Matthews was named MVP of the NHL all-star game, which was something of a homer pick. Matthews scored two goals and one assist for the winning team. Alex DeBrincat’s three goals and three assists for the same team were basically ignored. Matthews was the sexy pick as MVP. DeBrincat not so much … I’m midway through Doug MacLean and Scott Morrison’s book Draft Day and I’ll tell you this: The chapter on the Eric Lindros trade is sensational. In it, the authors detail many of the competing offers made in trying to deal with Quebec for Lindros in 1992. According to the book, Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher offered Doug Gilmour, Wendel Clark, Dave Ellett, Ken Baumgartner, Darby Hendrickson, Felix Potvin and $15 million for Lindros. The offer, by the way, was made before Gilmour’s two huge seasons with the Leafs … Among the players St. Louis offered: Brendan Shanahan … In his 11th NHL season, Nikita Kucherov is having his best year. Same thing for likely MVP Nathan MacKinnon, also in his 11th season. This is Connor McDavid’s ninth season and Matthews’ eighth … It’s not a kids league, the NHL. MacKinnon has 18 goals in his past 20 games, which is three more than Matthews has supplied in this giant scoring season … The best 25-and-under players in hockey: Cale Makar in Colorado; Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson in Vancouver; Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt in Jersey; Rasmus Dahlin in Buffalo; Tim Stutzle in Ottawa; Jason Robertson in Dallas; Moritz Seider in Detroit; Robert Thomas in St. Louis; Connor Bedard in Chicago; and Noah Dobson with the Islanders … If anyone had taken the time to ask coach Dallas Eakins what he thought of Simon Benoit as a defenceman before free agency hit last July, the Leafs wouldn’t have found him available in late August. Eakins coached Benoit for 200 games in Anaheim and AHL San Diego. What he’s doing for the Leafs now is exactly what Eakins said he would do. The rest of the NHL missed on this inexpensive buy.
Kawhi Leonard is back doing Kawhi Leonard things, which means right now, he’s just about the best player in the NBA. He may not win the MVP, although he’s a candidate, but in mid-February, the Los Angeles Clippers would be my bet to win the league championship … A title win with the Clippers, after two championships in San Antonio, after one in Toronto, would put Kawhi in a fascinating position among all-time greats …. Post-trade deadline, the Raptors are caught in the worst possible position you can be in the NBA: They are in no-man’s land. They aren’t necessarily getting better. They aren’t necessarily getting worse. They’re not terrible enough to profit from their standing and they aren’t good enough to matter … Has anyone ever done less for a Toronto team that what Otto Porter Jr. managed in two seasons with the Raptors? … Why did it take so long for Jimmy Key to get elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame? He’s hasn’t pitched in Toronto in 31 years. On paper and in every other way, he’s probably the third best starting pitcher in Blue Jays history behind Dave Stieb and Roy Halladay. Key was a huge factor in the Jays winning the World Series in 1992 … This has been a droning off-season for the Blue Jays, who lost their arbitration case to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. But in this case, a loss could end up as a win. Guerrero is enough of an issue without beating him down in court. Maybe he turns the arbitration win into something that works in the Jays’ favour … True story: Before he was the last pick in the NFL draft and thus earning the Mr. Irrelevant tag, Brock Purdy was on the negotiation list of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The latest piece of baffling business from the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Kick returner Devin Hester was elected to the Hall this week. But all-time great tight end Antonio Gates was not. Shouldn’t he have been the first player elected? … Just as fans were getting interested in the Argos — in case they were — the Argos roster was decimated by free agency and salary-cap protection in recent days. Of their 14 all-stars of last season, six are now gone, plus two or three other all-star calibre players along with them. It’s not a good look for a team forever searching for an audience … Some quick family chest-thumping: My sister’s son, Gabe, and that makes him my nephew, has done a deal with Jakob Poeltl and the NBA Players’ Association to market the game called Poeltl, invented by my nephew, a basketball knockoff of the game Wordle … Best way to become a football coach? Have your father as a big name coach. Among the assistants hired this off-season were the sons of Bill Belichick, Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll … Former Argos QB and coach Marcus Brady is the new quarterbacks coach with the Los Angeles Chargers …. This guy walked into the NHL all-star interview room wearing a T-shirt and shorts. He looked like somebody’s little brother just hanging around. His name: Sebastian Aho … Richard Jefferson on building an NBA team: “If you hold on too long, that’s when mistakes are made.” See Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby … What happened to the Masai Ujiri I used to know? … Happy birthday to Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (33), Mark Spitz (74), Alexander Georgiev (28), Derek King (57), Greg Stefan (61), Travis d’Arnaud (35), Eddie Zosky (56), Ken Shamrock (60), Justin Gatlin (42), Liam Hendriks (35) and Jabari Greer (42) … And, hey, whatever became of Jim Plunkett?
