Keystone Kops

CALL IT: The Story That
Wouldn’t Die.

Greg

GOAL LINES

Movies and sequels to follow.

How one teenager has been able
to embarrass and shame the entire
National Hockey League borders
on the unbelievable. But then,
when you consider the peculiar
people with an intelligence quo--
tient running the asylum it
becomes considerably clearer how
19-year-old Eric Liadros has
made absolute fools of the NHL.
establishment.

. For openers, he exposed the
system a year ago by refusing to
sign with the Quebec Nordiques

on the grounds he wanted to play
in a larger city with more poten- ~

tial off-ice income and because, in -’

his own words, he had no interest
Lin: lay ing ina French-speaking

oe city.

> The Quebec inanagemient, -in its
timited, wisdom, chailenged the

* youngster’ 's integrity and lost, big : 7

Lindros literally thumbed his
nose at the NHL’s ruling inner
circle and stood his ground
throughout the entire 1991-92
season,

His stance created an interna-
tional controversy with heaps of
abuse being directed his way, par-
ticularly through media channels
where he was painted as a whin--
ing, snivelling spoiled brat.

But hey, the kid pulled it-off.

Picture this: Lindros cheerfully
leaves the NHL draft meetings in
Montrea! on the weekend and
heads to his family’s cottage north
of Toronto with a canoe strapped
to the top of his car.

**He is relaxing with his family
and friends,’’ says his agent, Rick
Curran.

Meantime, back in Montreal, all
hell has erupted when the Nordi-
ques get caught with their collec-
tive hands in the cookie jar after
both the Philadelphia Flyers and
the New York Rangers claim to
have successfully made a trade
with Quehec for the rights to Lin-
eros.

NHL president John Zizgier,
that 5-foot-6 “‘tower’® of
Strength, quickly bows out of the
mess. For the first time in league
history, the controversy surroun-
ding the trade (or trades) is placed
in the lap of an outside arbitrator.

Talk about your cop-outs.

. It seems Nordiques’ president
Marcel Aubut, the man in charge
of the boiched negotiations, was
on-the phone to. the Rangers try-.

ing to up the anté.at the same —

time Nordiques’ general manager

. «Pierre Page was shaking hands
’ with the Philadelphia brass.’

The Keystone Kops routine
compares to the current constitu-
tional crisis sweeping the country.
In both the political and athletic

eeping Lindros in limbo

arenas, the question remains:
‘just what the hell does Quebec
want???

The Philadelphia package in-
cluded several quality players,
draft choices and $15 million. But
when Aubut became aware the
Rangers would be willing to part
with $20 million as well as front-
line players and draft picks, he
switched lanes in mid-traffic.

There is solid reason to believe
Aubut didn’t stop at contacting
only the Rangers after the verbal
commitment had been made to
Philadelphia.

Trying to squeeze every last
drop of biood out of the scenerio,
the Nordiques’ roly-poly president
evidently contacted Chicago
Blackhawks’ general manager .
Mike Keenan and Toronto Maple

Leafs’ chief operating officer Cliff
Fletcher late into the night Satur-
day to inquire if they’d be willing
to go beyond $20 million in addi-
tion to players, draft choices, etc.
Blatantly rejected, Aubut
retreated to his hotel room behind
several security guards and im-
mediately made himself,
unavailable for further comment.
When public relations disasters
such as this one blow up in the
faces of NHL governors, they ei-
ther run for cover or point child-
ish fingers at the parties involved
in an attempt to skirt any blame.
But in this Lindros adventure,
the governors as a whole have
nobody to blame but themselves.
Traditionally, the NHL has
decreed that an incoming expan-
sion franchise would be provided

the luxury of exercising the
number-one amateur draft as a
bonus for buying its way into the
lodge.

Except last year. For some
unexplainable reason the league
decided the Nordiques would be
given the right to draft Lindros
for finishing last after the 1990-91
season while the new kids on the
block — the San Jose Sharks —
would have to settle for the se-
cond overall pick. :

Had the governors not adjusted
the rules, Lindros would have
happily reported to San Jose ...
the NHL’s fourth-largest market
behind New York, Los Angeles
and Chicago.

The Keystone Kops shot
themselves in the foot, again.

Over-30 women’s soccer league forming

ON THE North Shore, teams
are now being formed in an ef-
an over-30s

fort to start
women’s soccer league.

Since this is the first year
this has been tried these teams
will join the third division of
the Metro Vancouver Women’s
Seccer League for the 1992-93

winter season.

“By taking this step, the
North Shore will set an exam-
ple that other areas can follow

“in providing recreational soccer
said organizer

for women,”’
Linda Sullivan.

“Women in Vancouver who
are aged 18 and over play soc- —

cer by joining the Metro Van-
couver Women’s Soccer
League. This league is divided
into the premier, first, second
and third divisions.

Premier division is the most
competitive, while third divi-
sion is the least competitive
and considered to be recre-
ational. There is no breakdown
by age within the divisions.

Since women of any age may
compete against each other,
older players tend to drop out
of soccer
because they can’t compete.
proficiently with younger
players, said.Sullivan.

By contrast, Seattle has an

in their mid. 30s—

over-30s, an over-40s, and the
city is just starting an over-50s
women’s soccer league. Within
these leagues are different divi-
sions comparable to Van-
couver’s Metro League.

The breakdown by age en-
courages older players to con-
tinue playing long past the time _
when they would Jose interest .
because they feel they cannot
keep up with. 20-year-old
Players, said Sullivan. :

Any. women over age 30 who-
are interested in joining, an-:-
over-30s league (no. experience .;
necessary) are asked’ to “call.
984-8913. :

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