Heading into weekend games on the road against the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks, the Edmonton Oilers were on pace, rather unbelievably, for 117 points.
The newly-slim and focused Dustin Penner was headed to a 126-point season.
Defenceman Ladislav Smid, at his existing rate, would wind up at plus-90 or so in for-and-against statistics.
Andrew Cogliano was headed, more reasonably, to about 45 points -- 20 goals and 25 assists.
It's hard to overlook that those three were all offered -- endlessly, it seemed -- in a proposed trade to the Ottawa Senators for Dany Heatley.
The Oilers acted like schoolkids on a first date and begged for something that probably wouldn't do them any good in the long term.
Only a cockeyed optimist would expect the Oilers to continue their pace and some of the individual numbers are out of this world, but it all leads to an intriguing question.
How long before Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini thanks his lucky stars and goes public with his gratitude that the undisciplined Heatley elected to keep his ego -- and his obvious talent -- far away from Good Old Ourtown?
Fair-weather fans?
Regularly, I receive e-mails that tell me Edmonton citizens enjoy soccer and would like to see much more of it.
Also regularly, I happen past senior or university or college or high school games and see crowds of a hundred or less watch with limited concentration to see how their friends or family members are doing on the pitch.
It will be interesting today to count the spectators at the provincial men's college finals at NAIT.
Next year, in early November, the national college championships will be hosted by NAIT at the Tri-Leisure Centre in Spruce Grove.
Outdoor soccer around Remembrance Day, in our province's wintery latitudes?
That should be an adventure.
Monty will be missed
The Edmonton Huskies went through one of those lousy seasons -- unforgettable for all the wrong causes.
Last week, things got worse for them.
Monty Ford, the legendary and lovable trainer whose name still brings smiles to the face of George Spanach and others whenever 40-year-old memories are recalled, passed away.
The final public services for Monty are scheduled for today at St. John's Anglican Church on 57th Avenue.
Unanswered questions
Whenever the fabled Eskimos fall into an extended funk such as the one that continued on Friday in Calgary, there is a call for numerous changes.
Fire the coach or general manager. Replace the starting quarterback -- no matter that his completion percentage remains among the best in the league.
Twice in recent memory, the Eskimos unloaded a coach with only the barest of explanations.
The controversial Don Matthews, the second-winningest coach in CFL history, was shown the door by Hugh Campbell and serious questions were never answered.
This year, offensive co-ordinator Rick Worman got the gate and Kevin Strasser was brought in to replace him -- not because Worman did a bad job, but because the brain trust thought a Strasser-led offence would be better.
Wrong.
There was no public call for that change, but now there is strident public urging for changes at higher levels.
With the Grey Cup set for Commonwealth Stadium next November, the furore is sure to continue.
JCSHORT@SHAW.CA
