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Young Leafs: The Carlo Colaiacovo Saga

August 1, 2008

by Josh Lewis… Carlo Colaiacovo’s career in hockey can be summed up by this: when you type his name into Google Image Search, the first photo returned shows him skating off the ice with the assistance of a trainer.

Every fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs knows Colaiacovo’s story. Top prospect, first round pick, world junior star, sky-high potential—all of it ruined by injury.

Colaiacovo was selected in the first round of the 2001 draft, 17th overall, by the Leafs. He was considered an elite defense prospect and anchored Team Canada’s blue line at the World Junior Championship for three straight years. Alas, the first revelation of the hero’s fatal flaw came in his final year of junior with the Erie Otters, when injuries and an appearance at the World Junior limited him to just 35 games.

In five seasons since then, Colaiacovo has missed a whopping 179 games with the Leafs and Toronto Marlies—an average of 36 games per season—due to injuries ranging from a concussion to knee damage to a broken hand.

Every time Colaiacovo returns to the line-up and starts to get into a rhythm, he gets hurt again. This has greatly hindered his development. His career high is 48 games in 2006-07, when he put up eight goals and nine assists.

No one doubts Colaiacovo’s ability, though. When healthy, he’s a devastating hitter with good shutdown ability and some offense. He’s got the talent to be a legitimate top four defenseman at the very least.

Heck, if not for his lengthy injury list, I have no doubt he’d be making up the top pairing with Tomas Kaberle right now. But the fact of the matter is that Colaiacovo isn’t on the top pairing, and he isn’t always healthy. His woes have caused him to be leapfrogged on the depth chart by Anton Stralman and, to an extent, Ian White.

Colaiacovo will most likely come into camp competing for a spot on the third pairing, and that’s even if Bryan McCabe or Pavel Kubina is dealt. If he stays healthy (a colossal ‘if’), he will have the opportunity to work his way into the top four, but that would require outplaying either Stralman or Jeff Finger.

Colaiacovo is in much the same situation Nik Antropov found himself in last year. He’s coming into training camp facing a make-or-break season. If he stays healthy, he has the chance to take on a bigger role, but if he doesn’t, he’s likely gone.

We all know what Antropov did last year. That doesn’t mean Colaiacovo will thrive this season, but maybe he can learn from his Kazakh teammate. Be confident, pick your spots, and use your skills on a more consistent basis. Those are the keys to a successful year for Carlo.

Let’s hope that top-end talent will finally shine through. But I wouldn’t bet the family pig on it.

Prediction: 54 games, 10 g, 16 a, 26 pts

Filed Under Josh Lewis · 1 Comment  

In Reality, Kobe Bryant’s No MJ

August 1, 2008

by Joshua Khan… For those of you sports fans that missed it, Michael Jordan is just one of the latest professional basketball athletes to speak his mind.

On a certain recent YouTube video, number 23 was asked a simple, yet juicy question:

“Who would win in a one-on-one game – you or Kobe?”

In response, the National Basketball Association’s greatest player didn’t hesitate to inform the group of kids surrounding him (probably a basketball camp).

“Kobe would win because I’m older. In my prime, not even a contest. Let’s just say I have a better chance of stopping him than him stopping me.”

Did you just hear that obnoxious noise? That’s the sound of Kobe Bryant fans yelling obscenities “at” Michael Jordan. Now many have debated which player is truly the best. Some journalists have used championship rings and trophies to decide the matter while others have resolved the argument by stating who’s done more for their team. Even some analysts will still argue and say Bryant is by far the better shooter and in a fast-tempo game like today’s, he’s more dominant.

But that doesn’t mean anything; sports leagues change over the years because the skill level changes. For instance look at the National Hockey League. In the early 90s, star players were always bound to accumulate over 100 points at the end of the season. Last year, only two players cracked the century mark (and disturbingly, they weren’t North American).

What makes Michael Jordan a better player than Kobe Bryant is his legacy, and we’re not talking about all the gold he has won. As a kid, I grew up watching basketball and Jordan because my dad was a diehard Chicago Bulls fan. From those exhilarating years, two memories stand out above the rest.

The first is Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals. With the series tied at two, the Bulls looked to try and win against the Utah Jazz who decisively had home court advantage. But there was just one problem: the Bulls star player had come down with the case of the flu. Despite being infected with a stomach virus, number 23 played 44 minutes and finished with 38 points. While watching the game as a kid, I was amazed by his determination. Jordan clearly looked deathly sick and he was still raining jumpers, grabbing rebounds and playing hard-nosed defense.

The other memory was one that the basketball world could not forget. In Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, the Bulls were once again up against the Utah Jazz for all the marbles. This time, it was down to the wire. With 41.9 seconds left, the Jazz found themselves in a position to stretch the series to seven games after John Stockton (and his beloved short shorts) nailed a three. But like Jordan has showed before, quitting is never an option. With his team on defense once again, the iconic shooting guard stole the ball and dribbled slowly and confidently up the court. Bryon Russell was closely guarding Jordan, but that didn’t matter as the phenom performed a perfect crossover that made the Jazz forward’s knees buckle. At that instant and that single clip, Michael Jordan hit a 20-foot jump shot that would win the game.

