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The All Star game is over, the Pro Bowl is over. We can now resume sports reporting that carries value and substance. Speaking of substance and deep thought you can follow me on twitter @HotCarlBrown

Defence is the hot word around the Canucks locker room as we return from the All Star break. With Alex Edler undergoing back surgery, Lee Sweatt having his “Rudy” moment and the impending return of Sami Salo the news breakers are all a twitter trying to get the latest scoop on how Vancouver is planning on operating their blue line for the next 32 games.

As it sits today the injured list looks imposing. Aaron Rome is 7-10 days away with a knee injury, Andrew Alberts is a little closer than that recovering from a shoulder issue, Alex Edler will go under the knife on Monday and is estimated around 8 weeks, while the time table for Sami Salo has still not been fully established.

In the meantime…..to the rescue

Lee Sweatt makes and impact in his first game on call up from Manitoba. That is what you call a genuine smile folks, a long college career followed by 4 years of hockey overseas and he finally gets his chance.

While Lee Sweatt establishes folk hero status in Vancouver, quietly in the background of all this Sami “the Finnish Glass” Salo is rehabbing his way into a return to the ice. Salo’s injury (a ruptured Achilles tendon…ouch) has kept him from seeing even one game this season. Our last image of Sami was something along these lines

Now Salo has been unlucky in his career and this might be his last real shot at winning a Stanley Cup. If the Canucks can fit him in under the salary cap (with the long term injury to Edler they may have enough flexibility) Salo could provide a great veteran presence on the back end especially in limited minutes. He still has a bomb of a slap shot from the point and could bring another dimension to the Canucks already lethal powerplay.

Lost in all the doomsday predictions is the fact that Alexander Edler was having his best season as an NHL defenceman. He was 4th in Canucks scoring and seemed to be slowly developing into that number 1 defenceman who can eat 28 minutes ples per game. I hope this season is not lost for him and if we see a healthy and eager Edler come playoff time the Canucks could be in a position to do some damage.

All year the talk has been about what can this team do in April and beyond. It’s January 30th, there are 32 games left in the regular season. It’s almost time to find out.

Enter Salo into your goldmine account for 250 bonus points

Hanging out here in the Mountain FM studio wearing my Sunday best. Got some random thoughts floating through my conscious and I have a blog so uhhhh yeahhh….here ya go!

The Canucks have returned to Earth with a slew of extra time losses and some inconsistent play. Secondary scoring has all but evaporated and the power play seems to have lost focus. Kevin Bieksa, Aaron Rome and Andrew Alberts are all injured and our enviable depth on defence is now coming into question. So to put this into perspective THE CANUCKS ARE BACK!!! There is the team I remember! Playing down a little to their competition, having trouble clearing the puck out of their zone and frustrating you to the point of whipping empty beer cans across the apartment (not at the TV, not at the TV, not at the TV).

Don’t get me wrong here people, I’m exaggerating a bit. This is one of those expected slumps in the season, you can’t go on a streak like this team did through December and not expect to have a healthy dose of reality to follow up. I know there are a lot of flaws to point to right now but, hockey like no other sport is a game that relies on the natural ebb and flow of a season. So fear not fair weather fans, don’t get off that band wagon just yet. This is still a team that should contend for the Stanley Cup this year, although some people might put their parade plans on hold for a couple weeks. Adversity in January can be a positive thing, adversity in April, May and beyond is a different beast entirely.

The Super Bowl is set, the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers will be making the trip to Dallas on February 6th. The NFL must be thrilled to see 2 of their most popular teams get through to their marquee event of the year. Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers has made people forget all about Brett Favre in the state of Wisconsin. This kid is unbelievable and my hope is that the Packers bring home the big one. Nothing against the Steelers but they have 6 championships already and any more would just be overkill (hear that Habs fans?).

Chicago Bears had their season ended by the Packers today and it’s a good thing too. Do you know how these guys celebrate?

enter super bowl shuffle into your goldmine account for 250 pts

How ’bout that snow eh? That will be the extent of my weather coverage for this blog, lets talk sports.

