A few thoughts from the past week in the world of sports.
If Tom Watson had won The Open last Sunday I think that would have been the most amazing sports accomplishment that I have ever seen. It was sad to see Tom lose, especially since he hit a perfect 8 iron to the green on 18. The thought that comes to mind however is; what does Tom’s success this year and Norman’s run last year say about golf at The Open? My thought is that golf at The Open is golf at its truest, but it is not as much of an athletic competition as the other majors are. Here golf is not about who’s physical skills are at their best during the week. At The Open, golf is not so much a game of pure physical skill as it is an examination of a player’s experience, character and composure. The physical component is of course important, but it is not so much about who hits it the best, but more about who hits it the smartest.
I’ve already written about the Halladay situation, but I for one am looking forward to a trade. I don’t think the Jays will ever decide to compete financially with the Yankees and Red Sox, so I’m looking forward to watching young prospects develop. That takes me back to some of the purity of the sport that is often only evident in spring training when you see players battle for the last roster spots on the team. I find it interesting to watch a player progress through the minors and see them finally make it to the big leagues. Halladay’s own journey was a joy for Jays fans to watch where he overcame various hurdles to develop into an all star and the most sought after target at the trade deadline. If the trade does happen, Halladay will be one of the former Toronto players that I will root for no matter where he goes.
It appears that the Leafs are more set for the coming season then I had thought. I tend to believe Burke and this week he stated again that Kaberle is unlikely to be moved. His goal now is trading a couple of the Leafs lesser defensemen for futures. This type of strategy is less exciting for fans to talk about and me to write about, but it does make quite a bit of sense. Keeping Kaberle leaves Toronto with one of the best groups of defensemen in the conference. Their top two pairings will be Kaberle and Komisarek, followed by Schenn and Beauchemin. Regardless of which two defenders they trade, they will still be left with two competent proven NHL players for the third pair and experienced depth behind them. From a value perspective, the two most likely players to be traded are Van Ryn and White. If the Leafs keep Kaberle, neither of the two figure in the long term plans and both are in the final year of their contracts. Picking up draft picks for these two would put the Leafs in a great position for next year’s draft and give them depth in picks for future trades. By not adding to forward depth now, the Leafs will get to evaluate what their youngsters can do. Next year will likely be makeover time for the forward unit with Stempniak, Ponikarovski, Stajan and Mayers all entering the last year of their contracts.
A quick tip of the hat to Argo coach Bart Andrus for telling Arland Bruce to stay home. Its nice to see a coach stand up to a star player when their behavior is not in the best interests of the team. Sad however not to hear a word from Adam Rita backing up his coach. I have no doubt that Burke would stand up for Wilson, or Colangelo for Triano.
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8 or 9 iron. Didn't hear his caddie warn, "Tom that ball is gonna run quite a bit", as Watson was totally satisfied with the distance and flight pattern. It still is one of the great accomplishments in sports history. The Leafs certainly have 2 of the best defensive pairings in the game at this point, and if they get better goal tending they won't need to score as much as fans think. Gr'bski should be a big gun this year.
ReplyDeleteCito needs to put Wells & Rios back up in the order either 2,3, so they can regain confidence in their leadership. Only then can they be trade material with such mega contracts. Leaving them down in the order isn't doing anybody any good. You've got to stick with your stars unless they are incapable due to injuries. Leaving them down in the order only makes its harder for them to prosper or increase their value in the eye of the league. The quicker we take on the Oakland model rapidly turning over developed players the better chance we have to challenge the fans with the reality of the market situation. With good management leadership, perhaps we can have some Minnesota type runs.
Adam Rita must go. He is far too cerebral and non committal in contraversial issues. I was stunned that he down played Bruces comments and actions as if the trade value was the main focus of concern. No wonder he's made the rounds around the league so frequently.