IN THE PAST…THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS HAVE APPROACHED THE ARRIVAL OF THE NHL SCHEDULE…WITH THE KIND OF EXCITEMENT USUALLY RESERVED FOR A “ROOT CANAL”…
THEY KNEW IT WAS GOING TO HURT…
THE ONLY QUESTION WAS…HOW MUCH???
LAST SEASON GENERAL MANAGER MIKE GILLIS WENT TO THE NHL FRONT OFFICE AND EXPRESSED HIS FRUSTRATION…
IT WOULD APPEAR THE MESSAGE GOT THROUGH…
THE RESULT IS A SCHEDULE THAT ACTUALLY MAKES SENSE…
THIS SEASON THE CANUCKS WILL NOT HAVE TO ACT LIKE “THE PUSSYCAT DOLLS” AND DANCE FROM ONE TIME ZONE TO THE NEXT…
FOR EXAMPLE:
LAST NOVEMBER…AS PART OF A 4 GAME ROAD TRIP…
THE CANUCK PLAYED THE RANGERS IN NEW YORK ON A WEDNESDAY NIGHT…
FLEW TO MINNESOTA TO PLAY THE WILD ON A THURSDAY NIGHT…
THEN FLEW TO PITTSBURGH TO PLAY AN AFTERNOON GAME ON SATURDAY…
IT WAS THAT PITTSBURGH GAME IN WHICH ROBERTO LUONGO PULLED HIS GROIN…
IN ALL LUONGO MISSED 24 GAMES…
AND IN JANUARY LOST A RECORD…9 STRAIGHT AT HOME…
THIS SCHEDULE CERTAINLY DOES HAVE ITS CHALLENGES…
THE CANUCKS WILL PLAY 14 GAMES ON BACK TO BACK NIGHTS…
11 OF WHICH…WILL INVOLVE TRAVEL…
AND THEN THERE’S THE OLYMPIC BREAK…
THE CANUCKS WILL HAVE TO ENDURE A 14 GAME ROAD TRIP TO ALLOW ORGANIZERS TO PREPARE GM PLACE…
STARTING ON JANUARY 30TH THEY WILL PLAY 8 STRAIGHT ON THE ROAD…
AND AFTER THE GAMES…THERE ARE 6 MORE…
BUT FOR THE MOST PART VANCOUVER HOCKEY FANS HAVE LOTS TO LOOK FORWARD TO…
BOTH ALEX OVECHKIN AND SIDNEY CROSBY WILL PLAY IN VANCOUVER…
WASHINGTON IS TOWN ON DECEMBER 18TH…
PITTSBURGH IS HERE ON JANUARY THE 16TH…
AND ON MARCH THE 16TH…JOHN TAVARES AND THE NEW YORK ISLANDERS WILL BE IN GM PLACE…
OH YEAH!!!
HOW’S THIS FOR A BONUS…
ON NEW YEARS EVE…THE CANUCKS ARE IN ST. LOUIS…
GAME TIME IS 5 O’CLOCK…
YES VIRGINIA…THIS SEASON…WHEN IT COMES TO THE CANUCKS SCHEDULE…
“IT WOULD APPEAR…THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS”…
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
BC Lions
THERE IS A STORM COMING…
AND IT COULD HAVE A DRAMATIC IMPACT ON THE SPORTS LANDSCAPE OF THIS CITY…
TO START WITH:
ON FRIDAY CANWEST GLOBAL COMMINUCATIONS POSTED A LOSS OF $110 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE LAST QUARTER…
ITS TOTAL DEBT LOAD IS NOW ALMOST $4 BILLION…AND IS FACING A DEADLINE OF JULY 31ST TO DEAL WITH ITS CREDITORS…
KEEP IN MIND…IN THIS MARKET ALONE…CANWEST OWNS:
THE VANCOUVER PROVINCE…THE VANCOUVER SUN…THE NATIONAL POST…AND B.C.T.V…
SHOULD THE COMPANY GO INTO BRANKRUPCY…IT’S ANYBODY’S GUESS WHAT THE FALL OUT WOULD BE…
BUT THERE IS A REAL POSSIBILITY…ONE OF THE LOCAL NEWS PAPERS COULD BE SHUTDOWN…
AND THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF A LOT OF JOBS…
INCLUDING A NUMBER INN THE SPORTS DEPARTMENT…
WHAT HAS ADDED FUEL TO THIS FIRE IS ALL THE TALK ABOUT THE B.C. LIONS LOOKING TO HIRE A NEW PRESIDENT…
THE MAN ON THE TOP OF THE LIST IS DENNIS SKULSKY….
THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF CANWEST PUBLISHING…
BOTH SKULSKY AND THE OWNER OF THE LIONS DAVID BRALEY DENY THE RUMORS…
RIGHTFULLY SO…SKULSKY IS STILL UNDER CONTRACT…
BUT KEEP IN MIND…
A YEAR AGO…BRIAN BURKE DENIED HE HAD ANY INTEREST IN GOING TO TORONTO…AND SEE HOW THAT WORKED OUT…
HERE’S WHAT WE DO KNOW…
SKULSKY HAS A LONG RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OWNER OF THE LIONS DAVID BRALEY…
HE WAS ALSO GOOD FRIENDS WITH FORMER PRESDENT BOBBY ACKLES…
AND IT WAS SKULSKY WHO WAS THE CHAIR OF THE 2005 GREY CUP COMMITTEE…
NOW…IN A PERFECT WORLD…THE LIONS COULD NOT AFFORD TO HIRE SOMEONE LIKE DENNIS SKULSKY…
LAST YEAR ALONE…HE MADE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS…
BUT IF CANWEST IS ABOUT TO BE RESTRUCTURED…
SKULSKY AND HIS SALARY COULD BE ONE OF THE FIRST CAUSUALTIES…
AND THAT GETS US BACK TO THE LIONS…
WITHIN A MATTER OF A FEW WEEKS…THIS STORM COULD LEAVE THE LIONS WITH A NEW PRESIDENT...
BUT UNFORTUNATELY…IT COULD COME…AT A TREMENDOUS COST…
AND IT COULD HAVE A DRAMATIC IMPACT ON THE SPORTS LANDSCAPE OF THIS CITY…
TO START WITH:
ON FRIDAY CANWEST GLOBAL COMMINUCATIONS POSTED A LOSS OF $110 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE LAST QUARTER…
ITS TOTAL DEBT LOAD IS NOW ALMOST $4 BILLION…AND IS FACING A DEADLINE OF JULY 31ST TO DEAL WITH ITS CREDITORS…
KEEP IN MIND…IN THIS MARKET ALONE…CANWEST OWNS:
THE VANCOUVER PROVINCE…THE VANCOUVER SUN…THE NATIONAL POST…AND B.C.T.V…
SHOULD THE COMPANY GO INTO BRANKRUPCY…IT’S ANYBODY’S GUESS WHAT THE FALL OUT WOULD BE…
BUT THERE IS A REAL POSSIBILITY…ONE OF THE LOCAL NEWS PAPERS COULD BE SHUTDOWN…
AND THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF A LOT OF JOBS…
INCLUDING A NUMBER INN THE SPORTS DEPARTMENT…
WHAT HAS ADDED FUEL TO THIS FIRE IS ALL THE TALK ABOUT THE B.C. LIONS LOOKING TO HIRE A NEW PRESIDENT…
THE MAN ON THE TOP OF THE LIST IS DENNIS SKULSKY….
THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF CANWEST PUBLISHING…
BOTH SKULSKY AND THE OWNER OF THE LIONS DAVID BRALEY DENY THE RUMORS…
RIGHTFULLY SO…SKULSKY IS STILL UNDER CONTRACT…
BUT KEEP IN MIND…
A YEAR AGO…BRIAN BURKE DENIED HE HAD ANY INTEREST IN GOING TO TORONTO…AND SEE HOW THAT WORKED OUT…
HERE’S WHAT WE DO KNOW…
SKULSKY HAS A LONG RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OWNER OF THE LIONS DAVID BRALEY…
HE WAS ALSO GOOD FRIENDS WITH FORMER PRESDENT BOBBY ACKLES…
AND IT WAS SKULSKY WHO WAS THE CHAIR OF THE 2005 GREY CUP COMMITTEE…
NOW…IN A PERFECT WORLD…THE LIONS COULD NOT AFFORD TO HIRE SOMEONE LIKE DENNIS SKULSKY…
LAST YEAR ALONE…HE MADE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS…
BUT IF CANWEST IS ABOUT TO BE RESTRUCTURED…
SKULSKY AND HIS SALARY COULD BE ONE OF THE FIRST CAUSUALTIES…
AND THAT GETS US BACK TO THE LIONS…
WITHIN A MATTER OF A FEW WEEKS…THIS STORM COULD LEAVE THE LIONS WITH A NEW PRESIDENT...
