OF ALL THINGS ... BRIEFLY TOLD:

 RUDY MARTZKE died Wednesday (Nov. 20) at age 82. No, not that Rudy ... From 1982 to 2005, when he retired, this one wrote a radio-TV column for USA Today … starting way back when it was America’s newspaper and employees like Martzke became as well-known as the people they covered … Having bounced around, going from one public relations gig to another, Martzke was working for Gannett-owned morning paper in Rochester, N.Y., when Gannett started USA Today … and he was one of its first hires, quickly becoming a must-read on sportscasting which, unfortunately, led to a runaway sense of self-importance … that made him a laughing stock in the industry that, nevertheless, treated him with respect if for no other reason than he could hurt careers – an occasionally did … Still fresh is the memory of Martzke berating a CBS flak for taking time to update a know-nothing writer from Richmond, Va. “Why are you talking to him,” Martzke said, “when you should be talking to me?” The sad part … he was serious.

------- Your Washington Football Team put AUSTIN 

SIEBERTon injured reserve yesterday … something the 

Commanders should have done a week earlier … after he 

missed two game-changing extra points in Sunday’s 34-

26 loss to the Dallas Cowboys … leading to the question: 

Who gave the kicking specialist the green light to suit up 

after missing a couple of games with a pulled hamstring? 

Chances are, he said he was OK to play … which, if true, 

was both admirable and stupid … and once again proved 

coaches should be responsible for making such important 

… in this case, crucial … decisions.

------- The New York Rangers are playing like a team 

with internal problems … although, at this point, no one 

has accused coach PETER LAVIOLETTE of losing the 

locker room … which what got JIM MONTGOMERY

 fired by the Boston Bruins. Less than a week later he was 

hired by St. Louis and, his first game behind the bench for 

the Blues had the good fortune of meeting the Rangers … 

Final Monday was 5-2 at Madison Square Garden, 

snapping a five-game non-winning streak as the Blues 

poured 43 shots on IGOR SHESTERKIN … while the 

Rangers lost their third straight … and General Manager

 CHRIS DRURY sent a message to the other 31 teams 

saying he was “open for business.” That immediately led 

to rampant speculation CHRIS KREIDER, who didn’t 

dress for the game, was to be traded. Also on the block 

were such disappointments as JACOB TROUBA and

 K’ANDRE MILLER … Meanwhile, ZAC JONES, the 

Rangers’ 24 year old defenseman from Richmond, 

returned after missing a game with what was described as 

an upper-body injury. Actually, he was hit on the hand, 

blocking a shot last Thursday against Calgary, and was 

withheld from a listless 6-2 loss at Edmonton Saturday 

for precautionary reasons. 

-------  On second thought … having watched the replay 

… I think JACK McBAIN’s knee-to-knee hit of ALEX 

OVECHKIN … that resulted in a busted fibula, 

sidelining Washington Capitols “Great 8” indefinitely … 

was 

deliberate and should be dealt with severely by the NHL. 

Check it out … the 6-4, 212-pound Utah Hockey Club 

center unquestionably could have/should have avoided 

contact with the 39 year old … whose chase of WAYNE 

GRETSKY’s all-time record for goals scored was put on 

hold … just when it appeared he might catch “The Great 

One” this season after all.

Until next time ...