Mike Zeisberger has an interesting post today on the Maple Leafs. If nothing else it certainly causes pause for thought.

“Forget the playoffs. Unlikely to happen. From here on in, the focus should be squarely on the kids, the ones who have the potential to form the nucleus of this franchise for years to come. Wilson did not name names, but let’s face it: Many of the veterans the coach referred to will not be with the Leafs next year. The Alexei Ponikarovskys of the team have served their time in blue-and-white but it’s time for the young guns to take over.”

What, do you think Wilson/Burke are thinking the rest of the way here. Are the coaching/managing to try to make the playoffs or is the goal the bigger picture? How exactly does Zeisberger suggest that youth be served? Is the idea that only the kids should be played? Is the goal not to ice the most competitive squad every night?

“No more back-to-back games for Vesa Toskala. It’s nice to reward Toskala for his shutout against the Flyers by giving him the call the next night against Alexander Ovechkin but, as a pending unrestricted free agent, he will not be back anyway. So why start him?”

Wouldn’t the answer be two-fold, one he is an asset to certain degree and with the deadline approaching, he is an expiring contract so you never know what other teams are thinking. Would it be worth it to trade him for a 3rd or 4th round pick? I say so. Well, the only way you get ANYTHING for the guy is if he plays. Odds of him garnering any return is slim, but if he isn’t playing it’s nill. As for starting him again, I am pretty sure I read somewhere that he had a fairly decent record against the caps and more importantly he was damn good vs. Philly.

“If Wilson chose to go on a youth kick, he could actually ice a unit in which no player is older than 25 — Gustavsson (25), Schenn (20), Gunnarsson (23), Kessel (22), Bozak (23) and Kulemin (23), with White (25) waiting in the wings. No one is attempting to claim you’ll be ticking off these names on an all-star ballot one day. Given the franchise’s history of prospects who come up short, there is more than enough reason to be cynical about the future of this particular crop. But it’s time to find that out firsthand. How else do you get to see a glimpse of brilliance like Bozak’s between-the-defenceman’s-legs goal against the Flyers? There will be nights where Bozak looks out of place. It’s part of learning. But moves like that, while they shouldn’t send expectations skyrocketing, can not be taught. It’s pure skill.”

The one line of youth thing is interesting. Isn’t the issue for Wilson and Burke when does learning end and bad lessons begin. If kids aren’t ready, can more harm be done by over playing them? Last year Wilson’s approach with Schenn was that Schenn could do no wrong. Every mistake was viewed as a learning experience and Luke was sent right back out there. He consistently lead the team in minutes played. Why not take the same approach with these kids?

“Kulemin has been a pleasant surprise. Those of us who have been critical of his moribund play in the past must acknowledge his somewhat surprising work ethic has turned him into a solid two-way player. As for you Luke Schenn bashers out there, he has a plus-minus of zero. On this team, that’s not bad. And neither is the collection of kids”

Solid two-way player, isn’t that just a tad premature? I am not trying to be negative, but let’s not get overly excited here. He could turn into that and I think he has played very well of late. The bigger more pleasant surprise has to be Ian White.

Meanwhile, it looks like Happy Howie is starting to repeat what many of his fellow journalists are saying these days:

“So, to summarize: Burke is happy with his coaching staff. He will not consider offers for his only marketable player, even though it could help him to land assets that augment Kessel’s performance down the line. He has traded the Leafs’ first-round pick in the next two NHL drafts. The free agents he signed last summer [Michael Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin, Colton Orr and Jonas Gustavsson] have had a negligable impact on the hockey club to this point.

Where, then, does one of the highest-salaried GMs in the league turn to begin moving the Leafs in the proper direction?

Your guess is as good as mine.”

