((HT: Jim Lang Blog))
The HQ admits that being in television and having satellite dishes and the NHL Network at our collective disposal has introduced us to how hockey should be produced, announced, and presented on a weekly basis...
With the new television deal that has rocked the landscape up north, Clubber addresses one figure who may not be a part of the new era in the sport...
Unless you have been living in a cave you have heard about the massive new deal Rogers and Sportsnet signed with the NHL.
A big concern for a lot of hockey fans across Canada will be what is going to happen to a lot of our favourite Hockey Night in Canada personalities when the new deal kicks in next year.
I realize a lot of hockey fans won`t agree with me but if this means the end of Bob Cole at Hockey Night in Canada, I am really going to miss him.
Now did Bob Cole make the odd mistake during the call of a game? Sure he did. Did Cole misidentify players from time to time? Yes to that as well.
But there was something about Cole’s voice that brought a sense of drama and excitement to a big game that has yet to be matched in this country. Catch phrases like “Oh Harry” (In reference to his long time colour analyst Harry Neale.) and “Oh baby!” are a part of our hockey vocabulary in Canada.
I will let you in on a little secret. In tribute to Cole I would drop in an “Oh Harry” or an “Oh baby” reference when I did the hockey highlights on Sportsnet. Maybe that’s why I am not at Sportsnet anymore but I loved doing it and I didn’t care what anyone thought.
Call me sentimental but when I think of Bob Cole’s magnificent career at Hockey Night in Canada I choose to think of all his great moments in the booth. And goodness knows he had a lot of them.
That is why Bob Cole will always be the king.
Long live the king.
Here's more of the King...
Oh, baby!!!
Showing posts with label ClubberSpeak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ClubberSpeak. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Friday, November 22, 2013
ClubberSpeak: The Tour Around The NHL
((HT: Jim Lang Blog))
Understandably, it is time to talk hockey AND football here at the HQ...
But, for now, anyway... we leave the puck to the pros...
After a busy Thursday night in the NHL I thought it was time some of the good and bad trends taking place around the league.
Leafs – There are not many positives to take away from the Leafs loss to the Predators Thursday night. Jonathan Bernier had an awful night as the Leafs lost 4-2. Bernier’s performance all but guarantees that James Reimer will get the start Saturday night when the Leafs host the Capitals. With the loss to Nashville the Leafs are now 3-4 and 1 in November. The more troubling trend is the Leafs issues when it comes to scoring goals this month. The Leafs are currently ranked 29th in the NHL in November, averaging 1,88 goals per game this month. In Riemer’s last three starts the Leafs have scored a total of five goals. Phil Kessel has three goals in November with two of those coming in Tuesday’s win over the Islanders. This sparking debate as to whether or not Kessel is playing hurt. With the Leafs dealing with more serious injuries at other positions Kessel has little choice but to play through whatever is ailing him the best he can.
Oilers – I wonder if local Edmonton kids have stopped telling Dallas Eakins that he sucks when drops his kids off at school? Thursday night the Oilers beat the Panthers 4-1 to extend their winning streak to three games. In those three games they have defeated the Flames, Blue Jackets and Panthers by a combined scored of 15-3. Now three games doesn’t make a season but any kind of winning streak is a welcome sight for Oilers’ fans who have suffered through the pain of this season.
Canucks – Memo to NHL reporters, this is not the week to crack jokes with John Tortorella. The Canucks are riding a five game losing streak (One in OT and in a shoot-out) as they host Columbus tonight at Rogers Arena. Much like the Leafs, goal scoring has been an issue for the Canucks in November. In November the Canucks are tied with the Sabres for 28th, averaging two goals per game. Concern among Canucks fans will turn into downright panic if they lose to Columbus tonight.
Flyers – The team that puts the word “fun” into dysfunctional, the Flyers are beginning to turn it around. The Flyers beat the Sabres Thursday night to win their second straight and they are now a respectable 6-2 and 2 in their past 10 games. The Flyers have played 10 games in November and they are ranked sixth in the NHL this month, allowing an average of 2.00 goals per game. The Flyers are also benefiting from the fact that Claude Giroux has six points in his last six games.
Blackhawks – This is now news to anyone, but the Blackhawks are still the class of the NHL. After Thursday night’s win over the Jets the Blackhawks took over first place over-all in the NHL with a 15-4 and 4 record. The Hawks are almost unbeatable on home ice, sporting a 9-1 and 3 record at the United Center. The Hawks are a deep, talented and well coached machine that show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Tuukka Rask – I love how Rask responds to letting in a goal he thinks he should have stopped. A perfect example took place last night after Derek Roy beat Rask in the shoot-out for the GWG in the Blues 3-2 victory over the Bruins.
I am sure none of his teammates had much to say about after the game. But you can be sure that Rask’s Bruins teammates will be giving him the business bout his failed attempt to break his stick at practice today.
Understandably, it is time to talk hockey AND football here at the HQ...
But, for now, anyway... we leave the puck to the pros...
After a busy Thursday night in the NHL I thought it was time some of the good and bad trends taking place around the league.
Leafs – There are not many positives to take away from the Leafs loss to the Predators Thursday night. Jonathan Bernier had an awful night as the Leafs lost 4-2. Bernier’s performance all but guarantees that James Reimer will get the start Saturday night when the Leafs host the Capitals. With the loss to Nashville the Leafs are now 3-4 and 1 in November. The more troubling trend is the Leafs issues when it comes to scoring goals this month. The Leafs are currently ranked 29th in the NHL in November, averaging 1,88 goals per game this month. In Riemer’s last three starts the Leafs have scored a total of five goals. Phil Kessel has three goals in November with two of those coming in Tuesday’s win over the Islanders. This sparking debate as to whether or not Kessel is playing hurt. With the Leafs dealing with more serious injuries at other positions Kessel has little choice but to play through whatever is ailing him the best he can.
