A Flutie Moment

With Doug Flutie retiring today, one of sport's most unique and longest-serving athletes is exiting the stage, and there will be memories.

My favourite was in Miami, at a playoff game in early 1999 that ended with Miami's Jimmy Johnson, such a classy guy, stomping on some Flutie Flakes in the Dolphins dressing room.

HANS DERYK/TORONTO STAR

Doug Flutie: Escape artist.

But first, the NFL has a policy where, with five minutes to go in the game, reporters are escorted down to the sidelines, from where at game's end they go down the tunnel to the interview area and locker rooms. (I always took it during my brief time covering the league; a year after this one, I'd get a ringside seat for the Music City Miracle, including peering over referee Phil Luckett's shoulder while he reviewed the replay.)

When we got down there, the Bills were driving for a game-tying score, and Flutie, flushed from the pocket, was suddenly running for his life -- and turned to come straight toward me, standing on the sideline beside the end of the Dolphins' bench area.

I instinctively moved over behind the mountainous Dolphin beside me, peering around him as if he was a shield. It's hard to communicate the level of intensity on an NFL field when you're that close -- the noise, which is all grunts and shouts and screams, about as primal as sports gets, and the speed of it, which is simply breathtaking, along with the size of the linemen. The overall level of violence and mayhem is frightening, thrilling -- and unforgettable.

Flutie somehow eluded two linemen to escape the pocket collapsing around him. A linebacker came up and tried to cut him off at the knees, but he turned his hips sideways and held up the ball slightly like a waiter going through a crowded restaurant, and the hit barely grazed him. He ran out of bounds a few feet away from me, two more Miami players diving for a final smack and one of them getting him but good. He flinched, landed hard with the guy on top of him -- he must've been outweighed by a good 60 pounds -- and bounced straight up and ran back to call the next play from the line. Time was running down. (The Bills would eventually lose in the final seconds on a Flutie fumble, their season ending at the goalline when Miami finally tagged him with the knockout punch and cued Johnson's moment of piling on.)

To me, none of it mattered. It was an ordinary play, but from that vantage point, it was an escape job for the ages: the most memorable three-yard gain I've ever seen. And only one guy in the world was capable of doing it.

Weltpokal post: Italy rocked by Juventus scandal

All hell breaking loose seems the usual state of Italian calcio. But as the World Cup comes into view for the Azzurri -- Marcello Lippi announces his 23-man squad any minute now, which will make for another set of talking points -- it's up for debate. Instead of waiting till the knockout rounds to self-destruct, is Italy finished early this time around?

(UPDATE: Lippi names team, and there are no surprises.)

A recap of some key elements of the wide-ranging fraud scandal engulfing top club Juventus, which claimed the Serie A title Sunday for the second successive year:

- Juventus general manager (Lucky) Luciano Moggi resigned after newspapers published wiretapped conversations in which he allegedly discussed fixing referee assignments in Juve's favour, discussed who should be on the national team, who should even receive yellow cards and bragged of locking referees into their change room to intimidate them. Moggi is to face questioning today in Rome.
- Juventus' board of directors resigned, along with the president of the Italian federation, which had its office raided by police.
- Prosecutors say four Serie A clubs are being investigated (Juve, Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina) and 41 people are being questioned in an investigation that centres on 19 Serie A matches from 2004-05, and one lower-league match.
- Juve's share value has plunged, and former prime minister/AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi wants the last two scudetto won by Juventus "returned" to (surprise) AC Milan.
- Juventus goalkeeper Gigi Buffon turned himself in for questioning amid reports he bet heavily on sports, although his lawyer says Buffon stopped last August when the practice was made illegal. As well, Italy's only referee for this World Cup, Massimo de Santis, had his accreditation pulled after he was implicated in the investigation.

It's the last bit that shakes the Azzurri. Buffon is the Italy No. 1, among the very best goalkeepers in the world, and for him to miss the World Cup would be a huge blow to a team regarded as one of the favourites.

