Chelsea are waiting for Parma to change owners before launching the final attack on the Italian international. After failing to secure Shevchenko, Adriano and Eto`o, Roman Abramovich is preparing an offer which Parma will unlikely refuse: 51 million Euros for Alberto Gilardino. The English Premier League champions want a high-profile striker to partner Drogba in attack, and Gilardino is now the first candidate. However, Roman Abramovich first wants to wait for the Italian club to change ownership to the rumoured Swiss group before sending an official offer. Meanwhile Kakha Kaladze's proposed move to Chelsea appears to have fallen through as the Georgian international has agreed a new long-term contract keeping him at AC Milan. The news that 27-year-old Kaladze had signed was announced by Milan’s transfer supremo Ariedo Braida when he briefed journalists on arriving for a meeting of the Lega Calcio.



CHRIS SIMON 15 Team: CALGARY FLAMES Position : Left Wing : Height : 6' 3" Weight : 232 Shoots : Left Born : Jan 30, 1972 In : WAWA, ON, CAN Previous Teams : Ottawa 67s, Sault Ste.Marie Greyhounds, Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers.
Chris Simon was originally drafted 25th overall in the 1990 Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. On July 21, he was traded with a first-round draft pick to the Québec Nordiques to complete the June 30 trade that sent Eric Lindros to the Flyers. On March 4, 1993, he made his NHL debut against the Rangers. On March 20, he scored his first goal against the Devils' Craig Billington. He played 16 games that season and tallied 67 penalty minutes. In 1993-94, Chris scored eight points in 37 games. In the shortened 1994-95 campaign, Chris scored 12 points in 29 games as the team won the Northeast Division title. In 1995-96, he moved with the franchise to Colorado (now the Avalanche) and scored 34 points in 64 games as the team won the Pacific Division title. In the playoffs, he played 12 games as the Avalanche won both the Clarence Campbell Bowl and the Stanley Cup. On November 2, 1996, Chris was traded with Curtis Leschyshyn to the Washington Capitals for Keith Jones and a first-round draft pick. That season, Chris scored 22 points in 42 games. In 1997-98, Chris scored 17 points in 28 games. In the playoffs, he played 18 games as the team won the Southeast Division title before losing to the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup final. In 1998-99, Chris scored ten points in 23 games with the Capitals. In 1999-2000, Chris scored 29 goals and 49 points as the Capitals won the Southeast Division title. He took 201 shots and knocked 141 hits. In the playoffs, he scored two goals in four games. After missing the start of the 2000-01 season, Chris scored 20 points in 60 games and led the team to their second straight division title. In 2001-02, Chris played all 82 games and scored 31 points. He led the Capitals with 137 penalty minutes. The team, however, missed the playoffs. In 2002-03, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. After scoring two points in ten games with the Capitals, he scored 18 points in 61 games with the Blackhawks. Chris led the Blackhawks with 125 penalty minutes (his combined total was 148 penalty minutes). On January 30, Chris missed played in his 500th NHL game. The Blackhawks, however, missed the playoffs. On July 25, 2003, Chris signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers. After 65 games with the Rangers, he was traded on March 6 to the Calgary Flames for Jamie McLennan, Blair Betts, and Greg Moore. In 13 games down the stretch, he scored five points and recorded 25 penalty minutes. More importantly, he helped the Flames clinch a playoff berth for the first time in eight years. At year’s end, Chris ranked second in the league with 250 penalty minutes in 78 games. In the playoffs, Chris first helped the Flames knock off the Canucks, Red Wings and Sharks to win the Clarence Campbell Bowl. In 1999-2000, Simon led the Capitals with 29 goals.
Chris Simon was born on January 30, 1972 in Wawa, Ontario to an Ojibwa father, John, and a white Canadian mother, Linda. He is married. His wife's name is Valerie and at the time this was written they were expecting their first child together. He is the father of one son named Mitchell by a previous marriage. He's fond of fishing and hunting, especially moose hunting, and has expressed the desire to open just such a camp with him as a private guide upon his retirement from hockey. In fact during his turn with the Stanley Cup as a member of the 1995-96 Championship Team the Colorado Avalanche, he provided the Cup keeper with one of the nicest and most peaceful tales. Although, the Cup keeper described it as bizarre. Chris took the Cup along with his girlfriend and his grandfather out on a lake near home for a fishing trip. Chris intimated that he was quite proud of his time with the Stanley Cup. At age fourteen, Chris experienced a growth spurt that lasted until he was sixteen. During this time he made his first big venture into independence as well. He left his home in Wawa to play bantam hockey at a higher level in Sault Ste. Marie two and a half hours away. His later years in junior hockey brought him into trouble and plenty of it. He couldn't seem to handle being on his own or the responsibilities that come along with independence. He hung out in bars, drinking and fighting.
Chris' father was a recovering alcoholic who tried to persuade his son to quit drinking, but his advice went unheeded. It was not until late 1991-early 1992 that Chris' life began to change. Two incidents that occurred in a little over a week's time brought a dose of reality into Chris' life. With the help of his friends, coach, and Alcoholics Anonymous, Chris started the long, hard road to recovery. He was playing for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League at the time and was being coached by Ted Nolan. Chris gives his friend and former coach immense credit for helping him get his life and career back on track. Chris hasn't touched a drink since New Year's 1992. He has gained control and focus, and has used his experiences to approach Native youth. Although, Chris himself is uncomfortable with being called a role model, his story can be an example not only to Native youth, but to any child or teenager who deals with those pressures. He's proven that you can turn your life around and make it into something positive.





Babe of the week - BRIDGET MOYNAHAN

I saw the movie "The Core" starring Hilary Swank, Aaron Eckhart, Stanley Tucci & Bruce Greenwood. Plot: Geophysicist Dr. Josh Keyes (Eckhart) discovers that an unknown force has caused the earth's inner core to stop rotating. With the planet's magnetic field rapidly deteriorating, our atmosphere literally starts to come apart at the seams with catastrophic consequences. To resolve the crisis, Keyes, along with a team of the world's most gifted scientists, travel into the earth's core in a subterranean craft piloted by "terranauts," Major Rebecca Childs (Swank) and Colonel Robert Iverson (Greenwood). Their mission: detonate a device that will reactivate the core.

It's a good enough movie with some good special effects, especially of the doves smashing into buildings, cars, buses, people & into buildings which was so surreal. Also they have a good enough cast (although I was dissapointed that they killed off Bruce Greenwood so early on in the movie). But it is so predictable and you just know that Eckhart & Swank's characters are going to be the only ones that survive the mission. A child could have edited the ending. But I still liked the movie for the effects, which were understated and would have looked so cool in a theatre.



Song for the day - "Why" - WIDE MOUTH MASON