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Leafs fan Mike MacDonald from Mississauga, wearing his STANLEYCUP named team jersey. Peter Power/The Globe and Mail.Peter Power/The Globe and Mail



It's not too often that you watch a game and actually feel badly for those playing in it, based on the outcome -- and I'm not about to start after watching the Leafs detonate and donate a win to the Tampa Bay Lightning last night!

What can I say, there's just something about the Leafs struggles that sort of amuses me. That said, for all you Leaf fans out there, that must of have hurt, and not just because the best player in the world to call the GTA home -- Steve Stamkos -- works for Tampa Bay.

Lots of news this morning, from the pending sale of the Leafs to the pending return of LeBron James to Cleveland to the latest victim of Tiger Woods toughest year;

The links

I t's not about the money:

• Bet: somehow, someway, this means my cable bill will go up: The news this morning is that Rogers Communications is in talks to buy Teachers' majority stake in MLSE.

• With the news that Richard Peddie has set his retirement date from MLSE, Eric Duhatschek wonders if that could somehow increase the likelihood of a second NHL team in Toronto

• You know who had a tough year in 2010? Tiger Woods' charities.

Canadian teams, B Division

• Is there a more painful way to lose than getting scored on with 12 seconds left in regulation and 1:15 into overtime? Leafs find new ways to crush their fans, this time 3-1 to Tampa Bay

• It wasn't long ago that a Canucks-Flames game had major playoff implications for each team. They play tonight and things have changed, at least in Calgary.

• Reports of Wally Buono's possible demise as head coach of the the BC Lions were greatly exaggerated.

Canadian teams, A Division

• Even in an eight-team league, the Montreal Alouettes run of success in the CFL is amazing. After two consecutive Grey Cups, will they be able to keep their team together?

• The Canucks are proving to be a pretty special team with a quarter of the NHL season done.

Many happy returns:

• Four months after his jersey was being burned by irate fans; LeBron James is getting ready to return to Cleveland. The question even Shaquille O'Neal wants to know: will he do his slap hands and powder routine?

• An interesting subplot to Thursday's night's game; one of the most beloved athletes in Cleveland's history was Zydranus Ilgauskus. He took his talents to South Beach too. How will he be received?

Nice to meet you:

• After an onerous two-game stint with the Erie Bayhawks of the NBA Development league - Thanksgiving dinner at IHOP! - Raptors rookie Ed Davis will make his NBA debut tonight.

Sorry to see you go:

• I always enjoyed chatting with Jim Kelley off-air whenever we did Prime Time on The Fan 590. He enjoyed talking about his kids and grandkids. He was a warm guy. He died last night after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He explained how he would approach working while dealing with cancer in this column a year ago, and passed yesterday only hours after meeting one last deadline. He'll be missed by a lot of people in the sports industry and beyond.

And for your amusement:

• Arizona Cardinal's quarterback Derek Anderson was caught having a laugh with one of his linemen during the fourth quarter of a loss on Monday Night Football. He was asked about it afterwards. He wasn't laughing then, but you might be.

• Watching guys go off in press conferences is always a reminder that you can't help but look like an idiot when you lose your temper.

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