St. Patrick’s Day?

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ON THIS DATE

March 17, 2005 — Mark McGwire goes before a Congressinal committee and repeatedly tells them, “I’m not here to talk about the past.” They are words that will live in infamy in baseball lore, and have permanently damaged McGwire’s reputation among most of the sporting public. In fact, that performance is the likely catalyst for keeping McGwire out of the Hall of Fame.

Hard to believe it’s been four years already since that testimony. Time flies.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Good or bad, what St. Louis Cardinal player has surprised you the most so far this spring with his performance?

JOE STRAUSS
I think Ryan Ludwick’s early struggles have caught the attention of many, but Ludwick dealt with a similar slow start last March. My guess is he’ll loosen up by camp’s end and current concerns will prove a bit overblown.

My selection isn’t a flashy one: Allen Craig (24) doesn’t project for this organization because he doesn’t have a position other than first base. (Third base proved a poor fit the last couple seasons, though Craig led Texas League 3B in fielding pct. last season.) That said, Craig has a live RH bat. He hit 21 home runs in the Florida Coast League two years ago while amassing a .312 average. He smoked 22 HR at Springfield last season while hitting .304. He likely will be Memphis’ starting 1B this year. He was third in his league in HR in ’07 and fifth in ’08. Like many Cardinal farm hands, he projects as “a bat.” I wonder what he might do as somebody’s LF. This organization may not be his best fit but a strong year at Memphis may make him attractive to an AL club.

If you want hyperventilating, flowerly over-talk about what’s in the system, you can head down the cyber-block. But this guy intrigues me. Entering today’s Grapefruit League game vs. Boston, Craig is batting .500 with three long hits and 7 RBI. He doesn’t scare.

DERRICK GOOLD
Tyler Greene. Here was a first-round pick from 2005 who scuffled from the moment he got a million-dollar bonus all the way up the ladder of the minor-league system. He was raw. He was gangly. He was hampered by serious injury. And then things clicked in 2008. Greene became a more refined player in the field and showed vast improvement at the plate — even beyond his numbers. Last July, he could have been a prospect whose promise was flickering out. Today he’s playing well enough to vie for a major-league job.

RICK HUMMEL
Joe Mather has surprised me with his agility at third base. He looks more comfortable than I had thought he would.

JEFF GORDON
I would say Jason Motte. We all knew he could throw hard. But he looks polished this spring, working off-speed and breaking pitches into his repertoire. From what I saw in Jupiter, he looked capable of handling at least a chunk of the closing role. He seems to have the make-up for the job, too. He does not appear to be a fretful lad. He is just the opposite, actually.

TOM ACKERMAN (Sports anchor on “Total Information A.M.” on KMOX)
I’ll go with Chris Duncan. After recovering from major surgery, all he’s done in spring training is hit .370 with 2 HR and 10 RBI in 27 at-bats. The home run he hit on Tuesday against Detroit’s Zach Miner was a soaring blast over the right-center field wall, into the wind. So far, the swing is back — and a lot sooner than I expected.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
It was a tough call between Chris Duncan and Khalil Greene but I’ll go with Greene as the player who has surprised me the most. First of all, nobody is talking about him. That’s a very good thing. The only reason there would be something to talk about would be if he were struggling. With all the questions about second and third base this spring, it’s nice to see that Greene, at least for now, has been a stabilizing force.

Part of my “surprise” with Greene’s performance has to do with how he looked in the first week of full-squad workouts. His swing was a bit out of whack and he seemed to lack that trademark Cardinals intensity. Khalil just didn’t fit in at the time. Who knows, maybe that was just a natural phenomenon because it was the first time he’d switched teams as a pro.

Spring training numbers shouldn’t be counted for much, especially not for veterans, but Greene only whiffed once in his first 10 games down in Florida. For a guy who has problems with over-swinging and striking out that’s a good sign. Let’s hope the improved approach carries over into the regular season.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

THE WAY TO (BEAT) SAN JOSE: A huge game for the Note tonight against Western Conference beast San Jose. A loss tonight just two days before Detroit’s Red Army arrives could spell the end of playoff hopes by the weekend. A win tonight guarantees a split of the two games against the Conference’s top two teams, and perhaps even gives the Blues an emotional lift that carries over in the form of momentum Saturday night. Needless to say … a whole lot on the line.

