Happy Tuesday!
This week on the show we talk about the latest on Sidney Crosby’s concussion issues and some other injury notes from around the NHL, including another bad break for Washington’s Mike Green and a close call for Edmonton’s Taylor Hall. As well, we discuss a couple of high profile deaths from around the world of sports.
In the GABBYs: Alex Ovechkin, Terrell Owens, Shaueel van Persie, Manny Ramirez, Trinity College and the Baltimore Ravens. The Punchline this week is Rob Lowe!
For the second time in three years, the Alabama Crimson Tide have won the BCS National Championship.
On Monday night at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, the Crimson Tide defeated the Louisiana State Tigers 21-0.
Running back Trent Richardson led the Crimson Tide rushing attack with 96 yards on 20 carries. Richardson, also recorded the game’s only touchdown, one of 34 yards in the fourth quarter.
Alabama, ranked number two heading into the game, but was a game-time favourite, recorded the first shutout in BCS Championship Game history. The Crimson Tide previously lost 9-6 to the Louisiana State University Tigers on November 5. Prior to Monday’s game, the Tigers had gone undefeated throughout the entire season and that was the Crimson Tide’s only loss.
Crimson Tide kicker Jeremy Shelley kicked five field goals, but also missed a fourth quarter field goal and a chip shot convert on Richardson’s touchdown.
This is Crimson Tide Head Coach Nick Saban’s third national title. He previously won with Louisiana State in 2003 and Alabama in 2009.
This the Crimson Tide’s 18th National Championship in team history.
Jaden Schwartz (Wikimedia Commons)
According to the Canadian Press, Jaden Schwartz has been named captain for Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Calgary and Edmonton that starts Boxing Day.
Schwartz, a winger, is one of four returning players who are seeking redemption this time around. Last season Team Canada had a 3-0 lead heading into the third period of the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championship Gold medal game in Buffalo, New York, only to lose 5-3 to Russia.
Last year, Schwartz broke his left ankle during the tournament and only was able to play just over one game where he scored one goal and two assists. The 19 year-old native of Melfort, Saskatchewan also experienced personal turmoil in the last calendar year, as his 23 year-old sister Mandi died of leukemia in April. Mandi also played hockey, as she was attending the University of Yale, and was considered one of Canada’s rising talents in the women’s game.
Schwartz, is the only player on Team Canada that plays in the NCAA, as he can be found suiting up regularly for Colorado College. Schwartz is also a first round pick, 14th overall, by the St. Louis Blues in 2010.
Canada opens their quest for Gold Monday in Edmonton against Finland.
It is rare I criticize Canadian University Football. The CIS brand is significantly stronger than the American NCAA brand (the league has a playoff) and the exciting Vanier Cup championship final at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver between the University of Laval Rouge et Or and the University of McMaster Mauraders this past November was by far the best football game I have seen all year at any level.
But those in charge of the CIS Football made a huge clerical error by not catching the University of British Columbia’s mistake of dressing an ineligible player throughout the season earlier than now. The unnamed player already had used up his CIS eligibility following the 2010 season and was not allowed to step on to the field for the Thunderbirds in 2011.
The real loser in all of this is the University of Manitoba Bisons, who would have qualified for the Canada West Playoffs, if it wasn’t for the mistake.
I would also go one step further if I was in charge of Canadian University Football and strip UBC quarterback Billy Greene of his Hec Crighton Trophy as the league’s top player and award the trophy to Maurader wide receiver Michael Dicroce, who was a finalist for the award and led the CIS with 904 receiving yards. A team that now went winless during the entire season and officially didn’t score a point (lost all games 1-0) does not deserve to be recognized with having the top player in the country.
The Thunderbirds now have a record of 0-8 instead of 6-2. If this happened in the United States at the NCAA level to a top ten team, we would simply never hear the end of it.
Robert Griffin III (Scott Caesar, Wikimedia Commons)
Robert Griffin III of Baylor University has won the 2011 Heisman Award.
Nicknamed RG3, Griffin becomes the first player from the Baylor Bears to be named the top player in college football.