Compare that with Simmons’ piece from last Sunday:

” A quick Brian Burke report card. His team stinks. His friend, the coach, can’t get the Maple Leafs to kill penalties or play anything resembling team defence. His big acquisition, Phil Kessel, has gone soft and sour. He won’t be drafting Taylor Hall in June or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins the year after. And his college free-agent signings are nowhere to be found while David McNab, who signed Andy McDonald and Dustin Penner for Anaheim, has come up with another good one for his former team in Dan Sexton. Outside of goalie Jonas Gustavsson, who has had two heart procedures and a groin injury in his rookie season, little has gone right in Burke’s world and, knowing him, that has to driving him to absolute frustration”

Totally identical? No. Same thoughts and tone, for sure. Berger’s blog post on the 14th suggests that Brian Burke is blowing it by publicly starting his Tomas Kaberle position. It’s kind of an odd position for Berger. He who bashed the Leafs for thier alleged intentions with Bryan McCabe. This is the same guy who was the most relentless about the culture and reputation of the Maple Leafs had to change. No one wants to play here etc. I wonder how much this is about the fact that with Tomas Kaberle not in play, how little there will be for Berger to report on up and until the deadline. Who, pres tell would listen to him if he had no Maple Leaf scoops. With Kaberle not being asked to wave his no trade clause, the clammer of info on the Poni and Stajan talk just isn’t going to be that juicy is it? Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

Over at the Toronto Star, Kevin McGran has an interesting quote from Ron Wilson:

“Coach Ron Wilson acknowledges he’s got a young team, but won’t use it as an excuse. “The guys who are making the big mistakes aren’t our rookies and second-year players, they were veterans,” said Wilson. “Shame on them for not quite being ready. It’s simple little things, like defencemen backing off.”

Doesn’t that beg the questions, WHY ARE THE PLAYING THEN??? and Who’s job is it for a player to be ready?????

The first should be pretty easy. Wilson shouldn’t be playing guys who are making “big” mistakes. What am I missing here?

With regards to the second, part of the responsibility has to be the players. I get that. However, a big part has to fall on the coaching staff. Their job is to ensure that their players are prepared. That started last season when they sent them away for the summer. For the new guys, it was the coaches job to get them on the right page before training camp and then the entire group during it. The duty carries forward as the season progresses. One thing Wilson can’t complain about is a revolving door of personnel. His GM hasn’t really made too many changes.

Did you catch this gem from Bill Houston? Houston writes how Berger went off the other day how surprised he was that Leafs fans were “bitter” with respect to how the season has unfolded:

” We would suggest not. This has everything to do with a sense of hopelessness — that the future, at least for the next two seasons, has been squandered. It’s all about Burke, after one mediocre season, rejecting the idea of building the team the sensible way, through the draft, and instead opting to give away two first round draft choices and a second to Boston for Phil Kessel, a player who’s streaky but talented, but certainly not a franchise player. For the fan, it’s not so much what Kessel is or isn’t. It’s about the fact there’s nothing to look forward to. There’s no lottery pick waiting for the team at the end of the season. The rebuilding is over, but the house is a wreck. Now, as Bill Watters said on AM640 in Toronto today, it’s all about Burke trying to renovate as best he can.”

It’s hard for me to disagree with the take, except for the Wilbur part. Wilbur’s anti- Leaf bias is legendary.

So, who’s excited for the Blue Jays season? Bought any tickets???? Ohhh, how bout them Argonauts??? Ohhhh and hey, what ever happened to Craig Daniels?

Zeisberger is here
Berger is here
Simmons is here
McGran is here
Houston is here

William Houston had it first on his blog so give credit to the maven. Word is on the street, and multiple sources are telling TSM at this hour that Mike Toth has been advised that his services are no longer needed by the folks at Sportsnet. Toth wasn’t on the Fan 590’s Bullpen with Mike Hogan this am. Sources are telling TSM that Toth is gone from Sportsnet and what that means exactly for his duties for the Fan 590 has yet to be decided.

Let’s be clear, I am not a Mike Toth fan. I don’t think he is very good at what he does. That’s just one guy’s opinion, no more valuable than the other. Having said that, I feel for Mr. Toth today. He clearly enjoys what he does and is passionate about it. More importantly, time are tough out there and he does have a family. So in the pre-holiday spirit I offer Toth the best of luck in securing another job- perhaps in another market

More as we hear more.

