March 17, 1991...what a sight in the old Chicago Stadium.
I think on this night, the Chicago River was dyed red, instead of green.
Happy St. Patty's Day!!
What a lineup of goonery!
Garth Butcher Glen Featherstone Mike Peluso Scott Stevens Dave Manson Stu Grimson Kelly Chase Darin Kimble (rocking an INCREDIBLE mullet!) Even old Harold Snepts!
Plus Iron Mike Keenan and Brian Sutter looked like they wanted to get at it.
If you predicted that the Canadian men's hockey team would come out and absolutely manhandle the Russian squad in their quater-final matchup yesterday...please stand up.
Okay, now that EVERYONE is still sitting, let's discuss.
If you were like me, you were in your chair at the end of the first period and you were thinking "my God...we're up 4-1? I can't believe it. What year is this?"
No one believed it.
Not Mike Babcock. Not Stephen Harper. Not Billy the Bartender at your local pub. Geez, I bet that even Donald S. Cherry wouldn't have believed you if you said we'd be up 4-1 after a period versus Russia.
But after 20 minutes, for all intents and purposes, this game was finished.
Throw in 2 goals early in the second by Canada, and Rita McNeil was already into her final verse...'she' was singing.
Ohhhhhhhhhh Caaaaaaaaanadaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
The semis bring us a matchup with Slovakia. They won't be a pushover, but it's hard not to look past that game and determine that there's a pretty good shot that if Canada beats the Slovaks...they'll meet the Amarrrricans in the gold medal game. (If the Yankees beat Finland)
Hmmmmmmmmm...I wonder if that would be exciting at all?
Just a quick note on a day when the "Winter Games" (garsh...sure can't use that O word) torch rolls through Osoyoos, Oliver and Penticton.
I must say it's pretty cool to see the exitement in the towns when the runners carry it through...and I am somewhat jealous of NOT being chosen as a runner (thanks RBC...yer never getting MY business!!!!)
The crowd last night in Osoyoos for the cauldron lighting was massive, and so far the crowds lining the streets in Oliver, OK Falls, Kaleden and Penticton have been super enthusiastic and in great spirits. I'm sure the crowd at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton will be a lively bunch...as well as the people in Summerland (who can boast TWO Olympians...freestyle skiier Kristi Richards and bobsledder Justin Kripps!)
On side note, the standard all white torch runner outfits aren't what I would call 'flattering'...but I suppose if one runner has to look fat and frumpy then they ALL do.
Anyhow...onwards and upwards with the march to the games! In celebration of our nation...I bring you a little love from South Park!
It's been several months since the last installment of my cyber-clip show...BrockTalk Bites. So here we go with a variety of observations from the past few months in sports:
Starting with my most painful observation...this hurts...San Diego Chargers lose to the New York Jets in the NFL Playoffs. Simply, the Bolts played their worst game of the year, got awful performances from QB Philip Rivers and kicker Nate Kaeding and took stupid penalties. Add it all up and that means yer done!
Footnote...I'm pretty sure LaDanian Tomlinson has played his last game as a Charger...he's been an amazing player and person for the organization. I hope he leaves/retires on good terms with the team.
Seems that the Tiger Talk has subsided (other than his trips to the sex addiction clinics)...I can hear the golf fans now, getting antsy for his return. I don't think it will be too long.
Ron MacLean should be reprimanded for his one-sided attack on Alex Burrows on HNIC. It wasn't the clips of Burrows' "transgressions" that angered me...it was MacLean putting all the words in Burrows' mouth...very amateur.
I really like what the Seattle Mariners have done in the offseason...adding the likes of Chone Figgins, Cliff Lee and extending their ace Felix Hernandez...things are looking up in the Emerald City.
I wasn't overy excited about the Olympics, but after the men's hockey team was announced, and I spent 3 days in Vancouver, I'm pumped. The Olympic flame rolls through the South Okanagan Jan. 24/25 too!
Rex Ryan annoys me to no end (and that was before his Jets beat my Chargers.) Just when I thought Bill Belicheck was the most arrogant coach in pro sports...along comes Rexy. But I'll give him this, he is always good for a quote.
Nice to see Andre Dawson get into the MLB Hall of Fame. As much as I'd like to see him enshrined in an Expos hat, my money says he goes in wearing a Cubs one.
Good to hear that Brock Lesnar will be back in the UFC soon. Crazy illness that he had to suffer through.
Doubly good to hear that Vancouver City Council approved MMA in the city...the 604 will be going bonkers when the UFC rolls into town in the summer.
Three leading scrappers in the NHL are Zenon Konopka, Brandon Prust and Matt Carkner (who, who and who?)...the kids are bringin' the bombs!
BC Lions are getting hit hard in the offseason...losing Martell Mallett to the NFL and Philadelphia Eagles REALLY hurts. That being said, if he doesn't make the team, he could be back in orange and black soon.
Speaking of CFL...good riddance to that idiot in Winnipeg Mike Kelly...what an embarrassment to the league. And Eric Tillman...sorry...I still don't buy the whole 'mixing medications' excuse.
