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Status justified top eight reach quarter-finals

Published in Table Tennis
Friday, 07 February 2020 19:34

by Ian Marshall, Editor

Occupying the no.6 seeded position in the women’s event, she eventually overcame Chile’s Daniela Ortega, the no.9 seed (11-8, 9-11, 13-15, 11-7, 7-11, 11-3, 11-9) thus brought a trilogy of success for the host nation to a positive conclusion.

Earlier in the evening, younger sister, Adriana Diaz, the top seed and defending champion had beaten Brazil’s Jessica Yamada, the no.11 seed (11-5, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8), immediately following, cousin Brian Afanador had succeeded in the men’s competition. He overcame Guatemala’s Kevin Montufar, the no.15 seed (11-4, 11-4, 11-5, 11-3).

Three wins for Puerto Rico as expected; the only reverse was also as to be anticipated; in the men’s event, Hector Berrios experienced defeat when facing Kanak Jha of the United States, the no.2 seed and runner up one year ago (11-3, 11-6, 11-7, 11-4).

Comprehensive wins

A comprehensive win for Kanak Jha; it was the same for Brazil’s Gustavo Tsuboi, the no.3 seed and for Paraguay’s Marcelo Aguirre, the no.4 seed. Gustavo Tsuboi beat Canada’s Marko Medjugorac, the no.13 seed (11-6, 9-11, 15-13, 11-6, 11-4), Marcelo Aguirre overcame the Dominican Republic’s Emil Santos, the no.12 seed (11-9, 11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-6).

Rather differently, for Hugo Calderano, the top seed and like Gustavo Tsuboi also from Brazil, in his quest to win the title for a third consecutive year, he endured testing times. He had to recover from a two games to one deficit to beat Canada’s Jeremy Hazin, the no.10 seed (8-11, 11-3, 5-11, 11-7, 11-0, 11-8).

Men’s Singles: Quarter-Finals, Order of Play (seeded positions in brackets)

  • 11.00 Gustavo Tsuboi v Albero Miño
  • 12.40 Marcos Madrid v Kanak Jha
  • 17.00 Hugo Calderano v Horacio Cifuentes
  • 18.40 Brian Afanador v Marcelo Aguirre

Eventual success for the top four names in the men’s event, it was the same in the women’s. In addition to Adriana Diaz, Lily Zhang of the United States, the no.2 seed, beat Guatemala’s Mabelyn Enriquez, the no.13 seed (11-1, 11-5, 11-1, 11-2), colleague Wu Yue the no.3 seed, ousted Canada’s Sophie Gauthier, the no.15 seed.

Not to be outdone, Zhang Mo, the no.4 seed, ended the hopes of the Dominican Republic’s Eva Brito, the no.14 seed (11-2, 11-7, 11-4, 11-6).

Women’s Singles: Quarter-Finals, Order of Play (seeded positions in brackets)

  • 11.50 Paulina Vega v Wu Yue
  • 13.30 Zhang Mo ) v Bruna Takahashi
  • 17.50 Melanie Diaz v Lily Zhang
  • 19.30 Adriana Diaz v Yadira Silva

The quarter-finals of both the men’s and women’s events will be played to a conclusion on Saturday 8th February.

Former champions Marwan and Miguel make Motor City exits

Published in Squash
Friday, 07 February 2020 21:57

Mohamed ElSherbini takes out Miguel Rodriguez      Pictures: HENRY PAYNE

Top seed Elias rises above Motor City mayhem
By MATT SCHOCH – Squash Mad Correspondent

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan – There will be a new champion at the 21st annual Motor City Open presented by Sturbridge Capital this weekend at Birmingham Athletic Club.

Two more former champs, #2 seed Marwan ElShorbagy and #4 seed Miguel Rodriguez, went down in upsets Friday courtesy of, respectively, #7 seed Leo Au and Mohamed ElSherbini. The latter will join France’s Benjamin Aubert as unseeded players in the final four Saturday. Meanwhile, top seed Diego Elias of Peru cruised.

The evening featured two epic matches and two quick dispatches – the latter pair ending in under 30 minutes.

