Wednesday, January 15, 2020
The Canadian Football League Welcomes New Owners
I realize
that they are still in the process of eliminating teams from
competition south of our borders. Last weekend, The Kansas City
Chiefs disposed of the Houston Texans, despite falling behind 24-0 in
the first half. Other survivors include the San Francisco 49ers, the
Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans. Last Monday night, the NCAA
Championship was decided with Louisiana State University outlasting
Clemson.
A week ago,
I received a bulletin from the CFL indicating that the Montreal
Alouettes had been purchase by entrepreneurs Sid Spiegel and Gary
Stern. Without getting into any heavy financial analysis, the
Alouettes had fallen on hard times, financially, and had been taken
over by the league. Not the first time the CFL has had to rescue a
franchise.
Ottawa had
seen such activity in previous years, and the names Glieberman and
Chen come to mind. Several years ago, the Argos were in dire straits,
with Harry Ornest owning the team at one time. Players were advised
to cash their cheques before the ink dried. At one time, one owner
divided his time between the two teams he owned. And yes, a decision
was made to expand into the American market. Remember when the
Baltimore Stallions hoisted the Grey Cup as CFL champions? Did not
compute.
The Western
contingent has always been the most stable in the CFL. Calgary,
British Columbia, Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, and Edmonton have helped
carry on the great traditions of the CFL.
Many of us
remember great times of the CFL, and great players. When reflecting
on the purchase of the Alouettes, Stern recalled the hay days of the
team. “There have been so many great players spanning so many eras,
from Sam Etcheverry to Hal Patterson to Peter Dalla Riva to Wally
Buono to Anthony Calvillo and Ben Cahoon-this is as humbling as it is
exciting”.
When Spiegel
and his son-in-law Stern placed their offer for the team on the CFL
table, hearts were pounding, I am sure. CFL Commissioner Randy
Ambrosie indicated his pleasure: “These gentlemen emerged with the
best offer in hand, and the best interests of the Alouettes and
their fans at heart.
The Spiegel
family has deep roots in the Quinte Region. Crawford Metals, located
near the rail yards in central Belleville, is one of the main
components of the organization. There are also several locations of
Crawford Metals throughout the country. The original Belleville
Plaza, on Dundas Street in the east end of the city, was a project
spear-headed by Mr. Spiegel. Joe Burke's Men's Wear was a staple at
that location for many years. I may have sold you a pair of socks on
Christmas Breaks at the store.
The CFL has
been a great place for young Canadian players to get their feet wet,
in professional football. Many players have stayed in the league
throughout their careers. But it has always been a place for American
athletes to play the game. There is a strict quota on the number of
Americans permitted on each roster. I dare say, if that were not the
case, you would not find many Canadians on the fields of the CFL.
The latest
blurb from the CFL has league officials scouring the planet for
talent, conducting clinics for a CFL combine in March. Micky Kyei and
Sebastien Sagne, both receivers, qualified in the first clinic.
William James earned a spot at the stop in Sweden. Other January
clinics will take place in Paris, Florence, Bristol, and Frankfurt.
In February, they will assess players in Tokyo, Osaka, Copenhagen,
and Mexico. The CFL Chief Financial Officer and Head of Football
Operation Greg Dick said, “We were impressed with the calibre of
athletes we saw on display”.
All of this,
in mid-January!! Before you know it, there will be fields, barren of
snow, covered in stripes up to the 55 yard line!!
All the best
to the Spiegels and the Sterns.
James Hurst
January 14,
2020
Crossing the Line
Lines were
always drawn in the sand, with a stick, to let adversaries know how
far they could go. Nations, unfortunately, send the same message with
tanks and bombs. In all of our worlds, political, social, there are
lines that are drawn. If crossed, there are consequences.
Take Don
Cherry, for example. Without even realizing what he had done, he
crossed the line of political correctness, and lost his job. There
are those of us who believe that Don may have done the same thing
several times in the past, but managed to dodge the bullet and stay
in the “Coaches' Corner”. Don stood for many of the things that
we consider important to the game of hockey: toughness, positional
play, support of teammates.
But he was
careless with his comments over the years. He demeaned players from
Quebec, years ago. He did not like it when European players began to
take the place of North American players. He often strayed in his
discussions with Ron McLean to many topics that had little to do with
the game.
There will
not be any “tag days” for Don Cherry. He has made a ton of money
from sales of “Rock 'em, sock 'em Hockey”. He continues to do
radio work, and now has a podcast, sharing his ideas with listeners.
