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The loss of Flames prospect and Windsor Spitfires captain Mickey Renaud is still so tragic, and not just because it hits so close to home. We found out today that Mickey suffered from a heart condition by the name of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which was deemed as the cause of his death.

This remains tragic, however, there is an opportunity for Mickey’s death to save the lives of others. The affliction of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM, is the leading cause of sudden death among athletes. It affected 600 thousand Americans last year, resulting in 6000 deaths. Much is known about HCM in the medical world, but it is not so commonly known in the mainstream world. And while it is not a common condition (about 2.5% of the population), it is something that effects athletes much more adversely than others.

A lot of credit for opening my eyes, and the eyes of others, has to go to Sports Illustrated’s David Epstein, who has written a number of articles on the subject. This is a heart condition, but is different from other heart conditions. Things like diabetes or high blood pressure are remedied, or at least helped out by, excercise. This is not the case, and in fact the polar opposite, of HCM. And so, while the condition isn’t overly common, it is much more deadly among athletes, where cardiovascular exertion is typical and regular. At least every 2 weeks, an athlete with HCM will die during or immediately after exertion (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/12/04/broken.hearts1210/index.html).

So, a little research can save lives in this respect…hopefully the tragedy of Mickey will help parents of athletes, and the athletes themselves, become more aware to this. It’s a shame this isn’t something coaches and teachers etc are made aware of by the medical profession when it comes to young athletes. All it takes is a simple electrocardiogram (ECG) to make sure this isn’t an affliction that will affect you or a loved one. And if it does, you’re going to be able to catch it in time, much like what happened with David Carle, the younger brother of Tampa Bay’s Matt. He can no longer play the game he loves, which is unfortunate, but the potential, most likely eventual, outcome otherwise is much more unfortunate.

I just hope that the loss of Mickey Renaud doesn’t go forgotten. It’s so sad, but by remembering players like Mickey and others who have their lost their lives from HCM, we might move closer to a time where that alarming stat of once every 2 weeks is pared down significantly. So if you’ve got a son or daughter involved in athletics, it might not be a bad idea to think about the ECG. Dave Carle is glad he did, and sadly, his story is one of the few positive ones associated with HCM.

Let me classify that. CBS’s second primetime Elite XC showcase on Saturday night saw their viewership down almost 50%, with an overnight rating of 1.9, averaging out to about 2.62 million viewers. That’s according to www.f4wonline.com. But the broadcast itself was an overwhelming success in my books, with many positive corrections in comparison to the first effort featuring Kimbo Slice.

The abscence of the “big name” in Kimbo was going to mean a hit to the ratings, and CBS knew that. But 2.62 million viewers for a Saturday night sporting event in the summer is still respectable in the TV business. This outing was geared directly at the hardcore MMA fan, however it still catered to the fledgling fan trying to learn the sport and why it continues to grow by leaps and bounds. But the most important thing is CBS and Elite XC have the blueprint for a successful, entertaining and slick presentation for their next really hyped show, featuring Kimbo, in October.

The first part of that is timing. The show was pretty much on time, and there were far fewer breaks and lulls in the action. The card progressed along at a very good pace, and the video packages didn’t drag nearly as much as they did last time. The first outing, they went over rather significantly, simply because they tried to cram far too many fights into a short period of time. This time, the undercard had a few fights on The Fight Network, and the main card on CBS had 4 fights on it, which is perfect for a 2 hour time slot, which is what they had last night.

Second, the commentary was much better this time around. That’s no knock on the first effort, as I thought Gus, Mauro and Frank did a great job the first time around. But this time, they were more familiar with eachothers broadcasting styles, and they were all more comfortable in their roles. Gus Johnson upped his knowledge, and save for one blunder (Anderson Silva is the UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT champ, not Light Heavyweight), was very good. Mauro Ranallo was lights out as always, and Frank Shamrock was able to be the experienced guy who could break down the mindset of fighters inside the cage. There were barely any missed cues, and the information passed along was top notch.

And finally, the focus this time around was on the fights, not the spectacle surrounding the fights. The video packages were well done, gave you a personal side of the fighters, but it wasn’t over done. Once the guys were in the cage, we were hearing much more about passing guards, circling and the clinch than we were about how popular guys are on the internet and how fast MMA is growing. Not to say either side is wrong…the first SNF, the goal was to educate the new MMA fans, the same way the one in October most likely will be. What I liked about the second outing, though, was the fact the broadcast crew was passing along tons of tidbits for the hardcore enthusiast, yet, they weren’t talking over the heads of newer fans. It was very, very well done.

