We are all frail, and life can be tenuous. There are ample reminders of this in our daily lives. Running allows us to feel our strengths and our weaknesses, and lets us be our best selves.

How many times have you felt so frazzled and emotionally spent that the thought of finding the energy to work out just makes you cringe? These are often the times when I find myself having my best runs. I don’t go out for a long run, but head out knowing that even a short run will help. The first mile is rarely pretty, but before long I find myself settling into a rhythm. My mind clears, my breathing settles into a pattern, and I appreciate my surroundings in a way that I might not have before.

I return from runs like this feeling calm, cleaned out. I do practice yoga on a regular basis, and love the calm mind aspect of the practice. I will say, however, that in times of stress, a run can get me to that quiet head space in a way that yoga doesn’t.

My recommendation, or advice to all of you out there? Take the opportunity to leave the Garmin or watch at home. Head out for a run with no intent except to appreciate the act of running. Let your body find it’s natural rhythm, let your mind clear. Run until you feel like heading home. When you return to your front door, take a moment. Take a breath. Now, take another. Enjoy.

Kim Wood is the owner of Up and Running, Chatham’s newest running store. For more information feel free to visit www.getupandrun.com and make sure you follow Up and Running on Twitter and Facebook.

Jordin Tootoo - Photo by Kristen Jenkins

Now the upcoming rant is not me getting on my soapbox and telling everyone that I’m right and the voters are wrong, but I think something needs to be said here. For the voters to overlook the comeback of Jordin Tootoo, is to clearly state there is still a negative stigma surrounding substance abuse and addiction in the minds of many within the NHL. Now obviously there will always be questions surrounding anyone who suffers from an addiction, like Jordin Tootoo does, but his story of facing his demons and coming out of rehab a better person and professional is, if nothing else, admirable.

The NHL’s substance abuse program clearly is not taken seriously enough by those who determine the NHL’s player who displays perseverance and dedication if the success stories of those who complete the program, and are better for having gone through it, are not recognized. In Major League Baseball, Texas Rangers outfielder and recovering addict Josh Hamilton is revered as a person of conviction and is sold to fans by the league and his team as a role model—as he should be. Unfortunately, Tootoo doesn’t have the star qualities of a Josh Hamilton, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be a poster boy. Tootoo is a valuable member of his team and an even more valuable part of the Nashville community, but that’s apparently not sexy enough for the Masterton voters. It is easy to vote for Max Pacioretty because his injury was so visible and was constantly talked about. Joffery Lupul had a career year this season, but would he have received a single vote had he not played for the Toronto Maple Leafs? And Daniel Alfredsson might be one of my all-time favourite players, but he’s simply old. You want an old guy to vote for? How about Dwayne Roloson? Where is his recognition? He’s 42.

Again, it may sound like I’m bitter and I think Pacioretty, Lupul, and Alfie don’t deserve to be nominated, but that’s not the case. I was just hoping that this year, especially after last summer where the NHL lost Derek Boogard, Rick Rypien, and Wade Belak and substance abuse played a role in varying capacities in their deaths, the voters would look at a guy like Jordin Tootoo and give him the credit he deserves for overcoming his demons and becoming a better person. Not to add a trophy to Tootoo’s wall, but to show other NHLers, pro athletes, and even the rest of the people in this world battling addiction that there is help out there and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Giving the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy to Jordin Tootoo could have made a real statement on behalf of the NHL, but instead the voters dropped the ball and unfortunately sweeping Tootoo’s accomplishments under the rug will keep his success story away from the eyes that need to see it and we might lose another warrior of our game to a battle off the ice.

I was going to title this entry “Harry Potter’s Invisibility Cloak”, or something referring to the cloaking device in Star Trek, but decided that might make me sound dorky. Can’t have that!

Today’s entry is regarding some of the risks you may face from others while running. Let’s face it, there are a lot of inconsiderate people out there. Not everybody gets running and runners. It’s hard to believe, but some people think that we are the strange ones! I know, right?! What is weird about spending hours and hours running around our wonderful town, wearing bright, obnoxious colours, with Batman-style belts strapped around our waists and blinky lights on our arms or foreheads? Sucking down strange, viscous, “yummy” gels, drinking warm, watery energy drinks? Making sure that chafe prone areas are lubed up so that we don’t get the dreaded “chub rub” or bloody nipple syndrome? Totally normal.

