IS THAT A LONG PUTTER, OR ARE YOU JUST HAPPY TO SEE ME?
" Drive for show, but putt for dough". South African golfer Bobby Locke.
The long putter is going the way of the dodo bird. So too is the belly putter and any other golf club that uses an anchor such as the chest or chin, to stabilize one's stroke. Tiger Woods says that long putters "violate the spirit of the game". Of course, Tiger uses a standard putter, one that utilizes an arm and shoulder stroke that has been used since the beginning of time. Arnold Palmer is also critical of any putter that uses an anchor. But let's face it, 3 out of 4 Major champions recommend the long putter. Keegan Bradley won the 2011 PGA championship with a belly putter. Webb Simpson won the 2012 U.S. Open with a belly putter. Ernie Els won this year's British Open with a belly putter, and Adam Scott nearly won it with a long putter. I have to tell you though, they look goofy. They look more like pushbrooms than putters. I don't use one, and none of my friends do either. They just don't look right. I happen to agree with the USGA and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club who want to ban the "anchored putter". The putter should be the shortest club in your bag, and you should have to stroke the ball with your arms and shoulders, holding the putter instead of being able to secure the butt of the club to a part of your body. If you own one of these freaky clubs, you'll have until January 2016 before the ban takes effect.
Today is the first day of Q School. It's 172 golfers trying to win one of 25 spots on the PGA tour. It's 6 straight days of scphincter shrinking, breath holding, anxiety ridden golf where one missed putt, one hooked drive can mean the difference between teeing it up with the big boys, or playing in golf's minor leagues. The survivors must play 108 holes, so pacing yourself is essential. You can't get too high or too low. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Adam Hadwin and Brad Fritsch are two of 7 Canadians in the field. So too are such luminaries as Billy Mayfair, Nick O'Hern, Camilo Villegas and Major winners Shaun Micheel ('03 PGA) and Todd Hamilton (('05 British Open). If you want to read the absolute best book about Q School, I urge you to check out John Feinstein's "A Good Walk Spoiled". Fabulous read.
The Toronto Raptors fell to 3-12 on the season. That's the second worst record in the entire NBA. Only Washington, which is on pace to go 0-82 this year, are worse (0-12). When the Raps acquired Kyle Lowry from Houston, they didn't think the draft pick they sent to the Rockets in return would be a lottery pick. Guess what? It's going to be a lottery pick, and a pretty good one too, as the 2013 draft looks very, very strong. Let's face it, the Raptors are a mess. Oh sure, JV is going to be a fine center in a couple of years, and Lowry looks like a keeper at the point guard spot. Other than that, not much. Demar DeRozan is frustrating to watch. Is he a cut and slasher? No, he loses the ball too often when driving to the hoop. Is he a jump shooter? No. Doesn't have the range to shoot threes. Can he play tough defense? Not really. And I could write a book about Andrea Bargnani's disappearing act this year. Even though he scored 21 points last night, he had none in the final 22 minutes of play. The other day he was an abysmal 2 for 19. He also turns the ball over at crucial times in the game. And you know what? I've never seen Bargnani hit a game winning shot. Ever. Dwane Casey is in love with this guy, yet Bargs never rewards the head coach for his loyalty. The Raptors are 3-12 with a very tough road trip out West coming up next week. How much longer do Raps fans have to endure this? Try the rest of the season.
Finally, the NHL lockout is causing more and more casualties. Over at Rogers Sportsnet, seven behind-the-scenes people were let go. Why? No hockey games to produce. The Minnesota Wild announced that their employees will take a 20% pay cut if the lockout lasts into January. The Wild already cut anyone making 70K or more by 30-35% and that was back in September. It's only a matter of time before every NHL team streamlines their operation to the nth degree. It's only a matter of time before sponsors and fans find something else to latch on to. Even a federal mediator won't help. There is too much animosity on both sides. They're going to have to kill each other while fighting over the goose that laid the golden egg. But that goose is cooked. I'm afraid to say, the season is lost. Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Tuesday, 27 November 2012
(NOT) EVERYBODY LOVES A PARADE.
I don't know what the official attendance was for today's Argonaut Grey Cup parade, but it was nowhere close to the throng that attended the 1983 Grey Cup parade. Back in those days, the Maple Leafs were a terrible squad and had been for a few years (sound familiar?) The Bluejays were just getting good, but wouldn't win a title for another couple of seasons. The Raptors were still a decade away from being conceived. But the Argos were a force. From a 2-14 record in 1981 to an Eastern Conference title in '82 to the Grey Cup in '83, the Argos were hugely popular. Guys like Condredge Holloway, Cedric Minter, Paul Pearson, Jan Carinci, Dan Ferrone, Don Moen and Joe Barnes were easily identifiable on Toronto streets (or in the bars) And so it was that the 1983 Grey Cup parade was, in a word, terrifying.
29 years ago today, an estimated 60 thousand fans showed up along the parade route to cheer the Argos on. I was covering the event for CKEY radio, and was driving the station vehicle with Jim (Shaky) Hunt riding shotgun. We were part of the procession with the players and coaches, who were riding in vintage convertibles along the parade route. As the parade began, Hunt noticed a lonely soul, wearing a snazzy sheepskin coat, standing on the curb. It was Argo coach Bob OBillovich. "Hey Obie", yelled Hunt as he rolled down the window "You need a ride?" And so it was that I got to drive the Grey Cup winning coach and one of the greatest sports journalists ever into a war zone. You see, the Argos hadn't won the Grey Cup since 1952, and the fans hadn't seen a parade of any kind since the Leafs won in 1967, so they were up for just about anything. The CKEY car was an ugly, multi-coloured Plymouth Reliant. Inside was a smart-mouth talk show host (me), a controversial, outspoken personality (Hunt) and the greatest coach Toronto had ever seen since the days of Punch Imlach (Sorry Leo). When the fans, many of whom were drunk, stoned or both, saw the car and the inhabitants, they went wild. A bunch of them started banging on the hood of the car and then began rocking the car back and forth. "Arrrrrrrrgos" they chanted. We thought we were going to get tipped over. OBillovich, realizing that he might not make it to Nathan Philips Square in one piece, unlocked the back door, said "I'm outta here" and took his chances among the great unwashed. Hunt and I were "on the air" using the car's two way radio to describe the scene to the listeners, while at the same time begging for help. In my panic-striken mind, I thought that blowing the horn might quell the mob. It only made it worse. I can still feel the car almost tipping over on it's side as Hunt yelled something like "Hebscher, get us out of here". Remember, this was being broadcast live on the air. Up ahead, we saw other Argo "fans" trying to tip over the car that Carl Brazely was sitting in. It was a madhouse. While our car was still on all four wheels, Hunt opened the passenger door and literally jumped out of the car and into the crowd. He would be safer there. I continued along in the company car, which by now had dents, dings, a cracked winshield and wobbly shock absorbers to boot. My two passengers had disembarked into a sea of blue humanity. I continued to report on what I saw as Mounted police had to make their way through the crowd to settle everybody down. It was a celebration for the ages. 31 years of futility gone and forgotten.
