Highway Robbery!!!....

Yes.. I am talking about the CBC's Hockey night in Canada's
"Bring Home The Cup" Contest.

Now I realize..this was based on Fans votes, so about all
I have to say is this.
There are ALLOT of really STUPID people in the east.
And whatever they're smokin' could make them millions,
I hope they're cashing in on it, because they've sure
Got some wicked Hallucinations.

You see.. I have nothing against the folks who won the contest,
They had a great story.
But the fact of the matter is this...
The contest was for the BEST HOCKEY SHRINE!! NOT the best
Story.

This is a quote from the contest website about what they were
Looking for:

Hockey is Canada’s Game. Canadian Hockey fans are passionate about their game, and about how they watch their game. Pepsi®, Lay’s®, Gatorade® and the NHL® in association with CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada and in partnership with the National Hockey League and the National Hockey Players Association are seeking out the most passionate hockey fans to share their hockey viewing rituals and most amazing hockey shrines for a chance to win the Ultimate Prize..to Bring Home the Stanley Cup®!

You would have to be completely blind and deaf not to see the
Single best hockey SHRINE was easily Dean McCords
Flames shrine.

A quote from a news release on the flames website about
The Shrine..

"But McCord's basement doesn't just look like the insider
of the Pengrowth Saddledome, the die-hard fan owns pretty
much anything and everything Flames FanAttic has ever sold.

If they've sold it, McCord has it.

"I have probably everything the FanAttic has ever made in
terms of posters, pictures, memorabilia stuff, you name
it," added McCord. "I've got every Flames jersey they've
ever worn back from when they started in Atlanta in 1972
up until today."

The only thing missing, according to McCord, is a framed
poster from 1989 entitled 'Face off of Champions'."

For the complete story, click here

EVERY Jersey from 1972 till now??? and pretty much everything
FanAttic has ever sold?? how many people can even begin to
Claim that?
The time, effort and money put into the shrine deserved
The win alone, not to mention..there's not a die hard
Fan in the city not drooling over his basement at the moment.

I truly feel a better method was needed to decide the winner,
Because basing it on fan votes, the Eastern entries already
Had a huge advantage over the west due to the majority of
The population of Canada being in the east.
And people seem to have the inability to vote honestly, voting
"Because" the winners were from the east.
Not because it was the best shrine.
And for that.. I feel CBC owes Dean McCord an apology, anyone
With a brain in their head can see he got Robbed of the
Grand Prize based on the the fact it was "Supposed" to
Be for the best shrine, not the best story.

Judge for yourself, here are the three finalists for the contest

The Winner:


Dean McCords Flames Shrine:


Martin Wanless Halifax Nova Scotia:


Now as of monday morning, just 15 hours before the voting deadline, this is how the votes looked:
As of Monday Morning

Dean McCord
Calgary, AB
Views: 10490

Peter Calder
Greater Matawaska, ON
Views: 8779

Martin Wanless
Halifax, NS
Views: 2645

Truthfully.. I'm not convinced there wasn't some kind of tampering either in the voting itself,
Or of the results in the last 15 hours.
McCord was almost 2000 votes ahead of Calder just 15 hours before the deadline.
I tried to sign up using two different email accounts so I could vote, and never received my
Verification email, I wonder how many other folks from the west had the same problem.

Either way... IMO McCord was robbed.

Congratulations to Peter Calder, you do have a great story, it's heartwarming, shows
The Canadian spirit and passion for the game.
Stories like that do deserve recognition..and a place in Canadian history to show just
How much Canada loves their sport.
But of the three finalists...I'm sure even you would agree that not much comes close
To the Shrine McCord has worked 12 years on.

I guess, the only consolation is knowing that there's a good chance the designers
Would have wrecked an already beautiful thing.
Creating for Calder...a Hockey night in Canada shrine more than a specific teams
Shrine.
It's more...a chance to Party with someone like Messier..and have the Stanley cup
In your home is a once in a lifetime experience for most...
Everything else in the prizes for the most part can be bought, but you can't buy
An experience with a hockey legend and Lord Stanley.

Team Canada..Without The Deadbeats?

Over the weekend Team Canada won the World Championship,
And brought home the Gold.

It was Canada's 24th gold medal win at the World Championship
Games, making them world leaders as far as winning the
Most Championships.

They carried the hearts of 31 million people with them
As they flew halfway around the world to participate in
The games. Andy Murray said it best after they beat Finland
In the final game 4-2.

With tears in his eyes and two previous World Championship
Wins behind him, he addressed the team in the locker room
With these words;

"Life is all about making a difference," he said. "You guys made a difference in Canada today. . . . "We've got the deepest emotional well in the world for the game of hockey. I'll tell you, when Rick Nash was going in on that breakaway in the last minute or so, 31 million Canadians were carrying our emotions with him."