Jeremy Rutherford tells me coach Andy Murray this morning highlighted three keys to victory tonight. They are:

1. Blues have a “big-body” game.
2. Good puck protection.
3. Keep the puck on the offensive end.

So, assuming all three of these things get accomplished and the Blues win the game, here’s who I’m picking as the top 3 stars based on the three keys above.

1. Big body game … David Backes muscles, hits and contributes a couple points.
2. Good puck protection … Carlo Colaiacovo provides it on both ends this evening.
3. Keep puck in offensive zone … Gotta go T.J. Oshie on this one. If anyone out there does “whatever it takes” to get that puck and keep it in the zone, I say it’s Oshie.

There you have it. If the Blues win, those are my three stars. Who would be yours, based on Murray’s keys to the game?

YOUNG, FIERY AND AS GOOD AS THEY GET: Young Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon has to be mentioned in the same breath as Mariano Rivera and Francisco Rodriguez as being among the game’s top firemen. Papelbon has done everything asked of him by the Red Sox and he’s already sewn up a World Series clinching 9th inning. But for the most part, Papelbon flies under the radar and you don’t hear much about him outside of Boston … until now, that is.

Papelbon recently opened up in an interview with Esquire magazine (many great details, like his dog chewing up a million-dollar baseball and Curt Schilling suggesting Papelbon is not the sharpest tool in the shed by saying Papelbon is “not exactly a charter member of Mensa”) and in that interview the thing that will garner all the headlines in Boston is that Papelbon just came out and said what many others have danced around for months: Papelbon says Manny Ramirez was a “cancer” on the Red Sox last year.

Here’s an excerpt from the Esquire article: “The beautiful thing about our team is, we don’t let anybody get above the team. (Manny) wasn’t on the same train as the rest of us.” And here Papelbon starts banging his kitchen table for emphasis, the punctuation marks in his sentences changing: “He was on a different train! And you saw what happened with that. We got rid of him, and we moved on without him. … You have somebody like him, you know at any point in the ball game, he can dictate the outcome of the game. And for him not to be on the same page as the rest of the team was a killer, man! It just takes one guy to bring an entire team down, and that’s exactly what was happening. Once we saw that, we weren’t afraid to get rid of him. It’s like cancer. That’s what he was. Cancer. He had to go. It sucked, but that was the only scenario that was going to work.”

Papelbon … firing strikes, like always. You can read the full article here.

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SOMETHING TO PONDER

L.T.’s BACK AND TAKING AIM AT RECORD BOOKS: After a tumultuous offseason where Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson’s future with the club became uncertain, the player and team reached accord yesterday on a restructured deal that should keep LT in the powdered blue for at least a few more years. Those who read this space regularly know I felt it would have been a mistake had the Chargers let LT skip town. Now, with everyone in the family happy again, LT is setting his sights on loftier goals.

According to San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Tim Sullivan, “After years of artful evasions and smooth sidesteps, the Chargers’ reunited-and-it-feels-so-good running back officially took aim at Emmitt Smith yesterday. LT declared his desire for the National Football League’s career records for rushing and rushing touchdowns, both presently in Smith’s possession, and says he is now prepared to pursue them longer than he had previously planned on playing.”

Tomlinson currently has 11,670 rushing yards, which leaves him 6,595 yards behind Smith’s 18,355. Smith leads Tomlinson 164-126 in rushing TDs.

I don’t know that a RB who turns 30 years old in June has enough in his legs to gain 6,595 or punch in another 38 TDs, but I’m happy to see he’ll be attempting it with the only NFL team he’s every played for.

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STAT OF THE DAY

9 — Most consecutive 50-goal seasons. The feat was accomplished by Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders from the 1977-78 season to 1985-86. Bossy tallied 53 goals in his rookie season, making him the first NHL rookie to hit the 50-goal mark. He then continued the streak for his first nine seasons in the league, including 50 goals in his first 50 games in 1980-81 to tie Maurice Richard’s 36-year-old record. Chronic back pain caused Bossy to miss 17 games the year his streak ended, and he ended up with 38 goals that season. The back ailment ultimately led to Bossy’s retirement at age 30. (Source: “Hockey’s Top 100: The Game’s Greatest Records”)

MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

MY LAST HOLT RANT: For the life of me I cannot understand why the new Rams’ regime is so eager to see Torry Holt go. They haven’t said so, but new coach Steve Spagnuolo has made his position clear with his silence concerning Holt. Yes, Holt was disenchanted at the end of last season as he seemed to get phased out of the offense, but who on that Rams team wasn’t disenchanted last season?

