A8 Castlegar News September 4, 1991 Te CASTLE RE STLEGAR, S20) SATURDAY Gordon Wiener wae invited, To heer Just what wes sata } ut t $ To take it =~ Al Horewill reslly opened up, And got things off hi ° ed the ball rol}t a 6 i For Webster, ena all the pr. ! N-E-W:-S GK ¢th. OUTFIT You! oy's suits, socks ete. ehherl wo Dow'T FoRGET clr SALE 61.95 ~ 2.95 - 6 Castlogar’s of} every THURSDAY and distribated (rom Kinnaird to Brilliant, POY OR GIAL teens FOR SCHOOL. ...+.44 pants, shoes medium, published lear HW. HERRIDGE TO OPEN c= CASTLE gi NEWS = Padded School Board, WKHU, Hopital Trusees Back CalogarSewerdge Bylaw pepe CASTLEGAR NEWS | rena Bridge q cee For the best there's no place like Sept. 1947 Sept. 1951 Sept. 1961 ‘CASTLEGAR NEWS -% DISCUSSIONS CONTINUE ON TOWN AMALGAMATION CASTL CofC pushing for road link ENEWS 8 ened st "Tee Crosreatl he Rogie Celgor negotiations resume _ Mills are down r maintenance Sept. 1971 Sept. 1981 September 7 1991 CASTLEGAR The newspaper you've come home to since 1947. Ed Mills Tootie. I don’t care what you say, the Canadian Football League is a second-rate, bush league and it’s at this time of year that I’m always remind- ed of why. For one thing, the ball changes hands through the course of a game moré times than drugs on Granville Street. Points are awarded for just about everything and, arguments aside (go to jour- nalism school if you want your own column), three downs is just plain goofy. But it’s this particular time of year when I always feel justified about my dislike of the Crackerpot Foozball League. Because it’s at this time of year when CFL teams, as if in tune withthe changing of the seasons, go through a metamorphosis of their own when the lists appear. You’ve seen them, the big, long lists that sprout in the transaction columns on sports pages every year around now. On them are the names of National Football League players —veterans and d00k- ies alike — cut from teams they had been trying out for. And just as surely as the snow will fall during the Greying Cup, I know CFL scouts are scanning those lists, checking the out-of-town directories and getting ready to make recommendations to their coaching staffs about which players could be added to the roster. I think the Lions added four players, and by the same token dropped another four others who had jobs until the damn lists came out. The practice of raiding NFL castoffs isn’t abhorrent in itself. Lots of organizations will take a chance on person- nel deemed deficient by other organizations. % It’s just that every year, like clockwork, any given CFL team picks up four or five players and dumps another four or five, in the middle of the season! I mean if they were only playing with minor leaguers in the first place why don’t they just admit it, instead of fooling around pretending to be big-league teams? And if you argue that they're only marginal players who won't make any differ- ence one way or the other, then, I counter, why bother going out to get thém in the first place? If that isn’t the bushiest of bush-league practices then iL don’t know what is. And-it-is apparently a flaw among many that could doom this league unless the McGretzky- Candy gravy train sets it straight in a hurry. Listen up CFL, the league will never gain credibility in the eyes of any serious foot- ball fan if organizations con- tinue to drool over the lists. If you’re a fan, do you want to watch a league full of castoffs and rejects from another league, or would you just skip the middleman and go right to the real thing? And now that the NFL sea- son has_begun, I would sug- gest a comparison between the real thing and the minor league, a comparison easily made any Sunday with a couch to lay on and TV chan- nel changer, would be down- right embarrassing to Cana- dians. Considering that half or more of the players in the CFL fit into the category of NFL wannabes and never- willbes, I look at it our game (as proponents of the league call it) as a training ground, off Broadway — a place to be while waiting to get to the big show. Rocket Smocket. Flutie ja Labour Day it wasn't a happy weekend overall for the baseball tournament. Tea San Diego Stars at the Grand Forks-Credit Union Internatio- im Toshiba of Japan had the Stars’ number in the tourney shellacking them 14-4 Sunday then doing it again with money on line Monday. See story, page B2. CasNews photo by