Oilers – I wonder if local Edmonton kids have stopped telling Dallas Eakins that he sucks when drops his kids off at school? Thursday night the Oilers beat the Panthers 4-1 to extend their winning streak to three games. In those three games they have defeated the Flames, Blue Jackets and Panthers by a combined scored of 15-3. Now three games doesn’t make a season but any kind of winning streak is a welcome sight for Oilers’ fans who have suffered through the pain of this season.
Canucks – Memo to NHL reporters, this is not the week to crack jokes with John Tortorella. The Canucks are riding a five game losing streak (One in OT and in a shoot-out) as they host Columbus tonight at Rogers Arena. Much like the Leafs, goal scoring has been an issue for the Canucks in November. In November the Canucks are tied with the Sabres for 28th, averaging two goals per game. Concern among Canucks fans will turn into downright panic if they lose to Columbus tonight.
Flyers – The team that puts the word “fun” into dysfunctional, the Flyers are beginning to turn it around. The Flyers beat the Sabres Thursday night to win their second straight and they are now a respectable 6-2 and 2 in their past 10 games. The Flyers have played 10 games in November and they are ranked sixth in the NHL this month, allowing an average of 2.00 goals per game. The Flyers are also benefiting from the fact that Claude Giroux has six points in his last six games.
Blackhawks – This is now news to anyone, but the Blackhawks are still the class of the NHL. After Thursday night’s win over the Jets the Blackhawks took over first place over-all in the NHL with a 15-4 and 4 record. The Hawks are almost unbeatable on home ice, sporting a 9-1 and 3 record at the United Center. The Hawks are a deep, talented and well coached machine that show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Tuukka Rask – I love how Rask responds to letting in a goal he thinks he should have stopped. A perfect example took place last night after Derek Roy beat Rask in the shoot-out for the GWG in the Blues 3-2 victory over the Bruins.
I am sure none of his teammates had much to say about after the game. But you can be sure that Rask’s Bruins teammates will be giving him the business bout his failed attempt to break his stick at practice today.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
ClubberSpeak: Ask Jim Lang
((HT: Jim Lang Blog))
Letters, he gets letters, he gets lots and lots of letters...
So, we divulge...
It is time to open up the mailbag and answer some of your questions. Without further delay, here we go.
Courtesy of David in the United Kingdom:
“What are you best stories from the covering the Leafs as close as you did a few years back?”
Hi David, thanks for the question.
There are a number of things that stand out.
While he was far from a household name during his time in Toronto back-up goalie Mikael Tellqvist was very popular among his teammates and a sincerely nice person. Many times “Telly” just wanted to sit and talk about anything but hockey. Tellqvist was a self-admitted game show addict and absolutely loved “Deal or no Deal”. He even admitted to me once that when he wasn’t starting and sitting on the bench he would play along to the in-game trivia they would show on the video scoreboard at Air Canada Centre or any other arena.
When he did play there was little debate about whether or not he was a back-up. In the 2005/06 season Tellqvist had a 3.13 goals against average and a save percentage of .895. But having said that “Telly” did have his moments of glory. The one game that really stands out took place in Boston on November 17th, 2005. Tellqvist had got shelled pretty bad by Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals in his previous start. But on that one night in Boston Tellqvist was outstanding, making 31 saves as the Leafs beat the Bruins 4-1. (By the way, the goal scorers that night were Nik Antropov, Eric Lindros, Darcy Tucker and Mats Sundin.) Because Tellqvist played so well he was being interviewed by Paul Hendrick after the game and was the last player to enter the dressing room. I was with the rest of the traveling media waiting outside when Tellqvist walked by us and entered the room. The second he walked in all you could hear was the rest of the team yelling “Telly” at the top of their lugs and celebrating his victory. It was one of those moments were it wasn’t about the fame and the money, it was about competition and being happy for a teammate who stepped up and had a big game.
Towards the end of that 2005/06 season the relationship between Head Coach Pat Quinn and General Manager John Ferguson Junior had completely fallen apart. As it turned out Quinn was weeks away from being fired by JFJ and eventually replaced by Paul Maurice.
Whatever ability the two had to co-exist ended in late March when the Leafs lost two games in three days in Montreal. It was a quirk in the post lock-out schedule that had the Leafs playing the Habs at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, March 23rd, and then again on Saturday, March 25th.
Mikael Tellqvist started both games and the Leafs proceeded to get pounded 5-1 on Thursday and then 6-2 on Saturday. During the loss on Saturday night Jason Allison broke his hand in a fight with Mathieu Dandenault. Now that year under Ferguson he had a rule that he, only he, could update the media on player injuries. Sure enough that Saturday night in Montreal Quinn walks into room after the game and starts telling the assembled media who got hurt and the nature of their injuries. The whole time JFJ was standing outside the room unaware what Quinn was doing. I always thought of it as Quinn deciding to himself that if he’s going to out, he’s going to go out his way.
Just over a month later Quinn was fired and that led to the wildest news conference I have ever been a part of. John Ferguson Junior stood up on the podium and was hammered with questions over Quinn’s firing and the direction of the team. Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun roasted JFJ on a spit that afternoon and Howard Berger got into a screaming match with a news reporter during the question and answer period.
The other thing that always amazed by working on the Leafs beat is just how well their fans traveled. It didn’t matter what city we were in you could always guarantee that there would always be a healthy contingent of Leafs fans in the opposing building. Not long into Paul Maurice’s tenure as Leafs Coach the team had a road game in Columbus. It was Friday, October 20th in 2006 and Doug MacLean was still the GM of the Blue Jackets at the time. The Leafs won that night 4-2. The goal scorers were John Pohl, Mike Peca, Kyle Wellwood and Bryan McCabe. Andrew Raycroft made 23 saves for the win. What made the game special was the legions of Leafs fans who made the drive to Columbus and helped filled the building that night. I even ran into a die-hard outside the Leafs team hotel wearing a Dave Keon sweater.