More
recently, many players, coaches, managers and fans have signed on to
state their cases about proper conduct in the game. One coach, Bill
Peters, was behind the bench in Calgary a week ago, but is now
unemployed. It was determined that neither his language nor his
behaviour was acceptable to team authorities, nor to the league
itself. In fact, most observers feel that he stepped way over the
line.
Peters'
situation came to light following an article in Sports
Illustrated. The article showed that Peters had a nasty tongue,
often laced with racial tirades. When he coached at lower levels in
hockey, he was considered to be a severe taskmaster. You may
interpret that any way you like. Much of the discipline that he
administered would have been behind closed doors, locker room doors.
But
Peters is by no means the only coach who has resorted to belittling
or bullying players. I would venture to say that such behaviour
occurs every year, in every sport.
Coaches
are paid to win. The people who hire and pay coaches are never happy
with failure. And so, the abuse just gets passed down the line, to
the players. Coaches are expected to “light a fire” to ignite
their teams to succeed.
Sean
Avery said yesterday that Marc Crawford kicked him while they were
both on the bench. Avery had cost the team a “too many men”
penalty, but another player was serving the time. Crawford, now an
assistant coach with the Black Hawks, has been put on leave while the
team investigates the incident.
The
Montreal Canadiens have run into hard times, lately. The fans and the
media in Montreal are calling for the head of Claude Julien. I
exaggerate. But they certainly want him ousted. A fly on the wall of
the Habs' dressing room these past couple of weeks likely has
received an earful
There
are many unwritten rules in the game of hockey, in all games for that
matter. Those rules must not be violated. More so today that ever
before, the world of social media will pounce upon situations where
either players or coaches have crossed the line, and heads will roll.
A
sticky wicket, as they say on the pitches.
James
Hurst
December
3, 2019.
A lot has transpired since I wrote this. Marc Crawford is back behind the bench in Chicago. Gallant was fired yesterday by Las Vegas, Vegas then hired Peter DeBoers, who was recently shown the door by San Jose.
Did you ever play musical chairs? When the music stops, grab a vacant chair.
The President's Cup-Golf
Tiger Woods, with the Cup.
Professional
golfers finished their 2019 season with a couple of tournaments; one
in Naples, Florida, and the other in Melbourne, Australia. The
President's Cup is a challenge that is held every two years between
the United States, and an international brigade. Each team has an
entourage of leaders, with a captain in charge. The Americans were
led by Tiger Woods, who steered the ship and played as well. The
International team was captained by “The Big Easy” Ernie Ells,
from South Africa.
Adam Hadwin
was the lone Canadian on the squad. It is a popular event, one which
puts a couple of dollars in the competitors' pockets. The tournament
in Naples is a series of rounds with partners playing for the right
to pocket serious green.
Last weekend
was most indicative of what we are to expect the rest of this NHL
season. Expect the unexpected. The Belleville Senators defeated the
Toronto Marlies in Toronto. It was the first loss of the season for
the Marlies in their home barn. (They also dropped a game when they
played at Scotiabank Place.) And the Ottawa Senators, the parent
club, picked up a win at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It
is always entertaining to hear Coach Tortorella's comments at the end
of one of those tilts. Here's another head-scratcher: the Montreat
Canadiens have played well recently following a dismal stretch. So
what did they do on Saturday night? Lose, at home, to the worst team
in the NHL, the Detroit Red Wings. .
The Maple
Leafs dropped a game on Friday night, giving up a lead in the third
period to lose to the Flames. On Saturday night, following all of the
fanfare generated by a Leafs-Oilers hookup, the Blue and White bested
the Oilers in Edmonton. Expect the unexpected. One only has to recall
the results from last season to realize that anything can happen. The
St. Louis Blues were languishing in last place about this time of
year. In a dramatic turnaround, they put enough pucks in the net to
win the Stanley Cup for the first time in the history of the club.
Kawhi
Leonard, as you may recall, played some hoops last year for the
Toronto Raptors. He's the guy with the funny laugh, (Uh huh, uh huh,
uh huh. It bought down the house at the parade.) He returned to
Toronto late last week to renew acquaintances. He elevated his game,
once again, and showed why he is such a dominant player. No matter
what the talking heads seem to think, (Matt and Jack), it says here
that this year's NBA champs will come out of the west.
And yes, it
is Sunday. Hmmmm. What do I do on Sundays, convalescing from this hip
replacement? I watch the NFL, of course. Those pesky Bills have
remained in the hunt, despite some dismal performances. Are the
Patriots sliding somewhat this year? Will the Eagles sneak in the
back playoff door? The Bills punched their ticket to post season play
with their win over the Steelers.