All in all, the blueprint is there, and the next big event on CBS has the potential to really blow the doors off this thing for both CBS and Elite XC. There will be more viewers with Kimbo on the card, so there is a real opportunity to hit one out of the park. Here’s hoping it happens!

Here we go, game day to start off week 5 of the CFL season. The Calgary Stampeders are on the road, they’ll take on the 0-4 Winnipeg Blue Bombers at the Canad Inns Stadium. Much has been written and spoken about this being a “trap game”, a game where the Stamps might “overlook” the vastly underachieving Bombers. I don’t buy it.

Is this a dangerous game for Calgary? Yes. But if they lose, it won’t be because they haven’t prepared for this game. The Bombers will be desperate, and they will be out to prove something…prove that Dinwiddie can play, prove that their offence is top notch, prove that the defence can function minus Barrin Simpson, prove that Charles Roberts is still elite. It won’t be easy for the Stampeders, and there is an opportunity for an upset. But it’s still a very winnable game for the Stamps.

The biggest worry I have is on the defensive side of the ball for Calgary…JoJuan Armour has been incredible so far this season, in so many ways. His on-field play has been outstanding, the team has fed off his intensity, and he’s turned into a leader on the defence. I think the Stamps will feel his loss most when the Bombers hand the ball off…he’s very good in helping this Stampeders impressive run-stop. It could mean a bigger day for Charles Roberts who is averaging less than 50 yards per game to this point.

The Stamps will be on Ryan Dinwiddie all game long, that goes without saying. The pass rush has been impressive all season long, and I don’t think that changes tonight going against a Bombers O-line that has been less than impressive. I believe the Bombers put up some points tonight, but I don’t believe it will be enough.

The Stampeders offence has been in such a groove so far, especially the last 6 quarters of football. The team realizes what can be done when they play a full, consistent 60 minutes and the know how potent they are when spreading the ball around. No defence can key onto what the Stamps do when they’re going, and I have no doubts they will be going tonight. The loss of Barrin Simpson really hurts the Blue, so as much as I think Winnipeg puts up points, I really think Calgary puts up more.

My prediction…Stamps 39, Winnipeg 28

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have pulled a switch at quarterback, as Ryan Dinwiddie will make his first regular season start this Thursday against the Calgary Stampeders. He’ll be replacing Kevin Glenn. And can you really blame them? I know that Glenn was the East Division nominee for Most Outstanding Player, but man, the guy just hasn’t looked very good at all this year. Granted, his offensive line hasn’t looked very good at all, which is part of the problem. But I’ll keep saying it…good quarterbacks make plays, and Glenn hasn’t been making plays to this point. Plain and simple.

So why not give Dinwiddie the shot? Now, I’m fairly transparent about my team allegiances most of the time…and Dinwiddie played for my favorite team on the planet, the Boise State Broncos. So I’ve got a pretty in depth knowledge base around the quarterback, but I’m also looking at this objectively. Dinwiddie struggled at times in the Grey Cup, however, he showed flashes that he can more than just a CFL game manager. At Boise State, he ran a complicated offence and they ran a pass-heavy system, so he’s well suited for the CFL game. And from what I’ve seen, he has a high football IQ, which you need to have playing for Chris Peterson in Boise.

So, it may not be as dumb a move as it sounds. Bombers head coach Doug Berry has named Dinwiddie the starter indefinetely…it might take a little bit for him to get into his groove, and he’s taking on a high octane defence against the Stampeders Thursday night. That’s a tough way to start. But he’ll get into a groove, and he may actually prove he deserves that starting spot with the Bombers. It’s just another storyline heading into week 5 for the 0-4 Bombers.

Stamps Notes
-In talking to Mike Labinjo and Ryan Thelwell at Stamps practice today, they’re very emphatic that there will be no overlooking the 0-4 Bombers. It seems like a trap game, with a desperate team playing at home, but you know coach John Hufnagel will have this team prepared and ready to go.

After a 43-16 win last night for the Calgary Stampeders over the Hamilton Tiger Cats, you can’t help but ask this question: were the Stamps really good or were the Ticats just that bad? And while it’s a combination of both, I don’t believe you can take any credit away from the Calgary Stampeders.

Was Casey Printers unbelievably terrible at quarterback last night? Absoloutely. And while he was bad on his own, he wouldn’t have looked nearly as bad if it wasn’t for the stellar play of the Stamps on the defensive side of the ball. For the second game this year, they made a scrambling quarterback look like awful…and that’s because of the impressive pursuit of the Stampeders front 4. Charlseton Hughes was a monster, and especially notable off the line last night. After Printers was under pressure, he was unable to use his legs to create time and space due to the outstanding containment off the ends and into the outside linebackers. JoJuan Armour was on a mission last night…I thought he was the best defensive player on the field.