Canucks squeaked out an ugly win in Long Island last night. The Islanders played much better than their record would lead you to assume and the Canucks went the opposite way. Is that a sign of a good team? To win when the whole group is not at their best? In some cases yes, but I’m sure the Canucks will put the 2 points up on the board and move on into the second half of the season. Burn the tape and move on, no need to review that game. The ice was brutal, the game had very little flow and the boys from Vancouver were just a little listless.

2 things I do want to mention from that game. Number 1, I watched the game on the MSG network with the Islanders commentators. Now I know the Canucks don’t get out east too often but, the commentators were absolutely bush league. Getting names wrong, didn’t know anything about our team or our approach to the game. They came off like complete amateurs. If the Canucks were basement dwellers and not significant to the league I could understand this but they are the best team in the NHL. Do your home work boys. Number 2, great game from former Canuck Michael Grabner who now plys his trade in the NHL’s purgatory of Long Island. He was around the puck constantly and was dangerous every shift.

Michael Grabner will be in the all star game on January 28th in Carolina to represent the Islanders franchise. He will be joined by 3 Canucks. Daniel and Henrik Sedin as well as Ryan Kesler (first appearance for Daniel and Kesler, second for Henrik). Congrats to all players who get to play in the NHL’s mid season bore fest that is the all star game. Another rant for another day.

Canucks head into New York city for a game against the Rangers on Thursday on the hallowed ice of Maddison Square Garden. Vancouver will need to turn in a much better effort if the want to pull out their second win of this five game road trip. The Rangers have quietly assembled an excellent record this year. Rangers center Brandon Dubinsky is having a break out season and providing their team with a Ryan Kesler type presence. Should be a good one at MSG Thursday night.

UFC 131 is heading our way! Dana White and the decision makers at UFC are making their second trip to our fine province. Not a lot of news on this yet but it looks like June 11th is the likely date and UFC heavyweight Shane Carwin is slotted to appear. In other MMA news, new coaches have been announced for the next Ultimate Fighter season. It will be Brock Lesnar (who hates cameras and the media) coaching against Junior Dos Santos (who barely speaks English). This might make for interesting TV.

Sorry Leafs fans, had to post this. Credit to my buddy Dan for this one.

Finally lets rock some NFL picks for this weekend, it’s the divisional playoffs folks so get ready for some outstanding pigskin this weekend. Went 2 for 4 last week lets see if I can improve on that.

AFC

New York Jets @ New England Patriots- The Jets barely snuck by the Colts on the road last weekend while the Patriots enjoyed a first round bye. This game come down to one thing, Tom Brady hasn’t lost at home in 29 games. Guess where this game is being played? I take the Patriots to advance.

Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers- Baltimore made easy work of Kansas City on the road, while the Steelers used the bye week to try and heal some lingering injury’s. These teams split their two games this season with both games being decided by only a field goal. This will be physical, hard hitting, old school playoff football. I will take the underdog Ravens in a tight one.

NFC

Green Bay Packers @ Atlanta Falcons- Atlanta enjoyed a really easy schedule in the regular season while the Packers have battled through a ton of adversity including beating the Michael Vick led Eagles on the road in a great game last Sunday. I think the battle tested Packers surprise the Falcons and move on to the NFC championship game.

Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears- So last weekend the Seahawks beat the defending champion New Orleans Saints. Go ahead and read that sentence twice. The 7-9 Seahawks are in the second round of the playoffs. Wow, I was home with the FLu and watched this game last Saturday and honestly thought I might have been hallucinating when the Seahawks started to take over. They are in tough against this Bears team who watched with interest as one of the power brokers in the NFC got swept aside. Take the Bears at home but don’t sleep on this Seattle team (see what I did there?)

Check out Marshawn Lynch putting a dagger in the Saints, one of the greatest runs I have ever seen

Enter all star game into your goldmine account for 250 pts.

