Soccer has been on quite a roll lately and it didn’t slow down at all with Monday’s Manchester derby. Last week sports fans got to watch Chelsea’s incredible ability to hold Barcelona while down to only 10 men after John Terry’s idiotic red card, and then the next day watching Bayern Munich and Real Madrid go back and forth, only to see the semifinal decided on penalties.

In Manchester, the game wasn’t as exciting as the result. The chances were few owing to some good defence although the lone goal did come thanks to some shoddy marking on Chris Smalling’s behalf.

Smalling’s inclusion in the lineup was thanks to a late injury to Jonny Evans, but the something’s-off managing from Sir Alex didn’t stop there. Instead of the red-hot Antonio Valencia starting on the wing, or even Ashley Young, Ji-Sung Park was afforded his first league start since January. In the back four, Phil Jones took over for usual starter Rafael – who did take part in United’s 4-4 draw with Everton.

It was interesting that Ferguson would dramatically change his lineup on such a big stage. Even his substitutions, like inserting Danny Welbeck instead of Chicarito, weren’t all that conventional.

The most riveting part of the game may have been a near altercation on the sidelines between Ferguson and Roberto Mancini. After Mancini hauled off Carlos Tevez for Nigel de Jong, the bowling ball of a midfielder proceeded to go in for a harsh slide tackle on Welbeck, a move that surprisingly didn’t injure the United forward. A lot of finger pointing and yelling went on – probably deserved since de Jong has a history of that sort of foul.

But, like I said, this wasn’t about the game, it was about the result. With their victory, Manchester City is now atop the Premier League by virtue of goal differential. United will have to either hope that City stumbles in the last two games of the campaign, or rack up a ridiculous goal differential in getting two wins.

United has a game at home against Swansea and then a visit to Sunderland on the last weekend. City has to travel to Newcastle – a really tough game – and then host QPR, a sure win.

Of course, anything can happen in English football. We could see either team lose any game or we could see a stunning final day.

Anything’s possible, after all, the English FA did just name West Brom’s Roy Hodgson as manager of the national team. This came only two days after Tottenham’s Harry Redknapp – the previous favourite for the job – led his team to a victory and shed his awful losing ways.

Stranger things have happened in English football.

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One of the sticking points of the new NFL collective bargaining agreement — signed last summer, after the 2011 NFL draft — was that a rookie salary cap system was implemented. A side effect of that deal was quite noticeable at Thursday night’s draft: There were a ton of trades!

Out of the top ten selections, only four teams actually selected where they were drawn. The No. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 picks weren’t made by the original team that held it. Now that’s excitement.

Before the draft even started we saw the Redskins move up to No. 2 (weeks ago) and the Browns move up one slot to No. 3  less than an hour before the first pick.

But why did this all happen? Because teams are no longer affraid of being married to draft picks that will tie up their salary caps or even hold them hostage during initial negotiations. What leverage does a draftee have when he’s set to make a certain amount of money due to whatever slot he’s drafted in?

And without in-exorbitant bonuses to paid and record deals every season, teams can actually enjoy high picks without being screwed too much if they bust.

There’s more value for those picks now and more incentive to try to trade up for the guy you want. That’s what we saw last night and I hope that’s what we’ll continue to see in years to come.

Because, after all, that’s entertainment and entertainment’s the business the NFL is in.

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You might remember that amongst the end-of-season quotes from Brian Burke, the ones that apologized for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ performance this season, he slipped in a doozy that should really be examined more closely now. It went something like this:

“I don’t want to sneak into the playoffs in eighth place and then get smoked in the first round.”

So, what exactly has happened in the first round of the current playoffs? Well one No. 8 seed has already advanced, beating the Presidents’ Trophy award-winning Vancouver Canucks. The eighth seed in the East, the Ottawa Senators, are also one win away from advancing.

Does that sound like sneaking in and going out quietly and quickly?

The NHL playoffs are unlike those in any other sport. All it takes is a hot goalie, a lucky bounce or two or a single opportune call and any team can win. Upsets happen every year yet people are suckered into loading up on top seed players in their playoff pools. How those Canucks and Penguins working out for you now, Kurt Larson?

As long as you have a ticket to the show, you have a chance to win it all, Burkie. Do you even watch the playoffs during the spring, or are you too busy working on your golf swing already?

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