SUPER BOWL SUNDAY MUSINGS
Some thoughts on Patrick Mahomes and the defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs as Super Bowl Sunday arrives.
Should Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs beat the favoured and deep San Francisco 49ers, this will be their third win in five years and fourth Super Bowl appearance.
That’s almost equal to anything that’s ever been done before in a five-year period.
The New England Patriots, with Tom Brady at quarterback, went to four Super Bowls in a five-year span, winning three of them. The Miami Dolphins, under coach Don Shula, went to three straight Super Bowls in the 1970s, winning two in a row. Maybe the greatest team ever, the pre-salary-cap Pittsburgh Steelers, with Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris and Mean Joe Greene, won four Super Bowls over six years, a dominance with virtually the same lineup that has not been equalled anytime since.
And the four seasons in which the Buffalo Bills went consecutively to the Super Bowl, losing four times with Jim Kelly at quarterback and Marv Levy coaching, is a feat that isn’t given the credit that, in retrospect, it deserves.
Brady won seven Super Bowls in all, in his career, six of them with New England, one with Tampa Bay but never won more than two in a row. He did that twice with the Pats, 13 years apart. This could be two in a row for Mahomes who is only in his seventh professional season, his sixth as a starter.
Six years as a starter, four trips to the Super Bowl: No one’s career has ever begun this rich. With a 10-6 won-loss record this season, though, this season was his worst in terms of wins, playing behind his weakest lineup and a challenged offensive line. In the five previous years with Mahomes, the Chiefs averaged 12.6 wins a season. Twice they won 14 games. And twice won the Super Bowl.
This one is more challenging. The Chiefs defence has never been this great. The offence, aside from Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, has been closer to ordinary than ever before and more reliant on Mahomes doing what no one else can do.
The Super Bowl is a magical event — the largest watched television program in both the United States and Canada every year. This year, with the Taylor Swift factor involved (see how long it took me to get to Taylor) and more female interest than ever before, the audience may be as large as it has ever been.
I’m tuning in to watch Mahomes, and the great 49ers, the tight ends Kelce and George Kittle, the defensive giants Chris Jones and Nick Bosa, two brilliant offensive play-calling coaches and maybe the best in game defensive co-ordinator in the sport, Steve Spagnuolo.
I don’t need a halftime show or an anthem of closeups of Swift to make me care about the Super Bowl. I always watch it. I always care. And this matchup is good enough for me.
CHICAGO (AP) — United Airlines has struck a deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to offer satellite-based Starlink WiFi service on flights within the next several years.
The airline said Friday the service will be free to passengers.
United said it will begin testing the service early next year and begin offering it on some flights by later in 2025.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
The announcement comes as airlines rush to offer more amenities as a way to stand out when passengers pick a carrier for a trip. United’s goal is to make sitting on a plane pretty much like being on the ground when it comes to browsing the internet, streaming entertainment and playing games.
“Everything you can do on the ground, you’ll soon be able to do on board a United plane at 35,000 feet, just about anywhere in the world,” CEO Scott Kirby said in announcing the deal.
The airline says Starlink will allow passengers to get internet access even over oceans and polar regions where traditional cell or Wi-Fi signals may be weak or missing.
Sony has made it easy for Canadian consumers to preorder the PlayStation 5 Pro in Canada directly from PlayStation’s official website. Here’s how:
Visit the Official Website: Go to direct.playstation.com and navigate to the PS5 Pro section once preorders go live on September 26, 2024.
Create or Log in to Your PlayStation Account: If you don’t have a PlayStation account, you will need to create one. Existing users can simply log in to proceed.
Place Your Preorder: Once logged in, follow the instructions to preorder your PS5 Pro. Ensure you have a valid payment method ready and double-check your shipping information for accuracy.
Preorder Through Major Canadian Retailers
While preordering directly from PlayStation is a popular option, you can also secure your PS5 Pro through trusted Canadian retailers. These retailers are expected to offer preorders on or after September 26:
Best Buy Canada
Walmart Canada
EB Games (GameStop)
Amazon Canada
The Source
Steps to Preorder via Canadian Retailers:
Visit Retailer Websites: Search for “PlayStation 5 Pro” on the website of your preferred retailer starting on September 26.
Create or Log in to Your Account: If you’re shopping online, having an account with the retailer can speed up the preorder process.
