By Rob Ficiur
This week the NHL celebrated its annual All Star week.  While some fans are ho-hum about the weekend’s festivities – Ottawa fans sold out the events – so it must be a hit in the hosting city.
As happens with most sports, fans voted in the starting line ups for the game.  In that same spirit, here are my selections for the All Stars and No Stars from around the sporting world.
1.  No Star – Alex Ovechkin was selected to be in the All Star Game.  He turned down the invitation because he is serving a three game suspension.  Is that his backwards way of saying “NHL is you are going to suspend me, I am going to punish you by not coming to your all star weekend.”  As a repeat offender Ovechkin was suspended by the  NHL say he should.  Alexander the Great has the talent to be the best player in the league,  but self centeredness will leave his career far short of what it could have been.
2.  All Star – Brendan Shanahan is an NHL Hall of Famer for his play on this ice.  Now in his retirement years, Sheriff Shanahan is the new NHL disciplinarian.  This year he gets an all star vote for his work at handing out justice (suspensions) for on ice infraction.  With each suspension, or lack of such, he puts out video explaining the reasons for his actions.   We have seen two significant changes since Sheriff Shanahan came on the scene.  First, the amount of games for suspensions has increased.  Even star players (see Alex Ovechkin above) are not above being suspended.  Repeat offenders seem to be getting longer sentences.  Second, agree or disagree, at least fans, players and others have an idea of why Shanahan is ruling as he does.
3.  No Star – Tim Thomas – When the Boston Bruins went to the White House to celebrate their Stanley Cup triumph, Thomas boycotted the meeting as a protest to President Obama’s policies. At first one might applaud a citizen for speaking his mind and taking a form of political action against what he sees is an incorrect policy.  However, Thomas’ political protest put his team mates on the defensive.  Instead of celebrating (again) their hard earned win, they are having to explain why their team mate is not there.  Tim Thomas is welcome to argue his political points all he wants, but his choice of time and place focused on Tim Thomas and his team mates, not on the issues at hand  (It is also easy to complain about big government and how they have mismanaged the economy… does he have informed ideas of how to do it differently?
4.  During Hockey Season there are Two CFL All Stars this week  - Henry Burris and Joffry Reynolds -  This week the Calgary Stampeders released Joffry Reynolds, their all time leading rusher.  Last month the team traded away long time quarter back Henry Burris.  Reynolds, who played 8 years in Calgary, rushed for 9213 yards as the team’s running back.  In 2011 the Stampeders began to transition John Cornish as the team’s running back.  Reynolds would play two series and Cornish would be in the third one.  In 2012 as the Stampeders continued Cornish into the role as starting running back, Reynolds saw less time on the field.  Henry Burris the 35 year old is the seventh leading passer in CFL history (41,234 yards).  Burris, who led the Stamps to the 2008 Grey Cup Championship was replaced by rookie Drew Tate by the end of the 2011 season.  Neither Burris or Reynolds complained to the media about their playing time.  They leave Calgary with a Grey Cup ring, great memories and well wishes from Stamps fans. 
In an ideal sporting world all athletes would leave Calgary with the dignity and respect that Reynolds and Burris have left Calgary.