FEARLESS PREDICTIONS: OHL Round 1

With visions of three NCAA brackets and the OHL playoffs dancing in my head, the prognostication cap is on.  Keep in mind my track record for predictions of any sort have been lamentable to say the least. 

I was the guy who stocked up on supplies least Y2J destroyed all that we held valuable and was the one who bought into the Mayan prediction of the end of the world.   Caveat aside, lets have a gander at the OHL playoffs..

WESTERN CONFERENCE ROUND 1: 

London vs Saginaw:  Saginaw played well down the stretch to overtake Windsor and claim the last spot, and they did it while trading Vincent Trocheck, their best player.  This is where they will miss him the most.  Too much depth for London for the Spirit to handle.  Max Domi, Bo Horvat, Seth Griffith, Olli Maata head a long list of players who anchored the Memorial Cup run last year.  

London in 5

Plymouth vs Sarnia:  Plymouth was just ridiculous down the stretch, winning something like 20 out of their last 24 and looking like a juggernaut doing it.  Adding the aforementioned Trocheck may have been the final piece of a strong lineup already boasting the likes of Tom Wilson, and a core defense, that while unspectacular, is experienced having played upwards of 200 games together.  Sarnia has a lot of flash and dash on offense led by Charlie Sarault and 60 goal sniper Reid Boucher.   JP Anderson provides good goaltending but the defense will find it difficult to handle Plymouth's forwards

Plymouth in 5

Owen Sound vs Sault Ste Marie: Owen Sound is like that big mean dog that you want to avoid when you walk home.  They are deep, skilled and aggressive and when I saw them play vs Sarnia on Friday I moved back several rows when Daniel Zweep came on the ice!  The key is whether or not they can stay out of the penalty box.  If they do, they should win relatively easily.  If they do not the Soo could stretch this series.  

Owen Sound in 6

Guelph v Kitchener: The first pick 'em of the playoffs.  Guelph had a fine year and has a very capable Garrett Sparks to duel John Gibson in net.   That said, I don't think we have seen the best of Kitchener this year as they were ravaged by injuries and also had a lot of players go to the World Jr's.  Both teams are very evenly matched and I can see this one going seven games.  In fact, that is what my prediction is. 

Someone in 7.....ok, ok, I will go with Guelph

EASTERN CONFERENCE ROUND 1: 

Belleville vs Mississauga:  Mississauga backed into the playoffs with so much force, you could literally hear the beep, beep of the big  truck (Thanks to The League for providing the original joke).   The Steelheads lost 9 of their last 10 and needed a win over Ottawa and help to get in.   They have some nice individual talent in Riley Brace and Dylan Smoskowitz, but the Bulls have Subban's a plenty as well as some nice depth at forward fortified by the likes of Tyler Graovac.  

Belleville in 4

Barrie vs Kingston:  Another team that needed a lot of help to get into the playoffs was Kingston.  They too needed to pick at the Ottawa 67's carcass to qualify for the playoffs.  Bigger things were expected of this team, but they floundered badly down the stretch.  Barrie has too much depth on offense with Scheifle, Camara, and Hall.  Plus the defense led by Ekblad, Ryan O'Connor and Alex Lepkowski should help dispatch of the Fronts early. 

Barrie in 4

Oshawa v Niagara:  This match up adds a level of intrigue as Niagara knocked out Oshawa the last two years in the playoffs. Last years first round was a rollicking affair in which the Gens completely completely capitulated the first two games before responding with two straight victories and a healthy scare for the supposedly dominant IceDogs.   Lots of players from that Oshawa were part of the last two losses, and I do not think they want to see a hat-trick of eliminations at the hands of the IceDogs.   Niagara had a great start and then got depleted by the World Jr's and NHL camps.  They still have Strome, Ritchie and Shipley, but they are banged up and going against the likes of Jenner, Lessio, Laughton, Petgrave, and Biggs.   How close the series will be determined by the discipline, or lack thereof, by Oshawa. 

