The Ducks have their work cut out for them.

Facing the best defensive team in the playoffs, led by 6 foot 5 goalie and Vezna trophy finalist Pekka Rinne, and the best defensemen in the game in Shea Weber is a daunting task.  The Ducks have to scrap for every stingy scoring opportunity.  But when you factor in the referees horrible penalty calls against Anaheim, the penalties that they let go and do not call against Nashville, conspiracy theorists come out and start chirping.  Then, with the ruling of Bobby Ryan’s suspension of 2 games by Colin Campbell, these conspiracy theorists have more than a solid case.

And if you doubt it, the case will be laid out below.  Just look at each clip, read the evidence, and you tell me…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ducks forward Bobby Ryan battles Jonathon Blum against the boards for the puck.  Blum has the puck frozen against the board with his skate.  After scrapping to try and get it out and unable to get Blum to unfreeze the puck, Ryan steps on his skate with a light kick.  There was no penalty on the play, and no injury.  The league has decided that Ryan was trying to injure Blum, and gave him a 2 game suspension.

If Bobby Ryan wanted to injure Blum, he would have taken his knee up to his chest and come down hard with his foot. Bobby Ryan has no suspension or dirty play history in the league.  Yet his penalty is double the vicious, intentional hits to the head of the plays below.

So far, the suspension against Bobby Ryan is the most severe in the playoffs.  What’s more, is that at the time the suspension was levied, the series was tied 1-1, meaning it was a best of 5 series from that point, and Anaheim had to go on the road for these 2 games Ryan was suspended.  So the league suspends Anaheim’s second leading goal scorer for 40% of the remaining series, and the games are on the road.

See below each clip, and then we can discuss “Intent to injure”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Chris Kunitz

Elbow to the head of Simon Gagne.  1 game suspension

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Steve Downie

Steve Downie leaving his feet and launching himself into the head of a defenseless player.  He has a history of dirty play and suspensions.  1 game suspension.

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Jarret Stoll

Boarding a defenseless skater (Ian White) behind the net head/neck first into the board.  White is unconscious and has to be helped off the ice.  1 game suspension.

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Zdeno Chara

Punishes a man (Max Paccioretti) neck first into the stanchion.  Chara has a reputation for being dirty. Injury results on the play.  Its a major penalty, and Paccioretti gets carried off on a stretcher.  No suspension.

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Raffi Torres

Shoulder to the head of a defenseless skater (Brent Seabrook) behind the net. Seabrook is clearly shaken up.  Torres has a history of being a dirty player, and has already been suspended this year.  No suspension.

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Doug Murray

Murray takes 6 strides from across the ice to crush a man into the boards who is 60 pounds lighter.  Murray has a reputation for being dirty.  Lubomir Vishnovski has to be assited to the locker room.  No penalty.  No suspension.

So what are we left with?  Apparently stepping on someone’s foot is far worse than a deliberate head shot at an unsuspecting player.  Either Colin Campbell’s head is firmly entrenched in his large intestine, he has a foot fettish, or has a major axe to grind against the Anaheim Ducks.  My opinion is that its all 3.

Here's hoping his cell mates are animal lovers

In an apparent attempt to try and look cool and compensate for what is no doubt his incredulously small Johnson, Columbian soccer player Luis Moreno punted –yes, punted- an owl who wandered on to the field.  The owl later died.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The owl was the mascot of the opposing team.  The only saving grace is that everyone else in the venue seemed to recognize this son of a bitch’s dementia and was instantly outraged, chanting “Killer, Killer, Killer” and could face up to 3 months in jail, and a $50,000 peso, or a $26 fine.
This is easily the most sickening display of barbarism since Michael Vick, especially since it was done in front of thousands of people. Moreno, through an apology perhaps only motivated by public outrage, said that he was trying to help the bird by waking it up.  The bird had been hit a few minutes before by a ball and was disoriented and had a broken wing, and wandered on to the field.

Moreno had to be escorted from the stadium by police.  Here’s hoping that Columbian prisons are less humane than his own exhibition.

Yeah we suck, what else do you want me to say?

