STACKHOUSE’S 10 THOUGHTS

1-AIR CANADA GROUNDED: Brandon Bridge was cut by the Toronto Argonauts. Does this mean their offensive co-ordinator is just as bad as Stephen McAdoo, or can we find some common sense and realize that McAdoo didn’t forget how to coach? Perhaps McAdoo instituted the game plan he felt gave
his team the best chance to win. I remain forever puzzled as to why last year’s woes were the fault of McAdoo as opposed to the fault of the players on the field.

2-CIRCUS IN MONTREAL: Firing your coach a week before the season starts is never a good look, but Montreal has done it. The fact the league is running the franchise can’t be a good sign either. I believe Rick Campbell is one of the better coaches in the CFL. If not for that, I’d be having my doubts about where Ottawa is headed too. We know the fans won’t support them if they end up being a bottom feeder. Let’s hope they stay in the mix, for the good of the league.

3-BOMBERS THE FAVOURITES: I’m not sure Winnipeg will ever have a better shot at winning the Grey Cup than what they have this year. I like all the ingredients to their roster. I’m not saying they’ll win, but their fans have to be optimistic.

4-WHAT, ME WORRY?: I don’t know why everyone is, suddenly, up in arms about NHL officiating. It’s been called this way for as long as I can remember. What’s different is there have been a few goals scored as a direct result of it. I wish fans would have gotten mad a long time ago about the goals that were not scored because of muggings that went ignored. The problem is that you can’t definitively say a goal was prevented because of an infraction that was uncalled. But, it happens in just about every single game. What’s worse is the chintzy sh-t (pardon my French) that is always called in the first 6 minutes of the first period of most games that shouldn’t ever be whistled. It’s been consistently inconsistent for as long as I’ve watched the NHL.

5-IT’S LEONARD’S TIME: Watching Kawhi Leonard dominate these NBA playoffs has made me think about the most dominating athletes during my lifetime. In no particular order – Mike Tyson, Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Pedro Martinez, Michael Phelps, and Doug Flutie. I may be missing a few.

6-DAYS GONE BY: Dominating athletes I wish I had been alive to see: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig (although I despise the Yankees), Muhammad Ali, Terry Sawchuk, Walter Payton (I have faint memories), Bobby Orr, Eddie Shack, Ron Lancaster, and George Reed.

7-LES HABITENTS: I would have said Ken Dryden but he’s such a liberal that I can’t bring myself to admit that I’d have loved watching him dominate. Didn’t he also only play home games or something so that he could earn his law degree? Imagine doing that now. As a kid, I couldn’t stomach the Montreal Canadiens. So, that means Doug Harvey, Rocket Richard, Jean Beliveau, etc would not have been people I would have appreciated at all. Bob Gainey, Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Guy Carbonneau, and Brent Gilchrist were bad enough.

8-NO CANADA: I have to think the biggest reason Kawhi Leonard wouldn’t stay in Toronto is because of this country’s tax rate. I can’t imagine that even in the most heavily taxed US state that it would be as bad. Which is unfortunate. Toronto is Canada’s version of Vegas.

9-DA-DA-DA!: Best current on air personality on TSN – Sarah Davis. The old SportsDesk with Michael Landsberg and Brendan Connor was the greatest.

10-GOING THE DISTANCE: Perhaps I’m missing an all-time great Stanley Cup final and I’ve found that as I get older, I’m not captivated anymore by teams I don’t have a rooting interest in. But, as I reflect on my favorite Cup final of all time I go to 1994 when the Rangers beat Vancouver. I didn’t care about either team, but I was on the edge of my seat for most of that series.

(Mike Stackhouse is a freelance reporter/broadcaster. Follow him on Twitter at @Stack1975)

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Dean
Dean
5 years ago

This is the first time I have ever read one of your articles. You don’t like Dryden because he’s a liberal? I’m guessing if Doug Ford was the goalie you would of been a Hab’s fan. And then you talk about a basketball player wanting to leave TO because of taxes. Canada’s taxes are way lower for low to middle earners than the US. Plus we have more benefits. So if some millionaire basket ball players leaves then good.

Complete garbage.

Dan Gerritsen
Dan Gerritsen
5 years ago
Reply to  Dean

Plus, down in the states they need to pay for health care insurance on top of taxes if you want to compare apples to apples. We don’t have it so bad up here.

Mike Stackhouse
Mike Stackhouse
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan Gerritsen

In the case of Leonard….do you think paying for health care insurance is a factor when he’s deciding where to live?

Mike Stackhouse
Mike Stackhouse
5 years ago
Reply to  Dean

Thanks Dean. Is Kawhi Leonard a low to middle wage earner? Also…on Dryden. It’s a light hearted joke.

Appreciate your sense of humour…or lack thereof, I suppose.

Dan Gerritsen
Dan Gerritsen
5 years ago

At one point Lance Armstrong would be on the list of all time greats but we know how that turned out.

Mike Stackhouse
Mike Stackhouse
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan Gerritsen

True.

Tim
Tim
5 years ago

Ok I’ll take the bait. From 6 (Days gone by). I am reading through the list of dominating athletes and come across Eddie Shack. Entertaining yes, but dominant? Hmm
Regarding point one. Either the play selection was bad, or the quarterbacks were. If its the latter, I think that’s on Chris Jones.
If its the former its on the OC. Personally if I see one hitch screen this season, that’s too soon for me. I saw enough last season to last a lifetime.

Sonny
Sonny
5 years ago

McAdoo has serious trust issues. This character trait alone should preclude him from being employed in pro sports but here we are. You said it yourself – “Perhaps McAdoo instituted the game plan he felt gave
his team the best chance to win”. Well when that game plan is 80% hitch screens and short slant routes, then the guy is clearly coaching out of fear. I feel bad for you if you’re going to be forever puzzled, but this isn’t very hard to figure out. He didn’t trust the QB’s, and Chris Jones really didn’t care.

Mike Stackhouse
Mike Stackhouse
5 years ago
Reply to  Sonny

Brandon Bridge just got cut from another team. What makes you think McAdoo should have trusted him?

Sonny
Sonny
5 years ago

Wow. What a terrible take. You not only missed the entire point, you have literally announced that you’re OK with the lack of trust between coach and player. Just the mental gymnastics involved: “Well a different team has cut Bridge. I guess McAdoo’s game plans were actually good. It’s the players’ fault”. Bravo, sir.

Mike Stackhouse
Mike Stackhouse
5 years ago
Reply to  Sonny

I am 100% okay with a coach recognizing the limitations of his quarterback and, therefore, not asking him to do something the coach KNOWS he can’t do. That’s my point. If you think McAdoo should have thrown caution to the wind and just run a game plan fit for an above avg QB and then shrug his shoulders when it ends in disaster….then I don’t know.