Oops, kind of went off topic there. Apologies. We were going to talk about things to watch out for from non-runners. On sidewalks and paths, you have to watch out for other pedestrians. I never trust people walking dogs. Especially if there is an extendable leash involved. Without fail, a dog walker will say “Don’t worry, Spot is friendly.” Having had a couple of “friendly” dogs try to take “friendly” chomps out of me has led me to the conclusion that it is safest to always skirt dog walkers – I now always run on the grass to get around them. As a dog walker myself, I short leash my dogs, and get off the sidewalk entirely for runners. Another sidewalk risk is the dreaded “herd of teenagers”. Apparently lessons on common courtesy are not as prevalent today. From what I was raised with, you can walk side by side, but if somebody is approaching you from the other direction, you stay to the right, and fall behind each other, thus sharing the sidewalk equally for each direction. This is definitely not common practice anymore. When I do encounter kids (and adults) who do follow this, I make a point of saying “thank you”. Sadly, it doesn’t happen nearly often enough. When I was living in London, I often ran in the middle of the day, and would run by high schoolers on their lunch break. One particular day, I was tired of having to get off of the sidewalk because the kids couldn’t seem to find it in themselves to give up a little bit of space for somebody going in the opposite direction. So, I stayed to the right and headed at them, thinking “Surely, they’ll move”. It was like the lamest game of chicken ever, a skinny, short 30 year old woman and some 14 year old boys. Guess who won? Wrong! The 30 year old woman, thank you!

Moving up the threat ladder, you have to keep your wits about you with regards to people in cars. A too common risk is the “look left, turn right” driver. This is someone who approaches an intersection, intending to turn right, who only looks to his/her left to check for oncoming traffic. This person rarely looks to their right – why would they? For measly pedestrians? Bah! Good advice: never run in front of a car at an intersection until you’ve made eye contact with the driver and you know that they know you are there. Personally, I expect that the driver hasn’t seen me, and I always just run behind the car. If you want to really mess with the driver, hit the car with your hand on your way around. No, wait, don’t do that…wouldn’t want you to run the risk of making the driver angry!

Ok, off the sidewalks now, heading out on to country roads. Of course, we run facing traffic. I will run on the road if there is no traffic coming, but as soon as a car is approaching, I get off the road and onto the shoulder. I’ve run with others who point out that there is room for the car to get around, but I don’t take the chance. There are too many drivers who don’t get over. Some actually aim at you. I don’t know if this is due to malice, or just a scenario where you steer at something you are looking at. I would like to think that it is not out of any bad intent, but have, unfortunately, had a few occurrences which lead me to question this. On at least two occasions, I have had vehicles drive off of the road and onto the shoulder aiming at me, forcing me to jump into a ditch to avoid getting hit. Scary. I always wish that I were wearing my heart rate monitor, because I would be very curious to see the graph after these runs. I don’t know what these drivers get out of this. Does it make them feel good about themselves? What if I didn’t jump out of the way? Just how far were they planning to take this stunt? Why do they have this anger towards runners? Or maybe it’s just at me?

At any rate, I take preventative measures. If I’m out running in the dark, I wear bright, reflective clothing, and a headlamp. No ninja running for me! I also only run on lit roads now. Matt won’t allow me to run country roads in the dark anymore. During the day, like I said, I run on the shoulder if there is any approaching traffic. I wear my RoadID, and carry my cell phone on my long runs.

Kim Wood is the owner of Up and Running, Chatham’s newest running store. Up and Running is located at 138 King Street West, Suite 102, in Chatham, Ontario. You can contact Up and Running by calling 519-351-8788, or visit www.getupandrun.com for more information.