In my experience I found Buffalo and Montreal to be the best cities for the sheer volume of Leafs fans who would make the road trip to see them play. Going to Montreal for a Saturday night game needs no explanation. It is one of the finest cities in North America and say what you about the Canadiens, Saturday night at the Bell Centre is something all hockey fans should experience at least once. While Buffalo might not be as exotic as Montreal, a Leafs versus Sabres tilt on a Friday night at what is now called the First Niagara Center is no less exciting. For many Leafs fans it is easier and a lot cheaper to get tickets to a Leafs and Sabres game in Buffalo. That means the fans that go and real die-hard fans and it makes for an incredible atmosphere in the building.
The one player I enjoyed talking to the most on a daily basis during my time on the Leafs beat was Wade Belak. Wade a truly decent human being and had time for everyone. He was the funniest player on the team and on a day when nobody else was in the mood to talk, Belak was always there with a quote that would help you make your deadline.
Needless to say I was shocked and saddened when I heard about his passing. I miss Wade Belak and I hope he is somewhere up in hockey heaven, sitting in a dressing room and cracking jokes.
Keep the questions coming in to shermanfirefly7@gmail.com
Letters, he gets letters, he gets lots and lots of letters...
So, we divulge...
It is time to open up the mailbag and answer some of your questions. Without further delay, here we go.
Courtesy of David in the United Kingdom:
“What are you best stories from the covering the Leafs as close as you did a few years back?”
Hi David, thanks for the question.
There are a number of things that stand out.
While he was far from a household name during his time in Toronto back-up goalie Mikael Tellqvist was very popular among his teammates and a sincerely nice person. Many times “Telly” just wanted to sit and talk about anything but hockey. Tellqvist was a self-admitted game show addict and absolutely loved “Deal or no Deal”. He even admitted to me once that when he wasn’t starting and sitting on the bench he would play along to the in-game trivia they would show on the video scoreboard at Air Canada Centre or any other arena.
When he did play there was little debate about whether or not he was a back-up. In the 2005/06 season Tellqvist had a 3.13 goals against average and a save percentage of .895. But having said that “Telly” did have his moments of glory. The one game that really stands out took place in Boston on November 17th, 2005. Tellqvist had got shelled pretty bad by Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals in his previous start. But on that one night in Boston Tellqvist was outstanding, making 31 saves as the Leafs beat the Bruins 4-1. (By the way, the goal scorers that night were Nik Antropov, Eric Lindros, Darcy Tucker and Mats Sundin.) Because Tellqvist played so well he was being interviewed by Paul Hendrick after the game and was the last player to enter the dressing room. I was with the rest of the traveling media waiting outside when Tellqvist walked by us and entered the room. The second he walked in all you could hear was the rest of the team yelling “Telly” at the top of their lugs and celebrating his victory. It was one of those moments were it wasn’t about the fame and the money, it was about competition and being happy for a teammate who stepped up and had a big game.
Towards the end of that 2005/06 season the relationship between Head Coach Pat Quinn and General Manager John Ferguson Junior had completely fallen apart. As it turned out Quinn was weeks away from being fired by JFJ and eventually replaced by Paul Maurice.
Whatever ability the two had to co-exist ended in late March when the Leafs lost two games in three days in Montreal. It was a quirk in the post lock-out schedule that had the Leafs playing the Habs at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, March 23rd, and then again on Saturday, March 25th.
Mikael Tellqvist started both games and the Leafs proceeded to get pounded 5-1 on Thursday and then 6-2 on Saturday. During the loss on Saturday night Jason Allison broke his hand in a fight with Mathieu Dandenault. Now that year under Ferguson he had a rule that he, only he, could update the media on player injuries. Sure enough that Saturday night in Montreal Quinn walks into room after the game and starts telling the assembled media who got hurt and the nature of their injuries. The whole time JFJ was standing outside the room unaware what Quinn was doing. I always thought of it as Quinn deciding to himself that if he’s going to out, he’s going to go out his way.
Just over a month later Quinn was fired and that led to the wildest news conference I have ever been a part of. John Ferguson Junior stood up on the podium and was hammered with questions over Quinn’s firing and the direction of the team. Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun roasted JFJ on a spit that afternoon and Howard Berger got into a screaming match with a news reporter during the question and answer period.
The other thing that always amazed by working on the Leafs beat is just how well their fans traveled. It didn’t matter what city we were in you could always guarantee that there would always be a healthy contingent of Leafs fans in the opposing building. Not long into Paul Maurice’s tenure as Leafs Coach the team had a road game in Columbus. It was Friday, October 20th in 2006 and Doug MacLean was still the GM of the Blue Jackets at the time. The Leafs won that night 4-2. The goal scorers were John Pohl, Mike Peca, Kyle Wellwood and Bryan McCabe. Andrew Raycroft made 23 saves for the win. What made the game special was the legions of Leafs fans who made the drive to Columbus and helped filled the building that night. I even ran into a die-hard outside the Leafs team hotel wearing a Dave Keon sweater.
In my experience I found Buffalo and Montreal to be the best cities for the sheer volume of Leafs fans who would make the road trip to see them play. Going to Montreal for a Saturday night game needs no explanation. It is one of the finest cities in North America and say what you about the Canadiens, Saturday night at the Bell Centre is something all hockey fans should experience at least once. While Buffalo might not be as exotic as Montreal, a Leafs versus Sabres tilt on a Friday night at what is now called the First Niagara Center is no less exciting. For many Leafs fans it is easier and a lot cheaper to get tickets to a Leafs and Sabres game in Buffalo. That means the fans that go and real die-hard fans and it makes for an incredible atmosphere in the building.
The one player I enjoyed talking to the most on a daily basis during my time on the Leafs beat was Wade Belak. Wade a truly decent human being and had time for everyone. He was the funniest player on the team and on a day when nobody else was in the mood to talk, Belak was always there with a quote that would help you make your deadline.
Needless to say I was shocked and saddened when I heard about his passing. I miss Wade Belak and I hope he is somewhere up in hockey heaven, sitting in a dressing room and cracking jokes.