I managed to escape with my life that day, and with a story to tell. How I survived the 1983 Grey Cup Parade.
Nice job by CP 24s George Lagogianes today covering the parade with a microphone and a cameraman in tow. Had George been there that day in 1983, reporting live, he likely wouldn't have had as cooperative a crowd as we had 29 years ago. Besides, the Argos had nobody like Adriano Belli, the Kissing Bandit, on that team. If any Argo player tried to kiss another one back then, he would've gotten a punch in the head and a kick in the nuts.
The traditional "bet" between rival Grey Cup mayors took an interesting twist when Toronto mayor Rob Ford was kicked out of office because he violated the city's conflict of interest rules. The deal was, the loser had to donate his weight in food for the Daily Bread Food bank AND wear the winner's jersey in council. . Naheed Sendi donated $650 to the cause and wore an Argo jersey at Calgary City Hall today. But what would've happened had the Stampeders won and Ford wasn't around to pay off the bet? Who would've worn a Stampeders jersey in his place? His brother? Dalton McGuinty?
By the way, a fabulous tweet yesterday from funny man Rick Mercer, who asked "Is it true? Rob Ford is the new governor of the Bank of Canada?" Really, when you think about it, what's happened to the leadership in this country? Mark Carney resigns from the Bank of Canada to take a post in England. Dalton McGuinty resigns as the province's Premier and prorogues Parliament. Rob Ford refuses to acknowledge his transgressions and gets yanked out of the mayor's office. What's next?
A great question was posed today: "Which Justin will be more popular in 10 years, Bieber or Trudeau?" Discuss amongst yourselves. I'm thinking Bieber, who will be 28 and likely still one of the hottest performers on the planet. Trudeau will be 51 and, hopefully for Liberal supporters, the Prime Minister of Canada. Imagine the possibilities. Do you think when the two Justin's get together in the Prime Ministers Office in 2112, Mr. Bieber will be wearing overalls?
I see that the Bluejays made some news today. Closer Casey Janssen had shoulder surgery (try saying that five times real fast), and he joins just about every other Jays pitcher who had some work done this year (Sergio Santos, Kyle Drabek, Dustin McGowan, Brandon Morrow, Ricky Romero, etc.). Let's hope Casey is good to go in the spring. If so, the Jays pitching staff will be much improved, and perhaps the best in the league. The Jays coaching staff is now complete as well, with Chad Mottola, Luis Rivera and Demarlo Hale join John Gibbons' staff. Pete Walker is the new pitching coach and Dwayne Murphy goes from hitting coach to first base coach with an eye on the outfielders. Mottola is the new hitting coach. Hale is the bench coach and Rivera is the 3rd base coach and will also tutor the infielders. I can't ever remember spending this much time discussing baseball coaches, but their roles have evolved over the years. Does anybody remember the four Bluejay coaches in their first season, 1977? They were: Harry Warner, Jackie Moore, Bob Miller and Don Leppert. The manager was Roy Hartsfield. The team finished 54-107. Oh how times have changed.
I don't know what the official attendance was for today's Argonaut Grey Cup parade, but it was nowhere close to the throng that attended the 1983 Grey Cup parade. Back in those days, the Maple Leafs were a terrible squad and had been for a few years (sound familiar?) The Bluejays were just getting good, but wouldn't win a title for another couple of seasons. The Raptors were still a decade away from being conceived. But the Argos were a force. From a 2-14 record in 1981 to an Eastern Conference title in '82 to the Grey Cup in '83, the Argos were hugely popular. Guys like Condredge Holloway, Cedric Minter, Paul Pearson, Jan Carinci, Dan Ferrone, Don Moen and Joe Barnes were easily identifiable on Toronto streets (or in the bars) And so it was that the 1983 Grey Cup parade was, in a word, terrifying.
29 years ago today, an estimated 60 thousand fans showed up along the parade route to cheer the Argos on. I was covering the event for CKEY radio, and was driving the station vehicle with Jim (Shaky) Hunt riding shotgun. We were part of the procession with the players and coaches, who were riding in vintage convertibles along the parade route. As the parade began, Hunt noticed a lonely soul, wearing a snazzy sheepskin coat, standing on the curb. It was Argo coach Bob OBillovich. "Hey Obie", yelled Hunt as he rolled down the window "You need a ride?" And so it was that I got to drive the Grey Cup winning coach and one of the greatest sports journalists ever into a war zone. You see, the Argos hadn't won the Grey Cup since 1952, and the fans hadn't seen a parade of any kind since the Leafs won in 1967, so they were up for just about anything. The CKEY car was an ugly, multi-coloured Plymouth Reliant. Inside was a smart-mouth talk show host (me), a controversial, outspoken personality (Hunt) and the greatest coach Toronto had ever seen since the days of Punch Imlach (Sorry Leo). When the fans, many of whom were drunk, stoned or both, saw the car and the inhabitants, they went wild. A bunch of them started banging on the hood of the car and then began rocking the car back and forth. "Arrrrrrrrgos" they chanted. We thought we were going to get tipped over. OBillovich, realizing that he might not make it to Nathan Philips Square in one piece, unlocked the back door, said "I'm outta here" and took his chances among the great unwashed. Hunt and I were "on the air" using the car's two way radio to describe the scene to the listeners, while at the same time begging for help. In my panic-striken mind, I thought that blowing the horn might quell the mob. It only made it worse. I can still feel the car almost tipping over on it's side as Hunt yelled something like "Hebscher, get us out of here". Remember, this was being broadcast live on the air. Up ahead, we saw other Argo "fans" trying to tip over the car that Carl Brazely was sitting in. It was a madhouse. While our car was still on all four wheels, Hunt opened the passenger door and literally jumped out of the car and into the crowd. He would be safer there. I continued along in the company car, which by now had dents, dings, a cracked winshield and wobbly shock absorbers to boot. My two passengers had disembarked into a sea of blue humanity. I continued to report on what I saw as Mounted police had to make their way through the crowd to settle everybody down. It was a celebration for the ages. 31 years of futility gone and forgotten.