Jordin Tootoo - Photo by Kristen Jerkins

This year there are a number of interesting stories that will captivate the voters. No matter who receives the Masterton Trophy, the finalists have all overcome adversity in one way or another to prolong their NHL careers. As most NHL teams have provided their nominee for the award, some of the most compelling stories include those of Montreal Canadiens’ forward Max Pacioretty, San Jose Sharks’ rookie Tommy Wingels, Toronto Maple Leafs’ winger Joffrey Lupul, and Jordin Tootoo of the Nashville Predators. Not to mention the unofficial nominees from the St. Louis Blues, goaltender Brian Elliot and David Perron (the Blues have yet to release their team’s nominee). Others include Jason Pominville, Tomas, Holmstrom, Matt Cooke, Daniel Alfredsson, Mikka Kiprusoff, Jaromir Jagr, and Tomas Fleischmann, to name a few.

I think the most obvious choice for fans would be Habs’ power forward Max Pacioretty. After missing the final 15 games and the playoffs of the 2010-2011 season with a concussion and neck injury as a result of a violent hit into the stanchion separating the benches from Zdeno Chara, Patches has come back this season and set career highs in games played, goals, assists, and, obviously, points. Certainly, he has shown he is worthy of a Masterton nomination.

Similar to Pacioretty, the Maple Leafs’ Joffrey Lupul, who played just 87 games over the previous two seasons due to two back surgeries and a blood infection, has overcome injury to have one of his best seasons of his career. With 67 points in 66 games and an All-Star game nod this year, Lupul has shown he is now the kind of player everyone hoped he would be and more.

The St. Louis Blues have yet to name their nomination for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, but they have two worthy candidates. First, Brian Elliot has gone from outcast backup to league leader. He only made the team out of camp because Ben Bishop had a two-way deal and made it easier to send him down than Elliot. Since then, however, Elliot has 8 shutouts in only 35 games—he splits netminding duties with Jaroslav Halak—to go along with a goals against average of 1.52 and save percentage of .941. Oh yeah, he leads the NHL in those three categories as well. The Blues have another Masterton candidate in forward David Perron, who returned this year after missing over a year with post-concussion syndrome. The Sherbrooke, Quebec native has accumulated 37 points in 51 games so far this season and has been a huge boost for the NHL’s best team.

Probably one of the most interesting nominations in this year’s Masterton class comes in the form of forward-thinking Tommy Wingels of the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks nominated Wingels for his support of the You Can Play project (youcanplayproject.org), which advocates for gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender athletes. The project is spearheaded by Patrick Burke (son of Maple Leafs’ general manager Brian Burke), who founded the organization in memory of his brother Brendan; an openly gay man and student manager for Miami University of Ohio hockey team and died tragically in an auto accident. Wingels is one of several NHL players who supports the project, all of whom should be commended, and for the Sharks to recognize the work Wingels has done to support LGBT athletes is Masterton worthy in and of itself.

Jordin Tootoo might as well be a synonym for perseverance. The Nashville Predators’ sparkplug has overcome plenty just to get to the NHL. Not only is he undersized and prior to him there had never been an Inuk NHLer, but he had to deal with his brother’s suicide at the age 19 while playing in the Western Hockey League and chasing his NHL dream. Through it all, Tootoo realized his NHL dream in 2003 and has been a fan favourite in Nashville and a role model back home in Nunavut. However, over the years Tootoo’s battle with alcoholism crept up on him and came to a head last season when halfway through the year he left the Predators and enrolled in the NHL’s substance abuse program. This year, Tootoo is clean and back to being a productive member of the Preds and can proudly be a true role model for those who look up to him.

If I had a vote for this year’s Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, it would be for Nashville’s Jordin Tootoo. Not only has he overcome a great deal, but he has taken control of his life and made the changes necessary to his life to be a productive citizen and teammate.

Who would get your vote?

On to the blog topic, self talk. No, not the kind of self talk that would involve people hurriedly crossing the street as you approached. I’m referring to the constant stream of commentary that we all have running through our heads. You do all have that, too, right? Right?!

It’s a funny thing, psychology. What is it that causes us to never be quite satisfied with who we are or what we’ve done? This is true at all levels. I’ve been fortunate enough to have coached international level athletes and to have been on the pool deck at NCAA Championships with amazing swimmers. Even at that level, a swimmer will come back from a medal winning swim and not be completely satisfied. There is always something that could have been done better, differently. That’s not a bad thing, really. It’s what keeps competitive athletes hungry, striving.

