Hartley Miller's Slap Shots, - Friday August 1
Friday, August 01, 2008 03:45 AM
When living in Prince George there is no such thing as a perfect schedule, 
especially for the WHL.
especially for the WHL. The recently released PG Cougars 2008/09 schedule contains more disadvantages than advantages, in comparison to a year ago. The most notable change features a horrific nine game road trip, (25 per cent of their away contests), in one swoop, during October. This is almost inexcusable!
I realize CN Centre is hosting the West of the Rockies Pro Rodeo Oct 17th to 19th, but this production was also held in 2007 and the Cats went on a six game trip.
So, what is the biggest advantage? The increase of Friday-Saturday home dates (from 21 last season to 25 this season) which will definitely help in the pocketbook.
After examining the schedule, here's my synopsis:
Cougars 2008/09 schedule:
Advantages:
- More home games on prime Fridays and Saturdays. (13 Saturdays and 12 Fridays compared to 12 Saturdays and 9 Fridays last season).
- Less home games on Sundays (Just one on November 30th vs Saskatoon compared to two a year ago. For whatever reason, PG is not a Sunday crowd).
- 16 home dates vs the BC Division, compared to 18 last year. Although they are division rivals, having Kamloops, Kelowna, Vancouver and Chilliwack come to CN Centre four times each is plenty. Both Kamloops and Chilliwack were in PG five times in 07/08.
Disadvantages: - Marathon nine game road trip starting October 10th in Kamloops and concluding October 25th in Spokane. The Cougars may dig themselves into a hole they may not recover from.
Last season, no road trip was longer than six games. - There are two seven game and one six game home-stands, which is too many. Last season, there was just a pair of six home games in a row.
- The Cats conclude with four tough road games in five nights where a playoff spot could be on the line. In 07/08, the Cougars ended with three away games, but had several days off before the trip.
- 13 home doubleheaders against the same team; up one from a year ago.
- Teddy Bear toss game against Kamloops is on a Wednesday (December 17th) compared to last year having it on a Saturday vs those same Blazers.
A couple of side notes:
The Cougars will gamble on a 2pm start on the holiday, Tuesday November 11th against Red Deer.
….and for those counting, the Cougars and PG Spruce Kings have 14 home dates on the same day, (subject to change) with six of them in November and none in December.
Regardless of the spin, each WHL team has 36 home and 36 away games. It's the results in those 72 that determine if it's a successful schedule or not.
*****
The CFL is known for its wild and wacky finishes but only two of the league's first 20 games this year were decided by a field goal or less. Obviously, this stat doesn't sit well for Sports Action players that have been picking ties (which are league games determined by three points or less). However, it should be noted that each game in week five was not decided until the final minute of play. (Of those 20, the home team won a dozen or 60 per cent)
The west is best theory is backed up by the Western Conference holding a whopping 10-2 advantage in head to head match ups against the East. None of the four Western teams have an overall losing record and none of the four Eastern teams have an overall winning record.
To date, the biggest surprise is the defending Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders. Despite many injuries to key players including their top two quarterbacks, Saskatchewan is
5-0. I suspect the Riders bubble will burst Saturday in Calgary. Although the Stampeders are
3-2 (thanks to last second losses in Edmonton and Winnipeg) they look like they will emerge
as the team to beat at the end of the season. Watch for the Stamps to convincingly beat Saskatchewan in the first of a home and home series, by a double digit margin.
5-0. I suspect the Riders bubble will burst Saturday in Calgary. Although the Stampeders are
3-2 (thanks to last second losses in Edmonton and Winnipeg) they look like they will emerge
as the team to beat at the end of the season. Watch for the Stamps to convincingly beat Saskatchewan in the first of a home and home series, by a double digit margin.
From the quote rack:
“Big birthday news today --O. J. Simpson turned 61 years old and he had a party with all his friends. There were no survivors.” NBC's Conan O'Brien
“The Green Bay Packers may postpone retiring the jersey of Brett Favre. Even the man's shirt can't make up its mind about retirement.” Comedy writer Jim Barach of WCHS-TV in Charleston, W.Va (http://jokesbyjim.blogspot.com/)
“In what may be a first the Green Bay Packers will hoist Brett Favre’s jersey to the rafters with him still in it.”Contributor Derek Wilken of Calgary (http://smacksport.blogspot.com/)
“Interesting toast by F1 head Max Mosley after he won his privacy suit in an English court, “Bottoms Up!”
Derek Wilken
“Nike has pulled an ad campaign dubbed "anti-gay" showing a basketball player's face in an opponent's crotch and will replace it with a photo featuring someone dunking over an 11-year-old Indonesian sweatshop worker.” Vancouver comic Torben Rolfsen (www.theprovince.com/liveat5)
“The Detroit Shock signed Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman, 50, who went to college at Old Dominion. When she went there, it was New Dominion.”Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California
“The Mariners have announced peanut-free zones at Safeco Field for a couple of upcoming games. So, if Safeco becomes completely peanut-free, the only shelling will be of Mariners pitchers.”Bill Littlejohn
“It has now been 54 years since a Canadian won the Canadian Open Golf Tournament. Or as the Chicago Cubs would put it "Only Yesterday."Contributor Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California (www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com)
“Barack Obama’s Berlin speech prompted comparisons of the candidate with JFK. Who in his famous speech accidentally said “I am a jelly doughnut.”
But given Barack’s prowess on the basketball court, presumably if he had made a similar error, it would be to say, “I am a dunkin’ doughnut.”Janice Hough
“The signing of Marty Reasoner officially gives the Thrashers 27 fourth-line centres, a franchise record.”
Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“Olympians: On your mark, get set, cough.” Headline at Fark.com
And in case you missed it:
Even though he turned down an invite to play in the PGA Championship, don't look for 53-year-old Greg Norman to give up competitive golf in the near future. Citing court documents from Norman's divorce case, Golf.com reports it will cost the Great White Shark $103 million to settle with his ex wife.
And how was your week?.
Hartley Miller is the sports director for radio stations 94X and the Wolf@97fm. He also writes for the PG Free Press. Send along a quote, note or anecdote to hmiller@94xfm.com
Previous Story - Next Story
Email
Print
Facebook
Twitter
Digg
Del.icio.usReturn to Home
