PONDERABLES
How much did Prime Minister Trudeau’s extended Christmas holiday in the sun cost taxpayers this time?
How much damage is that ignorant egomaniac Donald Trump going to inflict on the world before his Republican senate supporters rediscover their principles and get rid of him?
THINGS I FIRMLY BELIEVE
Had the democrats run anyone other than the widely-disliked and distrusted Hillary Clinton in 2016 the world would not now be saddled with Trump.
When it comes to sports, parity means mediocrity.
Leaf coach Sheldon Keefe is living proof that people can turn their lives around.
THE HAPLESS FEDERAL CONSERVATIVES
It seems, as the saying goes, that the federal Conservative party couldn’t organize a one-car parade. Given that Andrew Scheer’s waffling on gay rights probably cost them the last election, the decision to hold their leadership convention in Toronto on the same weekend as the massive gay pride parade and celebration is beyond comprehension. It’s not only stupid in its own right, but it’s also a monumental missed opportunity to appease the LGBTQ community. The Conservatives should have scheduled their convention for the previous weekend and then seen that the new leader attended Toronto’s gay pride parade. But instead of an olive branch they’ve delivered what will rightly be seen by many as another snub.
SPORTS VIDEO REVIEWS
A seven-minute-plus video review of a goal during the magnificently entertaining World Junior Championship series has hardened my view that there should be a ninety-second limit on any review in any sport. If indisputable evidence of a missed call can’t be discerned in that time frame the original call should stand.
LINDA RONSTADT
The recent CNN documentary about Linda Ronstadt’s career was not only extremely well-produced, but it convinced me of two things. First, a compelling argument can be made that she’s the best female singer ever. Not only did she span pop, rock, and country genres, she dominated them. And she even made a mark in opera and Latin music. Secondly, she never kowtowed to record label executives, agents, or managers, but rather instinctively knew what was best for her career and unfailingly followed those instincts. Whereas Frank Sinatra merely sang about doing it his way, Ronstadt actually did it her way. And let’s not forget, the Eagles started out as her backup band, so she was also a pretty good judge of talent.
Although I was heavily involved in the entertainment business for almost thirty years, I never had the pleasure of meeting Linda, but was in the audience for a number of her Grammy wins and when she won her CMA award. She was always, and still is, a classy lady.
AN INTERESTING BASEBALL TIDBIT
While reading a Babe Ruth biography this week I discovered that the American League considered introducing a designated-hitter rule as early as the mid-1920s. Ruth was opposed to it on the basis that it “would take strategy out of the game.” This is the argument the National League still uses to justify its refusal to introduce the DH and to continue the abomination of having to watch pitchers wasting time in the batters box. Ruth must have been parroting someone else, though, because his only “strategy” was to hit the ball as hard and as often as he could, which, of course, he did better than any other baseball payer ever.
AND SPEAKING OF RUTH
How about this for a season? In 1923 he batted .393; walked 170 times; hit 41 homers, 13 triples, and 45 doubles; had 130 RBIs and an OPS of 1.309; stole 17 bases, and threw out 20 baserunners from his right field position.
RUTH/ORR COMPARISON
I believe that Bobby Orr is the best hockey player ever, primarily because he was, at the same time, both the best offensive and defensive player in the game.
For a similar reason I believe that Babe Ruth was the best baseball player ever. His hitting prowess is well-known, but not so well-known is his pitching record. In regular season play he was 94-46, had 107 complete games, 17 shutouts, an ERA of 2.28 and a 1.16 WHIP. In World Series play he was 3-0 with 2 complete games, one shutout, and an ERA of 0.87. He also threw an incredible 29+ consecutive scoreless innings, a World Series record that stood for over 40 years until Whitey Ford broke it in 1961.