On the other end of the spectrum, I see an aspect of this dissatisfaction at the bootcamp that I assist with. At the end of each session, we do reassessments with measurements and weight. I can’t tell you how many times I hear people who have improved their fitness and strength tremendously say “I was hoping that would be lower”. Defining their success by numbers on a scale or tape measure.

We all do this to some extent. This is where I get back to the self talk. That person in our head who jabbers at us all day long. Let me tell you a little something about that person. He/she is a jerk! (Yes, I know that he/she is you. No, I’m not calling you a jerk. Just keep reading, I’m going somewhere with this, I promise). Think about it. The things you say to yourself in your head…calling you a heinous blow pig (true story! My head person has called me this on a few particularly heated occasions), telling you that you’re stupid, etc. That’s verbal abuse people! You would never say these things to your best friend, would you? (If you answered “yes”, then…hmm, you scare me a little!). No, you wouldn’t say these things to anybody else. Yet, who spends more time with you than yourself? Who knows you in and out, and can support you through anything. Yourself, exactly. So, doesn’t it make sense that we should be as nice to ourselves as we would be to any of our friends?

So, the next time that you look in the mirror and the litany of insults begins, make a conscious effort to stop it cold. Take a good look at yourself, and find something to compliment. Damn, look at those legs! Do you know what those legs can do? They can run five kilometres, baby! Those arms? They did 15 push-ups just the other day! Those gnarly looking toes? Hmm…can’t help you there, how do you find something good to say about toes? They keep you from tipping over?

Let’s make a pact, shall we? Let’s try to convert that jerk in our head into our own best friend. After all, we are spending the rest of our lives with this person, we might as well try to have a good relationship with him/her.

Kim Wood is the owner of Chatham’s newest running store, Up and Running. Up and Running is located at 138 King Street West in Downtown Chatham. For more information visit www.getupandrun.com. You can also find Kim and Up and Running on Facebook at www.facebook.com/getupandrun and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/upandrunningck.

Question: What’s Wrong With the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Ian: Better question, what didn’t go wrong with the Leafs? Firing Ron Wilson was like trying to cure heart disease with a bandaid. He wasn’t helping, but he wasn’t the main problem either. Even Scotty Bowman couldn’t get that roster to the playoffs. If you want to pinpoint someone at fault, turn the camera to Brian Burke. I don’t care if Phil Kessel scored 30+ goals again, that trade has stiffled the development of this team’s core. What did Boston get out of the trade? A Stanley Cup. Playoff hero and current leading scorer and second overall pick Tyler Seguin. Oh, and Dougie Hamilton, the ninth overall pick who the Hockey News just named the best defense prospect on the planet in their Future Watch. What’s wrong Leaf Nation? More like what’s right?

Dwight: They say if you want to find out what is wrong with an organization look right at the top and yes I too am blaming the blow hard GM Brian Burke. He has been a walking contradiction since his first day in Toronto. you need examples where do I start?

1. “We want truculence and to be a tough team to play against night in night out” – so you go and get one of if not the softest player in the league as one of your leaders Phil Kessel.
2.  ”We need to build from within and change the culture of entitlement” – so you trade away the best draft position you have had for years and lose the building block center you so spoke about. You also bring in the second softest player in the league in Tim Connoly to bump your best young drafted player Nazem Kadri out and to the minors. You then parachute Dion Phanuef in and make him your captain after one month here. Crazy
3. “We only bring in players who have the character to handle the “tough” Toronto market. We do our homework on these guys before we consider bringing them in.” – Then throughout the season he blames the market and the distractions for eating up his players and that he is seriously considering making up his own deadlines and rules to combat the media. Huh?

