Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”
Odds and Ends, Thoughts and Questions, from this past week in sports –
Just so there’s no confusion when I’m spewing my bias, I am a fan of the Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes, Manitoba Moose, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Winnipeg Goldeyes, Toronto Raptors, all curlers from Manitoba, and all Canadian athletes competing on the international stage.
I am NOT a fan of Gary Bettman or as I call him, Count Chocula. I am a big believer in the 7Ps. You’ve been warned.
1. Jets: Heard coming from the offices of TNSE >>>>
2. CFL: Winnipeg Blue Bombers 21 – Ottawa Redblacks 44 … Penalties and bad defence were a problem in this game. This Winnipeg Blue Bombers loss drops their record to 5-4 and with a tough schedule on the horizon I think this team is going to be hard pressed to finish the year at .500. Richie Hall’s defence had their first real test after a string of soft opponents and was absolutely torched by Trevor Harris and the Redblack offence. This defence is who we thought they were. Most fans weren’t fooled by the wins over soft opponents with poor quarterbacking. Look out Yaki, this could get ugly.
3. MLB: Today’s entry into the column of gutless pukes goes to ….. Jose Urena. The Florida Marlins starting pitcher thought it was a good idea to plunk Atlanta Braves outfielder, Ronald Acuna Jr. with the first pitch of the game this past Tuesday just because he had the audacity to hit homers in five straight games. This was NOT the right thing to do and Ronald Acuna Jr. did not deserve that.
4. Blue Jays: This past week it was real hard being a Toronto Blue Jays fan and I’m just going to leave it at that.
5. PGA: It wasn’t the strongest field of the season but one of my faves, Brandt Snedeker, posted a first round 59 and went wire to wire to win the Wyndham Championship. It was his first win in almost two and a half seasons. ?
6. CFL: Penalties happen but how dumb do you have to be to line up offside?
7. Blue Bombers: Like I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Mike O’Shea just makes it tooooo easy to question his judgement or should I say his lack of judgement. With under five minutes left in the game and down by 23 points on Friday night, O’Shea put his quarterback Matt Nichols back into the game (after being injured) during garbage time. Why would he not just let Chris Streveler finish out the game? WHAT GOES THROUGH HIS HEAD AT TIMES IS A MYSTERY TO ME and when questioned about it he insults everybody with an idiotic answer and we’re expected to accept that?
8. Blue Bombers: I love Darvin Adams but after scoring a touchdown to cut Ottawa’s lead to 18 points isn’t really the time to showboat. In case you missed it, Adams grabbed the tv camera from the cameraman and celebrated by filming his teammates. I was not impressed. (but I did chuckle to myself)
9. Jets: Winnipeg Jets fans aren’t alone in their angst over their favourite player not being signed yet. There are some pretty good RFAs around the league looking for new contracts that include Noah Hanifin, William Nylander, Sam Reinhart, Shea Theodore, Darnell Nurse and a few others. I don’t know if this helps or not but we’re not alone.
10. PGA: I love Mark Scheifele. He is my favourite Jets player but I’m not a fan of him or anybody else getting an invite or sponsor’s exemption into a tour event and in this case the Player’s Cup on the Mackenzie Tour. If you want to tee it up, you should have to qualify like everybody else. (send your hate mail to … Mitch at I’m an old curmudgeon.com)
I think it’s BS that some poor kid trying to scrape out a career on the PGA Canadian Tour didn’t get to play because a hockey player that can’t break 80 gets an invite
— MoTown Curmudgeon (@WpgSportsTalk) August 18, 2018
11. PGA: The PGA regular season is now officially over and now the fun begins for the next few weeks with FedExCup playoffs and the Ryder Cup in France. I love this time of year in golf.
12. Blue Bombers: For the record, I do not think Bomber fans were booing Matt Nichols when he returned to the game with under five minutes in the fourth quarter on Friday night. Winnipeg Blue Bomber fans are pretty knowledgeable and I’m guess that 98% of those boos were meant for the clown wearing the headset. There is no doubt about it, Matt Nichols is the Winnipeg Blue Bombers #1 quarterback.
Mike oshea tells his weekly radio show on 680cjob that Bomber fans were not booing Nichols, they were booing him for leaving Nichols in the game Friday night.
— Bob Irving (@BobIrvingCJOB) August 21, 2018
13 Jets: ICYMI: Former Winnipeg Jets defenceman Paul Postma has signed a one-year contract with Ak Bars Kazan in the KHL. He is a pretty good offensive player and maybe the big ice will suit his game. Good Luck Paul.
14. Jets: Question for Kevin Cheveldayoff: How good is the pickerel fishing where you go? (see #1)
15. Blue Bombers: Kevin Fogg is a good kick returner but a lousy DB.
16. NHL: Nail Yakupov recently signed to play with SKA Saint Petersburg in the KHL and when he was addressing the Russian media he played the “nationality card” when he described his NHL career.
Russian players should know there is unfair prejudice towards Russians in the NHL . There is not equal approach towards Russian & non-Russian by the NHL clubs. Unfortunatelly. If there is a choice between Russian & non-Russian, the NHL club (a coach) does not pick a Russian on a game roster.
Nail Yakupov was a talented junior player whose game did not transition well into the NHL. It happens but I don’t think his nationality had anything to do with it. Maybe Nail needs to take a look in the mirror.
17. CFL: Does Dominique Davis actually think his two 1-yard plunge touchdowns vs the Blue Bombers on Friday make the Bomber brass regret releasing him?
18. Blue Bombers: Winnipeg’s front seven can at times actually offset the ineptitude of the Blue Bomber secondary but on nights where the front four and linebackers aren’t lights-out the secondary is exposed BIGTIME and they stink.
19. Blue Bombers: The guy/guys that advise Mike O’Shea whether to throw the challenge flag need to be fired.
20: Key dates:
- July 1: NHL Free Agency Period: Free agency is now officially open and should make for an interesting summer.
- Aug. 25: CFL Week 11 – Saturday in Calgary – Winnipeg Blue Bombers (5-4) vs Calgary Stampeders (7-1).
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Thanks, Mitch
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