@yyzsportsmedia

“Maple Leaf fans – and the media, and the city, it seems – aren’t even patient for a retooling, or at least a retooling that some believe is doomed to failure.”
Damien Cox

“The point is, most hockey commentators in Toronto have rolled over for Burke. They blame goaltending, the defense, the coach and the forwards for the team’s awful start, but give Burke a pass.”
William Houston

” Hey Leaf zealots, why overreact this early in a season in which your team can still finish 78-3-1? Get off the high bridges and shut those upstairs windows. Better days – as always – are just around the corner, right? In the interim, here are some observations after a 5-2 trampling of the Blue & White by the defending Stanley Cup champions at the Air Canada Centre”
Howard Berger

“Even more ominous would be the aftermath of a seventh consecutive defeat – Saturday night at home to the New York Rangers. An anomaly in the schedule has the Leafs idle for an entire week, which means that Burke, Wilson and the players would have to munch on an 0-6-1 record for a full seven days.”
Howard Berger

6899

12,179

13,103

13,280

5,000

So once again we are suckers, we are idiots and yes we are losers. Right, I mean, we still seem to love our hockey teams. The nerve. I mean, our team loses every game it has played so far and we are “panicked”. Oh the horror. Oh those idiot fans. Oh those losers. I know, let’s shit over the same people who indirectly put food on our plates. The more I piss them off the more they will read what I have to say the more money I will make. That’s the logic right? We all are sure that Stay At Home Berger is the world’s biggest closet Maple Leaf fan. He is negative, not because he believes it, but rather because the competition is and he thinks that he has to be in order to compete. He no longer is an insider. He hasn’t broken a story since I don’t know when. To be honest, I am no longer quite sure what the hell he’s an authority on at all. But I digress. Stay at Home Berger is doing what he thinks he has to do.

The question is, or perhaps the answer, I guess, is… What would these brains prefer? would they be happier if we stopped listening, reading, watching and going? No seriously. Would these guys prefer an apathetic fanbase? Look at the Jays. Do these think that their bosses would employ 1/4 of them if the ACC was as empty as the TED on a nightly basis? If the Leafs were 0-6 and the fans weren’t calling the talk shows, commenting on stories like the sky was falling what would these guys we talking about? If no one was reading, listening or watching would they really be happier? So the media would be happy if the love fell off the maple leafs, unemployed but happy…I don’t buy it. These guys are sellouts. They write what they believe will sell. No more and no more less.

The proof is in the Burke furor. Houston, the NY TImes and others are getting on the Toronto Sports Media for going soft on Burke. The problem these same guys have is they have sung the Burke song for so long they no longer have a choice. Seriously, go back in time as many years as you want, but I can’t remember the last time they had a GM that the press actually endorsed. They liked Cliff when he made the Gilmour deal. However the rose fell off pretty quickly as he dealt the picks away- TRADE SCHMAFT- remember that. Following Cliff in no specific order, Mike Smith, Ken Dryden, Pat Quinn, JFJ and Cliff part deux. The “experts” had issues with credentials of all of the above for a wide range of reasons. Each GM or acting manager had their own flaws according to those who are considered the brightest and best of our sports media team.

The battle cry from EVERYONE was to bring in a REAL hockey man. Someone like a Ken Hollan. Someone who had won. Someone who could build the modern day Maple Leafs. Go back over the last 10 years and read the comments on how the Leafs need a GM who can build a hockey department. One who will have total control and build the organization properly. As Burke became a possibility these experts zeroed in on him. In essence they wanted him here. Yes, he’s great for the media. He’s a great quote. There will always be a good story. Life won’t be dull under Brian Burke. The problem for each and every one of these guys is, they begged for and fully endorsed the hiring of Burke. When the team was struggling over the years they said that is what the team needed. Now that he is here they can’t start saying Ooops less than a year in. To do so would be to admit the unthinkable, that they don’t know shit. I mean if the guy they wrote about this team needing for years isn’t, what does that make them????

