You watch the video and it’s hard not to be envious of our neighbors to the east. Say whatever you want about the Montreal Canadiens, but they are one classy organization. No one recognizes their veteran superstars like they do. I watched the pre-game ceremony and re-saw it on TSN about 15 times and was just in awe. To have all their great superstar lace em up, put on the jerseys for a photo was pure gold!

This isn’t a knock on MLSE, rather a plea, to consult the Canadiens play book before the next session where we honor more Maple Leafs. The Habs just flat out do it well.

College of Sports Media Game of the Night:

Coming off a huge win in Montreal on Tuesday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs continue their road trip as their in Columbus tonight to take on the Blue Jackets. It will be the only meeting between the two teams this season. Last year this one-time-a-year affair was played in Toronto and Columbus earned a 4-3 shootout win. Goaltender Jonas Gustavsson will not be available for tonight’s tilt. He left Tuesday game with an accelerated heart beat. Joey MacDonald will get the call. MacDonald came in against the Habs in the second period and preserved the shut out. Matt Stajan had another strong game. He notched his eighth goal of the season. In the last ten games he’s scored five and added five assists. Phil Kessel continues to impress. Against the Canadiens he had a couple of helpers and has 13 points in the last 14 games. Columbus got off to a got start at home, but have struggled as of late. They only one once in their last seven. The answer to their recent woes lies between the pipes. Steve Mason has struggled this season and over his last eight games has only won twice. Rick Nash continues to lead the Blue Jackets offensively. He has 15 goals and 14 assists already this season.

Here in London England, the holiday spirit is alive and well. The streets are filled with lights and the store fronts each more imaginative than the next. It is quite remarkable to see and I have to admit I am a bit jealous that Toronto does not carry the same spirit. This year, with a new animation movie hitting the market for the holidays, Jim Carrey in A Christmas Carol, the streets here are full of sponsored decorations. Marketing in the year 2009, everything is for sale.

So with that in mind I reflect on the possibility of our Toronto Maple Leafs applying to host an outdoor game. I have to admit, and I fully realize that I may be alone in this thought, but I really couldn’t careless. The reality is, despite the fact that Toronto is a Maple Leaf town, and I love to go to as many games as I possible can and watch every minute of those I am not able to attend, I have no desire to go to an outdoor game, here, there or anywhere. I would have liked to attend the first one. For me, everyone after doesn’t compare, it’s no longer new, cool nor hip. It’s gotten to be quite passe.

The idea of watching the Leafs play outside vs. the Habs, or any other original six team does absolutely nothing for me. Personally, I would rather see them put ice make in Maple Leaf Gardens for a night. Now that would be cool. If we could go back to the old rat infested Gardens for one night…That I would pay for. That would be a new, fresh, exciting event. It also couldn’t be replicated in many markets as the old barns simply don’t exist anymore. Put the Leafs and Habs in their old uniforms, let the pension plan folks sit in the old bunker, Jimmy Holmstrom on the organ, the horribly ugly old usher uniforms for one night…that would an honour to our tradition.

With respect to an outdoor game in Toronto I say Bah Humbug- pass. I am already bored with the idea, it’s no longer innovate, I personally wouldn’t go if the tickets were free.

On another note, I see the Leafs want to host another all star game and a draft. I was at the last all star game, it was fun. Given the recent play of our team, it was the first time there was a real buzz in this town over hockey for a long time. Hell, more people would care about the all star weekend then will the Pan Yawn Games. As for the draft, if memory serves me correctly, wasn’t the last draft hosted in Toronto a total bust? I seem to recall less than stellar turnout with no one giving a rats ass about it being in town.

Yes, all three things are about the almighty buck to MLSE. They each represent additional gate revenues. The game of areana success is all about filling yours more nights than others. So if they can squeeze more asses through the turnstiles 1, 2 or 3 more days a year it means more beer, hot dogs, sushi and popcorn etc. I would assume that the message would be more about building or rebuilding the hockey fan base in Toronto. The usual suspects in the MSM would call the spade a spade and cry that is about nothing more than money. The typical out of town media would complain about Toronto getting more attention then needed etc.

