OVECHKIN RULES!

As I've mentioned before, Don Cherry and most of hockey's other dinosaurs *disapprove* of Alex Ovechkin. He's European, worse one of the Godless Commie Europeans. He wears a "sissy" visor. He seldom fights. And perhaps worst of all -- he celebrates a victory.

In the world of the Dinosaurs, hockey is not a sport. It's a gauntlet of honor and pain. There is no room for fun. Although I don't watch Cherry anymore, I'm told that last week he played a clip of Ovechkin NOT celebrating a goal, using it as proof that the kid was finally coming to heel.

Not so fast, Grapes. Last night in Tampa...



On one of last night's sportscasts, I watched one of Cherry's fellow dinosaurs white-knuckle his sportscaster pen and almost foam at the mouth, demanding to know why none of the Tampa players had dished out retribution for such behavior during the remaining 52 minutes of the game.

I sent him an email suggesting they were probably searching the ice for the jockstraps from which they had just been so completely deked.

Like the Poor, the arrogantly self-important will always be with us.

When I was a kid, Bob Dylan was idolized and acknowledged as "The Voice" of my generation. And then he appeared on stage with a bunch of musicians who played (horror of horrors) -- electric guitars. And the deepest thinkers of my generation booed him off the stage.

What a buncha Maroons!

Dylan's response was simple and eloquent, "I'm an entertainer!"

Alex Ovechkin is an entertainer too and unlike some of the tow-the-line, always say the right thing and 'be the face of the game' players I could name, he's breaking records, attracting new fans and has a decidedly non-hockey town already lining up for playoff tickets.

When was the last time any of the dinosaurs did anything worth noting?

And have you noticed how much hockey resembles some other industries in this country?