Not as big a deal as some would think

Sorry, I don’t see the announcement out of Augusta yesterday as quite the gigantic step for humankind that some do.

Yes, it’s all well and good that the bigwigs who run a very private golf club that happens to host a big tournament once a year have finally have invited two women – a powerful banker, a former political giant – to join the club, how nice of them indeed.

But sea change?

Nah.

It’s still a very private, exclusionary club and they exist all over the world. Heck, there are clubs in this area I can’t join and my life seems complete.

The men – and now women – who belong to Augusta are still what they’ve been for time immemorial.

They are rich titans of industry and captains of politics and they are dead set in their ways and they don’t get a rat’s patoot what you or I think.

Fine.

Let ‘em have their little cabal, let ‘em do what they want to do. It’s not, and never was in my opinion, some huge human injustice. Sure, it was wrong but, frankly, there are many things much more wrong in this world than some gaggle of rich old dudes wanting to be by themselves. Perhaps if they’d taken some of the money the Masters makes and poured into social programs in Augusta, it would have had a heavier social impact than inviting two women into the club every will.

And, no, I don’t see how they bowed to pressure, they did things on their own timeline, which is fine with me, and they did it when it was somewhat least expected.

Yes, there will be no more awkward questions next April when Billy Payne (who I still despite because he was in charge of the debacle that was the Atlanta Olympics, by the way) has to face the media before the Masters. And it’s one less story my friends and colleagues have to report – again. And Martha Burk can’t ever get a couple dozen of her friends to protest down the road.

But you know what?

They don’t care what you or I think.

They remain what they were, with one slight change; perhaps this makes the membership a little less abhorrent to some and moves the club up in the estimation of some. But to think this is some huge move that signals a stark change in the way they operate is rather silly.

Augusta is what Augusta is. It’s just a little bit different now.

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Phyllis Diller, RIP.

Somewhere, Fang is either wonderfully pleased or horribly afraid.

The thing about Diller is that I’m not sure she got her due as a comic. Not sure if it was the era, the competition, the style but when you talk about the great comediennes of all time, she’s never the first one that comes to mind.

Lucille Ball, yes.

Carol Burnett, for sure.

Even Mary Tyler Moore, I think.

Too bad.

Phyllis could make ‘em laugh with the best of ‘em most of the time.

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When the batteries in the smoke detector on the ceiling run dead and it starts beeping that annoying beep at 6 a.m. truly is delightful, isn’t it?

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Yes, indeed, that is me and junior hockey on the front page of the newspaper today.

That’s what happens when you’re the only reporter around and stuff happens; kind of like covering trampoline or archery over in London except it’s something a lot closer to home to a lot of you.

Now, do I know very much about junior hockey and a possible players’ association? Of course not. But I do know how to report a story and that’s what we do.

Now, do I think a players association is needed?

Probably not but if that’s what forces the CHL and the three major junior leagues to alter or beef up or make standard educational programs for players after they leave the game then I’m all for it.

Look, these leagues and teams pluck some kids as young as 14 out of their homes and ask them to become de facto professional athletes. Sure, they’re supposed to go to school and the scheduled isn’t as arduous as a pro league but, still, they are athletes first and foremost.

If there’s something definite at the end of the junior career to help them further their education or learn a trade or start a business, that’s huge. It should be happening now, should have been happening for years.

I don’t know the numbers for sure but I would guess that less than five per cent of the players in the CHL today will have any kind of meaningful professional hockey career. Sure, some may kick around the low minors for a few years, some may get gigs in Europe but the majority won’t get a sniff, won’t make a dime off the game and if there’s something mandated waiting for them when the inevitable end comes, good.

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I think the only way I’d be remotely interested in 50-year-old Roger Clemens making a comeback in the Atlantic League this weekend if he was randomly selected to go pee in a bottle after his start.

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So I’m loafing on the couch last night flipping through the dial and come to the Nationals-Braves game and it’s a pretty good one.

And I’m sitting there thinking, you know what, I’d really like to be a fan of the Nationals, good young team on the rise, a couple of very exciting young players, a crack pitching staff and a pretty cool look, even if the logo seems stolen from Walgreens.

And then I think, no, you can’t do that.

Those are, or were, the Expos and I hope they never win a thing.

-

 

 

 

 

Staying caught up is the next important task

Here’s a question we’re sure to be asked when it comes time to debrief after our London excursion:

What do we do now?

How do we follow Olympic sports?

What kind of resources – time and money and manpower – do we pour into it?

No easy answers, are there.

The thing is, I think over the period of the London Games readers got to know a bit about some athletes many had never heard of and enjoyed their stories.

