Hey, here's the rout I take when I bike home

Untitled by rgelder@sympatico.ca at Garmin Connect - Details

This is the route I usually take when I bike home from work/school/SJAM. I've been doing it for over ten years, varying the route somewhat. I used to go to the top of the hill at York and Dundurn, until the advent of Google Earth, wherein I could see that, not only was I engaging an unnecessary and challenging uphill climb, but I was also going a much less direct route than the side streets.

I soon abandoned the side streets, as well in favour of the main arterial roads. Granted, they are more dangerous but they're much quicker. This is even factoring in that they, too, are less direct. There's nothing like hitting the green lights (as opposed to stop signs and pedestrian traffic) at 35km/hour! The turning lane at the corner of Main and Queen can be a bit harrowing to navigate but, so far so good.

West Harbour, or no stadium

My friend Samantha asked, so here's my answer. The West Harbour is the best location for the proposed Pan-Am Stadium (if there's even one to be built at this point).

You asked why the location matters, because jobs will be created no matter where its put. Many of the nay-sayers would disagree with you, arguing that the stadium will have little economic impact. My take is that the stadium, combined with a few other things will create synergies that will greatly assist in reviving the downtown core. Chief among these is the arrival of LRT (light rail transit). Ten dates a year, plus whatever else will go on in the stadium may be enough for a few businesses to consider setting up shop in the downtown, (restaurants, hotels), and may serve to increase property values in the adjacent areas.

The City, Waterfront Trust, etc. are already doing an excellent job in managing and reviving the north end, particularly in the areas around Bayfront Park, Pier 4, Pier 8, etc. However, there is still the daunting task of the brownfields of abandoned industry, chiefly the Rheem property. The large amounts of cash that are coming in from all levels of government are just what the doctor ordered in getting these areas cleaned up. They are not only a hideous eyseore, but present a real environmental danger if not addressed.

Furthermore, the stadium will be adjacent to existing rail infrastructure. One of the great successes of Toronto's professional sports facilities, is their proximity to commuter rail. Anyone who actuallly drives to and Argos, Blue Jays, Leafs or Toronto FC game is an idiot, because of the ease, efficiency and cheapness of a GO train ticket - the same service that can be provided to the new stadium location. There's no signficant rail infrastructure anywhere near the East Mountain site.

Bob Young lauds the east mountain stadium location because of the convenience of the "driveway to driveway" experience. We talk about stadiums and the first question we ask is "How easy will it to be to get to by car"? This needs to become outdated thinking, as the now-seemingly visionary people though (likely by accident) when they decided to put both the Rogers Centre (né Skydome) and the ACC right downtown Toronto. Rather, we should be turning this question on its ear and ask, with the stadium where it is, what's the best way to get there? I would love to see the statistics as to the number of people taking public transit to pro sporting events in Toronto. I think we could match it here in Hamilton.

Bob Young argues that a stadium downtown will doom his business operation to failure in perpetuity, as if the first question people ask when considering whether to attend a game is "how easy is it to get to by car?". If there is a demand for the on-field product, then people will go, no matter which way is more convenient to get there. Its not "build it, and they will come", but "put a decent product on the field, and they will come". Not to put too fine a point on it, but Mr. Young has certainly had his challenges in that department since taking over the team.

As needed as the west harbour site is for the purposes of core revival, it pales in comparison to the disaster of building it at the east mountain. I respect Mr. Young's position in wanting the best location for his business but, in addition to subscribing to what I hope is becoming an outmoded car-centric paradigm, that location would be a further and egregious foray into suburban sprawl. Many have argued that there is plenty of space in the Ontario Realty Corporation (ORC) lands proposed in the Fenn "compromise". Granted, but just because their is empty green space, that is no reason to automatically develop it! We cannot continue to expand outwards while we let the core rot; it is simply bad urban planning. Servicing the stadium (sewers, hydro ) will be expensive enough. In addition, although not qualified to say, I am worried about the proximity of protected environmental lands, chiefly the Eramosa Karst. Karst, as you might be aware, is land that is eroded away underneath the surface by underground waters, resulting in caves etc. Is the proposed land for the east mountain site even stable enough? Perhaps it is, but when I'm on a nature hike with my family exploring the caves, the last thing I want is Stadium noise from the Labour Day classic!

This is not about building a stadium for the Tiger-Cats, its about the Pan-Am Games and the legacy it was supposed to leave. Locally, we have already been deprived of any track and field legacy, thanks in large part to this debate. The feds. and province are to kick in $54 million each, with the city adding $60 million from the Future Fund. The Tiger-Cat contribution? He proposed $15 million and that was from his east mountain pitch (with, admittedly, other not-necessarily out of pocket costs down the road). In this proportion, Bob Young has no right to be calling the shots on location.

