Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Tommy Hottovy 2020
All
professional sports leagues are gearing up to start some sort of
season with the next few weeks. Some are attempting to end seasons
and start playoffs, others ready to begin new years.
The Toronto
Blue Jays checked into their hotel in downtown Toronto last night. It
did not appear to be a time of smiles and chuckles. It was all
business, with a hint of deep concern. There are many players on
Major League Baseball teams who have tested positive for the Corona
virus; however, players, management and the fans are forging ahead
with preparation for the season. Some players, notably David Price
who once pitched for the Jays, have opted out for the 2020 season.
More than 7
years ago, I had the good fortune to meet Tommy Hottovy. He was
taking in the sights at the Edison and Ford Estates in Fort Myers,
Florida. His Dad worked there, and Tommy and his family were
visiting. The column I wrote about him appeared in The Times in March
that year, and is available at the sportslices.blogspot.com
site. I also wrote about him in April, 2016. There is a little
rectangular box in the upper left corner of the site. Type in any
name. If I have written about that person, an article should appear.
Tommy
is now 38 years old, and has just completed the battle of his life.
Despite taking every precaution he could think of, he contracted
COVID 19. He had no underlying health conditions, simply a young guy
in great shape. He now works as the pitching coach of the Chicago
Cubs.
I
picked up his report from another web site, relaying news from
NBCSports. Tommy reported that “for the first five or six days, I
had a fever, but then it really hit. The problem was, on days 8 to
14, it crushed me. It got into my lungs. I got the full effect of
what they call COVID 19 pneumonia,
shortness of breath, trouble breathing, constant fevers. My
temperature was more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit for six straight
days”.
He
was treated and released from hospital on the same day. But it took
30 days before he tested negative. He indicated that he had a
“stretch of depression” during that time. Perfectly
understandable.
Hottovy
passed on a message to all concerned. “If you're young and healthy,
you can get it. It can be serious, and it can have long term effects,
even after the worst of it is over.” The most serious cases require
a tube placed into one's throat, followed by a hook up to a
ventillator.
All
of us have experienced mixed emotions about the COVID19. As a nation,
we have worked hard to keep as safe as can be expected. We discovered
that residents in long term home facilities were particularly
vulnerable. We can only hope that we learn from our mistakes.
Hottovy
will be back on Wrigley Field in Chicago this week. No doubt that he
will wear a mask. Just makes good sense, for everyone.
July
6, 2020
James
Hurst
Hockey Hall of Fame 2020
The Hockey
Hall of Fame recently announced the group that will be inducted into
the Hall later on this year. The type of ceremony is anyone's guess
at this point, like everything else.
Five players
were selected, including Kim St. Pierre. She hails from Chateauguay,
Quebec. She began stopping pucks when she was eight years old, and
continued playing on boys' teams until she was 18. In 1998, she began
her career at McGill University in Montreal. A perennial all star at
the university level, she also stepped up to play for the Canadian
National team at that time.
She
collected three Olympic Gold Medals in her career, as well as many
other accolades. She has five gold medals, and four silver medals
from World Championships. She was the first woman to win a men's
regular season game when McGill beat Ryerson 5-2 in 2003. Following
her college career, she played professionally for teams based in
Montreal and Quebec. She retired in 2013.
Jerome
Iginla retired after playing 22 seasons in the NHL. His father was
from Nigeria, and his mother was from Oregon. They chose to raise
their family in Alberta. He began playing for the St. Albert Raiders
in 1991, spending two seasons with his home-town club. He spent his
entire junior career with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey
League, and was drafted by Dallas in 1985. The Stars traded him to
Calgary before he even hit the ice in Texas.
Thus began
his amazing career with the Flames. For more than 15 seasons, he gave
the Flames as much as can be expected from any skater: heart and
soul, digging deep in the corners, fearless determination to succeed.
During his 16th season, he was traded to the Pittsburgh
Penguins. He played for the Bruins, the Avalanche, and the Kings
before retiring in 2017.
Marian Hossa
first hit the ice in North America in 1993 at the International
Pee-Wee Tournament in Quebec, representing his home town of
Batislava. He was drafted by the Senators in 1997, and spent the
97-98 season with the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey
League. He was the rookie of the year that season. He moved up to the
Senators the following year, spending seven seasons with Ottawa.
In 2006, he
was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers for Dany Heatley. In three
seasons in Georgia, he put up big numbers before finishing the season
with the Penguins. He skated for the Red Wings for one season, then
finished his career as a Black Hawk. A perennial All Star, Hossa
scored 525 goals in his career, which spanned 1309 games.