BUT UNFORTUNATELY…IT COULD COME…AT A TREMENDOUS COST…
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Joe Sakic
JOE SAKIC BEGAN PLAYING HOCKEY WHEN WAS JUST 6 YEARS OLD…
TODAY IN DENVER…34 YEARS LATER…HIS CAREER OFFICIALLY CAME TO AN END…
HOWEVER…THE DEBATE ON HIS GREATEST MOMENT HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN…
AS IN MOST THINGS…OPINION SEEMS TO BE BASED ON POINT OF VIEW…
FOR EXAMPLE:
IF YOU ARE A DENVER SPORTS FAN…IT WAS 1996 WHEN HE LIFTED THE STANLEY CUP FOR THE FIRST TIME…
IT WAS THAT CITY’S FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP…
IF YOU HAPPEN TO LIVE IN BOSTON…IT WAS 2001…WHEN SAKIC HANDED THE CUP TO RAY BOURQUE…
BUT IF YOU ARE CANADAIN!!!
ITS FEBRUARY 24TH 2002…THE GOLD MEDAL GAME AGAINST THE U.S….
SAKIC SCORED 2 GOALS…AS CANADA BEAT THE AMERICANS 5-2…
THE VICTORY CAME 50 YEARS TO THE DAY…FROM OUR LAST OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL IN MEN’S HOCKEY…
SAKIC’S SECOND GOAL…SEALED IT…
THE IMAGES OF BOTH THE PLAYERS CELEBRATING ON THE ICE…
AND WAYNE GRETZKY AND CELEBRATING IN THE STANDS…WILL LIVE FOREVER IN THE HEARTS OF CANADIAN HOCKEY FANS…
SAKIC WAS NAMED THE TOURNAMENTS MVP…
AL MACINNIS DESCRIBED THE PRESSURE OF THAT GAME AS A…”PIANO ON THEIR BACK”…
BUT IN JUST ONE AFTERNOON…ALL THE QUESTIONS AND DOUBT ABOUT OUR GAME…WERE WASHED AWAY…
THE PAIN OF LOSING 5-2 TO SWEDEN…WAS SUDDENLY GONE!!!
IT HAD BEEN REPLACED BY “PURE JOY”…AND THE “LUCKY LOONIE” BURIED IN THE ICE…
GRETZKY EXPLAINED IT THIS WAY…
“THIS MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO OUR COUNTRY…IT’S WHY WE “HAD” TO WIN THIS TOURNAMENT”…
NEARLY 10 MILLION PEOPLE WATCHED FROM COAST TO COAST…
IT IS STILL THE HIGHEST RATED SHOW IN THE HISTORY OF CANADIAN TELEVISION…
WHEN ASKED TO COMPARE A STANLEY CUP WITH A GOLD MEDAL…
SAKIC WOULD ONLY SAY…”THEY ARE SEPARATE THINGS”…
WHICH MEANS…
THIS DEBATE OVER HIS GREATEST MOMENT…MAY NEVER BE TRULY ANSWERED…
TODAY IN DENVER…34 YEARS LATER…HIS CAREER OFFICIALLY CAME TO AN END…
HOWEVER…THE DEBATE ON HIS GREATEST MOMENT HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN…
AS IN MOST THINGS…OPINION SEEMS TO BE BASED ON POINT OF VIEW…
FOR EXAMPLE:
IF YOU ARE A DENVER SPORTS FAN…IT WAS 1996 WHEN HE LIFTED THE STANLEY CUP FOR THE FIRST TIME…
IT WAS THAT CITY’S FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP…
IF YOU HAPPEN TO LIVE IN BOSTON…IT WAS 2001…WHEN SAKIC HANDED THE CUP TO RAY BOURQUE…
BUT IF YOU ARE CANADAIN!!!
ITS FEBRUARY 24TH 2002…THE GOLD MEDAL GAME AGAINST THE U.S….
