Under Further Review – Douglas Smith with Editor Bill Morphy. Regular contributors include Jordan Moss, Rob Wagner, Howard Steiss, Ian MacPhee, Dave Kittle, Peter Hucul, Ted Tait, Bill and Glen Myles, Frank Sullivan, Mark Hughes, Iqbal Grewall, Brent Atkins and Charlie Frenette.  

Spanning the digital ether to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat… the human drama of athletic competition… This is Under Further Review.

In Hot Walter – Mark Walter, the embattled owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is entangled in a web of financial skullduggery. Seems Mr. Walter has been using his insurance company as his own personal bank account. Let’s just say his financial dealings fail to pass the smell test.

The Wall Street Journal reported last month his company is alleged to have failed to disclose $16 billion in loans funneled to Walter’s insurance firm, Delaware Life. Authorities have been on his trail for a while. In September 2025, FBI agents boarded Walter’s private jet and seized his laptop and phone as part of an on-going investigation.

Regulatory scrutiny should not come as a surprise if billions in insurance holdings are being funneled. It’s nothing more than a Ponzi scheme in the order of Bernie Madoff. Walter tapped insurers for most of the financing of the $2.15-billion purchase of the Dodgers in 2012.

According to reports, the Dodgers-owned American Media Company borrowed $1.45 billion to purchase the regional sports network, SportsNet LA. Instead of borrowing from traditional lending sources, the Dodgers borrowed from five life insurance companies, all owned by the Dodgers’ ownership group themselves. They ended up with an $8.35 billion, 25-year media rights deal tied to companies controlled by Walter. Very convenient. You are both the lender and the borrower.

The sleaze doesn’t stop there. Under MLB rules, high-revenue teams pay a 34% tax on any local revenue generated in order to support small-market teams. However, the league allows teams to deduct interest paid on their media debt during the calculation of their tax totals. Thanks to this arrangement, Walter will pay a much smaller share to small-market teams.

The Dodgers owe over $1 billion in deferred wages to nine players between now and 2047. What happens to the deferred payments if federal authorities come down hard on Walter?

On the heels of news of the latest investigation, Walter abruptly sold the Lakers for $12.5 billion, a tidy $2.5 billion-dollar profit in a little more than 14 months. Walter also owns the entire Professional Women’s Hockey League and you have to wonder what the future holds for the league with Walter waist deep in hot water. Was it a coincidence that the Tiffany-made championship trophy called the Walter Cup failed to arrive in Lethbridge last week so a player could tour it around the city? All that showed up was an empty box.

It’s going to be interesting to see if Walter can wriggle out of the legal entanglement. He says he has no plans to see the Dodgers. Well, he may have to.

Blue Jays Notebook – Call it what you want but mediocrity reigns supreme in the American League this season. The Blue Jays are among six teams battling for the final wildcard berth. Before meeting the Yankees, the Jays had won seven consecutive series to jump back into the race. They haven’t lost two in a row in over a month. A wildcard spot is there for the taking.

If the Jays fail to reach the post-season, there should be no excuses. Outside of the New York Yankees, all of the Jays remaining games are against teams who are currently under. 500. The Jays face Kansas City and Baltimore twice each. They also have series against Seattle, Cleveland, Oakland, Detroit and Cincinnati. Not exactly a Murderer’s Row of opponents.

Most observers had the Jays left for dead about a month ago. The work of the front office at the trade deadline reflected it. The changes seem to have infused new energy and the Jays are a different team.

A couple of former Blue Jays dealt at the trade deadline are not exactly burning it up with their new teams. Daulton Varsho is hitting .125 since being acquired by the Houston Astros with a dozen strikeouts in his first 48 at-bats. After his first three starts with the Chicago Cubs, Kevin Gausman had an ERA over 6.00.

Based on the results, there’s no question the Blue Jays have overspent this season. They are paying Jose Berrios, Anthony Santander and Yimi Garcia a combined $42 million. None of the three have played a game this season.

The good news is $94 million will come off the books in the off-season. Among current roster players on expiring contracts, George Springer is earning $25 million, Shane Bieber ($13 million), Garcia ($7.5 million) and Max Scherzer ($3 million). The Jays got out from under three other big tickets at the deadline including Varsho ($10.75 million), Gausman ($22 million) and Jeff Hoffman (12.75 million).