Sorry IceDog Fans...Gens in 6.....but Lucas Lessio will get booed lustily 

Brampton v Sudbury: Aaah yes, the series that blew my bracket last year.  Who could have predicted that the Battalion would sweep the Wolves?  Not this guy!  The Wolves were sellers at the deadline, and then played better.  The Battallion were fairly consistent over the course of the year with one ugly stat as they lost 9 games in OT or the Shootout.  That's ok though because Sudbury lost 12 in that manner.   The systems coaching of Stan Butler and the goaltending of Matej Machovsky will ensure that the Brampton name will live on for another round at least. 

Brampton in 6

For the record, I am picking Plymouth to win the whole thing as they were the best team I saw all year, granted that the sample size was small. 

See you at the rink

Steve Clark

TIME TO FRESHEN UP THE ICE DOG LOGO?

I am not exactly the most creative marketing guru that fell off, well, whatever truck marketing guru's fall off of.  If you take a look at any of the ways that I brand myself, its pretty standard fare.   I usually rotate one of two photos of myself in the wonderful, dynamic and creative pose of trying to look thoughtful and intelligent with a microphone in front of me. 

Not exactly the most innovative picture.  Nobody is calling me a Steve Jobs visionary or a 2013 Renaissance Man.  However, I will opine that it is time for the IceDogs to tweak their current logo, and maybe change up the dynamic a little bit.  They may choose to do it next year, but certainly when the new arena opens in 2014 a fresh look and new uniform goes without saying. 

Now, as I say this, I say this with the caveat that I actually like the current IceDogs logo and colour scheme. The red and black is bold and the "IceDog" markets itself quite effectively to children, and does it without being cartoon-like.  It certainly was an improvement over the Mississauga IceDogs logo: 

In fact, I own many, many pieces of IceDogs  merchandise, be it t-shirts, golf-shirts, or hats.  My wife has IceDogs  merchandise, and so does my 21 month old toddler.  However, six years is a a substantial amount of time to have one logo in an era of third uniforms and creative changes to a sports brand on a yearly basis.    The IceDogs have had a couple of different styles to their uniform, in particular when they have done their Pink in the Rink game, and it has worked.    It does not have to a grand overhaul, just some changes.  As OHL teams come through the Gatorade Garden City Complex, I am stuck by some of the effective subtleties to uniforms, whether it is added piping, taking away piping, cream coloured uniforms, changes from the standard black to something more reflective of team colours.  There is a lot that can be done without doing something radical like the Mississauga Steelheads did when they changed from the Majors, and the Steelheads took a calculated risk which paid off as their uniforms look quite sharp.  

I would add a red third uniform into the mix, and change the front logo to something like a little more old school, maybe encircled or something like that.  The IceDogs have sold t-shirts with that sort of branding last year for the playoffs, and it was a tremendous success.   

Here it is:  

This is likely not breaking news to the IceDog staff.  No one is going to rush into an emergency staff meeting because the TV guy thinks he's Ralph Lauren.   I would guess that something might be in the works in the not so distant future, if not next year, then the year after.  

Sports branding almost demands a different look.  It's what makes the cash registers ring, or I guess the modern analogy is the debit machines swipe.  

Just don't do this...don't ever do anything remotely close to this eyesore. Not even Ryan Strome, Jesse Graham or Mitchell Theoret could look good in this disaster :-)

Steve Clark

Self-Proclaimed Fashion Guru

IceDogs TV Play by Play

RANKING THE TOP 10 OHL PROSPECTS FOR THE UPCOMING DRAFT

I took a stab at ranking the Top 10 OHL prospects for the upcoming NHL Draft as I was contacted by Brock Otten, who runs a comprehensive site looking at draft prospects.  I have written for Brock before because he is well respected and likes to take opinions from a wide variety of respected sources. 

His full list can be found here:  

http://ohlprospects.blogspot.ca/2013/02/midseason-mediascout-top-10-for-2013.html

My opinions are found here: 

1. Sean Monahan- Ottawa:  Sometimes you really need to see the character of a player when he faces adversity.   His team is last in the OHL and he was cut from Team Canada, but Monahan continues to produce with 67 points in 48 games.  He is strong in all facets of his game, and he might not realize it, but the substandard year for the 67's likely has made him a better all around player. 

