... for a good game between old rivals, Mike Faulds and Justin Dunk. Faulds might be the better brain, Dunk the better body. I think the CFL would be better off with both of them. Oops! There I go dreamin' again.
Nathan Riva, Dunk and Mike Hayes joined me on the radio show Friday as we again celebrated all things local football. We also speculated on Nazem Kadri's future, again. We talked, he scored...again. I still believe he should spend another season with the Knights.
Leafs looked good in Detroit. 5-4 viktors in the breakaway bonanza. The kids, man... the kids. Vikor Stalburg is the fastest guy on the ice, already. And that John Mitchell is something else. He's one of the smartest players on the ice, already. His shootout winner appeared too easy. But that's the skill talkin'.
Kudos to Mike Hutchinson. His 34 save shutout, his first win, first goose egg as a Knight. London 3-0 winners over Mississauga.
Roy Halladay, thanks for the memories. Congrats on the great finish in Toronto. Congrats on the possibilities, finally, that lie ahead for you.
Listen to the Hook Saturday, 5:30 for your chance to win Detroit Lions tickets. We're giving away a pair of tix to Sunday's game at Ford Field. Keep these digits handy: 1 866 354 8255. If you wanna win'em you'll need'em.
Peace.
Why do Jay’s fans hold Doc is such high regard? He's never won a championship for the city and that seems to be the way that we usually grade our sporting heroes. I find the closing days of Doc's time in Toronto filled with contradictions that don't seem to hold with the trends that the Toronto market usually reserves for its departing sporting heroes. For the most part, our sporting heroes are vilified and ridiculed as they leave the GTA. Why should Doc be any different? Names like George Bell, Joe Carter, Carlos Delgado, Kelly Gruber, Roger Clemens, Doug Gilmour, Pat Burns, Felix Potvin, Kent Austin, Condrage Holloway, Mats Sundin, Bob O'Billovich, Darcy Tucker, Brian McCabe, John Feguson, Vince Carter, Damon Allen, Damon Stottlemaire, Tracey MacGradie, Chris Bosh (the tide is starting to turn on him too), and Pat Quinn all left the Toronto sporting scene amid cruel taunts from fans and media alike. The only name that I can reflect upon, from the modern era of sport anyway, that left Toronto with his reputation intact is Doug Flutie. However, unlike Doc, this Dougie actually won championships. Heck, I'm not sure if Doc actually ever attained his full potential as leader on this club (even just for the pitching staff), to say nothing of his non-existent playoff record. Usually the fans and media in Toronto are extraordinarily hard on their former champions. Why does Roy get a free ride?
ReplyDeleteDoc, no pitcher, can win a title on his own. What he has done is DO his part. More often than not Halladay has put the Jays in position to win. That's all you can ask from a pitcher. Another reason we appreciate him so much is the way he goes about "doing his part". It's not uncommon for him to be dominant, like he was last night. And unlike a few of his team mates who seem to turn on the jets late, when it doesn't matter so much, Halladay can be great at any point in the season. He was the best pitcher in the game up 'til around the trade deadline this summer. Sure, he fell off a bit back then, but wouldn't you have? It's just that reality once again slapped the guy in the face. No contention, no title, no hope in a place he's committed so much to for so long.
ReplyDeleteBottom line: Doc has done his job and then some while in Toronto. I'd like to suggest its the rest of the team that didn't pull its weight, but most weren't/aren't of their ace's caliber. Maybe what we've been given is all we really should've expected.