Items that may grow up to be columns, Vol. XVII, Chapter 1:
BLUNT INSTRUMENT: Former Ducks/Capitals/Sharks/Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson’s Tuesday excoriation of Phil Kessel and his fellow “uncoachable” teammates on Toronto radio was both a rare revelation of a coach’s true feelings and an unofficial declaration of divorce from the NHL.
Unlikely any team would hire Wilson now, even if he wanted to work again, because by going on the air the day the Leafs fired Randy Carlyle and blaming their problems on the players — calling the team’s only great forward unreliable and moody, and just generally scatter-gunning his former employers, he has broken the code of post-career omerta.
Too bad about that code.
Now, probably all he’s suited for is a TV job like Mad Mike Milbury’s with NBC. In fact, Wilson might be pretty good in that role. He’s articulate, opinionated … and sarcastic as hell.
PHIL THE PILL: On the other hand, few would dispute the gist of Wilson’s comments re: Kessel, the Leafs’ sourpuss superstar, whose speed and skill and scoring prowess are head-scratchingly wondrous, even intermittently, for a guy still carrying around as much baby fat as he is.
(Yeah, yeah. Who isn’t?)
FESSIN’ UP: Kessel’s “what an idiot” reaction to persistent questioning by the Toronto Star‘s Dave Feschuk, in the wake of Wilson’s comments, provided moments of hilarity later in the day when the usual raft of shrill Leaf-lovers confused Feschuk with his brother Scott, a humour columnist with Maclean’s magazine, and filled Scott’s Twitter feed with insults meant for Dave, an old National Post colleague of mine who, admittedly, missed out on the family humour gene.
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THICK SKIN REQUIRED: There was nothing wrong with Dave Feschuk’s line of questioning, but also nothing wrong with Kessel venting. Nowhere in an athlete’s contract does it say he’s not allowed to get angry when he feels persecuted.
And some players are just naturally sour. Kessel is one. Another is pitcher Randy Johnson, elected this week to Baseball’s Hall of Fame.
One day at New York Yankees’ spring training complex in 2005 — the year he shoved a cameraman on the same day he signed with the club — your correspondent found Johnson sitting at his locker in the clubhouse, fiddling with his shoes, no one around him. “Have you got time for a couple of questions, Randy?” I asked.
He looked up, very slowly, took in the name on my credential, his eyes finally meeting mine. It felt like a High Noon kind of staredown.
“Not today,” he said. “And not tomorrow.”
All righty, then. Derek Jeter was holding court on the other side of the room, and Joe Torre was doing the same in the manager’s office. No harm, no foul. Lesson learned.
MEANWHILE IN THE ‘CHUK: The top brass of the Edmonton Oilers is in daily meetings trying to figure out how to finesse the Dishonour For Connor campaign — tanking the season for (with luck) the No. 1 overall draft pick while appearing to be distraught after every loss.
No doubt there’s a fine line to be walked, between a frank admission to the season-ticket holders of the club’s actual intentions, and the dangers of accidentally winning the odd game, like the Dec. 30 victory over L.A. that ended a streak of 20 losses in 21 games dating back to Remembrance Day.
Or like, two games later, beating the Islanders. Tut-tut, lads. There’ll be hell to pay if you fail to fail.
Fortunately, there are wise men in charge of the mission, like club owner Daryl Katz, whose major possessions include Rexall Drugs and Wrecks-All Hockey, so what are the chances of screwing this up and failing to get either Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel in the draft?
Patience, Oiler fans: the 10-year rebuild is right on schedule.
DE-CLAWED: Whether it’s the last roar of the old lion, or a desperate attempt to jolt his team out of a funk that’s now lasted three years, B.C. Lions GM Wally Buono is in the midst of clearing the decks for new head coach Jeff Tedford to bring in his own cast and culture for 2015 and beyond.
Gone, besides bedrock cornerback Dante Marsh, are assistant coaches Kelly Bates (running backs, college scouting), Joe Paopao (receivers), Dan Dorazio (offensive line), and Carl Hairston (defensive line).
Hopefully, one of their replacements brings a quarterback with him. Nothing else is as important as the guy taking the snaps, and the Lions’ Travis Lulay will be starting the season (again) on a fragile wing and a prayer.
RE-CLAWED: Phoenix will be the centre of the sports media universe at the end of January, but especially on Tuesday of Super Bowl week.
Reports indicate Tiger Woods may open his 2015 schedule at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, which ends on Super Bowl Sunday at the TPC of Scottsdale. Tuesday is the day customarily set aside for pre-tournament interviews, and it’s also Media Day for the competing Super Bowl teams at the University of Phoenix Stadium across town in Glendale.
Even without Woods, coming off his worst season as a professional but still golf’s biggest name, the Phoenix Open drew a record 563,008 fans last year, more people than live in Tucson. Woods hasn’t played Phoenix since 2001.
If you’re planning to drive in the Phoenix area that day, you might want to reconsider. Traffic will be a hot mess.
Source:: National Post