Big names like Paula Findlay and Simon Whitfield and Jessica Zelinka and Christine Sinclair. Lesser names like Rosie MacLennan, Derek Drouin and Richard Weinberger.

They all captured our attention for a little bit, some more than others, but are they now resigned to small little briefs every couple of months on the back pages of the section when they compete in some World Cup something or other in some farflung locale?

History would suggest yes and that’s actually too bad.

I guess we need to make some adjustments to what we do in the so-called “off years” for Olympians, both summer and winter.

Sure, we should pay attention to the big global events, the world championships, the major meets in all sports, but I think we also need to tell stories about the people more often.

It’s hard, it takes time and a dedication of resources and manpower that a lot of media outlets don’t have in these times of cutbacks and shrinking staffs but I think it’s important.

Everyone I’ve talked to since I got back from London wanted to talk about the people they’ve just heard of and become slightly familiar with.

To let those athletes drift off into anonymity now would be a mistake, one we can’t afford to make, I don’t think.

Sure, the Olympics are huge and a natural hook for telling stories. But finding other hooks, telling other stories – and I mean stories, not results-based dry reports – is equally important.

Agree?

And if you do, keep hammering us until we do it.

Thanks.

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I just heard on the radio that Willie Nelson’s in the hospital. Nothing serious but …

Why not some Willie Nelson?

Plus, I (heart) this song.

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Oh, from my period of basketball neglect, I missed these two wee updates.

Canada Basketball’s had and has, a couple of girls teams on the go.

The girls under-18 just finished its FIBA Americas qualification tournament for next year’s under-19 world championships in Lithuania and finished fourth, good enough to earn a berth for next year. It’ll be the fifth straight time Canada’s been the world juniors for women and it pretty much keeps the organization on track to build on what the senior women have done.

And the girls cadette (under-16 team) is in the middle of its world championship over in Netherlands, they’re 1-2 with a day off today and a game with Mali tomorrow.

Once that wraps up – and once the senior men’s camp comes and goes here this weekend – it’ll be time to take some time off and take stock of where the organization is.

It would appear at first blush that it continues to be headed in the right direction; they have good people in place, a solid pipeline of young players who may one day be major contributors to the senior teams.

Of course, they could use more funding and sponsorship and now that the action moves off the court and into the offices, the pressure gets turned up a bit on the staff and board to make sure the teams have the money needed to run first-class programs.

Next year’s a big one – qualifications for the senior men and women for the 2014 worlds, world championships for the juniors – and if they want to keep the ascension going, some company or some rich individual is going to have to step up and help.

Know anyone?

Oh, and the other thing they have to do? Get Allison McNeill back under contract, if not for the next four years, at least for the next two.

Take care of that, would you, Canada Basketball people?

Thanks.

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No, I haven’t found any body parts anywhere near Casa Doug but the way they’re turning up all over the area, who knows what the day holds.

These truly are weird and awful times, aren’t they?

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Hang on a sec.

A 14-year-old girl swam Lake Ontario?

Gotta love those under-achieving yutes.

Seriously, I guess it’s just the natural evolution of kids these days but, man, don’t some of them do some incredible things at such tender ages?

Back in the day – and I mean way back in the day – some 14-year-olds were just trying to figure out how the world worked, not conquering it.

Well done, young lady.

When you hear about things like that, about kids doing extraordinary things, it kind of gives you hope that the world isn’t going to entirely to hell in a handbasket, doesn’t it?

-

Okay, one more day of real-life stuff and decompression and it’s back to the regular grind. Wonder what that’s going to feel like.

 

The end of the weekend mail

Not a whole lot left here but enough to keep you busy for a bit and done early enough that I can get to eleventy loads of London laundry to do.

Have a good day.

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Q: Greetings and welcome back. Most consistently followed correspondent you were over the course of the Olympics by myself. Consistently entertaining and informative, thank you for that. Onto a "list" request, beyond the Cheshire Cheese, the top 3 (or 5) places that you would like to visit by interest generated from your love of the written word. While personally, I have not had any really exotic travels, in hindsight most of those that I have undertaken stem from interest tweeked by having read something that is set in that particular locale.

Thanks for what you do,

Doug T, Brantford

A: I do think my love of Spain has something to do with my reading Hemingway a lot as a youngster, is that the kind of thing you mean?

So I’d probably say Cheshire, anywhere in Madrid I could sip sangria and relax and that’s probably it, actually. It’s more the overall ambiance rather than the specifics of the history.

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Q: Hi Doug. Just wondering if you had an idea or list of who will be attending Steve Nash's camp. In particular, will the list include some of the younger players that SEEM to have the greatest potential, like Andrew Wiggins, Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Anthony Bennett or some other members of the Junior team or NCAA?