Oh, and a few more odds and ends as the bilge oozes into the Azzurri change room:

Lippi has been forced publicly to deny claims that callups to the national side have been influenced by business interests. And the national team's captain, Fabio Cannavaro, has been implicated in further claims of skulduggery. Cannavaro is said to have deliberately underperformed at his former club, Inter, in order to facilitate a move to Juventus two years ago.
Italy's FA are rudderless after their top two officials were forced to stand down, and prosecutors in Rome and Naples are probing GEA World, the management company that handles more transfers in Italy than any other. GEA World is run by Alessandro Moggi, son of Luciano Moggi, the man at the centre of the investigation. Moggi senior quit as general manager of Juventus after being heavily implicated.

Bad as it all looks, these are still the phony-war days of the investigation. As for Italy, it would be unwise to toss them out of the World Cup picture. Paolo Rossi came back from a two-year suspension out of an earlier betting scandal to lead the Azzurri to the 1982 World Cup title.

But already the effects on this squad are being questioned, as Rob Hughes notes:

"It has nothing to do with the Azzurri," Marcelo Lippi, the coach who is due to name his World Cup squad on Monday, said, referring to the national team.
He must wish that were so. In Munich on Friday, Franz Beckenbauer, the president of the World Cup organizing committee, echoed Lippi's sentiment when he said: "It's a shame, but such a scandal was coming. It probably won't hit the Italian national team, who are one of the favorites most people would choose for this World Cup. But the players will have the distraction of being asked about the scandal. It could put a damper on team spirit, I hope it doesn't.
(Snip)
One of the milder comments made during the week of disclosure came from Francesco Totti, the captain of Rome and the potential play maker for Italy if Lippi is convinced his broken ankle and disrupted form has healed.
"Whoever did wrong must pay," said Totti. "We need to clean the whole thing up. As to names, I don't know them and I don't want to know."
Should both Totti and Buffon make the squad, "not knowing" will become a difficult exercise to sustain once players are encamped and in one another's company 24 hours a day."

 

Random notes from a playoff weekend

Going round the horn:

What do the San Jose Sharks do now about Vesa Toskola? And what has happened to this guy and to the Sharks, who after giving up just four goals in the first three games of the series have suddenly suffered multiple blowouts? Here's Toskola's game by game against the Oilers:

PAUL SAKUMA/AP

What happened to Vesa Toskala? There was something in the air that night; The stars were bright, Fernando.

Game 1: 16 shots, 1 goal
Game 2: 25 shots, 1 goal
Game 3: 58 shots, 2 goals (triple OT)
Game 4: 31 shots, 5 goals (replaced by Nabokov with 11+ remaining)
Game 5: 18 shots, 6 goals

Since the end of the first period of Game 4, he's given up 10 goals on 34 shots. At this point, turning to Nabokov in Edmonton's rink seems the obvious play, but it would also be a huge question mark. Nabokov has just that Game 4 action in the playoffs, and made but two starts since the beginning of April.

Either way, it'll probably make no difference at all. The Oilers have looked more and more the better team the past two nights, Chris Pronger looming larger and larger each time out.

Oh, and here's Dirk Nowitzki, after teammate Jerry Stackhouse's deliberate free throw miss at the end of the game Saturday night miss the iron, giving the Spurs a chance:

ERIC GAY/AP

You'd be grumpy too, if guarded by Bruce Bowen.

"He's been in the league for 10 years so you should that he's gotta hit the rim so the clock won't stop. But at least got the win and we correct our mistakes."

And: "I was wondering what the hell he was doing - but at least we won the game."

Ira Winderman on the Heat up 3-1 over the Nets and ready to roll on:

Is it too late to revoke Jason Kidd's first-team All-Defensive nod? The only time you notice Kidd defensively against Wade is when he's running from behind, trying to catch up.

What next in Ottawa? The Senators taking the most heat for their tank job against the Sabres range from Alfredsson and Chara to Hasek to John Muckler and Bryan Murray.  How about Redden, mediocre apart from a decent Game 4, and Heatley, into one of his disappearing acts?

