With the third Don Matthews era about to begin in Toronto, let’s play a game of “Who Am I?”
I was a Toronto Argonaut coach, very successful as a co-ordinator. However, the team went through a bad losing streak, and fired me after a blowout loss in Montreal.
You’re thinking Rich Stubler, right? Well, it could be him. But this blog is about Kent Austin.
“I’m speechless.”
Those words came from an Argonaut player, but could have been spoken by just about anyone in the CFL. Don Matthews is back, two years after walking away for what we thought was the last time.
Things I’ll never forget about Beijing 2008, with one rule: I had to see them in person.
Best moments:
1) Priscilla Lopes-Schliep’s bronze in the 100-metre hurdles. Maybe it wasn’t the most glamorous event or record-smashing result. But, it had incredible drama, a stunning finish, great suspense and complete surprise.
Plus, it involved Canadian success.
Quick comment before getting to my main point: Jacques Rogge, Frankie Fredericks, Ato Boldon and anyone else criticizing Usain Bolt should put a sock in it. Immediately. The other sprinters like him, respect him and recognize that he’s just a big kid.
It’s the first rule of journalism: No cheering in the press box.
I take it to such ridiculous extremes that even if I’m sitting in the crowd during a game, I won’t do it. If the entire crowd is standing, I’ll do that too. But I’ll never clap, because I don’t believe I should be seen cheering for anyone.
People have asked me if I’ve ever come close. Until Tuesday night (Beijing time), the answer was “once.”
That first time was the 2002 Olympic men’s hockey gold-medal game. When Jarome Iginla scored his second goal to make it 4-2, I almost jumped out of my seat. I literally had to grab the armrests and hold on so I wouldn’t leap into the air or clap.
Now, it’s “twice.” And the reason is Priscilla Lopes-Schliep.
So, let me get this straight:
Brent Hayden wins a gold medal in the 100-metre freestyle at the 2007 world championships.
Here in Beijing, he pulls out of the 200 semis after a great heat time because he wants to conserve energy. When he’s asked, 'Why change with a winning schedule?' he says, “because the Olympics are more important.”
Fine.
There are so many angles to the Mats Sundin story that I’m not sure where to begin, but it’s time to try:
Anyone who says he’ll take Vancouver because it’s the best offer has no idea what the guy’s about. Before last summer, he signed a one-year, $5.5 million US offer that was below his market value. Prior to that, he never seriously considered free agency while agreeing to a five-year deal in the summer of 2002. He’s made $75 million in his career and invested it very wisely, successfully flipping several homes during hot times in the market. It’s not only about the money. He wants a fair contract, but not necessarily the biggest one.
I can certainly understand why Mike Gillis made him the big offer. Sundin is coming off a terrific season, and can handle the intense Vancouver market. He put up with us in Toronto for years, deftly ducking our attempts to get him to say anything remotely controversial. Pat Quinn used to joke (I think) that while Toronto was bad for media, Vancouver was worse. Whatever the case, Sundin can handle it.
Last week, The National Post ran a series on the Buffalo Bills advancement into Toronto entitled "Turf Wars.” It was a pretty good series, dumbed down at its conclusion because I was asked to write a column as part of it.
After it ran, two people inside the CFL for whom I have great respect let me know of their displeasure. One was league COO Michael Copeland. The other was Toronto Argonauts co-owner David Cynamon.
From both men, I heard the same frustration. They are tired of hearing about how the NFL in Toronto is going to kill them. They are annoyed that more members of the media - especially in the Ontario capital - aren't being more protective of a Canadian product. And, they both believe that the CFL is in the best position it's been in years to survive in the face of this challenge.
As a long-time CFL fan, I hope they're right. But, as I wrote in the Post opinion piece, I'm skeptical.
It was around Christmas, Michel Therrien says, that he noticed a change in his Pittsburgh Penguins. Players were taking practice a lot more seriously.
When drills were going badly, the coaches didn’t need to do any of the talking, because the critique was coming from the guys wearing the uniforms.
Who were the leaders?
“Well ... Sid,” Therrien said. “And Darryl Sydor.”
Most of the people picking Detroit to win this Stanley Cup Final do it based on some variation of the following theme:
“The Red Wings do a great job of protecting their goaltender. Their defence is almost impregnable.”
Apparently, there’s a pretty good reason for that.
Elliotte Friedman is the host of the CFL ON CBC. Prior to being named host in 2006, Friedman worked on the CFL on CBC broadcasts for the three seasons as a sideline reporter. A Toronto native, Friedman is well known for his additional work on Hockey Night in Canada, as well as his presence on the Torino 2006 Winter Games telecasts as a hockey reporter. Prior to joining the CBC, Friedman worked at The Score network and was widely regarded as one of the best reporters in the country. Friedman used his reporting skills to break stories and file feature reports for high profile events including six Stanley Cup Finals, four Grey Cup Championships, two World Series and one Olympic Games. He is also a regular on the nationally syndicated Prime Time Sports radio telecast, hosted by Bob McCown.
