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Star Wars Lives On!

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I know this is a sports site, but a lot of people know me as a gigantic Star Wars nerd, and they probably want to know my thoughts about Disney taking over the Star Wars world.

It was more or less inevitable. George Lucas always maintained that he was done with Star Wars, that there would be no more movies. He has always left himself wiggle room in his comments in case he ever wanted to change his mind. Heck, he first made Luke and Leia make out before converting them in to siblings, so he doesn’t have any compunction about backtracking on vague statements.

Lucas has cashed out, to the tune of 4 billion dollars and left the reigns of the Star Wars franchise to Kathleen Kennedy. This news caught literally everyone by surprise, and the kicker was when Disney announced that Episode 7 is already on the schedule.

I don’t know how I feel about this. If there’s one thing that I love more than hockey, it’s Star Wars. As Lucas muddied the waters with his treatment of the prequels (though in fairness, Revenge of the Sith is really good, despite a few cringe-inducing moments), I was thankful that Lucas had said he was finished. He maintained that the six movies were the story of the Skywalker family (Anakin, specifically) and that was that. After pumping 3 movies of varying quality, I am glad that Lucas has passed the torch. He spent way, way too much time focused on the visuals and effects, and not enough on many other weaknesses that the prequels are now infamous for. Lucas has always been hung up on pushing the technical boundaries of film making, so this shouldn’t come as a shock, but now that it’s clear that virtually anything can be done, it’s time to focus on the meat & potatoes of the story. Lucas is not the man to do that, and thankfully he has decided to step away.

I really don’t know how I feel about Disney taking over, as they have proven to produce some awfully crappy movies. Disney now owns Marvel, and they’re currently making some great movies. Disney does have all the resources necessary to make GREAT movies, and now that the book has been reopened, we can assume that Hollywood’s talent will be lining up to fix what the Flanneled One broke in the prequels. Can Disney put aside its own image long enough to let new creative teams redeem the Star Wars name? They’ve done it with Marvel (so far), so the optimist in me hopes for the same fate here. There are a lot of creative people in the movie business that are mortified at the result of the prequels, and would jump at the chance to put the franchise back on the rails.

Regardless of who takes over, or what the story is about, we know for sure that nearly everyone will shell out the money to see the movie at least once, and that regardless of the  reviews, they will be box office hits.

2015 was supposed to be the year that FOX / WB released their answer to the Avengers, The Justice League. I don’t know what, if anything this news will do to that plan, but there’s a new 800 pound gorilla on the 2015 slate.

Dumbest Notions in Sports

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Sports are a fantastic escape from the daily grind of real life. And leaving sports as an escape is where it should end. Sometimes sports imitate real life, and we all breathe the same air, but there is always a dividing line between that world, and the real world that we walk in. Still, it still doesn’t prevent the spread of some truly lame-brain credos and adages from infesting the population. Here are but a few silly things that really stick in my craw:

