SCRUFFY’S THIS ‘N THAT

1) WORLD JUNIORS: The excitement of this tournament has waned on me mainly for the fact TSN has made it larger than what it really is, but it is a holiday tradition and Canadians from coast-to-coast are watching albeit that alcoholic beverage of choice from watching at night has been replaced with coffee. I wasn’t awake at 7:30 to watch the puck drop in Canada’s first game against the Finns, but if it was a playoff game I would be engaged. To me, this tournament begins when the playoffs get underway and it’s single elimination. I don’t need to watch Canada crush Latvia, or the US go for a skate against Norway, but once we get to the quarterfinals it is appointment watching TV or appointment listening radio seeing CJME/CKOM is once again broadcasting the games.

When it comes to Canada, I don’t know if they or anyone can beat the USA this year, but they should come home with a medal.

2) THE STATE OF THE CANUCKS:  I know a lot of people who are Vancouver Canucks fans. Those people haven’t had a lot to cheer about over the past many years, but is this the year they can puff their chest out and enjoy a long playoff run?

I don’t think there is anyone out there who thought at the Christmas break that Vancouver would be the top team points-wise in the standings. If you were one of those people, I hope you made a bet on Bet Regal, Bet365, Playnow or whatever book you use because you might have paid for those Christmas presents you purchased,

Rick Tocchet would be the slam-dunk coach of the year if the season ended today. Demko would be a solid Vezina candidate and Quinn Hughes would likely win the Norris. Players like Elias Pettersson, JT Miller and Brock Boeser are supplying the offence. It’s the best Canucks team they have had in years so let’s see where the second half goes with them. They will certainly be a playoff team and it could be a long run for them which would be good for all those starving for playoff success Canucks fans that I know.

3) CONNOR’S CAREER: Interesting numbers from EA Sports this week as they promoted NHL24. EA is projecting the career of Connor Bedard, and the numbers are eye-popping, 1700 games played with 844 goals, 1,107 assists, three Stanley Cups and Conn Smythe Trophy to go along with six Hart Trophies and five Art Ross trophies. I wonder if EA did this for Connor McDavid.  Considering EA’s Stanley Cup simulations have crashed and burned regularly over the past few years, I’ll just look at this and go OK.  No one will remember this in 20 years, but it can be revisited then. 

4) THE MICHIGAN: Bedard and Trevor Zegras had the hockey world talking when they both scored “The Michigan” on the same night. The guy who scored the first ever lacrosse goal like this, to my knowledge, was the University of Michigan’s Mike Legg. It just begs the question, why do we call this goal “The Michigan” instead of “The Legg”? If I was Mike, I would be some kind of choked that a goal I started gets the name of the school he played for and not him,

5) ELKS-MBT? It was interesting to read Justin Dunk’s 3DownNation story on the Elks being interested in acquiring the services of former Argos QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson. I would think he is a guy for the green-and-white than a guy for the green-and-gold. Edmonton has the young and exciting Tre Ford and having him go back to the sidelines might be a detriment when it comes to his development.  Chris Jones obviously feels Ford is not the right guy at this time to take his team to the next level.

You have to wonder if there is interest in Riderville about MBT.  I would think so as he is a few years younger than Trevor Harris, but who knows. I am also guessing Edmonton is not the only team who might want to have MBT under center when the 24 season starts.

6) CHIP SHOTS: Remember the day when 50-plus yard field goals were seen as a rarity on both sides of the border? While you might see CFL kickers bang them through from 50 or longer many times, you rarely saw an NFL kicker nail it from long distance. That isn’t the case anymore. Yes, the kickers are better than what they were 10-15 years ago, but coaches have no problem these days in sending the kicker out for field goals that are 55-yard attempts or greater and in most cases the kicker comes through. Cleveland’s Dustin Hopkins and Dallas’s Brandon Aubrey are 8/8 this year in kicks from 50 and beyond. They aren’t scraping the bar either. They are usually kicks that are hitting the back net most times. There isn’t anything the NFL can do to limit it unless they reduce the size of the goalposts and I don’t see that happening.

