Had an expensive weekend? Want to save some dough this week? Look no further than your television and let the good times roll.

Side-Note: I was in Pittsburgh for Game 5 this past weekend, and I have to say, I’m super impressed by the city. The ‘dirty’ connotation that’s out there is completely un-fair. It’s clean, friendly, and dirt-cheap! The beer and foods cheap, and you can golf quality courses for a fraction of the price of the GTA. And if you’re a sports fan, I highly recommend checking out a Pirates, Pens, or Steelers game. The fans there are passionate and real – something that lacks in certain sectors in Toronto. So in less than 5hrs in the car from Toronto, you can totally have an amazing time!

Alright, so back to the sports talk. Love the Stanley Cup final match-up. So, let the great debate begin; who do you like - the guile and experience of the Red Wings or the youthful exuberance of the Penguins? These are two great teams, in two great hockey markets. It’s hard not to like Malkin, Crosby and company. They have swagger, and we were debating over pints after the game; how do you stop them?? If there’s one team that can, it’s the Wings. The Penguins are the only team that can match the Wings in terms of talent, but I give the edge to the Wings blue-line. Don’t fret Leafs fans, Hal Gill is still slow, but he’s got a team around him that his deficiencies can be masked. I also love the Lidstrom side-story in the series. If Detroit wins the cup, they’d be the first team to do so with a European Captain. This sort of honour would be fitting for a class guy like Lidstrom. The series should be simply dynamite – but the bad news is you’ll have to wait until Saturday for it all to begin.

On the hoops side, the basketball gods must hate us all, as the boring San Antonio Spurs advanced to the Western conference final – they’ll be taking on Kobe and the Lakers. I’ve never said this before, but Go Lakers Go, for the sake of our viewing pleasure. However, I’m thinking the Spurs are just too tough to be stopped. Boring is also another word for efficient, and no team gets it done when push comes to shove quite like the Spurs. Just ask Chris Paul. Meanwhile, over in the east, the well-rested Detroit Pistons are taking on the Boston Celtics. The Pistons, just like the Spurs, are big-game players. This, along with the fact the Celts have gone 7 games in both their series, I’m thinking the ratings killing Spurs/Pistons Finals are on the horizon! BRUTAL!

And more immediately, Wednesday’s all about the Champions League final - Manchester United and Chelsea, competing for club football’s biggest prize. Forget about all the security concerns, the true story will be made on the field, where either Chelsea will win there first ever Champions League, or Man U will win their first since 1999. Give the edge to United in this one – I don’t think Chelsea’s defence can contain the three-headed monster of Tevez/Rooney/Ronaldo. For more on this game, check out my weekly soccer column by following the link attached.

click here

Also, I won’t be “in the Grill” tomorrow night – I’ll be at the Manchester United supporters club getting pissed and watching the game!!

Cheers,
gw

gareth.wheeler@suntv.canoe.ca