Ed Mills Frost gets cold shoulder in regatta Castlegar sailor comes 2nd again By CasNews Staff Once again Castlegar sailor Randy Frost was jilted at the altar last weekend in his quest for the big prize in the Gray Creek Regatta. For the second straight year, Frost had to settle for the bou- quet as bridesmaid in the cruis- er class in the three-day event. In Lasers, Robin Siggers of Fernie defended his title and was part of an East Kootenay sweep of the top three placings in that class. Bob Gardner of Elkford was third in Lasers while Jim May- field of Cranbrook came third. Castlegar sailor Peter Bullock broke the East Kootenay domi- nance finishing fourth in the seven-boat event. In his Sea Spray 15, Dave West won his second title in the Catamaran class and led an Osoyoos sweep of the top four i in that class. Ron Scott The Numbers, page B2 And once again Frost finished behind Calgary’s Colin John- ston, who was one of three out- of-towners who returned to suc- cessfully defend their titles in the West Kootenay Sailing Club’s 15th annual Regatta, which attracted 33 sailors in five classes on the east shore of Kootenay Lake. Johnston and his West. Koote- nay crew of Dan Fletcher from Trail and Doug McKay of Ross- land were fastest in five of seven races to take the title in the 13- boat field. Sailing his Martin 242, Frost was the exception to the rule in the cruiser class where four of the top five sailors, including Johnston, were aboard San Juan 21s. and Chris Christensen of Castle- gar, both sailing Dart 18s, placed sixth and seventh. Sonni Greene of Kootenay Bay was also a repeat winner in the Sailboard event while Trudi Toews and Susan Deane of Ross- land were second and third. In the X-Class Dick Pollard of Argenta was first in an Albacore 15. The fastest cruiser in the event was the Concerto, an eight-metre yacht sailed by Greg Carrier of Nelson . Bob and Fred Schutter of Gray Creek won the handicap races in the cruiser class while Pollard was back to win the Dinghies class. Glamor hard to find at a Junior A training camp By ED MILLS Staff Writer With the microscope on full power, 55 hopefuls were given four days to prove they could play Junior A hockey at the Seattle Phunderbirds training camp at the Community Com- plex. Ironically it was Labor Day, after four days of hard work for no pay, that half those players were given their walking papers by the Thunderbirds. Eighteen were cut outright while six-others were assigned to the Thunderbirds’ B.C. Junior Hockey League affiliate in Sur- re: y. Thirteen made the trip Mon- day to Seattle and, unless they are one of the four axed when the roster is trimmed in a week, they will playing their first year in the Western Hockey League — a stepping stone to the National Hockey League. The veterans, all 13 who came to the camp, made the cut. For the hopefuls, the training camp here was far from glam- orous. With practices and games on the go constantly, smelly and cold equipment, bruises barely given a chance to heal before new ones were added, glamor it wasn't. And all the time there were the 11 sets of eyes —six scouts, three coaches and two adminis- trators — always watching, with the power to decide a player’s fate with an X or a check mark beside his name. make the team, whose job it is to make training camp on the ice a living hell for rookies, just so they know it’s not minor hockey anymore. “We don't screw around here, "said Thunderbirds general manager-coach Peter Anholt. After countless training camps as player, coach and gen- eral manger of the Thunder- birds, Anholt obviously isn’t sen- timental about the subject “It’s not something we can fool around with. We have to get in there and make decisions then run with them, and that’s what we do.” Anholt said all the staff at the camp has input on the fate of all the players, but ultimately Then there ’s the 13 J. most of whom knew they would Canucks hopefuls get their chance VANCOUVER (CP) — Right- winger Kim Issel, a first-round draft choice five years ago, will be one of at least 67 players to attend the NHL training camp of the Vancouver Canucks later this week in Victoria. Free agents Issel, goaltender Dusty Imoo and defenceman Kevin Clayton were added to seoconyer training camp roster jay. Issel played for the junior Prince Albert Raiders in the Western Hockey League when he was selected 21st overall in 1986 by the