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THIS ONE GOT A LOT OF LOAFS Some wise and witty hockey observer visited Barrie's northernmost - over- population sign last weekend equipped with a can of spray paint. When he (or she -- a lot of women have good taste in the game, too) was through, the sign read: BARRIE 39,000 LEAFS 0 An old trick, but ag a beauty. IT MAY BE TALKIN' PROUD, BUT IT'S STILL LOOKIN' UGLY Beauty, eh? 4 If there's any Canadian who hasn't yet gotten over that routine, give. yourself a shake. For a while there, it was right on the mark. We showed we were the only people who can laugh at our own dumbtalk. But when somebody else - some furriner, like an American, like in Buffalo - - starts up with it, it definitely loses its appeal. Like a rock. \ by Garry Forbes First off, I have to point out that Buffalo is not one the world's great cities. It's not even one of the world's worst. It is the worst. Buffalo sports fans are, for whatever reason, head-over-tails in puppy love with their teams. If you don't believe it, watcha Buffalo TV sportscast sometime. It's nauseating. ; Recently, I received a reminder of just how devoted Buffalo sports fans are. They'll resort to anything. It came as the Rookie and I sat in Buf- falo Memorial Auditorium last week, calmly two-fisting Miller High Life, patiently waiting for Wayne Gretzky to pop his 77th. Behind us were several Buffalo-looking types, who suddenly decided to launch into a fit of loyalty after overhearing the Rookie's announcement that this Sabres show couldn't last much longer (it was.3-3 at the time) and that Gretzky would per- form his patented third-period act very promptly (which, of course, he did). The Buffalonians countered with an attack of Doug and Bob MacKenzie. You may not know how it feels to have that stuff rubbed into the back of your scalp by an American -- and a Buf- falonian, no less. But let me tell you, it's damn horrifying. Inever want to hear it again. Anywhere. Call Sargeant Preston. records. Burn the tapes. Next time I head south for a game, I'm gonna be talkin' good. * THE KINGS HAVE IT An important function of a newspaper, it has been said, is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Okey-doke. Athletics, Centennials: be patient, golf season is just around the corner. Kings: I'll bet you guys will be so tied up with your on-ice drudgery that you won't even have time to clean your clubs before the first early-bird tournament. Take that. Smash _ the SPORTSQUESTION Last week's question: How did the term "ove" come to mean zilch in tennis? Easy. Eggs are round (if you look at them from the end) and so's a zero. The French word for egg is "'l'oeuf". And, of course, "l'oeuf"' evolved into "love." No guff. So what do you expect from a sport that counts 15, 30, 40, game? Which brings us to this week's question: Why do they count like that? This could be an interesting icebreaker when it's time for tennis season. * SPORTSQUOTE "Wayne Gretzky is good for hockey. . .he makes hockey players look like bright athletes instead ofidiots." -- Phil Esposito, at press conference after Wayne Gretzky broke Esposito's NHL goal-scoring mark last Wednesday in Buffalo. yy, NG > e™ ws Up sliding again Angela Schmidt of Midland was forced to with- draw due to illness from the 20 km. event at the World Cross-Country Skiing Championships last Friday in Oslo, Norway, after enjoying top-flight performances in each of her two earlier individual races at the competition. But Angela is back on her skis now, and will take part in a 10 km. World Cup event in Finland this weekend. Cents want changes ODCVI puts endto -- MSS hopes Orillia District "These guys worked Collegiate Vocational very, very hard to get Institute won the where they did,"' Georgian Bay Secon- dary Schools Athletic Association Zone 2/3 Midget Boys' basketball championship with a 50- 47 overtime decision over Midland Secondary School Monday at MSS. In Friday's opener of the best-of-three series, ODCVI bumped the Midland squad 51-42. Jeff Bales was the top Graham said. "'Orillia's a good basketball team, and we narrowed the spread in every game we met them from the