Here is a continuation from a few posts below: this is part two of that and it is also a portion of my column that will be appearing in this upcoming TWM.
I will start with the World Series. Where would you rank this year’s World Series compared to others previous? While I do not profess to be much of a ball fan, I also would have to say it ranks pretty high. Game six of the 2011 classic was just that: a classic. Texas had a chance twice to end the contest and three times blew a two-run lead. St. Louis, on the bat of a hometown product, managed to force a game seven after extras. I caught that game from about the ninth inning on and I was glued to the television. Like many have said, that was the real version of reality TV with emotions and nerves all over the place. But being a Canadian, I would say that Toronto winning back-to-back World Series would be at the top of my list. Joe Carter was a factor in both of those finals and as a young kid, my dad got me out of bed to see the celebration on TV. I would have also loved to see Seattle win a championship. I was a huge Ken Griffey Jr. and Randy Johnson fan when they played for the Mariners. While they never won it there, it would have been cool to have them take a championship home.
My next question is, will the NBA lockout end? An easy one for me, no. Like other major professional sports, there are a lot of egos that don’t get left at the door. I think the stubbornness will prevail and a deal won’t get done. If one does, it won’t be until much later in the season.
What will happen to the ‘Riders next year? Will they win more games, less games, or miss the playoffs for another season? My vote: win more games. At least, I sure hope so. It was really a rough go this year for who knows why. There were a lot of things that could and need to be improved on for next season. The team finally sat Darian Durant for the remainder of the season along with Andy Fantuz, Barrin Simpson and others. I like that idea because they need time to heal and not risk a major injury, especially since there is no playoff picture.
As for next year, I would put a priority on a different offensive and defensive line. Both need to get better. I think runningback Wes Cates will be done and it’s a good possibility iron-man Gene Makowsky will also call it a career. Durant needs help not only on the field but off. The team should be looking at bringing in an ex-quarterback to help. When they had Marcus Crandell, Durant had someone to go to, to get a perspective on the game. This year, he had the backups and I felt his confidence was lower than where it was last year. I would love to see a guy like Dave Dickenson from Calgary or Crandell come in and lead the team. The staff needs to have some younger minds on the sidelines to breathe some new life into the club.
And lastly, because I got razzed all last year for not putting them in the paper, my final question is, how many games will the Watrous Sharks win this season? My answer - and I am sure many on the team would agree - it depends on if Ryan Rheaume suits up between the pipes. If Rheaume gets the call, I would say the number of wins could vary dramatically. All kidding aside, since I don’t really want the back of my legs chopped down while trying to help defend the crease, it should be another fun season. It always is!
