There are those who believe things in life are cyclical.
If that is true, perhaps that is explanation enough for launching this little bit of weekly fun writing. It would be some 35-years ago I won a sports trivia contest in the Tisdale Recorder, my hometown newspaper. That little win had me awarded a paper certificate, a supper with the sports reporter, and would evolve in my starting to write a weekly sports column; ‘Armchair Sports Report’ (updated here since the couch is comfier).
The column would appear for a few weeks shy of a decade, and lead to my joining the Recorder staff, and eventually a move here to Yorkton a quarter of a century or so ago.
I now find myself settling back into the world of sports more than in the last several years, so with the fates of the wheel of time pushing me along I am sure, it is time to return to my writing roots.
What will follow weekly will be a look at varied sports from the perspective of a Canadian sports fan with a comfy chesterfield, and a large number of sports channels on a large screen TV, plus access to the Internet.
Jays woes
To start I have to mention the Toronto Blue Jays. I was keenly aware the Jays, in spite of one of the richest ownerships in the league, would not make a winning pitch for David Price, so his signing with Boston was not a surprise.
Sadly reports are surfacing the Jays new management team didn’t even make an offer to a premier pitcher, whose wins were critical to TO making the playoffs, and who obviously liked pitching in the atmosphere of a Jays run. That sends a very negative message, and suggests the Jays have decided on regression above winning.
But really does the Jays’ brass think Jay Happ is the answer?
Yes Happ had a descent second half this past season, but that was the National League where you get the easy pitcher spot out several times a game. In reality Happ is a number four/five pitcher, meaning he is another Drew Hutchison, R.A. Dickey, or even Jesse Chavez.
The Jays need an ace, and Happ is not that.
Marcus Stroman might be an ace one day, but it’s a lot to expect that in what is essentially his full sophomore season.
And Marco Estrada while having a stellar 2015, is so far a one year wonder. Matching this year would be great, but expect him to settle into a number three-type pitcher.
With Boston having Price and a history showing they will spend money to buy wins, the Jays may not have the American League East as easily as many expected.
And don’t expect big moves from the Jays with Mark Shapiro as President. Over from the Indians he doesn’t have a reputation for ‘big’ deals. The no offer to Price part of that approach it would seem.
Of course the Indians are not exactly a franchise anyone would want to mimic. They have been a team of at best mediocrity of late.
So why the Jays brain trust thought Shapiro was a great signing eludes me. He has since added Ross Atkins as general manager. Atkins is another guy out of the same lacklustre Cleveland franchise.
The duo does not install much excitement for me, since the Happ deal seems to be exactly what these two strive for, mediocrity, and after the excitement of the past season Canadian baseball fans deserve more than mediocrity.
Riders get the right guy
Shapiro appears defined to be a disaster with the Jays, but the Saskatchewan Roughriders may finally have done something right.
While it took the upper brass far too long, in August they turfed Head Coach Corey Chamblin and General Manager Brendan Taman after the team started the season 0-9. Chamblin was a cancer from the sidelines, and Taman was too slow to pull the trigger on Chamblin’s dismissal.
Bob Dyce took over as head coach after that and Jeremy O’Day as GM, both on an interim basis, and neither did anything over the last games of the season to warrant permanent trust.
Enter Chris Jones, fresh off a Grey Cup win as Head Coach with the Edmonton Eskimos. It is reported Jones will fill the dual role of Head Coach and GM with the ‘Riders.
As a field general he certainly turned the Esks back into winners.
But, the key will be his managerial talents as Saskatchewan needs a rebuild in the defensive backfield, at running back, and, well you get the idea he has to find talent and lots of it.
Still, I’m satisfied with Jones at the controls. It is a positive first step to making the ‘Riders contenders again.
Raptor swings
Basketball used to be a long way down my list of sports to watch.
But last season the Toronto Raptors and their ‘We The North’ rallying cry caught my attention.
The Raptors had a good regular season with exciting players like sixth man Lou Williams, but come the playoffs the offence happy team folded quickly.
The off season was spent changing the team from all offence, to one more balanced with defence.
Williams went to the LA Lakers, Amir Johnson went to Boston.
The backfill was all more defence oriented; DeMarre Carroll, Luis Scola, Bismack Biyombo leading the way.
That has not meant no offence. DeMar DeRozan is a star, as is Kyle Lowry, and Canadian Cory Joseph has been great off the bench.
Some nights the new mix has looked ready to move up the ladder in terms of the National Basketball Association elite. As an example Saturday they hosted the Golden State Warriors a team without a loss this season. The Raps lost by three, but were in the game most of the way, and had an honest shot late at a win.
The game showed they can compete with the best when they work at it. It was great game.
Then of course the Raptors lost 106-105 to Denver last Thursday. The Nuggets had lost eight-in-a-row going into the game, and were averaging under 100-points a game. It was a game an elite team should not have lost.
Still at 12-9 (as of Sunday), the Raptors are in good shape and the more defence-responsible players should help the team more as the season wears on.
It will also be fun to watch Lucas ’Bebe’ Nogueira develop. With centre Jonas Valanciunas injured Nogueira is getting minutes of late. The Brazilian was selected 16th overall in the 2013 draft by TO, and is just now getting a chance to play. He is showing he has soft hands, can score, and knows defence, and at only 23, he has lots of time to get better.
Also I am curious if the Raptors can salvage Canadian Anthony Bennett’s career. He was selected first overall in the same 2013 draft by Cleveland, was moved to Minnesota and never did much in either city. Signing in the off season with TO at the league minimum he is a project with a huge upside if time with Raptors 905 the team’s D-League team can help him fulfill the promise he showed in college at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
