Hartley Miller's Slap Shots August 7th, 2009
Friday, August 07, 2009 03:45 AM
If there were an all-time award for Much Ado about Nothing, the landslide winner would be the Toronto Blue Jays.
Congratulations, Jay’s Senior Vice-President of Baseball Operations and GM J.P. Ricciardi for putting Roy Halladay on the auction block and then announcing that all bets are off. Ricciardi’s strategy was nothing more than a manoeuvre to use the media to perpetrate headlines and garner public reaction by placing the team’s star player on the market. After realizing fans were opposed to this ploy, Ricciardi conveniently let the July 31st trade deadline pass by accomplishing nothing.
Ricciardi tried to cover his tracks by declaring that, “We weren't trying to move him. I think that's the one thing that has been a big misconception on that. We went from saying 'we're listening' to all of a sudden we were shopping him and trading him and that was never the case.”
Halladay is motivated to play for a winner. After many years as the cornerstone of the mediocre Blue Jays, who can blame him? By the 2011 season, the five-time all-star and 2003 Al CY young award winner can determine his destination. He certainly will not return to the Jays considering that year in and year out they are just fodder for the Boston Red Sox and the NY Yankees.
This situation materialized into a charade. Yes, the Jays still have Halladay, but the team’s credibility has taken yet another adverse blow. When a team’s management openly plays mind games with the media and the fans, the integrity and popularity of a franchise suffers. Team executives should know that it is not wise to tease the paying public. Otherwise, it will not be long before administrative types like Ricciardi are sitting beside them in the stands.
*
Well, it took the Edmonton Oilers a month to drop the pursuit of Dany Heatley. Did the chase really need to drag on this long?
The Oilers made a serious pitch for Heatley in late June and waited a few weeks to get his approval. However, although Heatley asked the Ottawa Senators to move him he refused a deal to Edmonton by invoking his no trade clause.
The Oilers were hitting themselves over the head by trying to convince the spoiled brat to move to the Alberta capital. It is surprising that Edmonton's management team would even entertain the idea of “wining and dining” someone who clearly does not want to play for you. Why try to persuade a player to come to your team when he has no interest and has demonstrated past issues elsewhere?
Heatley is a talented hockey player; however, as he ducks from the media and acts like a jerk he will continue to tarnish his image and credibility.
Despite rumours of a deal to San Jose, the Senators would gain more respect and new fans if they chose to let the disgruntled sniper rot, not move him and not use him. Maybe then, he will realize that playing in the NHL is a privilege, regardless of the team.
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The 2009-2010 PG Cougars schedule is loaded with 16 double-headers, up from 13 last season. The team would prefer to have more than four singles (Calgary, Kootenay, Red Deer, and Kamloops) but a geographically challenged location dictates that decision.
The Cougars have 26 of their 36 home dates on Fridays and Saturdays, which is ideal. In addition, there are six Wednesday home games, three on Tuesdays and one Sunday at 2:30pm.
The longest road trip is seven games, in November, which is better than the nine games in October of 2008; a road trip that triggered the start of the team’s 2008-2009 downfall. The longest home stand is seven games in January.
One concern is the Cougars end the regular season with seven games (4 home and 3 away) in just 9 days. After a long year, cramming that many games into a short amount of time just before playoffs (assuming they make them) can lead to fatigue and injury.
However, there is no such thing as a perfect schedule when your closest opponent is 525 Kilometres (315 miles) away.
*
It is a farce that the Prince George Spruce Kings will play one-third of their regular season games against Cariboo opponents. Can you spell B—O—R—I—N—G? I realize, due to travel considerations, the Spruce Kings will play the perennial league doormats, Quesnel Millionaires and the new Williams Lake Timberwolves more than other teams, but the discrepancy is ridiculous. In a 60 game schedule, PG meets Quesnel and Williams Lake a whopping 10 times each, other Interior Conference teams four times apiece and each Coastal Conference team twice each. With that kind of a schedule, the Spruce Kings should finally be able to challenge for first place, but it comes with a huge price tag, as bottom feeders will continually play at the Coliseum. Now, is that any way to treat the paying public and build a fan base?
From the quote rack:
California’s Gov. Schwarzenegger signed an $85 million budget that he said contained “the good, the bad and the ugly”. Based on that description, it sounds like he’s funding the Lakers, the Warriors, and the Clippers.
