Monday, February 25, 2013
South West Florida Hockey
In the past two weeks, several
products from the ranks of Quinte hockey programs have enjoyed sunshine in
South West Florida.
Last weekend, the Evansville Icemen
faced off against the Florida Everblades on Friday and Saturday nights, at the
Germaine Arena. Two players from the Icemen are familiar to hockey fans from
the north: Dylan Clarke and Kevin Baker.
Baker, a Kingston native, played for
the Belleville Bulls. Clarke played all of his minor hockey in the Quinte area,
then headed off to Trenton to play his Junior hockey there. Two others were expected
to hit the ice at the Germaine: Nathan Moon and former Dukes’ goalie Paul
Karpowich. Both had been called up and did not skate here.
Nick Walsh and his aunt, Christine Shannon
Last Tuesday, Nick Walsh was in town
as a member of the Gwinnett Gladiators. Following the game, Nick greeted a host
of friendly faces---family and friends from Tweed, Latta, Read, and
metropolitan Marysville. Teams in the East Coast Hockey League have played more
than fifty games, well into the season. Walsh has a dozen games to his credit,
and is earning his ice team gradually.
Early in the third period, he scored
a nifty goal for the Gladiators, and immediately gained the favour of the
coaching staff. Midway through the third period, he knifed through the Blades
defenders, but was thwarted by their goalie.
Walsh told me after the game that he
enjoyed the extra playing time he was getting, also due to the fact that the
team is a little short-handed. He gave credit to his linemates, Doug Jones and
Casey Pierro-Zabotel for their efforts on the goal he scored. “They just told
me to drive to the net and cause a ruckus.”
Walsh played his minor hockey with
Johnny Foley. When the opportunity to move up to junior arrived, they both headed
to Cobourg, and Walsh played four seasons with the Cougars. He moved on to the
ECAC, and played four years for Dartmouth, once making it to the finals in
Atlantic City.
Dylan Clarke
Dylan Clarke also completed his
education in the U. S. at the State University of New York at the Plattsburgh
campus. Prior to that, he spent three full seasons with the Kingston Voyageurs.
Kevin Baker
Kevin Baker spent a season with the
Trenton Sting, then three full seasons with the Belleville Bulls. He was
drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in 1999, and played a couple of seasons in the
American Hockey League. He then headed east to Acadia University, before
continuing the hockey wars in the States and in Europe. Check “hockey db.com”
to learn the other dozen teams that Kevin has skated with. He played two
seasons with the Everblades, and enjoyed the return visit last weekend.
Coach Rich Kromm was thrilled to pick
up four points for the team’s efforts on the weekend. On Friday night, there
were 20 attempts to score in the shootout before the IceMen triumphed. He
commented on the play of his players from the Quinte area: “We picked up Dylan
a couple of weeks ago, and he was the “Player of the Week” shortly after
arriving. He said that the team traded for Baker from Orlando because “he is a
proven scorer and a real character guy”.
The Gladiators return to the Germaine
Arena this coming weekend. See you there!
James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
Monday, February 18, 2013
The Champions Tour at Naples-The Aftermath
Jay Don Blake was featured in last
week’s article. He was one of the first players on the practice tee on Monday, working
on his technique. During Thursday’s round, I heard him smack a drive off the
tee, but lost it in a cloudy sky. When it cracked the palm tree just above my
head, I had a pretty fair idea where it might have landed. He appreciated our
assistance in locating his ball.
He finished the tournament with one
of the best rounds of the day, just one shot off the winner, Bernhard Langer.
Blake did fire a 68, and Langer a 72, but Langer haled off the entire field
from start to finish.
Jay Don Blake and Mark O'Meara
Brendan Cunningham announces every
golfer at the first hole, supplying a brief biography. One of the marshals told
me that Cunningham has been announcing since time began! In the final round,
you could hear his rasping voice back at the 16th hole, as he greeted
contestants arriving on the 18th green.
We wandered from hole to hole,
marveling at the consistency of the players. Drive, chip, putt. On to the next.
Mark Brooks escaped from a nasty lie in
a sand trap with a fine wedge. But he lipped a relatively easy putt at the 6th
hole. Twice he mumbled, “I don’t know why I would expect anything else.”
Rocco Mediate won the previous
tournament, and was sizing up a putt on the 16th green. He consulted
with his caddy. I heard his caddy plead, “I’m trying, I’m trying!” Players rely
on their caddies for advice, which they sometimes ignore. Mediate sunk the putt
for a bird, to put him 6 under par. Marshall Pat Minty, who spent the
weekend on that particular hole,
remarked that the threesome with Mediate, Cook, and Funk had the best shots of the day. John Huston’s
group followed. Huston came into the 16th at 8 under, double
bogeyed, and shot himself out of contention.
