News you need to get through the day …
A few thoughts for a Saturday morning so cold even Walt Disney is shivering …
HMMM …
Hamilton Tiger-Cats general manager Kent Austin was on 900CHML being interviewed by Rick Zamperin on Thursday morning. At roughly 9:40, Zamperin asked if Jeremiah Masoli was going to be re-signed by the team. “Is this going to happen?” Zamperin asked. “Stay tuned. There is nothing official at this point,” Austin replied.
At 10:02 — just moments after Austin concluded the interview — a press release was sent announcing the quarterback had been signed. Leaving one to either marvel at the speed with which Austin worked to get Masoli’s name on the contract and get it filed with the league to make the deal “official” … or to wonder whether the word “official” has a different meaning inside and outside the Ticat offices.
WE’RE NO. 1
Speaking of grain-of-salt comments, two press releases arrived this week. One from TSN. One from Sportsnet.
The headline on the first? TSN is Canada’s #1 specialty network.
The headline on the second? Sportsnet remains Canada’s #1 specialty network. Makes sense, huh?
GOING FOR NINE
A day after Zach Collaros was acquired by Saskatchewan, Kevin Glenn was released by the Roughriders.
Everybody should be rooting for Edmonton to sign the veteran QB as that would complete his CFL cycle. The Eskimos are the only team in the league he’s never called home.
Since 2011 when he left the Tiger-Cats, he’s been with Calgary, Ottawa, B.C., Saskatchewan, Montreal, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan again. Prior to coming to Hamilton he was with Saskatchewan, Toronto and Winnipeg.
BROWN OUT
Some Cleveland Browns fans are hosting a Perfect Season Parade on Saturday, celebrating — though, not sure that’s the correct word — the team’s 0-16 campaign.
Truth is, the party should honour the greatness of the franchise for the past 10 seasons. In that time the Browns have a record of 38-122, have not had a winning season or made the playoffs, have finished last in their division nine times, have had six head coaches and 19 guys start a game at quarterback.
Are we sure Kevin Costner isn’t really their GM like in the movie “Draft Day”? That would actually explain some of this.
BEST GOALIES
Want to win a few bucks at the local coffee shop or bar? Bet your buddy, the super-crazed hockey fan, that he can’t name the non-Canadian goalie with the best career goals-against average. No way he or she gets it. Here’s the top five, just to be thorough: 1. Roman Cechmanek – 2.08 2. Dominik Hasek – 2.20 3. Tuukka Rask – 2.23 4. Jonathan Quick – 2.26 5. Roman Turek – 2.31
Remember when everyone was excited about how well the Canadian teams were going to do in the NHL this season? This after Edmonton had a nice playoff run last spring, Ottawa made it to the semifinals and Carey Price was finally back to health in Montreal? Uh, never mind. The Senators, Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks and Oilers make up four of the league’s bottom-six teams right now. Most remarkable? According to sportsclubstats.com, Edmonton’s odds of making the playoffs as of today are 1.6 per cent. At the same time, according to tankathon.com their odds of winning the draft lottery are 7.6 per cent.
Meaning they are nearly five times more likely to win the first pick — again — than the Stanley Cup this spring.
SITTING EMPTY
KeyBank Center in Buffalo, where the world junior tournament is being held, holds 19,200 people. The quarter-final games on Tuesday drew 5,533 for Canada vs. Switzerland, 6,242 for U.S. vs. Russia, 1,445 for Sweden vs. Slovakia and 5,109 for Finland vs. the Czech Republic. That means the combined attendance for all four games would’ve come 871 short of a sellout for
one game. Yeah, this event is officially a disaster.
UM, WHO?
While we’re talking about hockey messes … On Thursday, International Ice Hockey Federation boss Rene Fasel said he needs NHL players at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. This realization came just a few days after the USA introduced its roster for South Korea featuring such luminaries as Will Borgen, Chad Billins, Broc Little and Garrett Roe. Guys who aren’t even household names in their own households.
You setting the alarm for the middle-of-the-night mid-week to watch these guys play?
LONG TIME BETWEEN LOSSES
The Soo Greyhounds’ 23-game winning streak finally came to an end on Thursday night when they lost to Mississauga in a shootout. It was inevitable, especially since two of the team’s best players have been with Team Canada at the world juniors for the past month.
Even so, it was their first defeat since Oct. 27.
IT’S COMING
Yes this weather stinks. It’s OK, though. Pitchers and catchers report for spring training in just 38 days.