My inner pessimist is being tested. I always try to hold back a little and not give them my full heart because they always break it. I try not to get caught up in the peaks and try not fall too deep into the valleys, though I can resist no longer. The Canucks have made me a believer this year. I figured this out sometime last night when I just about went through the roof as Alex Burrows put the Canucks ahead 4-3 in the 3rd period on their way to a rare win in San Jose. I try to hold off some of the enthusiasm until at least around playoff time but after a sweep of a road trip that featured 3 strong teams ( Dallas, Colorado and San Jose) I held back no further. I have delved into the realm of being a true fanboy. Every night it seems to be another player contributing, another important piece of the game plan that develops and after all is said and done, there is very little left to be even reasonably upset about. With a record of 15-1-2 in their last 18 games this team is cruising and sitting atop the NHL standings. The most promising thing is the business like attitude being put forward by this team. There is no sense of satisfaction in the locker room, the team is very aware that they are not quite half way through the season and to truly be considered among the NHL elite the test will come, not in January and February, but in the playoffs. Can they replicate this type of success over the long grind that is the march to the Stanley Cup? That question will hang over this team until they provide us the answer. Here is how they got it done on this last 3 game trip

The World Juniors Gold Medal game will take place tomorrow. Canada vs Russia, so much history between these teams that books have been written in an attempt to encapsulate it. Once more they face off with Gold on the line, 430 Wednesday on TSN. Appointment viewing folks.

The NFL playoffs are upon us, it’s wild card weekend and I will venture a few predictions

NFC

New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks- Seahawks backed into the playoffs with a 7-9 record, the Saints are the defending champs on the road. I’ll take the Saints in a walk

Green Bay Packers @ Philadelphia Eagles- Eagles didn’t have the strongest finish to the season but they do have Michael Vick at QB which gives them a chance. The Packers needed a 10-3 win over the Bears on the final week of the season. The story here is can the Packers defence contain Vick? I say yes, Packers in a mild upset.

AFC

Baltimore Ravens @ Kansas City Chiefs- Been a long time since the Chiefs have made the playoffs, I think their lack of experience will hurt them here, I take the Ravens on the road.

New York Jets @ Indianapolis Colts- The Colts have had a long and trying season. Peyton Manning has not played his best football and his best weapons at receiver (Dallas Clark and Austin Collie) have been hurt throughout. Still they win the AFC South division and find themselves hosting a playoff game. The Jets had a great start to the year but stumbled in the back half. Lots of experience on both sides, this should be the closest game of the weekend. I’m going on a bit of a limb and taking the Colts at home, though I’m not sure I feel good about it.

I’ve got more to talk about but I’ll save it for Thursday, tune in to the Morning Lift @ 8:35. I’ll be on with Rob to discuss the fallout from the World Juniors, more Canucks talk and some big UFC news.

Enter fanboy into your goldmine account for 250 pts.

I’m home for Christmas! Pulled up to the Brown household a little after 8 am this morning. I never really get excited til I get here and see the tree and my family. OK enough emo, lets talk sports.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment) have officially banned a fan from the Air Canada Center and charged him with mischief. You may be thinking “What heinous act did this felon commit?”. I’ll tell you dear readers he threw a waffle onto the ice. That’s correct, he threw a waffle onto the playing surface. I have no idea why a waffle was the weapon of choice for this fan to show his frustration with the Leafs but I do find it hilarious. Is it because waffle rhymes with awful and the Leafs are 28th in the NHL? Are the Leafs soft and filled with syrup? Who knows but as always I think the Vancouver Green Guys have the right idea.

The Canucks carry a 9-1-1 record in their last 11 games into Detroit tonight to take on the painfully consistent Red Wings. This Vancouver team has strapped itself to Ryan Kesler who has 6 goals and 3 helpers in his last 6 games. The native of Livonia, Michigan will have a lot of family and friends in the rink tonight and with his confidence at an all time high watch for a huge performance from #17 tonight. Game time is 430 pm on TSN.

Boxing Day is always a great day for sports in Canada, especially since TSN has taken over the World Juniors. Canada will look to get back to Gold after losing in OT last year to a very talented United States Squad. Canada has only 4 returning players from last year and the USA has taken the role of favourite for this years tournament held in Buffalo. As always Canada will be a physical team who will look to break the will of their opponents through hard work and a relentless cycle game. No big stars this year it will have to be a major team effort. Nothing says the holiday season like the World Juniors!