The day cooled as the sun began to
set. Palms shimmered in the slight breeze. Langer, Pernice, and Chien Soon Lu
were the last to tackle the par 3 16th. Langer parred the hole, laid
up at the 17th for another par, and coasted to victory. Well, not
exactly coasted. He pushed a fifty foot putt to within inches of the hole to
seal the deal.
It was his second ACE Group Classic
win in the last three years. Even though he hails from Berlin, his German
accent is barely noticeable. He suggested to the announcer, that since he has
lived in Boca Raton for so many years, they might now introduce him as a
Florida resident.
Bernhard Langer with his wife and son.
The tour makes two Canadian stops
this summer, in Montreal, and in Calgary. Canadian Jim Rutledge fired a strong 69
over the last round and picked up more than $ 18 000 for his efforts.
A great way to enjoy fine golf in the
Florida sunshine!
James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
Sunday, February 17, 2013
The Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band in South West Florida
Far from the shores of Lake Huron,
the Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band is spending a few days in South West Florida.
Most Saturday nights in the summer, members of the band parade the streets of
Kincardine, and entertain at Victoria Park.
This weekend, they piped the grounds
of the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, much to the delight of tourists gathered
under the sprawling banyan tree. For the record, the tree covers almost an
acre, but was a mere sapling when presented to Thomas Edison by his pal Harvey Firestone in 1925.
Thomas Alva Edison and his wife Mina
thoroughly enjoyed the concert. Actually, Edison was enjoying his 166th
birthday, so a representative stood in for him. They were accompanied by Henry
Ford.
There were a few Canadian flag wavers
in the crowd. Naturally, and typically, Canadians are not prone to boast their
colours. On this occasion, one could spot a shirt or two with the red and white
flag.
One of the members of the band, Keith
Davidson, has been piping with the band for many years. I must confess I was
tipped to his whereabouts by a mutual friend, Peter Carver. Carver introduced Davison
to me, by telephone, as the “Prime Minister of the Leafs’ Nation”.
I spoke with a few members in the
crowd who knew Carver, a long-time history teacher at the local high school.
“He taught all of our children,” was a comment expressed by many.
“Many of us have worked diligently to
try to get Carver to see the light, and support the Leafs. To no avail. It is
never a shock to see his name pinned to a letter to the editor to stir the
wrath of the locals. He is a die-hard Red Wings fan, and that’s not about to
change”, Davidson told me after the concert.
Carver had told me about Davidson’s
excellent hockey prowess. “I played a little Intermediate hockey. That’s about
it”, he told me modestly at the entrance to the Estates.
Following the concert, the band
enjoyed an afternoon on the shores of the Caloosahatchee River, as they toured
the historic site.
The following evening, the band
walked the streets of Fort Myers, as part of the 75th Edison Light
Parade.
A weekend to remember in South West
Florida!
James Hurst
ACE Group Championship-Second Round Results
The Devil's Pupit's David Hurst, at TwinEagles
The Champions Tour is restricted to
professional golfers who have reached the half century point in their lives.
Although that seems to be a given, my point is that these players are experienced.
The importance of experience became
evident today, as the winds of change swept across South West Florida. All
afternoon. Every player had to make adjustments for every shot. Shots that
would have landed on the green under normal conditions were held up by the
wind, and landed in nasty bunkers. Others were blown off course into the rough.
Bob Tway paid a severe penalty when
he was found guilty of playing an illegal shot from the rough. It was studied
carefully, and he was assessed a two stroke penalty. He ended the day with a
79, 14 strokes above his score the previous day. His judgement in that
situation was undoubtedly affected by the wind conditions.
Cien Soon Lu came in at five under
par after the first round. A native of Taiwan, his name has rarely appeared at
the top of money boards on the tour; however, after taking a double bogey on
the first hole Saturday, he birdied seven of the next ten holes. He fished
three strokes off Langer’s pace, tied with Tom Pernice Junior.
Very few players bettered their
scores from the first day. Bernhard Langer, the first round leader with a 62, played
brilliantly the second day, and managed a 72. With that, he still maintained
the lead he had at the beginning of the day.
Kenny Parry, last year’s ACE
champion, is certainly the tournament favourite. In fact, in a tongue-in-cheek
gesture, he was announced on the first tee as the “Mayor of Naples”. Parry has
opted to use a cart for the tournament. He is no doubt in some pain, as he is
scheduled for knee surgery next week; nonetheless, he soldiers on, and has
posted very respectable numbers.
Kenny Parry, "Mayor of Naples"
Palm branches sweep across the
greens, driven by the breezes that are measured near forty miles an hour. There
are a few spectators enjoying Domincan cigars, and the aroma wafts through the
crowd. A crsip February day, but certainly not worth a winter jacket.