I managed to escape with my life that day, and with a story to tell. How I survived the 1983 Grey Cup Parade.
Nice job by CP 24s George Lagogianes today covering the parade with a microphone and a cameraman in tow. Had George been there that day in 1983, reporting live, he likely wouldn't have had as cooperative a crowd as we had 29 years ago. Besides, the Argos had nobody like Adriano Belli, the Kissing Bandit, on that team. If any Argo player tried to kiss another one back then, he would've gotten a punch in the head and a kick in the nuts.
The traditional "bet" between rival Grey Cup mayors took an interesting twist when Toronto mayor Rob Ford was kicked out of office because he violated the city's conflict of interest rules. The deal was, the loser had to donate his weight in food for the Daily Bread Food bank AND wear the winner's jersey in council. . Naheed Sendi donated $650 to the cause and wore an Argo jersey at Calgary City Hall today. But what would've happened had the Stampeders won and Ford wasn't around to pay off the bet? Who would've worn a Stampeders jersey in his place? His brother? Dalton McGuinty?
By the way, a fabulous tweet yesterday from funny man Rick Mercer, who asked "Is it true? Rob Ford is the new governor of the Bank of Canada?" Really, when you think about it, what's happened to the leadership in this country? Mark Carney resigns from the Bank of Canada to take a post in England. Dalton McGuinty resigns as the province's Premier and prorogues Parliament. Rob Ford refuses to acknowledge his transgressions and gets yanked out of the mayor's office. What's next?
A great question was posed today: "Which Justin will be more popular in 10 years, Bieber or Trudeau?" Discuss amongst yourselves. I'm thinking Bieber, who will be 28 and likely still one of the hottest performers on the planet. Trudeau will be 51 and, hopefully for Liberal supporters, the Prime Minister of Canada. Imagine the possibilities. Do you think when the two Justin's get together in the Prime Ministers Office in 2112, Mr. Bieber will be wearing overalls?
I see that the Bluejays made some news today. Closer Casey Janssen had shoulder surgery (try saying that five times real fast), and he joins just about every other Jays pitcher who had some work done this year (Sergio Santos, Kyle Drabek, Dustin McGowan, Brandon Morrow, Ricky Romero, etc.). Let's hope Casey is good to go in the spring. If so, the Jays pitching staff will be much improved, and perhaps the best in the league. The Jays coaching staff is now complete as well, with Chad Mottola, Luis Rivera and Demarlo Hale join John Gibbons' staff. Pete Walker is the new pitching coach and Dwayne Murphy goes from hitting coach to first base coach with an eye on the outfielders. Mottola is the new hitting coach. Hale is the bench coach and Rivera is the 3rd base coach and will also tutor the infielders. I can't ever remember spending this much time discussing baseball coaches, but their roles have evolved over the years. Does anybody remember the four Bluejay coaches in their first season, 1977? They were: Harry Warner, Jackie Moore, Bob Miller and Don Leppert. The manager was Roy Hartsfield. The team finished 54-107. Oh how times have changed.
Monday, 26 November 2012
WHEN THE HALFTIME SHOW ECLIPSES THE GAME ITSELF.
Nobody was talking about Chad Kakert or Ricky Foley or Ricky Ray or Scott Milanovich or the rest of the Toronto Argonauts and their Grey Cup victory over Calgary. Instead, all the talk surrounded Justin Bieber, Gordon Lightfoot, Carly Ray Jepson and Marianna's Trench. Yes, the Halftime show at the Grey Cup was roundly criticized by some as a hodgepodge of Canadian talent that underwhelmed the viewing audience, causing some louts to even boo Mr. Bieber in his home province. Perhaps it's because he's a multi-millionaire 18 year old pop star. Maybe it's the get-up he wore to greet Prime Minister Stephen Harper that had people booing his lack of respect for the Office of the Prime Minister.(See photo)
http://cdn.popdust.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/JustinBieberOverallsCanadaPrimeMinisterInstagram.jpg
The idea of booing one's own is nothing new to Canadians. Bobby Orr, from Parry Sound Ontario, would be lustily booed every time he touched the puck at Maple Leaf Gardens. Of course, he played for the hated Boston Bruins at the time. Larry Murphy, a Leaf defenseman back in the mid 90s, was blamed for Toronto's woes and could not escape the boo-birds at the Gardens, of which there were many. Murphy ended up in the Hockey Hall of Fame, alongside Orr and Phil Esposito, who was booed along with the rest of Team Canada '72 as they exited the ice following a loss to the Russians in Vancouver. Even the Argonauts of old would be poorly treated by their fans if they failed to live up to expectations (which was often).
I can only imagine what the rest of the world thinks of Canadians after they booed Bieber. I can tell you this much: Had "The Beebs" been playing halftime at the Super Bowl, nobody would dare boo him. It's all about respect, and more than a few Canadians showed very little towards the kid from Stratford Ontario.
If you were to ask me to list my 12 favorite Gordon Lightfoot songs, and then choose one that I'd want him to play at halftime, "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" would not be on that list. I would've gone with any of these:
Sundown
If You Could Read My Mind
For Lovin' Me
Carefree Highway
Alberta Bound
Early Morning Rain
Go Go Round
Cotton Jenny
Rainy Day People
Beautiful
Summer Side of Life
Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
I wonder if they gave Lightfoot his choice of songs, or they told him they wanted "Trilogy" because of it' significance in Canadian history. Whatever the reason, he looked miscast, lonely and offered no stage presence whatsoever. Massey Hall it was not. In fact, the entire halftime show lacked any pace or flow.
