Sunday, February 1:
Here it is -- Super Bowl Sunday. And I get to watch it at home in high definition. It will be just the second time in six years. The last two we've watched from the balcony in the theatre on board the Celebrity Constellation (yeah, I know -- tough life!) and the first two years we had the TV, we watched the game at friends' parties. In between was Pittsburgh's win over Seattle that we stayed home for. Tomorrow, I have a 4 a.m. wake-up call tomorrow, so I'm staying right here. Breakfast, shovel the driveway (again), a wee nap in the afternoon and then game time. And I have a hunch I may be able to call it a night early. I think the Steelers will romp.
Oh. One other thing I'll do today is drive over to Uxbridge for an ice cream cone, continuing a personal February 1st tradion that I started decades ago. Sort of a "take that, winter!" thing I do each year that makes me believe the worst is behind us with April now just two months away. (Of course, winter was just getting started this time last year). And I'll enjoy the ice cream more this year. Eating a cone in tropical weather aboard a cruise ship (as I've done the last two Feb. 1s) doesn't quite have the same effect.
Monday, February 2:
Nope -- they didn't romp -- but the Pittsburgh Steelers managed to get it done somehow, 27-23 over Arizona with a 78-yard touchdown drive in the final two minutes of Super Bowl XLIII. And you wonder what would have happened had the Cardinals punched it in at the end of the first half instead of surrendering a coast-to-coast interception return for a touchdown on the final play. Funny -- I was cheering for the underdogs -- but I never thought Pittsburgh would lose, not even when they were down 23-20 deep in their own territory.
Today is Groundhog Day. I don't care what Wiarton Willie predicts, that blasted albino groundhog is already in my bad books from previous predictions that have gone haywire!
Tuesday, February 3:
I wrote this late last night, probably around the time a rock-and-roll concert was wrapping up at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa 50 years ago. There wasn't supposed to be a concert that night but the organizers of "The Winter Dance Party" had an open date and the ballroom manager was only too happy to book the performers. One of the headliners, frustrated with travelling in a frozen bus, suggested a charter flight to Fargo, North Dakota en route to the next concert stop at Moorhead, Minnesota. The headliner was Buddy Holly. Waylon Jennings was supposed to be on the plane, but agreed to give up his seat to J.P. Richardson, a.k.a. The Big Bopper, who was battling the flu. Tommy Allsup was also scheduled to fly but young Richie Valens begged him for his spot. They flipped a coin -- Allsup lost. Dion DiMucci of Dion and the Belmonts considered it, but balked at the cost of 36 dollars per person -- a month's rent for his parents in the Bronx. So Holly, Richardson and Valens took off with 21-year-old chartered pilot Roger Peterson at the controls. Five minutes after take-off, the plane crashed into a cornfield, killing all aboard instantly. February 3rd, 1959 -- The Day The Music Died -- is now half a century old. I was too young to have any recollections of the day but I'll never forget its significance and the "what if they had lived?" questions that music historians always ponder.
Wiarton Willie and his groundhog cousins were unanimous in calling for six more weeks of winter yesterday. Fine. Last year, he suggested an early spring was in store and we ended up getting battered by major snowstoms all through February and March. Hopefully the blasted rodent will be wrong again!
Thursday, February 5:
I'm tentatively planning a baseball trip in April shortly after the season opens, one that will include stops in Minneapolis and Kansas City. And maybe I'm nostalgic over the 50th anniversary of the death of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. Richardson, or maybe it's because I just watched "The Buddy Holly Story" again -- but Clear Lake, Iowa is right on the way between the two cities. I intend to stop and see both the Surf Ballroom and the crash site. And maybe the "Field of Dreams" movie site a day or so earlier on my way to Minneapolis. Or maybe The Bride has a spring cleaning "honey-do" list a mile long and I may be going nowhere!