As for the Grey Cup, no 25,000 seat stadium can host the game without temporary seating. I don't think either location has a greater advantage over the other in terms of hosting one of these; temporary seats are always brought in for games not played at either Olympic Stadium, Rogers Centre, Commonwealth Stadium or BC Place. Any time its on the prairies, you see temporary seating. Not really an issue.

At the end of the day, I fear we may lose the stadium altogether for two reasons. First, if the Tiger-Cats don't come back to the table, there is no anchor tenant and the city doesn't meet a key funding requirement from both the Pan-Am Games and the two levels of government. Secondly, and perhaps more immediately, the Pan-Am Host Committee may come to its senses and realize they are building one stadium too many. Once they made the unholy decision to move track out of Hamilton and to Toronto, they effectively committed themselves to building, at the very least, a 15,000 seat stadium for track and field there (a facility which, if my guess is correct, will soon be taken over by the Toronto Argonauts, track moved out, and you got us nowhere, Athletics Canada! But I digress). Why, with BMO field and the proposed new facility in Burlington, would they even need a third soccer venue? Were they merely placating local sensitivities by swapping track for soccer, without first thinking about the fiscal consequences? The way these oily people in suits operate, I would NOT be surprised to see an abrupt announcement in the coming months, nay weeks, that no stadium will be built in Hamilton, with the whole Ti-Cat situation cited as their flimsy excuse.

I just hope the velodrome doesn't follow.

The stupid stadium debate just got stupider, thanks to our friends at Athletics Canada

For those of you who don't live in Hamilton (or don't otherwise care), the city is locked in a battle with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats over the location of the stadium which will not only host the track and field competition of the 2015 Pan-American Games, but will likely serve as the new home of the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats beyond. The city, as well as most people if the on-line polls are anything to go by, want the stadium located on a brownfield in the west harbour, directly adjacent to the downtown core. This will not only provide a picturesque setting for the new stadium, but many feel it will be a catalyst for the renewal of the downtown core.

At the 11^th hour, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats balked at the site, saying that they would not participate in the location of a stadium in the west harbour. This has led to a delay in the stadium construction as the city and the team are currently involved in protracted mediation process. One bewildering result of the this process is the recommendation that the stadium be located on some provincially-owned lands at the junction of the Red Hill Expressway and the Lincoln Alexander Parkway on the east mountain, light years away from the downtown. The debate is ongoing, but is expected to be resolved by mid August.

Today, matters got more complicated when one Joanne Mortimore, who passes herself off as the Chief Executive Officer of Athletics Canada, the national governing body of the sport of track and field, made a "discreet request" with the Pan-Am organizing committee that they scuttle the stadium in its entirety by moving the track and field competition to the centre of the universe, Toronto. Go here to see the Spectator's breaking of the story. It prompted this reply by me to Ms. Mortimore:

 

Dear Ms. Mortimore:

Although I do not have the authority to respond on behalf of the Hamilton Olympic Club, nor even on behalf of the track and field community in Hamilton, but I for one am VERY disappointed with the news today that Athletics Canada made a "discreet" request with the Pan-Am Games regarding moving the track and field competition from Hamilton, where it has been entrenched in the bid from the beginning, to Toronto.

What is particularly galling is that no one even bothered to consult the track and field community here in Hamilton. Perhaps you are aware (if not, you ought to be) that the Hamilton Olympic Club is the oldest continuously operating track and field club in all of North America and a member of Athletics Ontario and, by extension, Athletics Canada. Instead of "thinking out loud", perhaps it would have been wise to have consulted the club. There are a variety of lobbying efforts for the betterment of track and field going on every day, not all of which are directly related to the current difference of opinion as between the city and the Hamilton Tiger-Cat football club. In addition to the goals of perhaps keeping the track within the stadium, we very much desire to have at the very least a warmup track stay behind (preferably in the west harbour location) to serve as a facility for inner-city youth, who currently have nowhere to train in that part of the city. In addition, there are ongoing talks with the cycling community about including an indoor facility with the velodrome. A simple phone call to our club President, Monika DiCesare, would have apprised you of all of this.

Many of the big players in the stadium/velodrome debate are not attuned with the needs of track and field. Your letter demonstrates that Athletics Canada may not be attuned to the needs of the sport outside of Toronto.

Again, I don't speak for the club (although I am on the Board of Directors) – you will be receiving an official response at some point – however, suffice to say that your actions have seriously undercut our efforts in ensuring there is a legacy of track and field facilities in Hamilton. The last time I checked, Toronto already has a nice new track.