So, Cox’s article today isn’t all that surprising. Neither is the perceived hysteria over the current losing streak. The problem in his town is that neither the song nor the singers have changed despite lots of other things changing. GM’s, presidents, players and more have been run out of town. The commentators haven’t. The wise read, watch and listen to be entertained. The fools take it as anything more than that.

The numbers above, by the way, represent attendance at various NHL buildings over the last 2 weeks:

6899- announced in Phoenix

12,179 – Nashville announced attendance

13,103- Nashville announced attendance

13,280- Columbus announced attendance

5,000- number of unsold tickets in Tampa

So I ask the media, if the Leafs had numbers like that, do you think you would have a job???? Do you prefer the empty seats or the ship of fools?????

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

I love this quote from Bruce Arthur. Can’t you just picture the scene in the Leafs locker-room, all the regular’s are gathered around Kaberle’s locker, they ask him about his NTC:

“”We haven’t spoke about anything, and obviously my status stays the same,” Kaberle said with an air of finality. “We can talk about tonight’s game if you guys want to.”

After a pause, one sharp reporter said, “Not really.”

That is right out of a SNL skit… whom do you think the “sharp reporter” 10:1 Howie 5:1 Jonas

Oh to be on the Dallas Stars next flight with Modano and Brett Hull… Let’s see, sitting in 11 a is Mike Modano, here is your boarding pass and in 11 C is Brett Hull, here you go…

“”I think we would have analyzed (the signing) a little bit more over the summer before you go into the free-agent market. Do a little more homework and detailed analysis (and get the opinions) of players who have played with him, or how guys feel about it,” said Wednesday the 19-year veteran.
“It could have been avoided, I think, but I think (co-GM) Brett (Hull) felt having him as a teammate (while with the Detroit Red Wings), he saw something in him. “Talent-wise, he’s a very skilled kid. But I think character-wise and his personality didn’t blend with the criteria that we’ve always had as Dallas Stars. Since Bob Gainey was here, we implemented a kind of personality and character-figure in Tom Hicks. That’s kind of where it went off and tail-spinned, and got corrected.”

One word…. Ouch…Gotta love when a guy like Modano suggests that maybe, just maybe it would be a good idea to do some , ummmm, what’s the word for it, oh yeah HOMEWORK before signing a player…. The fact that he references Bob Gainey is even more classic.

Good job of accumulating a list of rental players from Kevin Allen in his USA Today hockey blog:
Jay Bouwmeester (Florida)
Keith Tkachuk (St. Louis Blues)
Mathieu Schneider (Atlanta)
Andy McDonald (St. Louis)
Nik Antropov (Toronto)
Doug Weight (New York Islanders)
Bill Guerin (New York Islanders)
Gaborik (Minnesota)
Maxim Afinogenov (Buffalo)
Sean O’Donnell (Los Angeles)

Another great quote: “Citing declining sales, the CBC has pulled out as a carrier of Toronto Blue Jays telecasts.” William Houston, Globe and Mail. There is no surprise that the CBC balked at a rate of $150k per game to broadcast the Jays games. “Beeston said 145 of the Jays’ 162 games will be televised, 125 on Sportsnet, which is owned by Jays proprietor Rogers Communications, and 20 on TSN.” By the way, did anyone else here this gem from Mr. Beeston while on with Pad Thai (Watters) and Brady ” I am almost finished writing up the job description for Blue Jays President.” Please, someone tell me just how long that should take and what Mr. Beeston (whom I am a huge fan of) has been doing since he took the job???? I guess with the rate of signings and trades he realizes there is no rush to do…..ummmmmm, anything

A subject that drives Howard Berger nuts seems to have been resolved in the media’s favor in Montreal:

“Growing weary of widespread rumours and gossip surrounding injured players, Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau on Wednesday said anyone sidelined indefinitely will now have the nature of their injuries released to the media. No longer will the team report such players have upper- or lower-body injuries.Carbonneau said the decision was reached following a meeting between himself, general manager Bob Gainey, vice-president (hockey operations) Julien BriseBois and the team’s communications department.”

