Tuesday, July 25, 2017
L:ate Summer Scuffle
Floyd Mayweather Conor McGregor
On August
26th, Floyd Mayweather is scheduled to fight Conor
McGregor in Paradise, Nevada. Boxing fans, and those who pay
attention to mixed martial arts, cannot wait for the event. It will
undoubdtedly be the largest payday for all involved; the fighters,
their entourage, the lawyers, the event host, the television people,
and yes, the taxman. Apparently, Mayweather already owes the taxman
several hundred thousand dollars.
It will also
be the most publicized, nost hyped event in, dare I say, American
history. And yes, the promoters did slip north of the American
border with the fighters to promote the event in Toronto, as part of
an eight-city tour. If you happen to see these two, with a smiling
Dana White standing behind them, cover your children's ears. There
will be a stream of profanities from each of the fighters, all in the
name of promotion.
Neither of
the two opponents was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. McGregor
apprenticed as a plumber before entering the world of mixed martial
arts. Mayweather grew up in a difficult world, often surrounded by
addicts. Mayweather's father was a prize fighter, and often took his
son to the gym.
Floyd
Mayweather had a brilliant professional career, never defeated. The
sports network, ESPN, ranked Mayweather as the greatest fighter,
pound for pound, of the last 25 years. He is similar in stature to
McGregor, around 155 pounds, roughly 5' 10”. Sometimes referred to
as “Pretty Boy”, Mayweather was once listed by Forbes Magazine as
“the highest paid athlete in the world”. Mayweather was born in
1977, and is now 40 years old.
McGregor is
29 years old, and that may prove to be advatageous to the Irishman.
He began scrapping in the world of martial arts in 2008, and rose in
the ranks to become the reigning lightweight champion. He fights
under the arm of the “UFC”, the Ultimate Fighting group headed by
Dana White.
This is not
the first time that combattants from different worlds have met in the
ring. Apparently, boxing rules will be used in this event. But don't
be surprised if the rules won't be slightly twisted. Athletes from
many sports worlds have sparred in the ring over the years. “The
Big Train”, Lionel Conacher, went a few rounds with Jack Dempsey.
Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain strapped on the gloves for a few
extra bucks. Even baseball's Jose Canseco pulled on the gloves for a
few rounds. Even Justin Trudeau, our Prime Minister, went a few friendly rounds!
Justin Trudeau with James Hurst
But this
event has the flavour of battling kangaroos, or scuffling clawless
bears.
There is one
certainty that will result from this match. Someone will demand a
rematch. And another to follow, until the public decides that enough
is enough.
When they
step into the ring in August, each fighter will wear ten ounce
gloves. Once done, they will both have a few bruises, and fatter bank
accounts. But they won't get a dime from me.
I didn't
even watch Michael Phelps and the shark.
James Hurst
July 24,
2017.
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
The End of an Era
I spent last
Saturday roaming the hills north of Belleville at the Trillium Wood
Golf Club. The were in the midst of the 30th Annual Rick
Meagher-Medigas Celebrity Golf Tournament, helping raise funds for
less fortunate individuals. When the tournament wrapped up, the event
had raised more than three million dollars.
The
tournament was the brainchild of Rick Meagher and friends. It just so
happened that many of them worked at Medigas; however, Rick's family
was also very involved at that time. As most of you know, it takes
many hands to pull off a successful golf tournament.
On hand this
year were many celebrities. To their credit, most of them stayed
through the dinner and auction, and added to the fun. From the world
of baseball, Kelly Gruber and Al Woods from the Blue Jays. Kelly
lives in Texas nowadays, but likes to come to Canada to help out with
events. He was on his way to another event in Prince Edward Island. I
asked him if he planned to try a little lobster while in PEI. “No”,
he replied. “ I plan to try a whole lot of lobster while I'm
there!”
I spent the
afternoon traveling nine holes on Rob Ray's golf cart, chatting about
this and that. I congratulated him on his selection to the Belleville
Sports Hall of Fame. Their Induction Ceremony takes place in
September, and I do hope Rob will be able to attend. He spends his
winters behind a microphone, chatting about Buffalo Sabres hockey. He
also owns a restaurant in Buffalo, and often helps out there in the
summer. Rob is in great shape, but confessed that he likes to nibble
on the product while at work.
