Food for Weekend Thought

When it comes to the Toronto Argonauts, I have a pretty straightforward way of evaluating their decisions.

If it's okay by Pinball, it's okay by me.

I just trust this man's judgement about football - and, more important, human beings - that much.

So if Pinball Clemons says its the right move to bring in Ricky Williams, then it's the right move, period.

Is he a football coach looking to improve his roster?

Yep.

Would he be interested in Williams if he wasn't a talented football player?

Probably not.

But then again, look back to last spring when Pinball and GM Adam Rita invited Derek Medler to camp. Medler, after a splendid career at Laurier, had landed in jail, and this was his stab at resurrecting his football dream.

I remember asking Pinball why he would bother with such a potential problem, and he looked at me with an incredulous look on his face.

"Why would you ever give up on anybody?" he said.

That, it seems to me, is consistent with the the message the Argos have been trying to spread in the troubled parts of the GTA.

When it comes to a player like Williams, Pinball says its not just about the Miami Dolphins back coming in and playing like a star.

"He owes us more than touchdowns," says Clemons. "And we owe him more than a pay cheque."

Until proven wrong, in Pinball I trust.

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Lots of rumours around the NHL and job openings these days, some true and some not.

While some have annointed Ray Shero as the next Bruins GM, and Shero is indeed a promising young executive and may get the nod. Agent Brian Lawton, after visiting with Harry Sinden in Boston and owner Jeremy Jacobs in Buffalo, has been told he's out of the running.

Too bad. If the Bruins had really wanted to change the face of their franchise, Lawton would have been a very intriguing choice.

In New Jersey, GM Lou Lamoriello definitely won't be back to coach. It looked for some time as though he was grooming his assistant this year, John MacLean, to take over as the head man next year.

Well, not so fast. Pat Burns' name will stay in the mix as he continues his battles with cancer. Meanwhile, the name of former Montreal coach Claude Julien, currently an assistant under Marc Habscheid with the Canadian entry at the world championships, has also surfaced.

Let's see. Flipping back through the pages of Devils coaching history, I see the names Jacques Lemaire, Pat Burns, Jacques Laperriere and Larry Robinson.

Lamoriello sure seems to love that Montreal connection.

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Joe Thornton is a special hockey talent, the NHL's scoring champion this season and quite possibly its MVP.

In the final week of the season when the Sharks took on the desperate Vancouver Canucks in back-to-back games, Thornton was as dominant as any NHLer this season.

But then came the playoffs.

It was stunning to see Thornton and Patrick Marleau outplayed by Shawn Horcoff and Mike Peca by such a wide margin in the second round.

Add in Thornton's previous playoff failures with Boston, his play at the world championships last year when he and Rick Nash fizzled as a scoring combination in the final two games and his uninspiring work at the Olympics this year, and it's fair to say Thornton still has to prove himself as a big-game performer.

His best work under pressure, you could argue, came as a checking centre for Canada at the 2004 World Cup.

But that didn't help the Sharks survive this spring.

Comments

[Peter]

No. Joe Thornton is hands-down the NHL MVP this year whether he is selected for it or not. He took a mediocre team on his back taking them way further than they would have without him. Yeah, he looked bad in Turin, but when the whole team looks bad, its tough to stand out.
You need to give credit where its due. EVERY TIME Thornton stepped onto the ice, so did Pronger and Smith, who are two of the premier shut-down defensemen in the league. You heard Pronger after the game 6 win, 'take away his time and space', and nobody's better than Chris Pronger at doing that. Joe's the MVP, but but Chris Pronger (I think) is the best at what he does, and that's exactly why the Oilers picked him up, not to mention Smith ain't not slouch either.
It's the old adage again, as old as sport itself, offense fills stadiums, defense wins championships.

[Andrew Barrie]

Speaking of players failing to perform in a clutch game, that was the whole problem with Canada's Olympic entry.

So, I'd like to point out the wonderful play of Brendan Shanahan as he leads Canada in the IIHF World tourney, and ask, why wasn't he playing for Canada in the olympics?

its not like Shanahan's current play is a stunning surprise. he had a very strong season with detroit. so why was he over-looked for players who underachieving all season, or coming off long layoffs from injury? who's idea was this? Gretzky's? Quinn's?

I understand the mentality that the Olympic team needed to take grizzled veterans who were clutch performers, but they should definetly bring in grizzled veterans who are having great seasons, AKA, Shanahan.

And you can't overlook the young phenoms. Crosby and Stall both should have been playing.

Look no farther than England's World Cup team and Theo Walcott. An unproven 17 year old, with no baggage of past success, failures, or previous medals to weigh down his commitment to the team and winning.

I think it'll prove a smashing success, and if not, Walcott will be a better player for it, and in 2010, a force on the field.

now only if Team Canada could look to the future, instead of dusting off the creaky old furnishings.