You can’t tell your players to have a thick skin to the market and then act the way he has acted this year. He has lost his focus and in turn his players and this team. Four years no progress. Time to go

Jay: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If professional sports are looked upon as a potential business model, which I believe they indeed are – the Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the best on the planet. Do nothing. Win in the bank book. Like it or not, they’ve got a winning model. You can point to the “market”, the “history”, and the “tradition”, but from what we’ve witnessed as “fans”, the tradition of Maple Leafs hockey has been in the toilet for more than half a decade. And how long can you build a reputation on what happened 40+ years ago? Sure, going back to the “fans” who WANT a winning team on the ice – it’s about time! Welcome to reality. Sure as heck took you a long time to jump aboard the train of relativity. There are indeed a lot of fingers to point – and they SHOULD be pointed at Brian Burke (who should not continue in his position through the post season) but it’s time Leafs fans were honest with themselves. You were content with losing for far too long. Maybe we somehow got the Raptors and Leafs fanbases mixed up, but after years of ‘next year’ and not allowing a re-build, this is where you are. You thought Darcy Tucker was a bonafide superstar and the answer to all of your postseason questions. You’ve demanded accountability and actual hockey ability… NOW. Good job. Five years too late Leafs Nation. But hey, at least the club makes a ton of money it’s not willing to spend properly.

Ian: The fans are to blame too Jay? Does that mean you blame me for my Blackberry not working? Fan pressure only goes so far. If you put out a product that is behind the times or refuses to change, say for example, a team relying on big, slow, tough players, you will watch your competitors fly by. Am I stupid for continuing to use a Blackberry when I know iPhone’s are superior? Yup. Are Leafs fans stupid for continuing to buy tickets and hold out unsubstantiated hope for success? Yup. But that doesn’t mean fans are at fault for the bad product, just that they’re dumb enough to buy it.

Dwight: And buy it we will. And we should never be ashamed of wanting to go to a game. The two don’t go hand in hand. They are separate from each other. You can have an empty building and be a loser just as well as have a full building and be a loser and vice versa. The Canadiens pack it every night and have been good and bad over the last few years. Same with the Rangers, Flames, Senators etc. Fans buying tickets is no excuse to settle for mediocrity, and it also isn’t the reason the Leafs remain so futile

Jay: Let’s hope a new regime with the addition of Rogers will breathe new life and accountability from management. That being said, it’s more of the same old. I’m not sure how much longer these words will ring true as the mantra of the Leafs organization but once again here we are, gently reminding Leafs Nation – “there’s always next year”… again. PS Ian, you may want to seriously reconsider that Blackberry. RIM has a very similar success rate as the Leafs these days.

Have a counterpoint to our points? Join the discussion in the comments below.

Let me ask you something. How many teams won the Super Bowl? How many won the World Series? The Stanley Cup? How many people would watch the Olympics if everyone was a winner? You know, just thank them all for showing up, give a pat on the back as you hand each athlete the exact same participant ribbon, and then send the gold, silver, and bronze medals to Fort Knox. Sheesh! Athletes have doped their blood to get one of those medals (note: I absolutely condemn such action, but I’m making a point here). You don’t burn 4 years of your life and train 8 hours a day to get a “You did it!” ribbon at the end of it all.

As a track athlete in high school, competing in the 800m and 1500m running events, I learned a valuable lesson that completely changed my approach to training. I finished dead last in every single race in those 2 events in my grade 9 year. My coach did not give me a pat on the back or a participant ribbon. What he did give me was a pep talk. “You’re better than this, Brian. If you’re sick and tired of watching the race from the rear then I suggest you step it up a bit.” Believe me, losing every race was plenty of motivation for me to step it up a bit. By my grade 13 year (ok, so I’m a dinosaur and I actually went to school when this grade still existed!) I was winning races. Awarding the winner does not take away from sportsmanship. What it does do is recognize achievement and raise the bar to help others aspire to come up higher.

Did you know that the Bible teaches the importance of striving to win? In 1 Corinthians 9:24 it says, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.” Did you catch that? Run in such a way that you may win. I wasn’t alive when Grantland Rice made his famous quote, but if I were a gambler I’d bet the house that this guy was a back-of-the-pack-er. I have coached for a number of years, and I always applaud effort, always. But, I also believe in rewarding achievement because it sets the bar for everyone else and helps them strive to do better. Businesses do it when they hand out bonuses. Sports teams do it when they hand out awards. Companies do it when they make promotions. Cheer on the underdog, encourage the fainthearted, but also point them in the direction of the lead runner.