Rob Ray and Darryl Sittler
The
ever-present cell phone sat between us on the golf cart. His eight
year old son was playing against West Seneca in a ball tournament.
Rob got several updates from his wife during the afternoon. He tried
to mask his disappointment when he heard that his team was losing,
and that his son had struck out. They also have a 13 year-old-
daughter.
Rob Ray was
a battler in the NHL, to say the least. His name is on everyone's
list as one of the toughest guys ever to play the game. But he can
also excell when it comes to verbal battles. Part of his foresome was
the incomparable Bill Holmes, from Wellington. Right from the first
tee, they became sparring partners, adding to the hilarity.
Doug
Gilmour, Al Iafrate, Mike Palmateer, Wendell Clark, Stephane Richer,
Dale Hawerchuk, Brad Richardson, Andrew Shaw, Derek Smith...to name a
few. They all stayed and chatted with friends and fans long after the
last ball landed in the 18th hole.
Across the
pond, Roger Federer raised the trophy yet again as the reigning
Wimbledon singles champion. It was his 8th triumph at the
tournament, and his 19th Grand Slam victory. Without
question, he is the best male tennis p[layer ever to walk on the
courts.
The Blue
Jays suffered a humbling loss on Sunday against the lowly Detroit
Tigers. They showed some life, winning one of the games in the Motor
City. But walking in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th
inning really stung. There are long days ahead for our Jays.
And the
RED/BLACKS have yet to taste victory in Ottawa. Again this year, the
western teams have dominated. Hope to see you soon for one of their
games in Ottawa!
A tip of the
old baseball cap to Keith MacDonald. A member of the Belleville
McFarlands when they won the World Championship in 1959, Keith has
been a community leader for decades in The County. (Please don't
mention that I wrote that he is celebrating his 90th
birthday!)
James Hurst
July 18,
2017.
Thursday, July 06, 2017
Thornton keeps the fitness call long after hockey
The 46-year-old Thornbury resident is the co-founder of the outdoor CrossFit competition UG Series Beach WOD now in its sixth year.
The July 7 to 9 event is expected to attract at least 1,000 athletes from all over the world plus their supporters to the new location, Millenium Park on Collingwood’s waterfront.
Ironically, it’s not the elite athletes he had in mind when he started the competition and it’s not the pros that keep him inspired.
“Strong athletes are there and represented, but truthfully I get motivated more by our Sunday athletes which are the beginners, the amateurs and our masters,” said Thornton.
“We’ve got a lady in her sixties who is competing. People like that is why I want to do it.
“It’s people who have never joined a gym in their life that have joined in the last two months and are out there having fun competing with their peers. Those are the ones I really get stoked about and really enjoy watching,” he said.
Thornton opened the first CrossFit gym in Collingwood, CrossFit Indestri in 2010. He started his first outdoor event as a motivator for his gym members. It was held in the winter at Scenic Caves with bar bells and kettle bells and logs in the middle of a sleet storm.
“It was exciting and it was outside and we were having fun with fitness,” he said. “We had 100, 110 people. It was a really small group, but it was exciting and fun. I was ecstatic, so then we did a summer event.”
The first UG Series Beach WOD was held in Wasaga Beach in 2012.
“With the beach, we thought let’s do a Navy Seal style event. It was very raw with sand bags, logs to carry, stuff to drag. It was more grunt work rather than skilled fitness.”
Thornton and partner Paul Sproule had a little more than 100 people but everyone found it satisfying.
They had devised divisions from absolute beginner through novice, elite and masters to make it inclusive.
“We made if fun for all which is why the event took off.”
It was held in Wasaga Beach for five years organized by Thornton, Sproule and Jennifer Nichol.
The Wheel WOD for para-athletes was added last year by organizer Chris Stoutenburg and it attracted athletes from as far away as Brazil.
“Adding that to our event was amazing. Those athletes are super inspiring to watch,” said Thornton.