There was little drama for World #6 Elias as he easily downed eight-seed Cesar Salazar of Mexico, 11-8, 11-2, 11-3 in 29 minutes.

“We’ve played so many times and I know he’s always a tough player, he had a tough match (Thursday),” said Elias, who is being coached this week by his father, Jose, and two-time MCO champion Jonathon Power. “I just wanted to play smart and with a lot of pace, and I think it worked.”

There was high drama elsewhere on the Birmingham Athletic Club courts as Benjamin Aubert of France and Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi of Qatar battled for five games and 100 minutes.

Aubert won the first two games 13-11 and 11-5 and fought off a game ball in the third in dramatic fashion – the Frenchman going behind the back to keep a ball alive while Al Tamimi pulled a full-length dive in a point that Aubert eventually won. Al Tamimi would take the game 14-12, then the next, 15-13, in another nailbiter.

Al Tamimi suffered an ankle injury in the fifth game. After play resumed, Aubert took control – finishing off his opponent 11-3 and falling to the ground in jubilation.

“I am very happy,” said Aubert, after making three calls home to France to his parents, grandparents, and girlfriend after the match. “I felt bad for him (after the injury).

“It was a very tough match. I’m shaking. We’re both athletic players, so I had to make him work harder physically. In the front, he was so talented … it worked at the end because I was more focused and more fresh physically.”

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Unseeded ElSherbini of Egypt provided perhaps the tourney’s biggest surprise as he easily dispatched 2015 MCO champion and #4 seed Rodriguez of Colombia, 11-3, 11-4, 11-8.

Seven-seed Leo Au of Hong Kong took out the 2018 MCO champion ElShorbagy of Egypt in 86 minutes, 8-11, 11-6, 11-5, 7-11, 13-11.

“I think because I don’t have pressure because he’s the higher seed, I just relaxed and play,” Au said. “At the end it was 50-50. It was very close.”

In a tense game five, Au and world #8 ElShorbagy were tied, at 8-8, 9-9, 10-10, 11-11, before Au earned the win. He said it was one of the best victories of his career.

“I’m really happy for my result,” Au said. “Now I have to get myself prepared, recover well, and stay focused.”

In Saturday’s semis, Elias will play Aubert, while ElSherbini takes on Au. Based on the way things have been going, it’s anyone’s guess who will claim the championship – although we know it’ll be a new man gaining first-time MCO glory.

“You never know, on the court it’s one man against one man,” Aubert said. “Everything can happen.”

PSA World Tour Silver $76,000 Men’s Motor City Open presented by Sturbridge Capital, Birmingham Athletic Club, Bloomfield Hills, Detroit, USA.


Quarter-finals:
[1] Diego Elias (PER) beat [8] Cesar Salazar (MEX) 11-8, 11-2, 11-3
Benjamin Aubert (FRA) beat [9/16] Abdulla Al-Tamimi (QAT) 13-11, 11-5, 14-12, 13-15, 11-3
[9/16] Mohamed Elsherbini (EGY) beat [4] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) 11-3, 11-4, 11-8
[7] Leo Au (HKG) beat [2] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) 8-11, 11-6, 11-5, 7-11, 13-11

Saturday schedule, Semi-finals:
[1] Diego Elias (PER) v Benjamin Aubert (FRA) 5pm, Court 3
[9/16] Mohamed Elsherbini (EGY) v [7] Leo Au (HKG) 6pm, Court 3

Final: Sunday, 5:30pm
 

Pictures by HENRY PAYNE courtesy of MCO 

Posted on February 8, 2020

Millbridge & KKM Awarding Another Chili Bowl Ride

Published in Racing
Friday, 07 February 2020 15:28

SALISBURY, N.C. – After a successful inaugural run in 2018, Millbridge Speedway officials confirmed Friday afternoon that the Keith Kunz Motorsports Giveback Classic presented by Toyota Racing Development will return to the sixth-mile dirt oval, Nov. 2-4.

On the line, just as it was in the inaugural edition of the race, will be a guaranteed Chili Bowl ride from Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports.