Holt, who has caught more passes (817) for more yards (11,872) than any receiver in the NFL this decade, is not done yet. Sure, he’s 32 years old and is coming off his worst season as a pro (64 receptions, 796 yards with three TDs.) But how much of last season’s production can be laid at the feet of Holt? Consider this:

1. The patterns Holt was asked to run in offensive coordinator Al Saunders’ offense last year did not match up with Holt’s skills — not when he was 32, not when he was 22. Where were the slants and hot reads that were Holt’s bread and butter over the years?

2. The team’s quarterback had a terrible year. Marc Bulger’s 71.4 QB rating ranks him 27th in the league among QBs who threw at least 300 passes. (That puts Bulger just ahead of former Rams’ third-string QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who had a 70.0 QB rating for the woeful Bengals.) Also, Bulger’s 57% completion percentage ranks him 27th among NFL quarterbacks last year. Remember, folks, there are only 32 teams in the NFL … so how well are your WRs going to do when your quarterback ranks in the league’s cellar in QB rating and completion percentage?

3. Without a respected threat like Isaac Bruce on the field to complement Holt, team’s could easily roll their coverage onto him like a blanket. Who was there to relieve the pressure, the so-called “teen” squad? Puh-leeze. Rookie Donnie Avery had a decent year, but his stat line of 53 catches, 674 yards and 3 TDs ranked below Holt across the board (and he had the advantage of Holt drawing the coverage away from him.) Keenan Burton? 13 catches, 172 yards, 1 TD. Nice. Oh, and then there’s the always consistent, always pedestrian numbers of Dane Looker — 23-271-2. And, the team even lost it’s tight end threat when Randy McMichael went down after only 11 catches for 139 yards. I’m not even going to mention Drew Bennett. Bottom line … Holt had no real protection against consistent double coverage.

4. If a 35-year-old Terrell Owens can shuffle off to Buffalo and still be a wide receiver, you cannot convince me that a 32-year-0ld Torry Holt doesn’t have a few good years left in those legs. And he’ll do it without always stirring up stuff, belittling teammates and coaches or blaming his plight on the QB.

Bottom line, as I asked at the beginning of this rant, why exactly are the Rams so eager to send Holt packing? Yes, Holt has asked to be released. But I believe that’s mostly because he’s been made to feel unwanted. Here’s a guy who was the team’s No. 6 overall pick in the 1999 draft and who gave the team 10 great years, in which time he established historial NFL rankings of 11th overall in career receptions (869) and 14th in career receiving yards (12,660). And I don’t believe he’s done yet. If I thought that, I would say, “Go ahead and release him.” This is not a sentimental argument.

I understand the Rams could save some salary cap money if they release Holt. But chances are, as soon as they do, another team will step up and pay Holt that same money. And are you telling me you don’t think Holt could have an excellent season catching passes from Tony Romo down in Dallas while lined up on the field with WR Roy Williams and TE Jason Witten?

And therein lies my main point: I do not believe Torry Holt is done. I believe his one bad season is a byproduct of a dysfunctional team that had bad leadership and a bad QB in 2008. This guy is not ready to be put out to pasture.

And if I’ve totally swung and missed on this one come the end of the 2009 NFL season, you can let me hear about it. But if I’m right, I’m going to re-run this little rant just to remind the haters what they so eagerly chased out of town.

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THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: If you were coaching the Blues, what would you be focusing on right now to help increase scoring for this team?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
Shoot the puck and keep the lines together as much as possible. The Blues are 26th in the NHL in shots per game with 27.8. That’s only a smidge better than the last-place team in the league, Minnesota, with 27.6. Blues coach Andy Murray has conducted entire practices with the theme of shooting the puck, and they do in practice. But when game time comes, the Blues are often hesitant to shoot the puck . . . 5 on 5 and on the power play. I don’t know what else you can do as a coach except take away ice time from those who pass up shots. Also, I would keep the same guys playing together. In private, most players will tell you that they would prefer to play with the same linemates for an extended period of time, more than three or four games. Sometimes it’s been out of necessity, but Murray has mixed up the lines more than a lot of players would like.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
Shooting the puck. Yeah, it seems simplistic but so what? It may also be an easy answer because it’s something Andy Murray has talked about, but it is most certainly true. Keeping things simple is the right way to go here. Even with a couple of bad performances in the past week the Blues are still 15-10-5 in their last 30 games, so I don’t think it’s necessary to overthink the situation. That’s a 98-point pace since Christmas and even though there are some things Coach would like to see his team do more consistently I’d have to say things are going pretty well.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” — Leonardo da Vinci