The last word, as usual, goes to Bob Cole, turning in a Shatneresque performance at the end of that series:

And listen
to the pin drop
here
in Scotiabank Place
This is a sudden, sudden ending
- it always is! -
as we said,
sudden death,
whoever came up
with that term
did a heck of a job.

What a season
for the Ottawa Senators
a gold medal for Alfredsson
but nothing silver here.

Weekend surprise VI

 

 

I'd never heard of this, but apparently it's a serious problem (Thanks Alanah!)
And speaking of animals, how about a radio station for dogs? (From Beware of the Blog)

Vee Have Vays of Making you Smile

Lots have happened this week: a new soccer team, a new Leafs coach, Rawk the Puck!

All good things must end, though, so it's the Friday roundup, folding in today's Weldpokal post because it's been so crazy busy.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Heidi Klum: Obeying orders.

One Two last read(s). Couple of things, actually. First, Cathal Kelly in the Star columnizes on Germany's smile offensive, in what was going to be that Weldpokal post:

Germans have come under intense pressure from their government to improve their people skills in advance of the tournament. On the G-rated front, bus drivers have received instructional CDs aimed at teaching them basic English. This may not be necessary since Der Spiegel recently reassured visitors that all Germans speak a little English, even if they claim not to. The article ran under the headline, "Those lying Germans."

And although it's almost a week old, it's hard not to resist Slate magazine's Sam Anderson writing "On the Pleasure of Hating Kobe Bryant":

For all his miraculous skills, Kobe is painfully bad at mythmaking. Since he's a Jordan-like talent, Kobe clearly thinks that he's entitled to the Jordan mythology, but he doesn't have any of Jordan's charisma or imagination. As melodramatic and managed as Jordan's career was, there was some authentic core—it was original and seemed to mean something. Kobe exists entirely within quotation marks.

Breaking news. Justin Gatlin sets a 100-metre world record, and some goof is suing the LA Angels because he didn't get a tote bag at a Mother's Day giveaway last year.

Sports around town. Race of the week goes out in the suburbs. It's the Mississauga Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday morning. The 10K, which I can vouch for as a fine race, goes Saturday night.

Miguel Angel Jimenez. JABS' official golfer is in the thick of it at the British Masters.

Watching. Sabres at Senators, Saturday, 7 p.m., CBC. If only for a few minutes, I'd like to see a split screen with this game on one side, and the Sabres-Stars final of a few years back on the other. It'd be like putting a DVD up against an 8-track.

Not watching. The FA Cup. I know it doesn't mean as much as it used to, but - the least they could've done was put it on cable.

Rawk the Puck! Final, Judges' votes

So it's down to this: Classic vs. Indie, and the first Rawk the Puck! is settled the old fashioned way. With a vote.

Still got a bobblehead and a CD available if your name is selected from the voters, so give your thoughts on who which tune you're picking down in the comments section. Results to be announced early next week, then I promise, no more.

Dick Darrell/Toronto Star

Springsteen: Live at Seneca College in '75.

To recap, here's the matchup (and for links to videos of the final tunes - Thanks, Alanah! - go here, and here) and if you want links to previous rounds, the last post setting this one up gives you all you need.

RAWK the PUCK! CUP FINAL HOOTENANNY

ATLANTIC CITY (Live), Bruce Springsteen (Classic Rawk Conference Champion *New Jersey Devils* b-w Sympathy for the DEVIL, Rolling Stones; Handsome DEVIL, the Smiths; and DEVIL to Pay, Johnny Cash)

vs.

Black Hole SUN, Soundgarden (Indie Rawk Conference Champion *Dallas Stars* b-w Black STAR, Radiohead; STARman, David Bowie; and STAR Sign, Teenage Fanclub)

MARK FREEDMAN. Soundgarden over the Boss. Soundgarden is the best of the grunge bands. Pearl Jam has been around the longest, Nirvana the most popular, but Soundgarden, the best. And Black Hole Sun is their anthem. Damn fine song. Go Clips!