Winning forgives all transgressions.
This one is my favourite. And by “favourite”, I mean “the one that most makes me want to set myself on fire”. Dog killer Michael Vick and sexual assault expert Ben Roethlisberger have somehow managed to shed, or gloss over their very sketchy (and in Vick’s case, convicted criminal) pasts. Yet there’s no shortage of fans and media trying to sell us on the idea that winning is the same thing as redemption. As if a Super Bowl ring, or All-Star performance means that the horrible things they did no longer count. That being the king of the mountain in their sport means that they’ve toppled their demons and deserve everyone’s admiration again. I wonder if the dogs that Vick killed, or the women that “Big Ben” (ahem, allegedly) assaulted feel the same way? Unlikely. No, winning despite a shady past doesn’t mean anything other than they’re still gifted athletes that got another chance simply because they’re talented. Would we forgive Bernie Madoff if he made a donation to charity, no matter how large the donation was? Somehow I doubt that would go over any better than a lead balloon would.
Revenge for a playoff defeat
This one also kills me, but it only makes me want to drink bleach, instead of setting myself ablaze. When two teams meet in the playoffs, one team walks away the winner, while the other goes home battered and bruised. Inevitably, those teams will face each other again in the following year’s regular season where the stakes are far almost always much lower. Still, pre-game hype builds up the game as some kind of rubber match, and the loser of the previous season’s game as a team hellbent on revenge. I’m sorry, but that team would forfeit the regular season game if it meant that they could go back in time and emerge victorious in the previous year’s playoff match.
One from the NHL Lockout Handbook.
This would apply to all lockouts in any sport since the whining all sounds the same, but the whole “fans are victims” business is sleep inducing. Spare me. The victims are the ones who’s livelihood is affected; the ushers, the people selling concessions behind the counters, local stores and restaurants. Your (or mine) TV viewing habits being impacted doesn’t count as a hardship. Get another hobby, and find another reason to blitz your liver with alcohol. Yes, I get it. You love hockey. Maybe more than anything in the world. I love hockey, too (why would this blog exist if I didn’t?) Still, our lives will not change whether hockey is played or not. So get off the twitter therapy couch, pick up a book, find another TV show, build a puzzle, walk your dog, punch yourself in the face, whatever it takes. Just stop crying over the fact that there’s no NHL hockey being played.
Do you have a sports notion that makes you nuts? Can anyone explain to me why these silly thoughts are as accepted as they are? Please?

Speak Up

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By Paul Branchaud

Or forever hold your tongue… When the news was announced that Bell media was planning to switch TSN Radio 990 to RDS Radio, there was shock, disbelief, and outrage. I give a ton of credit to the staff at TSN 990 for not going ballistic and persevering in the face of long odds. Bell’s decision is not a guaranteed death sentence, but it stacks the odds clearly against the plucky station that has survived and even flourished over its 11 year history.

If you listen to the station, and you haven’t voiced your opinion on the proposed linguistic switch, I urge you to do so. Even if you don’t like the on-air personalities (there are some who, when I hear them, compell me to turn off my radio), but you believe that any one entity owning 75% of the available English radio in this city is ridiculous, then you, too, should voice your opinion.

There is an online petition that could use a boost with some extra signatures, but the best way to let the CRTC and Bell Media know that you think TSN Radio 990 deserves to continue in English is to submit your comments. Click on https://services.crtc.gc.ca/pub/Intervention/Submission-Soumission.aspx?lang=e&EN=2012-370&ET=N#SE0 select “I Agree” and click “Next”, select Option 1 and click “Next” then select the check box next to “2012-0573-2: Bell Media Canada Radio Partnership” (also select “2012-0516-2: Astral Media inc.” if you oppose Bell’s takeover of Astral). Follow the directions to register your opposition. It doesn’t need to be as long-winded as mine, which I’ve included below as an open letter to the CRTC, but let your voice be heard.

Objections and comments are being accepted for another week (until 8pm, August 9). If you want TSN Radio 990 to live on, or if you care about the individuals at risk of losing their jobs, please speak up now.

Thanks!

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The main object of this document is to register my opposition to notice “2012-0573-2: Bell Media Canada Radio Partnership” that seeks to convert CKGM (aka TSN Radio 990) from an English language all-sports radio station to a French station with the same programming format.

I also wish to register my opposition to notice “2012-0516-2: Astral Media inc.”, which seeks the approval of Bell Media’s acquisition of Astral Media.

My objection to notice 2012-0573-2 is based, in part, to my opposition of notice 2012-0516-2 and the impact the latter notification would have, not only on the former notice, but on the overall concentration of media ownership in Canada, and Montreal specifically.

CKGM has a long history as part of the Montreal radio landscape, and, as long as I have been alive, it has always been an English-language station. When it was announced in 2000 that an all-sports radio station would be launched in Montreal in the spring of 2001, I was excited because the Anglophone radio audience in Montreal would finally have something new to listen to. As a consumer, choice is never a bad thing.

