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Winners and losers in the world of sport

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IT’S BEEN A GOOD WEEK FOR CAREY PRICE: People have been taking potshots at the Coyotes for a number of years, but the Canadiens’ netminder actually succeeded where Gary Bettman has failed, inflicting a mortal blow this week. That he killed one of the flesh-and-blood variety with a hunting rifle rather than the NHL’s lifeblood sucking variety is unfortunate, but as he said on Twitter, “Coyote hunting is a necessity on order (sic) to maintain population.”Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press

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IT’S BEEN A GOOD WEEK FOR TORONTO HOCKEY FANS: If only the NHL commissioner felt the same about his bloated, and currently defunct, leagueChristmas came one day late for fans of the national winter sport in the GTA on Wednesday. Not only did Canada get its world junior tournament off to a flying start in what is the first meaningful hockey of the season for many, but the Marlies faced off against the Hamilton Bulldogs at the Air Canada Centre in a matinee performance later in the day that allowed an AHL indoor record 18,800 fans to get their fix of jolly hockey sticks. Who says the centre of the universe only cares about its beloved Maple Leafs?Todd L. Spencer/The Associated Press

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IT’S BEEN A BAD WEEK FOR CHAD JOHNSON: Unemployed since being cut by the Miami Dolphins in training camp, the former NFL wideout is still happy to splash the cash, in this case dropping $8,000 (U.S.) on a pair of limited edition Marty McFly shoes from Back to the Future. Given that one rapper spent $37,500 on the same treads at a charity auction for the Michael J. Fox Foundation last year, they seem like a steal, but maybe Johnson should have spent a little more and bought the DeLorean, thereby allowing him to go back to a time when he was more relevant for catching touchdowns than promoting name changes.Evan Agostini/The Associated Press

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IT’S BEEN A BAD WEEK FOR SANTA CLAUSE: Saint Nick is a busy boy this time of year, but after filling all those carefully hung stockings and tending to the reindeer, he made time for himself, taking in the Chicago Bulls’ loss to the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day. But while he’s a dab hand at navigating his sleigh through the sky, he didn’t fare so well off a trampoline at halftime, face-planting the rim on an attempted dunk, which may not have been the best idea for someone who’d just pulled an all-nighter at work and was likely running on eggnog.Kaisa Siren/The Associated Press

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IT’S BEEN A BAD WEEK FOR ALEX RODRIGUEZ: Being injured can be tough on any athlete, even one that hauls in $29-million a year in salary alone. With the Yankees’ third baseman on the shelf with an injured hip that could keep him out until the All-Star Game, and Kevin Youkilis now signed as cover, A-Rod decided that now was a good time for some shameless self-promotion, posting a Facebook picture of himself piloting a boat in Florida with the caption, “They call me Captain Rodriguez.” We’re guessing Derek Jeter isn’t one of them.Mike Cassese/Reuters

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