By Rob Ficiur

Lebron James became the biggest hero and the biggest goat all in the same week.  The two time NBA Most Valuable Player became the biggest Goat in Cleveland sports history when he turned his back on the Cleveland Cavaliers and signed with another team.   King James, as fans fondly called him, had played seven seasons with the once lowly Cavaliers.

As free agency approached he was … well simply free to sign with any team he wanted.  When Lebron signed with another team, Cleveland fans burnt Lebron jerseys in the streets.  The owner of the Cavaliers promised Cleveland fans that their team would win a championship before Lebron did in his new Florida home.  Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert rebuked his former player for “cowardly behaviour." Later, Gilbert told The Associated Press in a phone interview that he felt James quit on the Cavs during the playoffs the past two years.  (Those comments earned Mr. Gilbert a 100,000 fine from the league)

Jessie Jackson, the former US Presidential candidate, was outraged at Gilbert’s  comments.  Jackson believed that Gilberts saw James as a "runaway slave" and that Gilbert's comments put the player in danger. "He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers.”  While most fans didn’t see slavery as an issue in this free agency signings, it is clear that  in all the huffing and puffing the owner felt his star player had not treated the team with loyalty.

While they mourned in Cleveland, they celebrated in Miami as the Heat signed three of the top free agents this season, Lebron James, Chris Bosh (bye bye Toronto) and Dwayne Wade (chose to stay in Miami).  In this free agent season, the players got together and discussed where they wanted to play, where they had the best chance of winning a championship.  One newspaper I read said that Cleveland offered more money than Miami; but when we are talking tens of millions of dollars what is a few million here or there?

Normally it is the teams that choose to build their team a certain way not the players.  Fans have long known that owners loyalty to athletes does not exist, if there is a trade to be made (remember that Gretzky fellow who won four Stanley Cups in Edmonton and was traded the next summer).  With the shoe on the other foot, and elite players deciding where their best chance is to win a championship, how can the players be called disloyal when they finished their contract?

In the same week that one owner was crying foul for losing a star player, the most famous owner in professional sports, George Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees, died of a heart attack.  As with any passing, everyone had only nice things to say about George.  He was a hands on owner who led his team to seven championships in the 30 years he owned the Yankees.  For most owners we would not use the term lead, but George was a vocal leader.  It was almost comical the way he hired and fired Billy Martin five times.  (Had Martin not died 20 years ago he may have been hired / fired five more times).

George wanted to win and if that meant paying tens of millions more in salary than any other team, George didn’t care.  The New York Yankees (who won the World Series last year) have a team payroll of $206 million.  The Boston Red Sox have the second highest payroll at $162 million.  (The average team salary is about $84 million).  Some would argue that George was a great owner because he wanted to win whatever it took, and so he paid for it.  Others will argue that year after year Steinbrenner went out and bought himself a championship team.

The day Mr. Steinbrenner died, two adults, who probably could not name more than two baseball players told me that George Steinbrenner died.  George, was known by everyone as an owner who wanted to win.  Why did I have to look up the name of the Cleveland Cavalier (twice) as I put this article together?  The answer is simple, George found a way to win…the owner of the Cleveland Cavliers (what was his name?) hasn’t won anything yet.

2010 Canadian Football League season off to a good start on and off the field

By Rob Ficiur

The Canadian Football League season kicked of with good news off the field and the promise of excitement on the field:

OFF THE FIELD – The CFL and CFL Players Association agreed to a four year collective agreement.  At a time when the league is growing; any kind of labor stoppage would have harmed everyone.

ON THE FIELD – The Saskatchewan Roughriders were one play away from winning the 2009 Grey Cup.  On the last play of the Grey Cup game, the Riders had 13 players (not 12) on the field.  The penalty and extra play was all the Montreal Alouettes needed to snatch the Grey Cup from the Rider fans.  Can a team that was that close make it all the way back and win again?  In the first game of the season, the Grey Cup rematch, Rider fans thought they were seeing a re-run.  With the game in overtime, the Alouettes made an incomplete pass that should have won it for the Roughridrs.  Instead Saskatchewan was called for a penalty…13 men on the field.  Roughrider fans could not believe their team made the same penalty…again!  The Alouettes used the penalty and extra play to tie the game.  This time the Riders came back and won the game.  Any writer who would have written this script would have been by a publisher this is too far fetched, this could never happen twice…it did.

