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SECOND FRONT
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Former OHL star Ryder charged with armed robbery

KEVIN MCGRAN
SPORTS REPORTER
At a time when athletes with guns
has become a hot issue in the NBA,
it turns out hockey is not immune.
Daniel Ryder, the younger brother
of Boston Bruins winger Michael
Ryder, has been charged with
armed robbery after a convenience
store holdup in Bonavista, Nfld.
The 22-year-old former draft pick
of the Calgary Flames turned him-
self in to police in his hometown of
Daniel Ryder NBA star Gilbert Arenas was sus-
was a selection pended indefinitely without pay
of the Calgary this week for bringing handguns to
Flames in 2005, the locker room of the Washington
going 74th Wizards. The incident is under in-
overall. vestigation by Washington police.
Ryder is a former 80-point scorer
Bonavista on Wednesday. in junior hockey and Wayne Gretz-
Ryder also faces charges of using a ky 99 Award winner as OHL playoff
disguise with intent to commit an MVP. A first-round OHL draft pick,
indictable offence, using a firearm he was a star on the Peterborough
in the commission of an offence Petes and went on to become one of
and theft of less than $5,000. the top-10 scorers in the franchise’s
history.
His career has been on the down-
turn since a fallout with Calgary
Flames GM Darryl Sutter.
The hockey blogosphere was
moved by the news, some fans say-
ing his arrest was a cry for help.
Ryder was considered a top pros-
pect and pure goal scorer. When he
turned pro in 2007-08 with the
AHL’s Quad City Flames, after
signing a three-year entry level
contract that called for a $225,000
signing bonus, Ryder walked out on
the team after just six games and
was subsequently suspended by
Calgary. Last season, Ryder started
with the AHL Flames and had nine
points through 19 games before be-
ing optioned to Las Vegas of the
ECHL. That lasted four games.
Loaned to the Boston organiza-
tion, Ryder closed out the season by
appearing in 20 games for the
AHL’s Providence (R.I.) Bruins.
With files from The Canadian Press

SEVEN BASEBALL’S STEROID ERA

DAYS
A Toronto fan’s guide
to sports events
Hall of Fame for juicers?
Voters will have a tougher time in future years deciding whether players fit for Cooperstown
over the next week

