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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

I Can Only Shake My Head

If you have read previous posts, you know I have openly mocked "Battle of the Blades". Hockey players turn into figure skaters in what basically is a Canadian version of "Dancing With the Stars". I'm not and never have been a fan of reality TV so I haven't been watching. I have no desire in watching it. My reality TV takes place on the ice, the field, the hardwood, etc. etc. You can't script some of the stuff that you see which is what makes sports so great. You never know when you will witness history. Watching Jamie Sale and Craig Simpson twirl around the ice is something that I have no interest in. I thought many would have no interest in this and that it would be mocked tremendously. It was so successful that a "Battle of the Blades 2" is going to be done with a different cast of players. How successful was it. Numbers show the finale that aired Sunday night was watched by 1.87 million Canadians. That was more than what watched Game 1 of the Hockey Night in Canada doubleheader as 1.8 million took in the Flames and Leafs. What is more surprising is that the numbers go on to show that 40 percent of the audience for Battle of the Blades was men and that more men watched the figure skating than the football. ??????? Am I missing something here? Guys would rather watch former hockey players prance around the ice in some gaudy outfit than watch a professional football game. What am I missing here? Al Bundy would be disgusted!
If there is a "Battle of the Blades 2" coming, I can only hope Wayne Gretzky finds himself another NHL job because I'm guessing he will be front and center on the list of possible players to participate.
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The Pats beat the Oil Kings 5-3 to even their record at 11-11-3. With Agribition coming into town(OH GOODY, a bunch of farmers will be driving in the city. Farmers who don't what a signal light means amongst other things) it means the Pats are bounced out of the Brandt Centre until December 5. They will play Kootenay and the teams in the U.S Division. Those trips are never easy and with another big one right around the corner, the team needs to have some success. A 3-3 record shouldn't be too much to ask. Then again, this is a Pats team that is very schizophrenic as you get one thing one night and something completely different the next.
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The Donovan Alexander signing by the Riders is a great move. Great for the fact that this team while still concentrating on the present is also looking at the future. They realize Alexander is a guy that is a core member of this club and they want to get him signed to a new deal. That has now happened. A lot of people shuddered when Head Coach Ken Miller said he wanted a Canadian starting at corner. That decision has paid off big-time for Miller. Is there anything Miller has done this year that hasn't turned to gold. I've had a feeling since the overtime win over B.C that this team is championship bound and I still think this province will be in a state of delirium in just over a week's time. The only thing I ask is if the party will be as wild as it was in 2007 because in 2007 we waited for a long time in between championships. The wait won't be as long this time around. I'm guessing it will be a madhouse though. I also wonder what it will be like in Medicine Hat around midnight on Grey Cup day as Rider fans start to come home. The old Trans-Canada might be very busy that night with Rider flags, honking horns, you name it. Get ready!
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It looks as if Ottawa will be a part of the CFL fabric again and that is good news. It does pose questions though as some of you asked. Will they want to use the name "Roughriders" again? Will their return mean the Bombers come back to the West? With the league showing an interest in the Maritimes, could the league be a 10 team loop in the next few years. What will this do to the "Canadians" question in the league. All in all, I think its a good news scenario for the league, but commissioner Marc Cohon can't allow the new franchise to call themselves the "Roughriders". Sorry that name is taken.
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Brendan Shanahan is retiring. We will see him in the Hockey Hall of Fame in the next 10 years. There is no argument.
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That is all!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mitch I agree Shanahan should be in the HOF. He's politically connected enough that he'll get in. However if he is elected then I fully expect to see Doug Gilmour, Dino Cicarelli and Dave Andreychuk right beside him. Cicarelli made a lot of enemies, and had off ice issues. Gilmour flew under the radar except for his Toronto stint, with off ice issues, and Andreychuk is the exact replica of a player only on worse teams. If Shanahan gets in then these guys should be in.

Obama

Anonymous said...

When there is documented proof that more men are watching figure skating than football it indeed is a sad day for mankind.

Anonymous said...

Farmers may not be the best city drivers, but I guarantee 99% of them write better than you do!

Clem

Mitchell Blair said...

Thanks for reading Clem! Say hi to everyone at the marble palace for me.

Anonymous said...

Hey Mitch. If you had seen how good Shae Lynn Bourne was looking, you would have watched too. How bout Claude Lemieux and his ultra tight T-shirt. ROWRRRRRR!!!I do admit I watched the first show, but that was it. The wife was addicted to it though.

I liked what I saw from the Pats last night, but efforts like that have been so far and few between that its hard to think they have turned a corner. Here's hoping for a good trip to the coast.

Paul

Anonymous said...

Hey Clem, if you don't like what you see than why do you visit?

Anonymous said...

Hey Mitchell,

I do agree with you somewhat about Battle of the blades. I didn't watch much. But you know what ? My kids liked it. They are girls aged 8 and 4. with all the crap and such on TV these days, it's nice to let them watch something different that's good for the whole family. and with that 40% number, I bet most of the men in that number were probably watching it with their whole family, which I absolutely love.