blueandgoldguy

Might have been better if the troops would have been able to stay a little longer but Obama campaigned on the promise to bring the soldiers home. A lot of pressure from the public to end the war in Iraq. Al-Queda was minor threat by 2010 and 2011. More of a nuisance really. I think if Maliki had been more inclusive of the Sunnis when it came to the politics of Iraq then Al-Queda would have continued to be nothing more than a nuisance. Of course, the situation in Syria doesn't help either.

Pretty funny that SUN media criticized the CBC for not letting the market determine their true demand by being excluded from a basic cable package, but yet they go crying to the CRTC demanding mandatory carriage.

While the organization had it's share of critics, and rightfully so - Media folks losing their jobs is NEVER a good thing. http://canadalandshow.com/article/everyone-sun-news-deserved-be-fired Here's something else to remember: these young reporters launched their careers by contributing to a hate-machine that perpetuated prejudice, especially against Muslims, in a nation that's already highly suceptible to anti-Muslim sentiment. It doesn't matter how many people lost their jobs or how many young and talented journalists Sun News Network took a chance on. Everyone who accepted a cheque from the network was complicit in spewing its hatred. I'm sure it was a young and talented reporter who cobbled together this special report, "Islam's war on the world," which suggested that a religion of 1.6 billion people had declared battle on the planet's other 5.4 billion. I'm sure a gifted video and sound editor thought to punctuate "The Arab Underground" bumper with the sound and graphics of an unsheathing sword. And, surely, it took the best and brightest J-school graduates to trawl for violent disputes with which to portray Muslims as a sideshow, even if a story they came back with didn't appear to involve any Muslims at all.

Argos play 6 times in the last 5 weeks of the season with 5 of the games at home. No reason for the Bombers not to have a better record than them this season to get a potential crossover spot. They have so much stacked against them - worst schedule in the league, crappy practice facilities, indifferent fanbase and probably the lowest budget in the league. Bombers just have to make sure they can beat out one of the Riders or BC.

This is, without any doubt at all, the stupidest thing that's been done, in any way, in any sport, in my life. I agree. Of all places, why Fort McMurray? Probably sell more tickets there then Toronto, sadly. Nowhere else is available in Toronto at that time either as venues are being prepared for the Pan Am games. Fort Mac may be getting three games. Sask-Edm preseason game, Toronto-Edm regular season game and the possibility of a BC-Edmonton preseason game as BC PLace may not be available due to the Women's World Cup. That game could also be played in Victoria though, but nothing confirmed yet.

As of today, the SUN News network has officially shutdown. The network barely lasted 4 years. In that entire time, they barely averaged over 5,000 viewers so it's no surprise the plug was pulled. Also contributing to the network's demise were sensationalism, ambush attacks on guests, ethical violations, lack of actual news with too much emphasis on editorial segments. low production values and a lack of true star power (media personalities like Coren and Levant don't have a wide circle of followers outside a small group of conservatives). Considering the low viewership numbers very few people in Canada will miss them.

6 summer games. Only 1 late October game and no early November games. Both October games are at 3:00 Pm on a Saturday which mitigates against potential cold weather. Great schedule for the most part. Only complaints are the three times the Bombers will only have 4 days rest between games although with the uneven number of teams in the league that is unavoidable. The 6:00 PM start at home on Fri, July 10 is puzzling. Could see the stadium over half empty when that one starts as many people will have just gotten off work. Probably the first game of a doubleheader. Wonder why they decided to have the Banjo Bowl on a Saturday instead? I noticed that AC/DC released their stadium tour schedule on Ticketmaster and was disappointed that Winnipeg was not included. However, I noticed there is a ten day gap between their show in Toronto and their show in Edmonton - Sept 10 - 20. The Banjo Bowl will be on Sept 12 instead of the Sept 13 so maybe that extra day will allow them to schedule a show here. One can hope anyways.