If we get the draft or the all star game, cool. If we don’t – oh well. Personally, I would much rather have meaningful games later in the year and playoff home dates (yes, plural) than have these events.

Didn’t see any of the game last night, it sounds like there was a coaching issue again last night. While Wilson can’t play the game, if a team comes out flat or unprepared, that to me is a coaching issue. The coach was unable to get his guys up for and prepared for the task at hand. It also further establishes the lack of leadership on the team. The Maple Leafs don’t have the guy to grab the team by the proverbial neck and get them going.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Today is an important day. No, really it is. Today is an important day for both myself and little TSM. Today he and I share a right of passage. Tonight, little TSM will see his first Maple Leafs game LIVE. It is hard to believe how much time has flown since he and I watched our first game on television. He was 2 days old, the Leafs were playing the Habs, in Montreal. He had just come home from the hospital and before he went down for his part of the night, we sat on the couch as Travis Green scored his first of the year from Nik Antropov and Tom Fitzgerald. I have to admit, I don’t remember my first game at the old Maple Leafs Gardens. I remember going a lot as a kid. I actually can remember the smell of the old barn. I remember so many of the games that I saw there, but I can’t really remember my first game. So I hope that he will remember tomorrow night, his first experience at an NHL game, at a Maple Leafs game.

Don’t get me wrong, I have taken him to lots of sporting events. We used to go to lots of Plymouth Whalers games. Then it was the Barrie Colts. He’s been to a few Raptors games, one ARGO’s game and to a couple of Blue Jays games (both here and in Detroit) and yes to a Marlies game, a TFC match and even the Rogers Cup. This will be his first Maple Leafs game. I am not sure who is more excited, him or me.

So hopefully the boys show up. Hopefully the scalpers, I mean brokers are in full force. Hopefully the organ is loud. Hopefully he gets an autograph or three, or maybe catches a puck. Hopefully, he has fun and asks to go again.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Maybe it’s just me but I found an article in the Montreal Gazette quite amusing. It seems that the Maple Leafs signing of Mike Komisarek has set off some nerves in the land of the Habs.

“Among the thoughts that avoided our delete key, posted before and after Komisarek signed a five-year, $22.5-million contract with the Maple Leafs:

- “I really don’t want to hate Komisarek’s guts, but I can see that’s where this is going.”

- “Mike, I wish you all the success the Leafs have enjoyed for the last 40-plus years!”

- “Good riddance, Komi. Welcome to hell.”

A few suggested that Habs heavyweight Georges Laraque should be instructed – ordered, even – to pummel Komisarek, that despicable traitor, during the new Leaf’s first shift against his old team.

A few deleted comments indelicately questioned the marital status of Komisarek’s parents upon his birth, or suggested that he engage in an activity that is anatomically impossible.”

Really? Now, do you think that is any different if he went elsewhere? I would imagine when a Boston Red Sox bolts and joins the New York Yankees similar things occur. Yes, I know the whole Leaf/Habs thing flared up last season with Grabovsky. My question is, do you really care about the Habs? Seriously, and maybe I am in the minority here, but if Sundin (I can’t think of some other life long Leaf) signed with Montreal last season, I wouldn’t have cared. I would care a lot more if he went to Ottawa, but the reality is there are few places a Toronto player could go that would motivate me to go to a newspaper website and post this type of stuff. When Curtis Joseph, one of my favourite Maple Leafs bolted to go to the Wings, one of my most despised teams growing up, I started to root for the Wings (except when playing the Leafs).

Am I alone in this?

I think the time for this type of stuff went out the door when the NHL expanded beyond 6 teams. Did Seinfeld have it right? Do we root for the clothes or the player? I think in most cases it’s the jersey. There are obviously exceptions. Once the puck drops though we want our team to win.