Respectfully,

 

Rich Gelder

Very quickly, I received this response from Ms. Moritmore, which was very impressive if for no other reason she is likely plunked down in the stands at the Varsity Stadium at the University of Toronto for the National Senior Track and Field Championships. She must have a really cool Blackberry:

Dear Rich

I appreciate and understand your concern. All informal information we have points to the track being removed post games hence our position. The challenge for the athletes training and traveling from the ath (sic) residence to the venue also leaves us with serious concerns. I hope this gives you further insight for the reasons for our position.

This does not remove the possibility of continuing to work towards a track in Hamilton.

 

Regards,

Joanne Mortimore

 

So how does one become the Chief Executive Officer for a sports organization like Athletics Canada? Apparently not by being concerned about the long-term legacy opportunities that major international championships bring – at least those outside of the centre of the goddamned universe, Toronto.

In any event, I also cobbled together this letter to the editor of the Hamilton Spectator:

Editor,

Suffice to say that, in this instance, the national track and field federation (Athletics Canada) does not speak for the local track community.

That the track and field competition of the2015 Pan-Am Games will be staged in Hamilton has been part of the bid from day one. Whether the stadium is built in the preferred west harbor location or on the east mountain, the legacy of at least a warmup track outside the stadium, for community, club and school use, would be a boon to the sport in Hamilton. Currently, no such facility exists in the inner city. If Athletics Canada was attuned to the needs of the sport outside of Toronto, where they have just christened a brand new track and field stadium in the downtown area in the past two years, they would understand that the track and field competition in Hamilton presents an opportunity not only for the long-term fortunes of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats but for the sport of track and field at the grassroots level. And this doesn't even address the creative possibilities of having a track remaining inside the stadium.

Today, I am embarrassed to be affiliated with Athletics Canada. They have done a disservice not only to the local stadium debate, but to all of those working hard for the betterment of track and field in Hamilton.

Rich Gelder

Sunday morning run punctuated by the appearance of a wayward whippet

This was a cool run on a cool day. Barely 13 degrees in June and damp, but perfect weather for a long run.

Didn't know where to go, so just went up York Road to the RBG trails. When I got near the Nature Centre, I was startled by a fast approaching animal which darted past me and back into the woods. The fleeting glimpse I caught of it suggested that it was a runaway greyhound. Knowing first-hand the propensity these animals have to bugger off for long periods of time from their owners, I stopped my run and tried to call him/her back. I then called out to see if the owner was nigh, perhaps frantically serching for its awol animal. Within a minute I saw that the dog had emerged from the woods and was careening around the adjacent meadow, like all sighthounds enjoy. I then caught up with the owner who was unconcerned, knowing that her dog would come back.

Sure enough the dog came to a screeching halt where we were standing and I soon corrected myself; we were dealing with a beautiful male whippet. We exchanged pleasantries and I was then back off on my run to York Boulevard and then back home.

The experience reminded me how much I still miss Dinsdale, even though he were a proper a greyhound which is a couple of cuts above the whippet on the socio-economic doggy stratum.

Untitled by rgelder@sympatico.ca at Garmin Connect - Details

Morning run - detour to McDonald's

Ran my usual morning route to school. HOWEVER, instead of turning north up Caroline to SJAM, I continued straight to Jackson Square to procure myself a sausage n' egg McMuffin and a big-ass Powerade. Indeed, I live an exciting existence.

Untitled by rgelder@sympatico.ca at Garmin Connect - Details

Standard run to school (frigging hot!) by rgelder@sympatico.ca at Garmin Connect - Details

Standard run to school (frigging hot!) by rgelder@sympatico.ca at Garmin Connect - Details

http://www.jango.com/widgets/c36e09f835723cbe905b82874354f73c/edit#

Ranking R.E.M.s albums from 1 to 14...just for fun

Here, in my humblest of estimations, are all 14 of R.E.M.'s albums of original material ranked in order from best to not best (because you can't use "worst" when describing a band the magnitude of R.E.M.).

1.    Life's Rich Pageant

2.    Automatic for the People

3.    Accelerate

4.    Green

5.    Reckoning

6.    Out of Time

7.    Document

8.    Murmur

9.    Monster

10.    Fables of the Reconstruction

11.    Reveal

12.    New Adventures in Hi-Fi

13.    Up

14.    Around the Sun

 

The Case for Sarah Palin (speaking at a Hamilton Charity fundraiser next April)

Don't know if the Spec is going to publish it, at this point. But I submitted this earlier this week. I think they may be all "Palined out".

The Case for Sarah Palin

 

The irony appears to be lost on most critics. They object to Sarah Palin appearing at a fundraiser for a publicly-funded hospital, because she is opposed to Canadian-style socialized medicine. Shouldn't the very idea of a $200.00 per plate dinner in support of the original beneficiaries, St. Peter's Hospital and the Juravinski Cancer Centre, suggest that Ms. Palin might have some valid criticisms of an underfunded health care system?

