bullying scandal just plain awfulAnd if anything explains the cultural warfare and instability that envelopes the Dolphins, the defence of a cretin like Richie Incognito, the circling of the wagons, the lack of passion and understanding for the departed offensive lineman, Jonathan Martin, it is that Code Red mentality. And the handling of apparent truth.The business of the locker room in every sport stays within the locker room, the old credo goes. What matters less than Martin breaking down, failing to live up to others' standards, is that the team remains together. That is what they have been saying all week in Miami. That is how they are acting.Somebody ordered a football version of a Code Red and what followed was players' support or players' silence. There were no internal divisions. That was nasty and troubling in the terrific Rob Reiner film.It is nasty Cheap NFL Jerseys and troubling in the National Football League.THIS AND THATInteresting take from football analyst and former player Chris Schultz on the Dolphins situation. Basically he said you can be different as a player if you're a starter in football. But if you're not, and you're deemed to be just another guy on a team, you have to fit in. Otherwise, you're ostracized . The best player eligible to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame who isn't: Sergei Makarov. What he needs most is an advocate who can sell his international dominance to the Hall voters. He can't get in on his NHL numbers . And from the passed over long ago but shouldn't have been in list: My annual plea for Rogie Vachon . There will always be debate about this, but Chris Chelios, who gets the Hall of Fame call Monday night, tops my personal list on the best Americans to ever play. I would rank them 1. Chelios; 2. Brian Leetch; 3. Pat LaFontaine; 4. Mike Modano. 5. Mark Howe. And leave Brett Hull off the list because he grew up in Canada and learned to play hockey in Winnipeg and Vancouver . Hall of Fame weekend is one of my favourites on the calendar . Mark this down: The Olympic gold medal women's hockey game between Canada and the USA will be played in Sochi on Feb. EST Sunday morning start time in North America . A veteran NHL GM on the Maple Leafs: "They're one of the three best rush teams in the NHL. You don't see a lot of good rush teams anymore. I know this isn't how they want to play, but they're dangerous and fun to watch."HEAR AND THEREA Hall of Fame story. A few years ago, Brendan Shanahan's wife told her young son that his dad used to be a terrific hockey player. The young son went online and found his father, at the time, was the 11th highest goal scorer in NHL history. The kid turned to his mom incredulously and said: "He wasn't that good, mom. There are 10 guys better than him." . Now, every time Ottawa plays Montreal in hockey it's all about EK and PK . I keep hearing that Marc Edouard Vlasic of the Sharks will be named to the Team Canada defence, but onetime sure thing defender Kris Letang will not . Subban on defence, if he's playing the right side he won't play ahead of Drew Doughty, Shea Weber or Alex Pietrangelo, all right handed shots . From the department of strange statistics: Rookie defenceman Torey Krug has Wholesale Snapbacks more goals this season than the entire Maple Leafs blueline . The Blue Jays are all but certain to make offers for free agent starting pitchers Ervin Santana and Ubaldo Jimenez. Neither will come cheap, in the $15 million a year range on long term deals. The Jays are one of 10 big league teams who could sign either without losing a first round pick. They would only have to relinquish a second to make the deal . Brandon Morrow, who has made 31 starts and missed 33 starts for the Blue Jays the past two seasons, doesn't want to be asked about being injury prone . Baseball, what a crazy business. Josh Johnson has a horrible season, can't get anybody out, can't keep the ball in the park, and word around is he'll get a one year deal for about $10 million in free agency.SCENE AND HEARDYou can pencil in James van Riemsdyk on the roster of the US Olympic hockey team. He's no longer a long shot. He's in . It's a nice story and all, but doesn't Paul Ranger have to play better than this to be a regular on the Leafs defence . Nice to see the tightwad owner, David Braley, open up the purse strings a little to pay for the Argonauts to practise indoors heading towards next Sunday's Eastern Final. The Argos, by the way, have the most spartan practice facilities of any team in professional football . NHL players with CFL playing fathers: Phil Kessel, Taylor Hall and Willard Reaves' son, Ryan. Soon to add to that list: Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci . He can play on my team: Jordy Nelson . Some nights, the only player who can score on Jonathan Bernier is Jonathan Bernier . Must admit: I've never met a Pelicans fan . The thing is, Lars Eller wasn't necessarily wrong when he said the Edmonton Oilers play like a junior team . When was the last time Ilya Bryzgalov was the answer to any question that didn't have the word nutty in it? . Heard a Scotty Bowman interview recently. He was asked who the second best forward in the NHL was, behind Sidney Crosby. He answered something about Sweden having a terrific and deep defence for the Olympics. Typical Scotty.AND ANOTHER THINGAnthony Bennett may end up wishing he was never the first pick in the NBA Draft. It can be a burden. The personable kid from Brampton is off to a dreadful start in Cleveland and now he's injured. Meanwhile the 11th pick in the same draft, 6 foot 6 point guard Michael Carter Williams, is lighting it up in Philadelphia . Olympic team defence? I would . So, you're the defensive phenom that was Justin NFL Jerseys Wholesale Schultz, and you could have signed in Detroit or Toronto or anywhere you wanted but you chose Edmonton, thought it was the best place to be. Wonder how you're feeling now . This is how bad the Buffalo Sabres are: Ryan Miller is having a great season and Buffalo has lost all nine home games it has played . This is odd: Three current big league managers Rick Renteria, John Gibbons and Terry Francona and one general manager, Billy Beane, were all taken within five picks of each other in the 1980 Major League Draft. For the record, none of them became everyday players in the big leagues . Loved the book, Keon and Me, by Dave Bidini. It was part hockey, part my childhood, part love story, part Russell Baker. A unique treasure in a crowded market . Worth revisiting again, Michael Farber's great line about Toronto the basketball town. "One day you will be able to shout Shaq on Yonge Street and no one will assume you mean Eddie." By the way, that line is 19 years old and still applicable . Augustin (26), and Cowboy Bob Orton (63) . And hey, whatever became of Ian Sunter?STILL QUESTIONS ABOUT CASEYThis is Dwane Casey's make it or break it season as an NBA head coach. And so far, he's not off to a convincing start.Never mind the Raptors' record. You can't judge Casey on winning and losing with this roster. But what you can judge are segments how the Raptors play defence; how he works his rotation and cleverly limits his terrible second team; how he handles tight circumstances in the fourth quarter and gets the most out of this rather odd mix of NBA talent.The other night, in Charlotte, the Raptors lost a game they should have won. That was on the coach at the end, on his supposed leaders at the beginning. The night before against Miami, he had a curious rotation in the fourth quarter of a surprisingly close game.This is a Raptors team forever in transition: Two years ago, Casey seemed to be a difference maker as a coach. Now, in the first year under GM Masai Ujiri, we're just not sure.WEST IS BESTThe NHL West is significantly better than the NHL East.The CFL West is always better, stronger, than the CFL East.The NBA West Cheap Hats is almost always deeper and more competitive than the NBA East.And while the NFL is rarely broken down geographically, the best teams in the league right now happen play in Seattle, Denver and San Francisco and Kansas City.Which begs the question: Why?What is it about West that trumps East? Or is this just a rare circumstance. In the CFL, it has been that way for 30 years. Best NHL hockey I ever watched was played between Edmonton and Calgary.So, geography majors, here's the Sunday quiz (with apologies to James Duthie). Anyone care to explain why this is?