If you wanted to know the severity of the impact of the NHL lockout, consider this, Don Cherry has nothing better to do with is idle and oft-vacant brain than create (and then send) tweets critical of a baseball announcer.
Cherry, known for outrageous attitudes, not to mention ouffits, apparently stooped to watching the baseball playoffs last weekend, and he was, well, outraged, that Tim McCarver, a very good ball player and excellent colour commetator, mentioned, out loud, that Giants pitcher Ryan Vogleson was working on a no-hitter heading into the late innings of an important game against the Cardinals.
Cherry tweeted that McCarver, whose life is baseball, “has lost his soul,” for jinxing Vogelsong, who indeed surrendered a couple of hits and a run in the next inning, or had, “listened to an egg head tv guy,” in deciding to mention the stat line for the pitcher.
The chances that McCarver, a consumate baseball professional on and off the field for four decades plus, had any impact on the game activity by commenting on the first five innings of play, despite the long-held tradition that teammates don’t talk about no-nos, are zip.
If only to get Cherry out of the baseball mix I wish fervently that the lockout ends sooner rather than later.
Probably jinxed it, right?
• Speaking of the lockout, don’t be surpised if Gary Bettman is even less likeable over the next few months or years. His dream job (particularly considering his stature) of becoming NBA commissioner is probably irrevocably tied up for as long as he would ever have been a candidate to take it over.
Bettman was NBA boss David Stern’s right hand man until he took the NHL gig.
Now Stern has announced he will retire in two years and the NBA has appointed the guy who took Bettman’s place at Stern’s side to replace Stern in the top job.
Now Bettman, who knows little and cares even less about hockey and its fans will be in a snit that will last a long time - likely meaning that so will the lockout.
• I have no knowledge of the current abilities of the Smoke Eaters other than news reports and team stats, because circumstances have mitigated against my attending any of their games to date.
I hope to rectify that situation tonight and have a better handle going forward on their prospects.
They had, not long ago, seemed on the verge of good things, record-wise, and I am still hopeful that wasn’t a mirage.