Friday, October 26, 2018

 

Tim Hortons Cards 2018





I am not terribly fussy about commercials on television. I am sure that 92% of you would agree with that comment. Recently, I watched a commercial for Tim Hortons that made me jump out of my chair.


A Zamboni slowly edged its way to the window for the driver to place his order. None other than Sidney Crosby pronounced “Double double”. A translation into English means that he was ordering two coffees, each with two sugars, and two creams. His friend on the Zamboni reminded him to buy some hockey cards. The commercial could have been shot in the summer in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. Both lads are from that place. The other rider on the ice machine is Nathan MacKinnon, a fine hockey player in his own right, who plays for the Colorado Avalanche.


The promo was for the Tim Hortons hockey card collection, which is currently available at the restaurants. Some restaurants even offer special “Trading nights”. Collectors are invited to bring their doubles or traders on those nights to help complete their collections. There is a trading night coming up this Thursday, October 25th, in Belleville, at two locations. There is also a Trading Night in Wellington. The times at both locations are from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.


As is usually the case, there is a large collection of cards in the series, beginning with # 1, Tim Horton himself. There are 120 cards in the “Base Set”. The last card in the set is John Tavares. He is shown in his New York Islanders uniform, likely because they printed the set before he became a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Max Domi is shown in his Arizona uniform, although he is now a member of the Montreal Canadiens.


Even the Sedin twins are included in this year's set. It seems like eons ago when they decided to pack their bags, and head back to Sweden.


Statistics are shown on the backs of the cards for the last five years. As an example, the stats for Shea Webber include his days with the Nashville Predators for three years. He was then traded for P. K. Subban, and has spent the past two seasons with the Habs. His first year in Montreal was quite productive, and his plus/minus total was plus 20. He ran into injuries last year, and only played 26 games. Goals, assists, penalty minutes, and power play goals are included in these stats.

For those of you who have braver hearts than I, and thicker wallets, there are insert sets.There are: Top Line Talents, NHL All Star Standouts, Game Day Action cards, Superstar Showcase cards, Golden Etching cards, and Claer Cut Phenoms.


There are also really special autograph cards, and “Jersey Relics” autograph cards. I recommend that you do not try to buy your way into these rarer cards. With the mandatory beverage purchase, it will set you back $ 250 000. You read that correctly. There are also autographed Brad Marchand Timbits cars, one in every 123 384 packs.

Personally, I am happy with the Base Set. 120 really nice cards, the best players in the game. Now I will share a little secret. I buy a few cards, with beverages, just to see what is on offer. Then I make a call to a friend of mine, and I buy the entire 120 card set from him for $ 25. It saves a lot of hassle, and a lot of money. If you would like one of these sets, give me a call. I am in the book. I still have a “land line” to help me communicate with my friends.


James Hurst
October23, 2018.


Sunday, October 21, 2018

 

Getting to the Top-Hannah Hellyer

Hannah Hellyer


There are two main routes to be followed if a man or a woman wants to play golf on the PGA or the LPGA tour. Route # 1 starts after you finish college or university.
Route # 2 starts whenever you think you are ready.


Canada's premier female golfer today, Brooke Henderson, followed the second route. She became a full time professional golfer while still in her teens, without ever cracking a text book at an institution of higher learning.


Hannah Hellyer followed the first route which naturally takes a little longer. The Stirling, Ontario, native honed her skills on the rolling terrain of the Oak Hills Golf Club, under the watchful eye of long-time pro Ralph Kuster. She earned a scholarship to play four years at Gardner Webb University in North Carolina, where she studied international business.


In her youth, she spent several years as a centre on the Stirling Blues hockey team, occasionally adding her talents to teams from Madoc and Napanee. While working on her MBA at McKendry University in Lebanon, Illinois, she helped coach hockey and golf.


Work began at Windermere Lodge in the Muskokas. As a young golf pro at a golf course, she was responsible for a variety of functions: preparing clubs for the guests and members, assisting at the pro shop, arranging carts for the guests. She moved on to a similar position at St. George's in Toronto. Last year, she qualified to play in the Canadian Open in Ottawa. The experience helped kindle the flame in her to become a touring pro. In her second year in Toronto this year, she decided to pursue that dream.


She knew there was a long and expensive road ahead of her. She completed the first stage of qualification in California, successfully, and is in the early stages of the second round. The main group of professional female golfers is currently on the “Asian Swing”. Those that played on the secondary tour, called the Symetra Tour, and were in the top group, have already qualified to play on the LPGA Tour next year.