OFF THE FIELD – Ottawa city council just voted to make major renovations and upgrades to the existing football stadium in Ottawa.   CFL football has not been played in the nation’s capital since 2005.  In the intervening years several groups have tried to get together to start a new team.  A new(er) stadium will bring in more revenue and in time attract the type of owner who could keep football in Ottawa.  (Then Winnipeg can move back to the Western conference where it belongs).

ON THE FIELD – Who will win the Grey Cup?  No team has repeated as champions  since the Toronto Arogonauts (lead by Doug Flutie) did in 1996 and 1997.    Three times in the last 12 years the loser of the previous Grey Cup won next year.  (Montreal lost in 2008 and won in 2009) (Edmonton lost in 2002 and won in 2003) and (Hamilton lost in 1998 and won in 1999).  Montreal looks to be the strongest team in the East; while all four teams in the west look evenly matched.

OFF THE FIELD – The CFL will play its first ever regular season game in Atlantic Canada in 2010.  On September 26 the Toronto Argonauts will play the Edmonton Eskimos in Moncton, New Brunswick.  In the 40 years I have been a football fan, ideas / dreams have been floated about having a team in Atlantic Canada.  The  new Stade Moncton Stadium on the campus of the University of Moncton only holds 20,000; so not enough for an expansion team.  However, tickets for the game were sold out in 36 hours.  It is one step to bringing the league coast to coast.

ON THE FIELD – Each of the eight CFL teams are lead by a legitimate CFL quarterback…except Toronto.  In the CFL a team cannot win without a reliable quarterback.  In Montreal and Edmonton, veterans Anthony Calvillo and Ricky Ray are aging, can they still play like they did in the past?  In Calgary and Hamilton veterans Henry Burris and Kevin Glenn want to prove they can take their teams to the championship.  In BC, former Most Outstanding Player Casey Printers wants to show that his two dismal years in Hamilton were not the real him.  In Winnipeg, they hope the new QB in town, Buck Pierce, can avoid the injuries that plagued him last year.   In Toronto…they are rebuilding…hoping someone will show they are a legitimate CFL quarterback.

If Toronto needs to look for a new quarterback, maybe new Argos owner David Braley can talk to the BC Lions owner David Braley and see if the Lions have an extra QB.  As much as I like the CFL, I still don’t understand how they can let one person own two teams; but it works and that is what makes the CFL so great.

By Rob Ficiur

NHL Free Agent Frenzy: Calgary Media Responds with Emotion not Numbers

Canada Day is celebrated by many by watching the NHL’s Free Agent Frenzy.  A team’s course of action will depend on whether management believes they contending for the Stanley Cup or rebuilding for the future.

The Calgary Flames drew the more negative attention than any NHL team for the signing of Olli Jokinen (31) and Alex Tanguay (30).

The signing of Jokinen was mocked by the two “unbiased” Calgary newspapers.  The Calgary Sun had two articles entitled:  Crazy? and  Final Nail in the Coffin. The Calgary Herald’s two articles entitled:  You Must be Jokinen (Joking) and Captain Confidence.  The TV media alike were baffled why the Flames would sign Oli Jokinen who they had traded away in February to the New York Rangers.

The 2010-2011 season will be a make or break year for GM Daryl Sutter and the Flames organization.  Since the magical run to the Stanley Cup final in 2004, the Flames have lost  in the first round of the playoffs four of the next five years.  In 2010, the Flames didn’t lose in the first round because they missed the playoffs.  With the veteran core soon past their prime, (Jerome Iginla is 32 and  Mikha Kiprasauf will be 33) the Flames must win soon, or do as the Oilers and begin to rebuild through a youth program.

The knock against last year’s Flames was goal scoring.  The team acquired Tanguay one of the best passers in the league; and Jokinen a four time 30 goal scorer.   The belief among “experts” is that Jokinen is a bad deal for the team because he didn’t produce while he was with the Flames last year.

The numbers show something different.  On July 1, six free agent forwards were signed for about $3 million per season.  While each signing is a risk, the best predictor of a player’s future productivity is what they did in the past.

The following chart compares how many dollars each player will make next season, compared to the number of points they produced last year.

Saku Koivu (age 35)  $2.5 million Last Year:  19 goals and 52 points.  Value:  20.8 points for every million dollars of salary.

Ray Whitney (age 38) $3.0 million. Last year:   21 goals and 58 points.  Value:  19.3 points for every million dollars of salary

Matt Cullen (age 33)  $3.5 million.  Last year:  16 goals and 38 points.  Value:  13.7 points for every million dollars in salary.