After so many years of underachieving, it certainly couldn’t get any worse, right?  So when UCLA brought in alumni and supposed offensive genius Rick Neuheisel in 2008, and contracted the most respected offensive mind in the college game in the last 10 years in Norm Chow to be offensive coordinator, UCLA was certain to rebound. It would take a couple years, but with these two gurus recruiting, certainly UCLA would be back, and be able to grapple with USC for bragging rights in Southern California and Pac-10 supremacy.

A couple years later, the doo-doo it’s the fan at USC.  Due largely to former athletic director Mike Garrett and over-rated running back Reggie Bush’s arrogance (and to an extent former head coach Pete “The Cheat”  Carroll and his ridiculous attempt at trying to pull the plausible deniability), sanctions came down on USC rivaling that of the U.N. on Iran.  USC, facing more turmoil than Charlie Sheen and his porn family, tried to calm the fan base by luring Norm Chow away from UCLA, and back to SC where he was able to showcase his offensive genius a national level.  Chow turned down considerably more money to stay with UCLA.  There was much speculation about Chow not being able to call his own plays and being subservient to the far lesser talented USC coach Lane Kiffin, but for whatever the reason-call it honoring your word- Chow stayed at UCLA.  He was rewarded with a contract extension.

So its now 3 years later, and the Bruins are coming off their worst season in 21 years (remarkably, it’s tied with 2008, also under Neuheisel).  So what do they do?  Leave Norm Chow in limbo after they signed him to an extension before the year, and make it uncomfortable enough that he negotiates a buy out and leaves for Utah.  That is the equivalent of the high school nerd landing the hot cheerleader, and when she has the chance to run off with the football star, she stays with the nerd, only to have said nerd cheat on her. Granted, UCLA finished 103^rd in total offense and 116^th in passing offense.  Considering there are only 120 division 1 schools, yeah, that sucks more harder than Hefner’s “Girls Next Door”. I’d like UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero and Slick Rick to explain to everyone how they thought it a good idea to enter the recruiting season with no offensive or defensive coordinator.  The result?

Landing only 1 ESPN top 150 recruit in QB (97^th overall)

"Yeah, its kind of tough to recruit with no coaching staff. But don't worry. I'm Slick Rick."

As spring football approaches, UCLA looks to enter the season with their worst team in at least 10 years. The continuous regression of the program makes its supporters want to vomit.  Bruin fans can make fun of their cross town rivals all they want and question their character, but it didn’t stop USC from pulling in the #4 recruiting class in the country, even though they are still not bowl eligible, and still losing down scholarships for the next 2 years.

The fact also is that after so many people called for his head, not since Bob Toledo was head coach has UCLA at least had an identity. They were at least fun to watch, and while the defense was porous, their spectacular offense and gimmick play calling almost always ensured they were going to be in the game, and it would be exciting.

"If you all want a new coach, let me hear ya make some noise!"

Slick Rick better get the SS Minnow of a football program in Westwood righted, and call Digable Planets to try to get the “Rebirth of Slick” happening, or he could be gone.  And with the lack of players and a recruiting class that virtually guarantees difficulty in winning for years to come…I never thought I would say this…but please bring back Karl Dorrell.

With the real Slick Rick, UCLA might have a more productive offense.

The MeloDrama is finally over. As has been widely reported over the past several months, Carmelo Anthony is now, officially, a New York Knick. The Knicks, with Anthony and fellow superstar, Amare Stoudemire, are instantly a team to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference. So much of the focus has been on Anthony, but Chauncey Billups was also a huge addition for them. He should be able to offset the solid production of PG Raymond Felton, as well as being a huge presence in the locker room. If they can get 1 or 2 more solid pieces, preferably a sharpshooter on the wings, Spike Lee will be a happy fan for years to come!

"Playing for D'Antoni? Lovin' it...I still don't have to play any D!"

In addition to Melo, across the river, the New Jersey Nets made some major news with their acquisition of All-Star point guard Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz, which, given what the Nets gave up to get him (PG Devin Harris, rookie F Derrick Favors, 2 first round draft picks, AND $3 million in cash?) is probably one of the biggest gambles by a front office in recent memory. And with Williams already publicly stating he is not prepared to immediately sign an extension, to stay in New Jersey, there are going to be a lot of nervous people from Newark to Moscow for the next year and change!

