Way to go, Junior!

Wow! Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 600th career home run tonight. Not bad for a player who has said that he is not a home run hitter.

I remember when Junior broke in as a sensational 19 year old with the Seattle Mariners. He popularized wearing his hat backwards, not to be different, but just to be cool. It was so neat when his dad, who was still playing in the majors at age 39, was acquired by the Mariners and got to play in the same outfield as his son, a first in major league baseball.

I feel really blessed to have seen Junior play in person once upon a time. It was one of the first seasons of interleague play, in the summer of 1997, and my family came with me to the Seattle Kingdome on a trip to the West Coast. The San Francisco Giants were the visitors that day, so we got to see Barry Bonds, in addition to Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson on the bench, and of course, Junior in the outfield.

There were lots of home runs that day, and Junior hit one of them. It was so exciting. I am sure that the experience and memory is lost on my family, but I will never forget being at that game. It was worth the trip from Saskatoon to Maple Ridge to Seattle just to see Junior play.

Congratulations Junior on this amazing accomplishment. You have joined the big sluggers of history, Barry Bonds, Henry Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Sammy Sosa in the exclusive 600 homer club. Way to go, Junior!

All alone with some knuckleheads (Leatherheads)

I thought I was late for the movie. I rushed to the automatic ticket dispenser and managed to procure my movie ticket in my great haste. I dashed off to the nearest hallway only to be directed to the opposite side of the theatre, to another hallway. The ticket person took my ticket and I dashed off to the third door on the left. I burst inside and was relieved that there were still previews showing. Then came my big surprise.

I expected to have the usual movie crowd staring at me trying to decide where to sit in the dark. Not this time. I didn't see anyone staring at me. I looked around more. There was absolutely no one else in the theatre! After my initial shock at feeling foolish for looking everywhere, I realized that no one was going to notice how I looked or felt.

I even managed a phone call from the theatre to my significant other to blather about my unique situation. And it didn't bother anyone (with the possible exception of my significant other). She explained to me my good fortune: I could talk, cough, laugh, burp, or, well you get the idea. It was indeed a great situation for me. I instantly sat in my conception of the best seat in the house.

However, one begins to wonder if you are a real loser to be the only one person watching a movie. Is the movie that bad? At a pivotal point in the drama, a character is talking on the phone and mentions that she will be hanging around with these "knuckleheads." You begin to wonder if that description includes you also, as the one and only spectator.

Nonetheless, I thought Leatherheads was a really good movie. I liked the character development and I like all of the actors. That the movie focused on the development of professional football in the 1920s was a real plus for me, too. As a football fanatic and historian, I could identify well. It was a great experience watching the historical comedy romance unfold on the big screen all by myself. But maybe I was the real leatherhead for shelling out $12.50 for a movie I could see for three bucks in a few weeks.

How do you get down off an elephant?

... you don't get down off an elephant; you get down off a duck!

Embarrassingly, I never got that joke until many years after I first heard it; and only then when my big brother explained it to me.

How do you get down from a Stanley Cup championship in southern California? If you're a Duck, it's from meeting a hot team in the first round of the playoffs.

The Dallas Stars were full measure for their eliminating the defending champion Anaheim Ducks in 6 games. Stars netminder Marty Turko was almost unbeatable much of the time. I think the Ducks just never quite recovered from that blowout in game one on home ice.

Am I disappointed? Yes. However, the Ducks did provide an exciting season, especially with the return of Scott Niedermeyer and Teemu Selanne who scored several key goals down the stretch.

I am mostly disappointed that the Ducks have missed the opportunity to repeat as Stanley Cup champs. Winning back to back may have placed them among some of the great teams in NHL history. But it was not to be. Quack.

Never give up

I can't believe they actually came back and won it all. The Kansas Jayhawks men's college basketball team had led at various times during the the NCAA tournament final against the Memphis Tigers, but they were down by 9 points with two minutes left, and were not shooting well. Miraculously, they came back to within 2 points with sufficient time, but the real miracle was yet to come.

Kansas missed on a good chance to tie it from 2 points down, and then, after fouling Memphis, the Tigers went up by three with about 10 seconds left. That meant that Kansas had to make a three pointer, something that they were lousy at doing all through the game up to that point. But then it happened.

With Memphis playing tough defence, Kansas somehow got the ball down court quickly (remember, they only had 10 seconds to do something). The Kansas dribbler was completely covered, but managed a pass back to Mario Chalmers just outside the 3 point circle and it was all or nothing. Memphis players were also all over Chalmers by the time he received the pass, but he let fly a shot with a great arc and somehow we all saw and heard the swish of nothing but net. Tie game with 2 seconds left!

