Just sending condolences to the families and friends of the seven young athletes and one adult, who lost their lives Saturday in a tragic traffic accident near Bathurst, New Brunswick just doesn't seem adequate enough our to express our collective profound sadness.
The team, which made up the
Bathurst High Phantoms was on its way back home from a game in Moncton when their van collided with a truck in bad weather and flipped several times while their vehicle was torn open and passengers thrown from the wreck. This is truly one of the darkest tragedies to happen in Canadian sports, and I know that all personally feel the loss of these young athletes in our hearts.
As sad as it is to see how far the incredibly talented former track star
Marion Jones has fallen, the only true deterrent to these athletes who lie during testimony is to serve them jail time if caught lying and perjuring themselves. Jones, who was sentenced to six months jail time on Friday for lying about her steroid use during the Balco hearings, has lost more than any other athlete to date. Along with being stripped of the 5 Medals she won at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and all her record-setting marks, she has also lost literally tens of millions of dollars in endorsements and has even had her home repossessed. A lesson goes out to all about lying to authorities sent to investigate what is the single most horrific problem in sports today. Along with punishing those guilty, I hope that all sport governing bodies begin the arduous task of beginning to educate all athletes regardless of age and sport to the realities of the dangers of steroid use. To Marion, a hope that she will bounce back from her mistakes and put all that has happened to her to positive use. I always felt her to be a more sympathetic figure than Baseball’s
Barry Bonds, who will soon face a similar trial for perjury in the same Balco Hearings.
I know that it isn't a real solution to the problems plaguing the hapless
Toronto Maple Leafs, but wouldn't it be a pleasure to demote most of the players on the team down to the AHL and in its place bring up most of the nucleus of their farm club, the high flying Toronto Marlies. In reality, though I truly believe that it’s way past due to clean house at the ACC and find at least temporary replacements for
John Ferguson Jr. and coach
Paul Maurice. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see JF Jr. on the unemployment line within the next week. The team has started talks with legend
Scotty Bowman to possibly take over the reins of the team. Without a doubt a GM of Bowman's experience and talent will come at a high financial price to the team’s bank account, and more importantly they will have to give Bowman the power to run the operation as he sees fit, with no interference from any of the powers behind the scenes at MLSE.
The world has truly lost one of its greatest gentlemen this week with the passing of
Sir Edmund Hillary, the conqueror of the world's highest peak, Mount Everest. It was on May 29th, 1953 that the great Hillary along with his Sherpa guide
Tenzing Norgay reached the peak of the Himalayan Mountain mass. In this day of celebrity excess and bad behaviour, all peoples in the public eye should take a lesson on public accountability and grace from the incredibly humble and dignified Hillary. This great man was truly a throwback to a gentler age and was not only a great sportsman and adventurer, but a tireless philanthropist whose quiet and understated work and manner just added to his extraordinary legend.
It was a 50 percent day for the Manning family on Sunday with big brother Peyton and his defending Super bowl champions Indianapolis Colts falling to the upstart San Diego Chargers 28-24 in the AFC playoff game. It was a back and forth battle that saw the lead change 5 times in the second half alone. Peyton was definitely on his game throwing for over 400 yards, but it was if his receivers were out of synch for this crucial playoff game. What made the Chargers win even that more spectacular was they were without starting QB Phil Rivers and star back LaDainian Tomlinson for much of the game due to knee injuries. The Chargers will have their work cut out for them next week when they travel off to Foxboro Stadium to meet the undefeated New England Patriots. As gutsy as the Chargers proved themselves to be against the Colts, they will be facing a big uphill battle when they meet Tom Brady and company. I'm calling the Patriots by 10 in this one.
Little brother Eli, on the other hand took the not so long ago written off New York Giants to the final four when New York pulled off a moderate upset by handing the Dallas Cowboys a 21-17 loss in the NFC game of the day. Its now off to Lambeau Field next week where the Giants will face the rejuvenated Cinderella team of the year, the Bret Favre led-Green Bay Packers. It'll be a tough go of it for the Giants next week facing the confident and momentum driven Packs at the always tough Lambeau Field. If the Giants defense can keep the Packers receivers neutralized they just might be able to pull off an upset, but I think the Packers just have too many weapons in their arsenal, the biggest being QB Bret Favre whose playing some of the best football of his distinguished career. Packers by 10
Until next time