 

This might have been the most bewildering criticism of Sarah Palin's pending visit, if it weren't that other arguments against are even more bizarre. First, there is the suggestion that her Hamilton event is inappropriate because the city boasts five "social-democratic" legislators, by which I am assuming is meant the five New Democrats representing Hamilton ridings in the House of Commons and at Queen's Park. Since when does the makeup of our local parliamentary delegations dictate who is welcome and not to speak in our city? If that's the case, do David Sweet, Tim Hudak, Dean Allison, Ted McMeekin and Sophia Aggelonitis , all apparently, "non social-democrats", get to huddle to select the next charity speaker?

 

Secondly, there is this idea that Ms. Palin's beliefs, be it on same sex marriage, abortion, public health care do not reflect core Canadian values. Is this to suggest that we stifle all opinion, to the point of not welcoming differing point of views, if that opinion is A: foreign, and B: not consistent with what a show of hands might suggest? This type of intolerance reminds me of the dark days of political correctness in my university undergraduate days of the early nineties. It's one of the basic tenets of free speech; one needs dissenting viewpoints to challenge if one is going to make the claim about the validity of one's own.

 

Telling also is the tone with which critics in these pages have attacked Ms. Palin. Seemingly unable to articulate any serious objection to her speaking in Hamilton, they have denigrated her personally, likening her to Paris Hilton or suggesting that her visit is an "early April Fool's joke". This type of invective suggests to me that the writers are more concerned about fulfilling a psychological need to feel smart by joining a the tired chorus of mainstream media ridicule of a conservative politician, rather than making a serious argument against her visit.

 

Having made a woefully inadequate case against Sarah Palin speaking at the now Charity of Hope fundraiser, critics might do well to consider the arguments in favour of her attending. She was a moderately successful Governor of the largest American state for three years. Her book, Going Rogue, is at or near the top of the New York Times Bestseller list. And, oh yes, she ran for Vice-President of the United States just over a year ago, only the second woman in the history of the country to seek that office. Palin may also be one of the front-runners to carry the Republican banner against President Barack Obama in the 2012 election.

 

Agree with her politics or not, but Sarah Palin is newsworthy for all the right reasons. There are no sex tapes, no allegations of infidelity and no criminal record. She is a woman who has made some noise in the arena of politics which, at the executive level in the United States, has heretofore been the almost exclusive domain of men. She has a story tell and it is one that is worth it for Hamiltonians to hear first hand on April 15th.

 

It will be a great evening for ticketholders to the event. Hopefully, it will be an even better evening for the Charity of Hope.

Gary Bettman is a big, frigging liar

So Gary Bettman says he supports another NHL team in Canada, does he? He's not kidding anyone; he doesn't want another team north of the border any more than I want a scorching case of herpes for my 41st birthday. Bettman had the opportunity to demonstrate his "support" for another Canadian team by working with Jim Balsillie to bring the Coyotes out of the desert (both literally and figuratively) and to Hamilton. How much in legal fees did he and the other owners spend blocking that? How much more will they have to spend, in light of the fact that the Phoenix team is now giving away tickets, after having offered a top - top ticket price of 25 dollars for their home opener?

The only reason that Bettman is waxing sympathetic about another Canadian team is that, outside of southern Ontario and the money of the likes of Balsillie, it isn't going to happen. There are great hockey fans in Winnipeg. Enough to support an NHL team with its requirement for corporate subscription? How many private boxes can Great West Life buy? As for Quebec, the only person with a remote chance of bringing a team there wants the federal and provincial government to pay for half of a new arena. Half of the costs of a 400 million dollar arena coming the province and the feds? With that sense of entitlement, where does he think he think this team is going? Ottawa?

I would be sincerely tickled to see teams in Winnipeg and Quebec - especially the latter. However, this whole exercise by the NHL, Bettman in particular, is nothing more than smoke and mirrors in a pathetic attempt to placate those who were beginning to finally accept that he has an anti-Canada agenda. NHL Awards in Las Vegas? Give me a fucking break! If that isn't the precursor for League's next disastrous foray into a completely non-viable American market, then let's see where the Coyotes actually end up next year.

Bettman's chief henchman, Bill Daly, suggested that the City of Hamilton needs to "get its ducks in line" if wants to be considered for a future NHL franchise. With all due respect, you filthy little fart-catcher to Gary Bettman, the city has spent the last 25 years lining up its ducks, from building an arena, to bidding for two expansion franchises, to being there every time an existing league owner wanted to extort a better arena deal from its home city, to patiently working with people like Jim Balsillie who have a legitimate and realistic desire to see professional hockey fluorish where it is able; in Canada.