Nick M, Hamilton

A: I don’t have the full list – or even a partial one – but the guy who told me about it over in London said he expected “all the top players” to be there. Of course, there are sure to be scheduling issues with some of them – school, in particular – but I imagine it’ll be a good group. Should find out it’s finalized sometime early in the week, maybe Tuesday or Wednesday.

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Q: Hey Doug. First off, two suggestions for Montreal. For an after-game bar, it's called Dieu de Ciel, at Laurier and St. Laurent. They brew their own adult beverages, and it's one of the best little bars in the city. Second, for a wonderful breakfast, head to Beauty's at Mont-Royal and St. Urbain. Been there since 1946, and it's the best breakfast place in the city. 91 year old Hymie still runs around serving everybody, and you tell him I say hello.

Anyway, very quick basketball question. Should this Triano thing not work out, what are the chances Steve Nash decides to take the coaching job himself? I think it would put even more pressure on the young players to commit to the program.

Simon S, Toronto

A: Thanks on the Montreal stuff but it’s going to be a quick in and out with maybe the night before the game to explore. Game day will be shootaround, pre-game stuff and then more work.

As for the Triano thing, we now know it’s going to work out (little item with the expected staff in Saturday’s paper) but Nash was never going to consider coaching. His role is all front office.

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Q: Hi Doug. I think you mentioned that the Barcelona Olympics was one of your favourites. Will you be attending the Rio Olympics? Do you think Toronto would be a good host city for a future summer Olympics?

Thanks,

Monty M, Toronto

A: Man, I have no idea about Rio, I’d like to think about it but that’s a very, very, very long time away.

Toronto? I guess they could but it’s a terribly expensive proposition. As one guy used to say, it’s seven years of construction for three weeks of inconvenience and a lifetime of debt.

But managed correctly, there are solid legacies from Games.

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Q: Hi Doug. Welcome Back! Thanks for all those stories from London.

Will the Sixers beat out the HOTC for the eighth spot? Sorry, just wanted to get you back in the groove.

Who will be the first Big Smoke G.M to be fired? Burke, Anthopoulos or BC?

How about a reminder for the new driver in your household, Shep and the Limelites … Daddy's Home?

Bob E, Kanata

A: Aside from the fact three good men would lose their jobs, how cool and newsy would it be in the two cable giants finally took control officially and got all three on the same day at the same time? That’d be one helluva news conference wouldn’t it?

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Q: Ok. I do love and wildly follow multiple pro sports. But here's what pisses me off most about pro sports.

NBA, NHL, MLB, doesn't matter.

Every year a CBA comes up, the owners say something like "Our league can't exist under the current agreement." Lockout, strike, whatever. There's some "work stoppage.”

Eventually, they come to some *new* system that is designed to make the owners control themselves. Then, the owners don't. 10 or 15 year stupid NHL contracts. Howard gets traded to LA because they know that they are the ones who can re-sign him. Same gosh darn thing every friggin' time.

Why bother? The owners have to know it's going to happen no matter what. So why bother? I'm 50 years old, and it's been the identical circumstances every single gosh darn time (the worst being the year that Expos got robbed).

Any insight into this?

Ken M, London

A: I wish I had, I have many of the same feelings that you do. It’s a dance both sides figure they have to do and the ink isn’t even dry on the agreements before teams start tying to figure out ways around it; generally by spending in exactly the same manner they were before.

You wonder when they’ll try the patience of fans to the breaking point but, obviously, we’re not there quite yet.

It’s frustrating and maddening and until fans start staying away for a long time, I don’t see how it changes.

The start of the weekend mail

Well, what’s that about best laid plans?

Anyway, got some of this done before life intruded yesterday; will wrap up what’s left today sometime for tomorrow morning.

Enjoy.

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Q: Hello Doug, Someone mentioned 3-on-3 hoops as a new Olympic event. Golf premiers in Rio... It's astounding that skateboarding isn't in there officially yet, given snowboarding and BMX bike-type stuff. What, ribbon twirling is Olympics-worthy, but not juggling? And how about Ultimate Frisbee? Darts? Croquet? Bog snorkelling? Just wondering how super-saturated you think the Games have gotten. I mean, doesn't there have to be a point of diminishing returns in there somewhere?

Thanks for the great blog.

David M, Ottawa

A: True story: I was in one of the press rooms, might have been at cycling, and I was running through the computer system looking at the next day’s schedule to see what we might have to cover.

And lo and behold, I found out that wakeboarding is a summer Olympic sport! Who knew?

So, yes, the Games are far too bloated and the IOC has to be blamed. In an effort to attract more viewers – and therefore more money – they’ve sold out to what have to be seen as somewhat marginal sports and as they do, it cheapens the whole thing a little bit.

It has to stop sometime, but I don’t know when.

