STACKHOUSE’S 10 WEEKEND THOUGHTS
1 – USA SPORTS MEDIA – I don’t understand these people. Perhaps I’m in the minority but why are they so happy and quick to jump on the ‘cancel sports’ train? Alabama coach Nick Saban gets coronavirus and there are stories that playing football is reckless and participants are putting their lives at risk. It’s crazy talk. I suppose because of Saban’s stature in college football his positive test result is news but he’s at almost zero risk of serious harm. His players are at an even less risk. Why aren’t national sports media offering a fair perspective on this? Friday update – Saban has never been sick and plans on coaching Saturday despite the positive test.
2 – MEANWHILE IN CANADA – I have had to stop following some of the more prominent sports media personalities in Canada because they are showing how shallow they are on issues unrelated to sports. One of them tweeted this week that he couldn’t figure out why someone would be so determined to go to a gym and get exercise in the middle of a pandemic. I can’t even. Then there is a Toronto-based media person who has been promoting Canadian Football League destruction from, pretty much, day one instead of presenting thoughtful ideas on how to keep things viable. This reporter, for the longest time, didn’t even know his own city’s airport was wide open for travellers coming from the United States yet praised our federal government for chasing away the Blue Jays.
3 – CANADA WEST CANCELS – Canada West has cancelled its entire winter sports season. As this became official on Thursday, I was quite interested to see the surprise amongst some of the media. This has been written on the wall ever since they cancelled football back in the summer. There is no appetite amongst the authorities in Canadian university sports to play and there are times I wonder if they wouldn’t be happiest if Canada just decided to axe post-secondary athletics altogether. I’m not sure if people actually are grasping the fact that high level sports in Canada is not a priority and it is an endangered species. It’s also a business but not one that seems to have much support. Why are leagues like the SJHL and WHL pushing to play while Canwest seems quite content to mail in their year?
4 – NO PASSION – I continue to be amazed there doesn’t seem to be an organized effort from families directly affected by all of these cancellations of sports, music, and entertainment to lobby for themselves. If you are a Canwest athlete, CFL player or office worker, the parent of a major junior hockey player or employee of a team, an aspiring musician, entertainment promoter, banquet speaker, flight attendant, etc. aren’t you worried that you’ve played your last game, your last concert, spoke at your last event and so on? If you aren’t willing to advocate for yourself, don’t expect anyone else to do it at this point. If there is no outside pressure to try and move forward, there is no reason for governments to change anything because those directly affected have moved on to something else, apparently.
5 – SJHL UPDATE – Late Friday night, word was received the SJHL can begin playing preseason games immediately with crowds maxed out at 150. It’s believed this number could be adjusted higher after November 1st provided the situation with the virus is at a place where Public Health feels comfortable to dip their toe in a little further as far as gatherings go.
6 – LIGHTNING CUP SAFETY – National Hockey League officials and the Tampa Bay Lightning continue to meet in an effort to figure out how to have Cup days for players/staff. Luke Schenn is from Saskatoon, so the Cup is slated to have a day in Saskatchewan. Braydon Coburn said on The Rod Pedersen Show this week that he intends to take the Cup to Shaunavon. I guess depending on when the NHL plans to start next season, it’s possible there won’t be enough days for everyone to have a Cup day. Especially if the Cup and the individual need to isolate for two weeks as it crosses various borders. The Maritimes have made it quite clear they don’t want anyone there who isn’t a resident, so that’s going to make it interesting for Halifax’s Alex Killorn.
7 – MORE PITCHING MADNESS – Thursday night Atlanta pitcher Bryse Wilson was ripping through the Los Angeles Dodgers to the tune of 1 hit and 1 run through 6 innings and 74 pitches. Yet, his manager just couldn’t wait to remove him for a reliever, who promptly gave up a hit, two walks, and a run and only got one batter out. A second reliever served another walk before getting out of the inning. On Friday, AJ Minter was making his first MLB start and he struck out 7 through three shutout innings, yet he was lifted for a reliever, who surrendered a home run to the first batter he faced and the Dodgers came back from 2-0 down to win easily and force game six.
8 – TAMPA OPENERS – Tampa threw away a chance to advance to the World Series on Thursday by using an opener as opposed to Blake Snell on short rest. I suppose I can buy into that line of thinking except they are abusing their best reliever. Nick Anderson was one of the best at his craft during the regular season, but it may have something to do with the fact he only pitched 16 ⅔ innings in 19 games. Yet, he’s been asked to throw 9 ⅔ in 6 playoff games. Snell started on Friday but was yanked at the first sign of trouble and the Astros destroyed the Rays bullpen to win the game, forcing game seven.
9 – BELL SIGNS WITH KC – The Kansas City Chiefs have signed free agent running back Le’Veon Bell. I’m wondering why. They’ve got a solid rookie in Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Bell is a well-documented organizational trouble maker with two franchises. Is it any wonder the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t make much of an effort to keep Bell and then later on Antonio Brown? I was discussing this with a friend of mine this week and he mentioned that Bell was a hold-out and the other high profile hold out from recent years, Melvin Gordon, just got charged with a DUI this week. Coincidence or are players who hold out a clear red flag for teams?
10 – THORNTON TORONTO – I see absolute glee from Toronto Maple Leaf fans as they have signed Joe Thornton to a one-year contract. It’s a similar sense of excitement with Thornton as it was when Patrick Marleau was brought on board. The intangibles Thornton and Marleau bring to the Leafs (Marleau is no longer there) that are raved about by media are the exact same intangible shortcomings both evidently had which caused them to be blamed for holding back the San Jose Sharks from winning a cup. Times have changed to the point where Marleau (and likely Thornton too) is recognized in Toronto as a modern day Mark Messier.
(Mike Stackhouse is a freelance writer/broadcaster. Follow him on Twitter at @Stack1975)