Hopefully, the likes of Bettman and Daly will cease being the "toast" of the League - particularly when the bills for Coyote sustaining come due - and we may be in the final months of his reign over the NHL. The sooner he is gone, the more likely places like Hamilton, Winnipeg and Quebec will actually be able to realistically envision NHL hockey in their cities.

The Biggest Loser and other Idiotic Reality Television

I recently took part in a Facebook back-and-forth on something someone posted regarding "TheBiggest Loser" television program. Someone suggested, in a somewhat school-marmish tone that one can actually enjoy the show while availing oneself of the valuable health and fitness information contained therein. Here was my response:

Enjoy it....sure. Just like I enjoy watching those "Funniest Home Videos" where (usually) children get into those "cute" little mishaps/accidents, a majority of which likely result in considerable pain and injury. Family entertainment, indeed.

There is an unfortunate trend in mainstream media for the providers to offer up humiliation as source of entertainment. Look at the collective orgasm we're having over the whole Jon and Kate thing. Biggest Loser apologists may have their spin doctors lauding the "educational" benefit vis-a-vis health, fitness and diet, but let us not delude ourselves into believing that a vast majority of viewers are watching this tripe for any other reason than the opportunity to point and laugh at those whose lives may be only slightly less pathetic than their own.

You remember that, Ms. Abbott Smith.

Jim Balsillie is my hero, no matter what happens

The NHL can say whatever it wants about Mr. Balsillie's "character and integrity". The reality is, though, that he has been up front about his intentions to own an NHL team and move it to souther Ontario (I won't use the dreaded "H" word, out of sensitivity to the squeamishness of the NHL regarding Hamilton...oops...I used the "H" word). He also has his own money, which he did not need to raise under false pretenses. He also has, at the very least, the "shell" of an arena to move the team into.

Would that other NHL owners be able to say the same thing - even those not currently doing time in prison. The fact is, NHL owners have made for a reliable and consistent parade of rogues, criminals, crooks (from Harold Ballard, to Peter Pocklington, to Bruce McNall, to Boots Del Baggio to Eugene Melnyk). The biggest knock against Balsillie? He's "arrogant"....arrogant. Like owning one of the most successful high-tech businesses in North America somehow renders his "character and integrity" unfit for NHL ownership. Well, if the aforementioned are the standard-bearers, then Gary Bettman is probably right; Balsillie has no place alongside them.

The NHL has tipped its hand by entering its own pathetic bid for the Phoenix Coyotes. They have this pathological obsession with keeping the game out of Hamilton (eeek! I said it again), that's going to cost the existing NHL owners, even the law-abiding ones, a boatload of money in the short and long term. Maybe if the current NHL Board of Governors weren't so beholden to Bettman for his handling of the 2004-2005 lockout, they would actually welcome the infusion of cash into the League that comes with Balsillie's bid and likely compensation fee to Buffalo and Tornoto (as if the latter really needed it!). Even if it means a team in stinky-smelly-non-deep-south-American Hamilton.

In the mean time, I am on the verge of telling the NHL to go to hell, Leafs and all. There are marriages that have ended after a longer period than I have been betrothed to the Toronto Maple Leafs. I may have to find something else to do on Saturday nights this winter. Like read. Like books like Leafs Abomination by Dave Feschuk and Michael Grange.

The Michael Bryant incident

I find the on-street demonstrations by Toronto's "bicycle courier community" somewhat disconcerting. The attempt to portray Monday's tragedy on Bloor Street as a bicycle vs. automobile issue is disingenuous, at best. This is road rage, pure and simple, and the fault may lie a good deal more with the victim than it does with the accused. I am still waiting for any evidence suggesting that the accident was a case of a driver not respecting the rights of a cyclist on the road. I suspect I may be waiting a long time.

Playing the Enemy

Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation
John Carlin
The Penguin Press, 2008
274 pages


John Carlin's Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that made a Nation is a book about heroes, first of whom is Mandela himself. Mandela distinguished himself as a man of history not because he spent 27 years in prison as the leader of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, but more because of his efforts at national reconciliation following his release and election as President. The other heroes are the 15 some men, largely Afrikaaners; the people responsible for the subjugation of the black majority during the Apartheid era, who made up the national rugby squad, the "Springboks".

Carlin's is not a book strictly about rugby. Nor is it simply an historical account of the extraordinary period of South African history, spanning the period of 1985, where Mandela began secretly meeting members of the government to negotiate his release and the ultimate transformation of South African society, to 1995 and the triumph of the Springboks in the World Cup of Rugby tournament. Along the way, we are introduced to a cast of characters, both of the radical black nationalist set and the most conservative of Afrikaaner Apartheid apologists, all of whom were steered around to the extraordinary vision of national reconciliation as proffered by Mandela.