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Q: Doug, worst Olympic events to watch live. Go.

Jeff M, Chatham

A: Worst? Anything you can’t see in its entirety. I know we’re huge on rowing and kayaking but if you’re there, you’re all but watching on TV and some of the drama is lost.

Oh, and sailing. 100 per cent sailing.

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Q: Hello Doug. First of all congratulations on a blog well done during your travels on the other side of the pond.

Regarding the Raptors I am afraid I cannot share your assertion that the off season has been fruitful and we will see what they have when they open camp. I cannot let Bryan off the hook when I see 4-team trades and numerous moves being made by saying that there just want not a good swingman available via free agency. And that leads to my question or comment.

Sure Lowry is an upgrade at point guard but I think you would agree the Raptors most glaring need is a 2-3 who can score and create off the dribble? So Landry Fields is not that guy in my opinion.

So in the off season when the GM is unable to do anything to address his team's most glaring weakness how can one even give him a passing grade?

Thanks

Freddy W, Cambridge

A: Sure, that’s a need and it wasn’t filled to the satisfaction of many. Been said a kabillion times. But, it’s a far better, deeper team than the one that finished last year, whether you agree or not. Better at point guard, deeper at the two-three and with a promising rookie 7-footer coming.

So, frankly, whether he’s “off the hook” or not doesn’t really matter, the job is to build a better team and, this summer, they did.

It’s not an ‘A’ summer but I’d give it a ‘B.’ Sorry you don’t agree.

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Q: Hi Doug. How would you rate Jose's Olympic performances? He certainly didn't fill up the stat sheet. I am a huge Calderon fan, one of my favorite Raptors of all time. I'm just trying to understand why his game didn't seem to contribute to the National team.

Colin K, Ann Arbor

A: You, like so many, put far too much emphasis on numbers. Jose was an integral part of a silver medal-winning team and, frankly, they don’t win the semifinal with Russia if he doesn’t play well.

I’d rate his Games, at least in the three games I saw, a ‘B’ overall.

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Q: Hi Doug! About 3 days ago I moved from Ottawa to State College, PA (no, I don't play football, let's not go there). I just wanted to say I really enjoyed your Olympic coverage, particularly of the pub scene in London (I've been once or twice very briefly, but you're making me want to go again).

On a related note, I just bought 12 Yeungling at the grocery store for $9.

Maybe I could get used to this.

David T, State College

A: Yeah, I’m thinking you could get used to that, too.

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Q: Hi Doug. Welcome back. What's the status of the trade exception that we received when CB left town? Is it still available to the Raptors?

Why is there a hesitation in using it? Could we not get a decent SF with this extra money?

Gary, Stouffville

A: Wow. Haven’t had one of these in a while. Expired a year ago, allowed them to do a few minor things in the way of trades and transactions, wasn’t a home run to be hit with it so they didn’t hamstring themselves in the future. A mistake? Don’t think so. Too bad but no opportunity presented itself that made sense.

And that’ll be the last Bosh trade exception chat here; it’s old, old, old news not worth my time revisiting actually.

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Q: Would current Raptor crack the Laker rotation? Heat?

Bo K, Mississauga

A: Since both those teams have little depth, I’d say either of Toronto’s point guards, Bargnani, likely DeRozan and maybe Fields. And we don’t know yet about Valanciunas.

Cutting a game is music to one's ears

Bunch of little things here today, it’s a dog day at the end of a dog week.

And this jet lag kinda stinks, tough to keep “engaged” on North American time.

It’ll be better next week, I hope.

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Best.

Pre-season.

Ever.

Only seven games, only one neutral site and it’s Montreal which is a great city where we know everything works and no back-to-backs!

I don’t know if it was Ed Stefanski who got it all done, or Bryan or whoever but, I tell you, this is the greatest. It was aided and abetted by the fact if they wanted to have a home-and-home, so to speak, with New York that they couldn’t because Madison Square Garden is still being renovated and I guess there just wasn’t another team with an open date on its schedule.

Look, I’ve always thought eight pre-season games was about four too many, a cut back to seven is hardly going to be noticeable.

And the fact it’s such a good one on the calendar makes it even better.

Here it is:

Oct. 8, vs. Real Madrid, 7 p.m.; Oct. 10 at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 12 vs. Detroit, 7 p.m.; Oct. 15 at Memphis, 7 p.m.; Oct. 17 vs. Washington, 7 p.m.; Oct. 19 vs. New York at Montreal, 7 p.m.; Oct. 22 vs. Milwaukee, 7 p.m.

Trust me, after some of the crazy pre-seasons we’ve had – try doing a Columbus, Ohio-Winnipeg back-to-back some day – this is a dream.

Thanks.