A $10,000 bonus will be on offer should a driver decline the KKM Chili Bowl seat.

“For 2020, we got together with Jeremy and Ashly Burnett at Millbridge, and decided to have the KKM Giveback Classic presented by TRD again,” Kunz relayed Friday from Bubba Raceway Park. “It’ll be more of a format like we’re used to with midgets (on a regular basis).

“We want to see the guys qualify, so there will be qualifying, which is unusual for the micros … but then it’ll be a heat race (and) qualifier format from then on into the features,” he added. “It’s open to everyone, and the grand prize will be the Chili Bowl ride.”

The second annual KKM Giveback Classic presented by TRD will feature non-winged micro sprints, as opposed to Open outlaw karts, following the success of the micro division during the TRD Micro Showdown at Millbridge last fall.

Micro sprints will also race regularly at Millbridge this season, competing seven times on Wednesday nights and also racing on multiple Saturdays at the Salisbury, N.C. dirt track as well.

The 2020 KKM Giveback Classic presented by TRD will be comprised of time trials, heat races, qualifying races and alphabet mains, leading up to a 67-lap, $5,000-to-win grand finale with the Chili Bowl seat on offer.

However, knowing that many participating drivers might not yet be at the minimum age threshold to compete at the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals – drivers must be 16 or older to race at Tulsa Expo Raceway – Kunz and the Burnetts developed a contingency plan for that and other situations as well.

“Not everyone is eligible to race the Chili Bowl, and some guys might already have rides or won’t want the ride, so with that in mind we’re offering the $10,000 option for the winner to take if they decline the ride, in addition to the $5,000 base purse,” Kunz explained. “So this race could pay $15,000 to win if a driver decides to go that route.”

Jesse Colwell was the winner of the inaugural KKM Giveback Classic in 2018, and parlayed his victory into a full-season ride with KKM that netted him a POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League championship.

After a one-year layoff from helping to hand out a Chili Bowl ride, the Burnetts are eager to renew the tradition this fall and help to potentially change the life of one lucky racer.

“Jeremy and I are really excited for everything that Keith and everybody at TRD and Toyota have done for us,” said Millbridge Speedway co-promoter Ashly Burnett. “They’ve basically changed our race track and our lives, so we’re really honored and excited to be back with Keith again and excited to see what the micro sprint guys will do.

“We’re excited to showcase the micro sprint guys; we’ve always been outlaw kart people and we stick by them, but we’re looking forward to showcasing something different this fall as well.”

Langdon Sets Pace During Winternationals Qualifying

Published in Racing
Friday, 07 February 2020 18:54

POMONA, Calif. – Shawn Langdon kicked off the season opener in style, grabbing the Top Fuel provisional No. 1 qualifier spot on Friday at the 60th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com after making the switch from Funny Car back to Top Fuel.

Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) also claimed provisional No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona during the first of 24 races on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

Langdon knocked off Brittany Force during Q2 to claim the quickest run with a pass of 3.699-seconds at 322.42 mph in his DHL Toyota Top Fuel Dragster to kick off the season. Langdon is looking to start off the season strong after a two year hiatus in the Top Fuel class to run Funny Car. Langdon is chasing his third No. 1 qualifier at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, and 19th of his career.

“There are tracks you go to and it seems like everything just clicks. I could stage this thing in reverse and it seems like it just works out. There are tracks you go to and it feels like you fall out of bed awkwardly. Pomona is one of those tracks I feel like I’ve had good success at. I’m just excited about today. It’s a good start,” said Langdon. “Every run we’re making small little changes trying to get me more comfortable. It’s a big change going back from a Funny Car to a dragster. We feel confident right now. For Connie (Kalitta, owner and crew chief), I know he’s excited.”

Brittany Force follows close behind in second with a 3.706-second pass at 329.10 mph, with Leah Pritchett seeded in third after a 3.715-second pass at 324.75 mph.

