HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-07-14, Page 8PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 1999.
From the sidelines
Canadiana key
in this debate
By Hugh
Nichol
Canadian cul
ture, Canadian
heritage, and a
key element of
Canadian life
are all phrases
about to be
debated in the House of Commons
over the next several months.
The six Canadian NHL teams
have finally surrendered to the
unfairness of the economic market
between Canada and the United
States and have asked the
government for tax-related
assistance although “NOT” in the
form of rebates or funding.
Subsidy is a word the NHL
owners cannot use for they know
that while the Canadian people are
hockey fans they will not allow the
government to use their tax earnings
to subsidize athletes whose average
salary is $ L2 million a year.
What they are asking for is a
reduction of property and capital
taxes either by waiver or a new
method of calculation. Each
Canadian team pays an average of
$3.6 million and while the thought
of any level of government
foregoing tax money seems almost
laughable the idea has met with
success locally upon requests by
Legions in Brussels, Kincardine and
Wingham.
Following a recent summit
meeting between NHL delegates
and a parliamentary committee
Industry Minister John Manley did
not deny that $15 million in lottery
revenue monies could be made
available annually, but made it
understood that the federal
government is not willing to be the
only solution to the problem, that
any financial resources would have
to involve all levels of
administration as well as increased
NHL participation.
Of course the true reason behind
the Canadian teams instability is not
taxation but the weak Canadian
dollar. It is estimated that 80 per
cent of a team’s operating costs are
salaries and while income is
Canadian, payables are not. So
Pre-Mites enjoy big win
On Monday, July 5 the Brussels
Pre-Mites hosted Wingham in
regular season play.
In the first inning Brussels held
Wingham to two runs, then sent the
maximum 10 batters to the plate
scoring eight to take the lead.
Again in the second inning
Wingham was held to two runs. In
their half of the inning Brussels
notched seven more to take a 15 - 2
lead.
In the third inning continued
good defensive play held the
visitors off the scoreboard. Brussels
erupted for seven more runs to take
a 22 - 4 lead.
Wingham mounted a small
comeback scoring four runs in the^
fourth while Brussels was kept off
unless the Canadian dollar returns to
par status or we appropriate the U.S.
dollar as our domestic currency, the
playing field will never be level.
Canadian teams therefore must
survive by being financially frugal.
While they may not be able to adopt
a win now philosophy with free
agent spendings they can remain
competitive by being selective in
their signings and not having high
priced veterans playing third line
roles.
In the early years of the NHL
there was a limit on player spending
as well as a provision stating a
player’s maximum salary and
although the spendthrifts in Detroit,
New York and Dallas will
undoubtedly vote against any
motion, a key negotiating point in
the next collective bargaining
agreement will be a salary cap and
revenue sharing.
Perhaps the NHI could implement
the grid system used by the Huron
County employees, a concept I am
sure the human resource person will
be happy to discuss with
Commissioner Bettman.
Unfortunately the present
agreement doesn’t expire until the
year 2004. Can the Canadian teams
survive five more years under the
existing conditions?
Ottawa has already stated this
could be their last year in our
nation’s capital although on a more
casual note many fail to see how a
few less Senators on Parliament Hill
has a downside.
Yet there is no denying American
cities are ready and willing to annex
Canadian teams. Houston and
Oklahoma City both made the final
list of expansion applicants in 1997
with Cleveland, Kansas City and
Portland remaining possibilities.
The NHL’s request for funding is
not an impossibility but must not
come at the expense of education or
health care. And although we are a
hockey nation there may be simply
too many who agree with the
Council of Canadians Executive
Director Peter Bleyer when he said,
‘It.would be nice to see corporations
tafce responsibility for their own
mess.”
the scoreboard.
In the final inning Wingham
scored one more run while Brussels
countered with five to make the
score 27 - 9.
Westin McLeod led the Brussels
attack going four for four at the
plate which included two
homeruns. Brianne Wheeler,
Brendan Stretton, Andrew Lindsay,
Bradley Quesenberry, Cole
McLean, Anthony Lichty and
Christine Bone also had perfect
plate appearances. Lindsay and
Quesenberry also hit homeruns.
Defensively fine plays were
made by Wheeler, Lindsay,
Stretton and Dustin Lichty.
The victory ups Brussels record
to four and 0 on the season.
Brussels Tiger pitcher Doug Conley gets ready to fire one
past the Goderich Gardiners batter in a contest at home
on Wednesday night.