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, Team 1380)
Even though the Blues are far from being considered an explosive offensive hockey club, I don’t look at scoring as being the major issue. It’s not like the Blues are getting shutout or losing games 2-1 night in and night out. Everyone’s familiar with the saying “you can’t score if you don’t shoot” and I think the Blues at times over-pass and fail to direct pucks on net when the opportunity presents itself.

With that being said … The Blues style of play is not conducive for a team looking to open up the game and doesn’t emphasize an attacking aggressive forecheck. The Blues, in my opinion, would generate more scoring chances if the club generated more speed through the neutral zone and played more on their toes as opposed to allowing the opposition (on many nights) to initiate the play. The Blues rely heavily on their shutdown players who don’t spend a lot of time in the offensive end and therefore don’t create a whole lot offensively. We’ve recently seen players who the Blues need to rely on for offense such as David Perron, Patrik Berglund, and David Backes taken out of their element and placed in a fourth-line role. It doesn’t help when Keith Tkachuk is struggling offensively and when Brad Boyes goes nearly ten games without a goal. The Blues need more offensive consistency from their “top players” and, oh, by the way, the club receives virtually no offense from the back end. That certainly doesn’t help.

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ON THIS DATE

MARCH 10, 1995 — After hitting .202 in Double A ball, former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan announces that he is leaving baseball behind and returning to pro basketball. Jordan had been playing with a White Sox affiliate. (Source: “This Day in Baseball” by David Nemec and Scott Flatow)

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: What would be better for the St. Louis Blues: They finish strong this season and make a playoff push or they stay on their current pace and get a shot in the draft at one of the game’s top two prospects — Canadian forward John Tavares or Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
This is a very difficult question because if the Blues went into 2009-10 with Erik Johnson, David Perron, T.J. Oshie, Patrik Berglund and Jonathan Tavares (who I believe they would take No. 1 overall), it would be the best young nucleus in the NHL. However, I’ve always been a believer that winning games is what’s most important, and the draft order will fall how it falls. Here’s the bottom line in my book: Next year isn’t Year 2 of the Checketts/Davidson regime . . . it’ll be Year 4. If the Blues don’t sniff the playoffs soon, they risk losing fans who may never be around to see Tavares wear the Bluenote. You saw what having Erik Johnson meant this season . . . nothing. Johnson is a tremendously talented player and will be a cornerstone defenseman for years to come, but a fluky injury ended his season, and without him, the Blues are wallowing in mediocrity. As good as Tavares and Hedman are and will be, I’ll take the victories.

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Given the blitz of injuries, I don’t see the Blues as a viable playoff contender, which is just as well, because they’d be a one-and-done entry with a quick expiration date in the postseason. So bring on the kids. In fact, the Blues should do everything they can to accumulate more draft picks by trading marketable veterans.

JEFF GORDON
Blues season ticket holders don’t want to hear this. Neither does ultra-competitive coach Andy Murray. But this is the truth: The top two picks in the 2009 draft offer extraordinary promise. Either prospect would greatly advance the Blues’ cause. Since the Blues are unlikely to climb into the Western Conference’s top eight this season — given the long-term loss of Erik Johnson, Eric Brewer and Pauk Kariya — the lottery looms as a phenomenal opportunity. I would never encourage a professional sports team to tank, but . . .

TOM TIMMERMANN
Enough waiting until next year. The Blues haven’t gone to the playoffs since 2004, haven’t won a series since 2002. No one in the NHL goes four years without making the playoffs (well, maybe the Blackhawks) and if the Blues do that, there will be increasingly fewer reasons to be a Blues fan. The Blues need to throw a lifeline to their beleaguered fans by making the playoffs. Of course, I don’t think it’s an option; unless the ice at Scottrade comes from Lourdes, I don’t see them getting back in the playoff picture this season.