SAKIC SCORED 2 GOALS…AS CANADA BEAT THE AMERICANS 5-2…
THE VICTORY CAME 50 YEARS TO THE DAY…FROM OUR LAST OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL IN MEN’S HOCKEY…
SAKIC’S SECOND GOAL…SEALED IT…
THE IMAGES OF BOTH THE PLAYERS CELEBRATING ON THE ICE…
AND WAYNE GRETZKY AND CELEBRATING IN THE STANDS…WILL LIVE FOREVER IN THE HEARTS OF CANADIAN HOCKEY FANS…
SAKIC WAS NAMED THE TOURNAMENTS MVP…
AL MACINNIS DESCRIBED THE PRESSURE OF THAT GAME AS A…”PIANO ON THEIR BACK”…
BUT IN JUST ONE AFTERNOON…ALL THE QUESTIONS AND DOUBT ABOUT OUR GAME…WERE WASHED AWAY…
THE PAIN OF LOSING 5-2 TO SWEDEN…WAS SUDDENLY GONE!!!
IT HAD BEEN REPLACED BY “PURE JOY”…AND THE “LUCKY LOONIE” BURIED IN THE ICE…
GRETZKY EXPLAINED IT THIS WAY…
“THIS MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO OUR COUNTRY…IT’S WHY WE “HAD” TO WIN THIS TOURNAMENT”…
NEARLY 10 MILLION PEOPLE WATCHED FROM COAST TO COAST…
IT IS STILL THE HIGHEST RATED SHOW IN THE HISTORY OF CANADIAN TELEVISION…
WHEN ASKED TO COMPARE A STANLEY CUP WITH A GOLD MEDAL…
SAKIC WOULD ONLY SAY…”THEY ARE SEPARATE THINGS”…
WHICH MEANS…
THIS DEBATE OVER HIS GREATEST MOMENT…MAY NEVER BE TRULY ANSWERED…
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Ron Wilson
ONCE AGAIN THE “INTEGRITY” OF THE NHL IS IN QUESTION…
THE LATEST INVOLVES TORONTO HEAD COACH RON WILSON WHO IS NOW UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE LEAGUE FOR TAMPERING…
ON MONDAY OF LAST WEEK WILSON CLEARLY STATED ON “THE FAN 590” IN TORONTO…
“WE WOULD BE GOING AFTER THE SEDINS”…
WITHIN HOURS GENERAL MANAGER BRIAN BURKE JUMPED ON A PLANE AND FLEW TO STOCKHOLM…
BURKE NOW INSISTS…HE WAS IN SWEDEN…ONLY TO MEET WITH GOALTENDER JONAS GUSTAVVSON…
FOR THE RECORD:
NHL BYLAW NUMBER 15 STATES THAT TAMPERING IS…
“THE MAKING OR CAUSING TO BE MADE THROUGH ANY MEDIUM…PUBLIC OR PRIVATE…ANY STATEMENT INDICATING ANY INTENTION OR DESIRE OF…OR INTEREST IN…AQUIRING THE SERVICES OF A PLAYER ON ANOTHER CLUB”…
IT IS “BLACK LETTER LAW”…
LAST FRIDAY JASON BOTCHFORD OF THE VANCOUVER PROVINCE QUOTED AN UN-NAMED NHL EXECUTIVE AS SAYING WILSON’S COMMENTS WERE…QUOTE…”A CLEAR CASE OF TAMPERING”…
AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT…
A YEAR AGO…WHILE BURKE WAS STILL IN ANAHEIM…
HE ACCUSED EDMONTON GENERAL MANAGER KEVIN LOWE OF TAMPERING WHEN LOWE SUGGESTED THE OILERS WOULD BE INTERESTED IN A TRADE FOR COREY PERRY…
AS EXPECTED…LOWE WAS CLEARED OF ANY WRONG DOING…
THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “PUBLICLY TALKING TRADE”…
AND GOING ON THE RADIO AND TALKING ABOUT SIGNING PLAYERS…WHO ARE ABOUT TO BECOME UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS…
“BIG DIFFERENCE”!!!