Keep the questions coming in to shermanfirefly7@gmail.com
Monday, November 18, 2013
ClubberSpeak: The Good, Old, GBU From Week 11
((HT: Jim Lang Blog))
It's the end of Week 11 of the regular season in tackle football...
Clubber vents- as is our want...
This tweet from the NFL Network’s Kurt Warner perfectly sums up the wackiness that is the 2013 season; “This NFL is crazy! How do u figure out who is going to show up every week?? I can’t & my picks reflect that! #airandground”
He makes a great point. Consider some of the starting quarterbacks who led their respective teams to victory yesterday. Mike Glennon, Matt McGloin, Josh McCown and EJ Manuel were all winners yesterday. While Manuel is a first round pick McCown is a back-up and Glennon and McGloin were not even expected to see any playing time this year. This speaks volumes to the long held theory Coaches try to pound into their players heads; “next man up”. If you are on a NFL roster you never know when you are going to be asked to play or, in some cases, start. With that in mind let us take a look back at week 11.
The Good
The Broncos – First off the entire Broncos offensive line deserves a game ball for their performance Sunday night in their win over the Chiefs. Going into the game the Chiefs were leading the NFL in sacks. Led by Toronto’s Orlando Franklin the Broncos O-line pitched a shut-out not allowing a single sack or allowing Peyton Manning to get hit once. All that time allowed Manning to complete 24 passes for 323 yards and one touchdown as the Broncos handed the Chiefs their first loss of the year and grabbed, for the time being, the hammer in the AFC West.
Russell Wilson – Wilson is quietly having an excellent season and his performance in the Seahawks win over the Vikings was a perfect example of that. Wilson passed for 230 yards and two touchdowns as the Seahawks won their sixth straight game and improved to 10-1 on the year. Wilson’s passer rating in the win over the Vikings was a phenomenal 151.4. That was the fourth time in his last six games Wilson has posted a passer rating of 100 or better. In his last three games Wilson has been lights out, completing a remarkable 72.9 per cent of his passes. You take Wilson’s high completion percentage, their power running game and their physical defence and you get a Seahawks team that can hang with any team in the league.
Nick Foles – The Eagles took over first place in the NFC East after they beat the Redskins. The Eagles have won three straight games and Nick Foles has a passer rating over 100 in each of the three games. The most impressive stat from Foles is the fact he has yet to turn the ball over this year. While Michael Vick had three interceptions and a fumble Foles has clean sheet next to his name. Foles efficiency and ball security has allowed the Eagles to find their rhythm on offence and the rest of team is feeding off it. Is Foles Mister Right in Phialdephia? Only time will tell but with the Eagles heading into their bye week Foles is Mister Right Now. He is giving them a chance to win every week. Going into the bye week Foles has the highest passer rating in the NFL and is 10th in completion percentage.
Bobby Rainey – Because of numerous injuries the Buccaneers had to reach down way down on their depth chart to find a running back for their game against the Falcons Sunday. Well Greg Schiano made a brilliant decision by starting Bobby Rainey. The five foot, eight inch Rainey had 30 carries for 165 yards and two touchdowns as the Bucs beat up Falcons. Coming to the game Rainey had run for a grand total of 79 yards on the season. Schiano was as surprised as anyone when he spoke to reporters after the game; “I don’t think anybody thinks that a guy’s going to come out and rush for, whatever he did, 163 yards. But [we are] very proud of him.”
The Bill defence – The Bills defence had four sacks and three interceptions in their win over the Jets. In 2012 the Bills had 36 sacks. After week 11 the Bills now lead the NFL with 37 sacks. On top of that the Bills are tied with Seattle with the most interceptions in the NFL with 16. Of all the things Doug Marrone did in the off-season the hiring of Mike Pettine as his defensive coordinator was one of his smartest moves. The Bills defence had 21 takeaways the entire 2012 season; through 11 games this year they have 20. Only the Chiefs have more takeaways in the AFC.
The Arizona Cardinals – Come on now, don’t laugh. The Arizona Cardinals have won three straight and are 6-4 after 10 games. That is an impressive turn-around by Bruce Arians considering the Cardinals were a 5-11 team last year. What a lot people may not realize is that the Cardinals have the third best run defence in the entire NFL. Now comes the fun part. The Cardinals next game is at home against Arians’ old team the Indianapolis Colts.
The Bad
Jim Schwartz – Lions fans have every right to be pissed off at Jim Schwartz. With the Lions holding on to a 27-23 lead the Lions were in a fourth and five situation at the Steelers 10 yard line. But instead of kicking the easy chip shot field goal Schwartz decided to go for the fake field goal. The decision resulted in disaster for the Lions as Sam Martin fumbled after taking a huge hit. 16 plays later the Steelers scored what turned out to be the game winning touchdown. So instead of all but sealing the deal on what would have been their seventh win of the year, the Lions find themselves tied with the Bears atop the NFC North with a 6-4 record. Schwartz was in a snarky mood after the game when he spoke to reporters and tried to defend his decision to go for the fake field goal.
I am quite sure Lions fans don’t want to hear what Schwartz has to say right about now.
Roughing the passer in the NFL – Week in and week out there is a growing level of frustration of what constitutes “roughing the passer” in the NFL. Take a look at this sack of Drew Brees from the 49ers Ahmad Brooks.
Brooks was nowhere near the head of Brees yet he still got called for a game changing personal foul because the officials deemed hit the ‘neck area”. Yes, the league must protect the quarterback. But what Brooks did was a good football hit; there was nothing dirty about it. But officials are so trigger happy to call roughing the passer that anything, even it is borderline, is going to get called.
RG3 – Don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of Robert Griffin III. But there is no defence for his end of the game interception that he threw in the Redskins loss to the Eagles. RG3 was putting together what looked to be a thrilling fourth quarter comeback. On a third and one play at the Eagles 18 yard line RG3 was under pressure. But instead of doing the safe thing RG3 lofted up a prayer off of his back foot as he was falling down. The result was the easiest interception Brandon Boykin will ever have and another Redskins loss.
