HAPPY NEW YEAR.  IT'S BLACK MONDAY.
You know when you hear of someone losing their job around Christmas time?  It's a real bummer.  I mean, you really feel for someone at this time of the year.   Except for NFL coaches.  Today is known as Black Monday.  It's the day AFTER the regular season has ended, and it's a sure bet that a bunch of coaches whose teams didn't make the playoffs are headed to the unemployment line.  Most firings were expected, some were not.
      For example, even though the Chicago Bears won their final two games to finish 10-6 on the season, they fired head coach Lovie Smith.  Tell me the last coach to win 10 games in a season and then get fired.  I can't think of one.   In Buffalo, Chan Gailey got the pink slip.  Same for Romeo Crennell in KC.  Cleveland bounced coach Pat Shurmur and GM Tom Heckert.  In San Diego, coach Norv Turner and GM A.J. Smith lost their jobs.  Ditto for Arizona, who bounced coach Ken Wisenhunt and GM Rod Graves.  After 14 years with the Philadelphia Eagles, Andy Reid could not escape the executioner.  In New York, the Jets fired GM Mike Tannenbaum but kept coach Rex Ryan.   In Jacksonville, the Jags blew out GM Gene Smith, but retained coach Mike Mullarkey.    That's seven head coaches and five GMs out the door.  Black Monday indeed.  I look for Andy Reid to catch on quickly because there are now 7 coaching vacancies.   Reid would be great in either Buffalo or Cleveland.  I'd love to see him in Buffalo, especially if the Bills can get Kirk Cousins from Washington or Alex Smith from San Francisco to replace the ineffective Ryan Fitzpatrick
     Meanwhile, yesterdays action in the NFL was fabulous, except for the fact that the TV networks continue to assault us with shots of the team owners up in their private suites.  Listen to me:  We don't care what the billionaires are doing!!   Enough with the shots of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Redskins owner Daniel Snyder.  They're a couple of egomaniacs who don't deserve the screen time.   Show me a couple of cheerleaders.  Show me some drunken fans dressed up in goofy costumes.  Show me anything BUT the team owners.  Especially when you've got a dandy of a game like they had in Washington.  And since I picked the Skins to beat the Cowboys on TV on Friday, I'm feeling pretty good today although the Bears got knocked out of the playoffs when Minnesota beat Green Bay in a thriller.  Those last second field goals are always killers.  I'll make my playoff predictions later in the week.
     Hey, how about those Toronto Raptors?  They were 4-19 a few weeks ago and now they're 11-20, having won 7 or their last 8.  Playoffs?  Playoffs?  This team is finally playing like a TEAM.  They're passing the ball around, rather than feeding Andrea Bargnani for his occasional 3-ball.  Oh, and by the way, you can get rid of Bargs anytime now.  He doesn't deserve any minutes on this team when he comes back.  With Lowry, Calderon, Amir, Ed Davis, Terrence Ross, DeRozan, Landry Fields, Kleiza, Allan Anderson and even Aaron Gray, the Raps are fairly small in stature but big when it comes to fight.   They don't play out of the Eastern time zone for the next two months, so we might see the team turn a corner in January and February.  Won't that be nice?
     And on this New Years Eve, I am picturing Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr walking hand in hand through Times Square with an agreement in principle to start the season in mid January.  In fact, as the ball drops to ring in the New Year, the two sides will embrace and then raise a glass of cheer.   Here's to 2013.   May it be your best year EVER.

NASH THE SLASH.  ANOTHER FUTURE HALL OF FAMER.
When "Kid Canada", Steve Nash, signed with the Los Angeles Lakers back in the summer, visions of an NBA championship danced around in the head of Kobe Bryant, not to mention millions of Lakers fans.  For Kobe, a sixth championship would tie him with the great Michael Jordan.  For Nash, a Laker championship would be his first.  In fact, Nash has played more games than anyone in history, over 1100, without ever reaching an NBA finals.  Who do you think is hungrier for a title?   Ever since Nash returned from a fractured leg, the Lakers have looked like a totally different team.  Despite hovering around the .500 mark, L.A. has the horses to go all the way.  And when you've got 3 MVP awards, 22 All-star game selections, 13 First team all star selections, 5 NBA assist titles and 2 scoring titles starting in your backcourt, you are EXPECTED to win.   Forget that Nash will be 39 years of age in February and Kobe is a well-worn 34.  These two may be the most talented backcourt in NBA HISTORY.  And whenever the Lakers are playing, which means a lot of late west coast games, I'll be staying up to watch.
      
I really think I'm going to miss the NHL Winter Classic come next Tuesday.  It really has been appointment viewing over the past few years, even though the games have been somewhat sloppy.   Just the idea of 110 thousand fans sitting outdoors at the Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan to watch the Leafs play the Red Wings gives me goosebumps.   Normally, I'm glued to the TV on New Years Day to check out college football games as well.   This year, there isn't a meaningful game until January 7th, when Notre Dame takes on Alabama in the BCS National Championship in Miami.   For years, it was the Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl and Rose Bowl on New Years Day, but the BCS has rendered those games useless, except for fans of the respective schools.   This year, with no NHL Winter Classic, it's back to watching meaningless college football on New Years Day.   What a shame.  The NHL could've held center stage on New Years Day.  Instead they'll ring in the New Year in the boardroom.  Maybe.

January will also see the announcement of the 2013 Baseball Hall of Fame inductees.  On the 9th, the Baseball Writers Association of America will announce the player(s) who received votes on at least 75% of the writers ballots.  Of course, this is the first year of eligibility for Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa, all of whom would be lock cinches under normal circumstances because of their impressive statistics.  However, those three are the poster boys for the steroid era, and many writers have already said they will NOT include such players on their ballot.   Even though none of them actually tested positive for PEDs, where there's smoke, there's fire.    Personally, I wouldn't include any of them on my ballot, but only because it's their first year of eligibility.  By next year at this time, when players such as Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux are on the ballot, it may be even tougher to gauge whether or not Bonds, Clemens and Sosa are worthy.   In 2015, you can add Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez to the list of candidates Maybe the talk of steroids settles down.  Maybe the writers feel the numbers are so outstanding, they MUST induct any or all of Bonds, Clemens and Sosa.   Or maybe the writers elect Jack Morris and Mike Piazza this year, and all those who were linked to PEDs get the cold shoulder from now on.   Now that would be justice.

 WHO STARTED ALL THIS YEAR-END STUFF?
  I'm sorry I haven't posted lately.  My brain is nearing the end of it's year as well.  We are in holiday mode, and 2012 was a tough year, maybe the toughest I've had since '89.  I actually ran out of ideas on Christmas Day.  I prefer to call it "Writers block" because it infers that I'm a writer.  Really,  2012 exhausted me.  I've noticed that all media outlets are bagged by this time of the year as well.  Everybody's running on fumes. That's why they plug in these yearender stories.   It seems that every single Top 10, Top 20 and Top 100 list has been invented solely for the purposes of  holiday "filler"  To take up time and/or space that would normally be filled with "real" stories.  Instead we get a rehash of the past 12 months when most of us can't remember what happened over the last 12 days.  Let's see: Top Sports stories (Usain Bolt), Top News stories (Gun violence in America),  Top Entertainment stories (all Bieber, all the time), Top Business stories (Fiscal cliff), Top Weather stories (Superstorm Sandy), etc.  We even pause to remember those who died by listing the necrology of 2012.   Kind of their final final farewell for the famous.
  Don't forget, this is the time of year when you don't NEED to come up with any stories because there's a year's worth of them at your fingertips.  A year's worth of tweets, posts, highlights, speeches, soundbites, texts and interviews to edit together and say "Here's what happened since last January."  I feel the same way.
      I've been blogging for a few months now, and I'm wondering if it's too presumptuous to come up with a "Best of" edition of my rants.  Am I entitled to take it easy during the Holiday season and let my previous blogs remind you of how clever I used to be?  I mean, they're all archived for a reason, aren't they?   If I reprint a previous post, do I now get the reputation as a re-user, a re-cycler, maybe a re-gifter?  Or, am I actually the one to blame?  After all, I helped start all this year-end stuff about 30 years ago with the Year End Hebsy Awards. 
      I'm told the Year End Hebsy's were a "must see" compilation because if you didn't see the actual
   Sportsline broadcast and you didn't tape it, you had to wait until the end of the year to see some crazy sports bloopers.    The yearenders we did back in the 80s and 90s ran about 6 or 7 minutes long and it meant physically taking all the tapes into the edit suite, pulling the index out of the box with all the time codes listed, and then fast forwarding to that spot on the tape.  It was very time consuming, but worth it.  Everybody looked forward to it, and I made sure nobody got to see a "preview".  You had to watch it "live" because Jim Tatti's reaction was the best part of the Hebsy Awards. I recently viewed the 1990 yearender and when one of the guys in the two-man bobsled slips and falls and then chases the bobsled down the track, Tatti starts to laugh and then is heard banging on the desk. Classic.  The element of surprise (and delight) was always entertaining.
    So, I guess I'm my own worst enemy.   Here I am complaining that I'm brain dead and in need of an excuse not to post, and I give myself up as a culprit in this whole end-of-the-year nonsense.   Look what I helped start.    By the way, since it IS the end of the year and I DID start a tradition, perhaps you might like to look in on Part Two of the Year End Hebsy awards.  That's next Monday night, December 31st at 5 p.m. Eastern time on CHCH TV.  Check your local listings.

WHO WAS YOUR FOOTBALL HERO?