Edmonton Oilers. He played four years in the Edmonton farm system, but was not-re-signed during the off-sea- son. The Canucks will undergo medical examinations Friday at the University of B.C. in Van- couver before travelling to Victo- ria for the first on-ice sessions Saturday at Memorial Arena. Also ding the Vi a camp as a free agent will be winger Jeff Larmer, younger brother of Chicago star Steve Larmer, now playing for Canada at the Canada Cup tournament. Jeff Larmer played briefly for the New Jersey Devils before spending several years in Europe. Vancouver will have its top 1991 draft choices, Hamilton winger Alex Stajanov and Peter- borough defenceman Jason Cul- limore, at training camp, although both are unsigned. Also attending will be promising defenceman Jason Herter, the Canucks’ top pick in 1989 who bypassed his final of eligibility at the University of North Dakota when he turned pro recently. Guest coaches at traini camp will be Bryan Maxwell the Memorial Cup champion . Spokane Cheifs and Jack Park- er of Boston University. the deci , and the resp: bility for those decisions, are his. And even before he gets there, he knows from experience that players usually fall into three categories. “You know, you might have a player that just knows that he’s not going to be good enough and he knows that he’s going to be released. There’s other players that know they need more devel- opment and they're willing to go to a development team. Then there’s other players that know they can play in Seattle and work to the point that they Tefuse to be cut.” The Thunderbirds director of Player personal, Jake Goertson, said it’s not all hard knocks for players. “On our scouting staff we Probably have 60 years of knowledge there, so guys get assessed pretty fairly at these things. “We sit down with guys at the start of the camp and again at the end of the camp, and we tell them exactly where we think they stand and what we think they need to work on. So most of the oe who leave there have . ‘vse in their min Of where y’re at as hockey Players. EDMONTON (CP) — Mark Messier says he has played his last game as an Edmonton Oiler and is looking for a new team. “I don't think you'll see me in that uniform again,” he said. “I'd say I’ve probably played my last game as an iler.” The 30-year-old Messier, undisputed leader of the five- time Stanley Cup champion NHL Oilers, wants $2 million in the last two years of his contract. But he says his decision is not based solely on money. “It's about winning. I thought we could win again this year. With a couple of moves before the deadline, I thought we could have won last year. And we came close. “But I see it starting to fall apart now. And at this stage of my career, the only thing that matters is winning.” Oilers president and gener- al manager Glen Sather does- n't deny that Messier, cur- rently playing with Team Canada in the Canada Cup, has probably played his last game as an Oiler. “Mark is a good guy. Mark is a good player. “When he didn't get the big paycheque, I think he made up his mind he wanted to get more money wherever he could,” said Sather. On Tuesday another Oiler defected. Adam Graves joined the New York Rangers, sign- ing a five-year deal for a reported $2.4 million US. Losing players like Graves is frustrating, Messier said. He blames the Oilers orga- nization for not trying to hold on to its long-time players. Esa Tikkanen — the team’s leading scorer last sea- son — has also said he'll leave Messier latest to announce decision to leave Oilers MARK MESSIER .. Issue isn't money Edmonton and play in Europe unless the team comes through with a substantial raise. “We still respect the orga- nization and we still respect ourselves and the fans of Edmonton,” said Messier, who missed 19 games because of injury last season. But he said the players loyalty hasn't been returned. “Forget it. There was no reward given back to those players. I wouldn't say those players who kept the dynasty alive. If that's the way it's going to be in Edmonton, I don’t want to be there.” Messier isn't fussy about where he goes. “I don't really care,” he said. “Obviously there are only four or five teams.” But, he added, he doesn't think Sather would want him to go to Los Angeles — the team filled with Oiler alumni including Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, Charlie Huddy and Marty McSorley-