OK, first the BIG WINNERS:

New York: Not a lot of critics here will say the Knicks gave up too much to get Carmelo, when they could have just waited until Carmelo went to free agency this summer and just signed him without giving up players, especially given Melo’s known desire to play in Gotham. But waiting might have been nearly as big a crapshoot as the aforementioned Nets! If you want a superstar, unfortunately you have to give up some solid players (which the Knicks undoubtedly did!). But considering the addition of Billups and the opportunity to add at least one other star, I think the Knicks win big not only in the court, but in the box office.

Oklahoma City: Huge, HUGE winners here! Sure, they lose promising F Jeff Green, but in return, they get a proven inside presence with championship experience in C Kendrick Perkins. He is going to fit in perfectly with the Thunder from day one and OKC instantly becomes a better team by getting what they desperately needed: a consistent banger in the paint. They also acquire G Nate Robinson, who should be a solid player off the bench for the Thunder as well. They give up the Clippers 2012 first round pick (which, given the Clippers annual trip to the Lottery, is a pretty big deal), but for Perkins, that’s an easy tradeoff. Great job GM Sam Presti!

Danny, I told you I don't like tornadoes! Damn!!!

Memphis: The Grizzlies might quietly be the biggest winners of the trade year. They somehow convinced the Rockets to take on arguably the worst #2 overall draft pick in recent history in C Hasheem Thabeet (OK, I’ll give you guys Darko Milicic, but only because he was picked over the likes of Anthony, and Heat superstars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, among others!). In addition, they welcome back veteran F Shane Battier who, by most accounts, is Memphis’s favorite player outside of Elvis Presley. And the Griz can use him on the court as well, given F Rudy Gay is going to be out for an extended period of time. Memphis did very well for themselves.

Phoenix: You probably won’t see the impact for a couple of years, but Phoenix acquired a hell of a PG in Aaron Brooks. Brooks was on his way to becoming an all-star before injuries (and the emergence of fellow PG Kyle Lowry) slowed him down. He’ll have some time to get healthy in Phoenix while the Suns try to figure out what they’re going to do with Steve Nash, but in Brooks, they have a great PG for years to come. I’m even going to throw Houston in as a winner on this too. In exchange for Brooks, they get G Goran Dragic, who will provide great depth and is a reliable shooter at the guard position. And they no longer have a “point guard controversy”, which should help them as well. But wait, isn’t this the same team that gave up Battier and brought in Thabeet? Nevermind, scratch Houston from the winner’s list!

Now, my BIG LOSERS…

Boston: GM Danny Ainge, what the hell were u thinking here? You give up a solid proven center (not to mention, the only one who’s under 50 years old and can get up and down the court without passing out or pulling a muscle), for a young player, who, while talented, does not figure to have a major role in the short term, as he’s playing behind 2 future Hall of Famers in forwards Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. This obviously is a “money move”, as Boston may have feared they would (to a lesser degree of course), have a similar situation with Perkins as with Anthony or megastar LeBron James with their former teams. Still, this makes little sense to me, but what do I know?

Sacramento: The best the Maloofs could pull off was getting journeyman G Marquis Daniels from Boston from a future draft pick? Clearly these guys are so tired of watching their team that, when they’re not in Anaheim negotiating a future move to the OC, they’re partying at their Palms Hotel (which by the way, is a great spot. That basketball suite is unbelievable!)

Jury is still out..

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New Jersey: We will know by the fall of 2012 whether this will be a coup or a bust (and make no mistake, it WILL be one of the other..nothing in the middle here!), and not just because the world is ending. Either GM Billy King will convince other stars to come in and play alongside Williams and they will head to Brooklyn major players in the Eastern Conference, or they will have given up a veteran G, a promising rookie, draft picks, and the rights to Jay-Z’s first 3 albums for a short term rental. If that becomes the case, Billy King and others will likely be reassigned to scouting duties in Siberia, and Jay-Z will have more than a little “dirt on his shoulder” to knock off”!

Why are we smiling again? Oh that's right...we're still RICH!!!

Should be interesting to see how all of these deals play out, and of course, which GM’s get an extension…and which ones get the Ax.