As the Jays rework the roster in the off-season, they need to go looking for a couple of reliable bats in the outfield to bolster a woefully weak lineup plus a solid lefthander for the rotation and at least one more arm in the bullpen.

As a fan, you can’t complain about a team that wants to spend money. The Jays have been linked to one of the top prospects in the 2027 international free agency pool. Reports say the Jays will sign Dominican outfielder Junior Fortunato to a deal containing a bonus of $3.2 million. Fortunato is a potential five-too player with a plus arm and plus power. The Jays have also been linked to a top 2028 prospect, Dominican third baseman Ángel Montás, with an estimated bonus of $5.5 million.

Fans of the Blue Jays in the Vancouver area take note. Lefthander Brandon Barriera has been promoted from Dunedin to the Vancouver Canadians. He was the Jays top pick in 2022 but his development has been plagued by arm troubles including Tommy John surgery two years ago. Barriera was promoted after four consecutive scoreless outings. During that span, he held hitters to a .136 average.

In case you are wondering, Blue Jay call-up Charles McAdoo is a distant cousin of NBA Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo.

MLB Notebook – Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson is the latest Canadian to make it to the ‘Bigs.’  He worked two innings as an opener in his major league debut for the San Francisco Giants. Wilkinson was originally drafted by Cleveland in the 10th round pick of the 2023 MLB draft. 30 friends and family members were in attendance at the game to witness his debut. Some wore captain hats in honour of Wilkinson’s nickname.

It’s mystifying what’s happened to Vladdy Guerrero Jr. and Cal Raleigh this season. Both have completely fallen off the map. Vladdy has only 7 home runs and 46 RBI’s with a dismal .688 OPS. Raleigh, who should have been named AL MVP last season, is batting .158 with 14 HR’s, 47 RBI’s and an equally pathetic .578 OPS. These guys are too good to be struggling that badly.

Hard to pick an American League Cy Young winner between the Jays Dylan Cease and the Yankees Cam Schlittler. Both are having outstanding seasons. Their numbers are almost identical. Cease has a 2.28 earned run average. Schlittler is at 2.26. Schlittler has pitched more innings. Cease has struck out more batters. Both guys have been almost impossible to hit.

Is there a player who has made more and done less than the Yankees Giancarlo Stanton? Does this guy ever actually play? Since 2019, Stanton has appeared in only 606 of 1,160 regular-season games. Here’s a clue. Do you think it has something to do with controlled substances?

Stanton is owed $25 million next season but the Marlins are picking up $10 million of it. There’s a $25 million club option in 2028 with a $10 million buyout. For $25 mil the Yankees can walk away in the off-season. Just do it. The Yankees can thank Derek Jeter for the Stanton deal.

Seattle Mariner fans can’t be happy the M’s are not part of the AL wildcard chase. The Red Sox made a wise managerial change, bouncing Alex Cora, that sparked a big turnaround. The Mariners should have done the same with Dan Wilson. He’s failed to rally the troops in Seattle. Who can forget Wilson’s managerial blunders in last year’s post-season? The M’s have seriously underachieved and Wilson must bare responsibility.

An already strong M’s starting rotation just got better with the promotion of top prospect Kade Anderson. He’s ripped through the minors in his first pro season after being selected third overall in the 2025 MLB Draft. The leftie posted a 10-1 record at Double-A Arkansas with an ERA of 1.06 and 135 strikeouts in 93.1 innings. Anderson’s emergence is a big reason the Mariners dealt veteran Louis Castillo at the trade deadline.

What a debut for St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Joshua Baez! He hit three home runs in his first MLB game. It’s the first time that’s ever happened in major league history.

How about catcher Jake Rogers? In a span of three weeks, he suited up for four major league teams: the Tigers, Orioles, Red Sox and White Sox. No player has ever bounced around to four teams in such a short time. Hard to figure which clubhouse to enter.

Canucks Notebook – After much uncertainty, Rogers Sports and Media has announced that Canuck games will be broadcast on KISS 104.9 FM in Vancouver, along with both 107.5 FM and 92.5 FM in the Fraser Valley.

According to reports, Brendan Batchelor and Randip Janda will retain their roles on the broadcasts providing play-by-play and analysis. We’re told the pair will describe the action live at Rogers Arena but will call road games off a monitor from Vancouver, which is completely bush.