The Ugly
The Houston Texans – The season from hell for the Houston Texans just keeps getting worse. Sunday they lost their eight straight game. They lost it at home to a Raiders team who were forced to start an undrafted quarterback. According to the NFL, the Raiders Matt McGloin was the first undrafted rookie quarterback to throw three touchdowns and zero interceptions in a game since 1967. While McGloin was doing his thing for the Raiders, Matt Schaub was yelling at Andre Johnson on the sidelines after their failed fourth down pass attempt sealed the win for Oakland. It is getting ugly in Houston and there are few signs that it is going to get much better before the end of the year.
The Trent Williams allegations – After the Redskins loss to the Eagles Washington offensive tackle told Comcast Sportsnet that he was cussed out by a ref during the game.
As of right now these are only allegations. But Albert Breer of the NFL Network reported that the incident is under league investigation. If any of this is found to be true the NFL needs to take action against the official. It was one thing for a player and an official to speak to each other during a game but there is no excuse for that kind of behaviour.
The Monday Night game – Finally, a Monday Night game that will be worth staying up for. The 6-3 Panthers will try to extend their winning streak to six games when they host Tom Brady and the 7-2 Patriots in what should be a real slobberknocker of a game. The Panthers are number one in the NFL in total defence and they are number in scoring defence. The Panthers are also out to prove to everyone that they are indeed for real. If the win over the 49ers last week didn’t do it, a win over Brady and the Patriots tonight certainly will.
It's the end of Week 11 of the regular season in tackle football...
Clubber vents- as is our want...
This tweet from the NFL Network’s Kurt Warner perfectly sums up the wackiness that is the 2013 season; “This NFL is crazy! How do u figure out who is going to show up every week?? I can’t & my picks reflect that! #airandground”
He makes a great point. Consider some of the starting quarterbacks who led their respective teams to victory yesterday. Mike Glennon, Matt McGloin, Josh McCown and EJ Manuel were all winners yesterday. While Manuel is a first round pick McCown is a back-up and Glennon and McGloin were not even expected to see any playing time this year. This speaks volumes to the long held theory Coaches try to pound into their players heads; “next man up”. If you are on a NFL roster you never know when you are going to be asked to play or, in some cases, start. With that in mind let us take a look back at week 11.
The Good
The Broncos – First off the entire Broncos offensive line deserves a game ball for their performance Sunday night in their win over the Chiefs. Going into the game the Chiefs were leading the NFL in sacks. Led by Toronto’s Orlando Franklin the Broncos O-line pitched a shut-out not allowing a single sack or allowing Peyton Manning to get hit once. All that time allowed Manning to complete 24 passes for 323 yards and one touchdown as the Broncos handed the Chiefs their first loss of the year and grabbed, for the time being, the hammer in the AFC West.
Russell Wilson – Wilson is quietly having an excellent season and his performance in the Seahawks win over the Vikings was a perfect example of that. Wilson passed for 230 yards and two touchdowns as the Seahawks won their sixth straight game and improved to 10-1 on the year. Wilson’s passer rating in the win over the Vikings was a phenomenal 151.4. That was the fourth time in his last six games Wilson has posted a passer rating of 100 or better. In his last three games Wilson has been lights out, completing a remarkable 72.9 per cent of his passes. You take Wilson’s high completion percentage, their power running game and their physical defence and you get a Seahawks team that can hang with any team in the league.
Nick Foles – The Eagles took over first place in the NFC East after they beat the Redskins. The Eagles have won three straight games and Nick Foles has a passer rating over 100 in each of the three games. The most impressive stat from Foles is the fact he has yet to turn the ball over this year. While Michael Vick had three interceptions and a fumble Foles has clean sheet next to his name. Foles efficiency and ball security has allowed the Eagles to find their rhythm on offence and the rest of team is feeding off it. Is Foles Mister Right in Phialdephia? Only time will tell but with the Eagles heading into their bye week Foles is Mister Right Now. He is giving them a chance to win every week. Going into the bye week Foles has the highest passer rating in the NFL and is 10th in completion percentage.
Bobby Rainey – Because of numerous injuries the Buccaneers had to reach down way down on their depth chart to find a running back for their game against the Falcons Sunday. Well Greg Schiano made a brilliant decision by starting Bobby Rainey. The five foot, eight inch Rainey had 30 carries for 165 yards and two touchdowns as the Bucs beat up Falcons. Coming to the game Rainey had run for a grand total of 79 yards on the season. Schiano was as surprised as anyone when he spoke to reporters after the game; “I don’t think anybody thinks that a guy’s going to come out and rush for, whatever he did, 163 yards. But [we are] very proud of him.”
The Bill defence – The Bills defence had four sacks and three interceptions in their win over the Jets. In 2012 the Bills had 36 sacks. After week 11 the Bills now lead the NFL with 37 sacks. On top of that the Bills are tied with Seattle with the most interceptions in the NFL with 16. Of all the things Doug Marrone did in the off-season the hiring of Mike Pettine as his defensive coordinator was one of his smartest moves. The Bills defence had 21 takeaways the entire 2012 season; through 11 games this year they have 20. Only the Chiefs have more takeaways in the AFC.
The Arizona Cardinals – Come on now, don’t laugh. The Arizona Cardinals have won three straight and are 6-4 after 10 games. That is an impressive turn-around by Bruce Arians considering the Cardinals were a 5-11 team last year. What a lot people may not realize is that the Cardinals have the third best run defence in the entire NFL. Now comes the fun part. The Cardinals next game is at home against Arians’ old team the Indianapolis Colts.
The Bad
Jim Schwartz – Lions fans have every right to be pissed off at Jim Schwartz. With the Lions holding on to a 27-23 lead the Lions were in a fourth and five situation at the Steelers 10 yard line. But instead of kicking the easy chip shot field goal Schwartz decided to go for the fake field goal. The decision resulted in disaster for the Lions as Sam Martin fumbled after taking a huge hit. 16 plays later the Steelers scored what turned out to be the game winning touchdown. So instead of all but sealing the deal on what would have been their seventh win of the year, the Lions find themselves tied with the Bears atop the NFC North with a 6-4 record. Schwartz was in a snarky mood after the game when he spoke to reporters and tried to defend his decision to go for the fake field goal.
