LINDEN RESIGNS; SASKIN-GATE CONTINUES

Most hockey fans probably don't realize how major a story it is that Trevor Linden has resigned as head of the NHL Players' Association. Make no mistake, this is another breakthrough in a long process where a group of players take their union back in the wake of the ass-kicking they took in the NHL's nuclear winter and Ted Saskin's "backdoor hiring." (The Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons' phrase, not mine).

It's just not going away. Dwayne Roloson, who was among the player reps who raised a stink about this last September, really seems to have been vindicated, both on- and off-ice. Yours truly said as much about Roli the Goalie 3½ months ago -- when exactly no one had any idea that he would lead the Oilers to improbable appearance in the Stanley Cup final.

• King Kaufman of Salon.com, on Bud Selig's silly policy to have the All-Star game decide home-field advantage in the World Series: "Selig's the kind of guy who fixes his muffler by getting a louder stereo."
• James Mirtle picked up on this: there are plans for the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers to play an exhibition game in Puerto Rico. You know, just on the off-hand chance someone in Puerto Rico is a big Henrik Lundqvist fan.
• Ah, the baseball All-Star Game. Just when it had been almost six months since the last time I had to listen to Joe Buck. Buck just referred to the Jays' Vernon Wells "as a tremendous athlete who has been overlooked." Number of times Buck's corporate masters have featured the Jays on the Game of the Week: None that I can recall.
• Gotta love those sports clichés, along with sports movies you can share with your girlfriend.

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.