SPORTSNIGHT 360 TAKES IT'S ANNUAL SUMMER BREAK . IT DOESN'T MEANS SPORTS CEASES TO EXIST. LET ME WARN YOU OF THINGS TO COME IN THIS SUMMER OF 2007. TRUST ME NOW.
BARRY BONDS WILL HIT HIS 756TH HOME RUN. HE'LL DO IT AT WRIGLEY FIELD
IN CHICAGO. THE CUBS FANS WILL HONOUR BONDS FOR PASSING HENRY AARON'S
ALL TIME RECORD AND THEN THEY'LL THROW THE HOME RUN BALL BACK ON THE
FIELD.
WITHOUT A DOUBT, OUR NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM, WILL BEAT A TEAM FROM
SOMEPLACE LIKE THE TURKS AND CAICOS IN ONE OF THOSE ENDLESS RUNUP
TOURNAMENTS TO THE NEXT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE
VICTORY OVER THIS CARIBEAN OUTPOST, SOCCER CANADA IN TORONTO WILL
DECLARE THAT CANADA IS READY TO GO TO THE WORLD CUP FINAL.
COUNT ON THE NEW YORK YANKEES CLOSING TO A SINGLE GAME OF THE RED SOX BY
SEPTEMBER. IN THE SHOWDOWN SERIES AT FENWAY PARK ALEX CORA WILL HIT HIS
2ND HOME RUN OF THE SEASON AND ERASE FOREVER MIKE TORREZ AND BUCKY DENT
AND THE RED SOX GO TO THE PLAYOFFS.
THERE WAS THE BORING MASTERS, THE IMPOSSIBLE U.S. OPEN. IN AN EFFORT TO
MAKE GOLF AS BORING AS POSSIBLE BY TRICKING-UP COURSES FOR MAJOR EVENTS
THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP WILL BE WON AT 12 OVER PAR AND GOLF'S TELEVISION
RATINGS FALL BELOW THOSE OF THE NHL.
IN THE WORLD OF SPORTS BOOKS, THE SEQUEL TO THE TELL-ALL BOOK WRITTEN BY
KOBE BRYANT'S BODYGUARD WILL BE RELEASED. BRYANT'S PLUMBER WILL REVEAL
THE DIRTY SECRET BEHIND KOBE'S PIPES AND HIS EFFORTS TO KEEP THEM FREE OF
CONTAMINANTS.
FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS ROGER FEDERER HAS BEEN CALLED, SEEMINGLY WITHOUT
QUESTION, THE GREATEST PLAYER EVER TO PLAY MEN'S TENNIS. DEPEND ON IT;
RAFAEL NADAL WILL BEAT FEDERER ON A HARD COURT SOMETIME THIS SUMMER AND
NADAL WILL THEN BE THE GREATEST THERE EVER WAS.
AND ON JULY 4TH AT CONEY ISLAND NEW YORK THE SPORTS WORLD WILL BE SHAKEN
TO IT'S CORE BY CALIFORNIA'S JOEY CHESTNUT. CHESTNUT, IN FRONT OF A
CROWD OF 30,000 WILL BRING THE WORLD HOT DOG EATING CHAMPIONSHIP BACK TO
THE LAND OF THE FREE AFTER A 6 YEAR DOMINATION BY JAPAN'S TAKERU
KOBAYASHI. CHESTNUT WILL CONSUME A WORLD RECORD 60 HOT DOGS AND THEIR
BUNS IN A 12 MINUTE PERIOD. ESPN WILL TELEVISE THE EVENT AGAIN THIS
YEAR. LAST YEAR 1.5 MILLION WATCHED ACROSS THE U.S. THIS YEAR THAT FIGURE WILL BE 2 MILLION.
IT MAKES ME PROUD TO BE PART OF A WORLD THAT INCLUDES INTERNATIONAL
EVENTS OF THIS MAGNITUDE.
TRUST ME, IT'S ALL GOING TO HAPPEN IN THIS SUMMER OF 2007. GO TO THE
BANK WITH IT.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
June 9 2007
THE SUCCESS AND/OR FAILURE OF ANY PROFESSIONAL SPORT HAS INVARIABLY
HINGED ON IT'S LEADERSHIP. THE BEST EXAMPLES OF THAT AT OPPOSITE ENDS
OF THE SPECTRUM ARE THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE AND THE NHL. BUT ALL
SPORTS EXECUTIVES PALE BESIDE BILL FRANCE JUNIOR.
