You could have made nice money if you bet on Billy Crystal yesterday.
The comedian/actor, who turns 60 today, was in the New York Yankees’ lineup, prompting sports books to offer a 2-to-1 prop that he wouldn’t make any sort of contact.
Well, he did, with a foul ball down the first-base line off the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Paul Maholm. Oh, and then he struck out in his only at-bat.
•About two years ago, Dean Albrecht prepared $13-million to invest and a business plan that, if implemented, could have resurrected CFL football in Ottawa.
“It was a sensible plan, where the Ottawa community would’ve been my partners,” revealed Dean, a chip off the block of his father, the late J.I. Albrecht. “I never even got a call back from the CFL. What a joke.”
The nation’s capital is still without CFL football. Doesn’t seem right.
•J.I., who passed Tuesday and will be laid to rest today, was the general manager who hired Michael Clemons as the Argonauts’ head coach in 2000, although Internet reports erroneously suggest Pinball was the CFL’s first black head coach. He wasn’t even the first in Toronto history. Anyone remember Willie Wood coaching the Argos in 1980 and 1981? … When Interbrew decided to dump the Argos in 1999, they put them up for sale for $17-million. There wasn’t interest, but J.I. talked his cousin, New Yorker Sherwood Schwarz, into purchasing them after negotiating the price down to $100,000 … Dean, incidentally, is an agent these days, with 30 fighters in UFC … The Argos will announce this soon: Damon Allen, 45-year-old grandpa, is retiring and will serve as an assistant coach and goodwill ambassador for them. HOWEVER, if any Argo quarterback is injured during the season, Allen would be — brace yourself — re-activated … Ex-CFL QB Danny McManus has been sacked as a TSN analyst after only one season and is hunting for coaching work.
•Canada’s sports version of Facebook. www.freemyteam.com, has launched a cool experiment — free league management and statistic-tracking tools for amateur teams.
“This could save amateur sports millions of dollars,” freemyteam president Shawn Saraga said. “This new tool comes just in time for baseball and soccer leagues looking to start up and reduce costs. If I have my way, amateur teams won’t have to pay a penny for web use. And organizers will be able to keep in touch with their players at the click of a mouse.”
Check it out. Also, visit www.metronews.cafor my latest NHL Report. And, starting Tuesday, I’ll be filing spring-training reports from Florida. Bring on the sunshine.