Nouri-al-Maliki shares a large portion of the blame for the formation of ISIS. Shortly after the US left Iraq, Maliki took it upon himself to arrest and isolate any politicians of Sunni descent. Sunnis had no role or voice for that matter in the governance of Iraq. Combine some of those marginalized Sunnis with some of the Baathist party members of the former Sadam regime who were refused any roles in the new government and the scattered remnants of Al-Queda and you end up with ISIS. If Maliki had been more inclusive of the Sunni population ISIS would not exist. There would just be a few hundred battle-hardened Al-Queda left to deal with. Maliki exacerbated the situation by having several hundred Sunni protesters killed as well. Countries like the US and Canada are doing more than the minimum by bombing strategic locations like the artillery depots controlled by ISIS. Anything involving boots on ground needs to be initiated by countries like Jordan and Turkey. They are the neighbouring countries in the middle east that need to take the lead on this, not countries like Canada and the US that are half a world away. Fortunately, the US government has so far refused any requests for US troops to enter the battlezone on foot. Don't need to go there again after the disaster that was Iraq..both in lives lost and displaced and financially. Thankfully Republican warmongers like McCain, who seems to make it his everyday goal to request US involvement in some new overseas conflict, are not in charge. At the moment it appears cooler head are prevailing.

The prices for most of those upper deck seats at BC Place were ridiculous, especially the corners at $288

Instead of getting the Grey Cup once every 7 - 9 years, Winnipeg may only get the cup once every 12 -14 years. Will make it even more difficult to pay off the stadium debt. Then again if there is another 150 - 200% increase in the next TV deal 4 years from now it might not be a big deal.

Someone on the CFL forum posted a rumour involving MLSE and their negotiations with the league to buy the Argos from Braley. Supposedly, one of their conditions for buying the Argos are hosting the Grey Cup four times in 12 years. This would offset any potential losses during the regular season, pay for renovating BMO into a football-compatible facility and pay for the purchase of the Argos themselves (rumoured to be in the $10 million range). This rumour could very well be bs, but if it's true, what are your thoughts? Do you consider awarding the Argos with 4 Grey Cups in such a short time span to be a necessary evil to ensure their long-term survival in Toronto? Or do you think they should wait their turn like every team - 8 - 10 years - and if MLSE refuses to buy them because their conditions are not met and they fold, so be it? Apparently the league is offering them 3 Grey Cups in 12 years

Iso any word in Calgary about the rumoured joint arena/stadium proposal for the Stamps/Flames of late? Or is that on the backburner with the drop in oil and probable huge deficit in Alberta? I've heard rumours that some kind of announcement is coming "soon", whatever that means. The word soon has been for a couple of years now. All 3 levels of government have said no to any kind of public funding & now with the provincial economy in the tank the Flames would be crazy to even consider that as an option. The primary Flames owner Murray Edwards is a billionaire & I've heard stories a new arena will be 100% privately funded by him but it will come at a price for fans. If you want season tickets to watch the Flames, rock concert, circus, pro lacrosse then you'll have to pay expensive individual seat licenses. If it's anything like the 49ers owners have done then I'm thinking maybe ten to 15 grand financed over a five year period for a decent seat. I also think the arena will be stand alone & no new stadium will be attached with the project. I'm just speculating here. Wow! That will be something if they go that route. As wealthy as Calgary is, I'm not sure they would find 17,000 or so folks willing to pay between 5,000 - 15,000 for seat licenses. Maybe a smaller amount for general seats but larger amounts (like the 5 - 15,000 you suggested) for club seats and suites? Maybe a tax on each ticket ($5) bought? Anyways, it will be interesting to see how things shake out.

The guy is 26 it says? Drew Willy is a few years older and was "groomed" in Saskatchewan... does that mean Walters is going for a quick fix as well??? I would consider an old washed up guy being more of a quick fix solution a la signing Henry Burris... In a way, yes. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have proven incapable of grooming a QB since Danny Mac, and he signed with BC in 93 before the team could experience the full benefits. The last QB the Bombers groomed and started for an extended period of time was Dieter Brock over 40 years ago.

