Monday, June 24, 2019
Brooke Stands Alone
There was a
slight bit of “fuss and bother” on Sunday as Brooke Henderson won
her ninth professional golf tournament. The victory moved her past
three other Canadian golf professionals as the all-time leader:
Sandra Post, George Knudson, and Mike Weir.
I suppose it
is only natural that we take an element of pride in her
accomplishments. The commentators on the show, both American and
British, have nothing but wonderful things to say about our country
as the tournament progresses. (And yes, they do have hours of air
time to fill. They send out “research assistants” to find every
conceivable angle to talk about during the broadcast.)
It is never
an easy ride for any golf professional to get to the top of the heap.
Most pros do not win nine tournaments before they are 30 years old.
Brooke is 21. Certainly, the sky is the limit for the Smiths Falls
native.
She is quite
methodical: drive, chip, putt. There is always plenty of discussion
about her choice of caddies, as well. Her older sister, Brittany,
lugs the bag full of clubs. Before each shot, she and Brooke discuss
the options for a particular shot. I have followed the game for many
years. Most of the things that the Henderson sisters speak about, in
rather hushed tones, escape me. Brittany is also a golf professional,
but she has put her career on hold to accompany her sister. Both
girls owe a great deal to their parents : coaches, mentors, teachers.
They travel with the kids and offer guidance along the way.
There was a
time when all golfers carried the same clubs: 3, 5, 7, and 9 irons; a
couple of wedges; two or three woods. Some of you may remember the
terms “brassie” and “spoon”. Long before my time.
There is a
limit to the number of clubs that one is entitled to use. Go over the
limit, and the penalties are severe. Players have lost championships
because of this oversight. The Henderson girls discuss the choice of
club on the fairways, consider all of the elements, and leave the
shot to Brooke. Therein lies the secret to her success. She is able
to hit the ball to the spot she has chosen, most of the time.
Mike Weir is
still playing competitive golf. He will be playing on the Champions
Tour shortly. He has not had the game required to beat all of the
younger players. Once he turns 50, he will be playing against guys
his age, and those a bit older. Following the players on the senior
circuit is a real treat. There is very little people traffic. That
may change the day the Tiger Woods turns 50. Spectators are permitted
to stand closer to the players. The players occasionally chat with
the spectators! None of this hand slapping, high-five stuff!!
George
Knudson was Canada's best golfer for many years. Well, perhaps in a
tie with Al Balding. Unfortunately, he was in ill health for several
years, and passed away when he was 51. Another Canadian on the
professional circuit was Belleville's Gary Bowerman. A member of the
Belleville Sports Hall of Fame, Bowerman's grave site is on the
Loyalist Parkway, in the village of Bloomfield.
Sandra Post
was also Canada's premier female golfer, for many years. She won her
first professional tournament when she was 19. That record stood for
several decades, and Brooke won the same LPGA tournament when she was
18. Injuries forced Post to retire after more than a dozen successful
seasons on the tour. She resides in the Toronto area, but never too
far from a golf course.
It has been
a fine spring for Canadians, and their sports accomplishments. The
Raptors paraded along the Lakeshore on Monday, and sipped a little
champagne at Nathan Phillips Square. The Blues from St. Louis
celebrated in style, with more than half a million gathered to raise
the Cup. There are 17 skaters on the team carrying Canadian
passports.
The spring
winds have subsided, for the moment. Hopefully, you will be able to
tidy up after such a devastating spring. Dust off those clubs. Hit
the links!
James Hurst
June 17,
2019.
-- James Hurst 613.399.2278 sportslices.blogspot.ca
Not Quite Yet!!
For those of
you who were anticipating a conclusion to the National Basketball
season, here I am on Tuesday morning, resting uncomfortably with the
results from last night's game.
Toronto as a
host city, and Canada, as a country, have certainly warmed up to the
Raptors. As they headed into the finals against the Golden State
Warriors, the interest has become frenetic. We have all seen the
overhead camera shots of the throng at “Jurassic Park”, the
nickname for the square adjacent to the arena. They began pitching
tents outside the square on Saturday, to reserve a spot for the game
last night.