I like what U.S. soccer standout, Mia Hamm, once said: “Every single day I wake up and commit to myself to becoming a better player.” When my youngest daughter, Beth, was in the seventh grade she finished third in the final cross-country running race. After the race I told her, “Beth, the two girls in front of you are in grade 8 and will graduate this year. Other runners are moving up to this race next year but it’s yours to win. You decide if you want it bad enough.” Let me tell you, she poured on the effort in her training and the next year, while in grade 8, she won her race by over 400m.

Everything we do in life should be done with an attitude of excellence. Don’t give half an effort. If you’re part of a business or sports team then others are depending on your best effort. Don’t let them down! Run in such a way that you may win!

Ryan Braun - Photo by Steve Paluch

After Ryan Braun was given a 50-game ban from MLB for using performance enhancing drugs, the suspension was overturned and Braun will return to baseball this spring without punishment from the league because of the circumstances surrounding the test. The question today’s panel takes on is

“Should Ryan Braun Return to MLB Without a Suspension?”

Jay: Rules are rules. Although some would say they’re meant to be broken, that’s certainly not the case when it comes to doping in sports, or steroids and now HGH or PED’s in the world of baseball (way to blow it for everyone, Canseco!). How Braun and MLB are attempting to sweep this under the rug is a little worrying. We’re now in the post-McGwire era of microscopes and urine tests, and although I for one am not TOO concerned over the fact that pro athletes take steroids – aside from how it may translate to our children, the fact is what you do for one, you have to do for everyone. I love Ryan Braun. Terrific ball player. Five tool guy, and he has been since day one. The numbers don’t show a staggering difference and there’s no Barry Bonds-like physical mid-life puberty going on with Braun… but the ACTUAL situation has NOT been addressed. We understand that Braun, his team and Major League Baseball have issues with the way his test was handled – or mishandled. THAT has become their argument and THEIR priority – this FedEx bag of tricks. But the actual RESULTS haven’t been addressed. Why so high? Did tampering cause this many issues? Or was there an actual REASON – supplements, PEDs, etc? I don’t doubt Braun, and hope his reputation is cleared, but until it’s 100% verified, you’re off the field. That being said, I AM guilty to taking him as a top fantasy pick this year due to his production and the fact he has something to prove. But until MLB and Braun address what was in the vile, maybe with some more tests, and total vindication, you have to feel a little skewed about the legitimacy of anything baseball-drug-testing-related.

Eric: Jay, you’re absolutely correct: rules are, indeed, rules. Doping in sports is a major issue; as a high school teacher, I compare it to cheating on a test – it’s not only cheating, but it raises the bar to an unfair level for those not involved in the infraction. This is a simple case of, as far as I’m concerned, guilty until proven innocent – not the opposite. As a Jays fan, I was hoping that the rumours surrounding Manny Ramirez possibly joining the club were true. I love watching a big bat (similar to Ryan Braun), but I also believe that if you do the CRIME, you must do the TIME. So, I would have no problem waiting to see him play until 50 games into the season. Until Ryan Braun has been found truly NOT guilty, he should, without question, not be able to rejoin the Brewers this season. If this truly is a case of MIShandling testing procedures, then I suggest the MLB should GET IT TOGETHER.

Ian: To me this is unbelievable. No positive drug test has ever been tampered with before according to a guilty player. Sure there is a first time for everything, but I doubt this is that instance. Just because the handling didn’t exactly follow protocol doesn’t mean he did not take performance enhancing drugs. Really, who is his enemy? Who would want to put him out of the league for 50 games? Does someone think an opposing team played with Braun’s urine sample? The collector of Braun’s sample, Dino Laurenzi has done hundreds upon hundreds of tests for MLB, and this one got thrown out because he didn’t FedEx the sample immediately, but rather stored it overnight because of his proximity to a FedEx location. Braun should be treated like a criminal on parole and be tested before each game, and randomly throughout the offseason for the next few years. Without action, MLB is sending the wrong message to baseball players and young athletes across the world.