The move to FM will strengthen the signal for Canucks games throughout the Vancouver area. What will be lacking without an all-sports radio station in the market is critical analysis on a daily basis throughout the season.

Sports Media Notebook – It’s been a rough summer for some legendary local sports media types. Long-time BCTV sportscaster John McKeachie passed away at the age of 82. Big John was something of a legend on the local scene. Whether it was mispronouncing words or asking bizarre questions out of nowhere, McKeach was one-of-a-kind. Despite the “McKeachie-isms,” his enthusiasm made up for everything. At 6-foot-6, John truly was larger than life. He was a solid basketball player at the University of Victoria and played rec hockey well into his late-70’s. You will be missed John.

Also leaving us was veteran Vancouver Province sportswriter Jim Jamieson. Jim was one of those meat-and-potato guys without ego who was happy to cover any sport. He was a workhorse on the Province staff. Jim died at the age of 75, just a week after a training accident while cycling (one of his big passions) on the North Shore. In retrospect, it’s been an awful year. We also lost a couple of other giants of the industry, Jim Robson and John Garrett, over the past 12 months. In Calgary, Flames fans said goodbye to Peter Maher, the legendary radio voice of the Flames for 33 seasons until his retirement in 2014. Peter was 79. His voice was the soundtrack of the Flames ’89 Stanley Cup run.

It didn’t take Sportsnet long to axe Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi after wresting full control of the property from the CBC. The broadcast had been airing for the past 18 years. The decision comes after the CBC and Rogers ended their 12-year sublicensing agreement. According to Sportsnet, the audience numbers were not strong enough to offset production costs.

NHL Summer Notebook – It’s crazy to think that this will be Connor McDavid’s 12th season in an Edmonton Oilers uniform. He’s already played more games as an Oiler than Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey and Number 99. This season, McDavid will pass Messier and Glenn Anderson. All he’s missing is a Stanley Cup. Messier, Anderson and Kurri won five. Gretz won four. Looking at the Oiler roster, it’s hard to envision McDavid lifting the Cup this season.

If any team challenges the Canucks for the worst record in the NHL this season it could be the Calgary Flames. They are in the fifth year of what appears to be a 10-year rebuild. The Flames are like the hamster on a wheel. Churning hard and going nowhere. How many times do you get to say “we’re a couple of years away?”

The NHL has confirmed Houston will be the next expansion team. We could see Houston awarded a team by this time next year. Houston is the fifth-largest market in the U.S. with a total metropolitan population of 7.1 million. They have a ready-made arena and deep-pocketed potential owners.

Seahawks Notebook – The Seahawks decision to sign embattled cornerback Terrion Arnold can be directly linked to the lack of depth in the cornerback room. No one has stepped up to replace Riq Woolen as the third corner.

Arnold is facing kidnapping and robbery charges after an arrest in June. Even if he somehow avoids jail time, Arnold could still be in line for a lengthy suspension. The former Detroit Lion first-rounder will be a solid addition if, and it’s a big IF, he is ultimately reinstated.

Further proof the corner room is lacking, the Seahawks signed former Dallas Cowboy Trevon Diggs. He’s a two-time Pro Bowler. The 27-year-old has a reputation for jumping routes in order to pile up interceptions. Witness his NFL-leading 11 interceptions in 2021. It’s also why he often gets burned.

Another area the Seahawks are going to have to address at some point is the pass rush. DeMarcus Lawrence is 34 and he’s already announced this season will be his last. Dante Fowler is 32 and on a one-year deal. Uchenna Nwosu is 30 and a free agent at the end of the season. The only long-term piece on the roster is Derick Hall. Don’t be surprised if there are more calls to acquire Maxx Crosby from the Raiders.

CFL Notebook – After a slow start due to injuries, the B.C. Lions had a chance to get back to the .500 mark last night against Saskatchewan in front of the home fans at B.C. Place Stadium. The Lions delivered with a solid 30-16 win that evened their record at 5-5. It was the Lions fourth straight win and brought them to within a game of the Riders in the Western Conference. The RedBlacks are next up so the Lions should make it five in a row. The Edmonton Elkies are 8-3 and have a lock on top spot. In the East, the Montreal Alouettes are 9-1 and look like a dominant force and heavy Grey Cup favourites.