time in December when they beat us by 33." The two clubs met five times, with Orillia winning by 13 the second meeting, 11 in their last league meeting, and by nine and three (over- Sunday night's 15-1 loss to the Bracebridge Bears was the final Georgian Bay Junior C Hockey League ap- pearance of the 1981 / 82 season for the Midland Centennials. French Cleaners get by Aurora The Midland French Dry Cleaners Minor Peewees were edged 7-6 by Aurora in the first Jaycees rebound The Midland Jaycees bounced back from a two-goal first-period deficit to dump Bolton 4- 2 in the fifth and deciding game of their Ontario Minor Hockey Association -- prelimin- ary-round playoff series Sunday at Midland Arena. The Midland squad now advances to meet Ancaster, with the first game set for Friday (8:30 p.m.) at Midland Arena. Bolton forced the fifth game of the best-of-five preliminary series with a 1-0 decision Saturday in Bolton. Shawn Davy scored Once and assisted on- Steve Zeitel's winner in Sunday's decider. Other Midland marksmen were Kevin Beausoleil and Mike Gadsby. Gary Watson did the Midland _netminding. Chris Friesen handled game of their best-of- five Ontario Minor Hockey Association quarter-final series Saturday in Aurora. Second and third games of the series are scheduled for Friday (7:30 p.m.) and Sunday (3 p.m.) at Midland Arena. Brad Wadge led Midland scoring with a goal and three assists, Don Monteith fired two goals and single goals were had by Pat Bowers, Mike Larmand and Chris Tannahill. And it may have been their final appearance in that league -- period. Centennials president Tom Garner says he is prepared to present an ultimatum to _ the Georgian Bay loop: "Either they can have Midland or they can have Haliburton," said Garner, who added that from his point of view, to stay in a league with Haliburton simply isn't financially feasible. Garner says it costs $354 a game to travel to the most distant of the six other towns in the league, and at three trips a season, it comes to a total bus ticket of $1,054. The Centennials' founder says he lost money with the club this year, but, without the cost of trips to Haliburton "I wouldn't have lost any." Garner says he would like to open discussions with Junior C clubs from the Mid-Ontario and Georgian Bay loops with regard to dividing the two leagues into three and creating a Central league with, he says, the possibility of interlocking games between the separate organizations. Penetanguishene Kings manager Peter Dubeau sais yesterday he agrees there should OF SPRING: me be a Central League, but he doesn't want to get involved in any cam- paigns until the playoffs are completed. Dubeau is facing the possibility of meeting Haliburton in the semi- finals of the Georgian Bay playoffs: if his club beats out Gravenhurst and Haliburton handles Parry Sound, Dubeau will have at least one costly trip far north. "If that happened, I certainly hope that's all we'd have with them," Dubeau said. 58 DAYS TO FILE BE AN EARLY BIRD AND GET YOUR Next to the wheel, the best invention is Courtesy Rentals at 526-3777 24 hr. service TAXES OVER AND DONE WITH. Yes, it's tax time again. Let H&R Block prepare your income tax return now. If you're due for a refund, you'll get it ahead of the crowd. At H &R Block we are specially trained to get you every deduction and credit you're entitled to, and we're ready when you are. Call or drop in today. THE INCOME TAX SPECIALISTS HéR BLOCK Child tax credit only? Ask about the special price. MSS point-getter in time) points in the the goaltending chores Monday's game with 12, championship series. in Saturday's game. Shawn Davy and Ken Shearer added 10 apiece, and _ Bill ED FOURNIER'S Richardson notched eight. Sturray Tucker ea | INCOME TAX SERVICE the Orillia attack with 27 | Room 102 205 King St. Midland of his team's 50 points. Midland coach (upstairs at Bowling Alley) Chester Graham gave his club full marks for their zone runners-up showing, and credited Richardson and Bales with particularly fine f ) REASO defensive play in the 526-3272 or 322-2755 after 6:00 NABLE RATES 10 to 18 last game. 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