Saturday, February 28, 2015
Andrew Shaw-The Kid from Ameliasburgh
There was an element of euphoria
around the B B & T Centre in Sunrise, Florida before the start of the game
last Thursday night. The Chicago Black Hawks were in town to face the Florida
Panthers. Earlier in the day, it had been announced that the Panthers had
traded the New Jersey Devils a couple of draft picks to land Jaromir Jagr. Jagr
will enter the Hall of Fame once he retires, and he may become the most
prolific scorer ever, depending on his desire to play more hockey. He did not
dress for the game, but remained out of sight in the bowels of the arena.
That state of excitement was quickly
diminished once the puck was dropped, for two reasons. More than seventy per
cent of the fans at the game began a chant of “Let’s Go Hawks” as the game
began. In many sections, seat after seat was occupied by a fan wearing a Hawks’
sweater. Secondly, with just over three minutes gone in the period, Andrew Shaw
pasted a Panther defender against the boards in the Panther corner, stole the
puck, and fired a perfect centering pass to Teuvo Teravainen. The Finn made no mistake,
firing the puck past Roberto Luongo. Game winning goal, before most of the fans
had taken their seats.
Great Shaw fans from the Quinte Area
There were many Shaw fans in
attendance, which one could tell by the number of folks who had shelled out
their hard-earned dollars for the Black Hawk red sweater. I spoke with two of
them between the first and second periods. “He is my favourite player,” Phil
Harvey told me as he scooped up his fries and pop. “He never quits, always
works so hard.” Lee Deller, also a fan from the windy city, seconded the
motion. “Shaw is such a scrappy player. We love his determination.”
Steve and Jodi Knack, with Andrew Shaw
After the game, Jody and Steve Knack,
also from Chicago, had a chance to meet with the kid from Ameliasburgh.“It is
such a thrill to meet some of these guys in person,” Jody stated. “We never
get a chance like this to see the players up close. This is a moment we will
remember forever.”
The Shaw contingent was bolstered by
a large group of fans from the Quinte area, roughly ten percent of the
population of Metro Tweed. Doug and Darlene Shaw were also on hand, making the
event a family affair. It was perfectly evident that Andrew appreciates the
support he gets from family and friends, beaming for the twenty odd minutes he
had before the bus rolled away. The Hawks had a date in Tampa Friday night. Unfortunately, that did not go as well. They were shut out by the Lightning, 4-0.
Jonathan Toews, explaining the situation.
When asked about the trade deadline,
and how players respond to it, Jonathan Toews was more than tactful, and very
polite. He explained that trades were part of the process, and that he could
understand why some players were a little anxious at this time of year.
Several of the other Hawk players also
enjoyed a moment with friends, and family. Most Northern folk arrive here for
the weather, and a great NHL game is treated as a bonus. None of us spent much
time scraping our windshields after the game.
The Hawks were pressed at the end of
the game as the Panthers pulled Luongo for an extra attacker. With the heat on,
Shaw iced the puck with 1:54 left in the game. Coach Joel Quenneville called a
timeout, to rest the boys on the ice. A minute later, Saad stole the puck and
fed Hossa at centre ice. Hossa deliberately hesitated for several seconds,
spotted Toews on the wing, and fed a perfect pass to his captain. Toews made no
mistake, firing the puck into the yawning cage.
The Panthers hope to benefit from the
Jagr deal this year. They are in the hunt for a playoff spot, and he could be
the spark plug to ignite them to that plateau. And then, folks, the other
season begins. Anything can, and often does, happen at that point.
James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
February 27, 2015
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
FGCU Eagles Continue to Soar
On Wednesday night, the Florida Gulf
Coast Eagles men’s basketball team closes out its regular season with a game
against Northern Florida Ospreys. The Eagles have been on a roll recently, with
ten straight victories. But the last time these two teams faced each other, the
Ospreys beat FGCU in Jacksonville 80-64. That was in early January, and there
has been a lot of water under the bridge since that game.
At a recent game, White Sox starter was recognized by retiring his jersey at centre court. He is a great guy, from all reports.
With a win, the Eagles will become
the Atlantic Sun Conference champions for the second consecutive year; however,
if the Ospreys win this game, and their final game on Saturday, they will take
the crown. The winner gets to host the playoff games leading to the National
Basketball Championships. Home court is a bonus in this game.