Preorder in Store: For those who prefer in-person shopping, check with local stores regarding availability and preorder policies.
3. Sign Up for Notifications
Many retailers and websites offer the option to sign up for notifications when the preorder goes live. If you’re worried about missing out due to high demand, this can be a useful option.
Visit Retailer Sites: Look for a “Notify Me” or “Email Alerts” option and enter your email to stay informed.
Use PlayStation Alerts: Sign up for notifications directly through Sony to be one of the first to know when preorders are available.
4. Prepare for High Demand
Preordering the PS5 Pro is expected to be competitive, with high demand likely to result in quick sellouts, just as with the initial release of the original PS5. To maximize your chances of securing a preorder:
Act Quickly: Be prepared to place your order as soon as preorders open. Timing is key, as stock can run out within minutes.
Double-Check Payment Information: Ensure your credit card or payment method is ready to go. Any delays during the checkout process could result in losing your spot.
Stay Informed: Monitor PlayStation and retailer websites for updates on restocks or additional preorder windows.
Final Thoughts
The PlayStation 5 Pro is set to take gaming to the next level with its enhanced performance, graphics, and new features. Canadian gamers should be ready to act fast when preorders open on September 26, 2024, to secure their console ahead of the holiday season. Whether you choose to preorder through PlayStation’s official website or your preferred retailer, following the steps outlined above will help ensure a smooth and successful preorder experience.
For more details on the PS5 Pro and to preorder, visit direct.playstation.com or stay tuned to updates from major Canadian retailers.
Since the PlayStation 5 (PS5) launched four years ago, PlayStation has continuously evolved to meet the demands of its players. Today, we are excited to announce the next step in this journey: the PlayStation 5 Pro. Designed for the most dedicated players and game creators, the PS5 Pro brings groundbreaking advancements in gaming hardware, raising the bar for what’s possible.
Key Features of the PS5 Pro
The PS5 Pro comes equipped with several key performance enhancements, addressing the requests of gamers for smoother, higher-quality graphics at a consistent 60 frames per second (FPS). The console’s standout features include:
Upgraded GPU: The PS5 Pro’s GPU boasts 67% more Compute Units than the current PS5, combined with 28% faster memory. This allows for up to 45% faster rendering speeds, ensuring a smoother gaming experience.
Advanced Ray Tracing: Ray tracing capabilities have been significantly enhanced, with reflections and refractions of light being processed at double or triple the speed of the current PS5, creating more dynamic visuals.
AI-Driven Upscaling: Introducing PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, an AI-based upscaling technology that adds extraordinary detail to images, resulting in sharper image clarity.
Backward Compatibility & Game Boost: More than 8,500 PS4 games playable on PS5 Pro will benefit from PS5 Pro Game Boost, stabilizing or enhancing performance. PS4 games will also see improved resolution on select titles.
VRR & 8K Support: The PS5 Pro supports Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and 8K gaming for the ultimate visual experience, while also launching with the latest wireless technology, Wi-Fi 7, in supported regions.
Optimized Games & Patches
Game creators have quickly embraced the new technology that comes with the PS5 Pro. Many games will receive free updates to take full advantage of the console’s new features, labeled as PS5 Pro Enhanced. Some of the highly anticipated titles include:
Alan Wake 2
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows
Demon’s Souls
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Gran Turismo 7
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Horizon Forbidden West
These updates will allow players to experience their favorite games at a higher fidelity, taking full advantage of the console’s improved graphics and performance.
Design & Compatibility
Maintaining consistency within the PS5 family, the PS5 Pro retains the same height and width as the original PS5 model. Players will also have the option to add an Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive or swap console covers when available.
Additionally, the PS5 Pro is fully compatible with all existing PS5 accessories, including the PlayStation VR2, DualSense Edge, Pulse Elite, and Access controller. This ensures seamless integration into your current gaming setup.
Pricing & Availability
The PS5 Pro will be available starting November 7, 2024, at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of:
$699.99 USD
$949.99 CAD
£699.99 GBP
€799.99 EUR
¥119,980 JPY
Each PS5 Pro comes with a 2TB SSD, a DualSense wireless controller, and a copy of Astro’s Playroom pre-installed. Pre-orders begin on September 26, 2024, and the console will be available at participating retailers and directly from PlayStation via direct.playstation.com.
The launch of the PS5 Pro marks a new chapter in PlayStation’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge gaming experiences. Whether players choose the standard PS5 or the PS5 Pro, PlayStation aims to provide the best possible gaming experience for everyone.
Preorder your PS5 Pro and step into the next generation of gaming this holiday season.
