LOW BLOW

A Canadian boxing champion usually has to defend his title within a year after winning it. And it is normal for the #1 contender to be given the chance to dethrone him.

But don’t try telling that to the Canadian Professional Boxing Federation. They have sanctioned a Canadian cruiserweight title fight between champ Frank White and Ryan Henney on Nov. 13 in Edmonton.

The CPBF ranks Henney as the #2 contender, and Courtenay’s Kevin Reynolds at #1. So why no title shot for Reynolds?

“I have no idea,” Reynolds said from his Contenders fitness facility in Vancouver. “They won’t strip White (who has not defended his title since winning it in June 2008) yet they let him defend against Henney. It is against their own rules. I think the real reason is Henney’s promoter has money.”

Sportsline contacted the CPBF for an explanation but had not received a reply by press time.

LOST CAUSE

“Still a little over one minute remaining in the slashing penalty to Warburton. Liebrecht moves the puck down the left side. He drops it for Hobbs. Hobbs dishes it off to McNeil. McNeil shoots ... he scores! The Stingers win it 5-4 in overtime!”

That’s a fictitious account of an historic event – the last time the Westshore Stingers won a Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League game. It happened Feb. 17, 2007 in Courtenay against the Comox Valley Dodge Glacier Kings. McNeil’s goal completed his hatrick; he sent the game into OT with his second of the game with 58 seconds left in the third period.

That was two-and-a-half years ago.

Now in their fifth year, the Stingers are enjoying their typical season: they are winless in their first eight games. Indeed, winning is a foreign concept to the perennial Island Jr. B doormat franchise, which as of this writing sported a dismal 6-184 lifetime record.

They joined the league as the Sooke Stingers in 2005-06, going 2-40. The next year was their best as they won four and lost 43. In 2007-08 they were 0-45 and followed that up with another perfect season, 0-48, last year.

Inquiring minds might well wonder what motivates the players to show up when they are outscored, on average, by a margin of 8-1 every game. Whatever their motivation, kudos to them for continuing to lace ‘em up.

But if there is a hockey god, pray that the futility ends soon. For the sake of everyone in the VIJHL.

sports@comoxvalleyrecord.com

THE LAST WORD

“You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.”

– Yogi Berra