Nothing like a Michael J. Fox reference to get things started. Lions have a bye so hockey takes centre stage…
• With Trevor Linden signed, the Canucks roster is all but set to start the season. So where’s the goal scorer everyone expected Dave Nonis to bring in? It’s a two-part answer, but he might already be here. Part one; there was no sniper on the free agent market worth spending a bunch of money on given Vancouver’s salary cap situation. The Canucks will have $2.5-$3 million to spend once the season starts. That’s not enough for a big time scorer. Part two is about the captain, not the cap. Don’t know if he needs a DeLorean, but if Markus Naslund returns to the form that saw him score nearly 200 goals over the five seasons prior to his most recent one, the Canucks’ needs are far different. A productive Naslund means the difference between picking up a 20-goal scorer and a 40-goal scorer. And if Naslund wants to earn a decent contract as a free agent next summer, he needs to show he can still bury the biscuit. I fully expect the Canucks to trade for more scoring at some point, just not now.
• Why are some people south of the border surprised at the anger directed toward Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick? Here’s some insight. B.C. Lions’ cornerback Dante Marsh told me yesterday on the TEAM 1040 that he didn’t think dogfighting was a “big deal” growing up. To be clear: Marsh doesn’t endorse it; he just says it was an accepted part of life in his neighbourhood and many others. If kids are taught that such practices are OK, is it any wonder that some of them continue this behaviour as adults?
• Got a beef? E-mail me at scott.rintoul@metronews.ca.