As for the game, same thing. Good on the Argos for winning, but when the Stamps offense consists of a weak-armed Kevin Glenn and Jon Cornish trying to run into a D Line that knows what's coming, there's not much hope. Calgary coach John Hufnagel called for an end-around with the Stamps on the Argo three yard line. He also ran Cornish on first down just about every time, until it was obvious the Argos had it figured out. As a result, the game didn't have the excitement I had hoped for. The Argos had it well in hand by halftime, and I was flipping back and forth between that game and the New Orleans-San Francisco NFL game, which was a lot more exciting.
Next year, the CFL should poll it's fans many months ahead of the Grey Cup. As this question: Which act would you like to see at the Grey Cup? Give 8 or 10 options and let the fans decide. If the top acts are already spoken for (and if poll the fans well in advance, you can "book" the act before they get booked on tour) then you've got options and you can say you were actually listening to your fans. I understand that acts like the Tragically Hip, BTO, Nickelback and others are well-worn and overexposed at these events, but hey, if that's what the fans want, give it to them. I'm not sure the fans wanted Justin Bieber this year.
On Friday night, the McMaster Marauders were no match for the Laval Rouge et Or at the Vanier Cup. Mac was beset by injuries and Laval was bent on revenge after losing last year's Vanier Cup to Mac. Besides, while McMaster really WANTED to win their second title in a row, Laval HAD to win. They had circled the date on their calender back in the summer, and they were determined to make up for last year's loss. They did that, in spades.
Prior to the Grey Cup, downtown Toronto was busy as 19 thousand fans showed up to see the Raptors find yet ANOTHER way to lose a ballgame. This time it was coach Dwane Casey's stubborn refusal to bench Andrea Bargnani, despite one of the worst shooting performances I have ever seen by a pro. He went 2 for 19 from the floor, yet Casey kept him out there in both overtimes against San Antonio. He had two open looks in the OT periods, and clanged both of them. Not since Utah's Thurl Bailey in 1986, has a player taken that many shots and scored less than 5 points. So, what do you do with Bargnani? I mean, Ed Davis was on the bench with 15 points and 14 rebounds while Bargnani was on the floor shooting 1 for 15 at the time. No wonder the Raptors lose so often. How much longer can they keep putting the big Roman on the floor? Not much.
Kudos to Rory McIlroy, who destroyed an elite field at the Dubai World Championships. McIlroy reeled off five straight birdies on the back nine and won going away. I can hardly wait to see him and Tiger Woods battle next April at Augusta. Tiger wasn't in the field at Dubai, but he would've had to have played some awesome golf to match McIlroy who shot 66-67-66-66 to win by two over Justin Rose, who fired a final round 62 to make it somewhat close. McIlroy has now won 5 tournaments in 2012, and is a lock cinch to win Player of the Year honours. He will be the man to beat EVERY week in 2013.
Nobody was talking about Chad Kakert or Ricky Foley or Ricky Ray or Scott Milanovich or the rest of the Toronto Argonauts and their Grey Cup victory over Calgary. Instead, all the talk surrounded Justin Bieber, Gordon Lightfoot, Carly Ray Jepson and Marianna's Trench. Yes, the Halftime show at the Grey Cup was roundly criticized by some as a hodgepodge of Canadian talent that underwhelmed the viewing audience, causing some louts to even boo Mr. Bieber in his home province. Perhaps it's because he's a multi-millionaire 18 year old pop star. Maybe it's the get-up he wore to greet Prime Minister Stephen Harper that had people booing his lack of respect for the Office of the Prime Minister.(See photo)
http://cdn.popdust.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/JustinBieberOverallsCanadaPrimeMinisterInstagram.jpg
The idea of booing one's own is nothing new to Canadians. Bobby Orr, from Parry Sound Ontario, would be lustily booed every time he touched the puck at Maple Leaf Gardens. Of course, he played for the hated Boston Bruins at the time. Larry Murphy, a Leaf defenseman back in the mid 90s, was blamed for Toronto's woes and could not escape the boo-birds at the Gardens, of which there were many. Murphy ended up in the Hockey Hall of Fame, alongside Orr and Phil Esposito, who was booed along with the rest of Team Canada '72 as they exited the ice following a loss to the Russians in Vancouver. Even the Argonauts of old would be poorly treated by their fans if they failed to live up to expectations (which was often).
I can only imagine what the rest of the world thinks of Canadians after they booed Bieber. I can tell you this much: Had "The Beebs" been playing halftime at the Super Bowl, nobody would dare boo him. It's all about respect, and more than a few Canadians showed very little towards the kid from Stratford Ontario.
If you were to ask me to list my 12 favorite Gordon Lightfoot songs, and then choose one that I'd want him to play at halftime, "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" would not be on that list. I would've gone with any of these:
Sundown
If You Could Read My Mind
For Lovin' Me
Carefree Highway
Alberta Bound
Early Morning Rain
Go Go Round
Cotton Jenny
Rainy Day People
Beautiful
Summer Side of Life
Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
I wonder if they gave Lightfoot his choice of songs, or they told him they wanted "Trilogy" because of it' significance in Canadian history. Whatever the reason, he looked miscast, lonely and offered no stage presence whatsoever. Massey Hall it was not. In fact, the entire halftime show lacked any pace or flow.
As for the game, same thing. Good on the Argos for winning, but when the Stamps offense consists of a weak-armed Kevin Glenn and Jon Cornish trying to run into a D Line that knows what's coming, there's not much hope. Calgary coach John Hufnagel called for an end-around with the Stamps on the Argo three yard line. He also ran Cornish on first down just about every time, until it was obvious the Argos had it figured out. As a result, the game didn't have the excitement I had hoped for. The Argos had it well in hand by halftime, and I was flipping back and forth between that game and the New Orleans-San Francisco NFL game, which was a lot more exciting.
Next year, the CFL should poll it's fans many months ahead of the Grey Cup. As this question: Which act would you like to see at the Grey Cup? Give 8 or 10 options and let the fans decide. If the top acts are already spoken for (and if poll the fans well in advance, you can "book" the act before they get booked on tour) then you've got options and you can say you were actually listening to your fans. I understand that acts like the Tragically Hip, BTO, Nickelback and others are well-worn and overexposed at these events, but hey, if that's what the fans want, give it to them. I'm not sure the fans wanted Justin Bieber this year.