As we sneak closer to New Years the NHL will head out doors once again for the Winter Classic. With HBO providing a ton of hype with their 24/7 series the Penguins and Capitals game has taken on a aura of something bigger than just another outdoor game. The 24/7 series is phenomenal and anybody with HBO Canada should check it out (2nd episode airs tonight at 9pm

Enter green men into your goldmine account for 250 bonus points.

Had a lovely chat with Rob Michaels this morning, hope everyone had a chance to listen. Lets get this blog underway.

Sidney Crosby is willing his team to win. No Evgeni Malkin? No problem. No Jordan Staal? No Problem. The Penguins have won 11 straight games, Crosby has points in 17 straight. With 50 points in 30 games, Crosby is playing the best hockey of his young career. His hands have gone from great to unreal, check out the highlights from the Pens 3-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers on Dec 2, Sidney, by the way, had all 3 Penguins goals

A lot of people were happy with the Vancouver Canucks comeback win over Anaheim last night. I am not one of them. The Canucks continue to show holes in there game. Again Vancouver was too easy to play against, especially in their own end. They allowed the Ducks to get into shooting lanes (Anaheim blocked 21 shots, while 19 more missed the net). There were many times the Canucks had a chance to bury this game and couldn’t find the finish needed. A couple of turnovers and some lackadaisical play and all of a sudden it’s a 4-2 Ducks lead and Vanouver has to scramble. I will say right now that if not for Ryan Kesler that win last night becomes a loss and the conversation on the radio and in print today would be much different. Many people wondered at the beginning of this season why Ryan Kesler was not named captain of this team. He made his own case of why he should have been last night. He put the Canucks on his back in the third period, tied the game with 18 seconds left and finished with a 3 point night. Great effort from Kesler in an otherwise ugly night at Rogers Arena.

Saturday night is going to be very special for the Canucks. The Tampa Bay Lightning with Steven Stamkos roll into town. However, the game might be on the undercard as Markus Naslund, the Canucks all time leading scorer will have his number raised to the rafters next to Trevor Linden (16) and Stan Smyl (12). For anyone who doubts Naslunds contributions to not just the team, but to Vancouver itself try and think about where this team was when Markus arrived here. Naslund took this team from a group who struggled to make the playoffs to a consistent contender. He was the transition piece for this team. He bridged the core group from 94-through the west coast express years- to what we have now. Have a look at Markus Naslund and some of his finest in this video

Also on Saturday in a much less heartwarming story. It’s UFC 124 in Montreal GSP vs Koscheck. Very simply and in no refined terms, I hope St. Pierre fills Koscheck in. I hope he actually physically harms him. Josh Koscheck is so easy to hate it is unreal. I`m willing to throw down my Pay Per View money for the month just for the chance to see him get his. Over 23000 passionate french fans will be in attendance at the Bell Centre in Montreal this Saturday night. The environment is going to be crazy, this is what the UFC does best. Can’t wait to see it. Talk to ya next week.

Enter GSP into your goldmine account for 250 bonus points

Going to keep it quick and simple tonight folks as the candle is burning at both ends for this particular sports fan.

Vancouver Canucks travelled into Chicago on Friday night and shut out the defending champion Blackhawks. Let me type that one more time because it felt so good. Vancouver Canucks travelled into Chicago on Friday night and shut out the defending champion Blackhawks. Ok I’m good to go now. This was a statement game for Roberto Luongo. There are times in a season when your goaltender has to steal a game for you and this game was the best example I’ve seen from Mr. Luongo in 2 years. Don’t believe me? See evidence below:

I’m a huge fan of Mixed martial Arts and UFC had their Ultimate Fighter Finale on Saturday night from the Palms in Las Vegas. This season featured some great fights and a very intriguing coaching match up between George St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck. For those who didn’t see this season Josh Koscheck is one of the most easily dislike-able people I have ever seen. I will have more on these two later in the week as they will face off this coming Saturday, December 11 at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The final came down to two members of team GSP, Jonathan Brookins and Michael Johnson. Brookins withstood some major punishment in the first round and was able to dominate rounds 2 and 3 on the ground to pull out the victory. Jonathan Brookins is only 24 years old and he will have a great future in the UFC. He needs to correct some of his stand up game but this kid is solid and has a great head on his shoulders (and a hell of a chin).