Saturday, February 7:
I have so many friends and colleagues I never see. But I'm trying to do something about it. The other night, I broke bread with my friend Kris up at her local. Naturally, my pal Dan and I became lost trying to find it. Well, we weren't lost in that we didn't know where we were, but we went too far north in our initial foray. Typical for a couple of suburban clowns. But we finally got there, and the three of us shared a soda pop or two over dinner and some laughs and were rather stunned when four hours went by in what seemed like minutes. As Kris often says, "good times!" Today, The Bride and I are watching a few of my friends bowl for charity. Every time I think about picking up a bowling ball, my back and my knees start to scream in protest. Sad, as I spent my high school years working at the local lanes. But it should be a fun afternoon watching others test their arthritic pain threshold!
Sunday, February 8:
A fun afternoon of bowling it was, including yours truly taking off his shoes, grabbing a ball and promising to show my friends how it's done -- whereupon I promptly dumped it in the right gutter. I may have picked up zero pins but I had lots of style points -- I looked positively bitchin' out there! The afternoon was followed by a party at Charlene and Kevin's place -- friends I hadn't seen in years and two fine people The Bride had never met. A most enjoyable day.
I'm not the biggest hoops fan but a doubleheader of San Antonio vs. my Celtics and Kobe and the Lakers vs. LeBron and the Cavs might be just the perfect way to couch potato the afternoon away. It's that down time between football (I don't watch the Pro Bowl) and the Daytona 500 and this will help fill part of the time.
Monday, February 9:
OK, I'm convinced. The Los Angeles Lakers are the best team in the NBA -- for now. To wrap up an unbeaten six-game road trip with victories in Boston and Cleveland -- especially with an ailing Kobe Bryant -- puts them at the top of the list. And I'm getting worried about my Celtics, who seem to put together long, impressive winning streaks but who falter against the league’s elite.
So, what's all the angst over Michael Phelps taking a hit? It wasn't performance enhancing and it didn't happen during the Olympics. He's a college-aged kid, for cryin' out loud -- that's what they do! Oh, I get it. Marijuana is illegal. Well, come and get me coppers because I've had the odd toke or two in my lifetime, too. Sheesh!
Wednesday, February 11:
Bloody crackers! If I ever wound up a fan of both the Detroit Lions and Toronto Maple Leafs I might be tempted to cash in the chips. I watched the Leafs take a 4-1 lead in Florida last night, then switched over to watch the Sharks and Bruins. The Leafs promptly hurled up the three-goal lead and lost in overtime. It's bad enough cheering for the Lions (an understatement of epic proportions) but I can't imagine a season of Leos' ineptitude accompanied by the Hogtown Maple Chuckles. At least the hockey team finally has some competent folks in key places. The only thing the Lions are talking about these days is changing their logo and maybe going to a darker blue. Yep, after an 0-and-16 season, that should be Job One, all right. Me, I've cheered for that logo for almost 50 years. Change it and it would be the last straw for me.
Thursday, February 12:
Road trip! Over Valentine's Day no less. And if that doesn't convince you that I'm married to the greatest lady in the world, nothing will. I've hummed and hawed about this excursion for days. Even posted the games I'll see in the "upcoming" section. Then came a long work day, a 100-minute drive home in thick fog and a severe case of the guilts. Exhausted, I took down the advance notice . But I felt better after a few hours and The Bride convinced me to go. Better that, she reasoned, than have me laze around the house for four days. So, it's off to St. Louis for a Blues game tomorrow night and Nashville (where I've never been) for a Preds game Saturday night. I think Sunday on my way back, I'll slide by Churchill Downs in Louisville and get The Bride a nice souvenir from a place I know she'd love to see someday.
Friday, February 13:
ST. LOUIS -- Thank heavens for KMOX, the clear channel St. Louis radio station that I picked up just outside of Toronto last night. I listened to an entertaining broadcast of a Blues 4-3 heartbreaker in Nashville, a shootout loss that carried me right into Michigan. I love radio and I especially love live sports on long road trips. I was also able to stay up-to-date with the tragic news from Buffalo regarding the Continental Airlines crash. I use that airport often and that hit a little too close to home.
