NHLers about to stop fighting
Robservations ...
■ Given the well-documented plumbing problems in Sochi, the 2014 Winter Olympic Games may redefine the term “half-pipe.’’
■ If fighting is such an essential component of a hockey game, why is it so unlikely that anyone will drop the gloves during the Winter Olympics?
■ The preliminary round of the Winter Olympics’ men’s hockey competition (?) could hardly be less compelling. Canada opens against Norway on Thursday before playing Austria the following day. A scrimmage would be more productive.
■ Yet, there is curiosity as to whom Canada will play in goal during its opening two games. Face it: Canada could bring Tony Esposito out of retirement and still shut out Norway and Austria. The Feb. 16 game against Finland should be more watchable but, even so, Canada’s preliminary-round schedule is a no-lose proposition.
■ Alas, the Winter Olympics are not a no-luge proposition.
■ CBC will do a terrific job of televising the Olympics over the next two weeks. The Mother Corp. has never let us down while covering an event of this magnitude. Nonetheless, the Olympics will not seem the same without the peerless Brian Williams manning the anchor desk.
■ The public-address announcer’s booth at Regina’s new football stadium, to open in 2017, should be named after the late Roy Brown.
■ Russell Wilson, who has just quarterbacked the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl title, was once on the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ negotiation list.
■ The maligning of Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is beyond annoying. Manning’s detractors conveniently forget that he has actually won a Super Bowl (in 2007) and too readily discount his five mostvaluable-player awards. The NFL-record 55 touchdown passes Manning threw this past season are too easily flushed away — except, perhaps, in Sochi.
■ Earth to Manning-bashers: The Seahawks’ hyperactive defence was too much for anyone to overcome. Denver’s receivers were seldom open. Manning was pressured far too frequently. Joe Montana in his prime could not have solved the Seahawks’ defence.
■ Yet, the criticism persists about Manning not being able to win the big one. Please note that he carried his team to the AFC title by winning games of importance. In the conference final, Manning clearly outplayed the New England Patriots’ Tom Brady, who seems to be coated in Teflon.
■ Reminder: Manning has won a championship more recently than Brady, who was behind centre for the Patriots when they gassed a perfect season by somehow losing 17-14 to the New York Giants in the 2008 Super Bowl. Granted, Brady is a three-time Super Bowl champion, but he hasn’t won the “big one” in 10 years.
■ The Roughriders’ Corey Chamblin should be especially proud of the fact that he earned CFL coach-of-theyear honours in 2013 when the list of finalists included the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ Kent Austin. If you can finish ahead of Austin in anything, a healthy raise is warranted.
■ And, come to think of it, Chamblin is entering the final year of his contract.
■ The CFL should introduce awards for the top executive and the best assistant coach. Had such honours been distributed after the 2013 season, two other Roughriders employees — general manager Brendan Taman and offensive coordinator George Cortez — would have been called to the podium.
■ The terms of former Roughriders receiver Weston Dressler’s new NFL contract have been circulated by various media types and Twitterers. Dressler will reportedly earn $420,000 US in 2014, $520,000 in 2015 and $600,000 in 2016. This is all contingent on Dressler making the Chiefs’ roster in each of those seasons.
■ Recommended reading: “Their Life’s Work,’’ about the players who helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win the 1975, 1976, 1979 and 1980 Super Bowls. Author Gary Pomerantz has produced a gem, which is available at the Regina Public Library.
■ Nice people who deserve a plug: Hannah Mandryk, Gordon Currie, Terry Young, Joey DeFrancesco, Don Young, Jay Leno, Tim Novak, Bill Wagner, Josh Dixon, Kyle Burroughs, Karen Conly, John Maniatis, Mark Brown, Nancy Kraft, Cassidy Wright, Barry Rud, Gord West, Sandi Ryan, Myrna Williams, Geoff Chomos, Donald Johnson, Craig Leaderhouse and Paula Rein.