All of the seniors on the team will
be recognized for their efforts on Wednesday night. They start as freshmen,
become sophomores, then juniors and seniors. The high profile players never get
to graduate, let alone become seniors in the American basketball world. Teams
in the National Basketball association pluck the college stars from their
schools with the draft. A case in point is Andrew Wiggins, now with the
Minnesota Timberwolves. Andrew went to school barely long enough to get his
sneakers dirty, from the small Ontario berg called Toronto. An early signee for
FGCU next season is Eli Long. Eli now attends John Carroll High School, a well
respected American High School; however, he hails from Mississauga.
American basketball legend Dick
Vitale is also scheduled to attend the game Wednesday night. Vitale spends a
good deal of time in this area during the winter. He is quite familiar with the
Eagles, and is a big supporter of Coach Joe Dooley. Vitale, now 75 years old,
finished his singles tennis game and spoke with Fort Myers News-Press after his
game. “”I’ve known Joe for a long time. I think he does a great job.” Vitale
will be signing his latest book, “Tt’s awesome, Baby,” in support of pediatric
cancer research.
The Eagles got a significant scare
last week in their game against the Kennesaw State Owls from Georgia. At one
point in the first half, they were down by 12 points. They rallied somewhat,
but still trailed by eight points at half time. The Eagles once again relied on
Brett Comer as a sparkplug to ignite the offence. With a couple of incredible
drives to the basket, aggressive defense, and timely foul shooting, the Eagles
watched the clock tick down with a one point win, 54-53. As I am wont to say in
these situations, “Never in doubt”.
I saw a chap wearing a University of
Western Ontario sweatshirt in the stands. His name is Larry Haylor, and he
coached football there for many years. I told him that I had spent a year there
in 1964. “Before my time,” he stated, without suggesting that I am ancient. He
coached Andy Rossitt during his university days, an outstanding quarterback
from Quinte Secondary School in Belleville. He also remembered Mike Schad from
his college days at Queen’s.
Can’t wait for the tipoff against the
Ospreys. Understandably, one of these teams will claw its way to victory.
That’s just silly. I apologize!
February 24, 2015
Sportslices.blogspot.com
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
ACE Group Classic-Champions Tour in Naples
Spectators were permitted to walk down the 18th fairway on the last round...until the playoff!
There were typical, somewhat nasty breezes pushing golf balls around the fairways at Twin Eagles Golf Course in Naples throughout the weekend. They did not affect Colin Montgomerie significantly, as he carded a five under par 67 to lead the field after the first round.
I spent the day following Rod
Spittle, Marco Dawson and Gene Sauers. Dawson played well, and finished at
three under, two strokes back of Montgomerie. Spittle bogeyed the first hole,
recovered to birdie the third. He also birdied the 11th, and
finished the day at one under par.
“I played pretty well today,” he told
me after the round. “Good, steady golf”. Several opportunities to birdie holes
fell just short, or rimmed the cup. These putts were not short ones, all outside
ten feet. But they were not dropping, and that affected the bottom line.
Harry R. Meek, Ohio State supporter of Rod Spittle
(Walked the entire course all three rounds.)
I believe he was in the sand but
once, and, on that occasion, chipped close enough to hole the putt to save par.
He plays methodically, as did his playing partners. In fact, many of the fans
observing these pros on the Champions Tour remark at how accurate they are. On
most holes it comes down to the simple game itself. Par four: drive, chip, two
putts, par.
Spittle ended the tournament with
three identical scores of 71 for each round. That placed him in a group that
included Fuzzy Zoeller, and they received $ 14 920 for their efforts. Dawson
finished at nine under par, and pocketed $ 54 400.
The tournament ended in a truly amazing
fashion. Lee Janzen trailed Bart Bryant by one stroke as they headed to the 18th
tee. The hole can be a real killer, as the pin was set near the edge of a nasty
water hazard. It is reputed to be the second most difficult hole to birdie on
the entire tour. Both players drove to the centre of the fairway. Janzen
chipped to with 12 feet. Bryant pared the hole, and Janzen, remarkably, sunk
his birdie putt. They headed back to the 18th tee for a playoff.
Lee Janzen, after sinking his playoff putt.
(Courtesy PGA Media)
Bryant chipped his second shot into
the drink, and Janzen won easily. It was an emotional win for Janzen,
understandably so. His last tournament win was the U. S. Open in 1998. Esteban
Toledo finished third, followed by Scott Dunlap and Colin Montgomerie. Bryant
tied the course record with his final round 62, which he began with an eagle on
the first hole.
Montgomerie is a true competitor. Wherever he plays, he plays to win. He is a very successful professional athlete, pocketing almost $ 10 000 000 last year, with three million coming from the game, the rest from endorsements. His itinerary almost defies logic. In the two weeks surrounding the ACE Classic, it reads something like this: Hawaii to L. A., California to Scotland, to Miami, back to Scotland, then on to Sydney, Australia, to the Middle East, then on to Arizona. "Ive got my season ticket on British Airways, I'm all right," he added. "The Commute is rather long...but well worth it".
