The Sports Truth

Columbus Blue Jackets Forward Rick Nash scores the game winning goal against the Phoenix Coyotes with 30 seconds to go. Is this the greatest goal of all time?

You decide…

She must be looking for her next Tony Romo.

Carrie Underwood, former American Idol champion, attends a recent hockey game. Who knew she was a fan of the NHL? Who knew anyone was?

Sean Avery of the New York Rangers denied making cancer-related insults to ill Maple Leafs forward Jason Blake before a pregame altercation between the clubs last weekend.

Avery exchanged words and shoves with Blake and his Toronto teammate Darcy Tucker during warmups before New York’s 3-2 shootout victory over Toronto.

The FAN 590, an all-sports radio station in Toronto, reported Monday that an unnamed Rangers player said Sean Avery started the pregame scuffle with his comments directed against Jason Blake, who has been diagnosed with a form of leukemia.

“I am extremely upset and hurt that these false and damaging comments were attributed to me regarding Jason Blake,” Sean Avery said Tuesday in a statement.

“I made no such comments. I have lost two grandfathers to cancer and have been a consistent contributor to cancer-related charities, first and foremost, Hockey Fights Cancer.”

Sean Avery celebrates after another great (verbal) shot.

Sean Avery met with NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell Tuesday to discuss the fight with Darcy Tucker. Both players and teams were fined by Campbell later in the day.

The pregame confrontation seemed to be sparked by Sean Avery, who was yelling at Tucker before shoving Blake, who is playing despite the illness. Darcy Tucker then slashed Avery before they got face-to-face in a heated exchange.

“The clearly unprofessional conduct of Sean Avery in initiating this altercation, less than a week after being involved in an incident in the pre-game warmup against New Jersey, is the basis for this discipline,” Colin Campbell said.

The longtime adversaries, known as much for their agitation of one another as their on-ice prowess, were sent off together in the first period for unsportsmanlike conduct and fought eight seconds after they left the penalty box.

“[Sean Avery] has absolutely no sense of class and you know, what goes around comes around in this game, eventually,” Darcy Tucker said Monday.

A number of Hollywood celebrities might agree with that assessment.

After a well-publicized split with Elisha Cuthbert, Sean Avery was recently said to be dating Mary-Kate Olsen - only to cheat on her with another of his exes, actress Lake Bell.

Toronto native and WWE superstar Edge recently took time away from body-slamming and pile-driving to give TheHockeyNews.com his exclusive picks for the first round…

Canucks vs. Stars: The Edge goes to the Canucks
“Luongo was a huge pickup for the Canucks and he will be the difference maker in the series. I have to vouch for every Canadian team in the NHL playoffs because there are just so few teams representing Canada.”

Sabres vs. Islanders: The Edge goes to the Sabres
“The Sabres may go all the way this year. They have the most depth of any team in the playoffs.”

Thrashers vs. Rangers: The Edge goes to Thrashers
“I have a soft spot for the Thrashers. I like to see new NHL franchises make hay in the playoffs. The Thrashers are stacked with so many solid snipers that they will take out the Rangers. As a diehard Devils fans – there is nothing I like better than the Rangers exiting the playoffs early. I like Brendan Shanahan, but that is about it.”

Senators vs. Penguins: The Edge goes to Penguins
“This is the toughest series to pick. Dany Heatley got his 50th goal of the year on the last game of the season, which was amazing, but Ottawa has a tendency to choke in the playoffs. The Penguins are a grinding team and I don’t think the Senators can take the package of Crosby, Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury.”

Predators vs. Sharks: The Edge goes to Sharks
“The Sharks put out the Predators in last year’s playoff and will do so again this year. Thornton and Cheechoo can rally the team, but it will be San Jose’s goaltending that will be the key to the series.”

Ducks vs. Wild: The Edge goes to Ducks
“The Wild could be the dark horse in these NHL playoffs, but the Ducks have the best defensive core in the NHL with Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger. Throw in Teemu Selanne and I can see the Ducks in the Western Conference final.”

Red Wings vs. Flames: The Edge goes to the Flames
“The Flames are my surprise team of 2007 and I foresee them taking out the Red Wings. I am going against the grain and going with Canada and the Flames. They have great heart and great goaltending and that is what you need in the playoffs.”

Devils vs. Lightning: The Edge goes to the Devils
“I like the Lightning because I own a home in Tampa, but I can’t go against Marty and my team. Martin Brodeur is an ironman and as I said before, goaltending is the key to the playoffs. Marty carries the Devils and they have a strong line of Elias, Brylin and Madden. From top to bottom they are a strong team and very similar to Buffalo. I just think they are the strongest team and it just so happens they are my personal favorite team. I am not just hopping on the bandwagon; I was rooting for the Devils during the lean years. I just feel that this

If every NHL game ended like this, we might actually watch the NHL on a regular basis. Okay, not really. But still, check out this bizarre sequence from the Edmonton-Dallas game on January 4, in which Patrick Stefan fans on an empty net opportunity that would have clinched it for the Stars, who when surrender the game-tying goal to Ales Hemsky of the Oilers with two seconds left:

At the Sports Truth headquarters, it was a night of gambling that will go down in history, and will never be repeated… at least for the next two years. For the first time ever, our gambling gurus had to wait until early afternoon the next day to eke out a win. Also for the first time on record, alcohol turned out to be a bad bet.