Yet another
surprise firing at the NHL level. Peter DeBoers and his entourage of
coaches have been shown the door in San Jose. These teams have far
deeper pockets than I, paying these guys millions of dollars to sit
on their duffs at home following the firings. Gone is Bill Peeters
from the Flames, Jim Montgomery from Dallas, and Mike
Babcock from The Leafs.
As the NFL
winds down, more coaching jobs will become available. Time to read up
on the details. One never knows when one might get the call.
December 16,
2016
Mike Soroka-Tip O'neill Award Winner
Mike Soroka
The Canadian
Baseball Hall of Fame is located in St. Mary's, Ontario, not far from
London. I plan to darken the doors there this summer.
Once a year,
Scott Crawford, the director of operations from the Hall announces
the winner of the Tip O'Neill Award. This year's winner is Mike
Soroka from the Atlanta Braves. The award is given to a Canadian
player judged to have excelled in individual achievement and team
contribution while adhering to baseball's highest ideals.
I am sure
you would agree with me when I say that Soroka is just a good guy. He
is active in charitable and community endeavours. He works through
the Braves Foundation to help with the Dave Krache Foundation and the
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. During the season, he hosted
children and parents involved with the epilepsy unit from the
hospital. He also serves as the Kidsport Calgary ambassador.
I chatted
with former Major Leaguer Paul Quantrill this morning. His son Cal
has just completed his first year with the San Diego Padres.
Quantrill mentioned that Soroka was a “quality individual”.
Quantrill has been involved with Canadian baseball for many years
after retiring from the game. He has been instrumental in assisting
young Canadians as they attempt to find their way on the path to a
career in baseball.
Paul's son
attended Trinity College School in Port Hope before heading south. In
2016, he underwent Tommy John surgery, certainly a setback to his
young career. He rebounded however, to become a first round draft
pick by the Padres. He will likely be able to pay for his own ticket
when he goes to the movies with his family.
Scott
Crawford had this to say about Soroka: “Mike Soroka put together
one of the best rookie seasons by a Canadian pitcher in major league
history. He not only had an outstanding regular season with the
Atlanta Braves, but he was also dominant in his first post-season
start. He's definitely a worthy recipient of the award.”
In his first
full major league season, Soroka had a 13-4 record and a 2.68 earned
run average. He struck out 142 batters in 29 starts for the Braves.
His impressive ERA was third in the National League. He had a road
ERA of 1.35, the fifth lowest in the major leagues since 1913. (with
a minimum of 15 games started).
Soroka made
his major league debut on May 1, 2018, pitching five starts for the
Braves last year. He is an alumni of the Junior National Team.
Soroka
certainly appreciated the award. “When I had been told I would be
the recipient of the 2019 Tip O'Neill Award, it really did put me
back in a sense of awe. Having had the opportunity to grow up through
the Canadian Baseball Program, (Junior National Team), I have always
felt a sense of pride when there are Canadians excelling in this
game. I am always sure to mention to anyone watching other games in
the clubhouse when a Canadian is at the plate or on the mound. I am
beyond humbled to have the honour of sharing this award with some of
the greats of not just Canadian baseball, but Major League Baseball
period. The sense of pride has stemmed from others who represented
Canadian baseball so well before me, and is something I hope to carry
on as well.”
Tip O'Neill
was one of baseball's early stars. Born in Woodstock, Ontario, he
played for the St. Louis Browns in the 19th century.
Criteria for the award include on-field performance, contributions to
the team, community and charitable endeavours, and support in fan
voting.
Last year's
winner was James Paxton from the Yankees. Larry Walker, Justin
Morneau, Joey Votto, Eric Gagne, and Jason Bay have won the award on
more than one occasion.
There were
16 Canadians who played major league baseball last year. With global
warming clearing the snow earlier in the spring, there's no telling
how that number might increase in the future! Perhaps.
James Hurst
November 10,
2019.
Fred Thomas-A Complete Athlete
Every once
in a while, a friend will put a bug in my ear about a certain
athlete, or a team, or a significant sports event. Several years ago,
I wrote about “Jumpin'” Johnny Wilson, a basketball player from
Indiana. Wilson came from a small city in Indiana, and was generally
recognized as “Mr. Basketball” in the state.
Fred Thomas
was born in Windsor, Ontario, in 1923. He was a fifth generation
Canadian, whose ancestry could be traced to fugitive slaves in North
Carolina, and to Barbadian immigrants. He was an outstanding high
school athlete in Windsor, attending J. C. Patterson Collegiate
Institute. He attended Assumption College, now Windsor University,
and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1949.