Kawhi
Leonard has won the hearts of a nation. His reserved demeanor suits
us just fine. He rarely shows much emotion. He simply goes on his
way, from offence to defence, doing whatever it takes. He certainly
has been the most valuable player in The Finals, by a long shot.
But there
just was not quite enough in the tank last night to seal the deal.
Just one point short! Kyle Lowry's shot was tipped by Draymond Green;
nonetheless, as time ran out, the Raptors headed to the dressing
room, to prepare for yet another game in California.
The Raptors
still lead the series 3-2. They could close it out at the Oracle
Arena, or play a Game Seven back in Toronto. That would suit the
rabble quite nicely.
“Toronto's
Finest” went on high alert on Monday evening. All leaves were
canceled as the constabulary made plans to keep the peace, in case of
a Raptor victory. Such was not the case, and the crowds downtown in
Toronto dispersed with barely a whimper. That is just as well, as the
potential for trouble is always there with such large crowds.
It was
announced on Monday night that Kevin Durant would be starting for the
Warriors. He had not played in a month, and was recovering from a leg
injury. Raptors' coach Nurse knew that he would have to come up with
defensive options to keep the Warrior scoring at a minimum. Durant
has been the MVP of the Finals a couple of times, and was a welcome
addition to the Warrior staff. To little avail, as he did not last
until half time.
Steph Curry
was at his best against the Raptors Monday night. He shot the lights
out, as did Klay Thompson. Curry commented after the game:
“Obviously, tonight was an emotional roller coaster from start to
finish. We have another game to play on Thursday. There's no more
statements needed to be made about who we are as a team, and our
heart and our competitiveness. We want to win this, and we're going
to give this everything we've got.”
The Raptors
trailed by two points with 15 seconds left in Monday night's game.
Two points they could not muster.
The Blues
and the Bruins are putting in their morning skate in Boston. It is
all on the line now. Game Seven, for all the marbles. And may the
officiating be fair and wise, on all counts.
James Hurst
June 11,
2019
-- James Hurst 613.399.2278 sportslices.blogspot.ca
Stanley Cup Final 2019
The St.
Louis Blues and the Boston Bruins are now preparing to play three
games to determine which team will have the right to carry the
Stanley Cup following the final game. On Monday night, the Blues tied
the series with a 4-2 victory in St. Louis.
These teams
do have some history in Stanley Cup play. Hockey fans will recall
that memorable occasion when Bobby Orr came from the corner near the
Blues' net, flipped the puck past Glenn Hall, and celebrated the goal
while flying through the air. A great goal, by a great player,
permanently etched into the memory of all hockey buffs. That ended
the hopes and dreams of the relatively young Blues, at that time.
The St.
Louis Blues is one of the few teams in the National Hockey League
never to have the opportunity to win the prize. The team has come
close, on occasion, but not for a long time.
Located in
the mid-west of the United States, it has taken a long time to
establish a strong hockey culture in the area. First of all, it is
truly American baseball territory. The Cardinals established
themselves as fan-favorites long before any sheets of ice saw the
light of day in that part of Missouri. College football and college
basketball reign supreme in those parts.
For many
years, the St. Louis Hawks was a member of the National Basketball
Association. Professional football in the form of the Cardinals and
the Rams captured the attention of sport fans in the city, only to
fall by the wayside, for a number of reasons.
There is an
enormous arch in St. Louis, indicating that the city is the “Gateway
to the West”. It is a rather curios phenomenon, because it is also
similar to a ride at Canada's Wonderland. You climb in a rather
crowded capsule, and slowly ascend the arch, to its apex. There is a
viewing room at the top of the arch. For someone who does not take
heights easily, the trip back to terra firma cannot come soon enough.
There are
many Blues' fans in the Quinte area, primarily because of the efforts
of Belleville's Rick Meagher. Meagher played 12 years in the NHL,
mainly with St. Louis. Along with a committee of friends and family,
he helped establish a fund-raising golf tournament in the Belleville
area. More than a million dollars was raised through the tournament,
and several play areas were established, for children, with the
funds.
