Fast Break
Hockey
Tokarski earns spot in camp
Spokane Chiefs goalie Dustin Tokarski is going camping this weekend.
Tokarski, who was named MVP of the Memorial Cup tournament after backstopping the Chiefs to the Canadian Hockey League championship, is one of 12 CHL goaltenders that were invited to work with Hockey Canada goaltending consultant Corey Hirsch and a number of other instructors this weekend in Calgary, Alberta, at the third annual Program of Excellence camp.
The 18-year-old Watson, Saskatchewan, native set a handful of records last season for the Chiefs, including most shutouts in a season (six), most consecutive wins (11), best goals-against average in a single season (2.05) and best save percentage (.922).
Tokarski is eligible for this year’s NHL draft, which will be held Friday and next Saturday in Ottawa, Ontario. He is ranked ninth among North American goaltenders, according to nhl.com.
Media
Sportscaster Charlie Jones dies
Charlie Jones, the deep-voiced sportscaster whose career as a play-by-play announcer spanned 38 years for ABC and NBC, has died. He was 77.
Jones died of a heart attack Thursday at his home in the La Jolla district of San Diego, his longtime agent, Martin Mandel, said.
“Charlie is one of the legends of sports broadcasting starting with covering the first Super Bowl,” Mandel said. “He had a wonderful kettledrum voice.”
NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol called Jones “one of the great pioneers of NBC Sports. His work in particular on the NFL, golf and the Olympics left a lasting legacy.”
Basketball
He doesn’t want them in shacks
He has dubbed himself Superman, the Diesel, the Big Aristotle and Shaq-Fu among other nicknames.
If Shaquille O’Neal’s latest proposed venture works out, he might also become known as the Big Fannie Mae.
O’Neal told the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel that he wanted to help people facing foreclosure on their homes.
“I want to come in not to kick them out, but to work with them and save them so they can stay in their homes,” O’Neal said during a visit to Orlando City Hall.
Attorney Mark NeJame told the Sentinel that O’Neal wants to buy the mortgages of homeowners who have slipped into foreclosure because of high interest rates. The Phoenix Suns center would sell the homes back with more affordable terms, hoping to make a small profit.
“He’s become a businessman with a conscience,” NeJame said.
O’Neal remains conscious of opportunity: According to the Sentinel, he would like to develop a TV reality show based on his Orlando project and call it “Shaq’s Big Save.”