Jay: So we all agree? What good is this? In that case, let ‘em back on the field if only to get under the skin of Mr. Smit and Mr. Kennedy! This issue has obviously become bigger than one man, bigger than the reigning NL MVP, and bigger than the Brew Crew. As fans, we feel entitled to know what’s really happening – did Braun dope, who covered what up and why? But it’s obviously not just Braun we should be a little ticked off at. After all, we learned Jose Bautista of the Jays has been tested something like 16 times in two years since he’s adjusted his swing and approach for the long ball. It’ll be interesting to see how many times Braun is tested – or not tested over this next year. But should we believe in the test results anyway? I’ll leave you all with this, borrowed from a post on a Milwaukee Brewers message board.”This just in: Ryan Braun is appealing his two strikeouts b/c there is evidence that the mound was 60 feet 6.125 inches from the front corner of Home Plate. In addition, the baseballs that were thrown, were not rubbed down by the same person, and chain of custody is in question. If ruled in Braun’s favor.. he will have 2 Hr’s and 8 RBIs in it’s place and thus the Brewers did not tie, but won in a landslide.” And I’ll ask this – is Braun the one to be blamed and heckled, or is it Bud Selig and the sad state of Major League Baseball? Stay away from the fridge…

Eric: Indeed, we do all agree – but, honestly, I wish you were able to ‘get under my skin’. Unfortunately it doesn’t truly bother me; mainly because this is the same old song and dance for the MLB (Clemens, Giambi, Gagne, etc.). Any suggestion of improper protocol is merely being naive. Sure, I too want the reigning NL MVP to be not guilty of steroid use, but I also want former WWE world champion Hulk Hogan to be cleared of such accusations too….perhaps his tests were mishandled as well?

Ian: Umm, I’m going to stop now, or this article is going to be longer than Ben Johnson’s autobiography. Not the Coles Notes version, I’m talking about the deluxe version with a foreword by Roger Clemens.

Do you have a counterpoint to our points? Let us know by commenting below.

Cherry took on the lack of Canadian and Ontario content on the Maple Leafs, Cherry took on co-host Ron MacLean, then he took on Brian Burke. Unlike Cherry, Burke isn’t untouchable, rather his actions of late are almost unthinkable.

Don Cherry to Burke,

“If he wants my job, if he wants to get me fired like he tried to do, get me fired, go behind my back with my bosses….I don’t care. If you want to get me off, you want to take me on, two years ago you said you were going to do something to me in the playoffs, remember that? And I said, oh Brian Burke, I’m shaking in my boots, I’m shaking right now, do your best!”

Love him or hate him, he’s entertaining, he’s often right, he cares about kids and families, and in the world of sports broadcasting and hockey, Don Cherry is untouchable.

So who’s going to lose their job? Well, with another losing season under his belt, I would think Brian Burke has a higher chance of losing his job than old Don. Don Cherry’s contract has expired several times and public outcry has assured he returns to Hockey Night in Canada.

His popularity and recognizability in Canada is unparalleled. He is the Godfather of hockey to many, and what he says, goes. Burke on the other hand, has been harsh with the media lately putting him in hot water, and has failed to produce any type of success in Toronto.

The firing of his buddy Ron Wilson, and subsequent hiring of another old pal Randy Carlyle simply shows Burke’s unwillingness to change. He doesn’t like getting called out by the media, and when he is portrayed negatively, as he has been lately, including by Don Cherry, Burke doesn’t handle it well, shedding additional negative light on his career.

If I were a Leafs fan, I’d be getting behind Don right now, and calling out Brian Burke. Burke is behind the times in the NHL, still looking for brute force, rather than skill. He’s trying to win with a losing team in the now, instead of building his team for the future.

If the Leafs miss the playoffs, this will be their 7th straight season, 8th if you count the lockout. Under Burke the Leafs have averaged 80-points per season. Under John Ferguson Jr. who was fired prior to Burke’s arrival, the Leafs averaged 91.75 points per season. Remember how much you hated Ferguson Leafs fans?

It’s time to get that hate back, and point the finger at the real reason your team is failing.

Scotty Bowman couldn’t coach these Leafs to success, because even a great coach can only do so much with terrible players. I’m not suggesting Ron Wilson is in the same category as Bowman, but statistically he is the 7th winningest coach of all-time, although his winning percentage is the pits, and funny enough, falls well below the winning percentage of Don Cherry himself.

The “Fire Wilson” cheers worked Leafs fans, so clear your throat, take a deep breath, and start the “Fire Burke” cheer. If you can make sure Don Cherry is in the building, you can guarantee you’ll have one loud voice leading the charge.