I am quite sure Lions fans don’t want to hear what Schwartz has to say right about now.
Roughing the passer in the NFL – Week in and week out there is a growing level of frustration of what constitutes “roughing the passer” in the NFL. Take a look at this sack of Drew Brees from the 49ers Ahmad Brooks.
Brooks was nowhere near the head of Brees yet he still got called for a game changing personal foul because the officials deemed hit the ‘neck area”. Yes, the league must protect the quarterback. But what Brooks did was a good football hit; there was nothing dirty about it. But officials are so trigger happy to call roughing the passer that anything, even it is borderline, is going to get called.
RG3 – Don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of Robert Griffin III. But there is no defence for his end of the game interception that he threw in the Redskins loss to the Eagles. RG3 was putting together what looked to be a thrilling fourth quarter comeback. On a third and one play at the Eagles 18 yard line RG3 was under pressure. But instead of doing the safe thing RG3 lofted up a prayer off of his back foot as he was falling down. The result was the easiest interception Brandon Boykin will ever have and another Redskins loss.
The Ugly
The Houston Texans – The season from hell for the Houston Texans just keeps getting worse. Sunday they lost their eight straight game. They lost it at home to a Raiders team who were forced to start an undrafted quarterback. According to the NFL, the Raiders Matt McGloin was the first undrafted rookie quarterback to throw three touchdowns and zero interceptions in a game since 1967. While McGloin was doing his thing for the Raiders, Matt Schaub was yelling at Andre Johnson on the sidelines after their failed fourth down pass attempt sealed the win for Oakland. It is getting ugly in Houston and there are few signs that it is going to get much better before the end of the year.
The Trent Williams allegations – After the Redskins loss to the Eagles Washington offensive tackle told Comcast Sportsnet that he was cussed out by a ref during the game.
As of right now these are only allegations. But Albert Breer of the NFL Network reported that the incident is under league investigation. If any of this is found to be true the NFL needs to take action against the official. It was one thing for a player and an official to speak to each other during a game but there is no excuse for that kind of behaviour.
The Monday Night game – Finally, a Monday Night game that will be worth staying up for. The 6-3 Panthers will try to extend their winning streak to six games when they host Tom Brady and the 7-2 Patriots in what should be a real slobberknocker of a game. The Panthers are number one in the NFL in total defence and they are number in scoring defence. The Panthers are also out to prove to everyone that they are indeed for real. If the win over the 49ers last week didn’t do it, a win over Brady and the Patriots tonight certainly will.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
ClubberSpeak: You Have To Pay To Play...
((HT: Jim Lang Blog))
It's never too soon to talk baseball... at least, in Clubber's mind...
Hey, let's think warm thoughts...
And here we go...
Veteran Blue Jays reporter Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. ca Tweeted and then wrote about something yesterday that really bothered me:
Alex Anthopoulos on Tuesday: “There has been some speculation about the Blue Jays being a surprise team in pursuit of free agent second baseman Robinson Cano. Unless he’s willing to settle for five years, you can forget about it, as the Blue Jays have no intentions of moving off their policy of contracts for six years or more.”
This has nothing to do with Shi or the quality of his writing. He is a pro’s pro and is very good at his job.
It has everything to do with the Blue Jays archaic team policy of not signing players to any contracts longer than five years.
The price of doing business with the big boys in MLB requires that you have to fork over long term deals if you want to sign star players.
In 2011 the Tigers signed Prince Fielder to a nine year contract. That same year the Rangers signed Yu Darvish to a six year deal.
Meanwhile the Blue Jays are sticking to their “Five-Year” rule.
It is all well and good that Paul Beeston and Alex Anthopoulos want to strictly adhere to their “Five-Year” rule. The problem is that the rest of the General Managers around Major League Baseball are playing by a completely different set of rules.
Every other team, especially the perennial contenders, seem to be willing to hand out long term contracts to free agents.
I’m sure there are times when management and ownership of these respective teams really don’t want to sign a player to a nine year contract. But if that’s what it takes to sign a star player that will make your team a contender, then you bloody well do it.
What if James Shields and his agent contacted Anthopoulos to let him know that they would like to sign with the Blue Jays. Are the Blue Jays going to say no to Shields because he wants a seven year deal?
Apparently they would.
So Shields would gladly sign a deal with another team willing to give him the term he wants.
I am not suggesting for a second that Shields even has a desire to sign with the Jays. The point is that the Jays automatically reduce the number of players they could possibly take a run at in free agency because of their “Five-Year” rule.
So while other teams around baseball are preparing to lock up marquee free agents to long-term deals the Blue Jays are not moving away from their “Five-Year” policy.
But it has “only” been 20 years and counting since they were in the post-season. So why should the Jays change? Apparently they are convinced that their way of doing things will eventually turn the team back into a winner.
Meanwhile the rest of baseball thinks otherwise.
Anthoploulos and the Jays will make some moves and sign some players. Just don’t expect to see elite free agents signing in Toronto anytime soon.
At least not until the Jays decide to scrap their policy on free agent contracts.
It's never too soon to talk baseball... at least, in Clubber's mind...
Hey, let's think warm thoughts...
And here we go...
Veteran Blue Jays reporter Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. ca Tweeted and then wrote about something yesterday that really bothered me:
Alex Anthopoulos on Tuesday: “There has been some speculation about the Blue Jays being a surprise team in pursuit of free agent second baseman Robinson Cano. Unless he’s willing to settle for five years, you can forget about it, as the Blue Jays have no intentions of moving off their policy of contracts for six years or more.”
This has nothing to do with Shi or the quality of his writing. He is a pro’s pro and is very good at his job.