Walton Girls rebound
Though shutout in the first inning,
the Walton PeeWee Girls rebounded
to more than double their Belmore
opponent in a July 6 contest.
First to the plate, Belmore knocked
in the first three batters before
Walton earned an out.
Shortstop Michelle Cook made a
great stop on a nasty hit then threw
the ball to Krista Shortreed at third
for the force out.
Quick thinking by pitcher Sarah
McDonald cut down a runner trying
to steal home when she threw the
ball to catcher Carrie Leonhardt for
the out.
Belmore continued to add to their
total in the second when they tacked
on eight for a 12-0 lead.
The outs came when first base
player Jessica Lubbers nabbed the
shot and touch the bag for the first
out. Then, quick reflexes by pitcher
Cook allowed her to grab a bunted
ball and tag out a runner heading for
home. The third out came when
Mandy Mitchell at second caught a
Blyth loses big to Wroxeter
It was a blowout for the Wrox
eter Squirts when they challenged
Blyth, July 6.
Blyth’s Kyle Procter was the
only player to touch base in their
first at-bat when he took a walk.
Following a Wroxeter triple,
Blyth’s catcher Blake Miller made
a nice throw to second where a
player was tagged out.
A triple from Nick Stryker and a
Kyle McNeil double helped get
Blyth in the game, tying the score
at three.
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hot shot and got the force out.
Though far behind, Walton would
not be held down.
Cook led off the bottom of the sec
ond with a walk then was pushed
around the bases when Leonhardt
and Mitchell got on.
Walks were issued to Melissa
Beuerman, Lubbers, Missy Souch
and Crystal Gibbons before
McDonald earned a hit.- Shortreed
walked then Cook and leonhardt hit
her home.
Eleven runs crossed the plate.
Walton shut down the opposition
in the third when Cook struck out the
first batter then first base player Jen
McClure grabbed a hard hit ball and
made the out on a close call.
After walking one and giving up a
hit, Cook struck out the batter to
close out the inning.
Down by just one run, Walton
blew the game open in their at-bat.
Twelve walks were issued to
Walton players with intermittent hits
for an additional 14 runs.
The home team took the lead
again with a homer in the bottom of
the third though the damage was
limited by a double play turned by
Procter at second and strong work
from Trevor Hopf.
Miller slapped the last Blyth hit,
a triple in the fourth, when they
were held off the pads in the fifth.
In spite of a nice double play by
pitcher Darcey Cook to get the final
out, Wroxeter took the game 20-7.
Squirts lose
to Wingham
On July 7 Brussels Squirt Boys
met Wingham in Brussels.
Wingham started off with a
couple of singles which later
scored. Chris Corbett caught two
pop flies in left field and threw one
in to third base to get the third out
and end the inning. In the home
half, Wingham struck out the first
two batters. Chase Chapman
walked to first and scored on
Steven Ropp's single. Ropp scored
on an overthrow and the inning
ended with the third strikeout.
Wingham scored one run in the
second and the next three batters
got out. Brussels had a short at bat
with three up, three out.
In the third inning, Wingham had
four up three down. Brussels had
five up three down and left the
bases loaded.
Wingham turned on the power in
the fourth scoring four runs.
Brussels once again failed to score.
In the fifth inning, Wingham
scored five runs before being
retired. Then Chapman hit a single
and came home by Ropp's
homerun. The final score was 12-
4 for Wingham.
On July 8 Brussels visited
Walton B. Cory Chapman started
off the scoring when hit by the
pitch he eventually scored on a
single by brother Chase. Walton
had three up three down in the
home half.
Chris Ulman was hit by pitch and
stole home to get Brussels only run
in the second. Walton scored two
runs on Andrew VanVliet’s double
who also managed to steal home,
putting Walton up 3 - 2 at the end
of the second.
Cory Chapman hit a double in
the third and was hit home by
Corbett. Ropp hit a single and was
walked home. The bases were left
loaded after a couple of walks and
another strikeout.
Walton scored two runs in the
bottom of the inning.
Cory Chapman once again was
hit by a pitch and eventually stole
home to score. Chase Chapman and
Ropp both walked to first and stole
home. The other three batters were
struck out or popped out.
Walton managed to bring in three
runs to end the fourth. The game
was tied at eight apiece.
Neither Brussels nor Walton
were able to score in the fifth and
the game ended in a tie.
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