I’ll admit it, before the Wall Street Journal that I quoted the other day, I had never heard of Mona Halem. As a father of two who leads a rather dull life, I have never been invited to one of her parties and hanging with most pro-athletes isn’t my thing.

What is interesting is that prior to the WSJ article, Mona had flown under the Toronto MSM radar. Yet, if you look at her website it is filled with parties for VIPs over the last couple of years. How, one wonders does the WSJ pick up the story before the local, 4, yes 4 papers do?

Want proof of the pudding? Yesterday, in the Globe and Mail came this headline “For sports stars, it’s Toronto the Good ” an article that pays tribute to the WSJ this one written by Paul Waldie and Andrew Willis- Waldie the excellent reporter from the Coyotes story.

“Her reputation as a party host for professional athletes has become so widespread that her company was featured in The Wall Street Journal this week under the headline Why Pro Athletes Love Toronto.”

Yet not so widespread that any Toronto media outlet decided to cover her before the big boys in the USA did right?

Not to be outdone, the Toronto Star today has a story of it’s own. “Mona Halem, party line to the NBA” the story is titled. Denise Balkissoon writes the piece for the Star.

“She got us about 15 wins this year,” says Wright. “Throwing those Saturday night parties works great. She needs a raise.” In a Wall Street Journal article earlier this week, the New York Knicks’ Toney Douglas and Tracy McGrady also bigged up Halem’s bashes.”

Nice of Denise to mention the WSJ article, which without would never had lead to this piece. My favourite part of Balkisson’s story:”With files from Doug Smith”

Maybe I’m overly critical, but one would think that with 4 daily papers someone local would have picked this up first. I mean we hear all the time that Toronto is the dreaded place for athletes to come. It’s cold, the taxes etc. I know a lot of that deals with athletes coming to play for our local teams. However those stories almost always talk to athletes who come visit. Clearly Mona has made her name for herself internationally. Hell, people were lined up outside a famous museum here in Paris to see a painting of her (sorry Eggbert, couldn’t help myself). And yes, I know that’s a different Mona.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

The Globe and Mail story is here

The Toronto Star is here

Here’s your bikini of the day from GetABikini.com

On Fan 590 Tonight-

- Grapeline with Don Cherry & Brian Williams at 4:45
- Bob McCown’s co-host from 5:00 to 7:00 is Stephen Brunt
- Bob Mccown takes calls
- Roundtable with guests Gord Kirke and Bruce Arthur

On 640 with Brady and Watters thanks to Mike S.:

- Pat Quinn, head coach of the Oilers
- Ron Wilson, head coach of the Leafs
- hockey insiders Darren Dreger & Scott Morrison at 6:10

So apparently one or two people were listening to the Olympics on the radio. Not that radio ratings are akin to a boxing match, but this was as close to a knockout in the business as you can expect to see. The Fan enjoyed a huge ratings boost for the Olympics, the question of course is, what relevance will that have on advertisers and their tight budgets. I mean, the Olympics are over so there is no reason to expect similar numbers post Olympics. Advertisers know that, what this does help is for the next time there is a large event like this in Canada to guestimate what rates should be given approximate ratings.

Men aged 25-54: 6-9am
640= 5.2
590= 5.9

Overall, the Fan show, according to Zelkovich jumped from a 5.8 to a 7.5

Men aged 25-54: 4-7pm
640: = 3.8
1010 = 4.5
590 = 9.2

Overall, the Fan show, according to Zelkovich jumped from a 7.2 to a 12.0

Men aged 25-54: 1pm
640: 3.0
1010: = 3.9
590 = 5.3

the Fan show, according to Zelkovich jumped to a 5.7 in hour #2

Zelkovich has the bullpen getting an Olympic boost going to a 5.7 from 4.4 and the Game Plan saw a similar raise heading to a 6.2 from a 4.8.

The Olympic gold medal game landed the fan a 40 share! Huge numbers to say the least.

So what have we learned? Mccown is still on top. Hockey central at noon continues to blow Leafs Lunch out of the water. At some point, probably after the summer, if this continues, I would think that the folks at 640 are going to have to make a change to Leafs lunch. I don’t know how many times I can say it but Dreger isn’t a host and Watters all the time isn’t a good thing. Rotate the hosting duties amongst other talent and then put Wilbur on when and only when there is something really unique to talk about.