2. Darnell Nurse- Sault Ste Marie:  I do not know what I like more- the imposing 6'5 frame the 34 points from the back end or the fact that he has 104 PIM this year.  He's the complete defenseman who just needs to add some subtleties to his offensive game.  Great athletic bloodlines with Dad being a former CFL receiver, and many, many members of the Nurse family excelling at NCAA schools. 

3. Max Domi- London : Love his game.  He's got speed to burn, quick hands and a quick release.  He plays with a bit of an edge, but nothing like his father Tie.  He could hit 40 goals this year on a deep London squad.  Plus he knows the feeling of being a winner, having gone to the Memorial Cup final last year with London.   

4. Kerby Rychel-  Windsor:  Coming from a small sample size personally, but there is no denying the excellent stats of Rychel.  He was a 40 goal marksman last year on a mediocre Windsor squad and has 33 in 57 games this year.   Father Warren was known for being a scrapper, but Kerby has a lot of offensive finesse. 

5. Bo Horvat- London:  Solid, solid player.  He was all over the ice when I saw him live versus Niagara.   Like Domi, he is an important part of a very, very good team.   I rank him slightly below Rychel only because Rychel has better statistics. 

6. Nikita Zadorov- London:  London could have three 1st round NHL draft picks this year, and it would not surprise me to see Zadorov  drafted ahead of both Horvat and Domi.  He's 6'5 228, but his skating stride is smooth, and he is very composed in his own end, as evidenced by his +31 plus/minus ranking.  Offensive stats are modest, but at this point that's not his game.  Could be a shutdown type defender.

7. Justin Bailey- Kitchener:   Stands 6'3 194 and with room to grow.  When I saw him earlier in the year his stats were modest, but there is nothing wrong with 17 goals on a team that does not light the lamp with regularity.  At that size has the potential to develop into a true power forward.

8.  Jason Dickinson-Guelph:   The time I saw him live this year, was on the wrong end of a thrashing by Niagara, so I did not get to see his true potential.  Stats are modest, but sometimes it is the intangibles that elevate the draft status.   

9. Spencer Martin- Mississauga-  When you draft a goalie in the first round of the OHL draft, like the Steelheads did with Martin, there are high hopes.  Martin has met all of them.  He has been a workhorse with 40 games and at 6'2 190 pounds has good mobility.  One thing when I saw him play is that he sometimes reacts unfavorably when goals go in. That's going to happen, and might need to calm the emotions down a bit. 

10. Chris Bigras -Owen Sound.  I really liked what I saw of Bigras. While one element of his game does not stand out, he does everything well and he logs a fair amount of minutes on a team expected to make a deep playoff run.  Very poised, and has a good shot. 

A Couple of Deep Sleepers

Stephen Harper- Erie- He was ranked very highly in earlier draft boards, but has had a very inconsistent year with the Otters and has really dropped off the map.   He should not be overlooked as he is 6'2 200lbs and is very adept at driving the net.  His goals have slipped from 24 to 15, but there is a lot of potential.  Could benefit from a change of scenery. 

Thomas Welsh- Mississauga- Pretty sure he has two years of draft eligibility.  If you look at his stats, they are very, very modest but he did not join Mississauga until the midway point of the year after decomitting from Penn State.  You could make a highlight video of some of the thunderous body checks he has thrown this year and with Stuart Percy and Dylan DeMelo expected to move up, he could be a top 2 D Man next year. 

Anthony DiFruscia-Niagara- Another guy earmarked for the NCAA and then turned to the OHL.   Offensive stats have been spotty and he has had his druthers, but he does a goal scorer's touch and is a very, very solid body checker.  The offense will come, but scouts should not overlook his gritty all around game.  

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF SPORTS BROADCASTING

THE EVER CHANGING NATURE OF SPORTS BROADCASTING

Sportscasting is constantly undergoing a metamorphosis of some sort, and the product on today bears little resemblance to days of yore.  Today much interaction, like the Tim and Sid Show on Fan590, is done through Twitter or e-mail, or texting.   Some eschew that sort of interaction in favour of the normal call in method.   One other trend that is really becoming apparent is the influx of print journalists to both television and the radio.  Newspaper writers come with a name familiarity and also a dedicated following. If a reporter is articulate, they are a natural fit for radio and TV.