On Friday night, the McMaster Marauders were no match for the Laval Rouge et Or at the Vanier Cup. Mac was beset by injuries and Laval was bent on revenge after losing last year's Vanier Cup to Mac. Besides, while McMaster really WANTED to win their second title in a row, Laval HAD to win. They had circled the date on their calender back in the summer, and they were determined to make up for last year's loss. They did that, in spades.
Prior to the Grey Cup, downtown Toronto was busy as 19 thousand fans showed up to see the Raptors find yet ANOTHER way to lose a ballgame. This time it was coach Dwane Casey's stubborn refusal to bench Andrea Bargnani, despite one of the worst shooting performances I have ever seen by a pro. He went 2 for 19 from the floor, yet Casey kept him out there in both overtimes against San Antonio. He had two open looks in the OT periods, and clanged both of them. Not since Utah's Thurl Bailey in 1986, has a player taken that many shots and scored less than 5 points. So, what do you do with Bargnani? I mean, Ed Davis was on the bench with 15 points and 14 rebounds while Bargnani was on the floor shooting 1 for 15 at the time. No wonder the Raptors lose so often. How much longer can they keep putting the big Roman on the floor? Not much.
Kudos to Rory McIlroy, who destroyed an elite field at the Dubai World Championships. McIlroy reeled off five straight birdies on the back nine and won going away. I can hardly wait to see him and Tiger Woods battle next April at Augusta. Tiger wasn't in the field at Dubai, but he would've had to have played some awesome golf to match McIlroy who shot 66-67-66-66 to win by two over Justin Rose, who fired a final round 62 to make it somewhat close. McIlroy has now won 5 tournaments in 2012, and is a lock cinch to win Player of the Year honours. He will be the man to beat EVERY week in 2013.
Friday, 23 November 2012
BLACK FRIDAY AND THE LIVIN' IS EASY.
My blog yesterday certainly got a few backs up. Just the mere suggestion that I like the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday over the Canadian one six weeks earlier elicited some negative feedback on Facebook, Twitter and here right here in the comments section. Reader Scott Robbins, a passionate Canadian and former classmate at college (when I actually went to class) , actually took me to task on his Facebook page. Here is an excerpt.
"I'll take (our) Canadian Thanksgiving hands down, every time. Canadian Thanksgiving, as we must remind, year after year, has nothing to do with Pilgrims (there were none in Canada) and breaking bread with the Indians (myth generally considered to be a light white-wash to gloss over the truth of mass genocide) and it certainly has nothing to do with a Macy's Parade or Football or 50% off at Target or getting up at 5am to line up outside stores to kick off a staged, frenzied early start to a Christmas shopping season."
OK Scott, I get it. But you have to admit that for football fans, it's a great day, even without the turkey. The first two NFL games yesterday were fantastic. The Detroit Lions showed us that there is, incredibly, ANOTHER way to lose a football game. Have your coach throw a challenge flag on a play that was going to be reviewed and go in your favour anyway. Then find out that the rules are: If you throw a challenge flag on a reviewable play, the play will NOT be reviewed and you will lose your challenge because you're stupid and you don't know the rules. Thanks a lot Jim Schwartz. The Lions lost in OT to the Houston Texans. Oh yes, Schwartz also elected to kick a 47 yard field goal (off the upright) on 3rd down and 11, rather than try a pass or a run that might've gained a few more yards and led to the winning field goal. By the way, for those who are interested, Schwartz is NOT Jewish. Sid Gillman and Marv Levy have nothing to fear.
In the second game of the day, the Washington Redskins beat Dallas in a very entertaining contest. RG3, the Heisman Trophy winner and QB for the Skins is a wonderfully talented player who keeps you on the edge of your seat. He threw 4 touchdown passes. Dallas QB Tony Romo is a wonderfully talented player who used to date Jessica Simpson, and now plays for a bad team with a bad coach and an owner, Jerry Jones, who wants to be the GM and the Director of Player Personnel. Despite a career high 441 yards passing, Romo and his Cowboys lost 38-31.
The third game was a laugher. The New York Jets, mired in controversy ever since they signed backup QB Tim Tebow, were humiliated by the New England Patriots 49-19 at home. The Pats became one of just a handful of teams to score 100+ points over two straight games. They put up 59 the week before. Tom Brady is just having fun out there. Not so for the Jets, who are about to implode. They even found out that Tebow has broken ribs, and couldn't have played if he wanted to. Word has it that Joe Namath (I want to kiss you) has asked for a tryout. A friend of mine in New York has seasons tickets to the Jets, the Mets and the NY Rangers. I tweeted last night that I felt sorry for him, but this is the way it is ALL THE TIME in Toronto. Even if the Argos win the Grey Cup, it won't take away from the Leafs, Raptors and Bluejays and their inability to even make the playoffs. PLAYOFFS? PLAYOFFS? What's that?
I thought allowing the horse into the lobby of the Royal York Hotel was fun, and just the thing we need to show the difference between the CFL and NFL. This is the time of year for Canadian football. Grey Cup week needs to be more like a party and less like the corporate spectacle that the Super Bowl has become. Can you imagine a Dallas Cowboys fan trying to ride a horse into the lobby of the Fountainbleu Hotel in Miami during Super Bowl week? Vince Lombardi would turn over in his grave.
Looks like Roman Hamrlik has called for the "Hamrlik" manouevre on Donald Fehr and the NHLPA. Instead of calling Gary Bettman names via twitter, or wearing hats that say "Puck Bettman", some players are ready to call out the union to "make a deal already". No matter how you spin it, or who you want to blame, this has gone on for too long. The fear (Fehr) is that come next spring, when the NHL season has already been lost, the players will have to settle for the same deal that they are currently turning down. Unless a bunch of owners suddenly get cold feet and tell Bettman to settle, it looks like a Mexican standoff. As Bart Simpson would say "Aye Carumba!"
Thursday, 22 November 2012
WHY CAN'T WE BE MORE LIKE THE AMERICANS.