In the end, there's nothing else to say, there are no
Truer words.

All of that is old news by now, and not the sole intention
Of this blog.
As it happens, in one of the write ups about Canada's win
This year, and about the possible future of Andy Murray
As far as Team Canada, and the World Olympics etc..
Caught my eye.
Or rather..something in the writeup.

Murray knew just how tough it would be, which is why he was disappointed that several players had turned down invitations to join the team before the tournament began. "I think it's disappointing, especially some of the young players," said Murray. "The key for us is for me to focus on the guys that said yes. Those guys are feeling pretty good about themselves. "Their summer's going to be a little bit better than some of those guys that ended their season on a bit of a sour note. I'm so proud of the group that we had that I won't give it a second thought to the guys that aren't here."

I couldn't help but wonder about who the players are or
Were that turned down the invitation to play on Team Canada.
Not that it matters now, and I'm sure there are some every
Year who do.
I'm sure most of us can take a few educated guesses as to
Who they might have been.

But I guess what struck me most was the thought that..
Maybe that's just it, chances are..some of those that
Turned down the invitation were some of the older players,
Some of the stars of the NHL.
Those who have already been there, done that and have that
Gold medal around their neck, perhaps even a Stanley cup
Ring on their finger.
Maybe that was the key ingredient to the overwhelming success
Of this years team.
Because the players that WERE there, WANTED to be there.
They didn't accept out of a feeling of duty to their country,
But rather the desire to be there, to win, to turn around
what wasn't the greatest end to a hockey season for each
Of them. A chance to end on a positive note.

This was one of the youngest rosters to represent Canada
At the World championships, if not THE youngest.
And the energy, the passion, the desire to be there and win
Was more than evident.
The team did Canada proud.
The youngest of the players Jordan Staal and Jonathan Toews,
Both still only 18 years old, have a hell of a start
To their careers, as well..Eric Staal has added a Gold
Medal to his collection of wins in the NHL, starting
With a rookie season Stanley cup win.
Now all that's left so far as the triple crown club is
The world cup, for him to win.

If only every team could bring that kind of desire to Win
To every game....if only...if only...
How different might every game be?

Political Garbage...Take 2

I figured I'd add another blog in response to the comment
Left on my previous one regarding this subject, simply
Because I know me, it's going to be a bit of a long winded
Reply lol, so instead of responding with my own comment..
Here's take 2.

First off, going back to the game in question..
Shane Doan plays for the Phoenix Coyotes, and at the time
They were playing against the Montreal Canadians.
Curtis Joseph, the goaltender was upset that a penalty
Hadn't been called against the Canadians for an infraction.
In an attempt to Calm Joseph down, Shane said too Joseph..
"Four French Referees in Montreal, Cuje, figure it out"
Now I wasn't at the game..but with the described scenario..
I do NOT see that as a *Cultural slur*.
What I do see that as...is Doan likely..*Calling it as he
Saw it, in the heat of the moment* in regards to the possibility
The Refs were Biased,
Being there were 4 French-Canadian refs, in one game being
Held in Montreal, a French-Canadian city.

I'm not sure how anyone can see that as a Cultural Slur,
When in context of the game..and refs, it was more of
An accusation of how the infractions were being called,
*seemingly* in favor of the French-Canadian team.
Doan admits to making the above comment, but offers no
Apology for it.
NOW...reviewing the score sheet for that game as I write
This, as far as how the penalties were called, there
Were 9 per team called throughout the game.
Period 1
Phoenix 4
Montreal 3

Period 2
Phoenix 1
Montreal 4

Period 3
Phoenix 4
Montreal 2
(Both teams receiving one partial to full 5 on 3 PP during
The game)
So..in all, the penalties were called fairly evenly, though
Because of getting 4 in a row a couple times, it may have
Seemed otherwise to the Phoenix players, especially when
Magnified by the frustration of losing 5-2.

Should Doan apologize for the remark? Yes, in regards to
The accusation the Refs were calling the game in a biased
Manner.

The trouble is...The referee in question took the comment
Out of context, and accused Doan of voicing cultural slurs
Against the French referees, also accusing Doan of calling him a *Fucking
Frenchman*.
A comment Doan Denies he ever made.
This is where the situation gets a little hairy, so to
Speak.
Doan makes a comment, albeit..not the smartest one in the
World, and his character goes on trial for cultural slurs,
To the point the Government of Quebec sides with the Ref,
Apparently unable to see what the comment meant in context
To the game, and for TWO years..the Government, and Ref in
Question have kept the accusation of cultural slurs alive,
To the point of attempting to get him thrown off Team
Canada in '06, and now..wanting his title as Captain of
Team Canada stripped.
I can understand how he's not overeager to apologize for the
Comment he DID make, and it's intent. It's his Character..
Against the Government of Quebec and Canada.
Not a scenario his Character is likely to win.

