While Theo Fleury has disappeared from the headlines following a six-week media frenzy, don't think for a second he or his best-selling book are losing momentum.
Fleury confirms he is currently working on making appearances on Oprah as well as Larry King Live.
There's also a rumour making the rounds Clint Eastwood is reading Playing with Fire with an eye on a possible movie of Fleury's life.
Now more notes, quotes and anecdotes from a sports world wondering if it was the aggressive bag-skate or the backroom vaccinations that provided the shot in the arm the Flames needed to get back on track.
AROUND THE HORN
A New York Rangers official wrote the Calgary Sun a letter last week expressing the club's displeasure with a column in this space suggesting Sean Avery needed to do the right thing by apologizing to the people he hurt most with his infamous rant here a year ago. Funny thing is, despite their mild disappointment, Avery elected to heed our advice and immediately picked up the phone to apologize to his former girlfriend, Elisha Cuthbert. Not surprisingly, his return engagement in Calgary Saturday was uneventful ... Can't help but think the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will regret doing away with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as they did with a win yesterday. Even without a quarterback, it's hard to believe the dregs of the West, the B.C. Lions, won't beat up the East's sad-sack runner-up next week.
BITS AND BITES
Hard not to love the honesty of pro golfers like Jerry Kelly, who had this to say when asked why he and several other Americans would bother competing in the WGC - HSBC Champions event in China even though it doesn't count as an official PGA Tour event: "I'm in no position to skip free money." ... Add Calgary's James Love to the list of Canadians who advanced to the second stage of the PGA Tour's Q-School alongside Calgary native Stuart Anderson ... While Normie Kwong is the only obvious choice to be named this week as marshal of Calgary's Grey Cup parade, Jeff Garcia would also be a popular choice. When asked last week if he was coming to Calgary for the Grey Cup festivities, Garcia said he was "thinking about it." Garcia's career is up in the air after the 39-year-old former Stamps star was released by the Philadelphia Eagles Sept. 29 following Michael Vick's return ... The days of Stamps playoff games being played in front of a half-empty McMahon Stadium are over. Unlike past years, the club included a playoff ticket as part of the close to 30,000 season ticket packages, meaning close to 40,000 should be at Sunday's West Semi-Final. Kick-off is 2:30 p.m.
PARTING GIFTS
On the heels of the New York Yankee's 27th World Series, David Letterman suggests the ball team now has a big off-season decision to make: "Are they going to keep Kate Hudson or sign Drew Barrymore?" ... Separated at birth: St. Louis Blue Chris Mason and Calgary Sun deputy sports editor Craig Ellingson -- and they're both goalies ... Just wondering: Am I the only one desperately searching for the Marian Gaborik curve Easton did away with last year? ... Starting Friday, TSN will air a series of sports documentaries called 30 For 30 made by some of Hollywood's finest filmmakers. The highlight is bound to be King's Ransom Nov. 18, which examines the Wayne Gretzky trade ... Trying to figure out what hockey fans care less about: The Phoenix Coyotes' ownership situation, the NHLPA or any suggestion the Toronto Maple Leafs are on the right path ... On Friday, Elvis Stojko released the first single from his upcoming debut album. The song is called, Let Me Be The One. Insiders suggest the title is a reference to who the former figure-skater thinks might be the only person to buy the album.
ERIC.FRANCIS@SUNMEDIA.CA
