Okay I realize it's been a long time between posts. Nobody reads this crap, and I realize that. But I'll post something new just in case somebody accidentally comes upon this.
I'm really fed up with GolTV Canada. It should be named TFC TV. I picked up this digital channel to watch soccer from around the world, not something dedicated to Toronto FC soccer. I realize that once the station was bought by MLSE (the group that owns Toronto FC) that there would be a little more focus on the club , but what we are getting is ridiculous. Aside from the live Toronto games they cover we get around 3-4 repeats of each game in an hour long package. In between these broadcasts we get a program repeated a few times a day called "Toronto FC space" and another repeated program called "Toronto FC today". Have they not heard of something called "over-saturation"?
When Vancouver enters Major League Soccer, and eventually the Montreal Impact (it's just a matter of time) one wonders if this station will continue with it's Toronto only focus, or whether it will stick to it's Toronto centric programming.
I believe it will be the latter.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
NHL Playoff tidbits
Here are a few thoughts on the NHL playoffs so far.
-I was wrong when I said the Canucks were not going to make the playoffs this year, and their 4 game sweep of St. Louis proves I was far off. However I still stick to the fact that Mats Sundin has had nothing to do with their success.
-Whats with the NHL brass trying to turn this into a pussy league? How many suspensions have been handed out during this first round? Colin Campbell used to be a tough hockey player, now he whines on about the rough stuff in the final 10 minutes of the game being done by "bullies." Campbell is right in Gary Bettman's pocket-as long as he keeps getting the big NHL money he's going to mimic the Bettman line.
-Bob Gainey deserves to be fired. It takes extreme arrogance to fire a coach late in the season when that coach was already taking his team to the playoffs. That arrogance will cost him his job now that the Montreal Canadiens have crapped out of the playoffs, losing 4 straight to the Boston Bruins.
-It's hard for an old time Canadian hockey fan to care too much about a series between the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks (the team with the ugliest logo in the NHL). Those aren't hockey cities in most hockey fans minds, and having them up against each other just makes it a series I can't care about.
-Why is it so hard for hockey commentators to pronounce Sidney Crosby's name correctly. It's not "Cindy" Crosby yet nearly everytime some commentator says it thats how they are pronouncing it. If it's so hard perhaps they should just start calling him "Sid".
-I was wrong when I said the Canucks were not going to make the playoffs this year, and their 4 game sweep of St. Louis proves I was far off. However I still stick to the fact that Mats Sundin has had nothing to do with their success.
-Whats with the NHL brass trying to turn this into a pussy league? How many suspensions have been handed out during this first round? Colin Campbell used to be a tough hockey player, now he whines on about the rough stuff in the final 10 minutes of the game being done by "bullies." Campbell is right in Gary Bettman's pocket-as long as he keeps getting the big NHL money he's going to mimic the Bettman line.
-Bob Gainey deserves to be fired. It takes extreme arrogance to fire a coach late in the season when that coach was already taking his team to the playoffs. That arrogance will cost him his job now that the Montreal Canadiens have crapped out of the playoffs, losing 4 straight to the Boston Bruins.
-It's hard for an old time Canadian hockey fan to care too much about a series between the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks (the team with the ugliest logo in the NHL). Those aren't hockey cities in most hockey fans minds, and having them up against each other just makes it a series I can't care about.
-Why is it so hard for hockey commentators to pronounce Sidney Crosby's name correctly. It's not "Cindy" Crosby yet nearly everytime some commentator says it thats how they are pronouncing it. If it's so hard perhaps they should just start calling him "Sid".
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Vancouver gets an MLS team
Well better late than never with this entry.
The Vancouver Whitecaps will become a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in 2011. That is to say that after the present team finishes the 2010 USL-1 season it will essentially fold as a USL-1 franchise and be reborn as an MLS franchise.
This is good news for those that have been following this club since they were formed as the 86'ers back in 1986. Finally the Whitecaps will be playing at the top level where they deserve to be. It will also be good news for those that thought the USL-1 was too low of a level to bother to go watch. Those that have been saying they'd start attending games once the Whitecaps moved to MLS. Don't be fooled there are a lot of people who have said that to me over the years.
Excitement over the news has lead to a lot of deposits being put down for Season tickets and there's no reason to be surprised if the Whitecaps sell as many season tickets as the Sounders did for this year, their first year in the MLS.
