Job Security?

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

What have you done for me lately?

During the past week, three coaches found this out in what is indeed a cut throat
industry.

In the NHL, the Chicago Blackhawks fired their 60-year old head coach Joel Quenneville, a native of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Quenneville coached the Windy City squad for 10 seasons and won three Stanley Cups.

At the time of his dismissal, Quenneville was 6-6-3, but was 3-6-1 in their last 10 games, two points out of the Wild Card Spot in the Western Conference.

He was replaced by 33-year old Jeremy Collins, who is now the youngest coach in the NHL.

Quenneville turned the Blackhawks into a dynasty after being hired in 2008, winning the three titles from 2010-2015. He won three Central Division Titles along with a Presidents Trophy in 2013.

His overall mark for Chicago was 446-243-93.

But don't feel sorry for Joel because he can still feed his family. He signed a three-year contract extension in 2016. He's owed the remainder of this years salary and will pocket another $6 Million next season.

In 1,636 games coached, he's won 890, lost 532, has 77 ties and 137 overtime losses.

There is no doubt that he can afford to be patient and selective of his next opportunity as his services will be in high demand.

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Now we turn our attention to the North Side of Chicago where the Cubs reside.

Manager Joe Maddon has one-year left on his contract that runs through the end of 2019.

President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein has tabled talks for an extension until late next season or afterwards.

The 64-year old skipper has guided the Cubs to a combined 387-261 mark, been to the playoffs all four years he's been at the helm and famously ended a 108-year World Series Drought. He won The Fall Classic in 2016, his second year with the team.

The 2018 Wild Card Game loss to the Colorado Rockies last month marked the Cubs shortest post-season stint in Maddon's tenure.

I'll be curious over the course of the next year as to what roster moves are made and will the Cubs cut down on payroll, thus determining what talent he'll have to work with.

To Maddon's credit, if he can win with the low-budget Tampa Bay Rays, he can succeed anywhere under any circumstances.

If he ever becomes unemployed, he won't be out of work long.

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Finally, the next championship pink slip comes from North Of The Border in the Canadian Football League.

The CFL's Toronto Argonauts fired head coach Marc Trestman---one year after a Grey Cup victory.

Trestman was hired as the Argonauts 43rd head coach in February of 2017 and went on to lead them to a thrilling 27-24 victory over the Calgary Stampeders in the 105th Grey Cup in Ottawa after a 9-9 regular season.

The 2018 season saw Toronto slide to 4-14 and the 62-year old Minneapolis, MN., native is out of work.

In the CFL, Trestman won two Grey Cups with Montreal and another with Toronto giving him three.

I'll be curious where Trestman will land next, North or South of The Border.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com and is a member of Detroit Sports Media. He is also the Host for the Sports Exchange on weinetwork.com.

One More Memory At The Joe

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

In the past two years, the date of December 1, has provided events to remember.

On December 1, 2014, My Cat Maverick Morganroth passed away because of liver and kidney failure. I had Maverick for 13.5 years and he's the best pet I've ever owned! When I pass away, his Box of Ashes will go with me to My Final Resting Place.

A year later on December 1, 2015, I returned to Joe Louis Arena (JLA) with My Photographer Candice Ebling. This was Ebling's first and only trip to JLA.

Before the game, we drove by the construction site of the Red Wings new arena. She also saw downtown Detroit at night, and didn't realize how close the United States and Canada were as she looked across the Detroit River.

It was neat returning to JLA seeing the Red Wings after a five year hiatus. Seeing Karen Newman sing the National Anthem and eating Little Ceasars Pizza in the Press Room made me feel at home.

As for the game itself, Detroit defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-4 in a shootout. This was my first time seeing the 3-3 overtime in person and it was exciting to watch.

Kudos to Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland for being the driving force by implementing this rule change during the off-season.

Petr Mrazek looked excellent in the shootout to earn the win.

Justin Abdelkader scored two goals in regulation time while Brad Richards netted the game winner in a 1-0 shootout.

This was my first opportunity to see rookie Dylan Larkin in person and this kid will be an All-Star Stud. I can actually see him becoming a captain within 2-3 years and he'll be the new face of the franchise.

If there is one advantage to being high in the Press Box, it's the ability to see all Championship Banners and Retired Jerseys.

The next time I see those banners will be at the new arena, unless by chance, I'm in Detroit for the playoffs during the Spring of 2017.

There was one person missing in The Press Box.

Former Red Wings Public Address Announcer Budd Lynch died on October 9, 2012 at the age of 95.

He was the PA Announcer at JLA from 1985-2012. We would talk a lot during pre-game meals, intermissions and at DSBA functions.

Lynch began his career in 1949 as the Red Wings Radio Play-By-Play Announcer. Lynch was the longest tenured employee in Red Wings history at 63 years.

I will say that when Olympia Stadium closed in 1978, I missed that building because the 16,000 seat Red Barn venue had very few bad seats.

JLA has it's own character. Being on the Detroit River across from Windsor, Canada was great in it's own right. I saw a lot of great hockey in this building.

But on December 1, 2015, it was a night to reflect on the memories of an Original Six team that I enjoy covering. It's always great seeing my friends and colleagues.