While the Town of Wasaga Beach had always been supportive of the event, organizers were looking to freshen it up and felt a change of location was in order.
“The event itself allows for deep water and now we can do more swimming,” Thornton said.
“We are passionate about the Town of Collingwood and the community. That was a big driver in bringing it over here as well.”
After starting the UG Series, Thornton sold his share of the CrossFit gym to Stoutenburg and expanded UG events to Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto for a total of 25 competitions.
Thornton has now scaled back to the single annual Beach WOD as he has other local business interests and projects.
Growing up in London, he played Major Jr. A hockey with the former Belleville Bulls for three years.
He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1989 and went on to have an 18-year career with the NHL.
From the Leafs, the 6’ 3” winger then played for the Edmonton Oilers, the Montreal Canadiens, Dallas Stars and the San Jose Sharks. He finished his hockey career with the Los Angeles Kings, retiring in 2008.
Scott and his wife Joelle, who is a runner, were looking for a good community to raise their son Nash and daughter Zoe, now 21 and 17 respectively, and they chose Collingwood.
“This area encourages recreation and wellness and it’s a real nice place to raise a family.” Organizing the Beach WOD encourages a healthy lifestyle both for competitors and for spectators, who potentially join a gym, he said.
The event needs 100 to 125 volunteers to do time keeping, data entry, set up and tear down.
Anyone wanting to volunteer should go to the website ugseries.com or email: ugseries@gmail.com.
twitter.com/GiseleSarvis
A wonderful guy, and a fan favourite when he played for the Bulls.
The July 7 to 9 event is expected to attract at least 1,000 athletes from all over the world plus their supporters to the new location, Millenium Park on Collingwood’s waterfront.
Ironically, it’s not the elite athletes he had in mind when he started the competition and it’s not the pros that keep him inspired.
“Strong athletes are there and represented, but truthfully I get motivated more by our Sunday athletes which are the beginners, the amateurs and our masters,” said Thornton.
“We’ve got a lady in her sixties who is competing. People like that is why I want to do it.
“It’s people who have never joined a gym in their life that have joined in the last two months and are out there having fun competing with their peers. Those are the ones I really get stoked about and really enjoy watching,” he said.
Thornton opened the first CrossFit gym in Collingwood, CrossFit Indestri in 2010. He started his first outdoor event as a motivator for his gym members. It was held in the winter at Scenic Caves with bar bells and kettle bells and logs in the middle of a sleet storm.
“It was exciting and it was outside and we were having fun with fitness,” he said. “We had 100, 110 people. It was a really small group, but it was exciting and fun. I was ecstatic, so then we did a summer event.”
The first UG Series Beach WOD was held in Wasaga Beach in 2012.
“With the beach, we thought let’s do a Navy Seal style event. It was very raw with sand bags, logs to carry, stuff to drag. It was more grunt work rather than skilled fitness.”
Thornton and partner Paul Sproule had a little more than 100 people but everyone found it satisfying.
They had devised divisions from absolute beginner through novice, elite and masters to make it inclusive.
“We made if fun for all which is why the event took off.”
It was held in Wasaga Beach for five years organized by Thornton, Sproule and Jennifer Nichol.
The Wheel WOD for para-athletes was added last year by organizer Chris Stoutenburg and it attracted athletes from as far away as Brazil.
“Adding that to our event was amazing. Those athletes are super inspiring to watch,” said Thornton.
While the Town of Wasaga Beach had always been supportive of the event, organizers were looking to freshen it up and felt a change of location was in order.
“The event itself allows for deep water and now we can do more swimming,” Thornton said.
“We are passionate about the Town of Collingwood and the community. That was a big driver in bringing it over here as well.”
After starting the UG Series, Thornton sold his share of the CrossFit gym to Stoutenburg and expanded UG events to Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto for a total of 25 competitions.
Thornton has now scaled back to the single annual Beach WOD as he has other local business interests and projects.
Growing up in London, he played Major Jr. A hockey with the former Belleville Bulls for three years.
He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1989 and went on to have an 18-year career with the NHL.
