Tonight, in what in recent weeks has seemed to be the center of the sports universe, Arizona, the Suns and the Lakers make war for a stake of the division lead. The driving storyline: Shaquille O'Neal suits up for the first time, only to meet some drinking buddies from a time not too long ago. That's right, it's Suns v. Lakers like you have never seen it before.

Expect this to be something of a muddled affair, in which neither of the teams play to the level of play of- of all teams-the N'Orleans Hornets. Don't expect the purple and gold to score any higher than the century mark, and with Shaq handling sprinting like Roger Clemens handles forms of the words remember (miscorrectly) the Suns will be lucky to exceed 95. Prediction: Lakers 98. Suns 93.

On another, more glorious note, hockey still exists! And, better yet, the Canadiens and the Rangers did Original-Six style battle in what very well may be regarded as the best game in the NHL this year. For those of you who don't know.....or, for those of you Americans, the Montreal Canadiens staged an improbable comeback of 5 goals down to win against the New Yorkers, leading us to wonder-again, what is hockey?

Please, appease me, and admit that you get annoyed by the nonstop football coverage in the United States of America. Does it not seem to degrade a championship victory, when the next season seemingly begins 1 second (or is that 2?) after Belichick walks out of the Superbowl? We reveled in the Giants win for about 20 minutes, until we came to our senses and recognized that as old news. Superbowl? Pfffffff. It's combine time-baby!

Keep on Keepin' on.