Holy Sh$t!  Actually, its Holy Family, as in Holy Family University in Philadelphia. This was not the city of brotherly love on this day though, as now ex-coach of the basketball team, John O’Conner is seen here administering his own brand of punishment to a player, Matt Kravchuk.  And no, he’s not the John O’Connor from the “Terminator” movies (actually that was John Connor), but he clearly terminated his player, and in so doing ultimately terminated his own employment.

Click here to view the embedded video.

After a failed attempt at reconciling with Kravchuk (who refused to accept his apology on Good Morning America) O’Connor resigned Thursday night.

Click here to view the embedded video.

But who does O’Connor think he is?  Woody Hayes and Bobby Knight he is not.  But for the record, many of O’Connor’s now ex-players and peers have defended him.  The reaction from Kravchuk in the footage also looks a bit dramatic, as it almost looks like Kravchuk falls back and reacts way worse than the contact would justify.  Clearly, O’Connor’s kicking motion is weak and in no way could have hurt Kravchuk. Nevertheless, Kravchuk emerged from the incident with a bloody face and apparent wrist injury.

In a moral argument, coaches should never strike their players. However, if  they want to grab their facemask or slap their helmet to get them to wake up, I’m fine with that.  But one can’t help think that Kravchuk’s reaction looked like something mastered by the likes of Iron Mike Sharpe, Jose Luis Rivera, Or S.D. “Special Delivery” Jones, or “The Rock”.  See below

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Don't Ya Wanna Smell Like This?

So I’m watching the Super Bowl at this great new bar.  Yeah, I’m a bit biased because a good friend owns it, but aside from the hot women that go in there, it is even more keen for the fact that movie star Shia LaBeouf, who sits at the head table of high council of douche-baggery, got punched out there a few weeks ago (Mad Bulls Tavern in Sherman Oaks, California, for those that are curious).

So there I was…enjoying the game, the company of my brethren, the atmosphere, and the bevvy of hot women that are surrounding me.  Granted, none of them were there for me, but I was still there…you know…in the inner circle…amongst the “cool” people.  And even though the hotties were into my buddy, this meant that with a certain amount of degrees of separation, they were into me, right?  I was literally a few feet away from some of the finest flesh ever to grace the planet, but that ranking lasted only a moment.

Soon, the flesh that was so perfect was replaced my larger, more abrasive, intimidating skin.  I don’t know exactly when it happened.  I had not had an extreme amount of alcohol, nor had I had any hallucinogenic.  But what came on the TV screen and captivated the entire venue made half of me nearly puke up my pancreas, and the other half explode in glee.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Yes, it was true.  Ultra-masculine Khloe Kardashian and her weed smoking, candy eating beau Lamar Odom (The couple also known as Lardashian, a.k.a. Kush Man and Franken Hooker) have embarked on a new quest. The two entrepreneurs have created a unisex scent that you can buy at your local Stater Brothers and other not-so-fine retailers near you.  This is a perfume commercial greater than any ever created, particularly because it features a scent that all of us can wear together and smell the same.

So why the name, “Unbreakable?”  Could it be due to her mental and physical density?  I do like the fact that it could be named for Lamar’s strength, as it could only take a man of Lamar’s considerable physical stature to hoist a beast like that on his back, as he did on his commercial.

Odom will never average 19 and 9 with that monkey, I mean Wildebeest, on his back.

Just when I think Lardashian can’t top themselves, they come out with something like this.  But what must it smell like?  I will leave it to you, the readers, but I would guess it’s somewhere between liquefied THC, anti-freeze, vinegar, body odor, and 2 month old Halloween candy.  I would call it Eau De Stanque.  Feel free to leave your nomination for scent combinations and brand names below.

Get Some!!!!

We’ve all heard the jokes.  Corporal Carbohydrate.  Colonel Cheeseburger.  But come on CC, this has to be a joke.  The main staple of your diet was honestly Captain Crunch? For real?

Born Carsten Charles, and listed at 290 pounds, it has been widely speculated that Sababthia was pushing the 320 pound mark.  Sabathia showed up at Legends field in Florida for Yankees Spring trinaing last week, confirming that he has lost 25 lbs.  When asked how, he said he stopped eating Cap’n Crunch. “I used to eat that stuff byu the box”, Sabathia declared.

Click here to view the embedded video.

