Truth & Rumours For SUDS Car Wash
1 – DOWN GOES MO: Starting with hockey this week and it’s going to be a sad day – for me anyway – when Patrick Kane passes Mike Modano as the #1 scoring American NHL player of all time. Kane had 1-1-2 in Detroit’s 4-0 win at Chicago on Saturday to move him nine points behind Modano (1,374) for top spot. Modano is my favorite player of all time, regardless of passport, and that goes back to the day in September of 1986 when he showed up in Prince Albert, SK as a 16-year old with the Raiders. With a mouth full of braces and a spiked hairdo, the Livonia, MI product was immediately the greatest skater I’d ever witnessed and that’s never changed. My Islanders media friends say Pat Lafontaine is the top USA player of all-time but sorry boys. In fact, the Top 5 US-born players to reach #1 status are Modano, Phil Housley, Joe Mullen, Reed Larson and Tommy Williams.
2 – OTHER NHL NOTES: Stuart Skinner did NOT make his Penguins debut in Saturday’s epic Pittsburgh collapse, giving up five unanswered goals in a 6-5 OT loss to San Jose. Arturs Silovs was on the hook in that one. … A month ago when TSN’s Martin Biron said “Skinner’s Oiler teammates have lost faith in him,” my first thought was, “And he’s lost faith in them too.” It’s long since been time for a trade and for anyone who says Tristan Jarry-for-Stuart Skinner was a lateral move, they haven’t been paying attention. … Hottest NHL teams in the past week: Dallas, Minnesota, Colorado, Washington and Boston. Coldest NHL teams in the past week: Vancouver, Winnipeg, Columbus, Seattle, Ottawa and Chicago.
3 – SUNSHINE STATE UPDATE: The Florida Panthers spent some time dead-last in the standings and which got peoples’ attention around here (South Florida). Former Panthers coach Doug MacLean came to the team’s defense on our Cats N Bolts Podcast this week by saying, “This is a team that’s played four seasons in the past three!” The Cats have since rattled off three wins in their past four games including a 4-0 victory at Dallas on Saturday. They’re three points out of a playoff spot and five points behind Tampa Bay for the Atlantic Division lead! The Cats visit the Bolts on Monday night. … What Tampa Bay’s done this year continues to be freakish, especially with injuries to stalwarts Andrei Vasilevsky and Victor Hedman. Jon Cooper remains the NHL’s best coach, yet has never won Coach of the Year. … Monday’s clash in Tampa will go a long ways to determining hockey supremacy in the Sunshine State.
4 – CFL: It was a fairly quiet week in the CFL after quite a bit of upheaval the week prior. QB Bo Levi Mitchell re-signed in Hamilton at age 35. QB Cody Fajardo re-signed in Edmonton at age 33. The Fajardo deal was no slam dunk as there was a slight money issue, plus Cody had a coaching offer outside the CFL. Yet the Brea, CA product made the correct decision, knowing that coaching will aways be there for him. … Saskatchewan QB Trevor Harris remains the CFL’s elder statesman, turning 40 on May 31. He’s six months older than his coach, Corey Mace! … The coaching carousel is spinning out of control, but I don’t expect any announcements on staffs until well into the New Year. Definitely not prior to Christmas. There appears to be considerable change coming on the Argos staff, under first-year head coach Mike Miller. … Thanks to the Boatmen for keeping Jim Barker available on Fridays on the RP Show!
5 – NFL: Philip Rivers almost pulled off a miracle. The 44-year old quarterback who came out of retirement to save the Colts threw for 120 yards, 1 TD, was picked off a sacked once in Indianapolis’s 18-16 loss at Seattle. The Seahawks won it on a 56-yard field goal with 22 seconds to go. … Black Sunday: Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons both saw their seasons end due to Achilles tendon injuries. The Chiefs were eliminated from the playoffs too. … Apparently the oddsmakers do know what they’re doing. The Bills went into Foxborough and upset the Patriots 35-31, snapping New England’s 10-game win streak. … J.J. McCarthy appears to be made for prime time. The Vikings sophomore QB looked sensational in Minnesota’s 34-26 win at Dallas in the Sunday Nighter. The Cowboys are now 6-7-1, and will miss the playoffs; the most overhyped team in sports.
