JUSTCAWS

With the NHL All-Star game upon us I thought it would be a good time to propose some league changes to give the league a boost in the States.   First up, let's revamp the divisions and place them based more on geography. Suggest putting all the Canadian teams together to not only reduce travel, but more importantly reducing the number of times Canadian based teams play their American counterparts. Canadian teams are a bad draw both at the gate and on U.S. television, so reducing their number benefits the league on both fronts.   EASTERN   CONFERENCE  NORTHEAST   METRO     EAST                      SOUTH TORONTO           NY RANGERS             BOSTON               TAMPA BAY MONTREAL        NY ISLANDERS             PITTSBURGH   ...

Last post explained how parity through a strict salary cap has contributed to NFL media dominance. Now will look at some of the other reasons they rule over all sport and entertainment properties.  First off, as any television sport broadcasting expert will tell you, football is made for TV.  Plays begin with all participants on screen and usually last under 5 seconds. The remainder of time allows for a good number replays of past plays and close ups to build up to the next.  The basic rules of the game and lines on the playing surface are easy to follow.  There are plenty of embedded stoppages in play for sponsors and casual phone glancing. The game can also be easily manipulated by officials (if desired) to keep scores close. I could go on and I am sure you have your own, but I want to get into what I believe are the more meaningful factors. A short, meaningful regular season and playoff matchups decided in one game.  All the other three majors pro sport leag...

In case you still had any doubts, the television placement of this weekend’s playoff games once again proves the NFL is the king of sport leagues.  Of the four time slots for this weekend’s NFL playoff games, the most watched time slot will be Sunday primetime. This marquee time slot is reserved for teams who league and tv execs believe will deliver the biggest audience. For most leagues this slot would be given to large market cities with their significant fan bases ie. New York and LA. The NFL, however, is not most leagues. While a small market play off matchup between Buffalo and Kansas City would depress other league executives, the NFL places this game between two star quarterbacks in its favoured time slot.    This year’s MLB’s World Series between Arizona and Texas was a ratings dud . Oh, how happy the league and tv partners were that Ohtani signed with LA and not Toronto.  In the no salary cap league of Major league baseball, only the big market, high sp...

  Trust but verify, was a line from former U.S. President Ronald Reagan. I have heard it being used more now as there seems to be an erosion of trust in global affairs. It is a line I believe our news media needs to follow in a world where deciding between what is fact and fiction is only going to get more difficult. I have been an avid consumer of news for decades. Whether it be from watching a nightly newscast or getting the daily paper to now streaming and digital subscriptions - I will follow. Obviously, the evolution in the distribution model is what people will point to when discussing change in the news media, but I believe a more profound transformation has taken hold. Some argue that once the U.S. News became a profit centre for networks that the decline in journalism began. Just take a look at this prophetic article from 1986 in the LA Times that predicts pending doom . The onslaught of social media was the next salvo to hit the news as more people discovered they could b...

  Protests in support of Palestine are growing here at home and across the world. This is not surprising when seeing images of war and brutality coming out of Gaza. There has also been a call for a ceasefire in the region getting louder as well. I would support this call, if I thought it meant the hostages would be freed and Hamas would also stop its attacks. Our own Liberal government does not believe that would happen, so you can pray or shout for it, but any type of peace in Gaza is not happening anytime soon.    This current conflict and the accompanying protests also serve as examples to why what JFK referred to as "genuine peace," remains elusive.     Too many Palestinian supporters do not believe in the right for Israel to exist. Their numbers are too great and their voices are too loud to ignore. Even in places miles away from the Mideast, support within protest movements of organizations like Hamas, that seek to destroy Israel, show symbols of hate...

                              The U. S. supreme court decision to over turn Roe v. Wade brings into serious question the status of abortion rights in the States.  While many point to the undoubted tragic consequence to follow I am hopeful that the individual States can find a just path forward for us all.  Please forgive me for offering my view, but a man might read this too.  From a personal standpoint, from what I have witnessed, I consider myself now pro -life. But based on the fact that having an abortion is a decision that I will never face,  I believe it is a women's choice to make and support intiatives that provide that choice.  Again, if up to me if allowed, it would be conditional, but again it's not up to me. So I believe we should defer to women in society to determine if there are to be any conditions. If you believe I am vacillating on this issue, I accept that. Some of our ...

Another tragic mass shooting in the United States has Greg address the divisive issue of gun control. Sadly, the time for federal gun control in the States has come and gone. Too many rational citizens want guns to protect themselves from guns. This leads to escalation in madness with no apparent end in sight.  Only hope now resides at the state and local levels to enact their own common sense regulations. Time for progressives to get creative as lawmakers have done with abortion laws in conservative states. Perhaps with clear evidence of reduced gun violence in gun controlled jurisdictions a pathway out of this madness can be found.  My hope is for Canada to avoid this vicious cycle altogether. Canada’s superiority complex to the U.S. is deserved - on this file, but we haven’t done much lately to address the increase in gun related crimes. Most Liberal government initiatives are symbolic, and used to exploit divisions. Ban handguns - fine - but without  increasing penalt...