ON THE MARK.

BLACK FRIDAY AND THE LIVIN' IS EASY.


My blog yesterday certainly got a few backs up.  Just the mere suggestion that I like the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday over the Canadian one six weeks earlier elicited some negative feedback on Facebook, Twitter and here right here in the comments section.   Reader Scott Robbins, a passionate Canadian and former classmate at college (when I actually went to class) , actually took me to task on his Facebook page.  Here is an excerpt.

"I'll take (our) Canadian Thanksgiving hands down, every time. Canadian Thanksgiving, as we must remind, year after year, has nothing to do with Pilgrims (there were none in Canada) and breaking bread with the Indians (myth generally considered to be a light white-wash to gloss over the truth of mass genocide) and it certainly has nothing to do with a Macy's Parade or Football or 50% off at Target or getting up at 5am to line up outside stores to kick off a staged, frenzied early start to a Christmas shopping season."

OK Scott, I get it.  But you have to admit that for football fans, it's a great day, even without the turkey.    The first two NFL games yesterday were fantastic.  The Detroit Lions showed us that there is, incredibly, ANOTHER way to lose a football game.  Have your coach throw a challenge flag on a play that was going to be reviewed and go in your favour anyway.  Then find out that the rules are:  If you throw a challenge flag on a reviewable play, the play will NOT be reviewed and you will lose your challenge because you're stupid and you don't know the rules.   Thanks a lot Jim Schwartz.    The Lions lost in OT to the Houston Texans.  Oh yes, Schwartz also elected to kick a 47 yard field goal (off the upright) on 3rd down and 11, rather than try a pass or a run that might've gained a few more yards and led to the winning field goal.  By the way, for those who are interested, Schwartz is NOT Jewish.  Sid Gillman and Marv Levy have nothing to fear.

In the second game of the day, the Washington Redskins beat Dallas in a very entertaining contest.  RG3, the Heisman Trophy winner and QB for the Skins is a wonderfully talented player who keeps you on the edge of your seat. He threw 4 touchdown passes.  Dallas QB Tony Romo is a wonderfully talented player who used to date Jessica Simpson, and now plays for a bad team with a bad coach and an owner, Jerry Jones, who wants to be the GM and the Director of Player Personnel.  Despite a career high 441 yards passing, Romo and his Cowboys lost 38-31.

The third game was a laugher.  The New York Jets, mired in controversy ever since they signed backup QB Tim Tebow, were humiliated by the New England Patriots 49-19 at home.  The Pats became one of just a handful of teams to score 100+ points over two straight games.  They put up 59 the week before.  Tom Brady is just having fun out there.  Not so for the Jets, who are about to implode. They even found out that Tebow has broken ribs, and couldn't have played if he wanted to.  Word has it that Joe Namath (I want to kiss you) has asked for a tryout.    A friend of mine in New York has seasons tickets to the Jets, the Mets and the NY Rangers.  I tweeted last night that I felt sorry for him, but this is the way it is ALL THE TIME in Toronto.   Even if the Argos win the Grey Cup, it won't take away from the Leafs, Raptors and Bluejays and their inability to even make the playoffs.  PLAYOFFS?  PLAYOFFS?  What's that?

I thought allowing the horse into the lobby of the Royal York Hotel was fun, and just the thing we need to show the difference between the CFL and NFL.   This is the time of year for Canadian football.  Grey Cup week needs to be more like a party and less like the corporate spectacle that the Super Bowl has become.   Can you imagine a Dallas Cowboys fan trying to ride a horse into the lobby of the Fountainbleu Hotel in Miami during Super Bowl week?   Vince Lombardi would turn over in his grave.  

Looks like Roman Hamrlik  has called for the "Hamrlik" manouevre on Donald Fehr and the NHLPA.   Instead of calling Gary Bettman names via twitter, or wearing hats that say "Puck Bettman", some players are ready to call out the union to "make a deal already".   No matter how you spin it, or who you want to blame, this has gone on for too long.   The fear (Fehr) is that come next spring, when the NHL season has already been lost, the players will have to settle for the same deal that they are currently turning down.   Unless a bunch of owners suddenly get cold feet and tell Bettman to settle, it looks like a Mexican standoff.  As Bart Simpson would say "Aye Carumba!"