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Speaking of the Raptors, saw tweets last night that Jay Triano’s up for an assistant coaching job in Portland with Terry Stotts.

It’s not done yet, according to some people I talked to late last night, but it won’t, or shouldn’t, have any impact on the 95 per cent chance (nothing is ever done until it’s done, we’ve come to learn here) he’s back at the Canadian senior team head coach.

-

How’d I miss this?

The 35th anniversary of Elvis’s death was yesterday, causing much reflection and a whole lot of Elvis music blaring over the radio airwaves.

True confession: I was never a big fan, he had little impact on me, even though I was pretty much of the era when he was making his mark.

Oh, I listened – how could you not? – and slightly remember the movies and the TV appearances but my recollection now is more of a caricature than a performer.

Too bad, I understand he was pretty good but I don’t think I’d have him near the top of any solo performers list. How about you?

But, he could warble.

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Yikes!

You know I’m a Niagara Falls guy – hi, Mick and Angelo’s, will there soon – so, man, in pains me to read about the shenanigans at Marineland about the treatment of the animals there.

I’m not going to get too far into it, it’s not my bailiwick and I’m not really up to speed on the issue, except to offer this total disclaimer:

In that one summer where I nearly expired standing on the hot pavement directing cars to parking spots for about $3.50 an hour – if that and Super Son making about two and half times that now pushing buggies around a parking lot drives me batty – I grew to hate Marineland with the, as the famous saying goes, the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns.

So there’s that.

And it must be serious if the voice of those omnipresent commercials disavows them, that’s a solid byproduct. It’s one of those jingles you come to loathe because you hear it too often and I won’t go all Tubthumping on you by playing it here.

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It’s always nice to hear from a good guy from the past and when Billy Diamond’s name popped up in the e-mail in-basket last night, it was cool.

Billy was Oak’s business advisor back in the day and one of those guys you’d run into at the NBA Finals or all-star game or lottery or somewhere and always catch up with. Good guy all around.

And last night he was bringing news that one of the fine young promising Canadians – Toronto guard Tyler Ennis – has committed to Syracuse after an outstanding prep school career.

The story Billy sent along is here, have a look.

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Speaking of in-baskets …

Click. Write. Send.

Thanks.

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This, I couldn’t believe and it’s probably because it was so out of mind over in London the past three and a half weeks it was wonderful.

Was sitting around with some of the folks after the Mighty Red Tigers finished the regular season last night (gut-wrenching loss when we gave up three in the bottom of the last inning, playoffs start tomorrow) and, of course, the TV’s on in the corner.

And there was an NFL exhibition game?

Wow.

Had forgotten all about that sport and where it was on its calendar and I’m glad I did, pre-season NFL football – especially the first couple of weeks – might be the worst thing ever.

Well, maybe not ever, but it’s pretty bad. In fact, of the four main major league sports – basketball, baseball, the pucks and the gridiron – I’d have to rank exhibition football as the worst, wouldn’t you?

Sure, the others are all way too long – if they cut hockey and basketball in half, no one would suffer, I can understand baseball needing time to get pitchers ready but it’s probably a week and a half drawn – but football is just short and bad, isn’t it?

But it did strike home where we on in the calendar and if the NFL season’s just around the corner, that means summer is almost over and that kind of sucks.

-

 

 

 

When the extraordinary becomes commonplace

Home, sweet home.

Nice.

Not much has changed, Super Dog wanted to go for a walk three minutes after I got in, couch still comfortable, TV still works, life goes on.

Didn’t miss much, it seems.

But now, the regular grind, it seems. Or something approximating it since all I’m doing between now and at least Monday is just this each day and I’m really thinking one weekend mailbag and one day of total rest and relaxation.

But it was nice getting a bit caught up last night with …

-

What’d they do? Move the major league mound back up a few inches and not tell anyone?

Remember when major league no-hitters were rare and perfect games were truly scarce and if we got one of the former it was a big story and one of the latter it was front page news for a couple of days?

Now?

Ho hum.

Felix Hernandez throws a perfect game yesterday and it’s like it’s already forgotten because it’s the third this season to go along with six no-hitters and it’s commonplace.

I have no real idea why they happen with such frequency – I’ll leave that to brighter minds than I – but I still put no-hitters up there with the greatest single-day accomplishments in sports and perfect games are even better because, well, because they’re perfect.

You need a combination of incredible skill and every now and then a wee bit of luck but, think about it, how hard is it to catch lightning in a bottle on one day like that?

What’s comparable?

A 50-point game? They happened with far less regularity than no-no’s or perfect games now. No, I’d guess maybe a 60-point game would be the equivalent.

A 200-yard rushing game in the football? Nah. Maybe 300.

Five goals in a pucks outing? Maybe, but six is better.