In case you missed Don Cherry’s rant to Brian Burke, here is the video from Saturday night:

Let the games begin.

Yes, sciatica can affect athletes of all ages, not just the middle-aged or elderly populations. Sciatica is known to most people as a pinched nerve in the low back, causing buttock and leg pain.  Did you know there are actually a few different cause , typically 3, of sciatic pain? Continue reading for tips on how to prevent, treat, and manage sciatic nerve pain.

Anatomy:

The SCIATIC NERVE is a large nerve that derives from the 4^th and 5^th Lumbar spinal nerves, as well as the 1^st Sacral nerve, in the low back.  All three of these nerve roots (L4,L5, S1) combine together to form this large nerve that runs a path through the buttock and down the back of the leg to the foot. The sciatic nerve is actually 2 peripheral nerves combined: the Tibial Nerve & the Common Peroneal or Fibular Nerve. Both of these nerves innervate, or are the electrical supply, for the posterior chain of the thigh (aka, the hamstring muscles) and the lower leg and foot.  Typically the sciatic nerve is irritated from a few different sources, and it is this irritation that causes pain in the buttock and down the back of the leg. Usually it is not a direct compression or “pinch” of this nerve as it courses throughout the buttock and leg, however occasionally it can be compressed due to a few different reasons.

Causes:

There are three typical causes of sciatic pain. We’ll discuss one of the most common causes of sciatica this week:

Piriformis Syndrome

Piriformis Syndrome occurs when the Piriformis Muscle, a muscle that runs from your sacrum to a portion of the femur (the big thigh bone), is contracted or spasming, leading to mechanical and/or chemical infiltration to the pain receptors on the outer portion of the nerve, resulting in pain and occasional numbness/tingling or lack of sensation, in the distribution of the sciatic nerve. Actual compression of the nerve is considered rare. In 87% of the population, the sciatic nerve runs underneath the piriformis muscle. In 10% of the population, the sciatic nerve runs directly through the piriformis muscle.  With piriformis syndrome, there is no internal derangement of the nerve usually as the nerve is very protected by connective tissue. The following are potential causes of piriformis syndrome:

1. A sudden stretch reflex
2. Predisposing factors
   1. A sciatic nerve that pierces the muscle itself (10% of population)
   2. Tight muscles that work to externally rotate the leg
   3. Neurologic insult to the L5-S1 nerve root (disc herniations, osteophytes aka arthritic process)
3. Injury – direct trauma to the gluteal muscles, resulting in adhesions and fibrosis to the muscle.
   1. Prolonged sitting, having a wallet in the same pocket constantly, arteriosclerosis can all cause a lack of blood supply to the muscle, creating adhesions or fibrosis.
4. Overuse and/or biomechanical fault
   1. Fatigued or strain of the piriformis muscle
   2. Leg length asymmetry
   3. Over pronation of the foot

History, Signs & Symptoms:

Sciatica causes pain in the buttock and down the back of the leg occasionally to the foot. Pain is increased with prolonged sitting.

1. Observation:
   1. Foot flare (foot points out to the side), usually on the involved side of pain, due to piriformis tightness or sometimes, atrophy (muscle shrinking).
   2. Over Pronation in the foot, leg length inequality
2. Palpation:
   1. Tenderness at both the origin near the sacrum and the insertion at the femur
   2. Palpation may reproduce symptoms
   3. May have low back pain and tenderness with an increase in muscle tone
   4. Trigger points located deep within the gluteal muscle with pain referral.
3. Range of Motion:
   1. Decreased active & passive internal rotation at the hip, may reproduce symptoms
   2. Decreased active & passive adduction at the hip
   3. Tight hamstrings

Management:

1. Rest and Ice the side of the hip/buttock area
2. Massage & trigger point work but avoiding the sciatic nerve itself
3. Mobilization of surrounding muscles (hamstrings, hip flexors, and hip rotators)
4. Chiropractic adjustments to the lumbar spine and pelvis, hips and feet.
5. Ultrasound,
6. Home exercises:
   1. McKenzie Extension Protocol
   2. Decrease sitting
   3. Stretching
   4. Core stabilization