David Naylor, formerly of the Globe and Mail now hosts TSN1050's important drive show.  Naylor, who cut his teeth as the football "Insider" started hosting a show on Saturday afternoon, and then got the important slot when TSN parted ways with James Cybulski.  Naylor is bright, articulate and has a lot of connections.  His on-air personality is not really defined, but that does not matter as he already has a built in audience.

There are many other writers with high profile gigs on TV and Radio.  Damien Cox and Stephen Brunt share time on Prime Time Sports, billed as the nations most listened to talk show.  Add in the fact that Cox is a regular panelist for hockey and Stephen Brunt does a number of wonderful TV essays, those two have effortlessly crossed mediums.

Others who have fit that bill are the well-regarded Bruce Arthur and antagonistic Steve Simmons who both are on TSN's The Reporters and are regulars on the radio.  All of the aforementioned still write for their home newspaper, with the exception of Brunt who rarely appears in The Globe and Mail.  Jeff Blair and Michael Grange are two other Globe and Mail Reporters who cross platforms.  It used to be that you had to have a good voice and an engaging personality.  Not some much anymore.  Never have their been so many "ink stained wretches" in important television and radio positions.  You need to learn how to write and to build a consistent and loyal audience.  

With that in mind, here is a video of a black Labrador doing funny things.  It is hoped that this video goes viral and I can build an nurture a large fanbase. 

Steve Clark
www.twitter.com/SteveClarkMedia

OBSERVATIONS FROM A WEEK IN SPORTS...

Nothing really stood out in terms of dominant story.  As a sports and law enthusiast, I could go on and on bout the Oscar Pistorius case and another hero fallen.   This will turn out to be South Africa's OJ Case because of the media circus that will likely surround it, though the reach of Pistorius and how he is revered in South Africa is far greater than the faux-actor/football hero that OJ was.   

ITEM 1:  ZAMBONI DRIVER GATE..

A brief furor ensued when it was discovered that one of the IceDogs Zamboni drivers proudly sported the Knights colours when tending to his intermission duties.    When I read about it, I was amused, and had a chuckle.  Bill Burke did not share in the laughter, and according to the St Catharine's Standard, was less than enamoured with the situation.  He's the one who pays the bills, not me, so I can understand that he was chagrined.   Why the guy did it?  I don't know.  Maybe he got dared by one of his co-workers.  Who knows?  It made for a bit of a story though!

ITEM 2:  ARENA ISSUES

While I'm at it, a trivial point.  It's not a blog if there are not some trivial points by the way!   I do not know what the rules are around other OHL arenas, but whomever runs the Jack Gatecliffe arena has a habit of open skates and rentals on game days and the ice is not cleared until 1 1/2 hours before game time.  How much of an effect it has on the ice remains to be seen, but to me, it remains in the best interest of the arena to have the ice as pristine as possible for your anchor tenants.  Players would be the best ones to ask this, but towards the end of a period the ice can be quite chippy, and can take some odd bounces.  The players are so highly skilled that you do not notice the difference for the most part.  

ITEM 3: DID DOMI GIVE AN INAPPROPRIATE GESTURE?  

When you have the last name Domi, it tends to carry around something of a stigma or a target on your back. Max Domi's fluid skating style, creativity and toughness likely exceeds the talent level of this famous father who parlayed his skills into an 1000+ NHL games.   I got a request from someone to check the London/Niagara game film to see if Domi gave a "throat slash" gesture towards agitating forward Mac Lemmon.  The exchange between the two was quite heated, and more verbal than physical in nature.  Whatever Lemon said to Domi enraged the fiery winger and he tried desperately to get at Lemmon.  Whether or not there was a "throat slash" gesture can be questioned.  I did not see it, but I was also not specifically paying attention to the exchange.   Also, I do not see it as a really big deal.  I mean, the Undertaker does it.  Is Dave Branch going to levy a suspension to the dark and brooding WWE superstar?   Time to move on from this one.   

ITEM 4:  WHERE ARE THE ICEDOGS GOING TO FINISH? 