The two
defencemen selected to the Hall were true leaders on their respective
teams. Doug Wilson spent most of his career in the NHL with the Black
Hawks, and Kevin Lowe was an Oiler, with the exception of 4 years in
New York.
Lowe played
his junior hockey in Quebec with the Remparts before being drafted in
the first round by the Oilers. He scored the very first NHL goal for
Edmonton, assisted by Brett Callaghan and Wayne Gretzky. He played 13
seasons for the Oilers, raising The Stanley Cup five times. Following
a trade to the Rangers to join Mark Messier, he won his 6th
Cup with New York in 1994.
He finished
his career with the Oilers, retiring in 1998, after playin 1254 games
in the NHL. He has remained with the team, working his way through
the ranks as an assistant coach, head coach, and general manager. He
has traveled extensively, scouring hockey rinks including the “Duke
Dome” assessing young talent.
Doug Wilson
spent his entire junior career in his home town of Ottawa. After
three years with the 67's, he made the move directly to the Chicago
Black Hawks. Generally regarded as an “offensive defenceman”,
Wilson scored 39 goals in the 81-82 season to win the Norris Trophy
as the league's best blue-liner. He established several team records
with the Black Hawks before he was nabbed by the San Jose Sharks to
bolster their defence in their inaugural season in 1991. He continues
to work with the Sharks, serving almost 20 years as the General
Manager and exceutive Vice-President.
Ken Holland
was selected as the only person in the “Builder” Ctegory. He
joined the Detroit Red Wings in 1985 as their Western Canada scout,
working with the Wings for 34 years. He achieved great success with
the team, hoisting the Cup four times. Several factors contibuted to
the success of the Wings: trust in his scouts, great drafts, sensible
trades, and wise free agent signings. In 2019, he accepted the
position of General Manager of the Edmonton Oilers.
Expectations
are high at this time that we will see professional sports within the
next couple of months. Don't count on it. The waters are still pretty
murky.
James Hurst
June 28,
2020
Saturday, July 25, 2020
Nadia Nadim
Nadia Nadim
is a remarkable person. Her life changed dramatically twenty years
ago, when she was twelve.
Her family
lived in Kabul, in Afghanistan. Her father was a general in the
Afghan army, and also an athlete. He had once been a member of his
country's field hockey team.
But their
lives had changed dramatically when the Taliban had taken over Kabul.
No longer were women allowed to attend school. When they left home,
they had to be escorted, and completely covered. If one of their
hands became visible, that might lead to immediate punishment,
possibly having it severed.
Her father
left in a ministry vehicle to attend a meeting. And that was the last
she ever saw of him. Her mother quickly realized their fate, sold all
of their possessions, and managed to flee with her family to Karachi,
Pakistan. She arranged to get forged passports for herself and her
children, and a flight to Milan, Italy. Transport was arranged for
them to go to London.
When they
got out of the truck, they discovered that they were in Denmark, not
London, and were shuffled off to a centre for asylum seekers. There
were refugees from many other nations: Somalia, Syria, Congo, Iraq,
Armenia, and Russia, to name a few. They were later moved to another
refugee camp at Aalborg. They then received a special letter,
indicating that they were permitted to stay in Denmark.
I will leave
it up to you to consider the amounts of money that her mother had to
pay to bribe the authorities to get to Denmark, as well as the
unsavoury types that she had to deal with. Essentially, that is part
of the plight of a refugee.
It was then
that Nadia discovered she had athletic talent, specifically on the
soccer pitch. While playing with other children, she showed that she
was able to play above her age level, always aggressive, never
satisfied with average play.
A few years
later, she managed to gain a spot on the junior team for her adopted
nation. And when she turned 18, and had become a naturalized citizen,
she joined the ranks of the best players in Denmark.
She signed
with other teams in Europe, including Manchester. She currently plays
for Paris Saint-Germain, and is paid accordingly, the second largest
amount of any woman soccer player in the world.
The struggle
though the ranks was not easy for her. “Basically, you are always
going to be seen as an outsider”.
She
continues her medical studies at this time. She is a champion for
Girls' and Women's education in the world, and does charitable work
as an ambassador for UNESCO. “When everything is stripped away,
what we have left is compassion and kindness. As a human, it is our
ability to understand the suffering of other human beings”. She can
speak eleven languages, to make a point.
“No one
volutarily leaves their homes-their houses and their friends, and
their loved ones. They are forced to do that. Some are literally
fleeing war,” she commented on the life of the refugee.
She
sympathizes with the movements in the world today. “ I love seeing
people out on the streets, raising their fists, battling racial
injustice. But there is another humanitarian crisis in the world that
I want to make sure we don't forget.”