Over the 11 years that CKGM has been an all-sports station, the audience has seen the station evolve on several fronts. The station has produced a number of new broadcasting talents who might not otherwise have been discovered. The station’s programming has grown and developed over time, replacing content imported from Toronto and the United States in favour of locally-developed and produced programming that serves the local audience for the majority of the programming schedule.

I am a bilingual Francophone who has lived in Montreal my entire life, and radio has always been my preferred medium for obtaining news and entertainment. I have been listening to CKGM since the beginning of their all-sports format and can attest to the fact that the station not only caters to its audience, but that the audience is not exclusively Anglophone. Anyone taking the time to listen to CKGM could not deny that a number of regular voices heard (whether they be listeners calling in, show contributors, or even the on-air talent) are Francophone and that an English station is doing its best to serve a broader audience.

It will likely go unmentioned that CKGM’s current iteration has an audience that far exceeds the borders of metropolitan Montreal. As the official broadcaster of the Montreal Canadiens, CKGM’s online feed is a way for fans the world over to keep track of their favorite hockey team, not to mention a way for expatriated Montrealers to keep abreast of the sports happenings in their hometown. From personal experience, I have found that CKGM’s 990 kHz broadcast signal reaches well into the city of Ottawa and northern Vermont. Switching CKGM to French would affect an audience that is much broader than just the Anglophone community in Montreal (but one that does not factor into listenership statistics, which has no bearing on my opposition to notice 2012-0573-2).

From a purely technical point of view, Bell Media (on behalf of CKGM) applied for and won their bid to broadcast using the 690 kHz frequency in Montreal. Bell Media committed the 690 kHz frequency to CKGM prior to their acquisition of Astral Media. As such, the application to move CKGM to the 690 kHz frequency was intended for the English language instance of the all-sports format in Montreal. If notice 2012-0573-2 is allowed to move forward, then Bell Media will have essentially circumvented the standard protocol for acquiring a broadcasting frequency, basically getting a desirable frequency for a brand new station without having to make a new application.

From a broadcast rights perspective, CKGM (as a TSN-branded station) currently holds the exclusive English-language radio rights for the Montreal Canadiens, a contract that runs until the end of the 2017-2018 NHL season. The Canadiens are easily the most valuable sports property in Montreal, and, if plans to convert CKGM to French go through, the previous rights holder (CJAD) would get the radio broadcast rights back. This is the radio equivalent of an Olympic silver medalist winning the gold because the gold medalist was disqualified.

CKGM has faithfully served a market where demand exists; notice 2012-0573-2 seeks to undo over a decade of hard work by dedicated professionals who took a chance on a new format in a unique and challenging market. If Bell Media wishes to offer a French language all-sports radio station in Montreal, they are welcome to do so (and will likely have great success), but it should NOT be at the expense of those who dared to believe in a new programming format and toiled to make it work.

Expanding on my objection to notice 2012-0573-2, I am opposed to notice 2012-0516-2 because it would further concentrate the ownership of English-language radio stations in Montreal.

The rules established by the CRTC concerning media ownership are a direct and important factor when considering notice 2012-0516-2. Though I am opposed to any large corporate entity owning multiple media outlets (locally or nationally), the CRTC’s rules appear to be inflexible and prejudicial against a linguistic minority in any given market. Montreal’s socio-linguistic profile is unique in North America, if not the world.

Currently, there are five (5) major English radio stations in Montreal, owned by three (3) separate entities. The ownership percentage for the current situation is 60% for Astral Media, 20% for Bell Media, and 20% for COGECO. If notice 2012-0516-2 is allowed to move forward, and notice 2012-0573-2 also passes, ownership of the English radio stations would be reduced to four (4) stations by two (2) entities, with Bell Media increasing their percentage to 75%.

If notice 2012-0516-2 is allowed to move forward, and notice 2012-0573-2 does not pass, one of two situations arises: Bell Media is granted an exception by the CRTC to retain CKGM as an English station and they control 80% of the English radio market, or Bell Media divests itself of one radio property, reducing their ownership share to 60% of the market.

Regardless of which avenue is taken, the Anglophone community in Montreal is being penalised by the CRTC’s media ownership rules that would limit the available choices.