Certainly, Mandela had less difficulty enlisting the support of his African National Congress brethren. The challenge was to bring on board white South Africa, which was poised to relinquish much political and economic clout in the post-apartheid era. The solution? Rugby, and the chance to host its premier event, the World Cup. Until the nineties, South Africa had not been able to participate in international rugby, owing to the apartheid-inspired international boycott. Rugby is to white South Africa what hockey is to Canada, and soccer is to many South American nations - a national religion.

Mandela set about to use the game as a tool of national reconciliation. The problem? For black South Africans, rugby was as much a symbol of white oppression as was the old flag and racist national anthem Die Stem. Winning over the black population to supporting the game and its almost exclusively white participation in the national program would prove to be a formidable task.

Skeptical at first, Afrikaaners initially threw Mandela's gesture back in his face, using one of the first international rugby matches in South Africa in decades as an opportunity to engage in "counter-revolution", with the loud singing of racist Afrikaaner songs and the unfurling of the old South African flag. However, engaging the players on the national team themselves - they were inspired to sing rounding renditions of Nkose Sikele, the former anthem of black resistance and now half of the new South African anthem - Mandela's charm offensive continued. Soon, the whole country was poised to cheer on the Springboks to victory on the eve of their tournament final match against the heavily-favoured All-Blacks of New Zealand.

Mandela sealed the deal, and effectively united the country for good, when he appeared on the pitch to greet the players in a pre-match ceremony wearing the green and gold jersey of the Springboks. For a black leader, the donning of this oppressive symbol would have been unthinkable even in recent years. Many will recall this pivotal moment, beamed on television screens around the world, as that where Mandela was finally accepted by white South Africa, as their chanting of "Nel-son! Nel-son!" proved.

Playing the Enemy is an excellent and insightful account of the historical events surrounding the astonishing conversion of South Africa to a united country. It also demonstrates how the power of sport can be used as a force of good - even one as violent as rugby!

Trou de cul (Asshole, en anglais)

Scanning the French-language press, I came across an editorial written by Alain Dubuc of La Presse, on of the writers I most respect, not only in the French press, but in all of journalism.

He had objected to an interview given by Jacques Lanctôt, a newly-annointed contributor to Le journal de Montréal and writer for the French-language equivalent of Canoe media, to Christane Charrette of Radio-Canada's, Première Chaine.

Mr. Lanctôt's other claim to fame? He was one of the kidnappers during the FLQ crisis of October 1970. Certainly, having done his time in prison, the man is entitled to earn a living, and even to be interviewed by the French-language national public broadcaster. However, Dubuc objected to the tone of the interview, wherein Mr. Lanctôt seemingly reminisces with fondness his days as a terrorist, serving shepherd's pie to his terrified captor as means of introducing him to a "people's meal". He ends the interview by nonchalantly observing that he "doesn't regret a thing", referring to his acts of terrorism.

What was even more disturbing about the interview was the astonishing flippancy with which the hostess seemed to treat the whole thing. Other guests on the show made at least token efforts to challenge his acts of almost 40 years ago, for which he seemed to show little remorse. However, Ms. Charrette seemed more concerned about being a gracious host.

The comment section on Radio-Canada's website containing the audio of the interview (linked below) is almost unanimous in its condemnation of both Mr. Lanctôt's cavalier attitude towards his victim - and Mr. Cross was certainly a victim, regardless of whatever sect of imperialism Mr. Lanctôt dreams that he represented - and towards Ms. Charrette and Radio-Canada itself for allowing such a low-life the air time he received. It was a slap in the face to James Cross, and and affront to all Canadians', whether federalist, Quebec separatist/sovereignist, sense of decency. Our public broadcaster should know better.

If you wish to hear the interview, here's the link (but plug your nose and check your gag reflex before you hear it. Below it is a link to the thoughtful article written by Mr. Dubuc.

http://www.radio-canada.ca/radio/christiane/modele-document.asp?docnumero=50560&numero=1880#

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20080127/CPOPINIONS05/80127017/5034/CPOPINIONS

Goodbye, Don

The following, I wrote to the "Track Canada" group in regards to the passing of Don Wittman:

Martin, thank you for posting.