Hagan is looking to continue the momentum from 2019, posting a 3.867-second run at 331.20 mph to grab the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot for Funny Car in his MOPAR/Pennzoil/Sandvik Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. If it holds, Hagan will grab his 37th career No. 1 qualifier and fifth at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Jack Beckman is currently seeded second with a 3.868-second pass at 326.95 mph, while defending Funny Car champion Robert Hight trails close behind in third with a 3.885-second run at 330.31 mph.

Pro Stock’s Jeg Coughlin Jr. sits in the provisional No. 1 qualifier spot with a 6.530-second run at 210.73 mph pass. If the position holds, this will be Coughlin’s 33rd career No. 1 qualifier. Close behind him in second place is Coughlin’s Elite Motorsports teammate and three-time Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders, who ran a 6.552 seconds at 210.70 mph. Kenny Delco follows close behind in third after running a 6.553-second pass at 210.60 mph.

USAC Midget Opener Goes To Tanner Thorson

Published in Racing
Friday, 07 February 2020 20:05

OCALA, Fla. – If Tanner Thorson’s preliminary-night victory at the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals wasn’t enough proof that he’s back to full song, Friday night’s race at Bubba Raceway Park was a dead giveaway.

Thorson, who has risen valiantly from injuries sustained in a highway accident last March, put that storyline to bed for good with an emphatic win during the season opener for the NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Series.

The Minden, Nev., native stormed past leader Buddy Kofoid on a lap-15 restart and never looked back en route to his 14th career USAC national midget triumph and first-career win at the Florida half-mile.

It was a runaway performance in the second half and a shot across the bow to the rest of the field, a message that Thorson is back – perhaps as good as he’s ever been.

“Man, this is good,” said Thorson in victory lane. “We’ve had a lot of speed here with this (No.) 19 car. I’ve got Lee Lindgren out here from California crew chiefing; he’s my dude man. He’s my best friend and I enjoy racing with him. He’s done so much for me. This whole car, with OilFire Whiskey coming on board for Chili Bowl and then this season, it’s been pretty special and allows us to get what we need for this thing to make it fast.

“This track’s pretty difficult to race on; it’s really technical, but in a good way,” Thorson added. “I can’t thank Bubba (Clem) and this whole track crew enough, because this track was really badass. I just knew I had to capitalize on that restart to get to the lead, and luckily we were able to do that. Now I’m looking forward to tomorrow night and seeing what we can do then.

“I want to give a big shout out to my dad, too. It’s his birthday today, so to win is pretty dang cool.”

Thorson had to come from fifth on the grid to reign victorious Friday night, with defending series champion Tyler Courtney leading the field to green from the pole alongside Jerry Coons Jr.

That outside lane prevailed on the initial start, with Coons jetting out to the early lead and playing masterful defense to keep Courtney behind him, but behind both of them was a charging Buddy Kofoid who was taking no prisoners in the opening laps.

Kofoid found speed on the cushion quickly, using it to blast past Courtney off turn four for second on the seventh lap, then quickly close in on Coons for the point position after that.

A similar high-side maneuver gave Kofoid the momentum he needed to work clear for the race lead off turn two, pouncing on the 11th circuit to assume command.

Tanner Thorson celebrates in victory lane Friday at Bubba Raceway Park. (David Sink photo)

However, Thorson was closing behind him, and by the time the yellow flag waved for the first time with 14 laps scored, the 2016 USAC National Midget Series champion was the runner-up and smelled blood in the water.

After a spin-and-stall by Jesse Colwell at the base of turn two, racing resumed with Thorson lobbing a bomb on the restart to take control in turns one and two, leaving Kofoid to deal with a quickly-closing Chris Windom for the second half while the Hayward Motorsports No. 19 raced off into the night.

As Thorson extended his lead to more than a second, Windom eventually wrested runner-up honors from Kofoid, but could do little to close on the race lead and take a shot. Not even a final restart, set up by the slowing car of Robert Dalby at the exit of turn two, could keep Thorson from victory in the end.

He raced away by 1.969 seconds over the last seven laps, while Windom held off Kofoid for second.