No, a perfect game, to me, is so far ahead of all one-day sports accomplishments that it’s not even close.

To have seen so many this season – there’ve been, what, 21 all time – is quite incredible.

It’s not like Felix Hernandez or Matt Cain or Phil Humber are super pitchers (well I’d say Hernandez and Cain are among the very best in baseball today) from whom we expected such dominance on one day.

Yet they did it, which makes it so special and such a memorable event.

Until the next one comes next month, that is.

-

Hang on a sec!

Horshack died?

How come no one told me?

Not sure where Welcome Back, Kotter ranks on the all-time sitcoms – can’t imagine it’d crack the top 15 in my list if I sat down for a long time and thought about it – but who among us Of A Certain Vintage didn’t at one time in our lives go ..

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Attention all Raptors fans.

We may see the pre-season schedule in the next little while – don’t know if it’ll be this week or next – but that’s going to be about it.

August, especially a post-Olympic August, is pretty much shutdown time for NBA teams. Coaches and GMs take a break to get ready for the season, players are just putzing around working on their games at home and it’s deadly quiet.

So, if we don’t mention them every day, it’s because there’s nothing going on and some of us need to catch our break a little bit, too.

-

As I mentioned, maybe just one mailbag this weekend (I could probably use a day) so help a fellow out, if you would.

Click. Write. Send.

It’ll be nice to hear from some of you.

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Hey, Pearson Airport People:

Go to Heathrow, watch how it works for about a week and come back here and make this inadequate airport a wee bit more functional.

Go to Heathrow yesterday and it worked like a charm. Lots of people being moved through check-ins and security with little or no trouble, nothing at all intrusive, lots of idle time distractions once you cleared security (try finding something remotely interesting once you get on the other side at Terminal 1 here and Terminal 3 on the international end is downright embarrassing for its lack of services).

We had heard all kinds of horror stories before heading over there about the airport but they simply didn’t exist. Everything ran swimmingly and I can only hope Pearson gets its act together.

Not going to happen but it’s a nice thought.

-

It was, however, very cool riding a cab out to Heathrow in the Olympic lanes. Bet the cabbie, who had to drive all those inner city streets with just one lane available to them for the duration of the Games was thumbing her nose at the officials while she was driving in them.

Me? I was napping.

-

Wait a minute!

Something landed on Mars while we were gone?

I really should have turned the TV in my room on once or twice, seems a few other things happened.

What else did I miss?

-

 

 

 

 

And in the end, a nice day of solitude

Here’s the deal, folks.

I’m pretty much done here.

It’s been 23 days, my guess is somewhere north of 40,000 words typed, stories told, pictures taken.

And I’m plumb tuckered out with about six hours left before the flight.

So …

A few little things to empty the notebook and we’ll be back to something akin to usual tomorrow morning, if that’s all right?

-

You may not know this about me but I’m not the most, um, energetic guy in the world when it comes to exercise. Sure, I’m pretty good sitting at a desk or on press row or in some media room but when it calls for an ambulatory day, sometimes I struggle.

Except, for some reason, the day or two after these Olympic things come to a close.

Four years ago, we dragged our dead tired carcasses up the Great Wall of China with almost the whole Star team at that time.

Yesterday here?

Was a solo day, most of ‘em had already blown town and – quite honestly -- I needed solitude more than anything. You come to these things and you cannot get away from people and if you can imagine the various personalities, egos and quirks of a group of talented writers and photographers, you can imagine there’s a clash every now and then.

Nothing serious, of course, and blowups blow over very rapidly but when it’s time for some “alone time” it really, really feels good.

So the hours-long trek from was unusual but necessary.

It went hotel to British Museum – Rosetta Stone is pretty cool – to Piccadilly Circus and the gigantic Lillywhite’s sports store.

Then off to Trafalgar Square for a wee bit just to see it one last time and then over to Covent Gardens and finally back home to the Russell Square area.

Or, right, forgot the other stops:

How does The Ship and Shovell (their spelling, not mine), the Coal House and the Round House sound as a series of one-pint resting stops along the way.

I tell you, a quiet day alone is truly an outstanding way to end a journey.

And where’s the final resting place:

Why, of course.

-

So someone catch me up, please.

What’s been going on back home?

I hear TOD are in the toilet thanks to more injuries than anyone could have possibly imagined and the Argos just whacked their best running back for reasons that seem quite convoluted.

Anything else?

And that is going to be the hardest part about the next couple of weeks, trying to get back to some semblance of norm here and in other work pursuits.

There will be inevitable let-down coming off something on such a grand scale of this, I imagine it’s going to be a bit boring getting back to the relative humdrum existence of Raptors games and practices whenever they start.