I'm sure I'm not alone in recognizing Don Wittman as THE voice of track andfield in this country. The article
summarizes some of his most memorable moments covering the sport at the Olympic and Worlds level (Bailey, Johnson), but here's one of my vivid memories:

1984 Summer Olympics. We were in a London restaurant having dinner, as the OTFA Bantam-Midget-Juvenile championships were going on at the old stadium at Western. I had a bet with my coach regarding the outcome of the women's 3000 metres. I said Mary Slaney, my coach had Zola Budd. Well, we all know how that race turned out for the two of them! However, I cannot forget the indelible mark left by Wittman's cries of "LYNN WILLIAMS IS RUNNING THE RACE OF HER LIFE" as she rounded the final bend to finish with a bronze medal. This one I rank alongside "Donovan Bailey is pouring it on!" and "Donovan Bailey is tearing up the track" and "Oh, if you're Canadian, you gotta' love these Saturday nights in Georgia!".

And this doesn't even begin to cover what he contributed to other sports. I will miss Don Wittman. Track and field coverage will never be the same.

Another voice on Lister

Need I say more? (from McKay, the Hamilton Spectator, Monday, January 14, 2008).

The Toronto Lister Leafs

I am having difficulty deciding what I have been more annoyed by these recent weeks: the continuing saga over Hamilton's Lister Block or the poor play of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

For those not in Hamilton, the Lister Block is a decrepit, old building that has blighted the landscape of downtown, having sat unoccpupied for more than a decade. The misty-eyed heritage crowd have decried any suggestion of removing the building, replacing it something more functional, or at least less of an eyesore. Apparently the Lister Block has some sort of historical, architectural merit. However, the type that loves to look at boarded up old buildings seem to only be prepared to see such buildings maintained (or rot, in this case), provided that it is on someone else's nickel, preferably that of the taxpayers of either the City of Hamilton and/or the Province of Ontario. Currently, the property is owned by an outfit known as LIUNA (Labourers' International Union of North America) who, in addition to being entitled to 7 million dollars of provincial tax money to restore the building, expect the City of pony up an outrageous amount to rent space in the building if and when it ever gets redone - 37 dollars a square foot at last count.

While LIUNA holds a knife to the throat of city and provincial officials, armed with the persisent moan of the inexplicably-influential architectural fetish crowd, all common sense appears to go out the window. Keep a stupid building standing at all costs, no matter how much it makes our decaying core resemble downtown Havana at an alarmingly increasing rate.

Which brings us to the current plight of the Toronto Maple Leafs. About two weeks before the mainstream media began writing articles about it, I noticed how the team was beginning to resemble the lowly lot of the Ballard years of the 1980s; a crappy team on the ice, an inept owner/group of owners, and an entirely dysfunctional staff of coaches and managers. The Chairman of the Board of Directors suggest publicly that it was "a mistake" to hire such an inexperienced general manager. The general manager tries to fire the coach, but is overruled by the Board of Directors. By all indications, the players have given up on all of the above as evidenced by their play of late. As this is written, they are second last in the Eastern Conference, and third last in the entire league.

Financially, however, business has never been better. In reality, this organization could field a pee-wee house legaue team and sell the same number of tickets and merchandise as ever. This was something Harold Ballard picked up on when he owned the team. He did sweet f-all to improve the team, traded the best players away as a function of petulance and still made a wad of cash. And the team seems to be basking in the new salary cap era where there is an added incentive to not improve the team. Either that, or John Ferguson Junior is just a really bad GM (probably the latter). To mix to metaphors, if Harold Ballard were alive today, he'd be laughing all the way to the bank.

So, here's my idea. The two situations above present the potential for a match made in heaven. And Hamilton gets an NHL team to boot! The Toronto Maple Leafs should move their operations to Hamilton and play their home games out of a refurbished Lister Block. They can use additional space in the building to rent to the City of Hamilton. The team is awash in cash. The building in Hamilton needs a wealthy suitor. In addition to an awful product on the ice, overpriced merchandise, and a crappy TV station that shows little else of quality other than...well...awful Leaf games, the team should be looking at other avenues to bilk people. And who better than the City of Hamilton?

Desperate for an NHL team and seemingly indifferent to the principals of fiscal responsibility, particularly when there are constituencies to placate, such as the hockey in Hamilton and the building preservationist lobbies, this would be an opportunity they should not, nay, must not pass up. They might even be persuaded to pay 47 or even 57 dollars a square foot for space, provided that season tickets for City Councillors are included. All of this provided, of course, that the facade of the building is preserved. Minus the broken windows, doesn't the Lister Block on its corner location bear a striking resemblance to the old Maple Leaf Gardens at the corner of Church and Carlton in Toronto? They could even wear old Hamilton Tiger throwback jerseys to mark the occasion.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Lister Block. A match made in heaven.....or was I thinking of the other place?

