... ya, I know. Why trumpet some of the Leafs bull-crap when local sports media will do it for us??? Sorry guys, but some of this stuff is just too funny to not repeat ...

- apparently Mr. B. Burke was into the Jordan Staal negotiations very heavy. According to the Big Head From T.O., “the only reason we didn’t get Jordan to play here was that we didn’t have a brother named Staal on our roster already …” Yeah, okay Brian … because that’s the ONLY reason he wouldn’t want to play there … sheesh.

- as for the Roberto Luongo Goes To T.O. Saga, apparently the oily locked wonder has invoked his no-trade in order to avoid Smogtown. No small wonder there … if he can’t handle the heat/pressure playing for Shanghai West Canucks, how in the hell is he going to play for the Leafs??? He’d be in a fetal position after a week …

- apparently, the HHOF selection panel is having a collective memory moment by picking Pumpkin-head Sundin in his first year of eligibility (some gold medals, no Cups, first Swedish player to score 500 goals, Leafs captain) and NOT selecting Pat Burns (3 Jack Adams Trophies with THREE different teams, 1 Stanley Cup). Typical.

- also, we must bow our heads and say a quick prayer for those gone too soon to that darkest of places … James Van Reimsdyk, Morgan Reilly, Matthew Finn, Dominic Toninato, Connor Brown, Ryan Rupert, Viktor Loov … the hockey you might have played, alas …

... oh, and apparently Joffrey Lupul likes to ask puck bunnies for dirty pictures. Sound like he got "honey-trapped" to me, but hey ... just more leafyclassiness. She is also dishing on the names of prospects she partied with at the draft ... yeah, this chick ain't gettin' a callback ...

... just once, just once ... I'd like to see a hockey player with some lingering self-respect and on the verge of a total mental breakdown get traded to the Leafs. Can you imagine???

"No ... no, no, no, NOOOO ... you can't make me go!! I won't go!!!"
"Jordan, son ... c'mon, let go of the door frame ..."

Seriously, though ... that could be used by 29 other GM's to settle contract disputes ...

"Sorry, Mr Shero ... that offer just isn't enough for me to stay ..."
"... well, okay Jordan, I'm sorry to hear that ... just a sec, here ... Emily, can you call back Mr. Burke and tell him we have a deal? Thanks ..."
" ... w-w-wait. I - I could take a LITTLE discount ..."
"... yeah, I thought you might say that ..."

Been having a bit of fun with my Leaf fan neighbour recently ... he's had one of those little Leaf garden gnomes on his front lawn for a few years now. I've messed with it before - stuffed it under a bush, left it in his birdbath, etc ... minor stuff.

My wife bought me the Senators gnome for Father's Day this year ... and the wheels started turning. When they went away for a few days, I swapped out the gnomes just to see how long it would take for them to notice. Here we are three weeks later and they just noticed YESTERDAY ... my Facebook filled up with dire implications if I didn't return their gnome intact (they immediately accused me - how insulting).

So ... I sent them a few pics to let them know how the little gaffer was doing ...

Here's one ...

Here's another ...

... a-and another ...

... and in the end, conversion

So with hockey possibly on the fritz, I've been indulging in my other hobby lately ... torturing Leaf fans.

Remember the gnome swapping from earlier this past summer? Well, I was sent back a bunch of pics of a TML Donald Duck torturing my Senators gnome for information (yes, my friends are wierd ...). Last week, I swiped said duck and gave him the Sens treatment at my house ... and then returned him without them ever knowing he was gone. Got some good pics out of it, too ...

... like this one ...

... and this one ...

... and this one ...

... and this one ...

... and this one ...

... and here is how I sent him back ...