ion rights "We recognized early on that our regional broadcast rights

When you grew up in Ottawa, back in the days before the Sens, you really had just two choices when it came to NHL teams to cheer for: the Habs and the Leafs. If I could afford a therapist, I imagine the good doctor would tell be that my affection for the Leafs was part of an ongoing and pathological need to be alone and unhappy. Though, quite simply, its more likely that its because thats what was on local TV in Ottawa. I admit I could be wrong. I dont have a PhD. Thats right. I was a Leafs fan. I had a Leafs sweater that I slept in, that my dad bought me after some endless whining in the aisles of a Canadian Tire. An Allan Bester poster hung above my bed. I wore number 9 in Little League because of Russ Courtnall, and I may have cried when he was traded to the dreaded Habs for John Kordic. My parents werent sports fans, but they let me bring an old black and white TV into my room to watch Hockey Night in Canada, to fall asleep to the third period charms of Bob Cole and Harry Neale. I cant often remember my postal code, or where I lived in 2009, or the name of that girl, but I easily recall the names of Dale Degray, Peter Ing, Brad Smith, Ken Yaremchuk, and Dan Daoust, forgettable Leafs from a forgettable era.The arrival of the Ottawa Senators coincided with the arrival of my first love. Well, the first reciprocated love. Fittingly I used this sea change to shift my affections to the Sens, whose losing was familiar but who provided a new hope, a virginal slate upon which to build a new love. The Sens got better, but love did not. Like it tends to, it left, mostly my doing, as I had found affections for all sorts of other things one does as they enter their 20s.The Sens and I remained true to each other, even though I carried the relationship. I lived in Vancouver for a few years, but never felt any connection to the Canucks, nor for any West coast girl. Well, there was one girl, but she left me for my best friend. In that manner, she was not unlike the Sens. All kinds of promise, ending in sure disappointment; the better looking, more mature Leafs beating the Sens in the playoffs year after year.With both the Sens and the Leafs the pain was the same: expectations were crushed by reality. No matter what I did, season after season they hurt me. They left me alone in June, as other teams and their fans moved on to full playoff beards, Cup parades, and what I can only assume is happiness.Years passed. I moved back to Ottawa. I watched hockey less. I dated seldom. I grew a playoff beard in January. My mother worried. She had nightmares that I was floating through life without RRSPs, without a mortgage, without a wife, and without kids. My dad seemed to understand, even though he wasnt much for hockey. I moved to Costa Rica. My beard got longer. My tan was superb. Televised hockey was difficult to find. Beer was cheap. There was no fear of commitment, because everyone was transient, moving on, moving forward, or at least sideways.But the rains came and I returned to Canada, but this time to Montreal, a city that truly appreciates the loveless. A city where the bars are open late, and life exists only in the present. And I found myself watching hockey again, with people who didnt know about my past, about the Leafs and the Sens, who didnt know of my failings in my mothers eyes. And I found myself cheering for the Montreal Canadiens, the longtime enemy of both the Leafs and the Sens. Outwardly I was a fan, but inside I was in turmoil. I felt like I was cheating on myself, as if I was committing hockey adultery, even though I was single and every team I ever loved sucked.And then came 2010. And a magical run through to the Conference Finals. And Halak signs. And PK Subban. And overtime wins. And there was a girl. A girl I loved. And for a brief moment I thought about breeding, about ceremony, pageantry, making my mum happy, a parade down Ste. Catherine, about my dad in a tuxedo, about rings.But, as hockey and love have taught me, all good things end in horrible, crushing, debilitating disappointment sometime in June. The Habs lost to the Flyers, and someone else won the Cup, and Halak was traded, and the girl left because I was afraid she might not, and summer arrived with condolence beers and late nights on terrasses and waiting for next year. Always next year. My mum didnt say anything, but I could see her deleting imaginary grandchildren in her mind, and transferring familial hope to my sister and her young family.And life went on. Seasons changed, both on the calendar and the NHL schedule. I still rocked a playoff beard, out of both laziness and hope, so Id be prepared in case of victory. The Habs sunk back to middle-of-the-pack mediocrity. The Leafs and the Sens lived in that same ether. My mum would send me promotional materials for post-graduate programs and ask how my married friends were doing. My dads tuxedo remained in the back of his closet, dry-cleaned and at the ready. I still watched Habs games, but my interest has waned, my commitment faltered.Then, two weekends ago, I was having a few adult beverages and watching the Sens and Habs battling each other in an important late-season game. It was like watching the past fight for your affections. With just under four minutes left, it looked like the Sens had the game won. But the Habs scored once, twice, and a third time with only .3 seconds left to tie it, before winning it in overtime.So buoyed by the victory, and spirited by the spirits, I headed out to the local to meet a friend and celebrate the victory. And in the back of the bar, a bar cheered by the win and the hour, was the girl from 2010. And we talked for a bit. And she asked about my folks. And we smiled when youre supposed to