The good thing? I’ve got at least a few weeks before anything really comes up Raptors-wise and the national team camp will be fun for a couple of days.

The bad thing? We need to figure out how to write the regular daily stuff in a different way, if it’s at all possible.

These last three weeks have been a hoot telling stories more about people than sports, I’m not sure how that translates back into a daily beat existence. Got any ideas?

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Know what we should do?

A mail bag.

Maybe for Friday if I really feel like loafing and taking a full weekend off, maybe for Saturday if other stuff comes up.

But let’s try to do one.

Do you remember the drill?

Thanks.

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Things I have to do as soon as I get back:

Watch Super Son drive. Yikes!

Walk Super Dog. Probably six or seven times tonight, that’s the kind of energetic little animal she is.

Hug Super Wife. When she gets me at the airport, Air Canada-willing.

Check in with Mighty Red Tigers. I think the regular season winds up Thursday, post-season might start Saturday. Kind of been out of touch.

Watch TV. Haven’t turned the one in my room on the entire journey.

Plop on couch. I need some sedentary time, big time.

Avoid work. Yeah, boss? I’m a ghost for the next few days.

That’s not a bad list, is it?

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All right, kids.

I’m out.

Thanks for all the kind words since we landed, it’s been a gas telling stories here that I couldn’t get in the paper in a million years. Think we’ve done a pretty good job having some fun, we’ll figure out how to keep it going when life returns to normal.

See ya.

 

 

 

 

Averting an international incident, and Canada Basketball news

I would imagine this is how some wars got started.

The First Lady Of The Beat, Cathal (Not Grace) Kelly and I are in the best pub on earth – Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese – having one of the best decompression afternoons of the trip.

We’re sitting at a table in the front room, which is actually a very tiny space in a centuries-old building that’s a rabbit warren of different subterranean levels when in through door comes this rather large man who looks – I swear – like Santa Clause. White hair, white beard, the kind of body type you’d associate with Santa.

Well, he and a younger fellow, speaking a language foreign to us, sit down just over there and we’re, um, eavesdropping a wee bit.

Can’t for the life of us figure out what the language is and the conversation goes like this:

Me: “I think it might be something East European.”

Not Grace: “No, it isn’t. Could be something Scandinavian.”

First Lady Of The Beat: “Is it Greek?”

Santa’s helper turns his head and says, in near perfect English:

“How about Finnish?"

Oops.

Seems the guy’s a tax lawyer or accountant or something like that, Santa – he really wasn’t Santa as it turns out – is his father who’d been visiting for some of the Olympics. The kid's lived all over the world -- he said he went to high school at Columbine as an exchange student.

They seemed particularly unimpressed with us, likely because we’d been chatting about them a wee bit. They seemed to think Canadians are the same as Americans, didn’t really get too excited about us being journalists and Pops, especially, just kept grumbling in Finnish about something.

Yeah, we sure do know how to make friends and influence people.

-

If your day includes a quick walk through British Museum – too crowded yesterday to linger, maybe today will be better – and then a stop at public house built in 1430 (Thanks to whoever gave me the Cittie Of Yorke!), more wandering and the Cheshire Cheese, you’ve had a pretty good day.

And the Cittie of York is a pretty impressive building.

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Oh, right, forgot to tell you.

Steve Nash, in his role as general manager of Canada’s senior men’s basketball team, is bringing together 20 or 25 of the country’s top prospects for a camp in Toronto that starts around Aug. 22.

I’m told the college kids, the teens and the NBA guys are supposed to be around for the better part of the week in what’s a very important first step on the trip to get the team to the 2014 worlds in Spain (Boss? I’m going, right? Right?) and then the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

It’s same kind of thing Jerry Colangelo did when he first became managing director of the American team, get everyone together and on the same page, start some kind of team-building momentum that’ll make it easier for the guys to give up big chunks of their next four summers to play for Canada.

What Canada Basketball wants from Nash is for him to develop a family attitude around the team, make it impossible for people to say no when they are asked to play because it’s a good and fun environment.

The camp will do that, it’ll let the players start to get to know each other on and off the court; a journey they hope ends with a solid finish in Rio four years hence.

Oh, and I’m hearing that they’re thisclose to naming a head coach and Jay Triano, if not a lock for the gig, is certainly high on the list.

Not entirely sure that’ll get done by the time the camp starts but it’s really a secondary issue at this moment, this is about starting something for the players, to get them to commit to the future and feel good about it.

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I will fully admit to being out of gas over here now.

Took an extra day because at one point a trip to Paris was in the back of my mind but after 23 days here and an awful lot of buses and trains, the last thing I want to do is travel.

In fact, next time someone needs to remind me I like to go home on the Tuesday, not the Wednesday.

Thanks.

