I have a few more things rattling around in my cranium other than this, but after crunchy peanut butter and last night’s Power Ball numbers, these are the only things that would likely matter to anyone else…
1) NHL commissioner Gary Bettman gets more hypocritical every day. He says he wants to do whatever he can for his owners, but when one gets in serious trouble — like Jerry Moyes in Phoenix — Bettman throws him under the bus.
Here is the latest response by Jim Balsillie to a court filing by the National Hockey League:
HAMILTON, ON, May 14 /CNW/ – Jim Balsillie today issued the following statement with regard to NHL motions filed in a Phoenix bankruptcy court:
… “I can tell you this. I made a generous good faith offer to buy the Coyotes from Jerry Moyes, who I understand is the owner of the Coyotes. Who owns or controls the team is a distinction without a difference. The team itself is still bankrupt, voluntarily or not. The owner of the team has a fiduciary obligation towards the creditors.
“My offer, which goes the furthest in satisfying creditors’ claims, is still the same. It’s $212 million to buy the Coyotes and bring them to the best un-served hockey market in the world in Southern Ontario. We look forward to discussing this no matter what the outcome on May 19th.
“At the end of the day, this is about the passion Canadians feel for the game of hockey and a chance to provide those fans with the opportunity to support a seventh NHL team. That’s what this is all about, great hockey fans in a great hockey market.”
Sadly, Gary Bettman wouldn’t know a good hockey market or a good hockey fan if one tripped and fell over his throat.
Why Bettman hates Canada and, for the most part, hates the game of hockey, is a mystery.
2) Remember Jean-Sebastien Giguere? In case you don’t, he led the Anaheim Ducks to the Stanley Cup in 2007.
Giguere is still in Anaheim, but he doesn’t play much anymore. the hero in Anaheim is now Jonas Hiller, a guy who already has three rings — for the championship of the Swiss League, in 2002, 2005 and 2007. He’s also won two Spengler Cups with Davos.
Of course, if the Ducks win Game 7 against Detroit tonight, he just could win another ring this year. Along with a Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.
Or, he could lose and join Roberto Luongo and Simeon Varlamov in 2009 post-season infamy.
It should be a great game tonight.
3) Finally, in the CFL, the league announced four rule changes that were suggested by the fans in an online poll:
a) The league’s board of governors approved moving the kickoff back 10 yards to the 25-yard line following a safety.
b) Allowing coaches to use “wildcat” formations that would move the quarterback around, instead of requiring him to stand behind or under centre.
c) Requiring a team that makes a field goal to kick off rather than give the receiving the team the option of taking the ball at its 35-yard-line.
d) Giving a team a third instant replay challenge if its first two are successful.
I have no problem with any of those rules changes. I guess I’m just like a lot of fans. I didn’t think the quarterback was stuck behind centre anyway, didn’t care if a team kicked from the 35 or 25 after a safety and didn’t realize that taking the ball at the 35 or kicking off mattered that much.
My rule change remains the same: If a CFL team uses a Canadian (non-import) as its No. 3 quarterback, it can use an extra import in the starting line-up. At some point, we must — in our own league — make it worth the coaches’ while to develop Canadian quarterbacks, just like they develop U.S. college rookies.