Presidential Primaries

Its presidential primary season and looks to be interesting. There's no New England Patriots at this point in the process (John Edwards has just this second observed that only one half of of one percent of Americans have made their opinion known), in spite of the fact that the New Hampshire votes are currently being counted. John McCain won the Republican race big time, but the Democratic one remains too close to call...yet. Hillary Clinton has maintained a 2 to 4 point lead for most of the evening and will likely hold on to it. Iraq Osama, er......I mean Barack Obama, who won the first "caucus" in Iowa, will finish second.

So, never mind who's going to win, who do I want to win? Conventional wisdom holds that the Republicans have a snowball's chance in hell of taking the White House in 08', an opinion I am inclined to agree with. As such, much of the focus has been on the Democratic race and, in specific, the duel as between Clinton and Obama. Clinton, the establishment favourite and outright favourite for at least the past year, has lost a lot of ground to the upstart, Obama. And, indeed, she seemed shocked at her loss to him in the Iowa Caucuses earlier this month. I think she's been panicking; she's been more shrill than she's ever been the past few days and I'm certain she feigned tears earlier this week when she was being maudlin about why she is in the race. I'm sure fake tears come easy to Hillary; she need only remind herself that she's still married to Bill.

I don't like Hillary and never have. And I have had it with people who suggest, ad nauseum that she's a "smart" woman, as if that's the only criteria needed to be a President. You can be smart and evil at the same time (not that I'm suggesting that Hillary, herself, is evil). And I don't subscribe to the view that Hillary is the best candidate for the job, because its high time we had a woman. I think we could have a much better woman than Hillary. I sure hope so.

As much as I continue to lean towards the Republicans, in particular a moderate one like Rudy Giuliani, I think I could live with Obama. Short on policy though he may be, I like his message of inclusiveness and bi-partisanship. I don't see him as the arechetype liberal, pro-union, protectionist, a la Howard Dean or Richard Gephardt. Those types really scare me.

I would very much like to see a moderate Republican win the White House, but I guess Ronald Reagan is long gone. Don't laugh; Reagan may have been a military hawk, but he was NEVER beholden to the Christian right, unlike the incumbent. As such, my vote goes to Rudy Giuliani. John McCain, in my humble opinion, is just a little too old and bland. I appreciate his record of military service, but I don't think he's what is needed to inspire a war-weary country that's about to head into a recession. Everybody loves Rudy for the role he played as "lame duck" mayor during the aftermath of 9/11. However, he may hold just a little too much baggage in other areas, personal life included, to make a serious run at the White House. And he got absolutely trounced in New Hampshire.

As such, if it has to be a Democrat, and history and the current political climate suggests that this may be the inevitable, I guess I can live with Obama....

Unless Rudy can pull off a New York miracle!!! (oh...I guess the actual expression is "New York Minute").

Stéphane Dion or David Orchard. Who's the bigger boob?

I'm reproducing the below article from the Saskatchewan StarPhoenix, but actually got it from the National Post's website.

So let me get this straight. Stephane Dion has rejected the candidacy of a former Conservative and Conservative leadership candidate, in favour of a former provinicial N.D.P. cabinet minister. Umm...aren't there enough good actual Liberals in Saskatchewan to be carrying the party's banner? In any event, look at the picture. Don't the two of them make a nice pair of boobs?

Just wondering.

Dion snubs supporter Orchard, appoints candidate
CanWest News Service Published: Friday, January 04, 2008


Richard Marjan/Saskatoon StarPhoenixStephane Dion with David Orchard in Saskatoon, Aug. 16, 2006.

REGINA -- Federal Liberal Leader Stephane Dion apparently has snubbed a man who was one of his most prominent supporters when he was running for the Liberal leadership: David Orchard.

Mr. Orchard, the former anti-free-trade activist, had been seeking the Liberal nomination for an upcoming federal byelection in Saskatchewan.

However on Friday, Mr. Dion appointed Saskatchewan NDP MLA Joan Beatty as the Liberal candidate for the sprawling, northern riding of Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River.
The byelection is set for March 17.

Mr. Orchard had been campaigning hard for the nomination, but last month his supporters said Dion was contemplating appointing Beatty at the urging of Saskatchewan Liberal MP Ralph Goodale, the former finance minister.

Mr. Orchard was one of Dion's strongest supporters in his 2006 leadership campaign.
A former journalist, Ms. Beatty in 2003 became the first aboriginal woman elected to the provincial legislature and named to cabinet.

She was re-elected as an MLA in the Nov. 7 provincial election, taking the largest percentage of the vote of any NDP candidate in an election that pushed her party from power.
She served as culture, youth and recreation minister and northern affairs minister.
A provincial byelection will have to be held within six months of Ms. Beatty's resignation of her legislature seat.

Saskatchewan StarPhoenix