“Obviously you want to come out and win the first race of the year, but we’ve been good all week so far. Tanner was just a little better than us there at the end,” Windom said. “I couldn’t get to him. It was like we were the same speed after that restart, and I just couldn’t quite do anything to gain on him so I could make a move on him. And then when we got to lap cars, it hurt him one car and I’d get hurt the next car. So we kind of just stayed in the same spot.

“Hats off to those guys, though, because they were good.”

Courtney faded to fourth at the checkered flag, followed by Cannon McIntosh, Zeb Wise, fast qualifier Kevin Thomas Jr., Jerry Coons Jr., Daison Pursley and Andrew Layser.

To view complete race results, advance to the next page.

Schatz Denies Schuchart In World Of Outlaws Kickoff

Published in Racing
Friday, 07 February 2020 21:16

BARBERVILLE, Fla. – There were two beaming faces on the Volusia Raceway Park frontstretch following Friday night’s 30-lap World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series feature.

Both winner Donny Schatz and runner-up Logan Schuchart were stoked by the crowd pleasing battle they’d just staged, though Schatz got the edge to win the first Outlaw feature of the new year.

Schuchart got the drop on polesitter Schatz on the initial break, then lost the lead and had to wrestle it back from the perennial championship contender.

With the white flag close at hand, Schuchart seemed headed for victory, but as happens so often in sprint car racing, second was the place to be.

“He set me up just right,” said a grinning Schuchart. “If I had to pick somebody I didn’t want behind me at the end of the race, I’d choose him. But this was our best finish here ever and a great race with one of the best racers of all time, so we’re happy.

“They reworked the track before the feature and it was so slick in spots that I almost spun out,” Schuchart noted. “I saved it, but even when I was leading all those laps, I knew nothing is ever wrapped up with Donny behind me.”

After the Pennsylvanian led the opening lap in his grandfather Bobby Allen’s Drydene No. 1a, Schatz drove right around him in turn two the next time around and the huge crowd packed into the speedway’s new high-rise grandstand figured the Advance Auto Parts No. 15 was headed right to victory lane.

Schuchart thought differently, though. When Schatz hit traffic on lap five, he began closing. Two laps later, he drove under the leader as they exited turn four of the Florida half-mile.

Behind the lead duo, Sweet had moved from sixth to third and before the lap counter hit 10 he was all over Schatz for second. He got even a few times but lost his momentum when a harmless spin by Chad Kemenah on lap 13 brought out the first yellow.

With a return to green, Schuchart again drove away from the field and was back lapping the tailenders by lap 18, with Schatz, Sweet, Parker Price-Miller and Kerry Madsen running behind him.

As Schatz always does, he turned up the wick when the lap counter hit 20. He first caught Schuchart, then started diving inside him as they hit the turns.

Donny Schatz celebrates in victory lane at Volusia Speedway Park on Friday night. (Shawn Cooper photo)

Nothing worked until lap 27, when Schuchart filled the lower groove as they hit turn four and Schatz sailed around him coming to the stripe and drove away.

“He was good in the middle and I slid him once and didn’t make it,” explained Schatz. “I guess I lost my bearings there for a while, but I got going, got up behind him and started trying different parts of the track. That’s what you’re supposed to do.

“I finally found the right spot, and it worked out for us.”

Sweet, who had a win and a second during the All Stars segment of the DIRTcar Nationals in Kasey Kahne’s NAPA No. 49, had to settle for third.

“We were trying hard, but they were too,” said Sweet. “We just needed to be a little better.  The track has been good two of the three nights so far, and it was really fast tonight.”

Price-Miller was fourth after trading the spot back and forth with fast-timer David Gravel, up from seventh. Gravel crossed fifth ahead of Madsen, Carson Macedo, Daryn Pittman, Tim Shaffer in Tony Stewart’s No. 14 and Thursday night winner Aaron Reutzel.

Lucas Wolfe claimed the star-studded B-main.

To view complete race results, advance to the next page.

It’s Mason Zeigler In An East Bay Photo Finish

Published in Racing
Friday, 07 February 2020 21:55

TAMPA, Fla. – Past Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Rookie of the Year Mason Zeigler narrowly edged out Kyle Bronson to win Friday night’s Wrisco Industries Winternationals feature at East Bay Raceway Park.