smile. And we spoke longingly about spring coming. And after a silence, and a pause, she had to leave, and as she did she looked back and said, "Maybe Ill see you soon." Maybe. And maybe the Habs will make a run, and my mum will stop worrying about matrimony, and my dads tuxedo will be content in its stasis, and maybe I will see her soon. That wouldnt be so bad. Better than being a Leafs fan. Nike React Element 55 Heren . Paul, MN (SportsNetwork. Vapormax Groothandel . has left the San Jose Sharks to become the Boston Bruins director of player personnel. http://www.vapormaxsalenederland.com/air-max-plus-tn-goedkoop-kopen/dames.html . With the results, North America claimed 2.5 of the three available points, opening up a 17.5-12.5 lead in the overall standings. A total of 60 points are available, meaning the first team to 30.5 points will win the Continental Cup. Nike Vapormax Heren Sale . After not scoring 40 points in the opening quarter in the last five seasons, the Rockets have done it five times this season and twice in the last three games. Vapormax Flyknit 3 Heren . Patty Mills had 20 points, Tim Duncan had 11 points and 13 rebounds in limited action, and San Antonio rolled to a 110-82 victory over Milwaukee that kept the Bucks winless in the new year.INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- Canadas Milos Raonic defeated Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France on Saturday to advance to the third round of the BNP Paribas Open. The No. 10 ranked Raonic, of Thornhill, Ont., had 33 aces to edge Roger-Vasselin 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (2). Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Stanislas Wawrinka -- who were all playing their opening matches of the tournament -- also won on Saturday. Federer, the four-time champion seeded seventh, beat French qualifier Pail-Henri Mathieu. The Swiss star was coming off his 78th career title last week in Dubai. "Its important to win," he said. "Its a lot different from Dubai. You have to force a bit more, but Im satisfied." In a late match, the top-seeded Nadal rallied to beat Radek Stepanek 2-6, 6-4, 7-5. "He is not the right player to play against in the first round," Nadal said. "Hes not the right player because what you want to find in the first round is rhythm and against him every point is different. He goes quick to the net. They dont give you that few games to find your rhythm, to find a way that you want to play." Nadal is 41-6 in his 10 appearances here and has made it to the semifinals or better for the past eight years. But he said worries about his back affected his serve during the 2-hour, 24-minute contest. "With my serve I was doing nothing. When that happens, the opponent is able to play more aggressive, play more confident and in the end, eight double faults, I give him an opportunity to win a lot of free points," Nadal said. "I was a little bit scared for the back. I am not feeling 100 per cent confident with my serve. But probably that match is going to help me understand that I can start to serve normal again." The fifth-seeded Murray topped Lukas Rosol 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, and the third-seeded Wawrinka, playing for the first time since winning the Australian Open, beat Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 7-5. Kevin Anderson and Tommy Haas also moved into the third round. Anderson spoiled two-time tournament champion Lleyton Hewitts bid for his 600th career match win, topping thhe Australian 7-6 (5), 6-4.dddddddddddd Haas, who will be 36 on April 3, rolled to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Jeremy Chardy. In womens play, top-seeded Na beat Chinese compatriot Zheng Jie 6-1, 7-5, and fourth-seeded Maria Sharapova opened her title defence with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Julia Goerges. Fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber dropped out, falling 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 to Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor. Aleksandra Wozniack of Blainville, Que., also beat No. 15 Sabine Lisicki 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (5). Murray reached the final in 2009, but has mostly struggled in the event. "I think its important sometimes to think about it, because when youre not expecting it to happen and then it does, thats when it can kind of take you by surprise and you might panic a little bit or worry," Murray said. "But I dont feel like (that happened) today. I was a set and a break down. I got broken three times in a row the end of the first set, beginning of the second. I just kind of kept going and found a way to win, which is always the most important thing." Mikhail Youzhny, seeded 14th, withdrew because of a back injury and the American mens contingent was trimmed from its initial 14 members to one after losses by Michael Russell, Sam Querrey, Tim Smyczek and Ryan Harrison. The only U.S. player remaining is 12th seed John Isner, who will face Nikolay Davydenko on Sunday. Li is playing her second event since winning the Australian Open. "This is the first match after Doha, two weeks, and of course for I cannot be 100 per cent for the first match," Li said. "But I was happy. At least I can learn something from todays match." Li will face Karolina Pliskova, a 7-5, 6-2 winner over No. 28 Klara Zakopalova. Eighth-seeded Petra Kvitova, No. 11 Ana Ivanovic and No. 12 Dominika Cibulkova also won early matches. In first-round doubles action, Raonic and Latvian partner Ernests Gulbis edged Serbian pair Novak Djokovic and Filip Krajinovic 7-6 (3), 6-1. Torontos Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia beat Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina and Marin Cilic of Croatia 4-6, 6-3, 10-8. ' ' '