Remember our sports betting lesson from the other night? Always take the over when wagering on aggregate goals scored in the night’s NHL games. That’s textbook. The other three wagers that comprised this epic night, however, had no blueprint. We had to trust our guts… and the up-to-the-minute Zogby/WSJ Poll.

The four components of the night’s wagering:

• $20: That the 10 NHL teams taking the ice would score 28.5 or more goals combined.
• $18: That Democrat Claire McCaskill (above, watching the returns) would oust Republican incumbent Jim Talent of Missouri for that state’s U.S. Senate seat.
• $18: That Democrat Jon Tester would oust Republican incumbent Conrad Burns of Missouri for that state’s U.S. Senate seat.
• $20: That Massachusetts Ballot Question #1 would pass (this represents a personal bet with an acquaintance).

Hey, how often does election day come along? Once a year? Sometimes you have to go all-out and let it ride on a couple of Democratic challengers and the ability of food stores in Massachusetts to sell wine. Yes, that’s what was up for debate as ballot initiative #1 here in the Bay State. The liquor stores have all the wine business and the grocery stores want in. Our contention was that they would get their wish.

Boy did we misread Massachusetts residents on this one. From the minute ballots started being counted, “No” took a commanding lead, at one point garnering 61 percent of voter support with 20 percent of the precincts reporting. While the hopes of food stores and the Sports Truth were lifted briefly as “Yes” clawed up to 45 percent around 9:32, the race was over and done with by 10:01.

We were devastated, as the first portion of our epic parlay to be decided eliminated the possibility of a sweep. But we weren’t as downtrodden as the real proponents of Question One, who spent $3.5M on ads and threw a party at the Westin Hotel in Copley Square to celebrate what they were certain would be a landslide win.

Presumably, wine was the beverage of choice, and presumably, plenty was consumed after the ballot question was officially shot down, 56 percent to 42 percent. Some local news cameras were on hand, panning the room and showing dejected supporters drowning their sorrows. I’m not kidding.

The early NHL games didn’t bode well for us either. A pair of 3-2 OT games settled by shootouts may be fun to watch, but not if you need an average of six goals to pull out an aggregate wager. Luckily, the gambling gods smiled upon us and delivered the badly-needed 6-5 contest. The L.A. Kings, bless their souls, caught fire and got Colorado goaltender Jose Theodore pulled. We were still in this thing.

Still, at 27 goals and two low-scoring games still in the third period, we needed a miracle. The Sharks got us within 0.5 when Patrick Marleau scored with under five minutes to play, but as time ran down in the Calgary-Dallas matchup, with the Flames up 2-1, our chances were looking bleak at best.

We had just about thrown in the towel when Jarome Iginla fed Kristian Huselius (left) for an empty-net goal with 17 seconds to go, setting off pandemonium here at the office. Always take the over. Remember that.

Meanwhile, McCaskill had finally clinched the Missouri Senate seat as the night gave way to early morning. If there is one thing we can tell you about betting on U.S. Senate races, other than that you may have serious mental problems, it’s not to expect a spectator sport. Can’t they count votes any faster, dammit? Why won’t Talent just concede, trailing by 55,000 votes with a handful of precincts to go?

Nevertheless, the Democrat held on and won us $10. Handicapped as a fairly heavy favorite (-180), Claire ended up prevailing by 1 percent, making those odds seem dubious. This was the same spread enjoyed by our man Jon Tester, looking to accomplish the same thing McCaskill did and oust a Republican Senator in Montana. If the margin of error in tracking polls is +/- 3 percent (and decidedly so, as seen in the 2004 Bush-Kerry race) how can anyone be a heavy favorite if they’re ahead by 1 percent?

Our online bookie has some explaining to do. After he pays up! Though it took until Wednesday afternoon, Tester (left) prevailed in Big Sky Country, equalling McCaskill’s 49 percent of the vote and barely outlasting the established GOP opponent in a tooth-and-nail struggle.

Even more amazing than having to wait until the following day to see if you win a bet is how few people live in Montana. Tester’s 198,302 votes were good enough for the win. For reference, McCaskill drew over a million.

It was a momentous day for the Democratic party, but an even bigger one for the Sports Truth. We pulled out some tough races thanks to an amazing empty-net goal and widespread anti-Bush backlash. Three out of four ain’t bad.

Moreover, our only loss is mitigated by the fact that, despite the food stores’ defeat, we can still go to the liquor store for wine and get smashed anyway. Seriously, does anyone know why we had to vote on this?

Sometimes, it’s just not your day.

Sometimes, if you’re a gambler associated with the Sports Truth, it’s just not your year. But there is often a silver lining, even in the deepest of slumps.