Man, this team is tough to figure out sometimes.  Brilliant at times, lost at others, the IceDogs sure epitomize the agonies of youth.  There is a noticeable drop off after Strome, Shipley and Ritchie but that is not meant as  an insult as those are elite and veteran OHL players.   Also the defense is hardworking, but looks a little worn out with all the minutes that they are logging.   Aaron Haydon's broken jaw, a potential season ender has not helped.   More often than not the goaltending of Chris Festarini and Brent Moran has been solid and support scorers like Brendan Perlini and Carter Verhaeghe have been stepping up.   Time will tell, but the IceDogs are in a stretch of games that will see them play 8 of 10 at home, and that will go a long way in determining playoff seeding.  

ITEM FIVE:  RAPTOR ANNOUNCER MATT DEVLIN CALLS OUT A RAPPER

Apparantly there is some guy named Wale who raps, and has a Twitter following in the millions.  I've never heard of him, but I'm trapped in the 90's so much of today's music is unfamiliar.  Wale and Rudy Gay of the Raptors, had a running dialogue during last nights Wizards/Raptors game, and play by play man Matt Devlin made the comment that Wale was no Drake, who is Toronto born and bred.  Somehow it got back to Wale, who then confronted Devlin during the game, and also tweeted that Devlin should "shut his mouth"  I think the whole thing was likely in gest, and made for some good fun.  After all the Wizards are dreadful this year.   Inspired by this and with Kingston in town, I am going to comment that The Tragically Hip is no Walk off the Earth (or a band from St Catharines) and then sit and wait for Gord Downie.  There is no fence around me! 

Till next time

Steve Clark

OJ SIMPSON IS INNOCENT AND I CAN PROVE IT- A REVIEW

  

Disclaimer #1:  The title of this blog refers to the recent book I read about the OJ Simpson case, not my own personal view points :-)

Disclaimer #2:  The only sports content in this blog is the fact that OJ Simpson was a famous running back.  

When I picked up Bill Dear's book OJ Simpson is Innocent and I Can Prove it , I jokingly said to some friends and colleagues that I was not sure if I should have found this book in the fiction or humour section of the book store.   It all seemed pretty clear that OJ Simpson was guilty of killing both is ex-wife and her friend and the DNA evidence appeared to back it up.  The only thing that cleared Simpson was both the ineptitude of both the prosecution and the judge, who seemed quite content to let Simpson's so-called "Dream Team" call the shots.   Also, the skillful manipulation of a jury who seemed to be quite star-struck by OJ lead to a verdict of not guilty.  It should be noted that Simpson was found guilty in a civil trial, partly due to the fact that the burden of proof is not quite so onerous in civil law.

I was afraid of a couple of things when I picked up Dear's book. First and foremost was the hope that Dear would not fall prey to Simpson hero worship and that he would attempt to humanize OJ.   That fear was put to rest as Dear does not actually meet with Simpson at all during the book and paints him as a conniving womanizer, both a physical and verbal abuser of women, an absentee father one who is quite willing to use those in his inner circle for his own benefit.   The other thing that I was fearful of was that Dear would rely on the usual cliche conspiracy theories and would offer nothing new to the investigation.  That fear was also put to rest as the story takes place over the 18 years that Dear spent investigating the case.  He is thorough, leaving little stone unturned, and you may come away with the conclusion that he was a tad obsessed with the case.

Without giving any spoilers, Dear does present to us a credible alternate theory, and a suspect that was not considered before.  He uses expert testimony and analysis to back it up and is not afraid to be a little duplicitous in order to find out what he wants.  There are gaps in his story that he does fill with his own speculation, and those points could certainly be exploited and in the final summation hinder Dears' ultimate theory.  His theory about why OJ would not kill his wife and friend at the time he did is almost laughable and full of holes.  Still, you cannot help but admire his dogged determinism. There was very little profit to be gained by Dear, a veteran private investigation yet he desires a full closure to a case that everyone seems to acknowledge is closed.  

In the end you cannot argue with 18 years of investigation.   He unearths clues that had not been analyzed and uses credible experts who back up his years of work.  I am not ready to make the "OJ is innocent" leap of faith but his presentation of an alternative suspect is extremely intriguing and worth re-opening the re-investigation.

Unfortunately for the LAPD re-opening this investigation rips open a would akin to the one inflicted by the killer of Nicole Brown Simpson and Fred Goldman.

Steve Clark