I have heard the arguments from both sides. The anti-reveal argument is if you reveal a player’s injury the opposing teams will attack that injury every chance they can. The pro-reveal argument is simply, we have a job to do and you shouldn’t hide information from us. If the former is true then the injuries shouldn’t be revealed, the hell with the latter.

Tonight’s shows on both stations were the worst I have heard since I have been pre-viewing/reviewing the drive home radio shows on both the Fan and 640, The interview with Steve Nash was pretty dull and almost unlistenable seeing how Nash sounded like he was in an aquarium for it. Kudos to Mccown and Kelley for interviewing an athlete (they rarely do) and for admitting that they taped it earlier (not that it would have made a difference to any of us listening), which they also rarely do. Those who preceded Nash and followed were equally as uninteresting. Over on 640 the lineup with the exception of Dean Lombardi was really dull. Perhaps it was the cold weather, but it seemed to be a night when both stations should have punted. Here’s hoping tomorrow is better.

You know the old saying about a sucker being born every second…
“Sources say the team is expected to be sold within the next two months with current owner Jerry Moyes retaining as much as 20 percent.” That according to Darren Dreger, speaking on the issue of the Phoenix Coyotes. With all the issues facing this team, most importantly a 30 year lease with brutal terms (no parking revenue for the team AND a share of each ticket sold being shared with the city) it’s hard to phathom who would buy the team. That is not to suggest that the team isn’t valuable. Truth is many would leaf fans would gladly change rosters wth the Yotes in a heartbeat… Why someone would buy this team is beyond me…especially right now…

Hats off to Jay Triano for finding Andrea Bargnani’s game. Man, anyone else see him put up 31 tonight in another loosing effort?? Quite an impressive showing for the Big Euro.

If you are a hockey fan, you had to watch, with a smile on your face the play as the Caps defeated the Pens 6-3 tonight. Way to go AO and my adopted 2nd team the Washington Capitals!

Have a good night all

I once ran a poll asking people to rate the best of the Toronto dailies. In my opinion there is no contest. The Globe is eon’s ahead of the others. Next comes the Star, followed by the Post and the Sun.

The Globe has Eric Duhatschek, Jeff Blair, Stephen Brunt, Tim Wharnsby, David Shoalts, David Naylor, Michael Grange and William Houston (others too)
The Star has Damien Cox, Richard Griffin, Dave Feschuk, Doug Smith, Mark Zwolinski, Chris Zelkovich and Dave Perkins(others too)
The National Post has Bruce Arthur, Michael Traikos,Jeremy Sandler, Sean Fitz-Gerald, Joe O’Connor, Allen Panzeri and a host of Can West and other Writers.
The Sun has Steve Simmons, Mike Zeisberger, Lance Horby, Ken Fidlin, Terry Koshan, Rob Longley, Alison Korn, Bob Elliott, Bill Lankhoff, Gary Lowen, Steve Buffery, Bruce Garrioch(kind of)

Apologies to anyone I forgot. On the basis of quality of reporting I stand by rankings.

Having said that, I can’t say enough times how far the sun has slipped. Growing up there was no post and the Globe sports section sucked. The Sun was numero uno followed by the Star. Today, I enjoy reading most of the guys at the Globe. I think Blair has become numero uno (as a general columnist). At the Star, love him or hate him Damien is the man there. Griffin’s blog is better then his work on the paper. Smith is better on the radio then in print. Zelkovich was better when he covered the media. At the post it isn’t necessarily the names but the steady content. Arthur is good, and they get so many other guest columns that there is always something to read. In the sun, they have 2 guys who are readable, Simmons and Elliott. Terry Koshan and Lance are ok, and Garrioch is more entertaining and isn’t a Toronto writer. Longley was a better media writer too. The others?????

Today, we honor the worst of them all. I have been scratching my head for a long time wondering how this guy gets to write for a real paper. Today’s article is just a perfect example of how bad he is. Drum roll please…. Gary Lowen. Did anyone read the piece he wrote today? It is total, 100% crap (in my opinion of course).

