the 4th star

Usually I just pick teams out of a hat (you didn’t know — sorry). This time I’ve decided to poll the vast Manitoba celebrity community. OK. It’s not that vast. But lucky for us there are only 11 National Football League post season games to cover. Shouldn’t be that hard to find 11 people, should it? We will see, I guess. Please note: On the off-chance these people don’t reply to the pick requests that I probably won’t get around to sending them in the first place, these selections (or responses) may not actually be from them. Some sage advice for our first AFC match-up, courtesy of Sylvia Kuzyk.

Baltimore Ravens (9-7) at Indianapolis Colts (14-2)
Saturday, 7:15 p.m. on CBS
Previous meeting: Colts 17, Ravens 15
Ravens road record: 3-5
Colts home record: 7-1
The spread: Ravens +6.5
The money line: Ravens +215
The over/under: 44 points

Well what a day we had out there today and judging from these weather pics, it looked like a lot of you got out there and enjoyed it. Here’s a beautiful shot from Judy Sanders, who snapped this sunset near in Wayne County. Just amazing.

And it looks like a beautiful afternoon at this crackhouse in Gary, Indiana. Almost makes the trip up there worth the risk of being shot at or car-jacked. Just a gorgeous day. Thanks to B-Dog for the capture.

Will it continue for the big game? My CMOS-approved weather brain says ‘Yes.’ We’re expecting temperatures in the low 70s with no wind or sun inside Lucas Oil Stadium this weekend, as the roof of the quasi-dome will certainly factor into the conditions. Rain will not be a problem for the Colts, either, so look for a lot of dry white people to leave the stadium with smiles on their faces — this despite living in Indiana. Don’t forget: Send us your picks of the weather inside the dome. We’d love to see how you don’t need a jacket for a football game in January. Enjoy this controlled indoor existence while you can, though, as our long-range forecast calls for a lot of disappointment. Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go find Kevin O so we can finish what he started at the torch relay. He can’t duck my warm front forever!

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Divisional #5

Here’s Bob McKenzie’s take on the Alex Burrows-Stephane Auger showdown that occurred in VanCity last night. I agree that the optics don’t look good for the referee — especially when the player has first crack at the story and has microphones in front of his face everyday — but as far as I can tell, there’s not much to the story if one of the biggest pieces of *damning* circumstantial evidence is a short video clip of the official and player chatting before the game (see the video here). Can’t really hear what they’re saying, can you? For all anyone who isn’t named Alex Burrows and Stephane Auger knows, they were talking about Pete Carroll. Or cleaning the slate following their last encounter.

Crystal ball time: What does this mean for Burrows, Auger and more importantly, my Vancouver Canucks? For the player, he should expect NO CALLS FROM ANY OF THE OFFICIALS for a long time. Not only is he a pest who isn’t above the occasional dive, he’s now playing the victim. As McKenzie said, there’s a lot of self-policing that goes on within the course of a game. People don’t forget. Of course, the refs could go the other way and not call anything on Burrows — for fear of payback accusations — but that doesn’t seem likely. On the fine line Burrows plays on, he’ll take enough stumbles en route to the penalty box.

It sounds like Auger will face some penalties, regardless of what *truth* comes out. Here’s a thought: Maybe he’s just a really bad ref? That is certainly possible. As far as the Canucks are concerned, McKenzie nails the situation they find themselves in:

And if Burrows and the Canucks think they will ever come out ahead on this one – if they intend to play the ‘victim’ card with gusto – there is the potential for a lot of really ticked off NHL referees who don’t like seeing one of their brothers hung out to dry for trying to teach a player a lesson about what happens in the old school when you embarrass or humiliate an NHL referee.

Ah, the old school. The unwritten laws — the ones more important than the ones in the rule book. We all know them well, don’t we? That’s probably why Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault didn’t join Burrows in the Auger *augering* last night. He knows there will be a time at the end of the schedule where his team will need an honest eye. Why keep rubbing your smelly glove in it now?

Usually I just pick teams out of a hat (you didn’t know — sorry). This time I’ve decided to poll the vast Manitoba celebrity community. OK. It’s not that vast. But lucky for us there are only 11 National Football League post season games to cover. Shouldn’t be that hard to find 11 people, should it? We will see, I guess. Please note: On the off-chance these people don’t reply to the pick requests that I probably won’t get around to sending them in the first place, these selections (or responses) may not actually be from them. Conference semifinals are here. Let’s turn the mic over to Brad Roberts. You might remember him as the deep-throated lead in the Crash Test Dummies — if you haven’t already programmed yourself to forget.

Arizona Cardinals (10-6) at New Orleans (13-3)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. on FOX
Previous meeting: None
Cardinals road record: 6-2
Saints home record: 6-2
The spread: Cardinals +7
The money line: Cardinals +240
The over/under: 57 points

Did I ever tell you about my time in Louisiana? Inspirational. Oh, I did? Sorry. I won’t bore you with the details then. Never been to Phoenix. I live in New York now. What’s that? Yes, you need a pick. Let me just finish this muffin I got from the mall. Cranberry. Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm

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Stoppage in play.

Vancouver penalty to No. 14 Alex Burrows, two minutes for diving. Time of the penalty, three twenty-six. Burrows for diving, at three twenty-six. Vancouver penalty to No. 14 Alex Burrows, two minutes for interference. Time of the penalty fifteen fifteen. Burrows for interference, at fifteen fifteen.

“It changed the game. It sucks for teammates that are battling hard for 60 minutes to win a hockey game. Every two points are so huge, so important and because of a guy’s ego, it just blows everything out of proportion. The refs, they are making bad calls and the fans are paying for it and we’re paying for it.”

Alex Burrows is a great story. Alex Burrows blew through Winnipeg a few years ago, after toiling in the ECHL. Alex Burrows plays the game on the edge at times. Alex Burrows gets under the skin of opposing players. Alex Burrows answers to the name ‘Burr’ — a nickname which is apt considering what a prickly opponent he is. Alex Burrows likes to stir things up. Alex Burrows = Ruutu = Tootoo. Alex Burrows draws penalties. Alex Burrows is the master of the head-snap: Where a player throws his head back after seeing contact in hopes of inspiring a hand raise. Alex Burrows has been flagged for a few diving penalties in his NHL career. Alex Burrows doesn’t understand that those diving penalties come from the precedent set. Alex Burrows makes a fool out of a referee in the past; Alex Burrows gets a penalty for diving in the future — it’s called reputation evolution. Alex Burrows is searching for a benefit of doubt that will never come. Alex Burrows should know this by now. Alex Burrows should ask Sean Avery about this.

What is telling about Burrows’ accusations after the 3-2 loss to Nashville is how quick head coach Alain Vigneault jumped to the defence of his winger. Which is to say he didn’t. Coach Vee on the suggestion that referee Stephane Auger had an axe to grind with Burrows — who scored both Canucks goals.

“We’re speculating here. We’ll look at what happened. We’ll double check our information and see what recourse we have.”

Auger has a history with contoversy, but the only way anything will come of this is if multiple players or coaches — including people on the Nashville side — heard what Auger apparently said to Burrows. If that doesn’t happen, then it’s just a guy flagged for diving’s word against the guy who made the diving call in the first place. You can’t punt a referee for making a few bad calls. If that were the case, all the NHL games would be sans stripes. Hard to imagine the league undermining the officials (as a group, not just Auger) by providing traction to the idea of long memories, stored grudges, and delayed payback gratification — even if all three are true.