As for tonight's game, the Blues bounced back with a gritty 1-0 win over Chicago -- a somewhat nasty game that started slowly but really picked up steam by the third period when St. Louis scored the game's lone goal on an early power-play. But I had to chuckle listening to the post-game show when the host talked about how loud the sellout crowd was at the Scottrade Center. Yes, they made noise but it was church compared to the ringing din that used to accompany a Blues' game at the old St. Louis Arena. Now, that was loud!
Saturday, February 14:
NASHVILLE -- It was surreal. There was no hint of snow on the ground, no suggestion that the temperature -- a pleasant 48 Fahrenheit today -- had ever approached the freezing mark this winter. But mile after mile after mile, there were the signs of what Kentucky's governor called the worst natural disaster in state history. It was just weeks ago that a massive ice storm struck the state and all down Interstate 24, almost to the Tennessee line, were destroyed trees. Some areas were worse than others but the destruction was immense. Sad.
NHL, country-style was loads of fun. Nashville fans really get into the game and I, for one, hope they keep their franchise. And the Predators beat the mighty Bruins 3-2 in a shootout, and deserved the win to boot.
Sunday, February 15:
LOUISVILLE -- Louisville, Kentucky is on the way home, and I've never been here, so a trip to Churchill Downs -- home of the Kentucky Derby -- was a must. I expected to arrive, snap a few quick pictures and be on my way. But I got there 45 minutes before the museum closed. They offered me a ticket for half-price ($6 instead of $12) and then announced that I was just in time for the final walking tour of the day. What a great surprise! Off we went into the walking ring, through the tunnel and right to the track, where I was able to take far superior pictures than just snapping from the outside walls. Churchill Downs is delightfully ancient and like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it resides in a residential neighbourhood. More and more grandstands have been added over the years and it's fitting that these two treasured institutions bookend the American sporting month of May.
Monday, February 16:
Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as southern hospitality. Sitting in the stands in Nashville the other night, I commented on the liveliness of the crowd to the person sitting next to me, pointing out that in Toronto, people are known for sitting on their hands. Evidently, that was overheard by half the section. For the next few minutes I was inundated with handshakes and hearty cries of, "Well, welcome to Nashville!" from folks sitting around me. For the rest of the game, my neighbours adopted me as one of their own and a marvelous time was had by all, especially when the home team managed to prevail over the league-leaders from Boston. They should be proud of their city. Nashville is a delightful place and loads of fun, filled with legendary bars and honky-tonks. A most enjoyable night.
It was challenging, driving home yesterday and last night and not being able to watch the Daytona 500. That's "must-see-TV" for this gearhead! Thankfully, I was in the south for much of the rain-shortened race, so the radio broadcast was available. When one station's signal faded, another's wasn't far away. Sounds as if it was a pretty aggressive race with everyone knowing that rain was going to bring a halt to the proceedings before 500 miles were run. It also sounds as if Dale Earnhardt Junior was a tad too aggressive, although that's just from second-hand reports. And when all was said and done, Matt Kenseth was in the right place at the right time -- the eighth separate Daytona 500 winner in the last eight years.
Tuesday, February 17:
Pictures from this road trip are now up. Check them out by clicking the "what's new" button on the home page. The pics include the two NHL games and my stop at Churchill Downs (which is listed in the "bonus" category).