“A big fuss has been made over the Maple Leafs acquiring Brad May, a 37-year-old winger from the Anaheim Ducks, in exchange for a draft pick.

But, let’s be honest, at this stage in his career he’s strictly Brad December.

And either way, the Leafs won’t play in May.”

Are you kidding me???? This is in a REAL newspaper, not a high school one right?

“Indianapolis Colts star Marvin Harrison’s gun was smoking, but who pulled the trigger?

Investigators have conflicting witness accounts of a shooting in Philadelphia in April, which left one man wounded.

Let’s go to our Clue game to solve this one: It was Plaxico Burress, with Marvin Harrison’s revolver, at the car wash.”

Is that supposed to be funny?

“You know that Jamario has to be over the Moon.

Moon has left the Raptors to be with his wife, Tamara, who has given birth to their first child, a daughter.

Wonder if they’ll give the baby a cool name, like, oh, maybe, Jamaria?

Guess the name Warren is out”

I am not making this up- this is in today’s Toronto Sun!!!!!

“The Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to terms with two pitchers, left-hander Antonio Bastardo and right-hander Yorman Bazardo.

Doesn’t sound like the kind of guys you want to meet in a dark bullpen.”

How does this guy have a job as a writer?????

This is the start of a new feature here on TSM where we will have a weekly (right LT?) Media power ratings- who was hot, cold, up and down in the media.

Tomorrow we feature Radio personalities- feel free to submit any thoughts ahead of time….

If you really want to read more of Lowen’s trash you can read it here….

Growing up in this city, I remeber tuning into CityTv (everywhere!) and catching episodes of SCTV.  Everyone my age or a tad older remembers Bob and Doug, or Count Floyd, among my favoirtes were the Schmengie Brothers(cabbage rolls and coffee) and Bobby Bittman (howwwww are yaaaa).  Bittman, played by Eugene Levy was a comedian who often appeared on the Sammy Maudlin show( a take off on the tonight show).  Bittman would come on do a stand up bit and then when interviewed, he would inevitably get very serious.  In doing so, Bittman would say the same thing every time, “As a comedian in all seriousness” and then some nonesense would follow causing me and others to laugh hysterically.

Why the reference?  Well, it reminds me a little bit about Bob McCowan.  McCowan, for the most part owns the sports radio market in this city.  Chuck Swirsky when is had his own show on the Fan used to refer to McCowan as the franchise. McCowan, rumor has it, does very little in the way of show preparation and realizes the fact that part of his appeal is his controversial comments.  I am sure you have seen his ad on sportsnet promoting his show talking about what idiots his fans are.  There are those who firmily believe that McCowan doesn’t believe a lot of what escapes his lips, but rather he says them because he is supposed to, his audience expects him too.  In other words, the theory goes, he is no different then an actor.  He gets paid to almost follow a script.

There is nothing wrong with this.  It works.  To be hones I listen to his show because he gets great guests.  I know what he is going to say, and for the most part his co-hosts too.  Sometimes, however I kind of get the thought that he too needs to use Bittman’s preamble before speaking.  This past week, McCowan crossed the line.  One has to wonder if he did so purposefully or ignorantly (he didn’t realize what he said could be contsrued as offensive to the point of really crossing the line).  This past Wednesday, McCowan theorized that President Elect (and Senator) Obama won the election because he “was black”.  McCowan went evenfurther by using a report out of Harlem as an example of his theory.  Apparently a reporter in Harlem asked african american’s if they would support a specific political platform (mirroring that of John McCain’s) if it were Obama’s platform.  The respondant’s said that they would, ergo people were voting for Obama because of the color of his skin and not the substance behind it.