Those two memories show exactly why Kobe Bryant isn’t the better athlete. Despite winning numerous championships, the reigning MVP has only one legendary accomplishment (81 points against our beloved Toronto Raptors). Sure it’s an amazing feat, but its not truly memorable like some prestigious moments in the sports world.

In number 23’s defence, Kobe wouldn’t stand a chance. He’d buckle just like Bryon Russell’s knees did.

Filed Under Basketball, Joshua Khan · 3 Comments  

The Blue Jays Should Have Traded Roy Halladay

August 1, 2008

By Stephen Amell…
There’s a team playing in the National League at the moment that was a near unanimous pick by most pre-season publications to finish dead last. Not in their division. In baseball. This teams current payroll is $21,811,500. This number can also be referred to as: $76,162,400 less than the Blue Jays 2008 payroll.
At the heart of this young up-start team is their All-Star shortshop. A 24 year-old Dominican born player with a natural flair for the dramatic. A lifetime .308 hitter that matches defensive smarts with exceptional power for his position. Think Roberto Alomar with more pop. Tony Fernandez with more speed. Kelly Gruber but way less white. On the strength of his young shoulders this team is less than two games removed from the lead in their division. If they found a way into the post-season and won the World Series it would be the greatest achievement by an executive team in the history of professional sport; that is not an exaggeration.
And how did this team acquire that electric player? Simple: they traded their star-pitcher and a third-baseman with a bloated contract.
Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell for Hanley Ramirez. November 24, 2005.
If there is anything more maddening than mediocrity its complacency. Richard Griffin wrote a terrific piece in the Toronto Star last Saturday detailing the transgressions in Major League Baseball since JP Ricciardi took the reins in the fall of 2001. Essentially it was a more succinct version of the original piece that I wrote for tosports.ca (I was not credited). If anything has ever been clear in the time line of sports in the city of Toronto, it’s this:
As presently constituted, the Blue Jays aren’t going anywhere. Fast.
The Raptors realized they were a mess and handed the reins over to a proven executive who was recommended by David Stern. Presto-chango things are (getting) better.
The Maple Leafs finally adhered to the idea that aptitude is not a luxury when building a hockey team and fired John Ferguson Jr. Right now, they’re doing… Something.
The Blue Jays on the other hand have shrouded the inner-workings of their team in mystery. Coaches fight with players. General Managers lie to the media about injuries. Star players sit out months at a time with hamstring injuries. General managers insult players that would statistically be superior to any of the players on the current roster. Managers openly embrace the style of play derided by the General Manager. Players drink during the game. Fans have to put up with the team making premium seats available to fans of visiting teams.
So I made one of those up. If you go back through the list it seems like the most plausible point.
Since 1993 this hasn’t been the most pleasant of times for a sports fan in this city. The two lone highlights (an inspired playoff run in 2000 by the Maple Leafs and a shot by Vince Carter in 2001) are exceptional principally because of a dearth of secondary options. For god sake’s, the most famous shot in the history of the Toronto Raptors didn’t even go in.
All of this has combined to shift the collective mindset of the Toronto fan. We want young, entertaining high-energy teams that will mature and blossom with us as we all move forward out of a 15 year (and counting) slumber.
Which is why Roy Halladay should have been shown the door today. He’s a marvelous pitcher and a wonderful ambassador; but he’s also the face of franchise mired in mediocrity. Here’s a trade option for Halladay:
1. Roy Halladay for Jose Reyes: The Blue Jays acquire the young and energetic shortstop the covet. A marketable, certifiable star in Major League Baseball. The Mets shore up their pitching staff and get a superior pitcher in Halladay who also makes $9,000,000 less than Johan Santana. Might light a fire under Johan, no?
What if you found a team that was totally desperate for starting pitching and convinced them to take on Scott Rolen (and his shoulder). You know Scott Rolen, right? He was the guy that was traded for Troy Glaus even though he was in a faster free-fall than Darcy Tucker. Just so we’re clear, Troy Glaus was the guy who was traded for Orlando Hudson the second baseman with the gold glove potential. Yeah, that Orlando Hudson. Seeing as how Aaron Hill’s natural position is shortstop that probably wasn’t the best idea. In fact, if you’re scoring at home an infield of Lyle Overbay, Orlando Hudson, Aaron Hill and Eric Hinske (Rookie of the year, World Champion and current member of the first place Rays) would be vastly superior to the product currently put forth by the Blue Jays.
Sorry, I got sidetracked there.
Roy Halladay is still a Blue Jay today. I suppose you could argue that’s a good thing. Just realize that all over baseball people are actively trying to make themselves better. Tomorrow night Manny Ramirez will don Dodger Blue. This afternoon Rich Harden tossed for the Cubs. Ken Griffey Jr. and his sweet swing are hitting the north side of Chicago. CC Sabathia is eating sausage and making baseball relevant in Milwaukee again. Pudge Rodriguez is going to take a crack at it with the Yankees.
The Blue Jays “like their guys”. Let’s hope they finish 81-81.

Filed Under Baseball, Stephen Amell · 6 Comments