Another
local connection to the Blues is another former captain, Brett Hull.
Hull became a prolific scorer for the Blues, often teaming with Adam
Oates. Hull is the son of Bobby Hull, and he was born in Belleville.
In order to stir the crowd on Monday night, Hull took the microphone
on the ice before the game, and led them in a cheer.
On the
Bruins side of the coin, a former star with the team was also born in
Belleville: Eddie Westfall. He left the city as a young child.
Another former Bruin from this area is Wayne “Weiner” Brown.
Brown was with the Bruins for a cup of coffee, but made his mark in
hockey as an important member of the Belleville McFarlands when they
won the Allan Cup and the World Championship in 1959.
More
recently, Andrew Raycroft spent some time tending the goal for the
Bruins. He currently resides in the area, and does television and
radio work for the Bruins.
There is a
host of other Bruin fans in this area, all shapes and sizes, and for
various reasons. They will all be glued to their television sets on
Thursday night for Game Five, from Boston.
Great hockey
traditions from the great game of hockey.
June 4, 2019
-- James Hurst 613.399.2278 sportslices.blogspot.ca
Wednesday, June 05, 2019
Raptors Romp to the Finals 2019
For the
first time in team history, the Toronto Raptors will be playing in
the National Basketball Association finals, set to begin Thursday
night in Toronto.
It has been
a fabulous ride up to this point in time, and there is no reason to
think it will change. They are facing the Golden State Warriors in
the final. The Warriors are led by Steph Curry, who learned to
negotiate the streets of Toronto as a young lad when his dad Dell
played for the Raptors.
In order to
earn the right to face the Warriors, the Raptors had to get by the
Milwaukee Bucks, led by their young star Giannis Antetokounmpo. The
Raptors had lost the first two games in Milwaukee to begin the
series, and needed to play desperate basketball. That is exactly what
hey did.
They started
the final game slowly, and it appeared as if both teams would be
heading back to Wisconsin for Game Seven. Kawhi Leonard, who has
emerged as the leader of the Raptors, had only eight points in the
first half. His shots were banging off the rim, or rolling around it
and falling outside the netting. The team trailed 31-18 at the end of
the first quarter.
The team
trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half. But of course,
basketball is a game of great momentum changes, and the Raptors
benefited from that late in the game. They outscored the Bucks 29-18
in the final quarter to win the game 100-94. There was a great sense
of relief in the Scotiabank Arena, on Saturday night.
Kyle Lowry,
the longest-serving Raptor, and one tough customer, spoke eloquently
after the game. His message was that the Raps are not done, and that
they will not be happy until they have won the title. Lowry had 17
points in the game, one less than Pascal Siakam. Leonard led the team
with 17 rebounds.
The Raptors
will need strong games from other players as well. Marc Gasol joined
the team at the trade deadline, and he has been a perfect fit. At
different times in the game, coach Nick Nurse relies on a variety of
players, for different reasons: Serge Ibaka, Fred VanVleet, Norm
Powell, Danny Green, and the rest of the supporting cast. Great teams
need to practise hard in order to become great, and the relatively
unknown players who work the superstars in practice deserve
recognition. OG Anunoby is recovering from injuries, and may be
available for the final series.
Defence is a
key to winning basketball. It is not easily recognized. It is not
always the tremendous shot block, nor a flashy steal. It involves
hustle, and grit. It involves busting through screens to disrupt
plays. Coach Nurse: “We are pretty gritty on defence. That gives
you a chance no matter how well you shoot it.” He feels that the
best version of his Raptors is when they play physical defence, and
communicate well.
Of course
there is a Stanley Cup final between the St. Louis Blues and the
Boston Bruins. There are Blue Jay baseball games, great golf, and a
host of other sports activities. That is why I am in charge of the
channel changer. (At least I think I am.)
James Hurst
May 26, 2019