T Have your say

his happens every year and
FRIDAY it’s going to keep happening
NBA: Raptors at Philadelphia, as we get deeper into Hall of Star columnist Dave Perkins asks:
7 p.m. (TSN) Fame consideration of players How do voters handle the juicer gener-
NHL: Leafs at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. from baseball’s so-called “steroid ation? Have your say by voting Yes or
(RSO) era.” No to these questions online at
AHL: Marlies at Peoria, 8 p.m. How do voters handle the juicer www.thestar.com/sports:
OHL: Peterborough at Generals, generation? 1 Should proved or admitted PED
Battalion at Sudbury, 7:30 p.m. Framing one’s own morality on users be eligible for baseball’s Hall
others is a dangerous game and we of Fame?
SATURDAY all have our own standards, but in-
NHL: Pittsburgh at Leafs, 7 p.m. creasingly this dubious practice is 2 Should Hall of Fame voters ig-
(CBC) being required of Hall of Fame vot- nore all talk of PEDs?
OHL: Majors at Barrie, 7:30 p.m. ers. 3 Should the status quo continue
AHL: Marlies at Milwaukee, The 539 members of the Baseball with player “character” judged by
8:30 p.m. Writers’ Association of America individual voters?
Lacrosse: Rock at Boston, with at least 10 years’ standing who
7:30 p.m. (TSN2) voted this year on the available can-
didates were again asked to consid-
SUNDAY er tangibles such as statistics and
NBA: Boston at Raptors, 1 p.m. accomplishments, length of service some of them getting bottled help,
(TSN) and durability. We are also asked to too? Similarly if, say, Fred McGriff
OHL: Majors at Battalion, 2 p.m.; consider a player’s character. MARY BUTKUS/AP FILE PHOTO spends his career in the “steroid
Sudbury at Generals, 6 p.m. The rejection, for the fourth year St. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire, who was tainted by the steroid era” and doesn’t use the juice, as he
AHL: Marlies at Chicago, 4 p.m. running, of Mark McGwire is taken scandal, has been rejected by Hall of Fame voters four years in a row. insists he didn’t, how do we com-
in many quarters as a repudiation pare his stats to his contemporar-
MONDAY of his steroid use, although there is trate simply on playing ability or ies who did master the needle
NBA: Raptors at Indiana, 7 p.m. a case to be made that his 1,600 hits statistics? Or should it be left the trade?
(TSN) in 16 seasons isn’t necessarily the way it is, with each voter finding his Because I have no firm idea of ex-
stuff of bronze plaques. or her own comfort level with an- actly who was using PEDs and who
TUESDAY The omission of the eighth-lead- other man’s character? wasn’t, or who was using them
NHL: Carolina at Leafs, 7 p.m. ing home-run hitter in baseball his- That’s the subject for today’s poll: when they weren’t illegal and
(RSO) tory (for now) in Cooperstown is What should happen with stars stopped when baseball passed the
adjudged by some to be a heinous from the “steroid era?” Select one rules against their use, my own
WEDNESDAY crime, although it says here the DAVE PERKINS of the three responses; it’s not sci- tendency is to simply ignore the
No games scheduled banishment of the No. 1 hits leader, entific, but it might be worth find- drug talk. Barry Bonds was always
Pete Rose, for reasons of gambling year, Barry Bonds and Roger Clem- ing out roughly how many fans land a helluva ball player in these eyes
THURSDAY on baseball, would seem to be a ens two years later and sooner or in each camp. and will get this vote. If you think
NHL: Philadelphia at Leafs, 7 p.m. much greater vacancy. (Rose, by later all the PED-linked greats, This long-time voter certainly has his PED use disqualifies him, re-
(TSN) comparison, has never been eligi- such as Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ra- a difficult time sorting out morality member that if he had been hit by a
ble for election; the writers are sim- mirez and David Ortiz, will have as it applies to baseball players and truck in 1998, rather than absorb
Weekend TV listings, S7
ply not to blame for his non-partic- their debut on the ballot. So what performance. For instance, what his first anabolic steroid (if that in-
ipation.) to do? constitutes “cheating” and what deed is when he started), he would
GLOVES OFF More and more users of perfor-
mance-enhancing drugs are com-
Should those whose use of PEDs
was either proved or admitted be
doesn’t? Was it cheating when
baseball had no rules against it?
have been voted in by a large mar-
gin several years ago.
A week after Manny ing forward in the next few years. automatically kept off the ballot? Furthermore, if Joe Slugger was so There’s no simple answer going
Pacquiao (photo) filed a Rafael Palmeiro, the old finger- Should voters be directed to disre- obviously cheating, what about all forward. But vote for the one you