My favorite football player was Jim Brown.   I thought it was cool that he played for the Cleveland "Browns".  Jim Brown appeared on our black and white television every Sunday afternoon from September to December.  Sometimes the games began at 1 pm.  Sometimes they were on at 4 pm.  There were no night games. The games were always on Channel 4 out of Buffalo N.Y.  WBEN-TV  The Cleveland games were always broadcast by Frank Glieber and Warren Lahr (Son of Bert Lahr, the Cowardly Lion from "The Wizard of Oz".)  The home games were played at Municipal Stadium, capacity 83,000. 
      The NFL was a run-based league back then. 5 yards and a cloud of dust.   Brown led the league in rushing every season but one during his nine year career.  He set the record of 1,863 yards in one season, that being a 14 GAME SEASON.  In his first four seasons, the schedule consisted of just 12 games.   He had no peers.  When he was tackled, he always took an extra few seconds before getting up and trotting back to the huddle.  Some said he was feigning injury, but I knew better.  He was conserving energy.  Brown had breakaway speed when he needed it, and bull-like strength when he required it.  I can recall seeing him run out of bounds twice in one series, letting up instead of lowering his shoulder for an extra yard or two.  On the third occasion, he slowed up as if he were going to step out of bounds, and then accelerated, put his head down and ran right over the defensive back and rumbled the remaining yards to paydirt.   He wanted defenders to remember how much it hurt if they (tried to) tackle him.
       When Brown scored a touchdown, there was no outward celebration.  He gently tossed the football to the official.  There was no spiking.  No leaping into the stands.  He was just doing his job.  Like the homerun hitters or goal scorers of that era, a simple nod of acknowledgement was enough.  He accepted the congratulations of his teammates in an almost robot-like fashion.  He did not consider himself a star.  The offensive line of Hoaglin, Wooten, Hickerson, Clark and Schafrath did their job to spring him, and Brown just did what came naturally.   He may have been the greatest natural athlete of all time, with apologies to Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, etc.     Brown did, after all, excel in basketball, track and, most of all, lacrosse.  He was an All-American lacrosse player at Syracuse University, and was a two year starter on the Orangemen basketball team.  He also earned a letter in track.
     Along with Sandy Koufax and Barry Sanders, Jim Brown is one of the few athletes to leave the game at a young age, 29, and at his athletic peak.  He likely could've played 5 more seasons in the NFL, but chose instead to take up acting full time.  He retired a long time ago, in 1966.  Having gotten a chance to see him play, in his prime is something I will cherish.

ENTERTAINMENT CHOICES FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
if you're like me, you want to relax during the holidays.   Easier said than done.  I have a lot on my plate.  When that alarm clock rings at 4 o'clock on Boxing Day morning, it'll begin yet another day of Holiday viewing for me.  That's the first game of the World Junior Hockey Championship for Canada, and since the tournament takes place in Russia, you've got to get up pretty early in the morning to catch it.   It's one of many "must see" events this holiday season.   Along with movies such as "It's a Wonderful Life", "Home Alone" and "Die Hard" (Yeah, I know, it's not REALLY a Christmas movie), the WJC is appointment viewing for sure.
However, I have been keeping my eye on several movies, TV shows, documentaries, books, etc. that you can peruse while you've got all this down time coming up.
KNUCKLEBALL (Documentary)--If you're a fan of R.A. Dickey, you might want to know a little more about the guy, and that crazy pitch that he throws.  He's the only knuckleballer left in the majors, and in this doc, it's obvious that the only way he can maintain his sanity (and his career) is to consult with other successful knuckeball pitchers, all of whom are retired.  Tim Wakefield, Phil Niekro and Charlie Hough play large roles in this film.  It's quite fascinating and highly recommended.

AVALON--This film was made over 20 years ago by director Barry Levinson, who is a baseball fanatic.  He happens to be a minority owner of the Baltimore Orioles, and directed such films as "The Natural", "Rain Man" and "Good Morning Vietnam".  "Avalon" was the third movie of his Baltimore Triology (preceded by "Diner" and "Tin Men").   It's the story of an immigrant named Sam Krichinsky (Arwin Mueller-Stahl) who arrives in Baltimore in 1914 and raises his family there.  Eventually, he and his wife (Joan Plowright) move out of the city and into the suburbs with their son (Aidan Quinn),daughter-in-law (Elizabeth Perkins) and grandson (played brilliantly by a very young Elijah Wood).    If anybody has ever spent time in an immigrant family, eating a big holiday dinner, sitting around listening to stories, or just trying to learn the language and culture, this movie is for you.   In one particular scene, young Michael Krichinsky is in school when he puts his hand up.
TEACHER:  Yes Michael.
MICHAEL:  Can I go to the bathroom?
TEACHER:  You can, but you may not.  Do you understand the difference between may and can?
MICHAEL: Yes
TEACHER:  Would you like to rephrase your question.
MICHAEL (thoughtfully)  Can I PLEASE go to the bathroom?
Later, after Michael has been sent out to the hall, the school principal phones home and asks Sam to come to the school because there is a problem.   With Michael present in the office, this exchange takes place.
PRINCIPAL;  Today's lesson was the difference between "can" and "may".   Michael asked "Can I go to the bathroom"   His teacher responded "You can but you MAY NOT"
SAM:  What's the problem, he has to go to the bathroom and you say he can, then you say he can't.
PRINCIPAL:  Mr. Krichinsky, I don't think you understand the subtleties of the English language.
And so it goes.  Wonderful script, great acting, terrific cinematography.  I bought it on I-Tunes because I lost my VHS copy some time ago.

I'm reading a pretty good book right now.  It's called "The Bullpen Gospels" by Dirk Hayhurst, a former Bluejay pitcher who now does some broadcasting for Rogers, and is a breath of fresh air(waves).
If you ever read "Ball Four" by Jim Bouton, this book is similar in that it documents a pitcher's life on the mound, in the clubhouse, on the buses and at home.   In Hayhurst's case, home happens to be his grandmother's house because he just can't live with his parents and brothers.   A really nice story and written with just the right amount of wit and self-deprecation that makes Hayhurst a likeable, believable character.

And because of YouTube, I've been able to re-discover some music that I haven't paid attention to since I tossed out my vinyl collection a couple of decades ago.
For example:  The Tubes, Squeeze, The Moody Blues, Roxy Music and Majek Fashek (Nigerian Reggae, sounds a lot like Bob Marley). 

If you've got some holiday favorites to pass along, I'd love to hear them.   I know a lot of people who have time on their hands and would love to see/hear some cool recommendations.

DON'T WORRY HOCKEY FANS. IT'S ALL GOOD.
I realize that by the time you read this, the NHL lockout will be over, your holiday plans will have changed, and the world will no longer exist as we know it.   Nevertheless, I want to talk about those who live, eat and breathe sports.  You know who you are.  You spend your waking hours thinking more about your team than your family, your faith or your job.  Your personal dreams always take a backseat to the success of the team.  You cannot enjoy anything if your team is losing.   Food has no taste, a hug offers no solace, a smile rarely crosses your face and you worry incessantly.   But you can't help it.  Your favourite team has you by the short and curlies.  They always have.  No matter how bad they are, you will never give up hope.
     OK, I just checked and the NHL lockout is not over.   But it likely will be by the middle of January.  In fact, once the start of the season was cancelled, back in October, the league and the Players Association decided to dig in for as long as possible, and then come to a last minute agreement, and I mean LAST MINUTE.   Because, really, what's the difference?  If they weren't going to get in 82 games, pick an arbitrary number.  For the NBA it was 66 games.  For the NHL, it looks like it might be 50 games.  Both sides knew they could posture and blather all they want for a few months, as long as they could get in enough games to make it worthwhile.  In fact, the league announced today they have cancelled all games up to January 14th.  There's your drop dead date.
 The National Hockey League understands that they have a death grip on the Canadian audience.  No matter how much the fans are abused and ignored and looked down upon, they'll still embrace hockey when it returns.  Nobody will boycott NHL games.  Those casual fans and fence-sitters may have found other things to do on Saturday nights, but they'll probably come back.   Folks will spend hundreds of dollars on jerseys, caps, jackets, keychains and cufflinks.  They'll drink the sponsors beer, watch, listen to and read about the games through franchise-owned media and maybe spend a small fortune on tickets to see the game "live".
    But not all Canadians love hockey.  In fact, the percentages are shifting.  Recent studies show a decline in hockey registration at the grass roots level.  Costs are skyrocketing.  Fees, equipment, travel costs can add up to many hundreds, even thousands of dollars.  When my son told me he didn't want to play hockey anymore, preferring basketball, I didn't shed a tear.  We've probably saved 5 grand over the past few years, and that buys you a lot basketballs.   More and more kids are going that way, whether it's soccer, basketball, swimming or whatever.   Oh sure, people still love their hockey, but that affection comes with a cost.   Not having the NHL for 90 some odd days is, for some, like quitting smoking, drinking or drugs.   Thinking that the dispute will be resolved eventually gives us hope.  All the experts say there WILL be a season.   I think the principles on both sides knew all along that we'd have a season, and they're willing to go to the 11th hour to get the best deal possible.
       So, here's my projected schedule of upcoming events.
January 4, 2013--A deal is reached (don't ask about particulars, just be happy)
January 5, 2013--Training camps begin
 January 15--Let the season begin.  50 games in 77 days.
Thursday April 4--Playoffs begin.
Late June, 2013--Vancouver Canucks win Stanley Cup.

There WILL be an NHL season.  It was always part of the plan.
Your welcome.