Zelkovich’s blog can be found here

Here’s your bikini of the day from GetABikini.com

On Fan 590 Tonight-

- Grapeline with Don Cherry & Brian Williams at 4:45
- Bob McCown’s co-host from 5:00 to 7:00 is Stephen Brunt
- Lester Munson from ESPN on NHL lawsuit vs. Phoenix Coyotes
- Bryan Colangelo
- Guy from Frameworth on popularity of Sidney Crosby memorabilia
- Dan Shulman
- 2 Members of the Arkells- Juno nominated band

On 640 with Brady and Watters thanks to Mike S.:

Brian Lawton, GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning
- Jolly Jonas Siegel from the ACC to preview tonight’s Leafs-Lightning game
- hockey insider Pierre McGuire at 6:10
- show ends at 6:30 to make way for the Leafs pre-game show

Greetings and salutations from Berlin. I’ve been here for a few days and am now just sitting down to get some stuff up on the site. Sorry for the delay, it’s just been a tad busy.

Anyways. Great article in yesterdays Wall Street Journal on Toronto, the hot attraction to Athletes. Here are some highlights:

“Toronto is a road trip just about every pro athlete looks forward to. Some say the city has a cool, international vibe that increasingly stands out. Some like the plentitude of cheap concert tickets—a boon for athletes with big posses—or the convenience of the must-be-19 drinking law. (Rookie guard DeMar DeRozan of the Raptors, who is 20, was ordering chocolate milk at dinner before his teammates told him the good news).”

Party town USA, I mean Canada! Yes, it is funny to be out on the town some late evenings to do nothing more than people watch. A good friend ran into Isiah Thomas one night, just BEFORE he found out his fate in a NY courtroom and, let’s just say that Isiah was being Isiah.

“Athletes get a warm welcome at the city’s relatively libertine gentlemen’s clubs which, according to a spokeswoman for the Toronto Convention and Visitors Bureau, tend to “clear out the champagne room” for visiting athletes. And it helps that the tentacles of the tabloids and gossip Web sites rarely extend this far into the frozen north. “People like to come here to party,” says Raptors power forward Chris Bosh.”

Damn! We got libertine gentleman’s clubs?????????? How nice that our CVB is telling the press that the champagne rooms are cleared out for athletes too….

“Since the Buffalo Bills began playing annual games at Toronto’s Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome) in 2008, an increasing number of NFL players have started passing through “the 416,” which is the city’s area code. Baseball players, who’ve been coming here since 1977 to play the Blue Jays, have good memories.”

Wait, wait wait… you mean the athletes aren’t hanging in the 647 or passing through the 905?????

“Jarrett Jack, a Raptors guard, says the “mix of people” in Toronto is far more interesting than he sees in most NBA towns. “One girl told me she’s from Hungary and Chile—I’m like, how does that happen?” says Mr. Jack. “You kind of go outside the box here.”

See, now I think Jarret Jack’s got it all wrong. I think she said she was hungry for some chili!

“At the center of much of the city’s athlete nightlife is an event planner and promoter named Mona Halem, a former employee of the Air Canada Centre, which is home to the Raptors. Ms. Halem has become “notorious” throughout the sports world, says Raptors forward Antoine Wright, for assembling attractive party guests to fete nearly every franchise that comes to town.

Last week, around midnight, not long after they’d checked into their hotel, several members of the New York Knicks put on expensive sweaters and hailed cabs to Tattoo Rock Parlour, a club in the city’s “Queen West” neighborhood.

Knicks rookie Toney Douglas, who was descending the hotel elevator in a sparkling diamond necklace and a puffy vest, said he never goes out before games and isn’t a fan of cold weather, but had heard from friends that Toronto, “party-wise,” was one city worth making an exception for. “It’s something different – it’s another country,” he said.”

OK, now raise your hand if your wondering if Ms. Halem is familiar with one Tiger Woods?

“Darren Sanders, the director of security for the Baltimore Ravens—a team that hasn’t even played in Toronto—says his team was told recently about the growing popularity of Toronto among athletes, and about her role in making it so. “She is definitely on the radar,” he says.”

Now that’s funny. Can you imagine that the Baltimore Ravens who never come here have a Toronto party girl on their “radar”????? Paging Mr. Woods, anyone???? Mr. Tiger Woods….