Had the comment been taken in context..chances are..it'd have
Been long forgotten by now, but as soon as it was called a
*Cultural slur*, it has now tainted Doans image no matter what.
This will follow him for the rest of his career.
The Government, nor Ref..seem to eager to make amends for
Their accusations, and neither does Doan.
It wouldn't matter much now if either side did really..
The damage has already been done, a ghost to haunt what's left
Of his career.

At this point.. the *Canadian spirit* is lacking on both
Sides.
If anything...in my opinion...I'm surprised that despite
The actions of the Canadian government, he's agreed twice
Now..to represent Canada on...Team Canada.
I'm not sure I'd be so gung-ho about it given the
Circumstances.

Good refs don't exist
Politicians are a dime a dozen
But good hockey players aren't as easy to come by.

Political Garbage...

Now is it just me or is it getting totally ridiculous
When the leaders we've elected to run our country, to handle
Things like world peace, war, hunger, crime and everything
Else that has to do with running a country have nothing better
To do with their time and our money, than argue about
"Flick off" light bulb advertising campaigns and who is
named Captain of team Canada?

Now...as the story goes..
Shane Doan *allegedly* abused an official making "Culturally
Sensitive" remarks against referees who were French-Canadian,
In a game he played in 2005.
The NHL investigated the situation, and dismissed the
Case.

Since then..there's been controversy as to weather Doan should
Participate, let alone be named Captain of teams meant to
Represent Canada as a whole.
In 2006 Liberal MP Denis Coderre demanded that Doan be excluded
from Canada's hockey team at the Turin Olympics.
Doan responded with a lawsuit claiming Coderre had falsely
Accused him of making ethnic slurs.

Now..2007 and Doan was named Captain of Team Canada, and
The Bloc Québécois is demanding that Doans title as Captain
Be removed.

I by no means condone racial remarks or ethnic slurs, or
Anything related to them, but what I find so incredibly
Ridiculous is that with all the problems facing our world
And our country that this is even an issue taking up time
And money within our political walls.

First off..at best..the comments were *alleged*, and the only
Two people who are ever likely going to know the real truth
Are Doan and that referee, and EVEN if it WAS true that
Doan made the comments, I'd be willing to bet the comments
Were made in anger and frustration at some totally bonehead
Calls the Refs seem so intent on making in a game.
Off the cuff, first thing to come to mind in a moment of
Sheer frustration. No.. that still wouldn't make it right.
BUT...BUT...YOU tell me..
WHO on this planet can HONESTLY say they have NEVER made
A comment that wasn't too complimentary about another
race/religion/color..EVER??
Now sure..it's not something the average person is going to
Be proud of, or want to admit too..but if you're completely
Honest with yourself, I'd be willing to bet the number of
People who could really truly claim that are almost Nil.
And then.. to have that ONE comment follow you around
No matter where you go or what you did, have it effect your
Career..etc..?

Secondly..the NHL investigated and dismissed the case.
Now I highly doubt the NHL has any desire to piss off the
Canadian government intentionally, and if they were able
To conclude the remarks were indeed made with a certainty,
That they wouldn't have taken the matter seriously. As we
All know, the NHL prides itself in the kind of players chosen
To play and represent the National Hockey League.
The quality of players, their involvement in their teams
Communities, the way the represent themselves, and their teams
With sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct(as represented by
The Lady Byng memorial trophy).
The vast majority of players in the NHL are second to non as
Far as pro sports go.
So I honestly can't see the powers that be in the NHL taking
Racial comments/ethnic slurs lightly if proven they were
Actually voiced.

MP Luc Malo said "Quebecers don't feel the team represents them at all."
Why?? because they disagree with who was named Captain?
Let me get this straight, I'm all for equal rights and whatnot..but I
Am going to say this..
Quebec is ONE..yes..that's it..ONE province in this great big country,
And I'm sorry..it's just not feasible to name a captain for ONE team
That represents ALL groups...minority or majority.
Quebec..like the rest of the provinces are CANADIAN, and being CANADIAN
Is more than just what province you live or were born in.
We are a very Culturally diverse country, there's more than French-Canadians
Here, more than English-Canadians here, more than Native-Canadians,
There are large groups of all different ethnic backgrounds in Canada,
Weather by immigration or born here.

It just seems to me that both the Quebec and Canadian governments are
Abusing their power on something that in the grand scheme of things
Is over the top ridiculous when compared to the problems facing
Our world and country on a daily basis.
But then...leave it to Politicians to dredge up one persons alleged
Mistake from a couple years ago, and drag it through the Government
Offices taking up taxpayers money and stupid amounts of time over
Something that shouldn't IMO even be a political issue.
That folks..is Politics in it's finest hour..