R.A. DICKEY NEEDS TO PAY UP IF HE WANTS HIS FAVORITE NUMBER.
The Toronto Bluejays have already started selling #43 jerseys with the name "DICKEY" on the back.  I wonder how Anthony Gose feels about that?   I don't know how attached Gose is to number 43, but he could make himself a few bucks next spring.   Athletes, by nature, are superstitious.  They have routines, like taking batting practice at the same time, dressing a certain way and wearing a certain uniform number that they've had since they were kids. When a player gets traded, he usually requests his favourite number.  If that number is occupied, negotiations can take place.  Since Dickey signed for some 30 million dollars, Gose might be able to extract some of that in exchange for number 43.
     When Rickey Henderson arrived in Toronto in 1993, he wanted his familiar number 24, which was being worn by Turner Ward.  Ward asked for 25 thousand dollars.  Henderson paid him.  The Jays went on to win the World Series over Philly.   Contrast that with Phils reliever Mitch (Wild Thing) Williams.  He wanted number 28 when he came over to the Phils, but John Kruk had it.  Williams inquired about Kruk's asking price for the coveted number.  "Two cases of beer" said Kruk.   Sold.  When Roger Clemens joined the Jays, he wanted number 21, which was worn by Carlos Delgado.  Clemens gave Delgado a Rolex watch in exchange for the number.
     If you play in the league long enough, that uniform number becomes your identity.  But if you're a rookie, and want your college number when you turn pro, it could get tricky.....and expensive.   When Eli Manning signed a huge contract with the New York Giants in 2004, he wanted number 10, his college number at Ole Miss.   The only problem was, punter Jeff Feagles had number 10.  Feagles negotiated a deal with Manning.  A one week vacation in Florida for his family in exchange for number 10.   Feagles then took jersey number 17, and sold it the following year to receiver Plaxico Burress in exchange for a new outdoor kitchen at his home.  Nice work if you can get it.
     The problem with numbers is that sometimes they just aren't available.  When Barry Zito arrived in Oakland, he wanted to pitch like his buddy Kris Benson, who wore number 34.   When Zito was told that 34 had been retired as a tribute to Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers, he chose number 75.   Steve Sax wore number 3 for the Dodgers his entire career.  When he was traded to the Yankees in 1989, he requested number 3, obviously unaware that it had been retired long ago.  Some guy named Ruth wore it. 
    Gose is really the only Jay that can negotiate for his uniform number.  Melky Cabrera wore #53 last year.  That's available if he wants it.   Josh Johnson was #55 and Mark Buehrle has always been #56.  Jose Reyes wears #7 and Emilio Bonifacio wears #1.  All those numbers are available as well.  And, there's a possibility that Dickey won't want number 43. After all, he's also worn numbers 39, 41, 45 and 51 in his major league career.  Anthony Gose is hoping Dickey really, really likes number 43 and is willing to pay for it.  If that happens, look for Gose to wear jersey number 2, which was vacated by Kelly Johnson. 

How do you explain the Toronto Raptors.  Three straight wins without Andrea Bargnani and Kyle Lowry.   Jose Calderon playing out of his mind.  Alan Anderson, a 31 year old journeyman if there ever was one, has played in more countries than the U.N. has flags, yet he's been "en feu" since coming back from injury scoring 18 and 24 points in his last two games.  Ed Davis and Amir Johnson have been solid, and generally speaking the team has found a rhythm that they didn't have with that big 7 footer in the lineup.   A win tonight over Detroit would make it four in a row.   When Lowry becomes healthy, do you put him back as the starting point guard, or stick with Calderon?  

With all the problems surrounding the Buffalo Bills, is it possible they will scrap the Ryan Fitzpatrick experiment and go and get a proven quarterback?   If so, Michael Vick should be on their radar.   When Vick came out of prison, he said he wanted to go to Buffalo but was persuaded by Tony Dungy to join the Eagles because Andy Reid was a great coach and Philly seemed to be a stable organization.   Well, how did that work out?    Vick on the Bills would be fabulous.  Risky, but fabulous.  And just what Buffalo fans need after 13 straight seasons of missing the playoffs.  That's the longest current streak in the NFL.    Is Jim Kelly still available to play?
     

TOM'S IN THE HALL, JERRY GETS HONOURED TOO.

Boy, 2013 can't get here fast enough can it?  If you're a Bluejay fan, it's already here.  Dickey's now in the fold, the Jays are 8-1 favorites to win the World Series, Tom Cheek is going to be inducted into Cooperstown,  and his partner for 25 years, Jerry Howarth, is going to receive the Jack Graney Award from the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.  The award goes to a member of the media who has made significant contributions to baseball in Canada through their life’s work.  Significant?  Jerry Howarth passed that milestone about 20 years ago.  He will join the likes of  Baseball Hall of Famers Bob Elliott, Ernie Harwell, Dave Van Horne and other fine writers and broadcasters this summer in St. Mary's Ontario.
     When I first met Jerry, I didn't like him.  I know that seems hard to believe now, but I considered Jerry to be my rival.   I wanted the job alongside Tom Cheek, and had done a game with him in 1979, so naturally I felt I was the best man for the job, even though I was only a kid.  Jerry had way more experience than me.  He had done Triple A baseball in Salt Lake City, and was a very pleasant fellow who sounded a bit like Vin Scully.  In 1980, Jerry filled in and broadcast 3 games alongside Tom.  The following year, 1981, he did 20 games during the strike-shortened season and then got the Jays job full-time.   I was working for the flagship station on the network, CJCL (Now The FAN) doing a nightly sports talk show.
     Baseball was the station's lifeblood during the summer, a wonderful escape from the music they were playing.  (I can't remember if it was Country or Music Of Your Life at the time, but it was lousy.)  Anyway, during the fall of 1981, Jerry would come into the station on a regular basis so he could learn more about hockey, since we also broadcast the Maple Leafs games in those days and after all, hockey was king back in the early 80s in Toronto.   By this time, of course, my dislike for Jerry had completely evaporated.   How could you not like a guy who was always smiling, always enthusiastic, and willing to learn the proper pronunciation of names like Vaclav Nedomansky, Pierre Larouche and Jiri Crha.   "Jerry, it's pronounced "YOU-REE SEAR-HAH", now you try it".  We would sit and go over names and he would quiz me about who the top players and coaches were,  and what to watch for during a hockey game.  He totally immersed himself in the Toronto culture, and not just sports. Jerry and his wife Mary raised two boys, Ben and Joe, whom I first met when they were youngsters, bouncing on Dad's knee in the broadcast booth.  They were pretty impressed with their Dad.  As time went on, everybody who met Jerry couldn't help but be impressed by him.   And I think I can safely say that, after 5000 games broadcast on the radio, millions more feel as if Jerry is one of the family.   Congratulations on your award Jerry.  Looks like 2013 is going to be a great year for the Bluejay family.


   

WHO'S GOT A PAIR OF BLUEJAY TICKETS?

Man, what a weekend!  We hosted not one, but TWO dinner parties.  I picked up not one but TWO Apple TVs, and the Toronto Raptors have won TWO in a row.  I told you they were a better team WITHOUT Bargnani.  And how about those Bluejays? Looks like the National League Cy Young Award winner might actually come here, to Canada.   The hot Christmas gift this season will be tickets to the 2013 Jays.   Pitchers and catchers report to Dunedin Florida in TWO months.   I'm imagining a Bluejays staff featuring R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson, Brandon Morrow, Mark Buehrle and Ricky Romero (or JA Happ).  I'm salivating over a batting order with Jose Reyes, Melky Cabrera, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Brett Lawrie, JP Arencibia, Colby Rasmus, etc.   And as for Travis D'Arnaud and any other "prospect" being dealt, it's a no brainer.   The time is now for the Jays.  The Yanks, Red Sox and Rays are NOT stronger than they were last year, while the Jays are A LOT stronger than they were in 2012.   Personally, I hope D'Arnaud becomes a great major league player...but not until 2016 or AFTER the Jays win a couple more World Series titles.   That way, any deal with Dickey and D'Arnaud will benefit both teams.  One now, one down the road.

For those who feel Dickey is too old, at 38, try to remember that he throws a knuckleball, and knuckleballers have generally flourished as much older pitchers.  Look no further than Tim Wakefield, who won 72 games in the major leagues AFTER the age of 38.   You see, the knuckleball doesn't put any strain on the arm.  Ask Charlie Hough, who used the knuckler to win 100 games AFTER the age of 38.  And, just in case you think Dickey might be a three-season flameout, consider that Hall of Famer Phil Niekro won 170 games AFTER the age of 38.  His brother, Joe Niekro, won 77 games AFTER the age of 38.  Yes, he was a knuckeballer as well.  And let's not forget Hoyt Wilhelm, who, as a knuckballing relief pitcher, saved 175 games AFTER the age of 38.    I see many, many good seasons from the relatively young arm of R.A. Dickey.

So, the Raptors have won two in a row without Andrea Bargnani (and Kyle Lowry and Landry Fields).  Perhaps it was fortuitous that the Big Italian went down with an injury.   We need to see the young guns on this team, and even though veteran Jose Calderon led the way, it was kids like Terrence Ross, Ed Davis and Demar DeRozan who stepped up.  Even 31 year old Alan Anderson provided a spark, having missed most of the season with injuries.   I like the way JV is playing in the post.  He seems to be improving every game.  And while the Raptors won't make the playoffs, two straight wins without two of your top players is reason to celebrate.  As long as the effort is there and the kids are learning, the Raps are one lottery pick away from being a contender.

So, I heard last week that STAPLES would be having a door-crasher sale yesterday (Sunday) only on Apple TV.  I've been wanting one for some time, and was even prepared to wait in line to save the 30 bucks.  By the time we got to the store in Ancaster, which had just opened, I discovered that they were already sold out.  "How many did you have?" I inquired.  "Seven" I was told.    Really?  Seven of them and you're telling people it's a door crasher on a Sunday morning?   Come on.  Is there not a legal minimum number of items that you have to have available before you can advertise it?  Like, twenty?
Anyway, we found out that the STAPLES store in Waterdown didn't open until Noon, so we headed over, and in the pouring rain, arrived at 11:30 a.m.  Nobody was lined up.  I sent my son to the front door, clutching an umbrella.  He was the first in line.  I stayed warm in the car.  Within 30 seconds, about ten people emerged from their vehicles and joined my son in the lineup.  They would be the only lucky ones.  The Waterdown store had 11 Apple TVs.  My son got the first one.
     Installing it was easy for my son (I just let him do his thing) and we now have a tremendous selection of movies, TV shows, You Tube, documentaries and music.  Much greater than the On Demand stuff from your local cable company/satellite provider.   In fact, my son, who works and goes to college in Toronto, wanted one for his home.   So, we went to the APPLE STORE in the Mapleview Mall in Burlington.   The place is always packed, but we managed to corral a salesperson.  I told the young man that we had already purchased one Apple TV for 79 dollars at STAPLES, and would they match that price?   The answer was "Yes".    So, in one day, I discovered that the service at the APPLE STORE and their willingness to make the customer happy by matching price is a cornerstone of customer loyalty.   Also, if you don't ask, you don't get.   And as for STAPLES, try to be a little more upfront with your advertising.  If I had known there were only 7 items available, I wouldn't have rushed to get there.  I understand there's only a LIMITED number available, but make it a reasonable number next time.
         My apologies for not having posted the past few days, but I'm suffering from an injury which makes it painful to sit down.  In fact, I am writing this while (standing) erect.  First, an update on the Keg controversy. http://tinyurl.com/cgzdfg9
Several readers alerted The Keg Canada of my unhappiness on social media,  and I received correspondence from The Keg, asking to provide details of my misadventure.  After a telephone discussion, the problem was resolved and a gift certificate was sent to me in the hopes that I will try The Keg once again. I likely will, as I am satisfied with their response and their quick action.   And let's face it, they make a great steak.