I love American Thanksgiving. I wish we had it here in Canada. Our Thanksgiving is in early October and it's on a Monday. Besides, it's not a "traditional" holiday like in the U.S. Canadians don't make a big deal out of Thanksgiving. It's not an exceptionally busy travel day here, whereas the U.S. holiday has everybody heading home for the holiday, which begins on Thursday with the big turkey dinner and all the football games, continues on Friday with the biggest shopping day of the year and the start of the "official" Christmas shopping season, and then the weekend is the time to hang out, loosen the belt on the pants and devour all the leftovers before heading back to normalcy. Of course, it's football that brings the families together more often than not. The Detroit Lions always play at home, around 12:30 pm. The Dallas Cowboys always host the afternoon game, around 4 p.m. This way, you can plan your big Thanksgiving Day feast accordingly. If you're a Detroit fan, you eat AFTER the Lions game. If you follow the Cowboys, you want to make sure you're finished BEFORE kickoff in Big "D". And if you're simply a football fan, you grab your plate, find a seat on the couch and hope like hell that the rest of the family understands. They will. It's Thanksgiving after all.
They're going to have close to 100 thousand football fans in Toronto this weekend, and the NFL doesn't even come to town for another few weeks. It's the Vanier Cup on Friday, followed by the Grey Cup on Sunday. Two Southern Ontario teams are involved. The McMaster Marauders are the defending Vanier Cup champs. The Toronto Argonauts are trying to win a Grey Cup at home for the first time in 60 years. Tickets are hard to come by, which is rare around these parts. In fact, thousands of Mac students lined up for hours the other day just to get a shot at reduced-rate tickets. The lineup was so big, several Mac players were "shocked" at the level of interest from the student body. Don't forget, everybody loves a winner, and many people will even pay money to watch them in action.
One of my directors at CHCH, Tansy Ko, seemed surprised at the fact that race car driver and Go Daddy spokesperson Danica Patrick was divorcing her husband after 7 years of marriage. Patrick and her (ex) husband Paul Hospenthal became engaged on Thanksgiving Day 2004. As Tansy pointed out "Who knew Danica was even married?". It's true. I'm sure gearheads all over the world knew that Patrick had a husband, because they always showed a shot of him on TV during her races. But for those of us who don't watch racing every week, Danica Patrick appeared to be a "sex kitten" who appeared in those Go Daddy ads to be a single woman. Kind of like the Bachelorette on the NASCAR circuit. Oh well, now that she's divorced, she's DEFINITELY available.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends. That includes Gary Bettman, Donald Fehr and all those hockey-loving fans south of the border who now list football as their favourite sport. For the time being, anyway.
I love American Thanksgiving. I wish we had it here in Canada. Our Thanksgiving is in early October and it's on a Monday. Besides, it's not a "traditional" holiday like in the U.S. Canadians don't make a big deal out of Thanksgiving. It's not an exceptionally busy travel day here, whereas the U.S. holiday has everybody heading home for the holiday, which begins on Thursday with the big turkey dinner and all the football games, continues on Friday with the biggest shopping day of the year and the start of the "official" Christmas shopping season, and then the weekend is the time to hang out, loosen the belt on the pants and devour all the leftovers before heading back to normalcy. Of course, it's football that brings the families together more often than not. The Detroit Lions always play at home, around 12:30 pm. The Dallas Cowboys always host the afternoon game, around 4 p.m. This way, you can plan your big Thanksgiving Day feast accordingly. If you're a Detroit fan, you eat AFTER the Lions game. If you follow the Cowboys, you want to make sure you're finished BEFORE kickoff in Big "D". And if you're simply a football fan, you grab your plate, find a seat on the couch and hope like hell that the rest of the family understands. They will. It's Thanksgiving after all.
They're going to have close to 100 thousand football fans in Toronto this weekend, and the NFL doesn't even come to town for another few weeks. It's the Vanier Cup on Friday, followed by the Grey Cup on Sunday. Two Southern Ontario teams are involved. The McMaster Marauders are the defending Vanier Cup champs. The Toronto Argonauts are trying to win a Grey Cup at home for the first time in 60 years. Tickets are hard to come by, which is rare around these parts. In fact, thousands of Mac students lined up for hours the other day just to get a shot at reduced-rate tickets. The lineup was so big, several Mac players were "shocked" at the level of interest from the student body. Don't forget, everybody loves a winner, and many people will even pay money to watch them in action.
One of my directors at CHCH, Tansy Ko, seemed surprised at the fact that race car driver and Go Daddy spokesperson Danica Patrick was divorcing her husband after 7 years of marriage. Patrick and her (ex) husband Paul Hospenthal became engaged on Thanksgiving Day 2004. As Tansy pointed out "Who knew Danica was even married?". It's true. I'm sure gearheads all over the world knew that Patrick had a husband, because they always showed a shot of him on TV during her races. But for those of us who don't watch racing every week, Danica Patrick appeared to be a "sex kitten" who appeared in those Go Daddy ads to be a single woman. Kind of like the Bachelorette on the NASCAR circuit. Oh well, now that she's divorced, she's DEFINITELY available.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends. That includes Gary Bettman, Donald Fehr and all those hockey-loving fans south of the border who now list football as their favourite sport. For the time being, anyway.
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
I DIDN'T CHOOSE RADIO, IT CHOSE ME.
Thanks to those of you who pointed out my shortcomings and offered a solution. I have found the lost blogs, and they are re-posted. (Well, most of them anyway)
When we last got together, I was telling you about my one and only deejay job in radio as a failed country music jock. I was attending Conestoga College in Kitchener at the time of this misfortune, although "attending" might be a pretty misleading word. "Enrolled" is more like it. They offered a course in Radio and TV Broadcasting, which sounded like fun. You had to have a 65 average, but if you gave a good interview, they'd probably let you in the course. Since I had already been refused outright by Carleton University's Journalism program, and basically been told to take a walk by Humber College's 3 year Radio course, I had little choice. Yes, that's right. Humber College TURNED ME DOWN. They didn't think I had what it took to be a radio broadcaster. That was embarrassing, and I've never forgiven the school, even though my son currently attends the damn place. Luckily, I gave a charming interview, and got in to Conestoga. Despite offering courses in in Set Decoration and Radio Theory, neither of which I had any interest in, Conestoga was a cool place. I learned all about water pipes, punk music, neo-nazism and farm girls, all the while dreaming of being a radio announcer. All I really wanted to do was talk on the radio. TV? Never thought I had a chance. I was tall, ugly, with thick coke-bottle glasses, a geeky 19 year old who plodded through 13 years of elementary and secondary school AND two years of kindergarten AND 3 years of Hebrew school. I enjoyed talking. I knew a lot about sports and music. This was the life for me.
