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HomeSportsHart AttackHARTLEY’S HART ATTACK – (COVID-19 rules the roost) January 7th, 2022 EDITION...

HARTLEY’S HART ATTACK – (COVID-19 rules the roost) January 7th, 2022 EDITION 870

Everyone one of us is sick and tired of hearing in different forms about COVID-19.

I got fatigued in 2020, not from the virus but from the constant barrage of information.

It got worse last year and here again in 2022, get ready for more stories, solutions, points, and counter-points, theories, variants, and the list goes on and on.

COVID-19 will continue to dominate the headlines whether we like it or not.

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I would like to deliver a radio newscast without making reference to it, but that is not realistic.

In the foreseeable future, it will continue to impact our lives, some way more severely than others.

I have the utmost respect for the many people that make a living dealing first-hand with the virus.

In the big picture, the COVID-19 impact on sports and entertainment is inconsequential compared to the importance it has on real life, real hospitalizations, real trauma, and unfortunately real death.

I want to make sure I am clear about priorities before discussing games that have been postponed.

Because of COVID, WHL, BCHL, and NHL schedules have become a mess.

The Prince George Cougars, PG Spruce Kings, and Vancouver Canucks are like most teams.

They look at their schedule and just cross their fingers a game will go ahead on that night.

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One never knows.

The Cougars are idle this weekend after they were informed on Wednesday that their home games against the Victoria Royals tonight (Friday) and Saturday have been postponed.

The Royals have seven players not available due to COVID-19 protocols.

The Cougars are scheduled to host the Kelowna Rockets on Tuesday and Wednesday.

As of today, those games are on but like everything else they are subject to change.

How much of a mess is it in the WHL?

10 games were on the schedule tonight and all have been postponed.

Furthermore, of the 23 WHL games slated for this weekend, only three, at the most, will be played.

The Spruce Kings were to have played Wednesday in Trail against the Smoke Eaters but that game was postponed due to COVID-19 precautions.

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The BCHL, just like the WHL, isn’t offering much in the way of details.

The Canucks have already had six games postponed this season including one that was supposed to have been played this past Wednesday against the NY Islanders.

The Islanders have already dealt with nine postponements which is one less than the 10 that the Calgary Flames have had.

The Ottawa Senators are up to 11 postponements thanks to COVID-19.

Don’t even try to figure out which NHL players are in and out of the line-up as it changes not only daily but hourly.

That Olympic break next month will come in handy for re-scheduling but it is not enough time for all of the make-ups.

The NFL regular season has been jolted by many key players being sidelined after testing positive, although the quarantine period has been shortened from 10 days to five, including unvaccinated players.

In the NBA, the Toronto Raptors have played a league-low 35 games, because of three postponements.

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The Raptors and most teams have competed in several games with a skeleton roster due to many players on the COVID list.

The hope was 2022 may return to some sense of normalcy not just in sports but more importantly in life.

We are now painfully aware this is not going to happen, not by a long shot.

Sometimes we just need to take a deep breath and appreciate what we have as opposed to what COVID-19 has taken away.

Sure, that is easy to say, but it is crucial we do everything possible to set a goal of not letting the virus score on our mental health and physical well-being.

 

Taking Note:



 

Cat Scan podcast:

Former Prince George Cougars head coach and current Kamloops Blazers associate coach Mark Holick is this week’s guest on the Cat Scan podcast.

During the episode, he discussed a number of topics including:

  • Tenures with the PG Cougars/Kootenay Ice/Syracuse Crunch (AHL),
  • Italy Experience.
  • Ability to digest a loss quickly as a head coach.
  • Having a sense of when you might be fired.
  • The adjustment from going to associate coach from the head coach.

 

FROM THE QUOTE RACK:

Santa Claus didn’t visit the Jacksonville Jaguars this year (2021). For some reason, the reindeer couldn’t touch down.

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Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times http://www.seattletimes.com/author/dwight-perry/

The Washington Football Team will unveil its new name and uniforms on February 2. Unfortunately for WFT fans, the name of their owner will be the same, and the new uniforms will have the same old players in them.

*Comedy writer Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have officially released Antonio Brown. Brown continues to claim he could not play due to an ankle injury. An ankle injury that mysteriously allows him to run, jump and dance half-naked in the end zone.

*Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg

I caught Antonio Brown’s act during the Bucs’ game in New York against the Jets. For a second there,  I thought I was watching Ned Braden towards the end of ’Slap Shot.’

*Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California

 

In Case You Missed It:

Novak Djokovic has no business getting into the Australian Open. As far as we know, he has not had one COVID vaccination, never mind two — the ultimate double fault.

*Western Canadian comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com

Hartley Miller is the news and sports director/supervisor plus morning news anchor for 94.3 the GOAT and Country 97fm. He also is the radio color commentator for P.G. Cougars’ home games. Hartley has been on the Prince George airwaves since 1979 and is the author of You Don’t Say (sports quotes)

 

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