A couple of Sundays ago, the Oakland Raiders dropped 59 points on the Denver Broncos, after which NBC-TV’s Jay Leno offered: “Usually, when someone gets beaten that bad at a Raiders game, it’s in the parking lot.” . . . If you missed it, ESPN has dropped Jon Miller and Joe Morgan off its Sunday night baseball telecasts. The play-by-play job that had been Miller’s will go to Canada’s own Dan Shulman. . . . He is expected to have former pitcher Orel Hershiser alongside him. . . . NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has said, again, that the NFL is interested in having a permanent franchise in Europe. To which Janice Hough, the Left Coast Sports Babe, wrote: “Buffalo fans responded, ‘Take the Bills please.’ ” . . .
Was there something inhumane with the way in which the Toronto Maple Leafs excited their fans with a quick start before reverting to, well, the Maple Laffs? . . . Mark Recchi scored his first goal of the season for the Boston Bruins on Wednesday, to go along with his nine assists. He now is ninth on the NHL’s all-time list in games played (1,584), 20th in goals (564), 15th in assists (930) and 13th in points (1,494). . . . Congrats to TRU men’s volleyball coach Pat Hennelly and his wife, Heidi. They are expecting their first child in March. . . . Defenceman Shane Oatway, 20, who is from Kamloops, has a new address these days. Oatway was traded by the AJHL’s Drayton Valley Thunder to the Fort McMurray Oil Barons last week. He also has played with the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials and the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks during his junior A career. . . .
After Nebraska running back Roy Helu set a school record by rushing for 307 yards against Missouri, Brad Dickson of the Omaha World-Herald wrote: “Helu covered so much ground he’s been awarded a letter in cross-country.” . . . Sarah Glidden, a sophomore, and a deer collided during a recent Wisconsin high school cross-country meet. As Seattle Times reader Bill Littlejohn noted: “The deer was listed as a Jane Doe.’’ . . . If you aren’t aware, the St. Louis Blues, despite getting walloped by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday, are off to the best start in franchise history. Davis Payne, their head coach, just happens to be from Kamloops. Payne also was named head coach of the ECHL’s all-decade team (2000-09). He coached that league’s Anchorage Aces. . . .
After hearing Hockey Night in Canada analyst Brad May say that the fight he would most like to see on the ice would feature Colton Orr versus Rick Rypien, blogger RJ Currie intoned: “That, or Cathy Overton-Clapham vs. Jennifer Jones.” . . . Iain MacIntyre, in the Vancouver Sun: “As for (NHL commissioner Gary) Bettman’s failed expansion experiment, here are some recent announced gates: 6,761 (Phoenix), 8,461 (Atlanta), 9,128 (Columbus) and 11,212 (Florida). Even American success stories like the Colorado Avalanche (12,732 for Vancouver’s visit) and the Dallas Stars (11,306) are struggling. It just proves correct the argument that Winnipeg’s arena is not suitable for NHL relocation. With 15,000 seats, it’s obviously too big.” . . . On Friday, MacIntyre, in Toronto with the Canucks, tweeted: “Canuck dressing room had almost no Toronto media post-practice. Reason: Leafs recalled someone named Nazem Kadri.” . . .
Ron Judd, in the Seattle Times: “A 71-foot Indian ‘story pole’ that stood on the state Capitol campus in Olympia since the 1930s was taken down. State officials said the cedar pole was rotten from water damage, and in any case, the story it told is now available for download on Kindle.” . . . There are good seats still available for Wednesday’s Subway Super Series game at ISC between some WHL players and a bunch of Russians. . . . Team Russia looked good in taking the first two games of the Subway Super Series from the QMJHLers, but then got spanked 4-0 by the OHL bunch in London on Thursday. . . . WHL teams are 13-1 in this series, the only loss by a 5-1 count on Nov. 28, 2007, in Cranbrook. . . . The 2006 series finished up here with the WHL skating to an 8-1 victory. . . .
The Victoria Seals have folded after two seasons in the independent Golden Baseball League. The team, which was owned by Russ Parker and his son, Darren, cited problems with its lease with the City and the “unstable state” of the GBL. Roxann Bury, originally from Kamloops, was the Seals’ general manager. . . . Russ Parker also owns the WHL’s Regina Pats. . . . Some of that stability is due to GBL commissioner Dave Kaval having left to become president of Major League Soccer’s San Jose Earthquakes. . . . Former NFLer Antonio Pierce, now a talking head on ESPN, on the quarterback mess with the Washington Redskins: “I think they’re using Donovan McNabb as an escape goat.” . . . Comedian Argus Hamilton says: “New York Jets former hostess Jenn Sterger changed her mind for the third time Monday and agreed to discuss Brett Favre’s sex texts with the NFL office. It’s obvious why Brett’s attracted to her.” . . .
Winger Kyle Clifford of the Los Angeles Kings apparently was nicknamed Colonel during his OHL career with the Barrie Colts. Why? Because his middle initial is F. . . . Jack Todd, in the Montreal Gazette: “Dunno why all the fuss about the cheerleaders for the Edmonton Oilers. Seems every year, there are more cheerleaders in the press box. All they’re missing are the pompoms. The one thing you wouldn’t want to see? Some of these guys decked out in satin hot-pants.” . . . New Mexico quarterback Brad Gruner badly cut the little finger on his throwing hand and is done for the season. Uhh, he was carving a Halloween pumpkin at the time. . . . New Mexico’s starter now is Stump Godfrey. . . . No kidding. . . . Adam Hill, in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “They might want to have the kicker carve the (Thanksgiving) turkey.” . . .
With his B.C. Lions needing a Saskatchewan victory over Edmonton in order to make the playoffs, Lions receiver Geroy Simon tweeted this on Sunday: “I’ve got that Rider pride feeling deep inside . . . lol! Just threw up in my mouth!” . . . The Lions, of course, are to play the Roughriders in Regina in the western semifinal on Sunday. The last time the Lions held their training camp in Kamloops was 2004 and they reached the Grey Cup that season, losing 27-19 to the Toronto Argonauts in Ottawa. . . . The forecast is for November weather in Regina. No, it won’t be chilly. Yes, it will be cold. . . . After his football team was beaten 47-7 by TCU a week ago, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham offered: “The score is not indicative of how lopsided this game was.”
Gregg Drinnan is sports editor of The Daily News. Email him at gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca, follow him at twitter.com/gdrinnan, or visit his blog at gdrinnan.blogspot.com. Keeping Score appears Saturdays.
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