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Monday, October 18, 1999
It's strike three ... Yashin's out
Some of us like the team much better without His Selfishness; some of us are pretty sure the Senators are a better team minus His Selfishness; some of us are even prepared to prefer any team playing against His Selfishness.
But more than anything else, some of us wonder how the Senators could even consider allowing His Selfishness back -- even if it is for the agreed-upon $3.6 million.
We watch the baseball playoffs. We see players take three strikes, and we know what happens when they do. We wonder why the same rules don't apply to His Selfishness.
Three times he has staged his own personal strike against the Senators. Three times he has walked out on them.
If they allow him back now, what's to prevent His Selfishness from quitting the Senators again? Is he going to give them his word he won't? Ha. In writing? Ha-ha.
What happens if His Selfishness does come back, and the Senators make him the go-to guy he'd insist upon being?
What's to say His Selfishness won't change his mind and quit on them during the stretch run? Or the playoffs?
Wouldn't they be in a serious jam then? Wouldn't they be much worse off than had they never permitted him back in a dressing room he deserted in the first place?
Of course and of course.
Some of us have a message for the Senators: Never, ever allow His Selfishness back on your team. He has quit on you before, it's guaranteed he will quit on you again.
SECOND THOUGHTS: The Detroit Tigers couldn't wait to name Phil Garner their new manager-- the same Phil Garner who led the Milwaukee Brewers to about six more bad years than good -- while Cito Gaston and his two World Series rings could not draw their attention. And you wonder why the Detroit Tigers have stunk for so long ... The breakthrough player of the year thus far in the NHL must be Steve Shields, who has wrestled the No. 1 goaltender job in San Jose from Mike Vernon and appears intent on proving himself as one of the league's elite ... Funny how every week TV sportscasters feel they must give us the life history of Doug Flutie, as if they still have to introduce him to the viewing public. By now, Flutie is one of those guys who it can be said no introduction is necessary.
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMM: When the Canadian Junior Hockey League rankings came out last week, the Hull Olympiques were not included in the top 10, even though they had a better record than every team that was ... It's nothing more than ironic that Ron Tugnutt allowed three goals on six shots on the same night Damian Rhodes picked up the first shutout in Atlanta Thrashers history ... More irony -- Seamus Kotyk with a heart problem. No athlete has more than the 67's goalie ... If they insist on showing curling on TV, why not televise shuffle board matches from the Ottawa Nepean Sports Club.
JOIN THE CLUB: Last summer Neil Smith was in a foursome with Sun sports editor Tim Baines when Baines scored a hole-in-one on the eighth hole at Carleton Golf & Yacht Club. After the round, a tournament organizer congratulated Smith, mistaking him for Baines, and Smith barely fought off the temptation to take the bows. Last week, Smith was playing his sixth round of the summer, his first at C.G. & Y.C., with Rob Pendrith, Jim Shields and Mark Boreham. Sure enough, when he got to No. 8, his 123-yard, pitching wedge went straight to the bottom of the cup. Smith wasn't crazy about the 97 he shot, but the deja vu made it the round of a lifetime ... Brad Marsh now has 38 TVs in his hockey haven/restaurant. I want to know, is there another bar with as many televisions anywhere? If you know of one, e-mail me and I'll give the place a plug.
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