Indeed, a
remarkable woman.
Stanley Cup Playoffs-2020
The
minions in the offices of the National Hockey League have been busy
preparing for hockey. Naturally, there are many factors to consider
when planning the season, but also in planning the post-season from
the 2019-2020 year.
I gathered as much
information as I could, and I will now proceed to lay out the latest
proposal. Mind you, this is all “pie in the sky” stuff. There
have been no locations chosen to play these games, nor dates for the
games. The guidelines for coming in contact with other human beings
are still a bit fuzzy.
The indecision comes as
a result of the Covid 19 virus. At this point in time, we know that
it has affected millions of people around the world, and more than
100 000 Americans have died after being infected by the virus. More
recently, the world has shifted focus to “Black Lives Matter”,
with good reason. Most of us will never forget the video of the
policeman with his knee upon George Floyd's neck. “I can't breath”,
he whispered, to no avail. With three other officers standing nearby,
we watched the life go out of Mr. Floyd.
Here's the playoff
format, if it ever takes place. Note: this could change at any given
moment.
24 teams have qualified
for the playoffs. Players for the other teams have booked their tee
times. There are two conferences: East and West. So far, so good. The
top four teams from each conference will play each other ONCE, in a
round-robin format. This will determine the seeding for the next
round of the playoffs.
The Bruins, the
Lightning, the Capitals, and the Flyers will await the winners of the
games listed below.
The remaing teams (8
from each division), are now paired off to play a best of five
series. Just for fun, I am labelling each series with a letter:
A. Penguins vs
Canadiens
B. Hurricanes vs
Rangers
C. Islanders vs
Panthers
D. Leafs vs Blue
Jackets.
Kris Letang has been
patrolling the blue line for many years for the Penguins. He is not
thrilled with the format. “Everybody is used to a best of seven.
You know how it's structured. You know how it feels. You kind of know
all the scenarios that can go through the best of seven.”
In the West, the Blues,
the Avalanche, the Golden Knights and the Dallas will play each other
once, in round robin play.
Here are the other
matchups for the Western Conference:
A. Oilers vs Hawks
B. Predators vs Coyotes
C. Canucks vs Wild
D. Flames vs Jets
Barry Trotz, the
well-respected coach of the Islanders, likes the format. “It's
going to be fantastic, because you can be in the number 12 spot, and
you have a chance to win the Stanley Cup. There's parity in the
league, and if you hit it right, within 2 months, you can be Stanley
Cup Champions. # 12 in the East? Montreal. # 12 in the West? Chicago.
Your guess is as good
as mine. Wherever, whenever.
Friday, July 24, 2020
Gary Sheffield
Gary Sheffield has
never shied away from controversy. Even as a little league player, he
showed the fire and intensity that he carried throughout his baseball
career.
Gary
had the distinct advantage of growing up with uncle, “Doc”
Gooden, the wonderful pitcher who spent much of his career with the
New York Mets. Sheffield learned how to hit pitches in the 100
mile-an-hour range that Gooden threw at him.
In
a recent interview, Sheffield indicated that the first time he had
ever experienced police brutality was when he was with his uncle at a
South Florida basketball game. He was 18. His group left in 3 cars,
and they were pulled over by the police as they left the stadium.
“Without cause” he added. Gooden was cuffed, and thrown to the
ground. Sheffield ran over to confront the police.
The
group was then beaten, taken to a deserted dog track. Again they were
beaten, black and blue, and then arrested. Sheffield and
Gooden received probation. At that point, they moved to St.
Petersburgh from Tampa.
More
recently, in 2015, on his way to a charity golf tournament, he was
pulled over, and his car was searched illegally. Another
confrontation was narrowly avoided.
Sheffield
retired from baseball in 2009, 22 years after he broke in with the
Milwaukee Brewers. He had an impressive .292 lifetime batting
average, and 509 home runs in his career. He was named to the All
Star team 9 times. His best season was in 1992, when he won the
National League batting title, and was named the MVP of the Major
Leagues. He was a well-traveled player, having stints in San Diego,
Florida, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Detroit, and in New York with the
Yankees and the Mets.
He
always maintained a very high “Slugging Percentage”, and is one
of a handful of players who homered in four different decades. The
number of votes he received for the Hall of Fame rose dramatically
this year. But he was mentioned in the 2004 performance enhancing
drugs scandal. That may affect his passing into the Hall.
“In
my 22 years as a professional athlete, I have been labelled
“outspoken” and “controversial”. And while it hasn't been
esay, I have worn each of those labels as a badge of honour. I wasn't
afraid to call out racial bias when I saw it, even when nobody backed
me up.”