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Stevie Boy did some good work over here, it would appear.

That’s one of the weird things about being immersed in the Olympics, you don’t get to see what your paper looks like, you don’t get to listen to what your friends are talking about or what the big story of the day is back home.

You’re in a vacuum, you write, write some more, send it along and someone does something with it. There’s no true sense of how it’s all playing, you just do your best and hope it’s good enough.

-

Okay, one more walkabout and then that’s it for me and London, I think.

And judging by the number of cars on the streets around here today, the locals are coming back and will probably be quite glad to see us leave.

-

You know I (heart) you folks, right?

Well, I don't know who did it or how they did it or why they did it but to get back to the hotel room relatively late to find a gift bag of goodies with a lovely hand-written note from an appreciative but anonymous Irregular was one of the nicest things ever.

Seriously, I was utterly taken aback and since i have clue who you are, I just need to say thank you here.

Thank you.

A lot.

 

 

This one goes almost to the top of the list

Well, that was pretty a pretty good bash, wasn’t it?

Wasn’t at the ceremonies, that fell to a Spice Girl-mad colleague and I don’t do ceremonies in person anyway, but that was a good way to send these Games off to the recesses of the mind, a fun show that was far more informal than the opening and a party rather than a ceremony.

Heck, even The Who came back to life; narcoleptic and, well, awful at the Super Bowl, they obviously play far better at home than on the road at things like this.

So where’s it rank?

Totally personally, I have to now put it a firm third, maybe even tied for second, behind No. 1 Barcelona and right there with Sydney for a place on the podium.

Why?

Well, there are a few reasons, some personal, some professional, some institutional.

First off, the people were just incredible. Friendly, overwhelming in their numbers, always willing and able to answer questions, point in the right direction, help a fellow out. I can’t hammer home enough how the face of the Games for people like me are the volunteers we interact with every day, the folks here were top notch.

Professionally? They went swimmingly. Buses ran when buses were supposed to run, the infrastructure worked without a hitch, never had a problem filing from wherever I was and they were a logistical dream. And, as we know, it’s all about me. And us.

Now, coming off Beijing had to be a hard act to follow. The Chinese spent more money than imaginable, built exorbitant venues that were amazing; to ask anyone to match it would have been impossible, and unfair. The Brits? They built functional and not at all over the top. They combined history (Lords) with contemporary (the stadium was pretty but not overwhelming); the legacy will be the memories, not the vacant venues. Sure, in comparison to China and even Athens they might have scrimped a little but no one was worse off for it, and the aftermath will be easier to swallow.

No, the folks here should be proud. From the people holding the clipboards at the bus stops to Lord Coe, they put on a Games of which they should be proud.

-

And, why not, right?

They were good last night, they were better back then.

-

Quickly, a few personal moments that I’ll remember for a while

The shot

No, not a basket or a goal or anything really to do with sports. I got to see Nic Batum absolutely pull back and drill Juan Carlos Navarro in the jewels with the punch of the Games.

The beach

Of course you can build a beach in the middle of a historic area and pull it off quite nicely. Makes for a breathtaking view, too.

What’d I see?

I was there for the lone gold medal performance of the Olympics and I’m not at all sure what Rosie MacLennan did in all those flips and turns and twists but it was impressive.

Caught in the middle

Standing inside the velodrome – and I mean right inside and almost on the field of play – while a medal ceremony went on about 30 metres away was pretty cool. Hearing God Save The Queen waft down from the stands, almost everyone singing along, was super neat.

Travelling around

By my count – and you have to realize that after three weeks the mind gets a little fuzzy – I knocked off about eight venues and the only regret was that I didn’t get to Wimbledon. The best? We’ll get to that a bit later.

What you write

When I got here, and even today if truth be told, I know nothing about Katniss Everdeen. Yet he/she/it made it into one of my stories. A guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do to get something filed that’s marginally interesting.

Best moment, sports category

Has to be The Goal. The 92nd minute one by Diana Matheson to end the football bronze game. I had to ask Cathal exactly what happened but I did have my eyes up when the ball went it and that was, by far, the most dramatic athletic moment I witnessed.

Best moment, non-sports category

I was sitting on a porch at Lords watching the arrow shooting and there was a band – an army orchestra as a matter of fact – just down from me playing on one of the verandas. No, it does not get any better than that.

Yeah, this was a pretty darn good gig, all things considered.

Glad I made it.

-

Okay, have one little writing thing to knock off and then it’s off to explore this wonderful city. And that’s without wearing a credential around one’s neck and not toting a computer bag.

That’s going to be odd.

See ya later, will get to any comments sometime this afternoon.

-

 

 

London 2012: USA-Spain gold medal game

Hello, folks.

Remember what this is?