YEAR END AWARDS ARE USELESS.

Every December, news editors, sports editors, entertainment editors, business editors and weather editors try to come up with the definitive "Year End Awards" for best, worst and most promising from the past 12 months.   That's an awful lot of ground to cover, and quite frankly, I don't need to be reminded of what happened last February, and I certainly couldn't care less that it was number #8 on somebody's list of memorable moments.  In Sports, it all starts with the Lou Marsh Award, which is named after the late sports editor of  the Toronto Star.  I'm pretty sure, as sports editor, Mr. Marsh came up with a few year end awards of his own.  Soccer player Christine Sinclair was this years recipient.  Well deserved.
    The Canadian Press will soon announce it's Male, Female and Team of the year. Do you really care? Sportsnet and TSN will have THEIR athletes of the year (unless they've already announced them and I missed it) and I'm sure they'll have the obligatory Top Ten Plays of the Year, Saves of the year, Goals of the year, Catches of the Year, Dropped passes of the year and Missed dunks of the year.  Don't be surprised if they add Popcorn Vendor of the year, and Craziest Fan of the year.
       And to make this year-end assault even more interesting, look no further than Tennis Canada, which named Aleksandra Wozniak it's Female Player of the Year for the fifth time.   Now, being a tennis fan, I know who Wozniak is.  She's ranked #43 in the world and rarely, if ever, challenges the big hitters.  She's not that great a player, and winning this award is akin to being named Canada's tallest midget.   The fact that no other female tennis player even came to mind might give you a hint as to where female tennis is in this country.    And as for Milos Raonic winning the Men's award.....well, let's just say it was about time somebody OTHER than Daniel Nestor got some recognition.  By the way, did you know that Wozniak was named Canada's Female Athlete of the Year in 2009?  It's true.  Her accomplishment that year was becoming the first Canadian in ten years to reach the 4th round of a Grand Slam event.   Not the quaterfinals, the 4th round.  Must've been a tough field that year.
     I guess the only good thing about this time of the year are the arguments that center around the selections.  It's pretty much a lock cinch that there will be opposition to the year-end winners.   A few years back, baseball player Larry Walker had an outstanding season, only to lose the Lou Marsh Award to Jacques Villenueve.  Upon hearing that Villeneuve had won, Walker remarked "You mean I got beat by a car?".   And so it goes.  I expect Sinclair will win Female Athlete of the Year and it's possible that Raonic will win Male Athlete of the Year.   The team of the year?  I don't know.....how about the Toronto Argonauts? 
I'm interested in your choices on this matter.  I know year-end awards are silly, but hey,  shouldn't EVERYBODY have an opportunity to choose their favourites from 2012?
     

BOUNTYGATE:  BLAME THE NFL.

The National Football League has a problem.  It has to do with credibility.  This is a league that was foolish enough to lock out it's regular officials, and then suffered the indignity of having to reach a quick deal with said officials after the replacement refs screwed with a whole bunch of teams (Hello, Green Bay) and had the fans seething.   This is a league that can't seem to figure out what to do about concussions.  This is a league that wants to end kickoffs because they believe it's causing too many injuries, yet is pushing for an 18 game regular season schedule AND allowing 2 or 4 more playoff teams.     And this is a league whose Commissioner got his wrist slapped when the former Comish overruled him in "Bountygate".

You'll recall the Saints had several players, coaches and the General Manager suspended and/or fined by Roger Goodell when it was uncovered that there was a bounty program aimed at several opponents, including Minnesota's Brett Favre a few years ago.   The coaches doled out cash prizes to those players who carried out certain tasks, such as injuring key opponents.  Favre, for example, was worth 10 grand to any New Orleans player who could knock him out of the game.  Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma, one of the supposed "ringleaders" of the program, has launched a defamation lawsuit against the NFL.  Vilma was supposedly the one to offer the 10 grand if Favre got knocked out.     The lawsuit came after former NFL comish Paul Tagliabue, vacated the suspensions of Vilma and three other players that were originally imposed by Goodell.   So there's another black eye for the league.

Whether there was or wasn't a bounty program in New Orleans isn't the issue now.  The issue has to do with following orders, keeping your job, being a macho man, looking after your family and doing whatever is necessary to win.  And, if you need a little more incentive, there's always a few bucks to be earned.
Let's face it, whether you're an enlisted man in the army or an NFL linebacker, you live in a violent world.  Your job is kill or be killed.  Hit or be hit.  Inflict punishment, or have punishment inflicted upon you.   So, really, who was to blame when Brett Favre went down with an ankle injury in the 2010 NFC Championship game?  Vilma?  Head coach Sean Payton?  General Manager Mickey Loomis?  Owner Tom Benson?  They all suffered after Goodell's original investigation yielded evidence to implicate the whole darn team.

But, Tagliabue wrote that a "culture" existed in New Orleans that promoted tough talk and cash incentives for hits to injure opponents, including Favre.  Tagliabue added there was "little evidence of the tone of any talk about a bounty before the Vikings game."
"Was any bounty pledged serious? Was it inspirational only? Was it typical 'trash talk' that occurs regularly before and during games? The parties presented no clear answers," Tagliabue wrote. "No witness could confirm whether Vilma had any money in his hands as he spoke; no evidence was presented that $10,000 was available to him for purposes of paying a bounty or otherwise."

And with that, the NFL is under fire for the umpteenth time this season.  The Commissioner's ruling has been struck down.  The New Orleans team has been exonerated, but that didn't stop star quarterback Drew Brees from saying that the original investigation was "mishandled from start to finish"   It's not often that players can openly criticize a league commissioner and get away with it.   In this case, Roger Goodell and the NFL are lucky it's only a tongue-lashing and not another lawsuit.

HOCKEY PLAYERS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS.

If there's one thing I miss more than anything else, it's the between periods interviews during NHL games.  Oh sure, I miss the games themselves.  The great goals, the hard hits (but not to the head), the acrobatic saves are all well and good, but when the period is over, that's when we get to see the "true" hockey player.
When I was at Global TV, I hosted the midweek Maple Leaf games for 8 years.  It's possible that you never saw my work because you always went to the bathroom or got something to eat while I was doing my thing. That's OK.  That's what intermissions are for.   I was also the guy standing rinkside to open the broadcast, rhyming off some stats, highlighting key players and then throwing to Joe Bowen and Harry Neale for their perspective up in the booth.  I was the guy who did those sweaty player interviews between periods.   These weren't 60 second interviews in the hallway before the guy went into the dressing room.   At Global, we did 5 minute interviews between periods because there was no "desk" to throw back to.   Now, some players were easy to interview for 5 minutes.  Marty McSorley, Paul Ysebaert, Ken Baumgartner and Ed Olczyk come to mind.   But 5 minutes is an eternity when you're trying to extract information from a guy who's sweating like a pig, hasn't scored in a month and knows that next door in the dressing room his coach is yelling and screaming at his teammates for lack of effort.
     I once interviewed Dave Christian of the St. Louis Blues between periods.  He had been playing horseshit, but we had already made arrangements prior to the game to have him on.  What can you do?   His answers were of the one-word variety.  "How would you describe your teams play out there?"  "Lousy".   "What's it going to take to come back in the 2nd period?"  "Hard work".  "What do you think of this Maple Leaf team?"  "They're tough". By this time, my producer is telling me in my earpiece that I have 4 minutes left in the interview.  4 minutes!  What am I going to do now?   My next question was:  "How old were you when you first started playing hockey?"   Thank goodness he went on about how his Dad built a backyard rink when he was four,  and he and his brother used to fight for ice time and how the family made hockey sticks and on and on.   Before I knew it, it was time to wrap the interview.  I thanked Dave Christian and he shook my hand with his sweaty, clammy paw.  Ugh!   I now smelled like the inside of a hockey glove, and trust me, you never want that odious experience.
     The between periods interview allows you go get really, really close to someone who you don't want to be that close to.  Ever.  Both of you have to fit in the camera shot, and a lot of times the close up on the players face shows every bead of sweat.  Now, imagine that sweat dripping onto your pants or your shoes.  Now, imagine having to endure that for 5 minutes along with garlic breath, coffee breath, a reeking, sopping uniform and a gaze that says "I would kill to NOT have to do this interview".   Believe me, I felt the same way many times.     Today's interviewers are lucky.   They grab a guy when he comes off the ice, ask him exactly two questions, finish up with "Good luck the rest of the way" and sends it back to the booth or the desk or the panel or whatever.   I say bring back the sweaty player interview between periods.  Sit that guy down between periods and grill him, 60 minutes style.  Ask the tough questions about drug use, hazing, picking up girls on the road, airplane pranks, excessive drinking.  All the good stuff.    Not gonna happen.  The hockey player is paid to put the puck in the net, or stop the opponent from doing so.   Nothing in the hockey players manual says anything about being interviewed.   Let's hope that, during this lockout, more NHL players will have the opportunity to hone their interviewee skills.  They do, after all, have a lot more than 5 minutes to spare.

     

THE IKEA MONKEY WILL BE WATCHING.

I have a history with monkeys.  Don't laugh.   Two years ago, I heard about a Hamadryas baboon named "Chelsea" who never missed my "Square Off" show on CHCH at 5:30 p.m.  Seriously.  I read about it in the Toronto Star.  Apparently Chelsea was owned by someone in Hamilton, and I guess the owner left the TV set on all day, and Chelsea became quite familiar with CHCH.  When the owner couldn't take care of this baboon any longer, "Chelsea" was taken away to Story Brook farms, the same place the Ikea Monkey, "Darwin", now resides.