There
will be more baseball, some time. They continue to squabble over
money, more than anything.
Sheffield
continues to work in the game, as an agent. And assuredly, as an
advocate for social justice.
Akim Aliu
Akim Aliu
recently posted his thoughts and opinions about hockey, and about
life, in a web site called The Players Tribune.
Athletes write their views on just about any topic. Aliu chose to
write about his experiences in the hockey world.
I
am certain that no other hockey player, perhaps no other professinal
athlete, has grown up quite the same way as Aliu. His father is
Nigerian, and undoubtedly a fine athlete. He received a combined
athletic and academic scholarship to attend university, in Kiev, in
the Ukraine. While there, he met a Ukrainian woman, fell in love, and
married. On a trip back to Nigeria, she gave birth to Akim.
Akim
has one brother. The four of them lived in an apartment in Kiev,
roughly 500 square feet in size. His grandfather was a former fighter
pilot, tough as nails, who flew for the Soviet Union. As time passed,
the grandfather accepted son-in-law, and the family. He went so far
as to sell his apartment to help finance the family's journey to
Canada, to Toronto.
Aliu
arrived with his family. “I was a young black boy who only spoke
Russian. The transition was difficult for the whole family.” Almost
defies the imagination. But he moved on, adapted, adjusted, did what
was necessary to survive. “I found a pair of skates at a yard sale
down the street for nine dollars. In Canada, skating is the language
that everyone can speak.”
Following
in the great Canadian traditions, he gathered together sufficient
hockey equipment to join a team, play in a league. He even played in
the great PeeWee hockey tournament in Quebec city. But while playing
there, he experienced racism from a player on a Quebec team. “ How
many times,” a lad shouted, “are we going to let this black kid
score?” But he used another word, the really nasty one, to describe
Aliu's skin colour.
To
his credit, his game improved to the extent that he found himself in
Windsor, trying out for the Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League,
when he was 16 years old. It was there that he faced more racism, and
the unsavoury hockey traditions of hazing. All players are subject to
certain practices meant to demean and hurt rookies on sports
teams-always mentally, sometimes physically. Rookies were required to
strip, and enter the wasroom at the back of the bus. All at once.
Great big kids, all hot and sweaty. I am trying to fathom who the
genius was who came up with that one. Aliu objected, which was not
acceptable to that crew.
At
one of the practices, a highly touted superstar on the team, and a
veteran, took it upon himself to bully Aliu. He smashed his stick
into Akim's face, knocking out several teeth. Aliu later described
Steve Downie as a “racist sociopath”. But he also realized that
the hockey world is permeated with racists, bullies and misogynists.
I might add that those types exist everywhere. (They keep poking out
their noses in discussions about the current Covid 19 pandemic.)
Aliu
has really travelled the roads. I saw him play in Fort Myers, where
he played briefly with the Everblades. He did suit up for a few games
with Calgary, in the National Hockey League. He has played for 26
teams in ten leagues in his career. That must be some sort of record.
Even “Suitcase” Smith did not reach those numbers.
I
sympathize withAliu's situation. To his credit, he has provided some
concrete suggestions to help better the game, at all levels. He knows
that change must come at the grassroots level, especially in the
selection of coaches and management. He also knows that diversity
must be promoted, whenever possible.
His
final quote? “Hockey is not for everyone. But it damn sure should
be!”
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Respect the Science
It was more than two
months ago when the sports world came to a screeching halt. Not just
the sports world, as you well know. Since that time, in desperation,
the powers-that-be throughout the world have been trying to figure
out the best way to recover from this terrible virus.
We are aware that,
historically, the recovery process will not be easy, nor perfect. As
long as guidelines are followed, and people remain sensible, the
presses will begin to roll again, and we shall emerge victorious over
the Covid-19.
The basketball world is
looking to try to finish its season by playing its games at one site:
Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida. Apparently, there are enough
courts and training facilities in the area to accommodate several
teams of giants. League executives are trying to figure out ways to
get teams to play without the fans.
Social distancing. That
is the concept that has been established to reduce the number of
casualties from the virus. I can understand how this can be applied
to the fans. The parking lots will be empty. For many, that would be
unacceptable because the “tailgate” phenomenon would not occur.
There would not be any opportuities to socialize before the games.
I suppose that cars
could park in the massive parking lots at the stadia and the arenas.
Fans could spark up their barbies, and cook up a storm. They could
wander and give virtual “high fives” and virtual hugs to the
other fans in the lot, showing the team colours.
Unless the cloud is
lifted, all of the shenanigans that take place before the games will
be hollow. The spirit will not be there. As it currently sits,
players cannot cross borders to meet with their teammates, to
practise with them, to work out plans to execute once the games
begin.
