NOT SO (Deep) thoughts
A few sporadic thoughts for National Train Your Brain Day. Which won’t happen here. Just so we’re clear ...
BOOOO-RING
Is there a more useless feature on any sports event than hockey’s three-question intermission interview with a sweating, breathless, wants-to-be-doing-any-thing-but-this player?
Even with the Toronto Maple Leafs scoring at will — which should be tons of fun for the players and inspire some joie de vivre — the deep thoughts you get from Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares et al. between periods are a disinterested, monotone recitation of a bunch of clichés that could only be less interesting if they were accompanied by images of someone buying socks.
If players insist on being this boring, broadcasters should find something else to show in that spot.
NO SIGN, NO PROBLEM
You’ve probably heard those real estate commercials with Rosemary and Rick Ferroni that are playing regularly in this area. The ones where he is asking why his name isn’t on the for-sale sign. Turns out Rick was part of the 1965 Stoney Creek Little League team that was inducted into the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame this week. The shortstop, as it turns out.
Every member got a crystal plaque acknowledging the honour. Was his name on that, at least?
“It was on it,” he laughs.
NOT DRAWING
With just a few weeks to go in the regular season, three CFL teams are averaging less than 20,000 fans per home game. According to cfldb.ca, B.C. is drawing 19,314, Montreal is at 17,300 and Toronto is at 14,233. It’s worth noting that Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver are the three biggest cities in Canada.
By these numbers, one in every 416 Torontonians are attending games — somehow appropriate the number is 416, no? — while one in every 237 are attending in Montreal and one in 128 are attending in Vancouver.
On the flip side, the smallest city in the league (Regina) leads the league in attendance at 32,303 per game. In the capital of Saskatchewan, one in seven are attending games.
YES, SHE IS
One of the four student athletic therapists working with McMaster’s football team this year is Jenna Bathgate. In case you’re recognizing the last name and wondering if there’s a connection, yes, she is the granddaughter of hockey legend Andy Bathgate.
KA-CHING II
And now for today’s instalment
of the William Nylander Lost Salary Meter.
Based on a 186-day NHL season and a salary of somewhere between $6 million (what the Leafs are reportedly offering, meaning $32,258 a day) and $8 million (what some reports say he’s demanding which is $43,010 a day), he’s lost somewhere between $354,838 and $473,110 already.
Feeling sorry for him yet?
PLAYOFF PFFFT
Going into the American League Championship Series, Boston’s David Price — via Toronto — is 0-9 in his post-season career with a 6.03 ERA. His team has lost all 10 games he’s started.
No other player in Major League history with at least 10 playoff starts doesn’t have at least one win.
STILL BAD
Speaking of disastrous results, the Flint Firebirds have started the OHL season 0-7 and are dead last in the league. In those seven games, they’ve scored just 11 goals and given up 42.
Remember, when the Hamilton Bulldogs joined the league in 2015 after moving from Belleville, they were one of four teams that missed the playoffs. Flint was one of the others. Since then, the Bulldogs have climbed the standings and won a championship.
The Firebirds have finished 18th, 12th, 19th and now this.
WAY TOO EARLY
A few people have thrown out the “on pace for” line over the past few days. Which is nothing short of goofy and may actually suggest the person is suffering from concussion-like symptoms. Here’s why.
Going into Saturday’s game, Morgan Rielly is on pace for 197 points (beating Bobby Orr’s alltime record from a defenceman by 58, which is six more than Rielly’s ever had in a season), Auston Matthews is on pace for 148 goals (beating Wayne Gretzky’s record by 56 goals, which is 16 more than Matthews has ever had in a season), Mitch Marner and John Tavares are both on pace for 164 points, and Ron Hainsey is on pace for 33 goals.
He has 24 combined over the past 10 years.
GOOD AND BAD
Going into this weekend’s games, no NHL team had scored as many goals as the Maple Leafs.
Then again, none had given up more than the Leafs, either.
PRESSURE’S ON
After a disastrous season last year, the Edmonton Oilers have started the new campaign 0-2.
There’s no such thing as a must-win game on Game 3 of an 82-game season, but with no points in the standings — the only team shut out so far — and only three goals scored, how long can it be until things get crazy there unless there’s a rapid sign of improvement?
MMMMM ...
When the Brewers faced the Rockies in the last round of the playoffs, it was the city that brews Miller vs. the city that brews Coors. Apparently a bet was made between the two brewers — which are both owned by MillerCoors — giving the winning city free beer for one day. As a result, 138 bars in Milwaukee were serving up free suds on Friday.
It could get better. A local burger chain made a vow back in 1940 that any time the Brewers ran off a 12-game winning streak, there were free burgers for everyone. It took 47 years for it to happen the first time and, when it did, George Webb Burgers gave away 170,000 of them.
If the Brewers won on Friday night — beating Clayton Kerhsaw and the Dodgers — they would’ve done it again. And the company says it’ll feed everyone for free again.
BACK TO REALITY
Last year at this time, everyone was shocked by the fast start of the Vegas Golden Knights. The expansion team that was supposed to be road kill was 4-1 as was looking impressive, having given up just 11 goals in those five games.
To start their sophomore season they’re 1-4, have given up 19 goals and, at minus-9, have the worst goal differential in the league.
THE BIRDS
Only two Major League Baseball teams now wear everyday caps that don’t include the first letter or letters of either the city or team name. One is Baltimore, which actually has an alternate cap with a script letter O. The other is the Blue Jays.