What do you do with Casey Printers? Rick and I are going to throw it around on the Big Show today, because that’s 6 games in a row he has yet to throw a touchdown pass. Yikes.

The Stampeders offence was balanced and on the mark right from the get go. Henry Burris was on, and was helped out by lots of time and space from the guys in front of him. Hank was accurate and smart…the Ticats defence was seemingly committed to playing a deep zone, so Burris just kept exploiting the soft spot underneath the Mike LB as he shaded back. Other than consecutive drops in the 3rd quarter from Copeland and Rambo, the receivers were on and Joffrey was Joffrey. For the first time in his CFL career, he runs for 3 TD’s in a game and ran for an 8.7 ypc average.

With the way the Stamps were clicking, I believe they could have had similar results against a lot of other CFL teams…maybe not 43 points, but certainly a sizeable victory. So if you’re asking yourself “was it more the Ticats being bad than the Stamps being good?” I’d say not by a long shot.

EDITED AT 1133 PM…THE GAME DIDN’T GET BLACKED OUT TONIGHT, HOWEVER THE ISSUE ITSELF IS STILL A GOOD ONE.

We’re most likely looking at a television blackout for tonights Stampeders-Tiger Cats game. I’m pretty sure where I weigh in with the television blackout, but I want to know your thoughts.

Let me preface this with the fact that I am not, and have never been an owner of a pro sports team, so my perspective is skewed a little, because I’m not writing the cheques. But I’m trying to take an objective look at this, and by no means am I trying to criticize the Calgary Stampeders. I’m just kind of wondering how the blackout is still relevant in todays landscape.

Here’s where I weigh in…it’s 2008, and we’re in this age of broadband, live blogging, and free illegal/grey area satellite. It’s not hard for people to get access to things…so with that being said, from the people I’ve talked to on this subject, it’s just a piss off. Some people just can’t make the game, but are a huge fan a certain team and buy tickets at other times during the season…so is it worth it to piss those people off? Are more people going to be driven to the game because it’s not on tv then the people that are going to be miffed because of it?

I don’t have imperical data to necessarily answer those questions. I just thought I’d throw it out there to see what Stamps and football fans think.

The poor guy. Aaron Rodgers is in an unenviable situation right from the get-go. You’re taking over for one of the legends of the game. If you think Jarome Iginla or Lanny McDonald mean a lot to his community, you’re only scratching the surface when it comes to the connection Brett Favre has with the fans of the Green Bay Packers. Chris Ballard wrote a great article in Sports Illustrated last week outlining just how hard it’s going to be for Rodgers to win over the fans…and that article was written BEFORE Favre decided to come out of retirement.

Think of the scenarios that can play out for Rodgers for next season…

1. He’s the starting quarterback, Brett Favre is elsewhere, maybe playing, maybe not. Rodgers goes out, plays well, with a high quarterback rating and the Packers are 12-4. You’re fooling yourself if you think there won’t be a contingent of fans screaming “he’s on a good team, he’s EXPECTED TO DO GOOD!” And that’s best case…the best case scenario for Rodgers is for him to play well, start, and not get the credit he may or may not deserve.

2. That sucks enough on its own. So what happens if Rodgers goes out and doesn’t play well, the Packers struggle to a 2-5 start. So now Rodgers is on a good team and SHOULD be playing well because of his surroundings, but isn’t. Are you telling me we won’t hear “shoulda kept Favre” sentiments? That’s no good. Rodgers has ALREADY made some headstrong comments to SI about the situation…”I don’t feel I need to sell myself to the fans. They need to get on board or keep their mouths shut.” Yeah, that’s helping…so, imagine that attitude while you suck and while the fans are screaming for Favre. I don’t know, a Michael Vick-esque middle finger seems in the works.

3. And then there is the final scenario. Lets say the Packers and Favre mend the bridges (I don’t think that’s happening, but it could). Regardless of whether Favre plays well or not, everyone will be looking at Rodgers. Is he a locker room distraction? Is he being a team guy? And if Favre and/or the Packers struggle, all the talk is going to be “Is Rodgers being a distraction” or “is there a feud between the 2 QB’s.”

So, the scenarios aren’t good for Rodgers, and none of this is happening if Brett Favre doesn’t retire too early. But whatever, I don’t agree with Favre, but it’s done and it’s going forward. The worst part is the fact Aaron Rodgers gets a raw deal regardless…its on the Packers to make this as easy as possible on their potential quarterback of the future.