So we are off to overtime, and Kansas, with the momentum, puts Memphis away for good to win the title. What a stunning turn of events. I keep learning from determined young athletes to never give up, even when it looks hopeless.

Sad All Over

I am grieving over the death of Mike Smith, lead vocalist and keyboardist for the Dave Clark Five, today near London. Mike died of pneumonia at age 64. He was too young to leave us.

I was only a wee lad when the DC5 hit the top of charts in the UK and, for a time, were as equally well known in the British Invasion as were the Beatles. In fact, the DC5 made 18 appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show, the most by any British group.

Smith had a distinctive voice, which some writer described as "leathery", that made the popular music of the group so appealing. I feel blessed nowadays to be able to see old performances of the DC5 on YouTube. Mike is a real presence in the performances.

Smith's passing seems even more tragic with the somewhat recent passing of the saxophonist of the group, Denis Payton, at age 63.

It is just really sad to lose the rock and roll stars of my youth, when they are still relatively young. Their music lives on, but it is sobering to realize that this is the end of an era.

"I'm in pieces, bits and pieces" over the passing of Mike. We will miss you, Mike. The song was always so true of you, that "You got what it takes."

What would Mark and Jake think?

The Buffalo Bills playing regular season games in Toronto? Former MP Mark Lalonde and former CFL Commissioner Jake Gaudaur would be horrified. When tycoon John Bassett announced his new Toronto franchise in the World Football League in 1973, Lalonde introduced legislation blocking the American invasion so quickly, it made Bassett's head spin. And Gaudaur was firmly in Lalonde's court, in seeking to preserve the Canadian game.

How times have changed.


PS: Here's another opinion on the matter

NFL's Foray Into Canada Will Doom CFL: Ackles
Ed Willes, Canwest News Service; Vancouver Province
Published: Friday, February 01, 2008

PHOENIX, Ariz. - When commissioner NFL Roger Goodell announces today that Toronto will play host to eight Buffalo Bills games over the next five years, he will present it as a positive development for both his league and the CFL.

B.C. Lions president Bob Ackles, on the other hand, has a different take on the matter.

Ackles believes this move is the toehold would-be NFL owners Ted Rogers and Larry Tanenbaum have been looking to secure in Toronto and, ultimately, it will lead to the demise of the CFL. Ackles, whose feelings on this subject are well known, has been silent on it for a while.

Lord of the Rings Bobby Ackles began his career with the B.C. Lions in 1953 as their lowly water boy.

Thursday he broke that silence in a big way.

"That's no CFL, no Grey Cup and, in the end, no minor football in Canada because kids will see they don't have a chance to play pro ball," Ackles said, reacting to the news which is expected to come out today at Goodell's Super Bowl press conference.

"(Goodell) will handle it very diplomatically but this is the tip of the berg. It might take some time but you can see where this is going."

Today's announcement has long been in the works and is expected to include some concessions for the CFL. The games - five regular-season contests, three in the pre-season over the five-year period - will be played in December after the Grey Cup. It's also thought that Toronto Argonauts' and Hamilton Tiger-Cats' season-ticket holders will get priority in the purchase of tickets.

But Ackles says that's just a flimsy attempt at spin control.

"I'm just one guy," Ackles said. "But I think it's just a matter of time. There are two guys (Rogers and Tananenbaum) with a lot of money and they usually get what they want.

"Why would anyone want to go to Toronto? No. 1, it's ego. No. 2, it's the money. It's a big foot in the door and they'll draw sponsorship money out of southern Ontario. And that means there won't be a national TV contract (for the CFL)."

Ralph Wilson, the Bills' owner, is 89 and has said his estate will likely sell the franchise to the highest bidder on his passing.

There is still no NFL team in Los Angeles but there's no ownership group, either.

"(Former NFL commissioners) Pete Rozelle and Paul Tagliabue wouldn't have handled it this way," Ackles said. "Goodell came out and said he wants to grow the game internationally. Well, it's failed in Europe so where does that leave?"

Vancouver Province
ewillespng.canwest.com
© CanWest News Service 2008

Teemu is back!

Oh joyous news! Teemu Selanne announced he is returning to the Anaheim Ducks' lineup this season. Welcome back, man. I remember how excited I was when you returned to the Mighty Ducks from your travels to San Jose and Denver. I am glad you have re-discovered the passion and we can enjoy your exciting play again. Go Ducks!