Hmmm ...

Whenever I read the sports section of a daily newspaper, it's fascinating to me that most columnists have never played or coached the game at a high level in the sport they are employed to write about. This makes no sense to me. Would you get advice or hope to gain meaningful insight about how a medical procedure works from a novelist who may have written several stories about "operations, illnesses or disease" and is literate? I don't think so. What compels someone who has never played or coached at a high level to believe s/he has an accurate understanding about how a specific sport works without having been active in that arena her/himself? Next time you are reading your daily rag, ask yourself the following question: "What expertise does this person have in her/his life - as an athlete or a coach - that indicates to me s/he has the foggiest idea what s/he is talking about in their column?" If the answer is, "I don't have a clue", then I suggest you stop wasting your time and find someone else to entertain or educate you about the world of athletics with first-hand experience in that field, on the court, field, gym or rink. Former elite-level athletes or coaches are the only people who should be writing columns in the sports section of daily newspapers. No one else.

The trick is, finding one of us who is literate enough to communicate effectively with the masses.

Pick Of The Day: Tor +2.0 vs Ind (NBA/4-1)
RTD/'06: 4-1 (+2.9 units)

Best Picture

Deservedly, Crash was selected as this year's best picture by the American Academy of Motion Pictures. Decades from now, it will still be remembered as a seminal work in understanding what ails North American society in the early 21st centrury. Almost unbelievably, 140+ years after Mr. Lincoln's Emancipation proclamation we are not yet out from under the insidious socio-economic sickness that is racism, with it's multitude of tentacles and perspectives. Under-stated, intricate and precise, Crash will rank among the best films of its genre for generations to come. Kudos to Canadian-born director Paul Haggis for the fine piece of art he's created.

Pick Of The Day: Sas -4.5 @ Lal (NBA/3-1)
RTD/'06: 3-1 (+1.9 units)

Perseverance

What stops most people from succedding in life? Giving up too soon. Nothing more and nothing less.

Pick Of The Day: Dal -3.5 vs Pho (NBA/2-0), Tor -1.5 vs Bos (NBA/2-0)
RTD/'06: 2-0 (+2.0 units)

Playing The Hand You're Dealt

Each 'hand' in life has a maximum and minimum value when evaluated objectively. The 'trick' is to play each one with equal gusto and bravado, regardless of whether attacking or defending. Winning and losing are transitory and, therefore, irrelevant. What remains of substance, though, is how you played the game.

Pick Of The Day: Chi -2.5 Nyk (NBA/1-0)
RTD/'06: 1-0 (+1.0 units)