Mark MacDonald Wins the Pepsi North America Cup and More

Mark MacDonald

PEI’s latest harness racing sensation Mark MacDonald teamed with trainer Casie Coleman to win both the $1.5M Pepsi North America Cup(Sportswriter) and the $666,000 Fan Hanover(Western Silk) Saturday nite at Mohawk Raceway in Campbleville, Ontario. It is the first time in harness racing history that the same duo has won both in one year.

MacDonald follows in the footsteps of legendary drivers from Canada’s smallest province, who have done well on the world stage,which include the legendary late Joe O’Brien and Wally Hennessey both members of the Harness Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York.

I wouldn’t be surprised if someday Mark Macdonald joins his fellow Islanders in the hallowed Hall of Fame.  Time will tell.

Paul Henderson Game Worn 1972 Team Canada Jersey Sells

   Arguably the number 1 piece of hockey memorabilia  to hit the auction block  in the last fifty years will be sold today by Classic Auctions. Paul Hendersons game worn white jersey worn during the four Moscow games of the 1972 Summit Series has attracted 30 bids and as of now the bid is $340,147 US. The bids go up incremently by 10% so if you want in  the next bid will be $374,162 ! One of the bidders is Canadian Tire who would tour the jersey throughout the country allowing customers to view it and take photos. The Federal Government has also said that it will pay for half of the jerseys costs if the winning bidder will allow the jersey to be displayed around the country. The winning bidder will also be responible to pay a 19.5 % buyers premium, taxes , and shipping making the jersey cost as of now to be approximately a half million dollars. As an addendum to this jersey it ended up  selling for over 1.067 million dollars plus the buyers premium of 19.5 % making it the most expensive uniform to ever sell. Amazing

        This jersey was worn by Mr. Henderson for the final four games of the Series. Not only did he score the winning goal in game 8 but also in game 6 and 7. After the final game he gave the jersey to trainer Joe Sgro as a gift. Mr  Sgro sold the jersey and the jersey sold one more time before today. The winning owner has agreed to donate a portion of the proceeds to a charity of Mr. Hendersons choice. If I had a million dollars I would be interested. Actually I do have a pair of Mr. Hendersons game worn skates that I obtained from noted game used seller Milton Byron. They were obtained by Milt from Larry Ashley who was a trainer with the Toronto Toros of the WHA . Total cost $150 US. Not quite the same as owning the jersey but still a nice item.

Finally NHL and NBA Finals are History

Hawks Humbling Victory after 49 Year Wait

Congratulations to the Chicago Black Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers on winning their respective league’s championships. The Hawks rather young team of talented skaters and the Lakers rather old team of talented hoopsters prevailed over detemined opponents to win it all. While the NHL win by the Hawks over the Flyers seemed to be less contested than the Lakers NBA win over the Celtics, both are worthy victories.

Lakers in LA LA Land in Winning NBA Title

Halak traded for a Cinammon Danish

 Bob Gainey is a very smart man as he resigned his post as Canadiens general manager before the decision had to be made re. whether to keep Halak , Price or both. Both goalies are restricted free agents on July 1st but to trade the goalie who almost singlehandedly took the Habs through the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs and trade him to the St. Louis Blues for two prospects Lars Eller,a native of Denmark drafted 13th overall in 2008, and Ian Schultz of the Calgary Hitmen seems ludricous. Montreal fans were alive for the first time since their Stanley Cup winning seasonin 1993 and now management rips their heart out by trading the star goalie and keeping a Anglophone in Price who they love to boo. Habs fans face a dilemna as they must have some Cinammon Danish with their Whine.

Celtics Need a Road Win to Clinch NBA Finals

Can Kobe Bryant shake loose for 50 points tonite with Ray Allen shadowing him for much of the game? Can Ray Allen shake loose of  Derek Fisher to score 15 points from downtown? And what about Kevin Garnett,Rajon Rondo, and Paul Pierce for Boston and Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, and Andrew Bynum for L.A.

Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce-Keys to their Teams' Success

-can they be the difference tonite?

It’s another must win game for Boston. If they don’t win the championship tonite, they won’t likely win it in Game 7 in L.A. on Thursday. It looks like the Celtics want it more, but don’t ever count the Lakers out with Kobe Bryant. Either way , it should be a great game.

Must Win For Celtics in Pivotal Game 5

Although the NBA Series Final is tied at two games apiece, in what is now a best of three series, the Celtics play their last home game of the season tonite. They are less talented than the Los Angeles Lakers, but they know how to win.

Tonite’s game in Boston will come down to who on the Celtics can keep Lakers Kobe Bryant to under 22 points, who on the Lakers can keep the Celtics Ray Allen to under 15 points, and which of the two great coaches, Doc Rivers or Phil Jackson can devise the better plan?

The remaining question is  can the Celtics lunch pail crew of bench strength get up for another miracle game? Can they repeat and then threepeat? It should be a good one!

Ray Allen A Cut Above the Rest

Ray Allen scoring in every possible way

Ray Allen in his own quiet way has silenced Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. In Game 2 in L.A. Allen guided the high flying overperforming Boston  Celtics to a convincing 103-94 victory on the road to even the best of seven NBA Finals at one apiece.

It’s nice to see a guy like Allen do well.  His good sportsmanship is evident in his every game.He’s a positive role model as a pro athlete which makes him special in today’s world of sports. You may have seen him collide with an opposition player a few weeks ago and then help him up.  Rare stuff these days.

I’ll never forget a world series game of a long time ago when New York Yankee pitcher Goose Gossage decked diminuitive L.A. Dodger Ron Cey with a high hard one that kept Cey down and out for what seemed like an eternity.  Gossage never left the mound to see what damage he caused his opponent. Quite frankly I didn’t think Cey would ever recover from that beaning.  Gossage didn’t seem to care.  No role model there.

Allen broke an NBA Finals record for one game in Game Two by scoring an unprecedented eight three pointers and did it in fine style-all net. This Allen guy doesn’t seem to trash talk either in a league that seems full of it.

Ray Allen, Brad Richards, Jean Beliveau, Andre Dawson, and Bobby Orr a few of the great ones in pro sports history who understood/understand the importance of good sportsmanship, and of being a positive role model.

Game Three  in Boston tonite will be a good one.  The Celtics can wrap it up at home if they take the next three in Boston tonite,Thursday and Sunday.