For Zeigler, it was his second career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win, with both coming at East Bay.

A caution with nine laps to go set up a frantic single-file restart. Zeigler made a charge to the lead before he and Bronson traded the lead twice in the final four laps, with Zeigler ultimately winning by a scant .068 seconds.

Bronson finished second in the Brandon Ford Rocket, with Brandon Sheppard taking third in the Valvoline-backed Mark Richards Racing Rocket House Car.

Tyler Erb finished in fourth, followed by Jonathan Davenport, who completed the top five.

Before a packed house, Sheppard bolted to the lead early over Tyler Erb and Jimmy Owens, with the perennial World of Outlaws Late Model Series dominator in search of his third win of the week.

Sheppard held off Erb for the first eight laps of the race until the first caution came out. On the restart, Bronson gained the lead for the first time in the race, as he passed Sheppard for the top spot. Sheppard fell to second, with Owens still holding the third spot.

On lap 17, Josh Richards, who was running fourth after starting 10th, slowed with drive line failure. On the restart, a long green flag run opened up for 24 laps, with Bronson holding the point.

With 10 laps to go the running order was Bronson, Sheppard, Erb, Jonathan Davenport and Zeigler.

A caution for a slowing Boom Briggs on lap 41 set up a classic East Bay finish.

On the restart with nine laps to go, Bronson carried the lead to within five laps of victory, but Zeigler was picking off cars one by one as he climbed to third and then eventually second with four laps remaining.

Mason Zeigler (25) edges Kyle Bronson to win Friday at East Bay Raceway Park. (Jim DenHamer photo)

Zeigler and Bronson then staged an epic battle for the race lead, with Bronson yielding the lead to Zeigler on lap 48, but coming back to lead at the white flag.

On the final lap, Zeigler went back around Bronson and as they came to the checkers, Zeigler edged Bronson by a nose for his first series win since winning at East Bay in 2016.

Zeigler, the 2018 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Rookie of the Year, was ecstatic with the win before a cheering crowd in victory lane.

“I knew Kyle (Bronson) was going to be tough because that cushion was still pretty good up there. The cautions really helped me, because their tires were getting a little cool and I could just work that middle (groove),” Zeigler explained. “I knew if I could just get ahead of him, clear him, and take his nose getting into (turns) one and two, we could drive away.

“He gave me all I wanted. I didn’t expect that slider. I didn’t think he’d be able to pull up alongside me again, and he sure as heck did. We just had barely enough room there,” Zeigler added. “I did everything I could not to door him; it’s just hard-core racing. This place is elbows up and get after it. We’re just happy to come out here and put on a show.”

Bronson was looking for his second career series win during the East Bay Winternationals, and led 40 of the 50 laps, but came up just short.

“The late caution definitely hurt me there. I felt like I had a little bit of a gap before that happened, but we had a 1300 on, and them guys had a 40 on,” noted Bronson. “At the end there, when we fired up with nine laps to go, I knew my tire was done. I drove as hard as I could, I felt like, without putting it into the fence.

“Mason did a good job. He raced me hard, he raced me clean, and I wasn’t going to wreck him as clean as he raced me. That was all I could do to hold him back; I just couldn’t beat that tire,” Bronson said. “He did a good job. I have to thank my guys, though. We destroyed a car this week and put this crate car together, and came back and raced last night. I’ve got some momentum going now and hopefully we’ll win $12,000 tomorrow.”

Sheppard was on a mission to win his third race of the week and led the first eight laps, ultimately taking another podium finish.

“At the beginning, I was going too hard and was overheating my tires on the long runs. Every time I tried to move down, I wasn’t any good, but it was because I was overheating my tires,” Sheppard noted. “I think Mason had a little different tire than we did, and that probably helped him get down there in the black.

“Once Kyle passed me there I was just kind of just riding behind him.”

