No sport is as bloody as this

There are those who criticize mixed martial arts as being a sport meant for blood-thirsty ruffians who revel in a primal delight from watching someone else get their head kicked in. However, there's no sport more bloody than politics during an election campaign, where the participants arrive with their game faces on, primed for battle.
We talked sports with the three main contenders in Central Nova: Louise Lorifice, Peter MacKay and Elizabeth May (in alphabetical order). I know there are a couple of fringe candidates, but like the TV?networks, sometimes I leave candidates out. Maybe that is unfair, but who said life was fair?
Who do you think will win the Stanley Cup next spring?
LL: "My father is a big Montreal Canadiens fan, so I think I'd say Montreal."
EM: "I think it'll be the Montreal Canadiens."
PM: "I would have to stick with Detroit, my team. I tend to stick with my team through thick and thin."
Gee, I wonder what he meant by that?

Who are you rooting for in the baseball playoffs? And do you think the Blue Jays should fire embattled general manager J.P. Ricciardi?
LL: Weezy doesn't follow baseball, but she jumped on the second question like Reggie Jackson on a belt-high fastball. "Oh, change is good. When you don't do the job, it's always time for a change."
Gee, I wonder what she meant by that?
EM: Liz loves the Red Sox, but is a little ambivalent about firing Ricciardi. "I'm such a softy on that. If someone's not performing, I try to get them in the right job."
On a related matter, she did say that she doesn't want to see Pete out of the game per se, "I just want him on the bench for awhile. Peter's not the problem,?Harper's the problem." (editor's note:?she meant Stephen)
PM: Pete is a Yankees fan, so he's rooting for "whoever is playing Boston." (Editor's note: same here). He also believes Ricciardi deserves at least one more season to right the ship.

If you could play a professional sport, what would it be?
LL: "Soccer. It's such a great physical activity. My daughter Julia played at St. F.X."
EM: "Baseball is a sport about talent and athleticism. It requires all kinds of skills to make up a great team."
PM: "Rugby. My second choice would be baseball. I'd love to stand on the mound at Yankee Stadium in Game 7 of the World Series."

What athlete do you admire most, and why?
LL: "I really like (Canadian golfer) Mike Weir. There's something very comforting about him. He's not full of himself or pretentious, he seems to have a really nice manner about him."
EM: "Steve Nash. He was brave to wear a "Stop the War in Iraq" T-shirt in Texas. He's a nice, sweet Canadian kid."
PM: "Wayne Gretzky has been a hero of mine since I was a kid. He's a great ambassador for the game, for our country."

Do you think former football star turned murderer turned robber/kidnapper O.J. Simpson finally got what he deserved, now that he'll likely go to prison for at least a few years?
LL: "When he was found not guilty (in the infamous 1995 murder trial), I thought a mistake had been made, so I'd say it's probably about time."
EM: "He's a long way from getting what he deserves. He should be in jail for the rest of his life."
PM: "There's no doubt in my mind," Pete said. Of the 1995 murder trial, Pete said O.J. "was guilty. As sin." (Editor's note: same here)

Kevin Adshade is sports editor with The News