So let’s do a little math, kids.  An average sized box will contain about 15 servings per container.  At the recomended serving size of ¾ of a cup, the calories are 112 and 22 grams of carbohydrates.  If eats a box of this a day, that is 1680 calories and 330 grams of carbohydrates each day…in cereal alone. A 200 lb man needs roughly to have 2000 calories per day, unless he’s an athlete, in which case you could have more because you will burn more.  Sabathia could probably have at least 3,200 calories a day and be good to go.  Too bad at this rate he is over halfway done with his caloric intake at breakfast, and you know it doesn’t stop there.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Imagine the other food that he mashes down his pie hole.  I think I saw him at Coney Island last year, ready to battle Joey Chestnut in the Nathan’s Hot dog contest.  Yankee fans are hoping that this will not echo the story of Sampson, who lost his strength upon cutting his hair, and that CC’s pitching dominance doesn’t rest in his suddenly decreased mass.

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"The future aint bright. Why am I wearing shades?"

The illusion continues in Orange County,  California.  Desperate to appease the barbarians at the gate, anxious to quell the revolt of Angel fans who have half a brain and won’t fall for the BS the front office keeps trying to shovel down their gullet, hoping to disguise the fact that this was not a 3^rd consecutive lost off season and what is to be a sure-fire disappointment and 3^rd place finish yet again, the Angels traded Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera for Vernon Wells.

With the constant contradiction and empty promises from Arte Moreno and Tony Reagins, the injury woes and underachieving of a usually very talented team, the one thing that is always safe to rely on is Mike Scioscia.  Even without considering his abilities as a supreme strategist, Scioscia’s fiery passion and honest approach are something to take comfort in, when so many other things seem uncertain for Angel fans lately.  But during the press conference, Scioscia said, “We’re definitely a better club today than we were at any time last year.”  Umm…what???

So enlighten me, Mike.  How exactly are the Angels better?

The Rotation is exactly the same, except for having Dan Haren for 6 months instead of 2 months.  So you get Haren for another 4 months instead of Joe Saunders, which is at best a slight improvement, because Haren will still have his share of bad starts.  Jered Weaver won’t lead the league with 233 strike outs again, either.  And besides, the pitching wasn’t the problem.

Here’s the main course in this doo-doo sandwich.  Consider the 2010 statistics:

• Runs- 19^th
• RBI-19^th
• OPS-23^rd
• Batting Average-23^rd
• Hits-22^nd
• On Base Percentage 27th

Angles lose:

• Hideki Matsui         21 home runs,  84 rbi’s,  55
• Juan Rivera             15 home runs, 52 rbi’s, 53 runs
• Mike Napoli            26 home runs, 68 rbi’s, 60 runs

Angels Get:

Vernon Wells          31 home runs, 88 rbi’s, 79 runs

"Just hit 30 homers, and you'll save my job"

Granted, these guys were mediocre at best, but when the best you have is mediocre, that’s saying a lot.  So now the Angels replace that production with Vernon Wells, who hit a modest .271 (albeit better than the aforementioned players).  But Wells is going to be entering a division with far better pitching, and who knows how his injury riddled body will hold up.

Getting back to the production, or lack thereof, for the mathematicians, that’s a net loss of 31 home runs, 116 rbi’s, and 89 runs from a team that finished nearly last in every major statistical offensive category.  That’s right; you took production away from a team that was already near the bottom. And for those that would say, “But now we will have a full season of Bourjos, Wood and Mathis”, slap the stupid off of yourself and consider what you just said, and heed the following:

The Angels have gaping holes at 3^rd base, catcher and Centerfield.  Peter Bourjos, Brandon Wood and Jeff Mathis combined to hit .180 in 612 at bats last year. Brandon Wood is a proven bust, posting a .169 career average in 469 career at bats from 2007-2010.  Once thought so highly touted, the Angels held on to Wood for his “potential” instead of trading him for a bona fide superstar, like Roy Halladay.  In doing so, they fell victim to the same cheapness when they let Troy Glaus go for the “potential” in Dallas McPhereson.  If you don’t know who he is, he is the guy that comes to your door selling magazines to keep kids like him off the street and away from drugs (see our article, Fallen Angels)

"I see you Tony and Arte. I'll be up in a minute to drink the Kool-Aid".

