NOT SO (Deep) thoughts
SCOTT RADLEY THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR
A few scattered thoughts for National Raspberry Bombe Day. Which would be well worth celebrating if anyone actually knew what a raspberry bombe was …
ON PACE
Might want to grab your tickets now for the Oct. 8 game between Calgary and Montreal. Because based on his performance in his first outing, Johnny Manziel is on pace to set the all-time, singleseason interception record (currently stands at 34) before halftime that afternoon.
TOUCHE
The English translation of Alouette is lark.
Seems appropriate.
SINGIN’ HEAVY
Kudos to the Tiger-Cats for getting Hamilton band Monster Truck to do the halftime show at the Labour Day game. It should be either them or the Arkells on an annual rotation for that show until further notice.
WHAT IF?
Six years ago this week, the Erie Otters held a press conference at Morgan Firestone Arena announcing they’d be holding their training camp in Ancaster a few weeks hence. With them that day — and that year — was a 15year-old named Connor McDavid.
Crowds watching that camp were small. Most days they were in the dozens. Maybe.
Wonder what they’d be like if people could go back in time knowing what they know now?
PUZZLING
Back in the early 2000s, Kavis Reed was defensive co-ordinator of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. During his three years in that role, the D gave up the second-most points in the league once and most twice more. He went to Toronto to become defensive coordinator and his defence was again most-heavily-scoredagainst in the league.
He eventually moved to Winnipeg to hold that role where his group was only third-most-victimized. That propelled him into a head-coaching gig in Edmonton where he went 11-7, 7-11 and 4-14 — the latter two good for dead-last in the West — before being let go.
Prior to the 2017 season he took over as GM of a 7-11 Montreal team. Under his watch it sagged to 3-15 (with the worst offence and worst defence in the league), going a ridiculous 0-7 after he took over as interim head coach. In those seven games on the sideline, his side was outscored 27693, losing all in blowouts.
His Als are 1-6 this year with the worst offence and defence again. And based on last week’s performance, there appears to be little hope of turning things around anytime soon since he mortgaged a chunk of the future to get Manziel.
His work as positional coach at different stops has been decent or
better. But how exactly does this guy keep getting top jobs?
ON PACE II
In 2013, the Houston Astros had one of the most-putrid seasons in modern baseball history when they won just 51 games. Only the 2003 Detroit Tigers, who won 43 games, were able to do worse since 1962.
The Baltimore Orioles are on pace for a 49-win season. But having traded some of their best players, that’s optimistic. They could, in fact, challenge those Tigers before it’s all done.
JUICE-FREE
J.D. Martinez is having a sensational season for the Boston Red Sox, leading the Major Leagues in home runs with 34. Right behind him is Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez with 33, Oakland’s Khris Davis with 32, and Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals and Joey Gallo of the Rangers with 31 each.
At this point 20 years ago, Mark McGwire had 47 and Sammy Sosa had 46. By the end of the month, they each had 55.
Times have indeed changed.
BATTERED MAD DOG
During that 1998 home run race, only one homer by either McGwire or Sosa was hit off a Hall of Fame pitcher. On May 22, Sosa took Greg Maddux deep. It was his ninth of the year.
ORDER YOURS NOW
In a couple weeks, Major League players will again play a weekend with nicknames of their choosing on the backs of their jerseys. The best of this year’s crop?
1. Shane Bieber — Not Justin
2. Joey Votto — In Flanders Fields
3. Hunter Pence — Underpants
4. David Dahl — Baby Dahl
5. Walker Buehler — Ferris
6. Jimmy Nelson — Big Sweat
7. Danny Duffy — Chill Sergeant
8. Brad Ziegler — Unicorn
9. Russell Martin — Le Muscle
10. Kolten Wong — The Pebble
NOT A HARD CHOICE
This year is the Vancouver Canucks’ 50th season, and the team has allowed fans to vote on which retro sweater to bring out of retirement.
If the Flying V — a hilarious abomination of a design that featured a Dijon mustard yellow base with a giant black and orange V that extended from the shoulders to the belly button —
isn’t chosen, Vancouver should be banished from the NHL and their fans barred from telling the rest of the country how much better their city is than anywhere else in the world.
SHORT BUT SWEET
Speaking of mind-blowing uniform choices, it was 42 years ago this week the Chicago White Sox wore shorts in a game against Kansas City. If that wasn’t bad enough, the jerseys had huge dress-shirt collars.
Ken Brett — brother of George — was a pinch-hitter in that game. Less than a year later he made history when he started on the mound for the White Sox in the Blue Jays’ first-ever game.
THEY STINK
How easy is this year going to be for the New England Patriots? In the NFL.com pre-season power rankings, the other three teams in the AFC East are listed at 30 (the Jets), 29 (the Dolphins) and 23 (the Bills). In a 32-team league.
PAGING DR. NOWZARADAN
The Arizona Cardinals are offering what they’re calling the Gridiron Burger at games this season. It’s five third-of-a-pound patties, five bratwursts, 20 slices of cheese, eight slices of bacon, eight chicken strips, fries, pickles and sauce on a bun totalling seven pounds.
It costs $75. Finish it in an hour and you get a Cardinals jersey and picture on the scoreboard. Which is exactly when you want your picture shown to the world, right after you’ve consumed seven pounds of red meat.
STILL FRIENDS
Hamilton Bulldogs president Steve Staios and his new head coach Dave Matsos aren’t just old friends. They’re also one-time competitors.
Two years in a row — 1991 and ’92 — Staios’ Niagara Falls Thunder and Matsos’ Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds met in the OHL semifinals. The Greyhounds won 4-0 and 4-1, eventually going to the Memorial Cup both years.