Column: Betting on hockey

Before making predictions as to which teams will reach the National Hockey League playoffs, the Marty McSorley issue must be addressed.

Early in a game at Vancouver on Feb. 21, Boston Bruin player Marty McSorley was embarrassed badly in a fight with the Canucks' Donald Brashear. After being laughed at and taunted by Brashear, and with the Bruins down 5-2, McSorley was running out of time to save some face.

McSorley knew that starting a fight after the final buzzer carried with it an automatic 10-game suspension, so with three seconds left he attempted to bait Brashear into a skirmish by hitting him with his stick.

As McSorley has explained and apologized about over and over, he had no intention of hitting Brashear in the head and causing his concussion. His intentions were to start a fight and send a message that his Bruins weren't a bunch of pushovers.

Unfortunately, though, all that people at home would see on television over and over was the shot to the head, and not the circumstances leading up to the incident. The NHL handed McSorley its harshest suspension ever of 23 games, which cost him more than $100,000 in pay, yet Vancouver authorities succumbed to public pressure and still charged him with assault with a weapon.

Last week a Vancouver judge found McSorley guilty, and handed down a sentence of 18 months of conditional probation, the condition being that he be not allowed to play in hockey games against Brashear. So after incurring $200,000 in legal fees and having his reputation ruined, McSorley is appealing and might have to return to hockey some day just so his long and successful career can end on a positive note.

The decision seems really stupid to me because McSorley's actions occurred during the context of a game, and his "weapon" was a hockey stick - an integral part of the game, and not some foreign object. With his punishment being next to nil, all the decision did was waste time and money and bring unnecessary negative publicity to a great sport. Fighting in hockey isn't going away and if some day it is eliminated, the sport will lose many true loyal fans.

So what's next? Baseball pitchers' being arrested for beaning opponents in the head? Basketball and football players being arrested for flagrant fouls and late hits that results in injury? Boxers and referees being arrested when fighters suffer permanent damage or death?

I hope not, but Vancouver has set a very bad precedent. And ask yourself, had it been a Canuck player that swung that stick, would the player have been arrested? Not a chance.

If nothing else, consider the source of the litigation - Canada, the same country that tried to punish baseball's Dave Winfield for accidentally killing a seagull with a thrown ball. McSorley never would have faced a charge in the United States.

-- The NHL season has begun with new squads in Columbus and Minnesota. Hockey is an excellent sport to wager on because teams often need only to win games by one to cover spreads, although ties are possible in the regular season.

My predictions for division winners in the East are Philadelphia, Toronto, and Florida. Other playoff teams will be New Jersey, New York Rangers, Ottawa, Pittsburgh and Boston. In the West I like St. Louis, Colorado and Dallas. Other postseason teams will be Detroit, San Jose, Los Angeles, Edmonton and Phoenix.

Finals: Colorado will get veteran Ray Bourque his Stanley Cup over Philadelphia.

-- Major League Baseball has reached the championship series.

The last seven Game One winners have gone on to win the National League Championship Series. I like the New York Mets in six, and the New York Yankees in seven.

College pick: Northwestern +3 1/2 vs Purdue. Pro picks: St. Louis -18 vs Atlanta; Tennessee -6 vs Jacksonville.

Joe Ellison's column appears every Friday in the Nevada Appeal. Questions or comments can be sent via e-mail to appeal@swiftnews.com.