Hannah played her first round of the Stage II qualifying tournament on Monday. She scored 77. She was joined by 192 other hopefuls on the Panther Course and the Bobcat Course of the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida. Each competitor plays 72 holes of stroke play, with no cut. The top 25 players advance to the next stage, taking place in Pinehurst, North Carolina, in late October.


With newcomers like Hannah, and veterans from other tours, it is not an easy way to get to the top. Csiesi Rozsa hails from Budapest, Hungary, and just finished her second year on the Symetra Tour. She knows what she faces. “It is going to be a tougher field because there is going to be fewer spots making it through”.


Each of these “schools” costs in the range of $ 3 000. A “go fund me” page has been set up to help Hannah along the way. Understandably so. Not for the feint of heart.


James Hurst
October 15, 2018.

 

You Can't Teach Speed



One of the favourite expressions used by scouts of all sports is, “You can't teach speed”. Athletes can be taught pass patterns, breakout plays, base stealing. But only a select few have the speed to be successful at positions requiring speed.


Football is a violent game. Every single player who suits up to play professionally knows that before going onto the field. They have experienced the violence from childhood, playing at the “Pop Warner” level. We use other names for minor football in Canada, but it is still the same: physical contact requiring significant protection.


Players wear helmets. They are made of durable material, and are lined with foam rubber to protect the player. Some helmets have air cushions. All equipment is designed to give players as much protection as possible.


On most plays, the player receiving the snap is the most vulnerable one on the field. Penalties have been created to protect the quarterback and the punter. There are also penalties for roughing the person who receives punts. In Canada, players must not encroach on a punt receiver for less that five yards, until he touches the ball. In the states, players can indicate a “fair catch”, and no one is to touch the receiver until he touches the ball. Good safety rules.


Most kick and punt returners are the fastest players on the field. They run elusively, and hope to churn up as many yards as possible before being tackled. Unfortunately, in the United States, kick returns have virtually been eliminated from the game. This is beyond my comprehension. One of the most exciting aspects of pro football has been eliminated. They say it is in the name of safety. Hogwash, I say. There are so many other situations in football equally as dangerous as kick returns.


Most kickoffs are returned in the Canadian Football League. One of the reasons for that is because the fields including the end zones are shorter in the NFL. Their kickoffs to start games, and those after touchdowns are rarely returned. Shameful.


Mike “Pinball” Clemons works for the Toronto Argonauts. He is the best ambassador the league has ever known. Thousands have met him, been photographed with him, (even before the selfie thing), collected his autograph. But when he retired as a player from the Argos, his name was near the top of many punt and kick return record categories for the league.


He returned 300 kickoffs in his career. The leader in that category is Henry “Gizmo” Williams with 325. Both players lead the league for yards collected on kickoff returns in their careers.


In the CFL, missed field goals can be returned for touchdowns. Tied for the record of only two in their careers are Ezra Landry and Marcus Thigpen. The remarkable thing about all of the players I have mentioned is that neither stands above 5' 7' tall. Even that is a stretch. Several of the public school kids from Belleville Minor Football met Landry after a game. “Is he ever small!” they remarked. But, I told them, as tough as nails.


In the United States, the list of great kick returners is led by Devin Hester, Deion Sanders, Gale Sayers, and Dante Hall. Great players who might be out of work in today's game.


Just one man's opinion. Run fast, run deep, I say!


October, 2018

 

The Ryder Cup-2918





More than one hundred thousand golf fans packed the fairways and the grandstands of a golf course near Paris, France, last week, to watch the latest edition of the Ryder Cup. Most of them were there, of course, to watch the Americans lose.


The Ryder Cup takes place every two years, and the trophy is named after an English businessman who donated the cup. The first Ryder Cup took place in 1927, in Worcester Country Club, Massachusetts. Nowadays, it has become the scene of very bitter rivalries. American fans are delighted to chant “USA, USA” when their players are doing well. The Europeans reply with “Ole, Ole, Ole...” which is heard, occasionally, at the Bell Centre in Montreal.


There has been a bit of animosity toward the Americans for decades. It may have come from the methods used by the Americans to help the Europeans after the World Wars. There may be a hint of jealousy on the part of the Europeans towards the Americans and their success in world economics. The rivalry on the golf course is intense.


