News you need to get through the day …
A few random thoughts on a day during which we should all remember and be grateful …
DEPENDS ON YOUR DEFINITION
In response to a much-discussed piece by The Spec’s Drew Edwards citing several anonymous Tiger-Cat players saying they’d like Kent Austin to be shown the door, team owner Bob Young took to Twitter and said — among other things — “with exception of last year or so, Kent Austin was arguably most successful HC in @CFL history. Good coach, better person.”
We won’t argue with those final words about his character. But the most-successful head coach in CFL history? A man who has one Grey Cup title, whose best single-season record was 12-6 and who is 48-42 in regular-season play if you wipe out this season’s 0-8?
I guess if you’re willing to overlook Wally Buono, Don Matthews, Frank Clair, Ron Lancaster, Eagle Keys, Ray Jauch, Dave Ritchie, John Hufnagel, Bud Grant, Hugh Campbell, Jim Trimble, Ralph Sazio, Harold Grant, Jackie Parker, Marv Levy, Marc Trestman, Cal Murphy, Peahead Walker, Vic Rapp, Carl Voyles, Frank Ivy, Dave Dickenson and a few others, then sure, he’s the most successful.
J.D. WHO?
Notorious player agent Scott Boras has said his client J.D. Martinez wants a $200-million contract this off-season. That’s a lot of dough. The kind of deal usually reserved for the biggest superstars in the game.
Hands up if you even know what team the free agent played for last season.
THE BIG EARNERS
The top five biggest packages ever signed by Major League players. 1. Giancarlo Stanton — $325 million 2. Alex Rodriguez — $275 million 3. Alex Rodriguez — $252 million 4. Miguel Cabrera — $248 million 5. Albert Pujols — $240 million 5. Robinson Cano — $240 million *All figures in U.S. dollars
THE BIGGEST BUST
A total of 67 Major League players have signed contracts paying them at least $100 million over the term of the deal.
The worst? Has to be the one given to Barry Zito, who got $126 million to pitch for San Francisco then won a total of 63 games over seven years. Meaning the Giants paid him half a million bucks for each victory.
In other words, if seats averaged $50 a pop at AT&T Park, the first 10,000 fans in the stadium on days he worked paid just for his salary.
HOME ON THE ROAD
Saskatchewan won 10 games and finished with 20 points. Ottawa won eight games (and had a tie) and finished with 17 points.
So why are the Redblacks hosting a playoff game between the two?
Even if folks around the CFL refuse to go to one division and insist on clinging to the outdated East-West concept, surely the team that has the better season should get the chance to play at home when it counts.
RED LIGHT RARITY
Not a big believer of “on pace for” stats, especially early in a season because things can change in a hurry. Still, it’s worth noting that at their current rate, the Hamilton Bulldogs will finish the season with 70 fewer goals scored than last year.
FACEOFF FALLACY
If faceoffs are as important in hockey as we keep hearing they are, the best teams would surely be really good at winning draws, right?
Tampa Bay is first overall in the NHL and they are 25th in faceoffs. St. Louis is second overall and 24th in the circle. And third-place Los Angeles is 16th.
The best two faceoff teams are San Jose and Ottawa, which are 16th and 17th in the standings.
FACEOFF FALLACY II
One other thing. If faceoffs are such a unique skill, how come 22 of the league’s 31 teams have won between 48 and 52 per cent of their attempts and none have won as many as 54 per cent? How come teams with so-called faceoff specialists don’t win more like 65 or 70 per cent?
Instead, the stats say faceoffs are essentially a 50-50 proposition. Which sounds more like simple luck of the draw — literally — than anything else.
STIEB OR DOC?
Toronto baseball fans are lucky to have had Dave Stieb and Roy Halladay as regulars in their primes so they can engage in can’t-lose arguments about who was the greatest Blue Jays pitcher. This vote goes to Stieb but only by the narrowest of margins.
Their numbers are remarkably similar, as was their impact and lofty ranking among pitchers of their era. Yet Halladay is being talked about as a surefire Hall of Famer (deservedly so) while Stieb was wiped off the ballot after getting just seven votes during his first and only year of eligibility in 2004.
REMEMBERING HARRY
Had things turned out slightly differently we might’ve been mourning Harry Halladay this week. That was the 40-year-old’s real first name. His middle name was Leroy which was obviously shortened to Roy.
SAD IRONY
One more thing. Former Blue Jays announcer Tom Cheek gave Halladay the nickname Doc after legendary old-west gunslinger Doc Holliday. Ironically, the anniversary of the latter’s death was the day after Tuesday’s tragic plane crash.