The Ottawa RedBlacks are holding steady at 0-10. The RougeNoir have dropped a CFL-record 16 straight. The city of Ottawa can be proud. Makes you recall the sage words of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach John McKay. When asked what he thought of his team’s execution, McKay quipped, “I’m in favour of it.”

LIV and Let LIV Die – It appears the end is near for LIV Golf. The financially-strapped league cancelled the season-ending team championship which was supposed to be the highlight of the season. The purse for the final event on the schedule was cut in half. Various reports say many contractors and vendors remain unpaid. Players are reportedly still waiting payment from the event at Trump Bedminster on August 9. Jon Rahm could get the biggest haircut. The Spaniard is still owed upwards to $150 million from the deal he signed with LIV Golf in 2023. With an end in sight, several golfers have already made arrangements to play events on the DP World Tour.

The upstart league has been on life support since the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) withdrew funding in April. A desperate search is on for new investors but so far, no fish have jumped.

Golf Notebook – How about the bevy of young female Canadian golfers? No less than seven Canadians made the cut at the CPKC Canadian Women’s Open in Edmonton including a group of fledgling teens. Anna Huang, whom we featured recently after winning a Women’s European Tour event, was top Canadian. She finished in a tie for 4th.

Calgary’s Aphrodite Deng signed for a 7-under 63 on Saturday, tying an all-time LPGA record for the lowest score ever by an amateur. Deng finished T-7. You may remember a year ago, Deng became the first Canadian to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior Golf Championship, a feat matched this year by 16-year-old Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C., giving Canada a second consecutive title. An indication of the strength of Golf Canada’s NextGen program.

Defending champion Brooke Henderson couldn’t get the putter working and finished T-13.

The golf season is over for all the Canadians on the PGA Tour. Only three Canadians reached the FedEx Cup playoffs and all were eliminated after the St. Jude Championship in Memphis. Sudershan Yellamaraju, Nick Taylor and Corey Conners all failed to move into the Top-50 and advance. Caps a very mediocre season for the Canadian contingent.

Top 10 Most Annoying Athletes in Sports

1. LeBron – Can’t you just retire?
2. Bryson DeChambeau – Distant relative of Thurston Howell III.
3. Aaron Rodgers – Who listens to this blowhard?
4. Serena – Why come back? Do you need the attention that badly?
5. Elias Pettersson – Poster boy for bad body language.
6. Jazz Chisholm (better known as Jizz Jizzum) The ultimate hotdog.
7. Shedeur/Deion Sanders – Take your pick.
8. Patrick Cantley – The slow-play king. Excruciating to watch.
9. Mitch Marner – A whining little lactater.
10. Select from among any of the cat-fighting stars of the WNBA

Random Leftovers – Valter Sedin, the 19-year-old son of former Canuck captain Henrik Sedin, is rising through the soccer ranks. The midfielder has signed a contract with Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, the reserve team for the main club. Valter was part of the Canadian squad that qualified this summer for the 2027 U-20 World Cup.

Remember the name David Gabriel Georges. He’s one of the top high school running backs in the U.S. The Montreal native is a senior at Baylor High School in Tennessee. He’s already committed to play for the Volunteers. In his first game of the season, Georges rushed for 172 yards and 3 touchdowns with another 78 yards receiving. In a single game last season, he piled up 431 yards on the ground and 7 touchdowns.

Georges is already being compared to Derrick Henry for his rugged running style. He’s listed at 6-feet, 200 lbs. with 4.38 speed but it’s his strength that’s drawing attention. Georges can dead lift 725 lbs. He can bench press 375 lbs. and back squat 600 lbs. Don’t be surprised if Georges is one and done at the University of Tennessee before entering the NFL.

How about the story of the high school football player in Arkansas who practiced with a venomous snake inside his helmet? The kid said he initially felt something odd when putting on the helmet but didn’t bother taking a close look. He later gave the helmet to a coach for further examination and that’s when the snake’s head was discovered peeking through the padding in the helmet. Turns out the snake was a two-foot Cottonmouth, one of the most poisonous snakes in the U.S. Hate it when that happens!

Final thought. Why do baseball managers wear uniform? It’s not as though they are going to be called upon to play. Can you imagine a hockey coach behind the bench in a full hockey uniform? Doesn’t make sense. Connie Mack managed in a shirt and tie? He had it right.

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