Until recently, there was a certain dignity on golf courses. Marshalls and course personnel hold up signs to quieten the crowds while players prepare to putt. For the most part, that is still respected. What is somewhat bothersome is the mean-spirited way fans explode when one of the rivals misses an easy putt. It's like cheering a double fault in tennis. Just rubbing it in.


I am certain that all of this commotion has an effect on the players. Many American players who are normally unfazed by the clamour played very poorly in France. The team was defeated 17 1/2 points to 10 1/2 points. In golfing circles, a pretty sound thumping. Bubba Watson, Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, Rickey Fowler all suffered defeat in the singles competition.


Francisco Molinari is the first golfer in history to win a major tournament, and then end up with a perfect 5-0 record at the Ryder Cup. He was mobbed by his fans after he drained his putt to defeat Phil Mickelson, ahead by 4 holes with two holes to play.


Sergio Garcia defeated Fowler in his singles match. With his victory, he became the winningest competitor in Ryder Cup history. The European team consists of players from Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Spain , and France.
The next Ryder Cup will take place at Whistling Straits, Haven, Wisconsin. Two years later, the championship will be held in Italy. Molinari seemed to be in agreement with that decision.


It made for riveting television. The format is match play, and players can make substantial gains when opponents have a couple of bad holes. Tiger Woods, who recently won his first tournament in several years, was weary after the Cup. “It's been a long grind,” he told ESPN's Bob Harig. “This is my seventh week of golf out of the last nine weeks. I believe I've been grinding at it.”


When they lifted the golden goblet out of its case, you could almost hear the roar on this side of the Atlantic. Rest assured, if the Americans are successful in Wisconsin in a couple of years, there will be plenty of “USA” cheers. Guaranteed.


There are still a few nice golfing days remaining. Hit 'em straight.

James Hurst
October 10, 2018.




 

REDBLACKS Football-Dodging the tornados



                                               Hunter Loft with Jean-Christophe Beaulieu


The wicked winds of September streaked across Ontario last Friday night. By the time they reached Ottawa, they had formed three tornadoes, with sufficient strength to cause hundreds of millions of dollars of damage. One of the whirlwinds jumped across the Ottawa River, causing extensive destruction in Gatineau, Quebec. Non-partisan winds.


Ever the troopers, we jumped in the car Saturday morning and headed to our nation's capital for the REDBLACKS' game against the Edmonton Eskimos. We had no idea about the extent of the damage. But once we entered the inner city, we knew something was amiss. None of the traffic lights worked, and there was chaos on the roads.


More than 150 000 hydro customers were affected by the storm. Fortunately, for us football fans, there was power in and around Lansdowne Park. Game on, girls and boys!! The stands filled slowly as people struggled to get to the game. We took the advised route by going to Canada Post headquarters, (the building where mail is stored!) and taking the bus from there. A normal half hour journey took more than an hour.


The game began at 4:00pm, in brilliant sunshine. The little flags on the top of the goalposts danced only slightly, indicating little or no significant wind on the field. In the first half, neither team was able to get the ball into the end zone on most opportunities. Fortunately for the REDBLACKS, their rookie kicker, Lewis Ward, was right on the money throughout the game. He blasted seven field goals through the uprights for the second time this season. Late in the game, Ottawa quarterback Trevor Harris hit Greg Ellingson for a touchdown to complete the scoring. Final score: Ottawa 28, Edmonton 15. (Or should that read: Lewis Ward 21, Ottawa 7, Edmonton 15.)


The score was close throughout the game. Ottawa would nudge ahead, only to be caught by the Eskimos. Teams began the second half with Ottawa leading 12-7. They rolled down the field, but failed to move the ball on second down in the red zone. They got 3 points on their field goal to edge ahead 15-7. The Eskimos stormed back on a touchdown pass to their brilliant receiver, D'haquille Williams. Their two point convert tied the score. But those were the last points that the Eskimos tacked onto the scoreboard.


The game was marred by penalty flags, turnovers and bad decisions. But all of those things, as well as some brilliant play, made for an exciting afternoon of football. The REDBLACKS now enjoy a bye week, whereas the Eskimos will face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on September 29th.


Our grandson, Hunter, spent an hour after the game meeting with many of the players from both teams. They were all very pleasant and courteous, Chatting with him, signing his Belleville Minor Football League jersey. One player gave him his headband. Another told him that he was sorry, that he could not give him his gloves because they cost $ 45, plus tax, and he had to pay for them himself!!


We drove back to The County after the game, hesitating at all of the non-functioning traffic lights. A great way to spend a very fine Canadian autumn day!!


James Hurst
September 25, 2018

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