On "Sportsline" we maintain a "No Lockout Talk" policy which has been going on for over two months now. It's amazing how little you care about something that isn't part of a daily discussion. We don't talk hockey, ergo we don't think about it or care about it. Quite frankly, there's already plenty to talk about just in the football world. Between the Vanier Cup, the Grey Cup, the BCS and the NFL, there's barely enough room for hockey. Out of sight, out of mind.
The Vancouver Canucks average ticket price is $266.70 this year. The Maple Leafs is $227.89 and the Winnipeg Jets average ticket price is $227.00. That's for one ticket. And now you know why 61% of adult Canadians haven't seen an NHL game in the last 5 years. They can't afford it. Only corporations can. Well, not this year they can't. Looks like the season is a goner. The two sides are so far apart it isn't even funny. Tell you what. If you can't get a ten year agreement done, don't bother.
Thanks to those of you who pointed out my shortcomings and offered a solution. I have found the lost blogs, and they are re-posted. (Well, most of them anyway)
When we last got together, I was telling you about my one and only deejay job in radio as a failed country music jock. I was attending Conestoga College in Kitchener at the time of this misfortune, although "attending" might be a pretty misleading word. "Enrolled" is more like it. They offered a course in Radio and TV Broadcasting, which sounded like fun. You had to have a 65 average, but if you gave a good interview, they'd probably let you in the course. Since I had already been refused outright by Carleton University's Journalism program, and basically been told to take a walk by Humber College's 3 year Radio course, I had little choice. Yes, that's right. Humber College TURNED ME DOWN. They didn't think I had what it took to be a radio broadcaster. That was embarrassing, and I've never forgiven the school, even though my son currently attends the damn place. Luckily, I gave a charming interview, and got in to Conestoga. Despite offering courses in in Set Decoration and Radio Theory, neither of which I had any interest in, Conestoga was a cool place. I learned all about water pipes, punk music, neo-nazism and farm girls, all the while dreaming of being a radio announcer. All I really wanted to do was talk on the radio. TV? Never thought I had a chance. I was tall, ugly, with thick coke-bottle glasses, a geeky 19 year old who plodded through 13 years of elementary and secondary school AND two years of kindergarten AND 3 years of Hebrew school. I enjoyed talking. I knew a lot about sports and music. This was the life for me.
On "Sportsline" we maintain a "No Lockout Talk" policy which has been going on for over two months now. It's amazing how little you care about something that isn't part of a daily discussion. We don't talk hockey, ergo we don't think about it or care about it. Quite frankly, there's already plenty to talk about just in the football world. Between the Vanier Cup, the Grey Cup, the BCS and the NFL, there's barely enough room for hockey. Out of sight, out of mind.
The Vancouver Canucks average ticket price is $266.70 this year. The Maple Leafs is $227.89 and the Winnipeg Jets average ticket price is $227.00. That's for one ticket. And now you know why 61% of adult Canadians haven't seen an NHL game in the last 5 years. They can't afford it. Only corporations can. Well, not this year they can't. Looks like the season is a goner. The two sides are so far apart it isn't even funny. Tell you what. If you can't get a ten year agreement done, don't bother.
MEET THE NEW BOSS (SAME AS THE OLD BOSS)
John Gibbons? That was the big surprise? I guess when you considered the alternatives, it wasn't such a bad choice. The guy has managed in the majors before. He's familiar with Toronto and he'll do just about anything Alex Anthopoulos says. In the meantime, the entire country of Canada has gone ga-ga for Gibby and the Bluejays. Even the French CBC had a reporter at this morning's news conference and about a half hour in, after all the anglais had asked their questions, he fired off his query to Anthopoulos "en francais", to which AA responded "John (Gibbons) do you want to break out your french?" Much laughter ensued, and Alex fired off a response in french that seemed to answer the reporters queries, although we'll never know what he really said.
OVERHEARD IN THE BLUEJAY CLUBHOUSE SPRING TRAINING 2013
(Manager John Gibbons comes out of his office to greet his new team.)
"Hola Jose, my name is John. John Gibbons. Gibby. No, I'm not the clubhouse attendant. I'm the manager. Sorry, Ozzie isn't here this year. I'm the guy. Hey Emilio, remember me? John Gibbons. No, no. I'm not a coach, I'm your new skipper" J.J., you know me, I'm the anti-Guillen. I never say anything controversial, except to an umpire if I'm really mad. Or Shea Hillenbrand. And Mark, c'mon Burls, remember that brushback incident back in '07 with Aaron Hill? I could've charged the mound but I didn't. I was the Jays manager back then, don't you remember? Bucky? C'mon Bucky you know me. Gibby. Yeah, I'm back. Hey Melk man. Leche. Buddy, how's it going. Did you pee in the bottle today...ha ha. It's Gibby. Don't you remember me from KC? Those were the days."
(Gibbons moves slowly to the makeshift podium in the crowded dressing room)
"Can I have your attention please guys. My name is John, and I'm your manager this year. They wanted a guy named John so they wouldn't have to replace the sign on the door, but I'm not like the last manager named John. He was an idiot. I'm not. Guys, guys listen up please. We're going to win it all this year and anything less will be a major disappointment. That's what management has told me. If you think I'm going to take any guff from you guys, you're wrong. Anybody wants to fight me, come and get me. Farrell was too soft on you guys. We got rid of the dead wood and now we're going to kick some ass. Now, many of you have not met each other before, so I've got some sticky backed nametags for you to wear. If you're not sure of a guy's name, just shout out his uniform number. Like, "Hey 23, get your head out of your ass" or "Come on 24, throw strikes for a change". You'll get it. Now, I know all the writers and broadcasters from when I was here before, and they're all my drinking buddies, so just let me handle the media and you guys go out and play. Ok, all for one and one for all. Now go get 'em!