The finish:

Mason Zeigler, Kyle Bronson, Brandon Sheppard, Tyler Erb, Jonathan Davenport, Mike Marlar, Tim McCreadie, Tanner English, Brian Shirley, Tyler Bruening, Devin Moran, Jimmy Owens, Hudson O’Neal, Dennis Erb Jr., Billy Moyer Jr., Shane Clanton, Stormy Scott, Chase Junghans, Shanon Buckingham, Pearson Lee Williams, G.R. Smith, Boom Briggs, Earl Pearson Jr., Jadon Frame, Josh Richards, Brian Birkhofer, Charles Powell, Billy Moyer, Colton Flinner, Freddie Carpenter.

Ex-Maple Leafs defenseman Glennie dies at 73

Published in Hockey
Friday, 07 February 2020 15:39

TORONTO -- Brian Glennie, a hard-hitting defenseman who spent most of his 10-year NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, has died. He was 73.

Glennie, who was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, helped the national team win Olympic bronze at the 1968 Winter Games in Grenoble, France, under Father David Bauer.

The Maple Leafs confirmed his death on Friday.

There was no immediate word on the cause of death, although he had been in ill health. Funeral arrangements were pending.

"The Maple Leafs are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Brian Glennie," the team said on Twitter. "Glennie was named one of the 100 Greatest Maple Leafs of all time and played over 500 games on the blue line in Toronto. Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time."

Glennie was No. 94 on the 2016 list, part of the franchise's centennial anniversary.

Glennie, born on Aug. 29, 1946, in Toronto, captained the AHL Toronto Marlies to a 1967 Memorial Cup win on a team that included Brad Park and Mike Pelyk. He spent time at Michigan State before splitting the 1968-69 season with the minor league Rochester American and Tulsa Oilers.

After nine seasons with the Maple Leafs, he finished his career in 1978-79 with the Los Angeles Kings.

Over 572 career NHL regular-season games, Glennie had 14 goals, 100 assists and 621 penalty minutes. He had one assist in 32 playoff games, all with the Maple Leafs. He played more games on the blue line than any other Toronto player in the '70s.

Glennie's hip checks stopped many opposing players in mid-stride. Former tough guy John Ferguson called him "an old-style standup hitter."

Glennie was easy to spot with a mop of hair and, then later in his career, a helmet that looked like a bowling ball.

While Glennie gave out hits, he also absorbed them and was on the wrong end of an infamous incident in 1975 at Maple Leaf Gardens after he was blindsided by Detroit's Dan Maloney. Irate at Glennie's hit on a teammate, Maloney jumped the defenseman from behind, rode him down and then smashed him into the ice.

Knocked unconscious, Glennie was taken to hospital with a concussion. Maloney was charged with assault causing bodily harm the next day but was later acquitted.

Maloney died in 2018 at the age of 68.

Glennie took his tough-guy style to the advertising world, joining forces with fellow Leafs player Lanny McDonald for a Swanson's Hungry-Man dinner ad that saw Glennie rip the freezer door off to get his meal.

Glennie was named to the Canadian roster for the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union, but he was an extra player and did not play in any of the eight games.

A back injury forced Glennie to retire from hockey. Later in life, he moved to Ottawa to be closer to his grandchildren.

PEBBLE BEACH, Fla. – So, this balloon therapy’s working out well.

Jason Day isn’t just becoming a big hit at children’s birthday parties, with growing skill blowing and shaping balloons into a variety of farm animals, he’s also learning to shape shots without as much pain again.

But . . .

“If you need a kids’ party, I can do it for you,” he cracked.

Day was just joking with media about his thoracic therapy routine after Friday’s round at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but he saved the real fun for the course, showing signs his ailing back is growing strong enough to allow him to contend for titles again.

With an 8-under-par 64 at Pebble Beach Golf Links, Day is in weekend position to end a nearly two-year victory drought and a frustrating slide in the world rankings. He’s just two shots behind the 36-hole leader, Nick Taylor.

Nick Taylor followed up Thursday's 63 with a second-round, 6-under 66 at Pebble Beach to take a two-shot lead over Jason Day at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

“I love everything about Pebble and the landscape that all three golf courses are on,” Day said.