The announcement has been slightly tainted by the fact that the club plans on holding a name the team contest, something that has become standard practice (and a foolish one at that) over the last few decades in sports. Everyone know that the name "Whitecaps" will be the winner, but this is just a pointless excerise in gaining publicity. It's not neccessary in this market, and it just a big delay in getting the clubs name out there in every soccer fans mind.
The Vancouver Whitecaps will become a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in 2011. That is to say that after the present team finishes the 2010 USL-1 season it will essentially fold as a USL-1 franchise and be reborn as an MLS franchise.
This is good news for those that have been following this club since they were formed as the 86'ers back in 1986. Finally the Whitecaps will be playing at the top level where they deserve to be. It will also be good news for those that thought the USL-1 was too low of a level to bother to go watch. Those that have been saying they'd start attending games once the Whitecaps moved to MLS. Don't be fooled there are a lot of people who have said that to me over the years.
Excitement over the news has lead to a lot of deposits being put down for Season tickets and there's no reason to be surprised if the Whitecaps sell as many season tickets as the Sounders did for this year, their first year in the MLS.
The announcement has been slightly tainted by the fact that the club plans on holding a name the team contest, something that has become standard practice (and a foolish one at that) over the last few decades in sports. Everyone know that the name "Whitecaps" will be the winner, but this is just a pointless excerise in gaining publicity. It's not neccessary in this market, and it just a big delay in getting the clubs name out there in every soccer fans mind.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
David Beckhams whining.
So David Beckham is frustrated over the long winded saga over a transfer from the LA Galaxy to AC Milan. Seems that the long saga of whether or not he`ll be transferred is bothering him. What a whiner!
He signs a huge contract with the Galaxy and now wants out so he can play for a more glamorous club. That`s understandable as he accomplished very little on the pitch in Los Angeles. But stop the whining. If you ever had to do a real job in your life you`d realize what a little pussy you are coming off as.
What a goof.
He signs a huge contract with the Galaxy and now wants out so he can play for a more glamorous club. That`s understandable as he accomplished very little on the pitch in Los Angeles. But stop the whining. If you ever had to do a real job in your life you`d realize what a little pussy you are coming off as.
What a goof.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Sports coverage-money talks.
A common thing told when one asks why their favourite sport doesn't get the coverage one thinks it deserves is that the sports coverage in newspapers and on television is all based on the popularity of said sport. That is they cover what the people want. If people are more interested in one sport then it gets major coverage, if you are a fan of a "fringe" sport it will get very little. Well that's a load of horse crap. As anyone knows, it's all about the money.
I once emailed a sports editor of a local major newspaper here and asked why the local professional soccer team was getting very little coverage. I figured I'd get a real answer because we had gone to school together, even played on the same soccer team as kids. He gave the standard answer that is always given-we have to cover what people were interested in. Of course it was just another load of crap. Truth is they cover what they are paid to cover.
One only has to look at NASCAR racing. Sure its popular in certain places and the coverage it gets in those place is warranted. However I live in metro Vancouver. NASCAR is not exactly very popular here. However in the last couple of years there has been more and more coverage in the local newspapers and on the sports programs on TV. Certainly more coverage than the interest in the sport here. NASCAR has been trying to increase it's market and all of a sudden there is a lot more coverage in local media than it deserves. It's certainly not a case of the coverage matching the readers or viewers interest.
Then there's that non-sport of poker. There was no interest in that whatsoever until the poker companies started throwing money around to get it on the television. But there it is anyway.
So next time some sports editor tells you that the coverage you see in his newspaper or on the televison matches fan interest be sure to tell him/her to bugger off.
I once emailed a sports editor of a local major newspaper here and asked why the local professional soccer team was getting very little coverage. I figured I'd get a real answer because we had gone to school together, even played on the same soccer team as kids. He gave the standard answer that is always given-we have to cover what people were interested in. Of course it was just another load of crap. Truth is they cover what they are paid to cover.
One only has to look at NASCAR racing. Sure its popular in certain places and the coverage it gets in those place is warranted. However I live in metro Vancouver. NASCAR is not exactly very popular here. However in the last couple of years there has been more and more coverage in the local newspapers and on the sports programs on TV. Certainly more coverage than the interest in the sport here. NASCAR has been trying to increase it's market and all of a sudden there is a lot more coverage in local media than it deserves. It's certainly not a case of the coverage matching the readers or viewers interest.