I got a chance to visit Story Brook farms and see for myself what kind of life "Chelsea" was living.  She had her own large cage, and was surrounded by a couple of dozen other primates, all of whom had been abused, neglected or otherwise shunned by their owners.  Some were used as actors in films or TV shows and then discarded.  Some were used for medical experiments and some were pets who became too difficult to look after.  There were baboons, capuchins, Japanese Macaques, Spider monkeys, marmosets and lemurs.  All were very well fed and seemed to enjoy their life at Story Brook, although they never actually said so.  It's tough to get a straight answer from these primates.  They're easily distracted. 

When Chelsea heard my voice, she perked up immediately and slowly moved from the very back of the cage towards the door.  The look on her face suggested she was wondering, processing, listening and slowly figuring out that I was the one who kept her company every afternoon.    It's kind of spooky when a big baboon is staring at you between the bars of her cage.  She looked over at the TV set which was sitting dark across from her cage and then slowly moved her eyes towards me.  The staff at the farm were thrilled.  Chelsea, known for being easily bored, was being quite sociable.  As I moved a little closer to the edge of the cage, I was suddenly, and violently, pulled back by one of the staff.  "You can't get too close" I was told.  Apparently, Chelsea was quick enough and strong enough to reach through the bars and choke me to death (She wouldn't be the first to want to subdue me in such a manner)   Even though she watched me on TV every day, there was a chance that she disagreed with my point of view on something and wished to show her displeasure.  Suddenly, she opened her mouth and let out a scream that could only be described as "blood curdling".  It was so loud and so scary, I thought she was angry at me (again, not a surprise).   I was told, however, that this is how she expressed joy.    I can only imagine what sound she'd make if she were upset.

I spent a couple of hours at the farm, along with my wife and sons.  We came away with a new appreciation for the people who run the farm and all the volunteers who want to make life more pleasurable for these animals.   The owners of "Darwin", who say the monkey should be able to choose where he wants to live, are unable to visit their "pet", and that must be difficult for them and for "Darwin".   I never like to see anyone lose their pet, and this must be especially difficult for all parties because "Darwin" is only 7 months old.  However, "Darwin" is one lucky monkey.  Sherri Delaney, who runs Story Brook, is about the most welcoming person you will ever encounter.  She and her staff, I'm sure, have rolled out the red carpet for their new tenant.  "Darwin" will be treated well, and once the separation anxiety has subsided, will enjoy a long and happy life with his new friends.   Maybe he'll even follow in the footsteps of "Chelsea" by watching my TV show.

Unfortunately, Chelsea passed away last summer and will never get to meet "Darwin".  But, oh, the stories she could tell.  

ARE CANADIANS TOO POLITE??

In the aftermath of yesterday's column, several of my Facebook friends wondered aloud why I didn't complain to management after receiving shoddy service at The Keg, a popular upscale restaurant.  I think the reason might be simple.   I'm Canadian.  Generally, we don't make a big fuss if we feel we've been taken advantage of.  Maybe that's why the service industry in Canada is substandard when compared to the United States.   In America, you have a god-given right to complain.  You can scream and stomp your feet and demand to see the manager and everybody around you will likely support you with applause or a "Way to go, you tell 'em".  Usually, a manager will immediately rectify the problem by offering something for free.  A couple of desserts, a gift certificate, a sincere apology that it will never happen again. They want your business, and they'll do anything to keep it.  Besides, what's a free meal or a gift certificate to a place that does 30-40 grand in business on a busy night?   But in Canada, if you're unhappy with the service and you put up a fuss, there's a real danger that everybody in the restaurant will stare at you, as if you're ruining their meal by not accepting mediocre service.  If you're the type who worries what other people think, you likely won't put up a fuss.  You'll eat the meal, nod approval to the server, pay the bill, tip the server 15-20%, and then when you're leaving and they say "I hope you enjoyed your dining experience", you will likely lie and say "Yes, thanks very much."   Only in Canada.

Let's face it.  Canadians are the nicest, most trustworthy people on the planet.  We're lovers, not fighters.  No matter where Canadians go in the world, we are trusted and respected.   That's because we're friendly, non-confrontational and welcoming.  We also see how some Americans respond and react, and we're appalled by their behaviour.  We generally see them as loud, obnoxious and demanding, when in reality they're just sticking up for their rights.  In some cases, we should be more like Americans.  There's no harm in demanding higher standards when it comes to the service industry.  In the States, if you don't provide good service, you're out of business pretty soon.  In Canada, you can get away with poor service because your customers aren't nearly as demanding.  We seem to be OK with mediocrity and that's exactly what we get.   Some say Canadians are negatively influenced by U.S. culture.   Had I gone to a Keg-like restaurant in the U.S., a manager likely would've come to my table BEFORE I even had a chance to complain.  "How's the meal going, sir?"  "Not very well" would be my response.   And then the problem would be solved.

Not one person from The Keg has attempted to contact me with regards to this issue, and I don't expect they will.   You can't tell me that word hasn't leaked out to someone high up in the chain that there's an unhappy customer out there.  A guy whose blog is read by hundreds, maybe thousands of people.  A guy who went on CHML radio today to recount his Friday night from Hell at the steakhouse chain.  There's another several thousand who know.   If it's my company, I'm in damage control mode.  I want to make the customer happy, and ensure that he/she is a customer for LIFE.  Maybe I should've acted like an American and complained loudly that my meal wasn't enjoyable and that the five star service I expected was woefully inadequate.   Instead, the Keg took advantage of my Canadian sensibilities, and I ended up paying for it.  Silly me. 

Congrats to Christine Sinclair, winner of the Lou Marsh trophy as Canada's outstanding athlete.  This was an absolute no-brainer.  With all due respect to Milos Raonic, Christine Nesbitt, Steven Stamkos and other fine Canadian-born athletes, Sinclair is heads and shoulders the best.  Her performance in that Olympic semi-final against the Americans might be the single greatest performance by a Canadian athlete in HISTORY.  The fact that we lost because of poor officiating shouldn't take away from that performance.  Let's just give her all the other year-end sports accolades that will be awarded this month.  She is, simply, the best.

ESPN had a trivia question up on Twitter that is driving me crazy because they haven't revealed the answer.
The Question:  Next to Joe and Kobe Bryant (35,000 career points) what father-son duo has the most points in NBA history.   I'm pretty sure I have the right answer, but I need some help.  Message me if you think you know it.

How bad are the Buffalo Bills?  Plenty.  A friend of mine said he bought a pair of tickets for Sundays' game against the Rams on Thursday afternoon from Stub Hub.  Price was 39 dollars per ticket, and he sat 8 rows from the field.  Too bad the Bills played like bums and got beat 15-12.   I don't know how coach Chan Gailey has kept his job.  The Bills host Seattle at the Rogers Centre this Sunday, and my spies tell me you will be able to grab tickets from a scalper for 60 bucks a pop.   On Stub Hub today, there are lots of tickets available starting at 84 dollars.   Me, I'll watch it on TV.   That way, if it gets ugly, I can always turn to another station.

STEAK ON A STICK.

You know how, when you're at a restaurant, everybody's order should arrive at the same time?  The idea is for everyone to enjoy their meal simultaneously, not have one person get theirs while the other order is still in the kitchen.   Friday night at The Keg, my wife and I sat down for a nice steak dinner.  My steak was fine, but my wife's order was screwed up, so they had to take it back.  Meanwhile, I'm sitting there, mouth watering, waiting for my wife's order to be rectified.  30 seconds later, her meal came back, obviously nuked in the microwave.  The steak was now overdone and the vegetables, instead of being crunchy, were limp.
Quite unappetizing.   Now, there are two things you can do here.  Fight or Flight.  The last thing I wanted was a fight with the manager of The Keg.   I was still hungry.  So, we told our waitress to put everything in doggie bags, paid our bill, and headed home.    But the smell of the steak was so overwhelming we just couldn't wait so we started to EAT THE STEAK WITH OUR HANDS.  It was wonderful.   Instead of sitting in a bustling atmosphere where we got the feeling that they can't wait to see us leave so they could turn over our table to the next unsuspecting diners, we enjoyed the comfort of our own vehicle and the company of each other while we picked out what was edible from our ruined meals and ate it like finger food.   Maybe The Keg should offer drive-through service.  Steak on a stick anyone?

We have been taking golf lessons since April.  Once a week at a place called "Golftec" in Mississauaga.
www.golftec.com    They also do custom club fitting there, but not like the kind of club fitting they do at your local Golf Town.   Golftec has master club fitter Joe Lavery, who just presented both of us with our brand new custom made clubs.   Let me tell you, they're awesome.   The only problem is, golf season doesn't begin for another few months around here.  Luckily, at Golftec they have great simulators that allow you to track your ball flight and distance.  Ryan Klassen is our instructor, and he told me that I'll be hitting a 9 iron 140 yards with this new set.  Wow!  We might have to take a trip South just to test 'em out.

All these golf lessons took away from our tennis game last year.  Normally, we join the Dundas Tennis Club, which is a few blocks from our home, but this year we decided to concentrate on golf only.   Now, when we walk by the courts, we feel as if we've lost an old friend.  Other members have approached us and wondered why we're not playing tennis.  "Cuts into our golf time" is the standard response.  Next year, we are definitely going back to tennis, because it keeps you in shape.   The only problem is, it screws up your golf swing real bad.  Our plan is to become indepedently wealthy so we can buy a place down south where we can play tennis in the morning, go for a little lunch and  nap, and then play golf in the afternoon.  I don't think that's asking too much.

The holiday parties have begun in earnest, and that means a lot of New Year's resolutions will be made for 2013.  That's why places like The Shopping Channel have already ordered tons of exercise equipment for the New Year.  Expect to see tons of it for sale.  My wife works there as a program host and she'll likely be doing some demonstrations.   As part of her research, she needs to put on a few pounds so she can speak from experience.   Unfortunately, she takes me along to these parties, which means I have to overindulge as well.

DOES DELGADO DESERVE TO BE ON JAYS "LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE?"

