JIM LANG ON SPORTS

BY: JIM LANG
FOR RODPEDERSEN.COM

SPORTS IN TORONTO

Being a sports fan in Toronto can be a painful experience. Thankfully the Argonauts and the Rock have a number of championships over the past two decades. Otherwise there wouldn’t be much to be proud of in the largest city in Canada.

While it is nice to see the Argos win a Grey Cup now and then it is getting harder and harder to be a fan of the Maple Leafs and the Blue Jays.

Let us start with the Blue Jays. The first game of the year and already there was a feeling of “here we go again” by their frustrated fans.

R.A. Dickey got lit up (Six earned runs and six walks in only five innings of work) by the Rays in the Blue Jays regular season opener. That was nothing compared to what happened to shortstop Jose Reyes. In the first inning, the first freaking inning! Reyes injured his hamstring and had to leave the game. Not long afterwards the Blue Jays placed Reyes on the 15 day Disabled List.

Reyes admitted after the game that his hamstring didn’t feel right during the Blue Jays’ two exhibition games at Olympic Stadium in Montreal last weekend.

Two games on what is generally regarded as the worst artificial turf in North America. I mean, who would believe his hamstring would be sore after playing two games on that garbage?

So Reyes lasts one at bat and then he is done.

Which begs the question; why in the hell was he allowed to play in Montreal on a sore hamstring?

All is not lost though. At least Dickey made it five innings and didn’t injure himself (that we know of) before leaving the game.

Only the most optimistic or delusional person actually thinks the Blue Jays are going to contend this year.

Oh sure they will have their moments of fleeting glory from time to time this season. But when it comes to crunch time in September the Blue Jays will be nowhere to be seen as the big boys in the American League slug it out to see who will make the post-season.

That hurts. What the Maple Leafs are going through now is gut-wrenchingly painful.

Tuesday the Leafs hung on to beat the Flames and were able to snap their eight game losing streak. Even by Leafs standards losing eight games in a 14 day span is shockingly bad.

The Leafs had not lost eight straight regulation games since some of the darkest days of the Harold Ballard regime, 1985.

If the Leafs end up missing the playoffs no job will be safe after MLSE President Tim Leiweke gets done with them.

Leiweke didn’t blink an eye as he made sweeping changes to both the Raptors and TFC. So why would he care if he starts firing individuals in the Leafs front office and coaching staff?

Money has never been a problem for the Maple Leafs. If anything the new rules that prohibit them from spending their way out of trouble is their biggest opponent.

While the daily drama plays with the Leafs and the Blue Jays, the Toronto Raptors happily just keep on playing games. And the Raptors have every reason to be happy. The Raptors have already clinched a playoff spot and with ever game they move one step closer to finding out what team they will face in the opening round.

But this all you need to know about the Leafs Nation and the fans that refuse to give up hope: If, by some divine miracle, they make the playoffs; the city will go bonkers like it did last year.

All that ugliness during the Leafs eight game losing streak will be quickly forgotten if they get in and Maple Leaf Square outside the Air Canada Centre will be jammed with thousands of fans.

For hockey fans in Toronto and throughout Southern Ontario the Leafs are the most addictive drug on the planet. No matter what happens year after year they keep coming back for more. There is no 12 step program that I know of that can cure the deep addiction fans have for the Leafs.

Maybe one day the Leafs will finally break the curse of Harold Ballard and win another Stanley Cup. But until that day happens the fans will continue to fill the ACC and the fans will believe that, one day, it will all be better.

DESEAN JACKSON

In 2013 Jackson led the Eagles in receiving. Jackson ended the year ninth in the entire NFL with 82 catches for 1,332 yards and nine touchdowns. Despite those impressive numbers and his game breaking speed, that wasn’t enough for him to keep his job in Philadelphia.

The Eagles decided to release Jackson this week and their Division rivals, the Redskins, wasted little time signing him to a three year contract.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter no player in NFL history has switched to another team within his division after putting up the kind of numbers that Jackson did.

Which begs the question, why in the heck would the Eagles let him walk?

Well it turns out there were reports that Chip Kelly and the Eagles were not thrilled with Jackson’s attitude and demeanor and that there also some reports that he showed up late for a few meetings.

There was also a report from New Jersey that claimed Jackson had gang ties.

Only time will tell if any of these stories about Jackson are true. I do know this; the Redskins offence just got a whole lot better.

In 2013 Pierre Garcon led the Redskins in receiving and averaged 11.9 yards per catch. Jackson average 16.2 yards per catch. Six of Jackson’s nine touchdowns came on passes 31 yards or longer. Since 2008, no receiver in the NFL has more receptions 40 yards or longer than Jackson.

All of a sudden Robert Griffin III has a big-time deep threat to work with. All of a sudden the Redskins new Head Coach, Jay Gruden, has the kind of offensive weapon that can stretch an opposing defence. A player like Jackson has the ability to keep an opposing defence honest with his speed. This should also open more room for the Redskins running game.

All of a sudden I am really looking forward to the day the Eagles host the Redskins in Philadelphia.

(Follow Jungle Jim Lang on Twitter at @JimLangSports)