So the Angels will enter the season with their best player, Kendry Morales, still not 100%, banking on a return to form from disappointing years for some of the veterans, and hoping for good years from their young players who have never provided it before.  That’s a lot of hope. Presidents even get elected on it.  But hope doesn’t matter when you get in between the lines.

If you listened to the Angels-Vernon Wells press conference on the radio like I did, you may have set a record for shaking your head back and forth.  You may also have winced at the spin, rivaling that of a propaganda campaign during 1930’s Berlin.  In a cryptic quote that may foreshadow the Angels’ dark future, Angels’ owner Arte Moreno, when asked about not signing Carl Crawford, stated, “I guess for me…the 7 year…the 6, 7 year contracts are tough.”

That’s a scary thing if you’re an Angel fan, because the owner of the team basically just admitted that he won’t sign any premium player…ever. The elite players in the game want at least 6 years on a deal for security.  If Moreno is not going to offer that, then prepare for a bunch of 2^nd and 3^rd tier players to be passed off on the fan base as elite level.  When you add to Moreno’s quote his own ego-driven inability to work with the pain in the posterior that is Scott Boras, it certainly seems that the Angels will never land elite level talent.

For whatever a prick Boras has proven to be, he represents the best players in baseball, and if Arte’s chonies are still in a twist after the Mark Teixeira negotiations from 2008, the Angels will go back to the also-rans of the 1990’s in refusing to deal with the agent that represents the very best on the sport.  And guess who their poster boy, Kendry Morales’s agent is?  That’s right, Mr. Boras.  Morales is coming up on a contract year, so as long as he is represented by Boras, Angel fans can watch another prime time player walk out the door.  Unless Moreno actually opens his wallet for Pujols (who is not represented by Boras) in the 11-12 off season, the Angels will fail once again.  Since Moreno said in the Wells press conference that he doesn’t agree with the 6 and 7 year contracts and Pujols is rumored to be looking for a 10 year deal, or at least close to it, the Angels chances of landing him also seem to be about as good as Khloe Kardashian’s chances as a sex symbol.  (See our story, “Stanque Et Cannabis“)

With Angel fans excited about what might come to be, and he told the L.A. Times in December, “I’m not the Boston Red Sox.  I’m not the New York Yankees”.  Then maybe you shouldn’t suggest it in previous months.  Apparently Moreno was so disappointed in October, he told the L.A. Times that he was, “angry, disappointed, and would spend whatever it takes to return to the playoffs.”

"No, he's not Crawford. But his salary is."

So let’s get into the finances.  Wouldn’t it have been better to sign Crawford, and trade Napoli and Rivera for some middle relief?  They spent $23 million over the next 3 years on a 34 and 35 year old middle reliever.   Signing Crawford at $20 million and getting rid of Rivera and Napoli’s contracts for some cheaper, younger middle relievers that wouldn’t have cost anywhere near $23 million seems a lot more viable.  They actually would have saved money.

At 7 years and $142 million, Crawford comes with a price tag of 20.28 million a year.   And after Toronto absorbs a miniscule $5 million of the Wells contract, Wells comes in at $81 million over the next 4 years, roughly $20.25 million a year.   There have been conflicting reports saying Toronto absorbed $16 million of the salary, which would put Wells at a cost of roughly $17 million per season.  Regardless of which is true, when the contract expires, Wells will be the same age as if the Angels would have given the same deal to Crawford.  Crawford hit for a higher average, stole more bases and had more RBI’s than Wells did, and he’s 3 years younger, a gold glove last year, and has nowhere near the injury history Wells totes with him.

"Carl...how does it feel to be paid what you're worth?"

Additionally, Wells’ hitting in the middle of the order doesn’t benefit the rest of the lineup.  Crawford at the top will enhance everyone else’s RBI chances and increase the run scoring ability of the team.

The date is set for April 21^st in Anaheim.  That will be the first day Carl Crawford and the Red Sox come to town, and get to show the Angels fans’ what they are missing, and why their owner made a colossal mistake.  In the end, there has been much speculation that Moreno would have to raise ticket prices.  Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times did a piece recentlyThe average ticket price is said to be around $20, and to justify signing Crawford, it would take prices to around $30. Guess what Arte?  I wonder how many people will pay $20 a ticket to watch a loser.  I think most people are with me, and they would pay $30 to watch a winner.