defamation suit against pointer, is up for discussion next gard all talk of PEDs and concen- those pitchers he faced? Weren’t like.
Floyd Mayweather, it now appears
the two best boxers on the planet
will square off in the courtroom and AN EARLY LOOK AT THE JAYS’ STARTING NINE BY MORGAN CAMPBELL
nowhere else. After two days of With spring training just over a month away, the big guns in the American League East are reloading. The Yankees’ bench, and pockets, are so deep that they won a
mediation in Los Angeles, Pacquiao World Series then jettisoned Series MVP Hideki Matsui without breaking stride. Up the coast in Boston, the Red Sox splurged on right-handed starter John Lackey
promoter Bob Arum has told ($82.5 million U.S. over five years) and had enough spare change to scoop former Jays sparkplug Marco Scutaro (two years, $12.5 million). Must be nice. In Toronto,
several U.S. media outlets that the emerging from a 16-year playoff drought is unfolding at a more measured pace under rookie general manager Alex Anthopoulos. He has pledged to make the Jays
proposed March 13 bout between contenders through meticulous scouting and grooming of top prospects. But until those as-yet-undrafted gems are ready for the spotlight, the Jays still must com-
the two superstars is off because pete in the toughest division in the majors. And with the season creeping ever closer, here’s a look at how they could line up on opening day, with sophomore Ricky
Mayweather won’t compromise on Romero as the starting pitcher and Jason Frasor as the closer:
drug testing. Mayweather, whose
father, Floyd Sr., has accused
Pacquiao of doping, demanded
random blood and urine testing
until the day of the fight, while
Pacquiao insisted that neither
fighter give blood within 30 days of 1. Jose 2. Alex 3. Aaron 4. Adam 5. Vernon 6. Lyle 7. Edwin 8. Travis 9. John
the bout. A clash between the two Bautista, RF Gonzalez, SS Hill, 2B Lind, DH Wells, CF Overbay, 1B Encarnacion, 3B Snider, LF Buck, C
biggest stars in boxing could have 2009 .235, 13 HR, .238, 8 HR, .286, 36 HR, .305, 35 HR, .260, 15 HR, .265, 16 HR, .225, 13 HR, .241, 9 HR, .247, 8 HR,
earned each fighter at least $25 stats 40 RBI, .349 41 RBI in 112 108 RBI, 114 RBI 66 RBI, 17 SB 35 2B, 65 RBI 39 RBI in 85 14 2B, 29 RBI, 36 RBI in 59
million and threatened the record of OBP in 113 games 103 runs games 77 games games
2.4 million pay-per-view buys. games
More at Morgan Campbell’s
2010 $2.4 million $2.75 million $4 million TBD $12.5 million, $7 million $4.75 million TBD $2 million
blog, Fighting Words, at
salary ($418,800 plus an $8.5 ($401,400
www.thestar.blogs.com
in 2009) million bonus in 2009)
March 1
ON THE WEB Why The leadoff By default. Because See Hill, Because he Because he’s Because the He’s in Because
he’s slot? He His anemic when you right down makes way still a solid Jays need left field so Rod Barajas
Comparing the recent
here filled in there on-base put up the to the too much hitter. Last a righty Lind can DH isn’t. Right
world junior tournament
late last percentage numbers Hill Silver money not to year, he hit to bat after and is now, Buck
and the NHL, Damien Cox
season. And (.279 last did in 2009, Slugger. play, and the .249 before Overbay, batting is the only
asks on his Spin on Sports blog at
right field? season) you hit where Jays are a July trade and Rolen’s eighth catcher on
www.thestar.blogs.com/thespin/:
Because he prevents him you want. hoping sent Scott not here because the the club’s
“Gotta say, one day you’re at the has the arm from leading Hill, who another Rolen to anymore. club is still major-
world juniors marvelling at that for the job off, while his won a Silver season in the Cincinnati waiting for league
level of fierce competition and (11 assists in pedestrian Slugger last five slot will and bumped him to turn roster. Last
talent, and the next you’re watching 79 outfield batting stats season, has yield better Overbay into potential year, he
the Leafs and Flyers and thinking games) and keep him long seen results than the cleanup. into big- threw out
you’ve dropped into a WWE show. because from hitting himself as the sluggish By season’s league only 8 of 41
You’ll have to explain to me how 17-, Cito Gaston any deeper in a No. 3 hitter. 2009 end, he had production. base-steal-
18- and 19-year-olds can compete wasn’t about the order. campaign raised his ers.
on a world stage with such a high to start with did. average to
level of sportsmanship and clean Snider in .265.
play, but the NHL can deliver such a right and
piece of low-class, Slap Shot-style Lind in left.
competition.”
Looking Sure Doubtful No No Not at these Possibly Possibly Nope ASAP
for prices
upgrade?