Sorry I don’t have the link to the article, reader Neil sent it to me via email, if you want to read the rest, and it’s pretty damn funny, it’s entitled “Why Pro Athletes Love Toronto Chic, Discreet and Increasingly Party-Filled, Canada’s Sports Hub Permits Jocks to Cut Loose”

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

College of Sports Media Game of the Night:

Who would of thought that a game between the two hottest teams in the East would include one with the Carolina Hurricanes. Carolina has spent most of the season battling for the bottom of the conference with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but over their last ten game the Canes are 8-1-1 and only eight points out of a playoff spot. Carolina is at home tonight as they welcome the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins into RBC Centre. Pittsburgh has won four straight games including a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday night. There’s been no one better for the Pens then their captain Sidney Crosby. The Kid has 10 points over his last six games and is tied for the league lead in goals with 44. This is the third meeting this season between these two clubs and the winner tonight holds the edge in the season series.

For anyone still interested in the Leafs, they’re at home tonight. Toronto got a big 4-3 overtime win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday and tonight they welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Here’s your bikini of the day from GetABikini.com

On Fan 590 Tonight-

- Grapeline with Don Cherry & Brian Williams at 4:45
- Bob McCown’s co-host from 5:00 to 7:00 is Stephen Brunt
- TBA

On 640 with Brady and Watters thanks to Mike S.:

- Dion Phaneuf of the Maple Leafs
- Brian Duff of NHL Network talking hockey
- hockey insider Scott Morrison at 6:10

College of Sports Media Game of the Night:

All four teams jockeying for the final three playoff spots in the East were in action last night and this morning things are that much closer as the home stretch for the postseason kicks into over-drive. Currently in sixth place is the Toronto Raptors, but there is only a one and a half game difference between them and the ninth place Chicago Bulls. Toronto watched Kobe Bryant drain a last second shot to lead his LA Lakers to a 109-107 win over the Raptors. Chicago started the night in eighth, but they got pummeled 132-108 at the hands of the Utah Jazz. The seventh seeded Miami Heat were in action last night against the Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats got the 83-78 win and leap-frogged the Bulls into a tie with the Heat for seventh in the East. Confused – don’t be positions will continue changing up until the very last day of the season. Three of the four teams are back at it again tonight. Charlotte is in the City of Brotherly Love to battle the Philadelphia 76ers. Miami returns home as they welcome the LA Clippers to South Beach. Both these squads are dealing with a little change. Yesterday LA dropped coach Mike Dunleavy, while Miami is moving on without guard Rafer Alston. Alston dumped his team via text message. The Raptors continue there West coast swing as they’re in Sac-town to take on the Kings. Both teams have dropped seven of their last ten and are looking to end losing streaks. Back on February seventh these two went at it in the ACC with the Raps coming out with a 115-104 win. Chris Bosh had 36 points and Toronto had its third straight over Sacramento. Bosh will need to be just as good if the Raptors want to push the streak to four.

Date: March 9, 2010

Rink: ACC (Toronto)

Puck Drop: 7:00PM ET

Radio: AM 640

TV: Rogers Sportsnet

The kids return from an entertaining and reasonably productive 3-game road trip.  They looked much better than they did against the Caines on March 2nd.  Let’s see what they can do against the Savardless Bruins…..Kessel is certainly due against his old mates.

Tonight’s Notables:

Luca “Truman” Caputi makes his ACC debut….should be a fun night for the Toronto born winger that was recently acquired from the Pens for Pony.  Jeff Finger is on a streak….this will be his 3rd straight game!!  Exelby sits.  Mikhail “Put Up Your Dukes” Grabovski is back from injury….Let’s see if he steps in for Orr if Lucic gets out of hand tonight.  Rosehill is back out of the line-up for Grabbo.  With the alternating games strategy, look for Gustavsson to get the start.

Forwards
Caputi Bozak Kessel
Stalberg Grabovski Kulemin
Wallin Hanson Lundmark
Mitchell Primeau Orr

Defence
Phaneuf Beauchemin
Kaberle Schenn
Finger Gunnarsson

Goalie
Gustavsson (start)
Giguere

Scratch: Exelby

Injured: Komisarek, Sjostrom, Van Ryn

LT

Here’s your bikini of the day from GetABikini.com

On Fan 590 Tonight-

- Grapeline with Don Cherry & Brian Williams at 4:45
- Bob McCown’s co-host from 5:00 to 7:00 is Stephen Brunt
- Open Lines re: headshots in hockey
- TBA

On 640 with Brady and Watters thanks to Mike S.:

- Paul Beeston, president of the Blue Jays

- Jolly Jonas Siegel from the ACC to preview tonight’s Leafs-Bruins game

- hockey insiders Darren Dreger & Bob McKenzie at 6:10

- show ends at 6:30 to make way for the Leafs pre-game show