BASKETBALL JONES. Tas Melas: The NHL is a young man's league. The aged can't learn and play the new system the way the young guns can. However, the veterans can provide the experience and leadership that is lacked by the youth. The Indie Rawk Champions are exemplary of the perfect balance of both old and new. Indie Rawk 4, Classic Rawk 0. J.E. Skeets: That Black Hole Sun music video always gave me the creeps. I'm giving the cup to Bruce, but the MVP trophy goes to Johnny.

ACID QUEEN. Soundgarden.

JABS: Kind of a blah matchup. I'm picking Bruce. Good tune, good guy, good bench, and while one of the greatest live acts I’ve ever seen, I haven’t listened to him with any, er, intensity, in 20 years. Soundgarden thing is okay, but pretty overripe and definitely overplayed. Jersey rules, the Boss in 6, but like many finals, the journey was more thrilling than the arrival.

MIKE CHEN: The Boss, in six games. This is like a battle between two of my old college roommates -- Soundgarden was the favorite band of one guy while Springsteen was the other guy's favorite (a third roommate's favorite band was the Scorpions. For real. No joke. Not in a kitschy cheesy way.) I'm going with Bruce on this one because, well, I really dig his songwriting abilities. And even though Soundgarden's Chris Cornell did an astounding job as Bridget Fonda's Anonymous Neighbor #2 in Cameron Crowe's Singles (fantastic flick), it's not enough to push this overblown song over the hump. Besides, Bruce is from Jersey, and at least they have an NHL team there.

Alanah at VANCOUVER CANUCKS OP ED. Awarding the Cup - SO MUCH PRESSURE! Black Hole Sun was popular for good reason - it's well orchestrated and Chris Cornell vocalizes it dramatically. BUT. I did get very sick of that song back in the 1990s, and time hasn't helped much. It still gets on my nerves pretty fast. But Bruce, he never gets on my nerves. I still love Atlantic City (the song, not the city). The Boss can be maudlin without EVER sounding like a drama queen. And since drama queens should never be able to win the Stanley Cup, I'll give it to Bruce in 5 games.

CARLA MacDONALD. *sigh* Never been a Springsteen fan. Just a little too middle-of-the-road for my tastes and memories of the overhyped and overplayed Born in the USA still stick in my craw (and that is as uncomfortable as it sounds, yes). But that Soundgarden song was played to death on the radio station I listened to in Salt Lake. I mean, I generally liked the type of music they played but their playlist was both short and narrow and if I heard that song once, I musta heard it three hundred times. As a result, I am up-to-here with Black Hole Sun. Besides, I can't figure out what the damned thing means, anyway - it's all so overwrought. 'In my eyes, indisposed, in disguise as no one knows, hides the face, lies the snake, the sun in my disgrace'. WTH does that mean?? Moon, june, swoon. Barf. At least I can figure out what Bruce's song is about -Bruce is gonna take all his money outta the credit union and go try his luck at the casinos. What Ontarian can't understand that? Still, I don't like that one any better.

Best Leafs coach, post-1967

With the Paul Maurice era beginning today, there's a poll up on the website for best Leafs coach in the post-1967 era. Here's a quick rundown of the candidates and their bona fides, including their best playoff run:

Pat Quinn ('98-2006). Record with Leafs: 300-222-52 (26 OT/shootout losses) (.565); Went to conference final twice. Solid record, had a stint at GM.

Pat Burns ('92-'96). Record with Leafs: 133-107-41 (.546); Went to conference final twice. Maybe came closest to getting Leafs a Cup.

Red Kelly ('73-'77). Record with Leafs: 133-123-62 (.516); Went to Cup quarterfinal four times. Pyramid Power, and a couple of wild series with the Broad Street Bullies.

Roger Neilson ('77-'79). Record with Leafs: 75-62-23 (.541); Went to Cup semifinal. Refused to wear the paper bag, more renowned as an innovator.