Just under 2 years ago, Don Imus got fired for referring to the Rutgers University woman’s basketball team as “nappy-headed hos”. Know, I am not going to compare what McCown said to Imus.  However, it is pretty telling the difference in the reaction on this side of the border then down south.  You can bet that if McCowan said what he did in some US markets, the topic would be a lot more then Bill Houson made of it in the bloge and mail here.  You can also rest assured that someone like a Jesse Jackson would come sniffing around too.  Let me make this clear, I am not suggesting McCowan is a racist (as someone else has before me).  Nor am I saying he should be fired for what he said (sorry Howie).  I do however wonder if he couldn’t have done a much better job of clarifying his point as to not make it as offensive as it sounded live.

For some great insight into this story, try and grab some clips of the Brady and Watters’ show from this past Friday.  The guys were really whooping it up, make all kinds of sports realted jokes about things happening only because the were black, like say a hockey puck.  Good entertainment for sure!

Meanwhile, Howie wants me to remind you to sign up:

sign the petition at <a href=”http://firehowardberger.com/”>http://www.firehowardberger.com</a>
join the <a href=”http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=38743531034″>facebook group</a>
follow on <a href=”https://twitter.com/FireHowardBerge”>twitter</a>

Curious angle in the article this am from William Houston. Word is that the CRTC is about to deregulate what TV stations carry and when.

“The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is expected to revise the rules pertaining to mandatory carriage, genre protection and restrictions on the entry of foreign channels.The CRTC could move to ease or eliminate rules that require specialty channels to keep programming within the bounds of their particular genre.For example, TSN, as a sports channel, is not allowed to air, on a slow night, a Hollywood movie or a music video.The Score Television Network could do away with its sportscasts and stop running its sports ticker at the bottom of the screen. It could go even further and switch to a programming model based on TBS in the United States, which combines sports programming with movies and old sitcoms. Another possible change is the CRTC eliminating the must-carry and must-offer rules imposed on cable and satellite companies for carriage of analogue cable channels and category one digitals.That could result in Rogers Cable or Shaw Cable deciding not to carry TSN. That wouldn’t happen, because TSN offers a strong programming schedule, and consumers would complain.”

Enough gobble gook for ya?

Here is what I don’t get. Why, can someone please tell me, is any of this a bad thing? As a consumer, I want the best. Why are we such protectionists in this country? When I listen to the radio, I don’t want to hear Canadian music vs. American Music or English Music, I want to hear the best. When I go to a resutaurant, I don’t say bring me a Canadian steak vs. an American Steak, I want the best steak. The truth of the matter is, we the public should want and demand the best, period. While living in the USA, I would watch TBS when it carried Gilligan’s Island, and turn it off when the Braves played the Astros. Wouldn’t that be a nice alternative to say that god awful talk show on the Score that is on now???? The reality is, the market will dictate what we see. Either people will watch, or they won’t.

“One TV executive described the potential impact as Darwinian, with weaker services falling by the wayside.”It would be survival of the fittest,” he said. Arguably, deregulation would reduce the quantity and range of sports programming that Canadians now receive. The present system, in which specialty channels are required to stay within their niche, has worked pretty well.”

Why is this a bad thing???? Why should the masses suffer for the very few. I have no interest in watching curling. Shoot me. I haven’t watched 30 seconds of bowling (save for Kingpin and the Big Labowksi). If Equestrian jumping is on, I turn the channel about as quick as I do the Kennel Club dog show. I am not sure which I like least, spelling bees, or the guy on TV who paints scenes by numbers. As a consumer, especially in the digital age I want the best offer available. Why did grey market satellite take off here???? DirecTV and Dishnetwork offer superior products to Bell and Rogers. Buying a foreign Satellite wasn’t a cheap investment. People still pay for both services using a legitimate US address in order to get superior programming availability. There is no better example of this then the Superbowl, where the commercials are as big as the game is. Except here in Canada. Where we are so worried about our products that we don’t carry them. Hey, why not ban the academy awards and the emmy’s too. Only show Canadian Award shows???? Better yet, why not have a market where you can only buy Canadian????? We as Canadian’s have an inferior complex like no other. The reality is, a great deal of what we produce is competitive if we allow it to be. Instead our government agencies enact legislation that tells the rest of the world we are second class and need protection from you the best.

I feel so much better now…

you can read Houston here….