Then there's that non-sport of poker. There was no interest in that whatsoever until the poker companies started throwing money around to get it on the television. But there it is anyway.
So next time some sports editor tells you that the coverage you see in his newspaper or on the televison matches fan interest be sure to tell him/her to bugger off.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Fighting in hockey.
Most hockey fans by now have heard of the death of Don Sanderson. The player, a rookie defenceman for the Whitby Dunlops of the Ontario Hockey Association died from injuries he suffered after hitting his head on the ice following a hockey fight. Of course this has led to many a bleeding heart crying about how hockey should ban fights, from kids hockey up to the pro's.
Guess what? The Ontario Hockey Association does ban fights. The rule is already in effect that if you fight you are ejected from the game. It didn't help here, just like gun control laws don't stop people from killing others with guns. The rule won't stop players from fighting, it's just changes the punishment. Sure, they can make the penalty for fighting so harsh that players will stop the fighting....and start whacking other players with their sticks as retribution.
Fighting is a part of hockey. Deaths are a rarity. More people die each year skiing. Hell more people die each month skiing than do in decades of hockey fights. Should we ban skiing?
I noticed an interesting thing the other day. Fighting in hockey was being debated on a soccer discussion board. Those in favour of fighting in hockey made intelligent well though out posts. Those against fighting in hockey resorted to making personal insults against those who made the pro-fighting posts. Very interesting indeed.
Guess what? The Ontario Hockey Association does ban fights. The rule is already in effect that if you fight you are ejected from the game. It didn't help here, just like gun control laws don't stop people from killing others with guns. The rule won't stop players from fighting, it's just changes the punishment. Sure, they can make the penalty for fighting so harsh that players will stop the fighting....and start whacking other players with their sticks as retribution.
Fighting is a part of hockey. Deaths are a rarity. More people die each year skiing. Hell more people die each month skiing than do in decades of hockey fights. Should we ban skiing?
I noticed an interesting thing the other day. Fighting in hockey was being debated on a soccer discussion board. Those in favour of fighting in hockey made intelligent well though out posts. Those against fighting in hockey resorted to making personal insults against those who made the pro-fighting posts. Very interesting indeed.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Some quick random thoughts
-Vancouver Canucks have improved their team by signing Mats Sundin. Not to the point where they will be an NHL powerhouse like a lot of fools seem to be suggesting. He's not young, he's missed half a season and he's only signing for this season. Nothing to rave about.
-The retro jerseys some NHL teams have been wearing this season prove that NHL teams today wear boring jerseys. How can anyone who has watched Edmonton and Philadelphia play in their retro jerseys not wish those teams would switch back to them permanently? Those sweaters had colour and style. Now every team seems to want to switch to a singular dark boring colour. By the way NHL teams like the Flyers take note-black is not a colour, it's a shade. One that looks particularly ugly when worn by sports teams.
-Poker is still not a sport.
-Memphis Grizzlies suck. They will always suck. They will be forever cursed after being removed from Vancouver which had better fans even though the team was run by idiots with no clue. They draw crappier in Memphis with a better run team.
-NFL in Toronto sucks. From all reports the initial game was a bore. However there's probably a lot of people in Toronto so taken up in the hype that they believe the game was exciting-because they've been told so.
-The retro jerseys some NHL teams have been wearing this season prove that NHL teams today wear boring jerseys. How can anyone who has watched Edmonton and Philadelphia play in their retro jerseys not wish those teams would switch back to them permanently? Those sweaters had colour and style. Now every team seems to want to switch to a singular dark boring colour. By the way NHL teams like the Flyers take note-black is not a colour, it's a shade. One that looks particularly ugly when worn by sports teams.
-Poker is still not a sport.
-Memphis Grizzlies suck. They will always suck. They will be forever cursed after being removed from Vancouver which had better fans even though the team was run by idiots with no clue. They draw crappier in Memphis with a better run team.
-NFL in Toronto sucks. From all reports the initial game was a bore. However there's probably a lot of people in Toronto so taken up in the hype that they believe the game was exciting-because they've been told so.
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