It’s been a few years since Sports Page went off the air and it’s always around this time of year that I really miss it. Their Christmas special, ‘Yulin’ with the Page’ was the best year in a review/blooper show there ever was. The small budgeted CKVU station did a way better job than big networks like TSN or Sportsnet ever could. Nobody came close to matching it before, during or since.

Thanks to bimmer1919 on Youtube, we can watch a whole bunch of mid-90s Yulin’ with the Page clips (a few of them were removed from Youtube due to copyright reasons). Enjoy!

Sad news yesterday as legendary local broadcaster Paul Carson passed away. Carson had been battling pancreatic cancer. I never met Paul Carson but his accomplishments were lengthy. He was the brains behind Sports Page and also started up the Team 1040.

Perhaps no person has shaped the local sports scene more than Paul Carson. He did a lot of it in front of the camera, but even more behind camera. He’s responsible for essentially discovering Don Taylor, John Shorthouse, Dave Randorf, Barry McDonald, Scott Rintoul and Blake Price (among others).

For a more in-depth article on him, check out Tony Gallagher’s column in the Province.

What I would like to do is remind you of some of the great things he was responsible for. And I will do that in YouTube form:

Remember Yulin’ with the Page? Year after year this Sports Page institution was by far the best sports recap/bloopers show around:

And this is probably the best thing on the internet:

You’ll be missed Paul, RIP.

Every Tuesday, Canuckz.com profiles a Canadian sportscaster. Sometimes they’re sportscasters we like, sometimes they’re ones we don’t. This week we profile a sportscaster that we like to look at but don’t like to listen to! This week’s Sportscaster of the Week: Hazel Mae.

You probably remember Hazel Mae from her days at Rogers Sportsnet, accompanied by a glass desk and little leather skirt, cheerfully providing the day’s sports highlights. After Sportsnet, she moved on to NESN in Boston, working Red Sox games as a sideline reporter. She was probably the most obvious example of a sports network in Canada trying to sell sex in their sports reporting. I’m not sure she ever got the network high ratings, and I’m not sure she was ever taken seriously, given her attire. It’s not like she’s the only good looking female sports reporter to come out of Canada (Jennifer Hedger, Martine Gaillard, Evanka Osmak are other examples), it’s just that she’s like the Anna Kournikova of Canadian sportscasting. Marginal talent, above average looks, and most importantly… a willingness to flaunt it!

But the real legacy of Hazel Mae in Canadian sportscasting is her little leather skirt and its ability to accurately judge hockey fights during Don Taylor’s sportscasts! Well, that, and a reference in the best Canucks rap video ever made: “Trapper’s Delight.”

David Pratt and Don Taylor are off the air! Well, for one day at least. The co-hosts of the popular radio show on the TEAM 1040 got into an argument on Monday that lead to David Pratt throwing down his microphone which was followed by 12 minutes of commercials and then a previously taped interview. Afterwards, Pratt returned, without Taylor. On Tuesday, both were given the day off in order to “cool off”. Both, apparently, are to return to the air today at 3:00pm. If you ask me, both are acting a bit like radio divas, as the argument was centred around the comparison of Tom Watson’s accomplishments at the British Open, to 75 year old poker champion Doyle Brunson. My two cents: interesting comparison, poker requires mental strength, golf requires mental AND physical strength.

***UPDATE*** Pratt and Taylor went to air on Wednesday and all appeared to be forgiven. They did not make mention of the pissing contest that happened on Monday until a caller made mention of it. They downplayed the incident and the show went on as normal.

Kyle Wellwood’s arbitration case is around the corner and I believe there is a high chance that the Canucks will walk away from the deal if he is awarded too much. The Canucks will probably walk away from anything nearing $2 million but if I had to guess, I think he’ll get in the neighbourhood of $1.5 million.

That’s right! It’s time for another Canuckz.com TWITTER TRACKER! Today’s edition looks at the best tweets from the FAKE Twitter account of Kyle Wellwood:

• Eagles + Moosehead = good off season. true story.
• It took me 14 tries to type proportional on T9 in that last update.
• The size of your stick is not proportional to anything else. althoug maybe inversely to how awesome i am.
• salary arbitration fun fact number one: I deserve more money. true story.
• god damn the canucks sure Love us ex leafs players, ugh. i mean, hey Raycroft My old fwend!
• I think Don Cherry has a crush on me.
• Does anyone know the special Seasoning for KFC chicken? Paying 200$ for it.