While
attending high school in Windsor, he excelled in track and field
events, played football, and led his team to a provincial
championship by defeating Ottawa Glebe Collegiate in Toronto.
When he
finished high school, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force,
and earned his wings just before the end of the war. He then began
his studies at Assumption College. A gifted athlete, standing at 6'
3”, he also towered over most of the other competitors at that
time. In his freshman year, he led his team to a 49-45 victory over
the Harlem Globetrotters. At that time, the Globetrotters were
generally recognized as one of the best basketball teams in the
world.
Thomas used
his terrific speed to break up passing plays, and he was constantly a
thorn in the side of the Globetrotters.
In his
senior year, he led his team to the Ontraio Senior Men's Championship
when they defeated Toronto Central 90-56. Thomas had 47 points in the
victory. At that time, the Toronto Globe and Mail descibed him as the
“best Negro athlete in Canada”. In his four year college career,
he amassed 2 059 points, ranking him third amongst the NCAA scorers
in that era. Those days at Assumption were simply called the
“Thomistic Era”. A newspaper at that time reported that he
“played the game with the grace of a swan, and the agility of a
gazelle”.
Thomas
played baseball for the Negro League Detroit Senators in 1947, and
also for the Farnham Pirates in 1948 in the Quebec Provincial League.
In a July 4, 1948, double-header, he took the field for the
Wilkes-Barre Barons, a farm team of the |Cleveland Indians. His
appearance was the first of a black player in the Eastern League,
about a year after Jackie Robinson broke the colour barrier in the
major leagues.
He also
played basketball with a black barn-storming basketball team owned by
Abe Saperstein, who also owned the Globetrotters. He was invited to
their training camp in 1949, but was late in arriving because he had
to finsh the season with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian
Football League.
Following
his illustrious atletic career, he became a coach and physical
education teacher in East York at Valley Park High School. He died in
1981.
James Hurst
December 25,
2019.
Sunday, January 05, 2020
Canadians at the World Championships-2020
On Sunday
afternoon, many television sets across the country were tuned in to
the World Junior Hockey Championships beamed across the Atlantic to
us from the Czech Republic. For a variety of reasons, this tournament
has become quite important to Canadian hockey fans.
The results
are not always the best for Canadians. There have been years when the
team has been knocked out of the playoffs even before the medal
rounds began. One goal, here or there, one lucky bounce, and it is
simply a matter of “loser go home, winner advance”. It would be a
very tough pill to swallow for the young players.
There is
prestige involved in this tournament. Countries begin to build their
rosters years before the tourney begins. Coaches, scouts, and other
knowledgeable hockey folk begin the selection process when these
hockey youngsters are pretty wet behind the ears. Thus begins the
pruning process. The kids are under the microscope from a variety of
perspectives.
There is a
significant financial burden to any family involved in this process.
There are no scholarships, no burseries, no secret payments to the
families of these potential superstars. From the time that they show
the potential, these kids must play at elevated levels of hockey in
order to keep their place in the pecking order. For a ten year old
kid, parents are expected to shell out tens of thousands of dollars
each year: ice time, equipment, travel costs, registration fees,
insurance costs, personal sacrifices.
There are no
guarantees at the end of the hockey rainbow. There can be all sorts
of roadblocks in the way to stardom. Because of the nature of the
game, injuries take their toll. Even the best of the best, Bobby Orr,
as an example, spent many days and nights on surgical tables, and in
recuperation. Not all coaches are perfect, by any means.
There is
plenty of discussion in today's hockey world, about the men behind
the bench. There are demands made of coaches at all levels today.
They must be knowledgeable, sensitive, patient and kind. There have
been several firings at the NHL level this year, simply because there is
breakdown in communication between the coach and his or her team. It
is a most difficult task, to motivate a team of players to play at
their best level, as a team. The modern player must be treated as an
individual, within the terms of his contract.
We have
created “superbodies” to look after the Canadian teams that play
international hockey. In the case of the Junior team, Dale Hunter
has been put in charge of the troops. In consultation with his
coaches, and the management, he decides who will play in goal, who
will line up as forwards and defensive partners, and, occasionally,
who will sit in the press box.
And so, with
less than four minutes remaining in the third period, Canada's Akil
Thomas scored the winning goal to give the Canadians a 4-3 victory.
There were tears on the Russian bench. After all, those young lads
had been through the grueling process in many ways similar to the
players from all the other teams.
They will do
this again next December: selecting players, special training camps,
selecting coaches, mass preparation. The tournament will take place
in Alberta, Red Deer and Edmonton. May I exhale now?
James Hurst
January 5,
2020