From the Leafs, the 6’ 3” winger then played for the Edmonton Oilers, the Montreal Canadiens, Dallas Stars and the San Jose Sharks. He finished his hockey career with the Los Angeles Kings, retiring in 2008.
Scott and his wife Joelle, who is a runner, were looking for a good community to raise their son Nash and daughter Zoe, now 21 and 17 respectively, and they chose Collingwood.
“This area encourages recreation and wellness and it’s a real nice place to raise a family.” Organizing the Beach WOD encourages a healthy lifestyle both for competitors and for spectators, who potentially join a gym, he said.
The event needs 100 to 125 volunteers to do time keeping, data entry, set up and tear down.
Anyone wanting to volunteer should go to the website ugseries.com or email: ugseries@gmail.com.
twitter.com/GiseleSarvis
A wonderful guy, and a fan favourite when he played for the Bulls.
Tuesday, July 04, 2017
Holy Smoak!
The All Star
Break is just around the corner for Major league Baseball. The
Toronto Blue Jays have had a dismal June, and July has been even
worse. Players have an opportunity to heal some wounds, relieve
aching muscles, and rethink their game during the break.
One of the
Jays will not have much chance to relax during the break. That would
be Justin Smoak, because he was selected, by the fans, to play first
base for the American League All Stars. It is an honour, and well
deserved, as he is in the midst of his finest season in baseball.
Smoak began
his career in 2010 with the Texas Rangers. The following year he
became a Seattle Mariner, and he played for the Mariners until 2015,
when he joined the Jays. He was a part-time player for the Jays in
his first year, but managed to hit 18 home runs in less than 300 at
bats. This indicated that he had a power stroke, and he is a
switch-hitter. On July 1st that year, he hit home runs
from both sides of the plate!
He will be
joined by the rest of the American League All Stars when they take
the field in Miami.
Behind the
plate, Salvador Perez, the lumbering receiver from the Kansas City
Royals. At second base is the diminuitive Jose Altuve, from the
Houston Astros. His batting average is currently .327, one of the
highest in the league. At shortstop is his teammate Carlos Correa.
Outfielder George Springer also plays for the Astros. It is no
surprise, considering that they have three all stars on the squad,
that the Astros are faring well this year. They currently lead the
American League West division by 15 games over the Angels, a lead
that they most likely will maintain for the rest of the season.
At third
base is Jose Ramirez from the Cleveland Indians. Outfielders are Mike
Trout, (currently on the disabled list), and the remarkable Aaron
Judge from the Yankees. Judge is a giant, even among some very large
baseball players. He stands 6' 7”, and weighs almost 300 pounds. He
is a “shoe in” as Rookie of the Year, and may well be selected as
the Most Valuable Player. Corey Dickerson of the Rays rounds out the
AL All Stars as the Designated Hitter.
Buster Posey
from the San Francisco Giants will start his fifth All Star game. The
Washington Nationals have three starters who have been selected: Ryan
Zimmerman at 1st base, Daniel Murphy at 2nd
base, and Bryce Harper in the outfield.
Nolan
Arenado has 27 doubles so far this year, and leads the league in that
category. He represents the Colorado Rockies, playing 3rd
base. The Rockies' Charlie Blackmon leads the NL with 104 hits, and
10 triples, and will play the outfield. The other outfielder is
Marcel Ozuna, certainly a favourite as he represents the Marlins. The
game will be played on his home field in Miami.
Starting at
short stop for the Senior League is Zack Cozart from the Reds.
The Boston
Red Sox lead the AL East, and the Jays trail by ten games. They are 5
games behind in the Wild Card chase. Perish those statistics, as it
is far too soon to focus on them. Management of all teams will give
them some consideration as they plan for the rest of the season. If
the Jays front office fails to see much light at the end of the
tunnel, you will likely see major changes in the next few weeks. You
may have your heart broken.
The
Washington Nationals, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Los Angeles
Dodgers all lead their divisions in the National League. But the
season is not yet half finished, with more than 80 games to play. No
one is turning out the lights, not even here in Canada.
Happy 150th,
by the way!!
James Hurst
July 4, 2017