It has everything to do with the Blue Jays archaic team policy of not signing players to any contracts longer than five years.
The price of doing business with the big boys in MLB requires that you have to fork over long term deals if you want to sign star players.
In 2011 the Tigers signed Prince Fielder to a nine year contract. That same year the Rangers signed Yu Darvish to a six year deal.
Meanwhile the Blue Jays are sticking to their “Five-Year” rule.
It is all well and good that Paul Beeston and Alex Anthopoulos want to strictly adhere to their “Five-Year” rule. The problem is that the rest of the General Managers around Major League Baseball are playing by a completely different set of rules.
Every other team, especially the perennial contenders, seem to be willing to hand out long term contracts to free agents.
I’m sure there are times when management and ownership of these respective teams really don’t want to sign a player to a nine year contract. But if that’s what it takes to sign a star player that will make your team a contender, then you bloody well do it.
What if James Shields and his agent contacted Anthopoulos to let him know that they would like to sign with the Blue Jays. Are the Blue Jays going to say no to Shields because he wants a seven year deal?
Apparently they would.
So Shields would gladly sign a deal with another team willing to give him the term he wants.
I am not suggesting for a second that Shields even has a desire to sign with the Jays. The point is that the Jays automatically reduce the number of players they could possibly take a run at in free agency because of their “Five-Year” rule.
So while other teams around baseball are preparing to lock up marquee free agents to long-term deals the Blue Jays are not moving away from their “Five-Year” policy.
But it has “only” been 20 years and counting since they were in the post-season. So why should the Jays change? Apparently they are convinced that their way of doing things will eventually turn the team back into a winner.
Meanwhile the rest of baseball thinks otherwise.
Anthoploulos and the Jays will make some moves and sign some players. Just don’t expect to see elite free agents signing in Toronto anytime soon.
At least not until the Jays decide to scrap their policy on free agent contracts.
Friday, November 8, 2013
ClubberSpeak: The Story of a True Canadian Warrior
This is the latest installment of Jim Lang's additions to life here at OSG Sports...
Since it's close to Veteran's Day up here and Remembrance Day up there, it's highly appropriate that our reident military history buff go here for his new column...
Check out his archive hyah...
As remarkable of a feat as it was, the D Day landings were only a small step in the Allies defeat of the German Army.
The distance between Juno Beach (Bernières-sur-Mer, France), where the Canadian Army landed, and Paris is 259 kilometres. It took the Allies 80 days of bloody fighting before they were able to liberate Paris.
During this time the Allies discovered, much to their horror, that the Sherman tank was no match for the Panzer Mark V Panther and especially the dreaded Mark VI Tiger tank. Armed with a lethal 88MM main gun the Tiger was superior to anything the Allies could throw at it. For the most part the Allies relied on Air Superiority and massive advantage in manpower and material to handle to the German tanks. In some cases the Allies would lose three Sherman tanks so the fourth could maneuver in behind the Panther or Tiger for a point blank shot. The Allied high command could live with this tactic because at that point in the war they had an endless supply of tanks and men to throw at the Germans.
Asking a Sherman tank to take out a Panther or Tiger in a head on tank-vs-tank battle was considered to be near suicide.
Sherman tanks also had a bad habit of catching fire after being hit by an anti-tank round. So much so that the German nickname for the Sherman tank was the “Tommy Cooker”. The Allies called them “Ronson”, as in the lighter. The Ronson lighter slogan at the time was “lights up the first time, every time’. Unfortunately the same could be said for the Sherman tank. One round from a German tank and in most cases it instantly caught fire. As you can well imagine a fire inside tank filled with fuel and ammo means the poor crew had seconds to get out before burning to death or being blown up.
In one two day battle, Operation Goodwood, outside of Caen, France the Allies suffered horrible losses and still claimed success. Some historians estimate the Allies lost well over 300 tanks in the battle to an estimated 100 knocked out German tanks.
For many Allies, the one thing that was guaranteed to take out a Panther or Tiger tank was airpower. Rocket firing Typhoons and other fighter-bombers would roam the skies looking for targets. Sometimes the battles were fought in foul weather or at night, so airpower was useless.
But somehow, someway one tank commander was able to find the tactics, skill and nerve to defeat the German Panzer corps.
This man would become the ace of aces after he knocked out 18 German tanks, more than any other Allied tank commander in Europe.
His name was Major Sydney Radley-Walters, and he was a proud Canadian.
I first heard about “Rad” after watching the controversial Documentary by Terence McKenna called the Valour and the Horror. After hearing about his exploits in the battlefields of Europe in 1944 I have read countless stories and essays about the man and what he was able to accomplish on the battlefields of France.
One of the very best was an in depth thesis written by Lawrence James Zaporzan in 2001.
Through years of reading and research I was able to get a fairly clear picture of the man and how he would ride into battle. Sitting high in the turret of his tank “Caribou” Radley-Walters did what many tank commanders thought impossible, he faced Panther tanks head on and kicked ass.
Radley-Walters was able to devise methods for knocking out the technically superior German tanks by developing a keen understanding for their weak sports and how to exploit them. One of them required taking a close in shot at a six inch by 12 inch section of the armour plating around the front of turret of a Panther tank. If he screwed up Rad’s Sherman tank would be taken out by one shot from the German high velocity 75MM main gun. But Radely-Walters and his tank crew didn’t miss.
More than just a skilled tank hunter, Radley-Walters was a skilled and respected leader of men as he commanding entire armoured squadron in 1944. In what is a hotly debated topic among military historians there are those who are convinced that a tank under Rad’s command assisted in the destruction of the most feared German tank commander of the Normandy campaign, the infamous Michael Wittmann. (Wittmann was credited with destroying 138 enemy tanks during the war. In one engagement at Villers Bocage, France, Wittmann and his Tiger tank nearly wiped out an entire British armoured column all by himself.)
The leading tank ace of the US Army in 1944 was Lafayette Pool. Pool was credited with 12 confirmed German tank kills. An impressive number to say the least, but a far cry from the 18 knocked out by Rad.
