(NOT SO) Deep thoughts
A few random thoughts for National No Rhyme Nor Reason Day. Which seems just about right for this space …
RAREST LABOUR DAY
Due to some weird workings of the calendar, the Labour Day Classic been only been played three times on a Sept. 3 as it will be this year.
The Tiger-Cats lost 33-30 in 2012, won 26-13 in 2001 and lost 40-17 to Ottawa in 1990.
THE MAC CONNECTION
When Vladimir Guerrero Jr. eventually moves up to the Toronto Blue Jays and becomes a star in the Major Leagues, remember that the man who signed him as a 16-year-old back in 2015 has a strong Hamilton connection.
Former Blue Jays’ GM Alex Anthopoulos has an economics degree from McMaster.
BIG CROWD
When Michigan and Notre Dame kick off their college football seasons on Saturday in South Bend, they’ll be doing it in front of 77,622 fans.
That’s roughly 7,000 more than will be at the two CFL Labour Day games (at Calgary and Hamilton) combined. Assuming they both sell out.
HMMM ...
It would be great if, as part of the NAFTA talks, our negotiators demanded that in exchange for a loosening of our supply management system and whatever other concessions are demanded, the U.S. at least let us win the Stanley Cup once in a while.
This season will mark 26 years since it landed north of the border.
BIG MONEY
Based on contracts that have been signed to date, the average salary in the NFL for the 2023 season will be $25,776,775.
Of course, only 16 players have signed deals that go that far. Still …
THAT’S JUST MEAN
We get it that the CFL is divided into National and International players. It’s an important part of keeping the game unique and populated with Canadians.
Still, it always seems a little cruel to non-Canadian quarterbacks to have INT beside their name.
ALL-OVERRATED
Last week’s column that discussed Kobe Bryant turning 40 launched a debate about who is the most overrated athlete ever in each major sport.
In other words, who is an athlete who’s really, really good but has been elevated to a position of all-time greatness that exceeds the reality of their performance. They’re good, in other words, just not as good as some would suggest.
So who are they?
Bryant is the guy in the NBA,
Derek Jeter gets the nod in baseball, Brett Favre is the NFL’s honouree, and Ken Dryden leads the way in hockey.
Discuss among yourselves.
MEANS NOTHING
How irrelevant are pre-season stats in the NFL?
Buffalo’s Nathan Peterman leads all quarterbacks in completion percentage, is third in yards per completion and is fifth in quarterback rating. This is the same Nathan Peterman who set a record not than long ago with a Johnny Manziel-esque five interceptions in one game.
In other words, he isn’t exactly Aaron Rodgers. Despite what his exhibition-game stats say.
SORRY, WHO?
Any guesses what PGA Tour player is leading the FedEx Cup standings?
Dustin Johnson? No. Justin Thomas? Nope. Brooks Koepka? Uh uh. Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson or Jason Day? No, no, no, no and no.
A big pat on the back — and a concern about how much time you’re spending following the Tour — if you correctly guessed Bryson DeChambeau.
Yeah, he won last week. But still, 99.999 per cent of the world’s population wouldn’t recognize him if he was walking down the middle of a fairway carrying a monogrammed bag with his caddy yelling “It’s Bryson DeChambeau! It’s Bryson DeChambeau!” into a megaphone.
STILL DEALING
The Ontario Hockey League made some rule changes this week to restrict the trading of draft picks. No longer will teams be able to swap picks further than six years away. Eventually that number will be reduced to four years.
It’s almost certainly a response to some wild trades in recent years. Including one made this year between Kingston and Windsor in which the Spitfires acquired picks in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2027 and 2028.
The changes haven’t completely reined in the general managers, though. On Friday the Spitfires sent an astounding nine picks — none further down the road than 2024 — to Peterborough for the Petes’ first-round pick, Will Cuylle, who has yet to play a game but refused to report.
IT’S NOT HIM
Saw a Blue Jays’ commercial the other day in which one of the people on screen was wearing a HOME IS TORONTO t-shirt that looked suspiciously like the really cool HAMILTON IS HOME shirts created by Max Francis.
I reached out to Francis and asked if the True Hamiltonian brand has now branched into other markets and left this city behind. No chance, he says. Just a remarkable coincidence (ahem) that someone had basically the same idea as him.
AWOL
When the Stoney Creek 1965 Little League baseball team goes into the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame next month, many of the former players will be there. But one guy is missing. Nobody involved seems to know what happened to Len Bromley.
If you have any idea, call Brad at 905-978-1449.