Criticism of European Athletes Leads Sensitivity Police To End Free Speech In Canada

By Kevin O’Neill
www.consumerbet.com

And you thought the Super Bowl halftime show created a lot of hullabaloo. On his popular “Coaches Corner” segment on CBC’s “Hockey Night in Canada”, irascible hockey commentator Don Cherry was discussing whether to make protective visors mandatory in the NHL. “Most of the guys that wear them are Europeans and French guys,” Cherry observed. This was said as something of a zinger, suggesting that North American players are tougher than their European counterparts.

In the formerly free Dominion of Canada, that comment has earned a government investigation from the Official Languages Commissioner and has been called “racism” and “pure poison” from syndicated columnist Jack Todd, who has called for a national boycott of “Coach’s Corner”. Todd has followed up with comments demanding Cherry’s firing. He is apparently serious and is not simply angling for a deal endorsing Pampers.
What has happened to the independent spirit of our once great neighbor to the North that makes them value warm Eurofuzzies over free speech?

In a not unrelated note, a public opinion poll suggests that only 15% of Canadians want to see George W. Bush re-elected.

In case you missed it, Golden State was outscored in the 4th quarter by Toronto 18-2 on Sunday night, eventually losing in OT to the Raptors. The “output” merely tied the NBA record for scoring futility in a quarter; the Mavericks scored only a deuce against the Lakers on April 6, 1997.

Oh, those class acts on Tampa Bay’s defensive line. Simeon Rice getting sent home from the Pro Bowl for disciplinary reasons has to be one of the all timers. All-Exclusive with Ahmad Rashad is a “special, one night only” round table discussion on ESPN Friday night with champions such as Serena Williams and Michael Jordan. So how in the world did Warren Sapp plow his way onto this show? And who cares what he has to say? Sure he won a Super Bowl, but they would have won it without him and he has been nothing but a disruptive “me first” hornblower ever since.

124-year old Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Furman Bisher appears to feel as we do about college recruiting, commenting that a picture in his paper of a kid signing was “larger than Jonas Salk got when he discovered the polio vaccine.” You’ll be interested in knowing that prized Miami Hurricanes recruit Willie Williams (of the renowned Miami Herald recruiting series) has been arrested on theft-related charges ten times since he was 14. His crime spree on his recruiting trip at Gainesville violated his probation and a warrant was issued for his arrest last Friday. As of Monday, police hadn’t yet located Williams.

Second-year BYU defensive coordinator Bronco Mendenhall doesn’t travel to recruit. He watches film, grades players according to his unique methodology, and sends his assistants out to get players who fit his system. As a result, Mendenhall usually isn’t knocking heads for prized recruits. Seems to work pretty well for Mendenhall, however. While at New Mexico he extended the only 1-A offer to a kid named Brian Urlacher. An additional bonus occurs in giving Mendenhall a home life that most of his peers can only dream about as they beat the bushes.

Six potential jurors in the manslaughter trial of Jayson Williams were excused from service due to their discomfort with Williams shooting his own dog. From the story in the New York Post:

The dog story emerged last week, when prosecutors told the judge that another ex-pro basketball player, Dwayne Schintzius, saw Williams use a shotgun to kill his own pooch, Zeus, in August 2001 at Williams' Alexandria Township mansion. Schintzius told prosecutors that one night he bet Williams $100 that he could drag Zeus from the house and that Schintzius succeeded in doing that, enraging the liquored-up Williams, who blasted the dog with two shotgun rounds. Williams then pointed the weapon at Schintzius, saying "get this f- - -ing dog off my porch or you're next," prosecutors quoted him as saying.

Do your parties seem pretty dull right about now? To clear up any confusion, this is the “shoot the limo driver and cover it up” Jayson Williams, not the “ruin your career in a motorcycle wreck “ Jason Williams or the “smoke weed with Randy Moss, White Chocolate” Jason Williams.

Commentator Ann Coulter trashed former US Senator Max Cleland this week, saying that Cleland was not a hero because when he lost three of his limbs in Vietnam is was when he accidentally dropped a grenade, and it wasn’t in combat. Now I’m not a fan of the policies Cleland exposes and I was one of over a million Georgians to vote against him in his quest for re-election, but I’m on a different page from anyone who doesn’t appreciate Cleland’s willingness to serve and price he paid for not fleeing to Canada. Maybe we can lock Ann Coulter and her leftist counterpart Michael Moore in a room somewhere where they can hurl their baseless and useless charges yet be heard only by one another.

Jockey Pat Valenzuela is trying to beg his way back on to the Southern California circuit after missing a mandated drug test last month. As long have you mandate that these guys ride at ridiculous weights, you're going to have drug problems.

Curt Borque just stopped riding because he just couldn't take it any more. He rode at 118 on a Sunday, decided "enough's enough" and weighed 136 by Friday. It's just sick what these guys go through to make weight. One of the reasons that the top riders are so dominant is that guys like Bailey and Day have frames that allows them to make weight without all the disgusting practices that others have to go through. They are at peak strength while some guy who is bulimic, on laxatives, and just stepped out of the steam room has his strength sapped and is lightheaded.

The traditionalists in racing would never allow it (oh, those precious records) but they really should go to European weights. Although they are not without similar problems over there, it would be so much better for the jocks. Curt Borque would still be riding if he could ride at 131. Pat Valenzuela might not have a drug problem. Chris Antley might still be alive.

Hoops: If you’re interested in our basketball you can follow along on our free hotline at 770-618-8700. We’re reaching a point in the college basketball season where we’ve done pretty well in the past. We’ll see if we close the regular season with a flourish this year. Also keep in mind that we’re 60%+ in the NBA both last year and this year, as documented by the Sports Monitor of Oklahoma.

Speaking of hoops, take a look at Hawaii over SMU in the last game on the main schedule for Saturday. While the Rainbows are not the consistent moneymakers at home than they’ve been in the past (off an upset loss Thursday night), this one smells like a blowout. The Mustangs flew from Dallas to San Jose on Wednesday, notched a satisfying (and rare) win over the Spartans on Thursday night, then headed to Oahu for a Saturday game played at 11:00PM on their body clock. SMU will be happy with a split on the trip, while Hawaii needs a big win desperately. Mustangs fatigue and distractions and Hawaii’s superior focus add up to a Rainbow Warrior rout in this one.

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Kevin O’Neill is the director of content for www.consumerbet.com. His 24-hour free telephone selection hotline can be accessed by calling 1-770-618-8700.