Earlier this week Lebron James and the Miami Heat basically dominated the Cleveland Cavaliers. On Sunday with the city still stinging the Miami Dolphins played host to the Cleveland Browns in NFL action. The Browns gave Cleveland something to cheer about as the pulled out a last minute 13-10 win over the Dolphins. It is the Browns first win in Miami since 1970!

Finally if you are a fan of games with that certain playoff-like atmosphere be sure to tune in to Monday Night Football tomorrow. Very simply, the New York Jets (9-2) travel into New England to play the Patriots (9-2). First place in the AFC is on the line as well as possible home field advantage throughout the playoffs. No hype necessary on this one folks. Just watch, you might see something special.

Bonus code= Browns

Whats up sea to sky country? Had a fantastic morning at the Mountain FM Christmas Breakfast, lots of charitable people and lots of smiles all around. It was a great environment and something I look forward to every year.

Somehow, someway I don’t think “great environment”, or “something I look forward to” are ways that Lebron James would describe his return to the town, team and fan base that he turned his back on. On Thursday night Lebron James will make his return to Cleveland as the Miami Heat take on the Cavaliers. This is easily one of the most anticipated regular season games in NBA history. Lebron James has taken his talents to South Beach and the Miami Heat are, how do I say this, not very good at all. With the 3 headed monster of Dwayne Wade, Lebron James and (to a lesser degree) Chris Bosh this team was supposed to dominate. Instead the Heat are 10-8 with a major coaching situation coming to a head. Heat players have been quietly critical about their head coach Eric Spoelstra. There have been players only meetings, one on one sit downs and a real questioning of whether Eric Spoelstra is the man to manage the playing time, egos and travelling circus that is the Miami Heat.

Can you really tell me these guys are getting along?

The amount of hype and national coverage this game is receiving is incredible. Extra police have been brought in to escort the Miami team not just from the hotel to the arena but to the airport as well. Cleveland fans have not forgotten and likely will never forget what they perceive as a very personal slight from the self proclaimed “King”. I can understand the frustration of having a star player leave town, it can be hard on sports fans but I think Cleveland fans took this a little too hard and I feel their blame is misplaced.

If you were a Cleveland Cavaliers fan why wouldn’t you direct some of the heat (no pun intended) at your own ownership group? You had one of the most dominant players ever to grace the hard wood in your organization for 7 years. In that time did your ownership group make any real attempt to surround him with players of at least similar talent? Did they really expect Lebron to win a title on his own? I place the blame for James leaving solely on the people in charge of building a winner in Cleveland. You had your center piece, a once in a lifetime player and through either your own incompetence or unwillingness to spend you let the window shut on your opportunity to bring a major title to a city starved for one.

 So on Thursday night when Cleveland fans are venting their vitriol at the Miami Heat maybe they should think twice (they won’t). This move wasn’t about hurting the fans or being selfish. This move was about going to a team that is committed to winning a championship. Whether that happens this year in Miami or not is inconsequential. It was about commitment, Miami showed it and Cleveland only teased it. Thursday has been circled on the NBA calendar ever since the release of schedule. It’s the most controversial team in the NBA, the return of a sports icon who watched his fans turn on him for the choice he made. It’s the return of the King.

This weekend was heavy with sports action, I took in as much as possible so lets clean the slate, hit the big stories and look back on a wild weekend. As Guy Fieri would say, “Gobble, Gobble, Full Throbble!”

Friday night was the best 60 minute effort from the Canucks that I have seen this season. They had a huge 6-1 win over the San Jose Sharks with all 6 goals coming at even strength. Mikael Samuelson led the way with 2 goals, and Alex Burrows had his 2nd goal in 3 games since being reunited with the Sedin twins. Raffi Torres, Jeff Tambellini and Keith Ballard (his first in a Canucks uniform) rounded out the scoring.  I am very impressed with Jeff Tambellini who has dominated in the American Hockey League but has yet to translate that into NHL success. If Tambellini can find some consistency he could be a major part of this team moving forward.