Phil Stambaugh and Bernhard Langer
Get real, folks, it’s Florida. Throw
a blanket on the orchids, and head for the first tee.
James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
Friday, February 15, 2013
ACE Group Classic-Naples 2013
The rains
stayed well away from South West Florida until yesterday. Almost three inches
drenched many areas, including the Talon Course of the TwinEagles Golf Course
in Naples. The course is the site of the ACE Group Classic Golf Tournament,
with $ 1 600 000 up for grabs. The winner’s share is $ 240 000. The tournament
is for those graying slightly at the temples, those over 50 years of age, and
is a stop on the Champions Tour.
Following
today’s play to open the tournament, Bernhard Langer emerged at the top of the
pack. Par for the course is 72, and he ended the day ten under par, and flirted
with that magical score of 59. “I missed the putt on the 17th for a
bird. I knew I had to finish eagle-birdie to get 59.”
Langer is
enjoying the tour immensely. He said that he did not make any significant
adjustments for the weather, slightly chilly for the season. “I called my wife
and asked her to bring me a sweater. It arrived when I was on the tenth hole.
But it is her birthday, so that was that.” During the evening telecast on the
Golf Channel, Langer sang “Happy Birthday” to his wife. I recommend that he
stick with his day job.
“I love the
camaraderie with the other players and their families with this tour. I know
that I only have so many years left (to play the game at this level).” His son
sat in on the media scrum. After he left the microphone, he chuckled and asked
his son, perhaps 12 years old, “Why didn’t you ask any questions?” There is an
element of levity at the event, far less strenuous than the regular PGA Tour
events. Mind you, there is plenty at stake, and players need their “A Game” to
succeed.
Canadians
Rod Spittle and Jim Nelford failed to qualify, and likely moved on to prepare
for next week’s event. Victoria’s Jim Rutledge remains as the only Canadian in
the event, and posted a respectable one under par in the opening round.
Jim Rutledge, heading to the 18th tee.
Langer heads
into tomorrow’s event with a three shot lead. When asked if that is enough, he
replied, “It might be if there were two holes remaining!”
The sun
broke through the clouds after play was completed. A significant change in the
weather is expected. Langer shrugged when asked about it. All players will play
the same course, in the same conditions. I am certain Langer will be ready.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
ACE Group Classic-Champions Tour 2013 Naples
They are lining up the troops here in South West Florida for
the Ace Group Classic Golf Tournament to take place this coming weekend. There
are five contestants who will tee off at TwinEagles in Naples this year as newcomers: Rocco Mediate, Steve Elkington,
Bart Bryant, Duffy Waldorf, and Gene Sauers.
Mediate won the Champions Tour event last weekend, on the east
side of the state in Boca Raton. His
pockets were a little heavier as he headed west to the Gulf side. He picked
up $ 270 000 for his win. Not exactly
chump change. Bernard Langer, who is always a contender on this tour, finished
second, and picked up $ 144 000 for his
efforts.
Other strong finishers last week included: Mark O’Meara,
Corey Pavin, Fred Funk, Tom Lehman, David Frost, Larry Mize, and Jay Don Blake.
Blake was ten strokes off the pace, and pocketed $ 31 500.
He was one of the first players to head to the practice tee on Monday morning.
Most of you who chase the little white ball without a soul know that there are
always adjustments to be made to get to the top. Blake strapped a device to
both arms to keep them from flying as he stroked a few irons onto the fairway.
On Tuesday morning, the battle began for the pros who would
like to have their names announced later in the week. Fifty-nine players headed
out to another fine local course, Old Corkscrew, to qualify for the ACE
Tournament. Only five made the grade. That’s pressure. Consider this as well:
Last week Fuzzy Zoeller did not finish well, and was rewarded with $ 738. Many
others finished out of the money. Now
that’s incentive to drive long and straight.
Last year we followed one of the Canadians on the tour, Rod
Spittle. He and Jim Nelford, originally from Burnaby, British Columbia, are in
the hunt for one of those qualifying positions. Make the grade, and you might
have a nice payday. Come up short, and head to the range, to try to tweak your
game to play later at other events on the tour.
Rod Spittle
Chip Beck, Bobby Clampett, Bunky Henry, and Tom Byrum are
also trying to qualify. A tough field.
The whole tournament experience is something no golfer
should miss. There are plenty of sponsors on hand to share the news about their
products. For $ 25, you can spend the entire day, quite relaxed, basking in the
Florida sunshine, watching these pros at work. For fifty bucks, you get
admission for the entire week. Wear pants with large pockets. You will be
presented with all kinds of trinkets, as souvenirs.
SUBWAY Restaurants are also involved in the tournament, with
a “Family Putt for Dough Challenge”. There is a three hole challenge, which
must be covered under par (five strokes or less). Successful candidates then
enter the long putt round, fifty feet. The winner of the Grand Prize receives $
50 000. Not too shabby.