The National Hockey
League brass has been working on a playoff format involving a certain
number of teams. They have created a system of elimination, with the
elite teams receiving a bye into the playoff rounds. This is
certainly a good waste of energy, considering the stranglehold we now
experience, world-wide, because of the virus.
All of this planning
and scheming comes as a result of the frustration of not being able
to play the games. Ultimately, the key word is safety. No sports
organization would jeopardize the health and safety of its players,
and their fans. There is too much at stake. The league officials will
just have to wring their hands, until we emerge from the tunnel.
We must remain patient,
and wise. The numbers of the casualties thus far are staggering. Our
economies have been crippled by inactivity. We know that many
businesses will shut their doors as a result of the virus.
It may come down to
this: the sports world will kick into action when the vaccine becomes
available to everyone. The trains will run across our nations, planes
will cross our continents, our borders, and our oceans. Passengers
will be able to sit comfortably, without masks, without shields,
without gloves, without fear.
I have been told that
they are laying down sheets of ice, in anticipation of the first face
off. We will just have to be patient. But it will be the greatest
moment in sports history when that puck hits the ice, when that ball
is tipped, when that pitcher gets his sign and hurls the first pitch,
when that ball is kicked at the opposition.
Stay safe.
May 25, 2020
James Hurst.
Brad Richardson- Arizona Coyotes
I have
always made a practice of following local athletes once they begin
their professional careers. I can usually tell you, without
researching, how old they are, and how many games they have played,
especially with hockey players. Then again, we all know how time
flies.
I was
astounded to read that Belleville's Brad Richardson had played 808
games in the National Hockey League, and that he is now 35 years old.
It seems like yesterday that he was drafted in the Ontario Hockey
League by the Owen Sound Attack, after playing one game with the
Wellington Dukes. Following four impressive seasons with the Attack,
he was chosen in the fifth round by the Colorado Avalanche. He split
the next season with the Lowell Lake Monsters and the Avalanche. With
the exception of brief AHL stints in Albany, Lake Erie, and
Manchester, he has spent his entire 15 year career in the NHL.
He inked his
contract with the Coyotes on July 1, 2015. Prior to that, he spent
two seasons with the Canucks, five seasons with the Los Angeles
Kings, and 3 with the Avalanche. It was in the spring of 2012 that he
raised the Stanley Cup above his head with the Kings.
Fast forward
to 2020. When this season came to an abrupt halt, Brad took the
opportunity to head to Philadelphia for some hip surgery, and other
adjustments. As is the case with all professional athletes, he had
been playing with some pain. “It is something you just do,” he
told me from Scottsdale, Arizona. “I just wasn't able to do things
I was able to do last season.” He had 19 goals in 2018-2019. It was
in the 2016-2017 season that he had his most serious injury when he
broke his fibula, his thigh bone. Only after much rehabilitation did
Richardson return the following season, to play 70 games.
He is
spending his time going to the facilities at the rink to rehab
following the surgery. “Unfortunately, the ice is out,” he
remarked. He is also enjoying the time he is spending with his
daughter. “It is warm, 100 degrees Fahrenheit, every day. But we
get out, and the training wheels are off!” He is also happy that
the restaurants there are now open, safe-distancing still in order.
The Coyotes'
Guide Book says this about Brad: “He is known for his versatility,
Physical play, energy, defense, and solid face-off work”. Not
mentioned specifically is his exceptional skating ability, and all of
his coaches took note of this to use him to kill penalties.
He is often
paired with Michael Grabner in this regard. The Austrian native is in
his second year with the Coyotes, following stints with the Devils,
the Rangers, the Leafs, the Islanders and the Canucks. “He's a
great guy, and we have had good chemistry together.”
In one game
before the break, the Coyotes faced the Florida Panthers. Standing in
the slot, Richardson took a pass from behind the net and rifled a
shot at Sergei Bobrovsky. The rebound hopped over Mike Hoffman's
stick, directly back to Richardson. He made no mistake with it,
bending the twine behind the Panthers' goal keeper. It was his sixth
goal this season.
“Playing
through injuries, and continuing on afterward, is always a challenge.
I plan to have a really long career.”
Once I had
checked the record, I think he has had a pretty good start with that
concept!
I assume you
are doing your morning stretches, preparing for the golf season.
Courses are now open. There was a match Sunday, on television. No
fans, just the wind and the birds in the background. Plenty of money
was raised for Covid 19 virus research. NASCAR also opened up, minus
the spectators. Hopefully we will be able to
May 19,
2020.
