Deep Thoughts
If the old fighters come back they’ll need new nicknames, and other (not so) deep thoughts
A few random thoughts for National Piercing Day. Otherwise known as Dennis Rodman Appreciation Day ...
Fascinating, but ...
First, a short video of Mike Tyson ferociously hitting the pads showed up on Twitter. Now a short clip of Evander Holyfield skipping and throwing punches — punctuated with him saying, “I’m back” — is out, leading people to think a fight between the 53-year-old Tyson and 57-year-old Holyfield is imminent. While that would no doubt be a draw, is there a boxing commission anywhere that would licence such a fight?
Him too?
Seeing those two fighters reemerge, 51-year-old former heavyweight champion James Toney came out and said he’s now ready to get back into action.
What. The. Heck. Is. Happening?
We could expand this
In a related note, has anyone heard from Max Schmeling recently?
That’s unusual
If you’re watching the Michael Jordan documentary “The Last Dance” and getting the idea that most reporters — sports or otherwise — work with their interview subjects like Ahmad Rashad did, please think again. People who cover teams generally don’t drive to games with the star players, hang out with them after Dream Team games in Barcelona and help them tie their ties on the way to the funeral of that player’s father.
Nice break
Somehow, the terrific Baltimore Ravens landed the easiest schedule in the NFL this season. They only have to play three times against teams that won 10 or more games last season.
They may as well have just won the lottery.
On the flip side, the toughest schedule belongs to the New England Patriots. Wait ... Nope. Don’t hear anyone crying for them.
Divisional smackdown
The Patriots have the hardest schedule, the New York Jets have the secondtoughest, the Miami Dolphins are third and the Buffalo Bills are fifth. Who did the AFC East tick off to deserve this?
Two years already
This week marked the two-year anniversary of the Hamilton Bulldogs winning the Ontario Hockey League championship. If hockey returns in the fall, the only player who was on the ice for Hamilton in that deciding game who could be back on the team is Arthur Kaliyev.
Smart guy
Three years ago, McMaster defensive tackle Mark Mackie was selected by the Edmonton Eskimos. He made the team and has played 29 games. On Thursday, he retired after being accepted to medical school at Western.
Some new names
One good thing about old boxers coming back is the possibility for revised nicknames. “Iron” Mike Tyson becomes “Iron Supplement” Mike Tyson, James “Lights Out” Toney becomes James “Lights Out By 8:30” Toney, Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe becomes Riddick “Big Granddaddy” Bowe, Thomas “Hitman” Hearns becomes Thomas “Broken Hipman” Hearns, and “Sweet Pea” Pernell Whitaker becomes “Gotta Pee” Pernell Whitaker.
Paging Merriam-Webster
Sportsnet has been showing old baseball games to fill open air time these days. That’s fine. But labelling them all — including nondescript mid-September games from 2016 — as Classic MLB Baseball seems to show a distinct lack of understanding of the word “classic.”
Nice gig
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, if baseball returns with an 82-game season and players’ salaries are shaved by half to reflect the halved schedule, the highest-paid player in the game this year will be Prince Fielder.
Yes, the guy who suffered a career-ending injury four years ago and was bought out with a guaranteed $24-million salary.
Your Question
This is truly weird, but according to baseballreference.com, more Blue Jays players — 27 of them — have worn No. 46 than any other uniform number over the years.
We’ll keep it simple today. Name one. (Name more than that and you’re a legend).
Great, but ...
Wonderful documentary about the 1970 Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins — the Bobby Orr flying through the air team — on TV this week. Fun show. One caveat, however. That photo of Orr made that team and that moment a classic. The truth is, had Orr not flown, nobody would’ve remembered that series because it was such a mismatch. The Blues were only there because one of the expansion teams from 1967 had to be. The Toronto Maple Leafs finished last in the nonexpansion division but would’ve been comfortably in second in the other. St. Louis was 11-21-4 against the established teams that season. Making it perhaps the most beautifully captured but overrated moment in sports history.
Even more overrated
Check that, Boston’s victory was the second-most-overrated moment. First would be Billie Jean King in her prime beating a 55-year-old worn-out Bobby Riggs. Especially considering the longstanding rumours bolstered by ESPN reporting that he threw the match to settle gambling debts with the mob.
Fore
How badly do people want golf back? Spoke to one course operator on my radio show this week and he said, within half an hour of Doug Ford announcing courses would be opening on Saturday, tee times for that day were booked. And that’s with the online booking system having some issues.
Your Answer
The Blue Jays who have worn No. 46 are Dave Wallace, Dyar Miller, Steve Luebber, Joey McLaughlin, Mike Barlow, Gary Lavelle, Mike Flanagan, Tom Gilles, Ken Dayley, Julio Mosquera, Steve Sinclair, Mike Romano, Steve Trachsel, Jason Kershner, Kerry Ligtenberg, Luis Figueroa, Joe Kennedy, Eric Thames, Evan Crawford, Matthew Boyd, Scott Feldman, Dustin Antolin, Glenn Sparkman, Brett Anderson, Oliver Drake, Daniel Hudson and Zack Godley.
Scott Radley is a Hamilton-based sports columnist at The Spectator.
Reach him via email at sradley@thespec.com.