DAN O’NEILL
I think, with still more than half of the 2008-2009 schedule remaining, the Blues should definitely make a concerted effort to stay a losing course. If at all possible, they should try to get a few more key players hurt, maybe Brad Boyes could play a round of golf with Erik Johnson, perhaps Keith Tkachuk could slip on a piece of carpet. At the same time, coach Andy Murray should make it clear to his present roster that his new system will be based on glaring mistakes and half-baked effort. Call it the “Twilight Zone Trap.” What’s more, the marketing team should get on board and adjust the Blues’ sales pitch from “We’ll Do Whatever It Takes” to “We Won’t Do Squat,” or “We’ll Do Whatever It Takes To Lose,” or “We’ll Tank It Everytime.” Maybe they even could feature “Towel Man” in some ads and use the theme, “That’s Right, We’re Throwing In The Towel.” Or maybe they could just contact the NHL office and inform the league that they would like to forfeit 55 percent of their remaining schedule. Unconventional, yes, but hey, whatever it takes.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

HELP ME UNDERSTAND: The Los Angeles Dodgers have offered a one-year contract to all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman, according to the Los Angeles Times. Hoffman made $7.5 million last season with the Padres and San Diego reportedly made him a one-year, $4 million offer earlier before withdrawing it in November. The Dodgers’ offer, according to the Times, reportedly exceeds $4 million. The report also states the Milwaukee Brewers are in pursuit of Hoffman, who is expected to make a decision this week.

Hoffman, 41, may not be the stud he once was, but he did convert 30 of 34 save opportunities last season. With the Cardinals’ glaring need at the position, wouldn’t a one-year offer in that range offer high upside with little risk? It’s a head-scratcher, along the lines of the Cardinals not taking a chance on starting pitcher Brad Penny, who landed with the Red Sox on a one-year, $5 million deal. But with Hoffman it’s even worse, as he could end up closing for an NL Central competitor.

To steal a line from a valued colleague: The Cards don’t seem to really be looking for low-hanging fruit … they want to pick it up off the ground.

BC BRINGS HAMMER DOWN ON COACH: After meeting with the New York Jets yesterday about their head coaching position, Boston College football coach Jeff Jagozinski will be fired today according to a report in the Boston Globe. While apparently there was no specific language in his contract barring him from seeking other jobs, upon his hiring BC officials had made it clear to Jagozinski that they wanted a coach for more than just two or three years. Jagodzinski had just completed his second 10-win season with BC and has three years remaining on his contract.

Wow, I guess Boston College meant business. On one hand, I question the severity of such actions when someone is just trying to improve his/her lot in life. On the other hand, I admire BC for sticking to its guns and making a statement that winning doesn’t mean everything. But more than anything I just like to see it when things go Bad in Beantown.

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THINGS TO PONDER

CUBS’ BRADLEY IS THE BOMB: Chicago Tribune columnist Rick Morrissey writes today that, “What became finally and conclusively apparent in the 2008 postseason was that the cute, happy, aw-shucks Cubs thing doesn’t work. … Now comes Milton Bradley, who is so un-Cublike he probably wears White Sox boxers under his pants. … The Cubs aren’t bringing him to town to be a leader. They’re bringing him to provide another left-handed bat and light a fire. Light a fire, pull the pin of a grenade — it’s the same thing, isn’t it?

How a company that recently filed for bankruptcy keeps adding payroll is unclear to me, but the Cubs have clearly shown they want to be the Beast to Beat in the National League.

HOW ‘BOUT THEM DAWGS: Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno are both expected to announce later today that they will enter the NFL draft, according to ESPN. Stafford, a junior, and Moreno, a redshirt sophomore, led the SEC in passing and rushing this season, respectively. Some draftniks believe Stafford could be the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft and Moreno is expected to be the first or second running back selected.

And people around here think Mizzou underachieved this year. How did a Georgia team led by that kind of talent go 9-3 and end up playing in the Capitol One Bowl? And before you say it’s because of all the talent in the SEC, let me point out that one of those losses came at HOME against ACC opponent Georgia Tech.

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STAT OF THE DAY

5 — Number of times Keith Tkachuk has been named to the NHL All-Star team after getting the nod today. Tkachuk, who became the seventh U.S.-born player to reach 1,000 points earlier this season, was also a member of the All-Star team in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2004.