And why wouldn’t he? Day has done everything but win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. 

He has finished T-5 or better in four of his last five starts in the event.

“I don't know why I play well here,” Day said. “I would like to change having the Top-5s. I would like to win. That's the main goal is to try and win one.”

Day is looking for his 13th PGA Tour title, his first in nearly two years.

This is only Day’s second start since withdrawing from the Presidents Cup in December with back pain. It troubled him most of last season, so much so that he wondered if he would ever completely heal.

“It gets frustrating,” he said. “Not only do you get frustrated, you don't get the results and you lose confidence.”

That frustration, he said, creates temptation to blame others.

“You’re just trying to find a solution as to why you’re not playing well, and 'Why is this happening?’” he said. “And you feel like your world is kind of crumbling around yourself . . . And it's not a good feeling, because there are some dark moments in there that you’ve got to kind of fight through.”

Though Day reigned as the world No. 1 for a total of 51 weeks in his three runs to the top of the rankings, he has steadily slid the last year. He was No. 10 coming to Pebble Beach a year ago but arrived at No. 46 this week, putting him in danger of moving outside the top 50 for the first time in almost a decade.

In a tough stretch last year, Day wondered how much longer he really had left.

“I was playing bad golf and I was also injured,” Days said. “I talked to my wife about this a lot. I'm like, 'I think I'm nearly done here,’ just because of how much pain I was in. And then, on top of it, how stressful it is to play competitive golf, week-in and week-out, and trying to live up to the expectations, not only with yourself, but with what everyone else thinks that you should be doing.”

That balloon therapy has helped.

“It’s called PRI,” he said.

Day blows up balloons for 30 minutes at a time under a trainer’s supervision to correct issues with his rib cage and “pelvic floor” alignment, which helps his lower back.

While Day still has discomfort, and has to monitor how much he practices, he’s in a better place.

In fact, if he can get himself to the top of the leaderboard by weekend’s end, he’ll be in the best kind of place.

“I've been very blessed to be able to play this many years out here,” Day said. “So, I'm trying to be as disciplined as I can, to extend my career for even longer, because I actually I really enjoy this game. I love this game.”

And he would really love to win again.

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Chris Baker is a 33-year-old journeyman who marvels at all the crazy twists and turns in his road to the PGA Tour, at the exotic and not-so exotic stops along the way.

From little Seymour, Indiana, as a kid to the far-flung reaches of Kazakhstan, Morocco and Moscow as a pro, Baker has felt a sense of wonder in so many of these places, but never quite like what he felt Friday as a rookie climbing on to the leaderboard at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Baker shot an 8-under 64 in his first time around Pebble Beach Golf Links to move into weekend contention. He’s four shots off the lead.

“Pebble Beach is my new favorite golf course,” Baker said.

Technically, it wasn’t his first time around Pebble Beach. He played a practice round Wednesday.

Baker said walking around the hedge at the fourth tee to see rugged shoreline of Stillwater Cove sprawl out in front of him for the first time was breathtaking.

“I’m like, 'Wow, that’s incredible,’” Baker said.

Baker didn’t come flying out of Iowa State and take professional golf by storm. He bounced back and forth around the Hooters Tour, the eGolf Professional Tour, Europe’s Challenge Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour before finally earning his PGA Tour card last year.

He got to see St. Basil’s and the Kremlin in Red Square along his way.

He won in Morocco.

Golf has taken him to so many thrilling places, but none more so than Pebble Beach.

“There are times where it's tough, but there are also times like today, where you play Pebble Beach and you shoot 64,” Baker said. “So, that's pretty hard not to just smile about and be really happy.”

Baker opened his rookie season missing four consecutive cuts. He has missed seven of 10 so far, but he knows a lot tougher spells than that. He knows what it’s like to have his back against the wall, with almost nothing in his bank account. He knows hard work has always helped him find a way.

“You never know when the next opportunity is, and just kind of keep plodding along and try and stay upbeat,” Baker said. “I mean, I've beaten myself up enough, so you just try to stay up and keep moving forward.”

As wonders of the world continue to unfold around him.

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