Is it an erosion of the Habs/Buds rivalry or is it that I just don’t care all that much? I don’t get overly jazzed to see the Leafs play the Habs. When they were in the playoffs last season I rooted for them and not because they were a Canadian team. I think that those of you older than me will say that you still despise the Habs, so maybe it’s a generational thing. I suspect that it’s an inferiority complex on the part of our friends up the 401. I mean, Their baseball team was taken from them, they don’t have a basketball team (do we?). All that is left on the MAIN stage is the Habs. The Nordiques were taken from them too. What remains of their age old rivals is Toronto and Boston. Ottawa is closer geographically, would the same hatred be spewed if Komisarek had signed with the Sens? Maybe our team’s failures have dulled the rivalry from this end.

Little TSM has no clue who the Habs are. He knows you boo the Senators, he roots like hell for Crosby and when he plays on his DS or PSP he wants to be the Leafs or the Pens. The only Maple Leaf he can name is Cliff (ya think he listens to his dad talking to LT too much?). Seriously, he couldn’t name one maple leaf, except maybe Cujo.

I find the Montreal perspective amusing. Am I out to lunch or are you like me?

TSM

Follow me on twitter at @yyzsportsmedia

Habs article is here

Michael Farber has another great article today. This time (anyone surprised) the topic is Vincent Lecavalier. Farber understands why the Bolts want to deal him ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$) and why the Habs both want him and should try to trade for him (A Cup) but, he thinks Vinny should balk (not that he really has any say to be honest). The reason should raise some eyebrows:

“The passion for the team, and the attention lavished on the players, has spilled over the boundaries of all common sense. You would be walking into smack into this merry maelstrom. A fishbowl existence would await. (They do have fishbowls in zoos, don’t they?)
You don’t need this. You have your Stanley Cup. You have your life in Tampa. You have your community, which has benefited from the money you have donated to a children’s hospital. And you don’t have the need to come “home” because, even though most people don’t know this about you, you are a worldly guy with an open spirit (as they say in French). You even enjoyed playing in Kazan of the Russian Superleague during the lockout, although some of the charter flights on those Yak 42s were a little dicey.”

Hmmmm. This really causes a pause. One part of me wants to scream sacrilege! As a player in any sport, shouldn’t any player dream of playing in a town where the coverage has “spilled over the boundaries of all common sense”? I mean, isn’t that we expect of professional athletes. How many times have we said “________________ wants to play in ______________ because he is from there”? In baseball, players say they dream of playing for the Yankees, Red Sox or __________________ all the time. Hell, AJ Burnett, this past off-season said he would love to play in a baseball crazy city like Chicago and play for the Cubs. Where did he sign? With the Yankees. I haven’t even mentioned the financial implications of heading to Montreal. I don’t know what his endorsements are like in Tampa (if any) but i would be willing they would increase in Canada, especially in Montreal. Can you imagine his value in Montreal??? That is not to suggest that this should be a motivating factor. I am willing to bet that his agent has a pretty good idea though.

Bryan McCabe, who’s life had to be pretty hellish here last year said that the one thing he misses is a full building to play in front of every night. That was even true when he got booed. So in Florida he can go to the mall, the beach, the movies and be left alone. It is nice. It sounds to me that most guys would prefer to get bugged and play in a hotbed then the opposite. Maybe that isn’t Vinny. One former Maple Leaf I know, loved playing the game, within some limits. It was a job. When he left the rink he didn’t do anything related to the game. He didn’t follow any developments in the off-season etc. He showed up for practices, games and events. He was an employee. Today he scouts. Again, a job. So I guess it all depends on what motivates the individual. I would be really surprised if Vinny wasn’t more like McCabe and the majority of guys. You want to play in a city where people eat, sleep and dream about the team and the sport.

You can read more from Farber here….