Popp trying to find a quick fix with Skelton. Could be a good signing. You will never see Montreal sign a young QB like a Mitchell in Calgary with the intention of grooming him into a starter over the course of 3 or more years. That market will not allow it. Older QBs (Smith, Ham, Crompton) and Qbs developed by other teams (Calvillo, Skelton) is the Montreal way for now and forever.

So Kane battles through some tough injuries throughout the season - Paul Maurice commented on this a while back complimenting Kane on having a pretty high pain threshold - and now he decides to have season-ending shoulder surgery after the incident with the track suit. Obviously not a coincidence. Kane has decided to pack his bags and go home. He has quit on the team. Sadly between this, his previous attitude issues and his semi-frequent injuries, we will surely see a drop in trade value. Before the general consensus for a commensurate value would have been: 1. top-6 forward 2. first round draft pick 3. blue-chip prospect Now, with these latest issues cropping up, I think the best we can hope for is two of these three: 1. Top-9 forward (with potential top-6 upside like a Michael Frolik-type) 2. first round draft pick 3. blue-chip prospect No way they get all 3 of those now, even in the off-season when he will surely be traded. Only way a 3rd piece gets added is if it is something like a player with little term left on their contract or a lesser prospect - instead of a blue-chipper a B or B+ prospect (Lowry-type or hopefully in the future, Kosmochuk or Copp).

There are no details on this project, it's just a shiny video right now. No idea of what would be in each of the towers, how much public subsidy is required out of that $400 million. This could be downsized in a hurry for all we know and that wouldn't have anything to do with Bowman. Just a bluff by Chipman when he said he would pull this project. If it is pulled, it is because it is not economically feasible.

Iso any word in Calgary about the rumoured joint arena/stadium proposal for the Stamps/Flames of late? Or is that on the backburner with the drop in oil and probable huge deficit in Alberta?

CV is so incompetent. Ross McGowan responsible for a lot of this but he "retired." Screwed up Main st with the WHRA building and no development since, overpay for a hotel by the convention centre so suburbanites don't have to deal with the clientele during Jet games and concerts (same thing with the St. Regis). Shouldn't be in the business of buying out hotels, they were supposed to get rid of surplus lands, that was their mandate. How far they have strayed from that. Hopefully council gets rid of CV once and for all. As far as downtown goes, I'm a little more skeptical of how far it has supposedly come since the 90s. Exchange (with more residents, college and businesses) is better and the Forks appears to be healthy, but outside a tiny area around the new arena the results are lacking. Since the jets came back the only 2 new businesses that have opened up are the Met and the new restaurant in city place..and that's with the Casino that subsidizes True North. We do have Centrepoint which will open shortly, but since the 90s the Sheraton, York the Hotel and St. Regis and Carlton Inn have all shut down so no real net gain in hotel space for downtown. Also, Portage Place is worse than it has ever been since the 90s, especially in the last 4- 5 years. Fewer retailers than ever, seems like it's a giant government services building. No Globe, no IMAX anymore. The Bay downtown in the 90s was much busier as well. I used to shop their regularly and Fridays used to be quite busy. All 6 floors open. Now down to 2 floors and the only full size grocery store in downtown has left the building. Probably close altogether at any time now.. So how exactly has downtown come alive again in the last 4 years..outside a small area outside the arena? And please don't point to the new apartment on Assiniboine - that has nothing to do with the Jets.