7) THANKS BUT NO THANKS: US college football season is winding down with the national semifinals happening on New Year’s Day.  In the meantime, we are seeing many bowl games but a lot of those games don’t have the players playing that got them to where they are. After being snubbed by the playoff committee, Florida State has nearly 20 players that played in their last game against Louisville who won’t play against Georgia in what was a much-anticipated Orange Bowl as many were hoping to see if the Seminoles could compete with the Bulldogs to add fuel to the “we were jobbed” fire. Those players who aren’t playing have decided they don’t want to for fear of injury as they are heading into the NFL draft or they have entered the transfer portal that is one of many things destroying college football.  Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams did not play in the Holiday Bowl for USC against Louisville taking a lot of lustre off the game. 

I don’t like players opting out of bowl games because they come off as quitters to me. You know Florida State would have their top players if they were in a national semi-final and the same for Williams and others. I am guessing teams interested in these players ignore the decision-making for the talent they possess and there are valid arguments for not wanting to suit up and get hurt but as I said it just says to me they are quitting on the program that invested in them and gave them the opportunity to play at the next level.

8) CHRISTMAS DAY FOOTBALL: The NFL says nearly 30 million Americans watched the Christmas Day tripleheader. I have no idea what the TSN numbers were. This shows you that those believing there should be no games on December 25 are in the minority. I don’t know about you, but I would have loved to have gone to the games in Kansas City, Philly and San Francisco and if I were living there, I would have been there. Some say the NHL doesn’t play on Christmas Day and that is fine, but they play New Year’s Day. The NBA plays on Christmas, but they don’t play New Years Day and the NFL took advantage of the schedule falling on the right day. Christmas 2024 falls on a Wednesday so I am guessing we will see Monday Night Football on the 23^rd and the regular Thursday, Saturday and Sunday games which will give the NBA its Christmas throne back.

9) NFL WEEK 17: Here are some things to know going into this weekend’s second to last weekend of regular season play in the NFL.

• Entering Week 17, 24 teams remain in contention for a trip to Super Bowl LVIII, tied for the most teams still in Super Bowl contention with two weeks to play in the regular season in 20 years.
• Over the past 20 seasons (2004-23), the Pittsburgh Steelers have compiled a .642 winning percentage (205-114-2) in the regular season, the second-highest in the NFL during that span, trailing only New England (.707). With a victory at Seattle on Sunday, Pittsburgh will earn its ninth win and secure a 20th-consecutive season with a .500-or-better record, surpassing the New England Patriots (2001-19) for the second-longest streak in NFL history. Only the Dallas Cowboys (21 consecutive seasons from 1965-85) have a longer streak.
• Miami wide receiver Tyreek Hill leads the NFL with 1,641 receiving yards this season, ranks second with 12 touchdown receptions and tied for third with 106 receptions.With 59 receiving yards at Baltimore on Sunday, Hill – who had a career-high and franchise-record 1,710 receiving yards last season – will become the first player in NFL history to record at least 1,700 receiving yards in multiple seasons. With four receptions, Hill will become the third player ever to record at least 110 receptions in three consecutive seasons, joining Antonio Brown (2013-15) and Wes Welker (2007-09).

10) THE STATE OF THE BLUE JAYS: I am not a fan of Toronto’s baseball team but being a Canadian I get Blue Jays news stuffed down my throat every day in the summer much like I get Maple Leafs news stuffed down my throat every day in the winter. Those that don’t want to acknowledge there are other teams out there that you can cheer for as a Canadian must acknowledge that the braintrust has failed them miserably to this point. They wanted Juan Soto and watched him go to the Yankees, they really think they had a shot at Shohei Ohtani and were disappointed when he went to the Dodgers. GM Ross Atkins said at an end-of season availability that Kevin Kiermaier’s days as a Blue Jay were done but then he signs a one-year deal worth 10 million meaning the pursuit of Cody Bellinger is likely over and then he signs utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a two-year $15-million deal as he will replace Whit Merrifield.

Ummmmm, the Blue Jays aren’t getting any stronger kids. At this point, they may be battling Boston for the AL East basement.

If GM Ross Atkins, who has been a disaster in Toronto, doesn’t pull off anything soon don’t believe Steve Phillips and others when they tell you the Blue Jays have a chance to win the American League East and maybe the American League because they don’t. They didn’t two years ago, they didn’t last year and they won’t this year if they continue on their current path.

That’s all I got.  Happy New Year.  Have a great 2024!