RANDOM THOUGHTS- SPORTS AND NON-SPORTS

There is a lot percolating on this fine June Monday morning, so lets have at it.  By the end you maybe unsure of whether or not I wrote this from my waterfront property next door to the Unabomber.  There is a rant or two contained...

• I was embarrassed to be an England fan yesterday.  While their talent level was marginal and their manager had only been put in place for five weeks before Euro, that is no excuse for their shameful display of football.  They should have lost by four or five goals yesterday and spent the day like a golden retriever in that they were entirely happy chasing the ball the whole game.   Lots of stars on that team, none shone brightly.

• Dare I say that the Leafs had a very good draft on Friday night/Saturday morning.  The drafting of smooth skating, puck moving Morgan Rielly was one thing, but to get a consensus 1st rounder at #35 the way they did with Matt Finn was a coup.  They also got one of the agitating Rupert brothers from London in the 6th round, and invited his twin to prospects camp.  

• It's official- you can call them the Niagara/New York Islanders as the team from Long Island grabbed Ice Dogs defenseman Jesse Graham after picking Mitch Theoret and Ryan Strome last year.  Congratulations to Jesse who was a steal at #155.

• The Blue Jays lost three starting pitchers in four games last week and replaced with minor league retreads and two guys they plucked off the waiver wire whose names I have immediately forgotten.  I know that the price will be high, but can the team please go out and find a guy who has something of a track record

• Lovely piece in the Toronto Star about teacher negotiations and how Dalton McGuinty is hoping to strike a deal with teacher unions. I had no idea that The Star wrote fiction now.   This article is so bloated with half-truths and inaccuracies it's not funny.  However, what is funny are the comments section, including the guy who groused about teachers working less hours and getting paid more.  Go figure, as you spend more years at your job, you get better at it and can manage your time wisely.  What a novel concept.   You find the article here

• The NHL came out with schedule last week, beating the OHL to the punch for the first time in a long time.  At this point the Phoenix Coyotes are on the schedule, but as of right now the Goldwater Group is one impediment to the process, while the other is Greg Jamieson trying to find the necessary cash flow to close the deal.  I'm guessing that many of his investors are good to go, providing the Glendale sweetheart deal remains in place.  Oh to be a tax payer in Glendale.  I hear lots of "die hard" Coyote fans chirping on Twitter, but as of right now, none have claimed to have been from Glendale. 

• Very happy that the lady who was harassed on the bus by a bunch of of Grade 7 students is set to receive a nice tidy windfall thanks to the generosity of a Toronto man who set up a fund originally designed for her to on vacation.  What is less than heartwarming are the hollow apologies that these ruffians have offered up.   They smack of insincerity.  Also, the bigger idiots out there are the ones harassing and threatening the family.  How does repeating what these clowns do make anything better?  

Thanks for reading

Steve Clark