Highlight of the Night honors go to Dan (the Hammer?) Hamhuis, after he helicoptered Douglas Murray of the Sharks. Video is below

Had a chance to take in some junior hockey of the BCHL variety on Saturday. I was at the Langley Event Center to see the Langley Chiefs come up short in a 5-3 loss to the Victoria Grizzlies. Some soft plays on the defensive side of the puck early on would cost the Chiefs as the Grizzlies came out to a 3-0 lead and steered home the win with a great performance in goal from Matt Ginn who stopped 45 of 48 shots directed his way.

Squamish Wolf Pack paid a visit to North Delta to take on the the Devils in PIJHL action and wow, did this game not go well for the Squamish boys.  After 60 minutes of action, the Wolf Pack were on the wrong end of a 10-0 drubbing from the North Delta squad. Sunday brought a chance at redemption as the Wolf Pack travelled into Burnaby to take on the Grandview Steelers. Unfortunately another lopsided loss and a long bus ride home is all that awaited the visitors from Squamish after an 8-4 loss.  The Wolf Pack return to the ice at home on Saturday to take on those same Grandview Steelers, 7pm start time at Brennan Park.

My dance card was full on Sunday with some big games from the NFL and of course the 98th Grey Cup from Edmonton. First off was a possible preview of the NFC championship game as the Green Bay Packers travelled into Atlanta to take on the Falcons. This game went right to the wire as Matt Bryant kicked a 47 yard field goal with 9 seconds remaining giving the dirty birds a huge win on the tail end of the American Thanksgiving weekend. The Falcons now have a record of 9 wins, 2 losses, and are looking very strong as their starting QB Matt Ryan is 19-1 as a starter at home since taking over the reigns.

As the afternoon moved on the Chicago Bears played host to the Philadelphia Eagles. Bears QB Jake Cutler threw a career high 4 touchdowns. With a Chicago win and a Green Bay loss, the Bears stand alone on top of the NFC North division at 8-3.

Seattle Seahawks are all over the map this year, and once again inconsistency is the only thing consistent about this team. They lost their 4th game in the last 5 after a promising 4-2 start. The Kansas City Chiefs blew the Hawks out of the water with a 42-24 win. Chiefs QB Matt Cassel completed 4 touchdown passes, 3 of them to wide receiver Dwayne Brown.

Finally, the Grey Cup took my attention in the afternoon. Could the Saskatchewan Roughriders overcome the heartbreak of last years loss? In a word….No. The Montreal Alouettes simply were the better team and there would be no field goal drama or too many men penalties this year. The Riders and Green Nation will head back to the prairies disappointed after a 21-18 loss. Montreal, led by QB Anthony Calvillo and Grey Cup MVP Jamel Richardson (109 yards receiving), take home their second straight championship.

Make sure to turn on the Morning Lift on Thursday, I’ll be on with Karen and Rob to recap the Canucks & Flames game coming up on Wednesday and look forward to the weekend ahead. If you get a chance, make sure to come out to Mountain FM Christmas Breakfast this Wednesday morning at the Westin in Whistler. Bring by some non-perishables and get yourself a free breaky, it’s a great event and always cool to meet our listeners.

CB

Welcome to the sports blog

Check this out listeners, is Sidney Crosby for real? Or do you think this is doctored?

 Whats up Sea to Sky country? They finally let me have my own blog on this lovely site. My name is Carl Brown, I’ve been contributing on air sports content on mountain fm for over a year now. I’m really excited to have a new format to voice some opinions, post some videos and hopefully get some good feedback from our listeners. I will be posting quite frequently on all matters sport. Whether it’s local content, national stories or even things like book reviews and countdown features; this will be your hub for sports information in the Corridor. Can’t wait to get started, keep your eye out for new posts and make sure to be listening every Thursday at 8:30 on the Morning Lift, Rob and I preview all the sports action heading your way for the weekend.

 *Bonus Code- enter Crosby into your goldmine account for 250 points.