WHEN BURKE WAS ASKING ABOUT THESE LATEST TAMPERING CHARGES…HIS ONLY COMMENT WAS…”NO COMMENT”…
IN 1999 THE ST. LOUIS BLUES WERE FOUND GUILTY OF SENDING AN OFFER SHEET TO THE AGENT OF SCOTT STEVENS…
AT THE TIME STEVENS WAS A RESTRICTED FREE AGENT…BUT STILL UNDER CONTRACT TO THE NEW JERSEY DEVILS…
DESPITE THE FACT…STEVENS RE-SIGNED WITH THE DEVILS…
THE BLUES WERE FORCED TO PAY THE DEVILS $1.4 MILLION IN DAMAGES…AND GIVE THEM A FIRST ROUND DRAFT CHOICE…
AT THE TIME…COMMISSIONER GARY BETTMAN STATED…
“VIOLATIONS OF THE “NO TAMERING PROVISIONS” DIRECTLY UNDERMINE THE “INTEGRITY” OF THE LEAGUE AND THE GAME”…
SO HOW DOES BETTMAN HANDLE THIS MESS???
HE AND BURKE ARE CLOSE FRIENDS…WHICH IS A CLEAR “CONFLICT OF INTEREST”…
IN THE END…IT ALL GETS BACK TO ONE THING…”INTEGRITY”…
THE LATEST INVOLVES TORONTO HEAD COACH RON WILSON WHO IS NOW UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE LEAGUE FOR TAMPERING…
ON MONDAY OF LAST WEEK WILSON CLEARLY STATED ON “THE FAN 590” IN TORONTO…
“WE WOULD BE GOING AFTER THE SEDINS”…
WITHIN HOURS GENERAL MANAGER BRIAN BURKE JUMPED ON A PLANE AND FLEW TO STOCKHOLM…
BURKE NOW INSISTS…HE WAS IN SWEDEN…ONLY TO MEET WITH GOALTENDER JONAS GUSTAVVSON…
FOR THE RECORD:
NHL BYLAW NUMBER 15 STATES THAT TAMPERING IS…
“THE MAKING OR CAUSING TO BE MADE THROUGH ANY MEDIUM…PUBLIC OR PRIVATE…ANY STATEMENT INDICATING ANY INTENTION OR DESIRE OF…OR INTEREST IN…AQUIRING THE SERVICES OF A PLAYER ON ANOTHER CLUB”…
IT IS “BLACK LETTER LAW”…
LAST FRIDAY JASON BOTCHFORD OF THE VANCOUVER PROVINCE QUOTED AN UN-NAMED NHL EXECUTIVE AS SAYING WILSON’S COMMENTS WERE…QUOTE…”A CLEAR CASE OF TAMPERING”…
AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT…
A YEAR AGO…WHILE BURKE WAS STILL IN ANAHEIM…
HE ACCUSED EDMONTON GENERAL MANAGER KEVIN LOWE OF TAMPERING WHEN LOWE SUGGESTED THE OILERS WOULD BE INTERESTED IN A TRADE FOR COREY PERRY…
AS EXPECTED…LOWE WAS CLEARED OF ANY WRONG DOING…
THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “PUBLICLY TALKING TRADE”…
AND GOING ON THE RADIO AND TALKING ABOUT SIGNING PLAYERS…WHO ARE ABOUT TO BECOME UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS…
“BIG DIFFERENCE”!!!
WHEN BURKE WAS ASKING ABOUT THESE LATEST TAMPERING CHARGES…HIS ONLY COMMENT WAS…”NO COMMENT”…
IN 1999 THE ST. LOUIS BLUES WERE FOUND GUILTY OF SENDING AN OFFER SHEET TO THE AGENT OF SCOTT STEVENS…
AT THE TIME STEVENS WAS A RESTRICTED FREE AGENT…BUT STILL UNDER CONTRACT TO THE NEW JERSEY DEVILS…
DESPITE THE FACT…STEVENS RE-SIGNED WITH THE DEVILS…
THE BLUES WERE FORCED TO PAY THE DEVILS $1.4 MILLION IN DAMAGES…AND GIVE THEM A FIRST ROUND DRAFT CHOICE…
AT THE TIME…COMMISSIONER GARY BETTMAN STATED…
“VIOLATIONS OF THE “NO TAMERING PROVISIONS” DIRECTLY UNDERMINE THE “INTEGRITY” OF THE LEAGUE AND THE GAME”…
SO HOW DOES BETTMAN HANDLE THIS MESS???
HE AND BURKE ARE CLOSE FRIENDS…WHICH IS A CLEAR “CONFLICT OF INTEREST”…
IN THE END…IT ALL GETS BACK TO ONE THING…”INTEGRITY”…
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