A quick little historical note, July 7 is the birth date of baseball legend Satchel Paige. A legendary figure in the Negro leagues, Paige became the oldest rookie in the history of the major leagues when he joined the Cleveland Indians in 1948 at the age of 42. Of course, Paige came up with the classic quote, "don't look back - something might be gaining on you". And now, on to this week's questions.
From: Darren in the Foothills
Comments:
Hi Jim, you should have your own show, not like Off the Record, but reviewing current topics, sports and more. Jim Lang's Sports Shack!
Answer:
Hi Darren, love the question. I like it, "Jim Lang's Sports Shack". It has a nice ring to it. I would insist on taping the show in an actual shack. Not that I don't love our new high tech Hi-Def studios. But I would love to tape the show in an actual shack like Red Fisher used to do in the old "Scuttlebutt Lodge". I would demand to have outrageously hot looking ring girls like Dana White uses in the UFC. They would have no real purpose other than to walk around the set at various points in the show and entertain the live studio audience. I would have an AC-DC cover band cranking out the hits as my guests entered the set. I would also demand that they rotate the taping of "Jim Lang's Sports Shack" all over the country. I'm talking Newfoundland, Cape Breton, Chicoutimi, Timmins, Nunavut, Brandon, Prince Albert, CFB Cold Lake, Chilliwack. You name it. This is a cool idea, hopefully management gets on board and we can make it happen.
From: Alex
Comments:
Hey Jim, big fan, just a quick question for you. Do you think that Roy Halladay should have a say as to who the Blue Jays should try and get on their team? I ask this because he is the best player on their team and should he have a say as to what players he wants behind him. What are your thoughts?
Answer:
First off Alex, thanks for the kind words. There's no doubt that Roy Halladay is the most important player on the Jays. Without him, they're totally screwed. Because of that, I am sure JP Ricciardi would be wise to ask Halladay's opinion on certain players the Jays might be thinking of signing or trading. But he shouldn't have a say in personnel matters. Any time an athlete, no matter how much of a star he is, starts making personnel moves, you're asking for trouble.
From: Andy
Comments:
I read a statistic in the latest Sports Illustrated magazine that stated out of 1,042 players and managers in MLB today, only 26 have college degrees. (I'm assuming Milton Bradley isn't one of them - I think counting to three is mandatory in school these days). I wondered how that compared to the NHL and NFL?
Hi Andy, that's a very interesting question. I checked with Brian McCarthy at the NFL's head office and he said the league estimates that roughly 50 percent, or 850 players, have their college degrees. He pointed out that a number of players complete their degrees after their playing days are over. Troy Aikman received his degree this past May. The NHL is a tough one. I spent considerable time researching the subject and sent an e mail to a senior member of the NHLPA to see if I could find a ball park figure. Nothing. It should be noted that like the NFL, a lot of former players end up getting their degrees when they're done playing. Stu Grimson, Ken Baumgartner, Brian Burke, Pat Quinn are good examples. Arguably the smartest guy to ever play in the NHL was Joe Juneau. The Quebec native earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average while getting his degree in Aeronautical Engineering at RPI. It only took Juneau three years to complete the four year course. Even better, Juneau hardly spoke a word of English when he arrived on campus.
From: Arjun
Comments:
I have anxious question, do you think Roberto Luongo and Cody Hodgson would be a fair deal for Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby?
Answer:
Arjun, are feeling alright? Did you just suffer a serious concussion? The Penguins might by willing to part with Malkin someday, if they received the mother of all offers. But there is no way possible that Crosby would ever be dealt. There would be a riot in the streets of Pittsburgh.
From: Doug in Nova Scotia
Comments:
This would be a hypothetical question, however I'm interested in your answer ... suppose you were an NHL general manager and you were building a new team and you had your pick of any current NHL player to build that team around ... who would that be?
Answer:
Hi Doug, it's always nice to get a question from a viewer who lives in "God's Country". Typically, GM's like to build from the net out. But if I had to pick one player from today's NHL to start a team, I would have to go with the pride of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, Sidney Crosby.
From: Calvin
Comments:
Hey Jim, I just bought a Montreal Expos new era profit ball cap. I was wondering the best way to break it in. I can't get a nice curve to the brim. Help me!
Answer:
Hi Calvin, thanks for the question. There is only one thing that I collect, and that's ball caps. I must have at least 30 of them and it drives my wife crazy. So this is a question that is near and dear to my heart. The simple way is to grab the end of the brim and give it a good squeeze. Make sure your hands are even at the end of the brim when you do it. If that doesn't work, you can go old school and take a softball and tie the end of the brim around the ball as tight as you can and leave it over night.
My favourite new person I'm following on Twitter is self help guru Tony Robbins. I figure it couldn't hurt, goodness knows I need all the bloody help I can get. Speaking of which, feel free to follow me on Twitter, SportsnetJim.