What's that JP? Oh, it's Gibbons. G-I-B-B-O-N-S."
I have a passion for music that is equal to my affection for sports. The two are inexorably linked with me. My fantasy is to sit and watch a baseball game with Bruce Springsteen. Jays versus Yankees. Talk a little ball. Talk a little music Have a couple of beers and just bond. Two guys. Sports and Music. Ask most athletes what their fantasy job would be and the answer is likely "musician". Ask a performer what his/her fantasy is, and the common response would be "athlete". I wanted to be both: Rock star in the summer, defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the winter. My parents thought it might be a good idea to finish my education, since I wasn't a very good skater and had no musical talent whatsoever. Couldn't play a note. Had to have something to fall back on. Luckily, I had a way with words, so I went into radio.
The first radio gig I ever had was at CKKW in Kitchener, Ontario. It was the graveyard shift, Midnight to 6 a.m. The late Dan Fisher was the program director, and asked me if I knew anything about country music, because that's what they played at the time. I said "sure", even though I didn't know Barbara Mandrell from Barbara Eden (I Dream of Jeannie).
So I played the songs I was supposed to play. Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Mel Tillis, Crystal Gale, Loretta Lynn, etc. One day, at about 4 a.m., I got bored playing the stuff on the playlist and broke out a song by the Rolling Stones called "The Girl with Far Away Eyes". It had a country twang to it, so I cued it up on the turntable, flicked on the mic and announced it as "A new song by a band called the Country Maladeers". Pretty soon the phone was ringing. It was Dan Fisher. What P.D. was up at 4 a.m. on a Saturday morning? He was. I got fired. End of my career as a radio deejay. Next up, a career as a sportscaster. I'll update my life in media during my next blog. Stay tuned.
John Gibbons? That was the big surprise? I guess when you considered the alternatives, it wasn't such a bad choice. The guy has managed in the majors before. He's familiar with Toronto and he'll do just about anything Alex Anthopoulos says. In the meantime, the entire country of Canada has gone ga-ga for Gibby and the Bluejays. Even the French CBC had a reporter at this morning's news conference and about a half hour in, after all the anglais had asked their questions, he fired off his query to Anthopoulos "en francais", to which AA responded "John (Gibbons) do you want to break out your french?" Much laughter ensued, and Alex fired off a response in french that seemed to answer the reporters queries, although we'll never know what he really said.
OVERHEARD IN THE BLUEJAY CLUBHOUSE SPRING TRAINING 2013
(Manager John Gibbons comes out of his office to greet his new team.)
"Hola Jose, my name is John. John Gibbons. Gibby. No, I'm not the clubhouse attendant. I'm the manager. Sorry, Ozzie isn't here this year. I'm the guy. Hey Emilio, remember me? John Gibbons. No, no. I'm not a coach, I'm your new skipper" J.J., you know me, I'm the anti-Guillen. I never say anything controversial, except to an umpire if I'm really mad. Or Shea Hillenbrand. And Mark, c'mon Burls, remember that brushback incident back in '07 with Aaron Hill? I could've charged the mound but I didn't. I was the Jays manager back then, don't you remember? Bucky? C'mon Bucky you know me. Gibby. Yeah, I'm back. Hey Melk man. Leche. Buddy, how's it going. Did you pee in the bottle today...ha ha. It's Gibby. Don't you remember me from KC? Those were the days."
(Gibbons moves slowly to the makeshift podium in the crowded dressing room)
"Can I have your attention please guys. My name is John, and I'm your manager this year. They wanted a guy named John so they wouldn't have to replace the sign on the door, but I'm not like the last manager named John. He was an idiot. I'm not. Guys, guys listen up please. We're going to win it all this year and anything less will be a major disappointment. That's what management has told me. If you think I'm going to take any guff from you guys, you're wrong. Anybody wants to fight me, come and get me. Farrell was too soft on you guys. We got rid of the dead wood and now we're going to kick some ass. Now, many of you have not met each other before, so I've got some sticky backed nametags for you to wear. If you're not sure of a guy's name, just shout out his uniform number. Like, "Hey 23, get your head out of your ass" or "Come on 24, throw strikes for a change". You'll get it. Now, I know all the writers and broadcasters from when I was here before, and they're all my drinking buddies, so just let me handle the media and you guys go out and play. Ok, all for one and one for all. Now go get 'em!
What's that JP? Oh, it's Gibbons. G-I-B-B-O-N-S."
I have a passion for music that is equal to my affection for sports. The two are inexorably linked with me. My fantasy is to sit and watch a baseball game with Bruce Springsteen. Jays versus Yankees. Talk a little ball. Talk a little music Have a couple of beers and just bond. Two guys. Sports and Music. Ask most athletes what their fantasy job would be and the answer is likely "musician". Ask a performer what his/her fantasy is, and the common response would be "athlete". I wanted to be both: Rock star in the summer, defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the winter. My parents thought it might be a good idea to finish my education, since I wasn't a very good skater and had no musical talent whatsoever. Couldn't play a note. Had to have something to fall back on. Luckily, I had a way with words, so I went into radio.
The first radio gig I ever had was at CKKW in Kitchener, Ontario. It was the graveyard shift, Midnight to 6 a.m. The late Dan Fisher was the program director, and asked me if I knew anything about country music, because that's what they played at the time. I said "sure", even though I didn't know Barbara Mandrell from Barbara Eden (I Dream of Jeannie).
So I played the songs I was supposed to play. Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Mel Tillis, Crystal Gale, Loretta Lynn, etc. One day, at about 4 a.m., I got bored playing the stuff on the playlist and broke out a song by the Rolling Stones called "The Girl with Far Away Eyes". It had a country twang to it, so I cued it up on the turntable, flicked on the mic and announced it as "A new song by a band called the Country Maladeers". Pretty soon the phone was ringing. It was Dan Fisher. What P.D. was up at 4 a.m. on a Saturday morning? He was. I got fired. End of my career as a radio deejay. Next up, a career as a sportscaster. I'll update my life in media during my next blog. Stay tuned.
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