HOCKEY TODAY: APPARENTLY THERE'S AN ALL-STAR GAME OR SOMETHING. THAT'S NICE.

Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell has backed off his vow that he would get the NHL to block any move by the Pittsburgh Penguins, and that arena talks with co-owner Ronald Burkle have resumed.

The feeling here is whatever happens, happens, but Pittsburgh is a football town and the Penguins would just run into the same problems 10 years from now if they stayed. Pittsburgh's demos are very similar to Ottawa, which has become a one-team town for pro sports (but not amateur sports, as this city saw last night at Scotiabank Place).

• Just a thought: Are Quebec City's difficulties with getting organized for the 2008 world hockey championship -- Hockey Canada is threatening to move that half of the event to Winnipeg -- really difficulties?
  
  It's true that Quebec City, which like Ottawa has a new mayor who is philosophically opposed to the previous one, hasn't found a chairman for its half of the worlds. They were turned down by local sports mogul Jacques Tanguay. Still, if Hockey Canada tries to strongarm them a little, they might just let the world championships go, for no real good reason. No province does political farce as well as Quebec.
  
  OK, British Columbia.
  
• Didn't watch the Skills Competition or whatever it's called, but good on Anaheim's Andy McDonald for winning the faster skater competition. Sportsnet anchor Don Taylor likes to work in references to players' old teams, but last night he referred to McDonald's college, Colgate, rather than him being a former Ernestown Township atom. Don Taylor, you have officially been put on notice!
• Jim Rome today: "You have a bunch of a guys shooting at pie pans like it was a county fair. Why don't you just have them throw beanbags. I love the NHL, but... if you're playing your all-star game in the middle of the week on Versus, you've got a problem."
• Missed this on the weekend, but the Ottawa Sun's Chris Stevenson is calling for an eight-team 4-on-4 tournament to replace the all-star game. That will be the last mention of the all-star game here.
• Major junior hockey is not coming back to Niagara Falls; Eugene Melnyk was turned down flat in trying to find a home for his IceDogs. There may be hope for North Bay getting back in the league yet.
• David Edgeworth, who played some of his minor hockey in Ernestown Township, was named CIS Male Athlete of the Week after scoring back-to-back hat tricks for the Waterloo Warriors last weekend (including a "mortarboard trick," a four-goal game). Waterloo (OUA-best 18-3-1-0) began the season unranked, but is now No. 4 in the CIS. Edgeworth's brother, Matt, is a wideout for the Ottawa Gee-Gees.
  

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