Awards shutout?
A lot of solid performers may not get rewarded
Now that the first two months of the season have been lost, it’s heartening the NHL is actually considering honouring its existing player contracts. And here’s something equally inspirational, the Monday morning musings and meditations on the world of sports.
The B.C. Lions were the best team in the CFL this season but it could be the Leos will be shut out at the Most Outstanding Player awards banquet during Grey Cup week.
The Lions’ best bet is likely offensive tackle Jovan Olafioye but one of the great mysteries of our universe concerns the voting for the CFL’s most outstanding offensive lineman. Olafioye should have won the award last season. It was given to Montreal’s Josh Bourke. Who knows where it will land this season.
After Olafioye, you’ve got MOP nominee Travis Lulay, who was the CFL’s most consistent quarterback. But Anthony Calvillo had better numbers across the board and Calvillo will carry the sympathy vote.
Top Canadian Andrew Harris had a huge season but finished second to Calgary’s Jon Cornish in rushing. It’s the same story with linebacker Adam Bighill, who finished second to Edmonton’s J.P. Sherritt in tackles. And the same with kick returner Tim Brown, their nominee for special teams’ player, who finished second to Toronto’s Chad Owens to total return yardage.
The Lions have a worthy candidate in each category but they don’t have a clear-cut favourite. They might have to console themselves with another trophy on Nov. 25.
Still with the Lions. Lulay’s contractual situation remains an issue for the team but if he has designs on the NFL, it’s hard to see where he’ll fit in.
There’s one NFL team that has a crying need for a quarterback: Arizona. Some teams — Kansas City, the Jets — are having trouble at the spot. Some teams — New England, Denver — have aging veterans. But virtually every team has a guy and it doesn’t figure a 29-year-old from Canada is going to get a long look as a starter.
Here’s something else to consider. Of the 32 NFL starters, 14 are in their fourth year or less.
Let’s see. Two weeks ago, the biggest concern about the Seattle Seahawks was rookie quarterback Russell Wilson and the offence. Now, Wilson looks like he’s developing into a franchise quarterback and the defence — see Adrian Peterson — is reeling.
Still, the Hawks are 5-4 and four or their last seven games are at home where they’re undefeated this season. You’d think they’re going to have win one on the road some time but 9-7 just might get them in the playoffs in the NFC.
As organizers of the dearly departed Air Canada Championship can attest, there was a time when the golf season pretty much ended at Labour Day.
Now? You’ve got the Fed Ex thingy in the fall. Last week Tiger Woods was teeing it up in Malaysia. And, on Sunday, Ian Poulter won against a world-class field in China at the HSBC Championship.
The game now goes 12 months of the year all around the globe but here’s the thing. Judging by the galleries at the HSBC, there’s potential for even greater growth.
A friend of mine said this at our Thursday night poker game: “If I treated my customers the way the NHL treats theirs, I’d be out of business.”
And finally, during his time with the Lions, Damon Allen was something He did carry an average Lions team to the 2000 Grey Cup. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much else to show for his seven seasons here.
You have to view the man in full to appreciate everything he accomplished. He was the Grey Cup MVP three times for three different teams in three different decades. When he retired, at the ridiculous age of 44, he was the CFL’s all-time passing leader and its THIRD leading rusher.
It didn’t get a lot of run, but Allen, along with Lions owner David Braley, was elected into the CFL Hall of Fame over the weekend. He’ll be remembered for a lot of reasons. I’ll always remember him as an original; a proud, sensitive artiste who, at his best, brought grace and style to a brutal game.