Super Bowl LIII
With the big match only two days away, the Patriots have been made 2.5 point favourites over the Rams, so in other words it's a toss up, as it should be. On any given day there's absolutely no doubt that each team has enough firepower along with a strong enough defence to take home the Vince Lombardi trophy.
The formula for victory will always come down to (barring blown ref calls of course) how well a team executes on game day but don't underestimate the importance of the team's "game plan". This is where coaches and players spend countless hours in meetings, repeatedly going over game films, breaking down every imaginable situation, putting together their overall strategy, hoping it's enough to win the day. This is where New England and Mr. Belichuk excel and thrive, this is why his team is here for the fourth time in five years and ninth time in 18 years.
Now having said all that, I'm going against the odds, and logical thinking, taking the L.A. Rams by seven (28-21). I think the Rams mighty defence, especially the front four, will get in his face and play havoc with the Golden Boy's psyche and rhythm thereby affecting his confidence and timing, which is so critical to his success.
All Star Games
Isn't it about time major league sports, with the possible exception of baseball, give up on the idea of having an all star game in the middle of their season? Games are far too frequently turning out to be non-athletic, non-contact with minimal effort and even less enthusiasm from all participants. (So bad in fact that in last week's NFL Pro Bowl, four NFC players on offence switched over and played defence in the second half). Real exciting, eh?
So why do the respective leagues continue to go through this boring and agonizing process, even the entertainment value has been diluted in recent years. These Prima Donna millionaires don't need the money ($67K for the winners, $39K for the losers) with the huge salaries they command and it shows with their lacklustre efforts.
CFL
There's guaranteed to be some intense sibling rivalry this summer on the Prairies as Craig Dickenson, older brother of Calgary Stampeders' head coach Dave Dickerson, has been hired as the new head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. As expected, the Green Machine looked internally to fill the spot vacated by the departure of Chris Jones, elevating the veteran coach was a natural move.
Ladies' Scotties
Tracy Fleury, ironically from Sudbury, Ontario, won the Manitoba Ladies' Provincial Curling championships and her rink is now headed to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts being held in Sydney, NS. After three members of Kerri Einerson's team decided they wanted a new skip this season, they parachuted Fleury in as her replacement and as they say, the rest is history. It's also quite ironical that the team Fleury defeated in the final was none other than, yeah, you guessed it, Einerson's.
Men's Curling (Viterra)
The provincial men's curling championship is all set to begin this Wednesday as 32 of the best rinks in Manitoba descend upon our town in search for the coveted Buffalo crest. Reid Carruthers' rink, with Mike McEwen in tow, should be the number one seed followed by Jason Gunnlaugson and Braden Calvert. With their vast knowledge and experience on pebbled ice, Graham Freeman, along with the Barkley boys (Kevin, Cory & Dwayne), will certainly be in the mix of things when the "dust" settles come the playoffs.
Other curlers of local interest to keep an eye out for include former Virdenite Darcy Hayward (Diane and Terry's son), who plays third for Dean North's Carman squad and Branden Jorgensen, (Reston, Linda and Murray) who throws second stone for Kelly Marnoch's Carberry rink.
Trivia time, #1) everyone knows Brandon is hosting this year's Tim Hortons' Brier in three weeks but where are the World's being held? #2) where are the Women's World's being played?
WHL
Long time rumours became reality with the news out of the "Dub" that has the Kootenay Ice (BC) franchise relocating to Winnipeg next season. Poor attendance and sponsorship were the mitigating circumstances for the move.
Trivia answer, #1) in Lethbridge, Alberta. #2) Denmark. Until next time....