6 – COLLEGE CHAOS: It’s a real fun time in the football world as the 12-team College Football Playoff kicks off next weekend. The Bowl season actually kicks off on Tuesday with the Veterans Bowl featuring Troy versus Jacksonville State in Montgomery, AL. We’ve got the Bush’s Beans Boca Raton Bowl here in my backyard on December 23 featuring Louisville vs Toledo. It’ll be the fifth Boca Bowl I’ve covered! … As far as the CFP goes, I’ve noticed nobody wants to go out on a limb for a prediction but I’ll forecast an Indiana-Ohio State national championship in Miami Gardens; a rematch of the Big Ten championship which the Hoosiers won 13-10. … Driving by the Palm Beach Airport on Saturday, we wondered where President Donald Trump was since Air Force One was absent. Turns out, he was at the Army-Navy game, won 17-16 by the Midshipmen.
7 – PET PEEVE: Look, I get that teams – both pro and amateur – are their own little newspapers, TV & radio stations now but the 5Ws need to still apply with their coverage of the games. Who, What, When, Where, & Why. I got a news release from a team (you know who they are) recapping a game this weekend, and it didn’t even report the score, nor where the game was played. Maybe we need to do some sort of online weekend workshop for teams to get their ‘kids’ up-to-speed on covering sports. Just like humans change but human nature doesn’t, the same goes for the news business. Enough’s enough!
8 – TEAMS ARE IN CONTROL: Speaking of, the Vegas Golden Knights got roasted this week for not making Carter Hart available to the media for Thursday’s game at Philadelphia (a 3-2 VGK OT win in which Hart didn’t even play in his return to Xfinity Mobile Arena). A good portion of the media howled far and wide over the Golden Knights stance, but guess who won the battle? The VGK also revoked certain media’s credentials for their coverage of the Hart story. One day, maybe, society will get through their heads who’s in charge now. Some never will, and they keep whining …
9 – HEBSY’S BOOK: If you’re fascinated or curious about how things changed in this massive, perilous industry of sports media, you’ll want to pick up a copy of the book MADNESS: The Rise & Ruin Of Sports Media by iconic Canadian TV sportscaster Mark Hebscher from ECW Press, and available now in all bookstores. It’s a forensic account of the sports media business beginning from ancient Greek boxing times right up to this Fall’s Blue Jays World Series run. Hebsy’s stories are just like him – colourful – but he pulls no punches when it comes to how execs sold out their own networks and stations due to the almighty dollar, folding to leagues, and the fallout which has ensued. Thanks for shipping me the book Mark! Longtime fan here …
10 – RANDOM THOUGHTS: All that glitters is not gold. … The movie Pretty Woman needs a sequel. I’m dying to know how it turned it! … The Moose Jaw Miller Express of the WCBL are looking for a new manager after Eric Marriott joined the professional Ottawa Titans of the Frontier League this week. Eric skippered the Millers to two East Division titles and two league finals in his time and was an absolute pleasure to work with! … “Can we just skip the crazy?” – Billy Bob Thornton’s character Tommy Norris in Season 2 of Landman. … Billy Bob’s series wife Ali Larter (Angela Norris) never finished high school in her hometown of Cherry Hill, NJ. … My Dad always said, “Learnin’ ain’t all in the books.” … Dill Pickle scented soap? I’ll pass. … Further things I’d do if in charge of the CFL: 1) Create a CFL Radio channel on Sirius/XM, and 2) Commission teams to hold their own schedule release & draft parties. Even if only two fans show up, it’s a win. … As I overheard in the gym this week, “Something’s better than nothing.” … Self-driving taxis have gone viral for negative reasons but this week the driverless taxis are the bearer of happier news after a San Francisco woman gave birth in one. The mother was on her way to the University of California, San Francisco medical center Monday when she delivered her child inside the robotaxi, a spokesperson for the company said in a statement. The company said its rider support team detected “unusual activity” inside the vehicle and called to check on the rider as well as alert 911. The taxi and its passengers arrived safely at the hospital ahead of emergency services. Jess Berthold, a UCSF spokesperson, said everyone was happy and healthy but the mother would not be made available for interviews. … AND HOW WAS YOUR WEEK?
Y’er welcome,
RP
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