John Brophy ('86-'88). Record with Leafs: 64-111-18 (.378); Went to golf course. I suspect someone is doing some leg-pulling putting him in here.

Seems like a two-horse race, doesn't it? I'll take Quinn, quite comfortably.

The Late Show: Ducks sweep

Kind of a blah ending to a one-sided series, the Ducks all over the undermanned Avalanche, who gave up two third-period goals, one into an empty net, and swept for the first time in their franchise's (Colorado) history. Highlights: Todd Marchant scored Anaheim's first goal, set up the clincher with a lovely pass and scored the empty-netter to continue his tremendous playoffs, and Bryzgalov shut the door again:

Associated Press

Bryzgalov: Just Ducky.

Playoff save percentage leaders
Bryzgalov, Ana .967
Ward, Car .942
Toskala, SJ .936
Roloson, Edm .932

Playoff goals-against average
Bryzgalov 0.87
Ward 1.45
Toskala 1.73
Roloson 2.20

Shutouts
Bryzgalov 3
Miller, Ward, Toskala, Brodeur 1 each

So the Ducks get a little extra rest, the first team into the conference finals. Like all of the teams thriving at this halfway stage of the tournament, they've been faster and deeper and better in goal than their opponents. But either the Oilers or, more likely, the Sharks will provide a lot stiffer opposition than the Avs, undermanned at the end and barely able to muster a white flag, the official surrender coming with Steve Dowd's late penalty and accompanying misconduct. They went out literally whimpering.

Over at Puck Update, Steve Ovadia posted a spreadsheet last week relating teams to Olympic participation and the Avalanche led all teams with 10 players having played in Turin. There's no permalink, so I'll sum it up thusly:

Next in line after the departing Avs, the Rangers and Detroit (9 each) are gone;

At 8 players apiece, Tampa Bay and Philly are gone and the Senators are barely alive;

With 7 each, Dallas is dead and New Jersey is flatlining. I could go on, but I think there's plenty of gruel there to go with your morning cup.

Weltpokal post: Talkin' buses

It's late, but with 29 days to go, we gotta keep up this once a day posting as the World Cup draws closer.

And today there really is no question on where we're going: To the buses. And the official, FIFA-chosen slogans on them.

It's quiz time. Match the slogan below to the country's team. Unfortunately I have no prizes to give you. Okay, okay, a bobblehead to someone who comes up with the best bus slogan that wasn't chosen by FIFA. Put your answer in the comments below

And for the answers to the quiz, go to the first comments item.

Here we go with the quiz:

1 "Our army is the team, our weapon is the ball"
2 "2006, it's Swiss O'Clock"
3 "Fight! Show Spirit! C'mon!"
4 "White and Red, Dangerous and Brave!"
5 "Two Lagers and a Bratwurst, Please"
6 "That's a Nice Tattoo, Can I Poke You in the Eye?"

a-Switzerland Clockmakers Union
b-Poland
c-Hooligans
d-Costa Rica
e-JABS
f-Sweden

Related: Cool footy jersey fonts.

Toronto FC

So that's it: Toronto FC.

After all that talk last month about 'Inter Toronto', it appears that the MLSE has opted for the blank canvas approach.

I like it. I'd go further and say I like it a lot - Purposefully bland, even a bit classic. It lets the fans of this new team give them the nickname they'll be known as -- a simple "City" would seem the most obvious.

I don't know if MLSE can make this fly -- the Marlies haven't lit their bank vaults on fire, and they've done such a great job with the Raptors -- and I'm not exactly in love with the notion that my tax money is helping build the stadium at the Ex. But I would love to see it work, for the sake of Canadian soccer having a place to play and improve in the country's biggest city. There's an audience here, too -- but it's not the ones that wave flags every World Cup time, or take their kids to Saturday morning kids' games. Even if the oldtimers are skeptical, I reckon it's grown since the last time a North American pro league tried to crack this ground in a big way.

Toronto City. It works for me.