Manny Moholtra (age 30) $2.75 million.  Last year:  14 goals and 33 points.  Value: 12 points for every million dollars in salary.

Colby Armstrong (age 27).  $3 million.  Last year:  15 goals and 29 points.  Value:  9.6 points for every million dollars in salary.

Olli Jokinen (age 31)  $3 million Last year: 15 goals and 50 points.  Value:  16.6 points for every million in salary.

Looking at the six forwards signed on Canada Day, if I was looking for offense, Jokinen would be my choice for three reasons:

First, on a point per dollar basis, Only 38 year old Whitney and 35 year old Koivu averaged more points per dollar last year.  A 31 year old forward has more upside than a 35 or 38 year old.

Second, Jokinen and the Flames both know what they are getting.  Olli didn’t play as well as he wanted in Calgary last season.  The team knew how they used him and what they could do differently this time.  With all that history behind them, Olli wanted Calgary and Calgary wanted him.

Third, the Flames might use Olli differently this year.  After the free agent signings, Jerome Iginla said that looking back the Flames might have given Olli the wrong role.  Both Olli and Jerome are shooters not passers; and therefore their line did not connect as hoped.  Knowing that; and knowing that the team acquired Alex Tanguay, the person Jerome said has been the best passer he worked with his entire career, the Flame captain was optimistic that using Olli as a shooter and Alex as a passer could revitalize the Flames offense.

The negative response by the Calgary media has lowered expectations so much, that any team success will come as a surprise.  The NHL is always full of surprises; this year the Flyers with 88 points went to the Stanley Cup final.  The Calgary Flames, had 90 points two more than the runner up Flyers.

By Rob Ficiur

As school ends students should be bringing home a report card.  (Parents, don’t let them try to fool you that schools don’t do report cards anymore).  Athletes get report cards too.  Here is their’s for this June.
A : NHL Salary Cap:  Almost as soon as the Chicago Black Hawks won the Stanley Cup, questions were being asked about which of the Hawks would be back next season?  In the old days the Islanders, Oilers and Canadiens held on to their players for a decade.  Now with the salary cap, teams will not be able to build dynasties the same way.  Even if the team wants to keep some players, the salary cap may force them to trade or not re-sign a free agent.  In the past rich teams could sign players to high dollar contracts and then “eat” the contract if the player is a bust.  Now it seems like every team is saddled with a big contract they don’t want.  No system is perfect, but this salary cap has allowed a level financial playing field; leaving it to the general managers to make good or dumb deals that will make or break their teams.
B : Toronto Blue Jays:  When the team traded their top player Roy Halladay in the off season, I was sure the team was destined to last place if not lower.  I was more certain of my prediction when none of the three players acquired for Halladay made the big league team.  The team traded away its best player, and  got no active player in return.  Some how the result has been a team that is winning.  How?  The bats are hot (so far) this year.  The pitching has been steady.  Before you start buying your 2010 Blue Jays World Series T-Shirts the team is just barely over .500.  The Blue Jays seem to be moving in the right direction (so hope their die hard fans).
C : Toronto Raptors:  The surprising Raptors made a playoff run this year.  When the team missed the playoffs, we all “knew” that Chris Bosch’s days as a Raptor would be over.  Bosch was chosen fourth overall in the 2003 NBA draft.  He has become the team leader in points.  However, in seven years with the Raptors the team has only made it to the playoffs twice, losing in the first round both times.  With free agency coming in July, why would Bosch want to re-sign with a team that appears to be going no where?  From the team point of view, Bosch has been their go to man for most of his career, and so far he hasn’t lead them anywhere.
F : Pat Quinn Head Coach (Former) of the Edmonton Oilers:  This week the Edmonton Oilers promoted Pat Quinn to a front office position and promoted associate coach Tom Renney to the dubious honor of coaching the Oilers next year.  As the Oilers’ earned their last place finish in the NHL, Coach Quinn was always good for a quote.  Rather than sugar coating a loss he shook his head and wondered what more could be done.  Oilers players and fans might not have been inspired by a coach who honestly told the media he was not sure how to turn this team around.
Even as Quinn was promoted to his new front office position, he called the new job a firing.  Oilers management talked about the transition plan to move Renney in as head coach.  Pat Quinn made more media noise by saying he had never heard of any transition plan.
Whether he was transitioned or fired, Pat Quinn’s honest post game comments will be missed next season.  At 68 years old, is this the last time Quinn will coach in the NHL?  Don’t bet on it.  Come March, a team may want a veteran coach to take them to a new level.