Born in Japan, Griffin III becomes the tenth quarterback since 2000 to win the Heisman Award. Running back Mark Ingram Jr. of the University of Alabama (now plays for the New Orleans Saints) is the only non-quarterback to receive the honour in the last decade in 2009.
Griffin completed 72.4% of his passes, had a quarterback rating of 192.3 with 36 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He also had 3,998 passing yards and 644 rushing yards.
Playing in the Big 12 Conference, Baylor finished with a record of 9-3, third in the Conference (behind 11-1 Oklahoma State and 10-2 Kansas State), and 15th in the country. They will play Washington in the Valero Alamo Bowl on December 29 in San Antonio.
Griffin had 405 first place votes to beat out Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Wikimedia Commons)
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is having quite the season. This past week he became only the second player in hockey history to be named the rookie of the month for the first two months of the season, following Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The first overall draft pick of the 2011 National Hockey League Entry Draft and the early Calder trophy favourite is currently fifth in the league in overall scoring with 28 points.
Tonight at Rexall Place, the Oilers, who have a record of 13-10-3, host the Calgary Flames in the second game of Hockey Night in Canada (CBC, 8pm). Even though the Oilers are on the second game of a back-to-back, this may be a good time to play the Flames who are coming off a tough 4-3 loss to Columbus on Thursday. So far this season, Alex Tanguay leads the team with 13 assists and 17 points. The Flames won the first meeting 2-1 in Calgary on a game winning goal by Tanguay with 4:28 left in the contest. Like the Oilers’ Ales Hemsky, Tanguay is a similar player who would be better if he just shot the puck more. He only has 31 shots in 24 games played with four goals.
Friday night saw what could be considered one of the finest football games at any level, period.
The University of McMaster Mauraders won their very first Vanier Cup by defeating the University of Laval Rouge et Or 41-38 in double overtime.
The Mauraders, the Ontario University Athletic Champions, had a 23-0 lead at halftime on Laval, only to see the Rouge et Or storm right back to take a 24-23 lead. After the teams exchanged touchdowns, with McMaster getting a two-point conversion on their major score, the Mauraders had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation, but kicker Tyler Crapigna missed a game winning field goal attempt.
In the extra frame, both teams exchanged touchdowns before the Mauraders got a key interception by Steven Ventresca. The Mauraders then only needed a field goal to win, and this time Crapigna did not miss.
Mauraders quarterback Kyle Quinlan was named Most Valuable Player after throwing 482 yards passing and running for another 106.
This was McMaster’s first Vanier Cup title in franchise history. Laval were the defensing champions and had won six titles since 1999.
Happy Monday!
This week on the show we recap the weekend that was in the CFL, which included a disappointing West Final loss for the Edmonton Eskimos, and we make some predictions ahead of the Grey Cup next Sunday. Also, we take a look at a massive night for the Edmonton Oilers, the response from around the NHL over the Milan Lucic hit on Ryan Miller, the sale of the Dallas Stars and some big news from the MLB.
In the GABBYs: The Toronto Blue Jays, Mike Krzyzewski, Christine Sinclair, Columbia University, the London Rippers and Victoria Secret. This week’s Punchline is Nashville Predators rookie Craig Smith.
It was a dominating performance Friday night at McMahon Stadium, just not by the University of Calgary Dinos football team.
The Dinos were completely outplayed by the University of Laval Rouge et Or from the second quarter on in a 41-10 loss in the Mitchell Bowl. The game was a rematch of the 2011 Vanier Cup, a game where Laval won 29-2.
Things were supposed to be different for the Dinos this time around. For one, they were going to be at home, in front of their home fans in Calgary. Problem is the cold weather probably kept many fans away, as there were thousands of empty seats.
The Dinos got off to a great start. They were actually leading the Rouge et Or in the first quarter 10-3, highlighted by a Tyler Noble interception for a touchdown.
But after that, it was all Rouge et Or, who scored 38 unanswered points. The Dinos simply did not look like the number two team in the nation, while the Rouge et Or definitely looked like number one.
The Edmonton Eskimos are only one win away from the 99th Grey Cup in Vancouver, British Columbia next weekend.
