It’s my Parting Shot for my reactions to the headlines in today’s Star-Phoenix Sports Section…..
First headline…Canadian football about to change with new rules, The once unassailable rouge will look different in 2026, but just wait for 2027. My reaction…when it comes to the single point in the C-F-L, I feel as though fans and purists alike are together in liking the fact that winning a game, that had been tied, by either punting the ball through the end zone or, worse yet, missing a field goal but getting a winning single point because the ball went through the end zone is crazy ridiculous! What many Canadians object to is the 2027 change that will have the goalposts moved to the back line of end zones that will be reduced in size from 20 to 15 yards! The “Americanization” of the look of the playing field has a lot of fans, and stadium operators who have to make the necessary changes, angry! By the way, count me as someone who likes the fact that the C-F-L is going with a 35-second play clock, which starts running once the previous play is whistled dead. The old 20-second clock once the referee whistled its start when the ball was placed was very inconsistent from striped shirt to striped shirt – in my humble opinion! By the way folks, you’re welcome, you got some football talk in this commentary today as training camp is less than a month away!!
Next headline…McIlroy hungers for more majors after Masters win. Reaction…It’s wonderful that the modern-day defender of the game’s integrity has won back-to-back Masters. However, he doesn’t make it easy on himself – or his fans – as evidenced by last weekend’s Masters triumph where it should’ve been a leisurely stress-free walk to claiming a second Green Jacket after two rounds – but wound up as anything but that!!
Last headline…Olympic ticket sales soar from L-A 28. My reaction…unless those ducats are priced reasonably – and by that I mean between 20 and 50 dollars per, depending on the sport and the importance of the individual event within that sport – then I’ll break out a line that fits the way the business of sport has become. A fool and his money are soon parted as the business of sport has become insane and we, as fans, have only ourselves to blame for the situation!!
That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk…and it turned out nice again!