"BILL WHO?" YOU ASK. WELL, BILL FRANCE JUNIOR ORCHESTRATED THE
MONSTROUS GROWTH OF NASCAR OVER THE LAST THREE DECADES. . WHEN JUNIOR TOOK
OVER NASCAR FROM HIS FATHER IN 1972 IT WAS A SERIES LIMITED TO THE SOUTHERN
UNITED STATES WITH A DAMAGING IMAGE OF CONFEDERATE FLAGS, BEER,
EX-RUM-RUNNERS AND GOOD 'OL BOYS. FRANCE IMMEDIATELY SET OUT TO
BROADEN THE FAN BASE. HE MOVED RACES TO NEW SPEEDWAYS IN LARGER
CENTRES. CHICAGO AND KANSAS CITY, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, LAS VEGAS AND
DALLAS. IN 1972 MOST OF THE DRIVERS WERE FROM CAROLINA, VIRGINIA AND
ALABAMA. WHEN FRANCE RETIRED THE MAJORITY CAME FROM THE WEST COAST,
MIDWEST AND NORTH EAST. HE NOT ONLY BUILT THE WINSTON CUP..NOW CALLED
THE NEXTEL CUP, HE ALSO ESTABLISHED THE POPULAR BUSCH SERIES WHICH WILL
MAKE A STOP HERE IN MONTREAL LATER THIS SUMMER AND THE CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES. THE FRANCE FAMILY OWNS NASCAR OUTRIGHT AND NASCAR OWNS 13 OF THE MAJOR CIRCUITS. IT NOW HAS A BILLION DOLLAR TELEVISION CONTRACT. ONLY THE NFL GETS BETTER TELEVISION RATINGS
THAN NASCAR. AS A CORPORATE ENTITY, TODAY NASCAR IS IN THE SAME
BALLPARK AS DISNEY AND AT&T. WHEN YOU THINK OF THE HISTORIC LEADERS IN NORTH
AMERICAN SPORTS, IMMEDIATLY PETE ROZELLE COMES TO MIND. BUT THE REST--BETTMAN,
STERN, SELIG, THEY'RE MIDGETS COMPARED TO BILL FRANCE JUNIOR.
HINGED ON IT'S LEADERSHIP. THE BEST EXAMPLES OF THAT AT OPPOSITE ENDS
OF THE SPECTRUM ARE THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE AND THE NHL. BUT ALL
SPORTS EXECUTIVES PALE BESIDE BILL FRANCE JUNIOR.
"BILL WHO?" YOU ASK. WELL, BILL FRANCE JUNIOR ORCHESTRATED THE
MONSTROUS GROWTH OF NASCAR OVER THE LAST THREE DECADES. . WHEN JUNIOR TOOK
OVER NASCAR FROM HIS FATHER IN 1972 IT WAS A SERIES LIMITED TO THE SOUTHERN
UNITED STATES WITH A DAMAGING IMAGE OF CONFEDERATE FLAGS, BEER,
EX-RUM-RUNNERS AND GOOD 'OL BOYS. FRANCE IMMEDIATELY SET OUT TO
BROADEN THE FAN BASE. HE MOVED RACES TO NEW SPEEDWAYS IN LARGER
CENTRES. CHICAGO AND KANSAS CITY, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, LAS VEGAS AND
DALLAS. IN 1972 MOST OF THE DRIVERS WERE FROM CAROLINA, VIRGINIA AND
ALABAMA. WHEN FRANCE RETIRED THE MAJORITY CAME FROM THE WEST COAST,
MIDWEST AND NORTH EAST. HE NOT ONLY BUILT THE WINSTON CUP..NOW CALLED
THE NEXTEL CUP, HE ALSO ESTABLISHED THE POPULAR BUSCH SERIES WHICH WILL
MAKE A STOP HERE IN MONTREAL LATER THIS SUMMER AND THE CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES. THE FRANCE FAMILY OWNS NASCAR OUTRIGHT AND NASCAR OWNS 13 OF THE MAJOR CIRCUITS. IT NOW HAS A BILLION DOLLAR TELEVISION CONTRACT. ONLY THE NFL GETS BETTER TELEVISION RATINGS
THAN NASCAR. AS A CORPORATE ENTITY, TODAY NASCAR IS IN THE SAME
BALLPARK AS DISNEY AND AT&T. WHEN YOU THINK OF THE HISTORIC LEADERS IN NORTH
AMERICAN SPORTS, IMMEDIATLY PETE ROZELLE COMES TO MIND. BUT THE REST--BETTMAN,
STERN, SELIG, THEY'RE MIDGETS COMPARED TO BILL FRANCE JUNIOR.