Ontario's "Family Day" needs some tweaking for it to be worthwhile. The only reason I had today off was my schedule on the business desk this week, and with markets closed, no reports. But The Bride had to work. On the other hand, my buddy Dan's wife and kids all had the day off, but he had to work. Until it becomes a national holiday (don't hold your breath), this is going to be more aggravation than holiday. Lawyer Eddie Greenspan has the right idea. In his Toronto Sun column, he said Family Day should be discarded in favour of a new Thanksgiving -- a Thursday in October followed by Friday off in lieu of this February break. Makes sense to me. The Americans do it right with their Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, February 18:
Never seen a last-place team with more one-goal losses than this year's Stouffville Spirit. Yes, they finished in the division basement, losing a total of 40 games, but 18 of them -- almost half -- were by just one goal. And sure enough, three games into the best-of-seven first round (cue Jim Mora: "Playoffs?!" -- don't ask how a last-place team gets in), the local six went to the brink of elimination against Wellington in 72 hours, losing 5-4 in overtime Sunday, 2-1 Monday and 4-3 last night. I suppose it's justice, seeing as a last-place club should be on the sidelines anyway, but mercy, it was frustrating. These kids are playing their hearts out and have fallen just short all season.
Thursday, February 19:
Snow. Not a lot, but our first meaningful dump of the month, which is somewhat remarkable after so much of it in November, December and January. A welcome reprieve, it was. I wonder if our old neighbour in Pickering hauled out the shovel. He used to put it away for good every February 15th, figuring that Mother Nature would take care of any major snowstorms from that point on. Somehow I think that tradition ended last year when we were socked all through March and early April.
Friday, February 20:
No doubt about game four. The spirit had left the Spirit and Wellington romped 7-2 over the locals at the Arena to sweep the series.
The yarns were spinning last night at The Bull & Firkin in Toronto as my friend Kris celebrated her birthday (I like her style -- the actual birthday was last week but she celebrates over a seven-day period). I was a stranger to most of the folks there but that didn't stop some tall tales being told. A fun evening. But after staying up Wednesday night to watch a late movie on TV and getting home at a late hour last night (OK, today!), I'm feeling the exhaustion this morning. I have to start reminding myself that I'm not 21 anymore!
Sunday, February 22:
Nothing like showing a flair for the dramatic. Some guys show up in a visitors uniform in a building they called home for years and stink out the place. Mats Sundin arrives at the Air Canada Centre and scores the shootout winner for Vancouver over the Maple Leafs.
Just 13 months ago, the heart of New Brunswick's Bathurst High School basketball team was decimated in a deadly van crash on a slippery highway while returning from a road game. But the school kept the hoops program alive and yesterday, Bathurst won the provincial championship. Great to see some tears of joy instead of grief.
Monday, February 23:
The Bride and I almost always watch the Academy Awards show, beginning to end. But last night we bailed after two hours and called it a night. And it had nothing to do with Hugh Jackman as host -- he was refreshing and entertaining. Not quite Billy Crystal-great but like Ellen DeGeneres a couple of years ago, a welcome change. The problem for us was that we hadn't seen any of the best picture nominees so our interest quickly evaporated. We're going to have to get out to the movies more often!
So the snowy weekend has come and gone. No surprise, as it's still February but after a good week-to-10-days of springlike conditions it was a jolt to the system.
A shout-out to my colleague Rich's footy-faves, Manchester City. They roared into Anfield yesterday and held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw, leaving my faves, Manchester United, up by seven points atop the Premier League standings. If they don't win the league again, they'll have no one to blame but themselves.
Tuesday, February 24:
Usually I get pumped about the first spring training games from Florida and Arizona, but not this year. The only reason they start this week -- one week early -- is due to the upcoming World Baseball Classic -- and I have no interest in that. The idea is sound but the timing is terrible and the players know it. One year some ace pitcher is going to blow his arm out playing in this thing and sadly, it will take that before baseball realizes that holding the event while players are just starting to get themselves in shape for the regular season is a terrible idea. Maybe it's because the game can occasionally move at a snail's pace that makes the brains among baseball's brass move at about the same speed when it comes to changing things for the good of the sport.
Wednesday, February 25:
I'm very rarely at a loss for words but The Bride and I lost her brother Bob today. A wonderful human being and the sibling I never had.
Updates here will be suspended for a few days as we travel to be with the family. Thanks.