When you list the greatest Bluejays of all time, does Carlos Delgado come to mind?  I know he played 12 years in Toronto and is the franchise leader in homeruns, ribbies and other offensive categories, but does that make him one of the best?   The team will honour him next summer by putting his name on the "Level of Excellence" alongside Tony Fernandez, Dave Stieb, Roberto Alomar, George Bell, Joe Carter, Cito Gaston, Pat Gillick, Paul Beeston, and the late Tom Cheek.  Where would I rank Delgado alltime?  6th behind Stieb, Alomar, Fernandez, Bell and Carter.   Surprised?  Don't be.  Let's look at the numbers.

Stieb was the best pitcher in franchise history, went to 7 all-star games, won 175  games and threw a no-hitter and a bunch of one and two-hitters.  He was also an outstanding fielder.  Alomar is a Hall of Famer and the greatest second baseman in the history of the game.  Two World Series titles, near flawless defense and even though he only played here five years, he made a huge impact.  Fernandez won 4 Gold Gloves, went to five all star games, hit .297 as a Jay and is the 9th greatest fielding shortstop in the history of the game.  Bell, who won the 1987 A.L. MVP was also a three time All Star who hit .286 as a Bluejay and won two division titles.  He was also a very durable player.  Carter was a 5 time all-star with the Jays, finished 3rd in the MVP voting one year and, of course, was on two World Series teams.    There's your top five.  Let's include Roy Halladay and even Tom Henke, and maybe Delgado is the 8th best Bluejay of all time.

Delgado supporters may argue that his power numbers and his on-base percentage were outstanding, even though he played for a mediocre team.  He was only named to the all-star game twice, hit .282 as a Bluejay, was a poor fielder and regularly struck out over 100 times a season.  Yes, he walked a lot, but during a four year stretch where he had over 100 walks per season, the numbers are skewed.  Pitchers would regularly pitch around him and put him on base because the guy hitting behind him was a much easier out.  Consider these players who hit in the #5 hole behind Delgado:  Geronimo Berroa, Jacob Brumfield, Darrin Fletcher, Brad Fullmer, Tony Bautista, Jose Cruz Jr., Alex Gonzalez, Raul Mondesi, Chris Woodward, Josh Phelps, Tom Wilson, Greg Myers, Gregg Zaun, Eric Hinske and Alex Rios.  Wouldn't you have rather pitched to those guys than Delgado?  Me too.   Does he deserve to be on the Jays "Level of Excellence"?  Sure, but not until they put Halladay and Henke up there first.

My friend Howard Bloom from Sportsbusinessnews.com still insists that we WILL see NHL hockey by January 15th, despite yesterdays apparent setback.   What bothers both of us is the way Gary Bettman is being treated in the media.  To suggest, as some have, that Bettman doesn't want hockey this year is ludicrous and misguided.  Nobody wants hockey MORE than Bettman.   I know that sounds hard to believe, especially since he gives the appearance of being the devil incarnate, but look at how visibly upset and angry he was during yesterday's announcement.   That wasn't theatre, as many suggest, but rather consternation and utter frustration.   Name calling by prominent media members who are upset that there's no hockey shows a lack of professionalism and a lack of respect for the process.   You can blame Don Fehr and the players for announcing that progress was being made and getting our hopes up.   Bettman was the one who had to clean up the mess, as always.   The height jokes, the lawyer jokes, the "anti Canadian" comments are misplaced and unfair.  If anything, it's Fehr who doesn't want hockey.  For all we know, he doesn't care about hockey at all.  At least Bettman does.

TOM CHEEK, PART DEUX.

After posting yesterday's column (I prefer that over "blog") I realized that there were many more Tom Cheek stories to tell from the "good old days" that needed to be told.  Since I have unlimited space and no particular time constraints, I must tell you about the time that Tom mentioned on the air the various groups that were attending that particular game.  The Kiwanis Club of Waterloo.  The Talbot Park Little League Padres, the Tuesday Night Kingpins from Bowlerama, and the 40 employees from the Hooker Chemical Company in Niagara Falls New York.   Early Wynn was doing the play by play, and on the next pitch he said "There's a line drive down the right field line and headed right towards those "hookers."  Well, Tom just lost it.  He could not stop laughing and here was Early, giggling away, trying to keep the broadcast going.   The tape of the broadcast was immediately seized for entertainment purposes and replayed a few times for private audiences.    Hilarious.

Then there was the time when I was hosting the pre-game show, "Baseball Today" in 1984.  I had finished my little spiel and was upset that some of the tapes had screwed up (a recurring problem with me).  Naturally, I was pissed at our engineer, Doug Cawker, believing it to be his fault.  After I threw to commercial and turned my microphone off, I was about to say "Cawker, what the f*#k happened?"  But, before I could, Tom grabbed me by the arm hard and pointed to a headset mic sitting on the desk.  The mic was live.  He put his finger up to his lips and squeezed my arm even tighter.  Tom had a very strong grip, thank goodness.  He saved me....again.

Later in 1984, I had done some work for Johnny Esaw at CTV Sports.  I had never done TV before, but Johnny liked my radio work and offered me a gig hosting a segment for Wide World of Sports.  It was about Motocross racing and ended up airing on a Saturday afternoon.   The next day, at the ballpark, Tom sidled over to me and said "You know what, you're in the wrong business".  I was shocked.  I thought he liked my radio work.  "You should be in Television."  He had seen the segment the day before and complimented my work.  I think he mentioned it to a few other people because a few days later I got a call from Ray Heard at Global, who wanted to know if I was interested in joining Jim Tatti to co-host "Sportsline".  Tom never admitted to it, but I'm pretty sure he put in a good word for me with somebody high up.  His approval of my work meant the world to me.

When you work with somebody as talented as Tom Cheek, you can't help but improve.  I did, both as a broadcaster and as a man.  Tom's work ethic, enthusiasm, attention to detail and his ability to NOT take himself too seriously made for a wonderfully genuine man.  His contributions to the game of baseball in Canada cannot be overstated.  His contributions to the lives of so many young people, be they up and coming broadcasters or just regular folks who met him, cannot be measured.    All I know is, had Tom not been there to keep me on the straight and narrow, I likely wouldn't have turned out the way I did.

THE AVUNCULAR TOM CHEEK.

Tom Cheek saved my broadcast career.  Several times.  He deserves to be in the Nice Guy Hall of Fame.  I first met him a short time after he had been hired as the Bluejays radio voice.  It was during the Blizzard of 1977.  It was late January and there were 6 foot high snowdrifts covering everything when the Bluejays "Caravan" rolled through the Niagara Peninsula, featuring Tom, manager Roy Hartsfield, Bob Bailor and, I think, catcher Phil Roof.   There was a little cocktail reception for the townsfolk and the media was invited to come down and interview the principles.  I was working radio news at CJRN in the Falls.  Good station.  Rick Jeaneret, Erik Thomas and some drunken News Director whose name I can't recall.  I had a Sony cassette tape recorder with an Electro-Voice microphone.  I strode confidently up to this big tall fellow, taller than me.  I had never met Tom Cheek before, but I had heard him doing some Expo games on radio as Dave Van Horne's back up the previous season.  I was big into radio, so I tried to catch as many different broadcasts as I could.  Tom had a great voice.   I introduced myself, asked if I could talk to him, and proceeded to do, what I thought, was a pretty good interview, maybe 5 or 6 minutes long.  Afterwards, I went over into a corner to listen to the interview.  There was no interview.  The mic wasn't plugged in all the way.    I had nothing.   I panicked.  I had to bring something back to the station, but by this time, the caravan was on it's way out of the room and back to the van for the drive home.   I ran out into the freezing cold, microphone firmly plugged into tape recorder,  looking for Tom Cheek.  "Please" I cried "We've got to do it again.  The mic wasn't plugged in"   And so, in the middle of a parking lot, with the snow falling and the wind blowing it into drifts, Tom Cheek saved me from myself.  He stood there and patiently answered every question, just as he had minutes earlier into an empty microphone.

A few months later, I was lucky enough to land a job at CKFH (now Sportsnet 590 The Fan)  I had been a huge fan (still am) of Bob McCown's show "Talking of Sports".  He was doing P.A. at Bluejays games AND hosting a phone-in show every night.  I convinced him (ok begged him) to let me help him out and produce his show and screen the phone calls.   He not only gave me the job, he also got me a PRESS PASS to the Bluejays games.  I was now a real sports journalist, talk show producer and sat next door to Tom Cheek every single home game.   In fact, we had a booth called the "Polish Press Box" (McCown's name for it) that was supposed to be an open-air booth for TV, like the radio booth.  Instead, somebody put plexiglass all around it, which rendered it useless for TV.  When you sat in there, you could hear every word Tom was saying on the broadcast, so it was like we were his private audience.   When he was finished broadcasting the third inning, he'd turn the mic over to Early Wynn, tell the engineer (Jim Fonger or Doug Cawker) he was going out for a while,  and then saunter into the Polish Press Box where McCown and I would be with any number of these gentlemen:  Pat Gillick, Paul Beeston, Elliot Wahle (Asst. GM) Gord Ash (Operations) George Holm (Tickets)  Peter Durso (Publicity) Bobby Prentice (Scout) Dr. Ron Taylor (Team Physician).   As well, visiting broadcasters such as Phil Rizzuto, Bill White, Harry Caray, Dick Enberg, Bob Uecker and many others would stop by.   Let me tell you, I learned a lot about baseball from those gentlemen.

But I learned more about broadcasting from Tom.   He had a way of putting you at ease, both as a listener on radio and as a participant in a discussion.  He had wide-ranging interests and was not a "stats geek" like many of today's announcers.  He was interested in the human being.  What type of person you were versus what kind of ballplayer you were.  At the same time, he enjoyed the baseball lifestyle and worked very hard at his job.   In the early years, he did EVERYTHING.   Early Wynn was not a broadcaster, so Tom was responsible for everything that went to air.  The pre-game show, the post-game interview, ALL the commercials (many of which were done "live"), all the "special guests" that were ferried in and out of the broadcast booth had to be interviewed, thanked for their support and ushered out without taking away from the flow of the game.  Len Bramson, who hired him for the radio network, and his assistant Sue Rayson always had lots of work for Tom to do.  He was, after all, the only constant the ballclub had.  He was the link to the fans on radio and in person.  Tom emceed every single event associated with the Jays, and was the team's unofficial historian.  It's witness to history.   He also had quite a temper, and let me know exactly how he felt about one particular transgression of mine.  I had embarrassed him in front of other people, and he quietly took me aside and then lit into me.   I was in my early 20s and he was in his mid 30s and I remember him telling me to NEVER show somebody up in front of other people.  Treat them with respect.  That advice saved my career.