Take this past weekend for example. Sure, our staff was swept in four NFL wagers (for fun, using Monopoly money, of course), the greatest culprit being the previously unbeaten Chicago Bears.

Seriously, who gets crushed by the Dolphins? At home! That right there was a sign that it was not to be this weekend, but things deteriorated futher. U.S currency was also placed in the hands of San Diego, Green Bay and Tennessee, all of which failed — demonstratively — to meet the expectations of our experts.

Why anyone would bet money on a game involving the Jacksonville Jaguars, we may never know. Can anyone figure that team out? With Vince Young and the Titans coming off some good games, we figured they could get it done with 9.5 points. Alas, they needed 30.5. Tennessee was annihilated, 37-7.

All was not lost, however, thanks to an impromptu NHL wager on Saturday. Yes, you read that correctly. And it gets better. Drawing upon a dearth of hockey wisdom (i.e., a complete guess), we were certain that more than 72.5 goals would be tallied in the evening’s 12 tilts. Victory was certain… and would taste sweet.

Actually, it was a bit stressful. The Islanders’ Rick DePietro did his thing, allowing four goals on 19 shots, but New York could only score one of its own. New Jersey and Montreal engaged in a typical 2-1 snoozefest. We were well off the pace early, but things turned in our favor when the Bruins and Lightning exploded for seven goals in the second period alone en route to a 6-5 overtime thriller.

Not sure who won, but that’s inconsequential, of course. Coming down the home stretch, our teams — all of them — lit the lamp 64 times with two 10:30 games (does anyone watch these?) to go. It was gut-check time.

With just one goal scored by the Canucks, Avalanche, Sharks and Penguins in their respective first periods, our prospects looked only slightly less grim than the NHL’s future. But things picked up in the second period, and 33 seconds into the final frame, San Jose’s Joe Thornton (left) fed Mike Grier for the decisive 73rd goal. Pandemonium ensued at a New York sports bar.

Pittsburgh’s Dominic Moore added an insurance goal a minute later, but by that point, our staff members were too busy drenching each other in champagne and spending our newfound riches to care. It was one for the ages — and proof that you never know when the gambling gods may smile down upon you.

This weekend’s compulsive gambling lesson learned: Always take the over when it comes to betting on 12 NHL games aggregately. Always.

No pulsating intro music or pyrotechnics are necessary when the Sports Truth’s Starting Five takes the floor. Primarily because our budget won’t allot for such things. That would be so cool, though!

Every Friday, our panel of experts takes a current sports topic and sounds off on it — five times over. These guys have been researching constantly, poring over endless data and bouncing ideas off each other in preparation for this feature. Prepare to be amused, perplexed, enraged and maybe a little awed by their collective brilliance.

This Week’s Topic: THE UPCOMING NHL SEASON

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1. More ridiculous signing: Rick DiPietro for 15 years, or Terrell Owens for any period?

EVAN CHRISTOPHER: As I wrote earlier this month, signing Rick DiPietro for 15 years is like trying to commit suicide for more attention. Just stupid.

MICHAEL BRIAN: DiPietro, as his signing assumes that the NHL will last for 15 more years.

LEVI MATTHEWS: DiPietro. At least T.O. elicits controversy and puts fans in the seats. DiPetro elicits wasted space on SportsCenter for hockey news and puts his pants on one leg at a time.

JOEY BARGUY: Rick DiPietro. Because in five years the “Generation Y” kids will start entering the NHL — they’ll be dominate and replace the current flock. Just think, these kids have never experienced a world with the Soviet Union! Their short attention spans and sense of entitlement are perfect for goaltending.

LUCAS DWYER: As much as it “pains” me to not say Terrell Owens, the Islanders giving DiPietro a 15-year contract is organizational “suicide.” What if we discover DiPietro has a “drug” problem and “overdoses” on his narcotic of choice after this season and spends the next 14 years in rehab? Sure, it’s completely irrational, but when you sign a guy to a 15-year contract, you have to consider things like the player “lying” to you about particulars like that amongst a litany of other potential problems.

MICHAEL STEPHENS: T.O. While a 15-year deal is asinine, remember that an organization once chose to deactivate Owens, effectively placing him on paid leave rather than letting him suit up. If you’re going to do that, you might as well not sign him to begin with. Also, this week he may or may not have tried to kill himself. Dallas needs to take out a life insurance policy on this dude, pronto.

1a. [Bonus Trivia Question] What is the NHL salary cap for the 2006-07 season?

EVAN CHRISTOPHER: I refuse to look it up but I’ll guess $38M. Am I close?

MICHAEL BRIAN: This answer is easy to figure out. Take the NHL’s salary cap for the 2006-2007 season, cut it in half… and then double it.

JOEY BARGUY: $2.57/gallon.

(more…)

I’ll bet someone right now that the NHL will no longer exist by the time goaltender Rick DiPietro’s 15-year contract with the New York Islanders expires.

But if I’m wrong, watch out for DiPietro in the 2020 season, when he’ll be in a contract year and playing for the really big money.