On Sunday, they will have to find a way to beat the Lions without star running back Jerome Messam. As I mentioned earlier in the week, I find the possibility of the Eskimos’ running game getting going is still there because the Lions’ defensive line and ability to stop the run has sometimes been a weakness, even with Solomon Elimimian and Brent Johnson leading the way.
But the Eskimos will need to find a way themselves to do a better job in stopping quarterback Travis Lulay, the Western Division nominee for the Canadian Football League’s most outstanding player award. In the Lions’ 29-20 win over Edmonton on October 29, Lulay had three touchdown passes for 322 yards.
Mike Krzyzewski (William Moss, Wikimedia Commons)
Mike Krzyzewski has entered the NCAA Basketball record books.
On Tuesday night Duke defeated Michigan State 74-69 at the State Farm Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
With the win, Krzyzewski became the NCAA basketball all-time leader in coaching wins with 903, breaking the record previously set by Bobby Knight.
So, one could argue the news has been much better lately for the all-time winningest basketball coach lately in Krzyzewski than it has lately for the all-time winningest football coach lately in Joe Paterno.
Staying with the Penn State saga, the news continues to get wilder as assistant coach Mike McQueary, the one that saw Jerry Sandusky’s alleged sexual assault of a boy in a locker room shower, is saying he told police and that he tried to stop the attack.
Finally in other NCAA news, keep an eye on Gonzaga freshman Kevin Pangos of Newmarket, Ontario. Pangos tied a Gonzaga record with nine three-pointers in a Bulldogs 89-81 win over Washington State last night.
Ok. I am not an expert in college football. I don’t watch it nearly as much as the CFL and NFL.
But I did see the first half between Oklahoma State and Texas Tech yesterday, and then saw the first half of Stanford and Oregon.
From what I have seen to date, Heisman Trophy candidate Andrew Luck of the University of Stanford might just be a little overrated.
In last night’s 53-30 loss to the University of Oregon Ducks, Luck’s first half throw that was intercepted by Dewitt Stuckey was extremely poor and led directly to a Duck touchdown. It made me understand why Super Bowl winning quarterback Phil Simms showed criticism toward him recently.
On Sunday, the Calgary Stampeders (11-7) will go on the road to take on the Edmonton Eskimos (11-7) in the CFL Western Division Semi-Final.
The Eskimos won the season series 2-1, but the Stampeders won their only matchup at Commonwealth Stadium, 30-20 in Edmonton on September 9.
But this is a much different Stampeders team than what was put on the field by Head Coach and General Manager John Hufnagel two months ago. Since then, Hufnagel has replaced Henry Burris with Drew Tate at the quarterback position and Joffrey Reynolds with Jon Cornish at running back.
Still I cannot ignore the fact that in the Labour Day rematch, Burris passed for 316 yards and Reynolds ran for 80 yards.
But since Tate has taken over the starting role in Calgary, the Stampeders are 3-0.
The big news in Edmonton is the health of running back Jerome Messam, who, according to TSN, is questionable with a lower-body injury that flared up during Monday’s practice. Messam became the first Canadian to rush for 1000 yards since 2000 this season. The game can be seen Sunday on TSN at 2:30pm.
By the way, my gut is telling me the Stamps will win. I feel the veteran leadership, healthier offensive line and playoff experience for the Stampeders is key and will get them through on Sunday.
The University of Calgary Dinos are now only one win away from advancing to the Vanier Cup for the third consecutive season.
On Friday night at McMahon Stadium, the Dinos trounced the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 62-13 in the Hardy Cup. In a New Orleans Saints like offensive performance, Dinos’ quarterback Eric Dzwilewski ran for four touchdowns and threw for another touchdown pass to St. Albert, Alberta’s Chris Dubko.
The Dinos defense also recorded four interceptions. Wyatt Getty and John Kadiebwe had their interception returns for touchdowns.
But the story of the game was the Dinos’ offensive line, who not only allowed Dzwilewski to run for four touchdowns, but running back Steven Lumbala to run for 198 yards as well.
The Dinos now will play the winner of Saturday’s Dunsmore Cup between Laval and Montreal on November 18 at McMahon Stadium. Many will find Montreal’s coach very familiar. He’s former Edmonton Eskimo coach Danny Maciocia.
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