The high point of my early broadcasting career took place in September of 1979.   The Jays were a terrible team and Roy Hartsfield would not be back as manager the following year.  Early Wynn was nearing the end of his career as Tom's partner.  He was getting old and cranky and didn't like the travel anymore.  Also, the cold weather made his arthritis flare up.   He wasn't able to make it to a Wednesday afternoon game between the Jays and the equally low-brow Oakland A's.   Tom suggested I fill in.   I was over the moon with glee.   Imagine being 23 years old, sitting next to a man you've listened to since Day One, and getting an opportunity to live your dream as a broadcaster.   Who cares that Phil Huffman was pitching against Mike Norris in a meaningless game before 11 thousand fans?   All I remember is sitting next to the avuncular Tom Cheek, who patted me on the shoulder just prior to opening the mic and said "Just be yourself, and you'll do great".    And with that, he flipped the mic on, said his "welcome" and introduced me to the listening audience.  "Take it away, Mark" he said.   I did 3 innings of play by play with Tom Cheek as my colour commentator.   He treated me like I was a ten year veteran.   That was Tom Cheek. 
Congratulations on your induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  The Hall deserves you as much as you deserve to be in the Hall.  

ALL TALK AND NO ACTION

Have you noticed that much of the talk in sports these days doesn't seem to be about the great games or the exciting plays, but rather the negotiators and mediators and General Managers and owners and managers and lawyers and union leaders and coaches and scouts and politicians?   Even when we're talking about the Sidney Crosby's and the Jonathan Toews', it's as union members/negotiators rather than hockey players.  In baseball, we're 3 months away from spring training and four months from opening day.  Alex Anthopoulos is the new Pat Gillick and Mark Buehrle is going to get the Ontario government (insert joke here) to repeal the Pit Bull ban so that he doesn't have to commute from Lewiston N.Y. or Livonia, Michigan (Close to Ontario, Pit Bulls welcome).  We predict, we speculate, we prognosticate.  That's sports these days.

Remember, the Jays are now the favourites to win the American League East.  The Yankees are dead.  The Red Sox just signed Shane Victorino, for crying out loud.  Big Papi is getting older and heavier.  Their manager is much despised around these parts. The Jays will kill them with Johnson, Morrow,  Ricky Romero, JA Happ, and of course, Buehrle.  My "Sportsline" partner Bubba says the Jays will be expected to win every game this year with a lineup like they have.  I even think the starters can win 70 games between the five of them.  But, of course it's all talk right now. 

 I kind of wish Tom Cheek was around to see this latest incarnation of the Jays.  Tom was named the winner of the Ford C. Frick award for excellence in baseball broadcasting.   If it weren't for the efforts of Mike Wilner of The Fan in Toronto, Cheek might never have gotten in.  He died in 2005, never knowing how much support and love he had garnered.  If it wasn't for Tom, I never would've gotten to where I am today in broadcasting.   I have so many stories to tell, having worked with him back in the early days of the Jays.   I will reveal many of those stories tomorrow, including the time I got to sit beside Tom and broadcast three innings of play by play when his partner, Early Wynn, took sick.   That day, I became a professional broadcaster.

The hockey thing has got me puzzled. Gary Bettman makes a 15 second announcement that he is pleased with the progress of the talks.   I wonder if he can even look NHLPA head Donald Fehr in the eyes. Really, if the players had any idea that the Fehr-Bettman standoff would negatively effect negotiations, they should've gotten together and made other arrangements a long time ago.  This is THEIR livelihood.   Instead, half of them flew off to Europe to play hockey, which made it appear as if they were more concerned with playing somewhere, rather than getting a deal done.  Fight or flight, I guess.  And now some of those players have been hurt (physically) and some have been hurt by the lack of progress, miscommunication, idle threats, family pressure, peer pressure, guilt, homesickness, etc.  Every time somebody posts something on Twitter, they get their hopes up for a resolution.    Let's face it, it's un-Canadian to make your fellow hosers suffer through the Holiday season with only the World Junior Championships to look forward to.  With all due respect to the Hamilton Bulldogs, Toronto Marlies, Kitchener Rangers, London Knights and Dundas Real McCoys, a Christmas with no NHL is like a donut without the coffee.  The two just go together. 

"SPORTSLINE" BACK IN THE DAY

Even though I host the show "Sportsline" with Bubba ONeil (weekdays, 5 pm EST on CHCH TV), the show actually originated over 30 years ago on Global TV.  Back then, Bob McCown fronted the show by himself at 11:30 p.m., and it was billed as "the last word on Sports".   It was a great show.  Innovative, funny, unique.  It was a must-see for hardcore sports fans who occasionally, but not always, got to see actual highlights from games that had just been completed or were still in progress.   This was quite a change from the sportscasts on CBC or CTV, which usually dealt with games from the PREVIOUS evening in their highlight packages.  Satellite technology was just coming into it's own back then, and the folks at Global realized that they could get the jump on the competition by being more, shall we say, up to date.  Being able to see highlights from a game played a few hours earlier in Detroit or Chicago was a big deal back in the day.

Of course, now you can literally see the scoring play within seconds of it actually happening.  And with social media, you don't need to tune into that scratchy radio broadcast anymore, you get your updates as they happen from somebody who's sitting at the game.   Or watching it on TV somewhere.  Yes, the days of waiting up until 11:30 to catch all the action are long gone.    But, in it's prime, "Sportsline" was the real deal.  McCown and producer Mark Askin built up the brand for a couple of years, and then moved on to bigger and better things. In 1984,  Jim Tatti and myself became the first two-man sports show in the country.   The chemistry between us was excellent.  We were both sports junkies, the kind of guys you'd want to sit and have a beer with while watching the game.  We had hockey pools going.  Penalty drafts, fantasy teams, all that stuff.  We used to list the goal scorers, even if we didn't have a highlight of the goal.   Fans loved that.  They didn't have to wait until the next day's newspaper to find out who had scored.   Within a short period of time, "Sportsline" had moved from a cult show to a mega-hit.   Global loved it, especially since they were making over a million dollars a year on the show.  This was the mid 80s remember, when a million dollars was like 5 or 10 million in today's dollars.  Not only did we do fantastic highlights, we also did great sports journalism (an oxymoron to some).  We covered the Leafs, Jays, Argos, TiCats, the NFL, NBA, tennis, golf, auto racing, horse racing and had excellent reporters such as Bill Bird, Don Martin, Mitch Azaria, and before I arrived, Vic Rauter and Gerry Dobson.

I am likely best known for the "Hebsy" Awards.   My nickname came about when Jim McKenny couldn't pronounce "Hebscher" at our weekly media hockey games, and went with "Hebsy" instead.  Typical hockey player-turned-sportscaster.  Just chop off the end of one's name and add a "y" to the end.  Smitty, Jonesy, Hebsy.    One day I compiled a bunch of "bloopers", put them to banjo music and voiced them over "live".  Tatti couldn't stop laughing, and if you've ever heard Jim laugh, you know how infectious it can be. (the laugh, not Jim).     Thus, the Hebsy Awards were born.  Jim came up with the idea of putting my head on top of the "Oscar" award as a logo, and the rest is history. 

Another thing I am proud of is the music that we played (and still play) on "Sportsline".
As musical coordinator back in the day,  it was my job to choose the various "needle drops" that made it to air.  We used to run music under our highlights and for our "bumpers" that led into commercials.  One day in 1988,  I decided to use a 15 second piece from a Tragically Hip song (Highway Girl) on one of our bumpers.  I had met the band through a very close friend who was high up in the Hip organization.  The day after we "debuted" the Hip song,  I got a call from a viewer wanting to know who did the song and where could he find it.   Before you knew it,  the Hip's music became part of the audio landscape of the show. "New Orleans is Sinking" "Blow at High Dough"  "Boots or Hearts", "38 years old", "Little Bones",  "Thugs" and many more  worked beautifully with hockey hilites.  Of course, it didn't hurt that the Hip rolled out "50 Mission Cap" about the death of former Leaf Bill Barilko in a plane crash right about the time Pat Burns and Dougie Gilmour (from Kingston) were leading the Maple Leafs to the playoffs for the first time in years.   Then there was "Fireworks", an homage to Bobby Orr and those great hockey moments we'll never forget. Two things most Canadians have in their DNA:  Hockey and music. 

And since there's no hockey to talk about, I want to point out two athletes who are headed in opposite directions.  Robert Griffin III, the defending Heisman Trophy who plays for the Washington Redskins, is one of the most exciting, electifying players I have ever seen.  His gutsy win over the New York Giants last night was a thing of beauty, especially when he was running out of the pocket and picking up huge chunks of yardage.   Of course, there's always the chance that he might fumble the ball, but that's the risk you take.  Personally, I love watching quarterbacks run.  The more the merrier.

On the other side of the coin is Andrea Bargnani.  He might be one of the best "first half" players in all of basketball.  But, like the baseball player who drives in 80 runs a year, but none of them in the clutch, Bargnani is virtually invisible on the floor late in the game.  Once again he had a chance to hit a clutch 3 pointer last night, but his tying attempt was a "brick", and the Raps lost a tough one in Denver.   Bargnani ended up with 23 points in the game, but in the fourth quarter he was just 1-4 shooting for two points and no rebounds.  Not exactly a go-to guy.   Kyle Lowry, on the other hand, scored 12 points and added two assists in the final quarter to help bring the Raptors to within one point.  Even though Lowry didn't shoot well in the game, he was constantly driving to the basket, and hit on all 11 of his free throws.  Toss in 7 assists and 3 blocked shots and you've got a guy who can do it all.  The problem is, the big 7 footer who's supposed to be able to put the ball in the hole is nowhere to be found when his team needs him most.   If I'm a Raptors player, I don't know if I can go "balls to the wall" if Bargnani is my teammate.   Bryan Colangelo must trade him now if the team hopes to move forward.   Bargnani is badly stunting the growth of this team.