Nice to see the Memphis Grizzlies getting it together...funny how from the day they dropped Allen Iverson...things have really come together for them. They are stacked with a pretty damn fine roster...Zach Randolph, OJ Mayo, Marc Gasol, Rudy Gay...keep it going Grizz!!
It's going to be a fine summer of footy! World Cup 2010 is on the way and I always get jacked for it...and cheering on my adopted "home country" The Netherlands. Go Oranje!
I started with the NFL...so I'll end with it...I see Indy beating the Jets and the Saints beating the Vikes this weekend...a Colts/Saints Super Bowl would be a gooder.
Okay...that's it for now...I think I'm up to date and have commented on almost everything that's caught my eye over the last few months.
Watch for BrockTalk Bites 3.0 down the road...in the meantime...enjoy the best of the Seinfeld clip show...nice redundancy!
Okay...I know this will be shocking and groundbreaking and catch the entire sporting world by surprise...but...here goes....
Mark McGwire did 'roids.
I'll wait for you to catch your breath.
Yes, after many months, or years, of McGwire saying nothing about how he went from skinnyman to Superman...he has admitted that yes, he did steroids back in his playing days.
But his admission is still registering as "off the charts" when it comes to the bullshit meter.
Did he ever take roids to improve his long ball hitting performance?
"No," he said. BULLSHIT.
Does he think that if he didn't do any juice, he'd still break Roger Maris' homerun record and routinely hit over 50 a season?
"Yes," he said. BULLSHIT.
Did he ever inject with teammates like Jose Canseco, who for years said that they DID inject together?
"Of course not," he said. BULLSHIT.
McGwire is so full of crap his tears will be brown when he finally 'breaks down' in front of the the media...which I'm sure will happen when he has his first press conference.
Sure it was good of Big Mac to admit to doing roids (of course he says he took them initially just to heal his body and continued to use them to maintain his health)...but...in the words of the Monday Night Football crew...COME ON MAN!
McGwire, are you REALLY telling us that you never took steroids to increase your productivity?
Dude, man up, be honest with yourself and the public and tell them you juiced so you could smash a million homers and be done with it. It's not that hard...and you'll probably feel better about the whole thing when you do.
Oh, that's right, he also says he had "been given the gift to hit homers."
Well that may be true, having a 'gift' will help you slam some balls out of the park. But that 'gift' didn't give you 48 inch guns and forearms bigger than Popeye...unless that 'gift' was a free cycle or two from your dealer.
Mark McGwire's admission was pathetic at best...and he still has a LONG way to go to gain any credibility from me, and many of the doubting public.
Chicks may dig the longball...but the only thing McGwire is digging...is a deeper hole.
One thing that really grinds my gears (thanks Peter Griffin) this time of year is the best/worst of the year lists.
This year, it's especially grinding because there are the best/worst of the DECADE lists as well.
Borrrrrrrrrring.
So, instead of the best and worst...I present to your the Top Five Moments of the Decade That Didn't Happen But I Wish They Had...or to simplify...my TFMOTDTDHBIWTH list.
5. September 29, 2004 had been just another day on the calendar - Such a sad day, when the Montreal Expos ceased to exist, and moved to Washington.
4. Pat Dapuzzo had avoided that skate - As I wrote in an earlier blog, this was one of the most horrific moments in sports in the last year...all the best to Dapuzzo in his long road to recovery.
3. Mike Weir had put his shot on the green, rather than in the drink, on the third playoff hole at the 2004 Canadian Open and beaten Vijay Singh, rather than ending up a bridesmaid - How SWEET it would have been for Weirsy to win the Canadian Open tourney on home soil at Glen Abbey...maybe one day...maybe.
2. Brett Favre would have either A) stayed a Packer or B) stayed retired - I still get queasy when I think about how much ink and airtime was wasted covering his on again off again on again career.
1. Steve Moore had turned around and fought Todd Bertuzzi - I know that he had already fought Matt Cooke earlier in the game and he was not obligated to fight the Canuck thug, but if he had just turned around and accepted Bertuzzi's offer to dance...all of this wouldn't have happened:
Who knows what the next 10 years have in store for us? Your guess is as good as mine...but thankfully...the "lists" are coming to an end!
Unfortunately some sad news as I sit here on Christmas Eve day...getting word that one of my favourite sports broadcasters while growing up, has passed on.
George Michael, who hosted the George Michael Sports Machine from 1980-2007 passed away yesterday from complications from chronic lymphocytic lukemia...he was 70.
I remember staying up late, or taping, the GMSM Sunday nights on King TV out of Seattle. I also made a special note of when the final Sunday of each month rolled around (and ESPECIALLY the final Sunday of the year)...because that's when he used to roll out his plays of the month/year.
I would sit with the VCR with play/record in pause...waiting for that instant moment to start taping the plays.
The thing about George Michael was that he always had time for ALL sports...not just NFL, NBA and MLB...but he always had info on hockey, bowling, rodeo, skiing, golf, drag racing...EVERYTHING.
He was a real broadcasting pioneer and will be missed greatly.
His final show was in March 2007 so I'll leave you with his final Plays of the Year segment that he did in December 2006 (featuring his amazing voice and unbelievable music that he used for his 'plays' segments!)
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