None other than Field Marshall Bernard Law Montgomery pinned the Military Cross on Radley-Walters chest for bravery in battle.
Later on ‘Rad’ would also be awarded the Distinguished Service Order.
The sad reality is that if Radley-Walters were an American, they would have made a movie about him about his experiences in World War 2. Because Rad is Canadian, that will never happen. We rarely make movies in this country about heroic acts in combat. In Canada we like to look at our military as “Peacekeepers”. We forget sometimes that Canada produced, and still produces to this day, warriors. Men and women, who volunteer, train and prepare to wage war and defeat the enemy.
Rad trained hard to prepare himself and his tank crew for D-Day. The combination of Radley-Walters’ skills as a tank commander and the desperate situation facing the Allies in the summer of 1944 meant that he was in combat for 80 straight days before he was moved off the line. By that time the war ended this young man from the Gaspe region of Quebec had the distinction of being the Allies finest tank commander. The ace of all aces in 1944.
Lest we forget
Since it's close to Veteran's Day up here and Remembrance Day up there, it's highly appropriate that our reident military history buff go here for his new column...
Check out his archive hyah...
As remarkable of a feat as it was, the D Day landings were only a small step in the Allies defeat of the German Army.
The distance between Juno Beach (Bernières-sur-Mer, France), where the Canadian Army landed, and Paris is 259 kilometres. It took the Allies 80 days of bloody fighting before they were able to liberate Paris.
During this time the Allies discovered, much to their horror, that the Sherman tank was no match for the Panzer Mark V Panther and especially the dreaded Mark VI Tiger tank. Armed with a lethal 88MM main gun the Tiger was superior to anything the Allies could throw at it. For the most part the Allies relied on Air Superiority and massive advantage in manpower and material to handle to the German tanks. In some cases the Allies would lose three Sherman tanks so the fourth could maneuver in behind the Panther or Tiger for a point blank shot. The Allied high command could live with this tactic because at that point in the war they had an endless supply of tanks and men to throw at the Germans.
Asking a Sherman tank to take out a Panther or Tiger in a head on tank-vs-tank battle was considered to be near suicide.
Sherman tanks also had a bad habit of catching fire after being hit by an anti-tank round. So much so that the German nickname for the Sherman tank was the “Tommy Cooker”. The Allies called them “Ronson”, as in the lighter. The Ronson lighter slogan at the time was “lights up the first time, every time’. Unfortunately the same could be said for the Sherman tank. One round from a German tank and in most cases it instantly caught fire. As you can well imagine a fire inside tank filled with fuel and ammo means the poor crew had seconds to get out before burning to death or being blown up.
In one two day battle, Operation Goodwood, outside of Caen, France the Allies suffered horrible losses and still claimed success. Some historians estimate the Allies lost well over 300 tanks in the battle to an estimated 100 knocked out German tanks.
For many Allies, the one thing that was guaranteed to take out a Panther or Tiger tank was airpower. Rocket firing Typhoons and other fighter-bombers would roam the skies looking for targets. Sometimes the battles were fought in foul weather or at night, so airpower was useless.
But somehow, someway one tank commander was able to find the tactics, skill and nerve to defeat the German Panzer corps.
This man would become the ace of aces after he knocked out 18 German tanks, more than any other Allied tank commander in Europe.
His name was Major Sydney Radley-Walters, and he was a proud Canadian.
I first heard about “Rad” after watching the controversial Documentary by Terence McKenna called the Valour and the Horror. After hearing about his exploits in the battlefields of Europe in 1944 I have read countless stories and essays about the man and what he was able to accomplish on the battlefields of France.
One of the very best was an in depth thesis written by Lawrence James Zaporzan in 2001.
Through years of reading and research I was able to get a fairly clear picture of the man and how he would ride into battle. Sitting high in the turret of his tank “Caribou” Radley-Walters did what many tank commanders thought impossible, he faced Panther tanks head on and kicked ass.
Radley-Walters was able to devise methods for knocking out the technically superior German tanks by developing a keen understanding for their weak sports and how to exploit them. One of them required taking a close in shot at a six inch by 12 inch section of the armour plating around the front of turret of a Panther tank. If he screwed up Rad’s Sherman tank would be taken out by one shot from the German high velocity 75MM main gun. But Radely-Walters and his tank crew didn’t miss.
More than just a skilled tank hunter, Radley-Walters was a skilled and respected leader of men as he commanding entire armoured squadron in 1944. In what is a hotly debated topic among military historians there are those who are convinced that a tank under Rad’s command assisted in the destruction of the most feared German tank commander of the Normandy campaign, the infamous Michael Wittmann. (Wittmann was credited with destroying 138 enemy tanks during the war. In one engagement at Villers Bocage, France, Wittmann and his Tiger tank nearly wiped out an entire British armoured column all by himself.)
The leading tank ace of the US Army in 1944 was Lafayette Pool. Pool was credited with 12 confirmed German tank kills. An impressive number to say the least, but a far cry from the 18 knocked out by Rad.
None other than Field Marshall Bernard Law Montgomery pinned the Military Cross on Radley-Walters chest for bravery in battle.
Later on ‘Rad’ would also be awarded the Distinguished Service Order.
The sad reality is that if Radley-Walters were an American, they would have made a movie about him about his experiences in World War 2. Because Rad is Canadian, that will never happen. We rarely make movies in this country about heroic acts in combat. In Canada we like to look at our military as “Peacekeepers”. We forget sometimes that Canada produced, and still produces to this day, warriors. Men and women, who volunteer, train and prepare to wage war and defeat the enemy.
Rad trained hard to prepare himself and his tank crew for D-Day. The combination of Radley-Walters’ skills as a tank commander and the desperate situation facing the Allies in the summer of 1944 meant that he was in combat for 80 straight days before he was moved off the line. By that time the war ended this young man from the Gaspe region of Quebec had the distinction of being the Allies finest tank commander. The ace of all aces in 1944.
Lest we forget
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