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Would an airing of Vince Carter’s side of the story concerning his tumultuous time in Toronto benefit our understanding of why it is apparently so difficult for the city to retain elite level talent? About all we know about the causes of the end of Vinsanity are 1) a messy dispute about the removal of privileges his mother had obtained and 2) a physical altercation with the head coach. Those problems are clearly unrelated to the amenities of the city, but how did a hero turn into a goat so quickly? What are Carter’s thought? Do you wonder what he says about Toronto to other players? No? There is a sizzling story for someone with access - and if the truth was laid out, I don’t think there would be the same level of antipathy towards the current New Jersey Net…It is generally forgotten that Doug Gilmour left Toronto in a cloud of recrimination and scandal. Leaf brass, namely current radio hack Bill Watters, gave an inflammatory “anonymous” interview where he questioned Gilmour’s work ethic and suggested the Leaf Captain had, by 1994, become an impediment to success. Further, when trade rumours surfaced, Gilmour spoke of turning his game “up a notch”, suggesting he had kept a gear in reserve in his latter days as a Leaf. The Gilmour legend encapsulates a tremendous, but brief, period in Leaf history. We all revere the blazing excitement of the “Killer”, the two visits to the Stanley Cup semi finals, the intensity and passion that was instrumental to his play. We forget his stint as a Montreal Canadien, the botched comeback, the malodorous air concerning his attraction to babysitters and certain usherettes…yeah, I would have raised the 93, no objection here…I highly recommend Joe Layden’s, “The Last Great Fight”, a thorough account of the February 1990 Heavyweight Championship fight between Mike Tyson and Buster Douglas. It remains, indisputably, the greatest upset in boxing history but also, Layton persuasively argues, the end of Mike Tyson’s serious pursuit of boxing glory. Douglas ends up weighing 400 lbs within a couple of years of the fight and only takes responsibility for his health when he is hospitalized with a diabetic coma. Amazingly, he does regroup and fight again, though with minimal success. Laydens book contains an excellent and timely review of Tyson’s career and also insight into the last moment when boxing truly mattered, for all the right reasons…I actually missed the live telecast of the fight. As obsessive as I was (am?) about the fights, I avoided the Tokyo bout due to a fear that Tyson could possibly fatally injure the inept Douglas. See, I had noticed that Douglas, an “inveterate quitter”, had a habit of ceasing movement, allowing himself to be hit, when he inevitably decided to pack it in. This absorption of punishment, instead of the more commonly known “flop” to the canvas, made me think that Iron Mike would have the opportunity to land a series of hellacious combinations and cause the kind of damage one does not walk away from. So I spent the night with friends, only to call my “local” around midnight to inquire if Douglas had been able to leave the ring in possession of his faculties. I’ll never forget that call, and can only console myself with the recollection that I passed on one of the greatest moments in boxing history with, ahem, the best of intentions…