I followed Spittle for most of the
tournament . He is surrounded by family, for the most part, on his rounds:
children, grandchildren, friends, in-laws, and his wife Anne. Even a few
supporters from Ohio State, his alma mater. Occasionally, a fan would holler,
“Nice shot, Chippewa,” Spittle’s home town. He marks his ball on the green with
a Canadian dime.
Stephen Ames
Two other Canadians were in the hunt.
Stephen Ames finished at four under par, while Jim Rutledge was three over,
finishing with a sparkling round of 68.
Fuzzy Zoeller fan, Yvon Guillemette, from Sherbrooke
(Zoeller signed several balls during the round)
It is great opportunity to see so
many of your favourite golfers, up close and personal: Curtis Strange, Ben
Crenshaw, Hale Irwin, Bob Gilder, Steve Pate, Jeff Sluman, Duffy Waldorf and
Mark O’Meara, just to name a few. The boys head to Arizona in a couple of weeks
to continue the tour. You can follow their exploits on the Golf Channel.
Yours truly with Rod Spittle
James Hurst
February 16, 2015
Sportslices.blogspot.com
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Preparing for the ACE Group Classic-2015
It’s a little overcast here in
Naples, Florida, this morning. Corey Pavin has half a dozen golf balls on the
putting green, and is trying to coax them to go into the cup. A light shower
begins to turn into a serious downpour, and Pavin takes refuge under an
umbrella.
For the most part, the putting area
and the driving range are deserted. Most of the competitors on the Champions
Tour played yesterday in Boca Raton, and will arrive this evening or tomorrow.
They will play in the ACE Group Classic at the Twin Eagles Club in Naples. Last
year, Kirk Triplett won the event.
Kirk Triplett, 2014 ACE Group Classic Champion
Paul Goydos won the Allianz
Tournament yesterday in Boca Raton. His birdie on the final hole gave him a one
stroke victory over Gene Sauers. He picked up $ 255 000 for his efforts, while
Sauers had to settle for $ 149 600. Top Canadian in the event was Rod Spittle.
He earned $ 45 900, finishing four strokes off the pace.
Al Stitt, current Bay of Quinte Champion with Rod Spittle
Spittle was tied for the lead going
into the final round. He had posted scores of 66 and 69. He started the final
round with a bogey, then he birdied the second. He pared the third, then
birdied the fourth and fifth. As he began the sixth hole, he led the field by
two strokes. To say that disaster struck at that time would be an
understatement.
As recorded on the Champions Tour web
site, it went something like this: 1. Tee shot. 2. Primary rough. 3. Fairway.
4. Primary rough. 5. Penalty. Drop. 6. Primary rough. 7. Penalty. Drop. 8. Shot
onto green. 9. Putt 10. Putt. At that point, most of my clubs would end up in
the lake. But the big guy regrouped, and played well the rest of the round.
Truly amazing.
Spittle, with two Canadian fans.
Spittle hails from Chippewa, but is
always announced as the guy from St. Catharines. He stands at more than 6’ 5”,
drives well and leads the entire tour in recoveries from the sand. He is truly
a gentle giant. Last year, he signed a ball for a kid at the end of the final
round. The lad’s brother then asked for his golf glove. Without batting an eye,
Spittle removed the glove and asked the kid if he wanted it signed. He is
always most accommodating to the fans. And a huge Bobby Orr fan too!
I ran into Jose Coceres in the
clubhouse. He started the final round on Sunday nine shots back in 45th
place. He played his first 16 holes at ten under par, tying Goydos for the
lead. He bogeyed the 17th, ending up with a 63 for the day.
Bernard Langer, after a fine round. (Obviously!)
Kirk Triplett will tee off on
Thursday, as will Bernard Langer, who won in 2011 and 2013. Kenny Perry was the
winner in 2012. You will also likely see other legendary golfers in action: Tom
Watson, Colin Montgomerie, Tom Kite, Hale Irwin, Nick Price, Fuzzy Zoeller, Mark O’Meara,
Larry Nelson, and Fred Couples, to name just a few.
It is remarkable that there are
relatively few fans accompanying the players around the course. You can spend a
most enjoyable day in the sunshine, under clear blue skies, watching your
favourite player. In February! So I ask, “What’s keeping you?”
Just kidding.
Sportslices.blogspot.com
February 9, 2015