In looking back at Thursday nights Stampeders-Alouettes game, one thing jumped out at me. It’s the same thing that jumped out to WR Brett Ralph when I talked to him Friday, an interview you’ll hear on Sportsline Saturday this week. That is…the Stamps were in very much the same situation as they were the week prior against Edmonton. A lead late in the game with the defence needing to hold on…unlike week 2, the Stamps were able to seal the deal in week 3. It has to be a huge confidence booster, and Ralph said as much…that and the fact the Stamps were able to control the ball late was very much impressive coming out of Thursday night.

The receiving core was once again impressive…Ralph continues to be Wes Welker-esque, in that he’s ALWAYS freaking open. For the second straight game, he made some plays on second and long. Then there is 82…Nik Lewis was stellar in the clutch once again, this time making the big catch in that clock-hogging final drive for the Stamps, a catch that gave the visitors a huge first down. What more can you say about Lewis? He is clutch, he plays the interior like a pitbull, and he has some of the surest hands you’ll see. And screw “good sportsmanship”. Seeing Lewis get hyped up after a big play is awesome. Brett Ralph put it pretty well…”when you’ve got a receiver group as talented as this, everyone is going to touch the ball.”

Hamilton should be interesting…after playing pocket passers for 2 straight games, it’ll be interesting to see how the Stamps adapt to playing Casey Printers. And then of course there is that Lumsden kid. The Stamps were able to neutralize Joe Smith fairly effectively in week 1, but Lumsden is a different runner. He runs so straight up, it can sometimes be a bit of adjustment for the interior lineman. But being caught by surprise probably isn’t something we’ll see happen very often with this team…John Hufnagel has them prepared to the T every week.

It remains busy on the NHL front…

-Ray Emery is done in the NHL, at least for next season. The former Sens goalie signs a 1 year deal with some team in the new Continental Hockey League in Russia. The team’s name is the very catchy Atlant Mytishchi. Emery might need this video to help him get into the swing of things…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyad8FK9yW8

-The Columbus Blue Jackets signing Mike Peca to a 1 year deal, that’s at 1.315 million. The Jackets also renew the contract of Ken Hitchcock at Head Coach for 3 more years.

-Speaking of coaching, Rick Tocchet and Wes Walz join the coaching staff for the Tampa Bay Lightning as assistants.

-Washington gets Sergei Fedorov under contract for another year at $4 million while Brooks Laich signs a 3 year deal worth $6.2 million.

Lets get you up to date on what’s going down on the NHL front.

-Vancouver just likes to get in the news! Check this out…the Canucks offered David Backes in St. Louis an offer sheet a week ago, and the Blues fire back today offering Canucks forward Steve Bernier a 1 year offer sheet at 2.5 million dollars. And NOW Vancouver has matched the offer, so Bernier will be sticking around in Van.

-Brendan Morrison has signed a 1 year deal worth $2.75 million in Anaheim. According to reports, as many as 9 teams were after the former Canuck. He’s still rehabbing from knee surgery.

-According to a Slovakian TV station, the Vancouver Canucks have signed free agent forward Pavol Demitra to a 3 year contract worth 4 million dollars. That’s not confirmed at this point. We’re also hearing that Vancouver and Mats Sundin are still in talks.

-The Ottawa Senators sign defenceman Jason Smith to a 2 year contract at $5.2 million.

-Forward Mark Recchi is coming back for another year, signing a 1 year contract with Tampa Bay worth $1.25 million with bonuses. The Lightning also bringing winger Evgeny Artyukhin back from Russia, signing him to a 2 year deal worth $1.9 million.

-Blueliner Paul Mara re-signing with the New York Rangers…that’s a 1 year deal worth $1.95 million.

-Flyers forward Patrick Thoreson has rejected a final contract offer from Philly and is temporarily returning to European hockey.

Still digesting the signing of Todd Bertuzzi yesterday. The Flames signed him to a 1 year deal worth $1.95 million. I did a special edition of Overtime last night from 6-8 pm, and I’ve come to my final resting spot thought-wise on the subject. I don’t like the move for a number of reasons, none of them having to do with Bertuzzi’s past or “baggage” issues. That stuff is immaterial to me. I don’t like it because I’d rather see the Flames continue their emphasis on youth and speed…and while this move doesn’t stop that, it certainly makes you scratch your head as to what direction this team is going. Again, as I’ve said, I was hoping we might see Moss in a bigger role this year, so those are the reasons I’m not huge on the deal right now. But I’m also not sitting here saying how much I hate it…I’m fully aware that it could end up being a very good move, in which case I am fully ready to eat my words. So for those reasons, I’m ready to wait and see and find out what happens…I won’t fully judge the deal until we’ve given it lots of time.