I'm very fortunate that the Red Wings play the Florida Panthers twice a year at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, FL now that they're in the same division in the Eastern Conference.

Red Wings fans always travel well especially in Florida where there are numerous transplants. The Red and White Jerseys are more noticeable at Panthers games because Florida draws smaller crowds than the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Holland and I have spoken numerous times about what a future stadium would look like.

He always told me that he was impressed with the Panthers Stadium. Nothing better than a glimpse of the future.

Yet, it was very neat to see a building of 20,000 fans at JLA wearing Red and White.

But as I explained to Ebling, once you've seen a game in "Hockeytown," it will be much different than when we're working Road Games.

With a 5-4 victory over the Sabres, it was great to see one more win at JLA.

I saw one All-Star Game and enjoyed covering games on New Year's Eve.

When I told Ebling that the Red Wings won four Stanley Cups in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008, she marveled at this stadium's tradition.

If indeed this was my last time at JLA, it certainly turned out to be an evening to remember.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com and is a member of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.

Terrell Owens a Detroit Lion?

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

I never thought I would even say this but to see controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens in a Detroit Lions uniform would make a lot of sense!

For a team that's won only two games in the past couple of seasons, he would be a great draw at the ticket offices and put bodies in the stands at Ford Field. Detroit is too good of a sports town to experience blackouts at a stadium which is 15,000 smaller than the 80,000 seat Pontiac Silverdome.

Critics will tell you that Owens is a quarterback killer and his track record with Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo certainly documents that.

However, when Detroiter & Buffalo Bills Owner Ralph Wilson Jr. signed Owens to a one-year contract worth $6.5 million on March 8, 2009, to give Trent Edwards another weapon, he knew the goods he was buying.

But to Owens credit, he stayed low-keyed all season and managed to catch 55 passes for 829 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown.

In Buffalo, Owens had the opportunity to play near a border Canadian town with Niagara Falls and Toronto nearby.

In Detroit, Owens can hang out in Windsor if he desires where there is plenty of nightlife at Caesars Casino. If he doesn't want to cross the border, there are three casinos he can patronage if he gets bored in Detroit. Maybe he can become friends with new Tiger Johnny Damon.

But Owens is a guy that is third on the NFL career list with 14,951 yards.

Do you think that opposing defenders would pay attention to Owens with Calvin Johnson as Matthew Stafford's primary target? There are enough passes to go around for both receivers.

I'm sure that Owens will remember where his milestone 15,000 yard will come from with a future star signal caller in Stafford who is destined for great things as long as he stays healthy.

Since wide receiver is a position the Lions need to upgrade, we all know about Detroit's recent history of bad draft choices at that position. Just look at the media guide where you'll see Charles Rogers (Michigan State), Mike Williams (USC) and Roy Williams (Texas). Although as it turned out, trading away Williams to the Dallas Cowboys did produce tight-end Brandon Pettigrew (Oklahoma State) along with other draft choices.

Nevertheless, Owens, who played his college ball down I-75 at Tennessee-Chattanooga, is 36-years-old and could come reasonable. Here is a guy who is trying to salvage his career and bolster which should be a Hall of Fame resume.

I think he'd be grateful for this opportunity and from what I've been told about Lions Coach Jim Schwartz, he seems like a genuine guy that has a strong admiration for the man upstairs who does a lot of praying. To take on the challenge of inheriting an 0-16 team, that speaks volumes in itself.

With Schwartz being the former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator, now there is a Volunteer State connection.

Nobody should forget that Owens bounced back from a serious injury to play for the Philadelphia Eagles in their 24-21 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 39 in Jacksonville. Since Detroit is a blue collar town, Owner William Clay Ford Sr. would appreciate a guy that works hard to get healthy much faster.

Ironically, Owens shares the same birthday as my mother Shila Morganroth. But it's no ordinary birthday since it's December 7. Owens was born in 1973 while my mother was born on Pearl Harbor Day in 1941.

My mother and Owens are nice but strong and passionate personalities. Perhaps there is an attitude about entering the world on such a historic day that it brings out that extra internal fire that everybody notices and affects those around them.

But if the Lions are indeed committed to getting better, to be able to get a year or two out of Owens since he is a free agent, Bob Barker would tell you that "The Price is Right" for a guy that has caught over 1,000 passes in his career and is a six-time Pro Bowl receiver.

If the Lions are going to lose, then do it by being more competitive and entertaining. Perhaps this years Thanksgiving Game would be more competitive with Owens being part of the story-line as Johnson and Stafford get better. With the NFL Draft just weeks away, the second overall pick, barring a trade, should make the Lions better.

Since Thanksgiving is the only time the Lions ever get a national television broadcast, the focus would be better served at a good game instead of talking about a poor team where everyone is anxious to take the holiday tradition away from them.

Although the Lions and Owens would be classified as the "Odd Couple" that hit series television show had a great run when it aired back in the good old days long before cable television.

Now the Lions version could be a scaled down short term version which leads to NFL relevance as to this date, they are now one of four teams to have never reached a Super Bowl.

Scott Morganroth can be reached as scottsports33@aol.com and his blog can be read at www.scottsports33.com.