MY MOM'S BRUSH WITH ROCK GREATNESS (AND MINE TOO)

The phone rang at our house in suburban Toronto one summer's day in 1976.  The only person at home was my Mom, who answered and listened to an inquiry from a man with a southern accent "Does Jerry Hebscher live here?" (Jerry was my Dad's brother, who used to live with us many years prior) "No", said my Mom "he doesn't live here anymore, this is his brother Sid's home".   "Oh" said the twangy voice "I know Sid.  This is Levon from The Band calling.  We'd like to invite y'all to our concert tonight."   "Thanks" said my Mom, likely thinking "What band?".   She politely declined the offer of concert tickets, backstage passes and a chance to meet Levon, Robbie, Garth, Richard and Rick, not knowing, of course, that this was THE BAND.   My Uncle had gotten to know the guys back in the 60s when they were Levon and the Hawks, and he was a young salesman in Toronto.   In fact, sometimes the guys didn't have a place to stay after their Toronto gigs, and my Uncle would offer up a hotel room that he and my Dad used at the Royal York Hotel as a showroom for the clothes they sold as manufacturer's agents.  The only stipulation was that they vacated the room by 9 a.m. when clients began to arrive.   That's how Levon and the band got to know my Uncle Jerry Hebscher.

When my brothers and I returned home that afternoon, my Mother recounted the phone call.  "A man named Levon from some "band" called for your Uncle Jerry today and offered us tickets and passes to their show tonight".   We all looked at each other "Levon?  From The Band?"   "Yes", she said "WHAT band?"  When we picked ourselves up off the floor and realized that she had turned down the invitation, didn't get a phone number from Levon and had absolutely no way of getting back in touch with him to accept the invitation, we were inconsolable.   We never did get to the concert, and a few months later, they played their final show, "The Last Waltz".  Bummer!

But wait, it gets better. My Mom also had a chance meeting with the members of "Kiss" a few months later, while on vacation in Miami.  We went on a family vacation and stayed at the Marco Polo hotel on Miami Beach.   One day Mom came down to the pool and mentioned matter-of-factly that she had met the four members of a rock band called "Kiss".   She chatted them up in the elevator, got to know Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley over a cup of tea in the hotel coffee shop and then told us of her meeting.    "Such nice Jewish boys" she exclaimed. "especially Eugene and Paul".     Well, of course, we ran all over the hotel trying to find four guys wearing Kiss makeup.   At the time, nobody knew what Gene, Paul, Peter and Ace looked like without their costumes and make up.  Except my Mom.  We tried to get her to point them out to us, but she had better things to do by then.  To her, they looked "very tired" and "had probably been working too hard".  If only she knew.    Many years later, I got a chance to meet Gene Simmons during a taping of Michael Landsberg's TSN show "Off the Record".   I mentioned to him about the time he met my Mother in Miami, (as if he was going to remember)  and his immediate response was "Did I ever schtup her?". 

Tonight, musical history could be made when the three surviving members of Led Zeppelin walk onstage at the Ed Sullivan Theatre for a taping of "The Late Show with David Letterman".   Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones were honoured at the Kennedy Center in New York, and have agreed to appear, but not play, on Letterman.   Now, I'm going to stay up and watch the show, as I'm sure millions of others will, in the hopes that the three agree to play at least one song with Paul Shaffer and The CBS Orchestra.   I've asked my Facebook and Twitter followers for their choice of a favourite Led Zep song that they'd like to hear.   The results indicate that LZ could do no wrong playing Kashmir, Goin' to California, Rock n Roll or Whole Lotta Love. I'm pretty sure the CBS Orchestra knows how to play ALL of them.

I had the opportunity to meet Page and Plant back in the mid 90s when The Tragically Hip opened for them in California.   At the San Jose Arena, prior to the show, the two of them were having a bite in the commissary backstage.   I took a deep breath, went over and introduced myself, and to my delight, they both agreed to shake my hand and acknowledge my presence.  I was star struck.   Jimmy Page's hands were so soft, I didn't want to release my handshake.   Beautiful long fingers, perfectly manicured nails and soft, soft features.  I had a man crush on him BEFORE I ever met him.  Upon meeting him, I was totally in love.......with his hands.  I briefly considered NOT washing my hands for a few days, but then realized that getting an autograph would be a better souvenir.   Alas, I never did get up the nerve to ask.   They probably would've said "no" anyway.  Let's hope they say "yes" to Letterman tonight.

CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR.

What did you fantasize about growing up?  No, I don't mean sexually.  What did you dream of doing with your life?  I always wanted to be a rock star.  Or an athlete.  Either fantasy would do.  I did not dream of being in the media, even though my job as a sportscaster allowed me to get closer to athletes than most.    When I worked for Global TV, and later the Maple Leafs radio network, I experienced firsthand what life was like playing in front of thousands of paying customers and then jumping on a bus to the airport, headed for the next game.  I didn't play the game, but I witnessed the players daily routine, and the monotony of it. As Tom Petty sang "The waiting is the hardest part".  Athletes and entertainers know it better than most.

When I traveled with the Toronto Maple Leafs, my schedule was not my own.  I was required to be at the airport for a flight, be on the bus from the airport to the hotel (or the rink if the coach wanted to get a practice in) be on the bus the next day to go for the gameday skate and pick up any tidbits I might end up using on the broadcast that night.  Back on the bus after practice, unless you wanted to spend your per diem on a cab or, god forbid, walk.  By this time it was 12 noon and the game didn't begin until 7 o'clock.  In some cities, that was OK.  Lots to do, for example, in Manhattan or Chicago.  Boston was a great place as well.  But some places, like Minneapolis, Detroit and St. Louis had NOTHING  to see or do.   Winnipeg in the middle of winter was not the kind of place you wanted to venture out into.  Imagine spending a long afternoon in your hotel room, watching TV and waiting for the 5 pm bus so you can get to the arena and waste another couple of hours before game time.

And then, before you know it, the game has started, and then it's over and the entire routine comes to life again.  Bus, wait, airplane, wait, bus, hotel, eat, drink, sleep, wake, coffee, eat, bus, rink, bus, hotel, eat, nap, read, bus, game.   Try that for 180-200 days a year and your fantasy quickly becomes reality.  Add the bumps, bruises, broken bones, homesickness, anger with coaches, teammates, media, opponents, fear of losing your job or making a huge mistake in front of thousands and you've got a life that pays very well, but is nothing like you imagined as a kid.   When I worked for Global, I hosted about 35-40 Leaf games on TV every season.  I was responsible for the between periods interviews, which in those days, lasted 5 or 6 minutes sitting next to a sweaty hockey player while trying to come up with relevant questions.   After "What did you think of your team's play in the first period?", there isn't much you can ask a guy who missed an empty net, took a stupid penalty, and is in the process of getting a divorce because his wife has been cheating on him back in Toronto while he's on the road getting his ass kicked on a team that's going nowhere. The tough thing is, you've seen the guy drinking heavily at the hotel bar and flirting with every skirt he sees.  You've seen how he's lost a step in speed and doesn't go into the corners the way he did as a young man.  You want to ask him all these questions, but you can't.  It's a hockey telecast, and you work for the station that is spending millions of dollars for the rights to broadcast these games.  You can't ask questions that are going to make the team mad.  I did it once and was severely reprimanded by my bosses.  Others, such as Dave Hodge and the late Pat Marsden didn't care what their bosses said.  They had guts.  I had a young family to feed.  

By contrast, traveling with a rock band was a lot more fun.   That story coming up in my next posting.

  

BLOOD, SWEAT, TEARS AND MAYBE HOCKEY IN JANUARY.

I was on assignment yesterday, reviewing the David Clayton Thomas show at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre.  The place is about a year old, very 70s style with comfortable seats and lots of legroom.  Capacity of about 700.  Intimate yet spacious.  The acoustics are terrific, especially when you've got a Canadian Music Hall of Famer whose voice sounds as bluesy today as it did back in the late 60s when he fronted Blood Sweat and Tears.   I have a confession to make.  David Clayton Thomas once babysat for me and my brothers.  I was about 7 years old at the time.  I don't recall any details, but when we heard the song "Spinning Wheel" on the radio for the first time, my Mom said, with great delight "That fellow was once your babysitter"  I later found out he was dating the girl who was babysitting us at the time, and happened to come and visit her once or twice.  I have other stories involving my Mom and rock stars (Kiss, The Band) but I will leave them for a later date. 

Anyway, back to the show.  The audience became instantly engaged when DCT launched right into "Spinning Wheel" and then got right into storytelling, which was an unexpected bonus.  I always love to hear how a song was conceived and what the inspiration was.  "Lucretia MacEvil" is about a girl he met in Wawa Ontario at a Holiday Inn.  "Hi-De-Ho" was written by Carole King, and was mistaken for a gospel song by many in the "Bible Belt" of the U.S.  "And When I Die" was written by Laura Nyro, who was the girlfriend of one of the band members of BS&T.  It reached #2 on the Billboard Top 100.  The stories were as good as the music.   The ten piece band was magnificent and took their cues from DCT, who is part Lawrence Welk (bandleader with flair) and somewhat Dean Martinesque in his ability to make the audience feel as if they are engaged with him at a cocktail party.  The audience recognized hits such as "You've Made Me So Very Happy", "Go Down Gamblin'", "You're the One" and a molasses slow rendition of Bobby Hebb's "Sunny" that was almost nap-inducing.    New songs included "New World Blues" and "It Ain't Free" from his new album, which will be released next spring.  The encore was Billie Holiday's "God Bless The Child".
All in all, a very enjoyable show in a lovely, comfortable venue.

 Here's a question for those who have problems accepting "drug cheats" in sports.  What would happen if, say, Melky Cabrera has a Hall of Fame career, but still has that 50 game suspension on his record?  Can you still vote him in?   Should a drug-related suspension disqualify one from induction to the Hall of Fame?

My friend Howard Bloom, from Sportsbusinessnews.com says we will have NHL hockey by January 15th.  I didn't ask him what year, but I'm presuming (hoping) that it's 2013.   Cross your fingers.  Howard has a pretty good track record.