On Tuesday, prior to the main event, PGA TOUR Superstores
participated in a “Play Golf America Day” at the TwinEagles Club. Many of the
popular manufacturers, including Mizuno, Nike, and the like were on hand to
debut their new products. Spectators received free raffle tickets, and the lucky
ones were rewarded with merchandise and tournament memorabilia.
Jim Rutledge hails from Victoria, British Columbia.
According to the media guide, he will be 54 this year. At the end of last
season, he earned a fully-exempt status card for the 2013 Champions Tour events
by finishing fourth at the National Qualifying Tournament. He won the Canadian
Seniors Championship last July in Milton, Ontario. He opened the event with a
ten under par 62, then broke the tournament record with a 17 under par 199
total for three days.
He lists Wayne Gretzky and Steve Nash as his favourite
athletes. He adds that his favourite team as a kid was the Harlem
Globetrotters, and his favouite player- “Meadowlark Lemon”! What’s not to like!
I plan to cover the final two rounds of the tournamnent,
which will be shown in the evenings on the Golf Channel. I’d best have a bowl
of Wheaties to prepare. The course is more than 7 000 yards in length.
Hit ‘em long and straight!
James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
Monday, February 04, 2013
Super Bowl XLVII The Aftermath
It is Monday evening,
and the lights are out at the SuperDome in New Orleans. Intentionally.
Yesterday, they lost
power during the game at the Super Bowl, and there was cause for concern.
Fortunately, the lights came on about half an hour later, and the game
continued. A great game, by the way, in doubt right down to the final seconds.
When the clock read zero, the Baltimore Ravens edged the San Francisco
Forty-Niners 34-31.
Fifty years ago, in
1952, the Grey Cup was played in Toronto. Halfway through the game between the
Hamilton Tiger Cats and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, fog rolled in from Lake
Ontario. With nine minutes and 29 seconds left in the fourth quarter, officials
postponed the game. They played the final minutes the following day. When the
fog interfered with play, the Bombers led 28-27. The same score held up until
the end of the game the next day.
Despite the fact that
the Ravens were considered to be underdogs by the majority of football fans,
they dominated the first half. Quarterback Joe Flacco, who was named the game
MVP, outperformed his counterpart from the 49ers, Colin Kaepernick. Flacco
threw three touchdown passes, and led the Ravens into the locker room at half
time with a 21-6 lead.
To complicate things
for the 49ers, the Ravens’ Jacoby Jones took the kickoff deep in his end zone,
and wove his way through the centre of the field to the 49er end zone. The
final determination was that he had covered 108 yards in his journey, a Super
Bowl record. By comparison, he would have covered 128 yards on a Canadian
football field. The field of play is 110 yards in the CFL, and the end zone is
20 yards deep, as opposed to ten in the NFL.
The 49ers were stunned.
At that point, they trailed 28-6. Following the kickoff, the lights went out. I
could almost hear “Dandy” Don Meredith, the iconic Monday Night Football announcer
howling out his patented song , “Turn out the Lights, the party’s over”! I
would not have been a bit surprised if the game had turned out to be a blowout.
Such was not to be
the case. Thirty-five minutes later, the 49ers rallied to score 17 straight
points. With the Ravens ahead in the fourth quarter by six points, the 49ers
headed to the line of scrimmage inside the Baltimore ten yard line, with a
first and goal. Most armchair quarterbacks assumed that coach Jim Harbaugh
would elect to run the ball, either by Kaepernick or by running back Frank
Gore. The 49ers elected to pass, four times, and the Ravens defence, including
Ed Reed, thwarted all attempts. They pressured Kaepernick, and that was “all
she wrote”. Ravens took a safety to end the game harmlessly.
It was the first time
in football history that two coaches who were brothers, Jim and John Harbaugh,
faced each other in a championship. Ravens’ Ray Lewis played his final National
Football League game. He announced his retirement several weeks ago, and many
of his teammates wanted to win one for Lewis. Ed Reed
Twelve years ago, Lewis
led the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory, and was the game MVP. Controversy
surrounded his career; several years ago, he was implicated in a double homicide
that has yet to be solved, and during the past week he was accused of using
deer antler spray to help rehabilitation with a torn bicep muscle. As a
sidelight, golfer V. J. Singh recently admitted to using deer antler spray. I
am sure that would raise a few eyebrows in Bancroft!
Kaepernick made his
debut as the 49ers QB in mid season. His debut has been nothing short of
spectacular. He broke several records with spectacular performances. He is now
25 years old, and has a bright future in the game. But the day belonged to
Flacco, who completed 22 passes out of 33 attempts.
A most entertaining
end to the season.
James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