A man in Michigan was arrested after he assaulted his friend when she refused to sell him Park Place and Boardwalk during a game of Monopoly. Please, Donald Trump, I am begging you, get some help.
Comedy writer Jerry Perisho http://monologuewriter.blogspot.com/
A man in Michigan was arrested after he assaulted his friend when she refused to sell him Park Place and Boardwalk during a game of Monopoly. Please, Donald Trump, I am begging you, get some help.
Comedy writer Jerry Perisho http://monologuewriter.blogspot.com/
So Maple Leafs fans are petitioning for bringing back the old jerseys from the 1960s. Maybe they would be better off petitioning for bringing back the caliber of players that wore them.
San Francisco's pitching staff has recorded 15 shutouts, most in the majors. Imagine how many more the Giants might have if they were able to pitch against their own team.
There are rumors that various networks are trying to hire Brett Favre as an NFL analyst. If true, negotiations should be completed in time for the 2016 Super Bowl.
Terrell Owens doesn’t yet have his first catch as a Buffalo Bill, but he has his own cereal, T.O’s “Honey Toasted Oats", made by the same New York company that made “Flutie Flakes.” Apparently they chose Toasted Oats because T.O. and Flake were redundant. Contributor Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California (www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com)
Terrell Owens doesn’t yet have his first catch as a Buffalo Bill, but he has his own cereal, T.O’s “Honey Toasted Oats", made by the same New York company that made “Flutie Flakes.” Apparently they chose Toasted Oats because T.O. and Flake were redundant. Contributor Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California (www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com)
There is a cereal in Buffalo named after T.O. The cereal reportedly goes 'snap, crackle, and pop' when not enough milk is poured on it.
Brett Favre says he could return in mid-season for a contender says his new agent, Roger Clemens.
Browns coach Eric Mangini says that the team has no plans to sign Michael Vick. That's good news for the Dawg Pound.
Report from 'Fortune 500'----In many places now, lobster is actually cheaper than hot dogs. Yes, especially the hot dogs at Yankee Stadium.Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California
Controversy here in New York, as Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, who has been out months with a leg injury, was reprotedly spotted dancing the night away in a club. Although in his defense I don't think he is still 100% healthy. Yeah, word is he was only able to do the Cha. Comedy writer Marc Ragovin of New York
Krystal Gray, the quarterback of the New York Majesty of the Lingerie Football League, was working on her passing accuracy the other night by throwing footballs into trash cans. After one pinpoint pass, she thought she heard somebody say: "Hey, Lady, I'm trying to sleep in here!" Talk about trash talking.Cam Hutchinson of the Saskatoon Star Phoenix
John Daly's swing coach Rick Smith says Daly was in a "toxic state" when he shot an 88 at the Buick Open. That is different from Daly's usual state of intoxication.Comedy writer Jim Barach of WCHS-TV in Charleston, W.Va (http://jokesbyjim.blogspot.com/)
Calgary has a new $25 million footbridge that City politicians named the Peace Bridge. It was difficult finding a moniker to a monumental to waste of money because Coyotes, Vernon Wells and David Beckham were taken.
Contributor Derek Wilken of Calgary (http://smacksport.blogspot.com/)
And in case you missed it:
Vick will participate in all team activities except for games. It's the same deal Matt Leinart has with the Cardinals.
Brad Dickson of the Omaha (Nebraska) World-Herald, on Michael Vick being conditionally
reinstated into the NFL.
reinstated into the NFL.
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
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The Oilers are now a complete team even without Heatley, they will sweep all four teams in the division this year, yes adding up to 24 wins, because of one superstar player, Nikoli Habibulin. He will come in and steal the show for the oilers, after having mediocer seasons with Dwayn roloson. I think the northwest division will be the weakest divison in the league, and the Oilers will be the only team to actually make the playoffs.
The Cougars showed tremendous growth in last years playoffs. They did lose 4 straight, but the double overtime game showed they can play with vancouver and compete. I think the team will step it up this year and finish in the top four. All they need to do is find some disgruntled Swede like Kelowna did last year with Backlund to bring in late in the season to really make a difference and push for the memorial cup.
I think with the spruce kings schedule set up as it is they will be able to run over the williams lake and quesnel squads, leading to a banner winning year for the club. those wins will provide confidence they need to take on some of the power house teams in the league.
All in all i htink it will be a great year for Prince George clubs, a bad year for the Canucks as the Oilers are too strong, and the Jays will make the post season thanks to a late august and september push