Monday, June 4, 2007
June 7
THE LAST TIME BOB GAINEY SOUGHT MY ADVICE ON ANYTHING WAS THE 1975 PRIX D'ETE HARNESS RACE. HE WAS LOOKING FOR A BETTING WINNER. I GAVE HIM FULL BENEFIT OF MY HANDICAPPING EXPERTISE AND THEN THE HORSE FINISHED SOMEWHERE SOUITH OF PLATTSBURGH. FOR SOME REASON BOB HAS TURNED AND RUN THE OTHER WAY EVERY TIME I'VE TRIED TO OFFER ADVICE.
STILL UNDAUNTED, I PRESENT SOME IDEAS FOR THE FREE AGENT SIGNING PERIOD STARTING JULY 1ST. IT'S EASY TO BRING UP THOSE TWO BUFFALO CENTREMEN BUT THEY ARE GOING TO BE FAR TOO EXPENSIVE.
IF THE CANADIENS NEED A BIG CENTREMAN...AND IT'S CLEAR THEY DO...THEY MIGHT TAKE A HARD LOOK AT TORONTO'S NIK ANTROPOV...ALL 6'6" AND 230 POUNDS. I KNOW HE'S HAD THOSE INJURIES INCLUDING 2 MAJOR KNEE RECONSTRUCTIONS..BUT IF HE'S SOUND HE COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE. SO COULD ROBERT LANG OF THE RED WINGS. 7 YEARS AGO LANG CENTRED KOVALEV AND STRAKA FOR WHAT WAS CALLED THE BEST SECOND LINE IN THE NHL, WE'VE GOT TO FIND SOME WAY TO MAKE ALEXEI KOVALEV HAPPY, THIS MIGHT BE IT. THERE ARE OTHERS OUT THERE LIKE 6'5" MICHAL HANDZUS...A RIGHT WINGER. A KNEE INJURY KEPT HIM OUT OF ALL-BUT 8 GAMES LAST YEAR IN CHICAGO. WHEN SHELDON SOURAY SIGNS WITH LOS ANGELES OR SAN JOSE OR WHEREVER, THE CANADIENS WILL NEED DEFENSIVE HELP. BOB, HOW ABOUT DEFENSEMEN ANDY SUTTON IN ATLANTA, BRAD STUART FROM CALGARY AND DANNY MARKOV WHO WAS PLUS 25 IN DETROIT LAST SEASON. JUST SOME SUGGESTIONS BOB.
AND REMEMBER BOB...I HAVE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF ADVICE TO OFFER. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CALL. AND THE ADVICE IS FREE. AND WORTH ABOUT THAT MUCH.
STILL UNDAUNTED, I PRESENT SOME IDEAS FOR THE FREE AGENT SIGNING PERIOD STARTING JULY 1ST. IT'S EASY TO BRING UP THOSE TWO BUFFALO CENTREMEN BUT THEY ARE GOING TO BE FAR TOO EXPENSIVE.
IF THE CANADIENS NEED A BIG CENTREMAN...AND IT'S CLEAR THEY DO...THEY MIGHT TAKE A HARD LOOK AT TORONTO'S NIK ANTROPOV...ALL 6'6" AND 230 POUNDS. I KNOW HE'S HAD THOSE INJURIES INCLUDING 2 MAJOR KNEE RECONSTRUCTIONS..BUT IF HE'S SOUND HE COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE. SO COULD ROBERT LANG OF THE RED WINGS. 7 YEARS AGO LANG CENTRED KOVALEV AND STRAKA FOR WHAT WAS CALLED THE BEST SECOND LINE IN THE NHL, WE'VE GOT TO FIND SOME WAY TO MAKE ALEXEI KOVALEV HAPPY, THIS MIGHT BE IT. THERE ARE OTHERS OUT THERE LIKE 6'5" MICHAL HANDZUS...A RIGHT WINGER. A KNEE INJURY KEPT HIM OUT OF ALL-BUT 8 GAMES LAST YEAR IN CHICAGO. WHEN SHELDON SOURAY SIGNS WITH LOS ANGELES OR SAN JOSE OR WHEREVER, THE CANADIENS WILL NEED DEFENSIVE HELP. BOB, HOW ABOUT DEFENSEMEN ANDY SUTTON IN ATLANTA, BRAD STUART FROM CALGARY AND DANNY MARKOV WHO WAS PLUS 25 IN DETROIT LAST SEASON. JUST SOME SUGGESTIONS BOB.
AND REMEMBER BOB...I HAVE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF ADVICE TO OFFER. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CALL. AND THE ADVICE IS FREE. AND WORTH ABOUT THAT MUCH.
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