How about misrepresented? Chipman also said a copy of the option agreement for the project was sent to City Hall and that Bowman and other city councillors had access to it, despite claims made by Bowman the information contained in the agreement hasn’t been handed over. “It was delivered to the city solicitor on December first under conditions that clearly allow it to be used by the city, its administration and the mayor himself for the collective assessment and due diligence on our project.” Chipman's overreaction? Interesting that you should choose to present Chipman in that light. He states that he wanted to present the facts and because of how things were handled..at City Hall, they want to reevaluate what they do going forward. That seems pretty clear and pretty fair. It is in no way Chipman's fault how the matter was handled by CentreVenture, nor should the spotlight be shone on True North when they have presented a viable alternative. Bowman could have easily handled this whole affair in a much better fashion, but rushed into statements that don't present the entire story. His bad. Chipman has a proven record in Winnipeg and his objection to the characterization of True North and this proposed deal is understandable. Bowman doesn't have to rubber stamp anything…but he certainly shouldn't have called True North's intentions into question. Here's Chipman's media address and it is powerful and interesting: https://soundcloud.com/680cjob/mark-chipman-full The confidentiality agreement in the deal signed by Centreventure and True North kind of prevents anyone else from presenting the entire story. Would be nice if Chipman would give us that story instead of getting his back up when the city asks questions about where it's money is going. The only objection by Bowman, and he's quite right to object, is that an arms length corporation went around what the actual elected representatives approved when they panicked. There's some weird stuff there since Chipman was on the board and fully aware of everything going on. Some have suggested that other True North developments and interests scuttled any chance SOD had to find a different partner to run the proposed hotel, but I'm choosing to believe Chipman's version of events on that side of things until the facts prove I shouldn't. There's also the question of whether the terms and conditions under which True North would buy the Carlton Inn Site (a hotel which was profitable by the way before CV grossly overpaid for the land) are the same as the terms and conditions that SO had to deal with when trying to garner interest for a hotel chain attached to the newly expanded convention centre, most notably the $9 million plus for that plot of land for starters. If terms and conditions are different, as in giving TN a more favorable price on the land, then it is hardly a level playing field. Who is to say other investors wouldn't be interested in that land at a more favorable (and probably real market value) price and under more favorable conditions.

Define capitalism.

So Mark Cohon lied about the league's intention of releasing a video game? For me, my hierarchy of preference would be something like this.. Bombers Vikings bunch of NFL teams including my flavors of the week ie. New England, Green Bay, Baltimore, Seattle, a few others Stamps, Als, Lions (BC), Esks, Redblacks, Argos Most other NFL teams Cowboys, Giants, Bears, Jets Roughriders Ticats Not including the Bombers, I watch an equal amount of NFL and CFL football.

Esk's payroll was two to three times what the other teams were paying. Comparing that to the current Riders spending less than 100k more than other teams is hilarious to say the least. How about the stamps paying Flutie one million a year, why don't we talk about that? Or the Argo with Rocket Ismail? Because no single team followed the salary cap in the 90s or early 2000s for that matter. I believe one salary was not included in the salary as well. Eskimos paid two to three times the salary of other teams? Nice bit of conjecture.

Pav's positioning is one of his many weaknesses, to go along with his lateral movement and puck-tracking skills. One of the reasons he can make what would be good or ordinary saves seem extraordinary..because he is often out of position. An individual game like last night on its own doesn't mean much but the larger sample size of the past 4- 5 seasons illustrates what a weak goalie Pavs is - he is consistently at the bottom of the league in save percentage and has never been close to league average for save percentage save for one season. If it wasn't for the ridiculous contract Chevy game him 2.5 years ago, I suspect we would have brought in other options by now while the youngsters developed.

I have no problem blaming Pav but he was not THE problem tonight. Absolutely and I do mean that. I wouldn't suggest Pav is on his own when it comes to improving this team. The frustration I have, whether it's legitimate or not, is the rarity of hearing Pav stole the game for us. I guess my problem is putting elite type standards on him when in fact that would be unfair as he demonstrates being an average serviceable NHL goaltender. If by serviceable you mean one of the bottom-3 starters in the league, you are right. His career stats pretty much bear this out.