Although I am doubtful that the CRTC will somehow block or prevent Bell Media’s takeover of Astral Media, allowing notice 2012-0516-2 to move forward, I would request that you deny notice 2012-0573-2, keeping CKGM as an English all-sports station with all its current broadcasting rights, either through an exemption or by requiring Bell Media to divest itself of a property in order to respect current media ownership regulations.

On behalf of all those who have supported CKGM and their all-sports format, I thank you for considering my objection.

Paul Branchaud

Montreal, QC

Five Hole For Food – Time for Montreal to Step Up!

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Montreal has hosted modest Five Hole For Food events in the past 2 years, including the first ever Five Hole For Food event in 2010. While Montreal’s hungry are surely grateful for the efforts, there’s no doubt that Montreal can do a lot more.

Five Hole For Food’s organizers have pulled out all the stops to provide the best possible venue for this year’sMontrealevent: The Bell Center.

On July 9th, from 3pm-7pm, the 3rd annual Five Hole For Food will pull up to the Bell Center in Montreal to collect food for Moisson Montreal, the recipient of ALL food donations. Sure the Habs are letting us play on their hallowed grounds, but they are also sending alumni to play with us – Sergio Momesso and Gilbert Delorme. Not enough? Well what if they sent “the man” to play? Yeah, Geoff Molson is going to come out and play as well. If he can take time out of his schedule to contribute, I’m pretty sure that you can, too.

The premise is simple: you bring whatever non-perishable food items AND your hockey stick to the Bell Center on July 9th. You drop your food donations in the box and then play hockey. That’s it. Sound good? Good.

All ages and skill levels are encouraged to come out and play. Once we’re done playing ball hockey, we’re going to le Cage aux Sports to celebrate with some food and drink. If playing hockey isn’t your thing, you are still more than welcome to still come by and take in the atmosphere. How many times can you take in hockey at the Bell Center in the summer? The Bell Center’s doors will be open for refreshments, and of course, we hope that the social media channels will be buzzing with activity. If you’re able to live-tweet the event, use the hashtag #FHFF and help raise awareness for those who struggle to put enough food on the table.

It doesn’t get any better than this. Habs, hockey and helping the hungry.

Let’s get it done Montreal! We’re not going to let Toronto top us, are we?

Random Friday Musings – May 4th

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Another work week is just about in the books, and as is usually the case, the sports world has given us plenty to talk about. Here’s some brief thoughts on what’s gone on, starting with…

Marc Bergevin as Habs GM. Without knowing the guy, or much about his body of work, I really like the hire. He comes from a winning organization and was an integral part of transforming it from a laughing stock to a recent Cup winner. Here’s hoping that he brought a lot of knowledge with him so that he can do the same in Montreal. He has oh so much work to do, and not a lot of time to do it in. Read more on what I think he has on his task list here. Did the Habs get the best man for the job, regardless of politics? Hard to say, but given the realities (self-imposed realities or not) of the Montreal market, you’d be hard-pressed to find anybody who doesn’t like the hiring. He made a terrific first impression at his press conference, and seems to be the opposite of the life-sucking Pierre Gauthier, which already is an improvement.

L.A. Kings roll. Raise your hand if you thought the Kings would not only beat the President’s Trophy winning Canucks, but be on the verge of sweeping the third overall St. Louis Blues, the league’s best defensive team. What the Kings are doing is nothing short of remarkable. Of course, any team with Mike Richards, Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty, Jonathan Quick, and Dustin Brown should never be written off, but it’s the lesser known role players who are chipping in at key times, which is critical in the playoffs. Are they a team of destiny? They are poised to dump the Kings, and whoever advances between Nashville and Phoenix is going to have their hands full. Let’s look ahead to a future that sees the Kings knocking off the Rangers in the Cup finals. It would be the most remarkable Cup win in history (or one of the most remarkable). Who else could boast knocking off the top 3 teams in the league during the regular season? That said, the last 15 consecutive Cup winners started the playoffs with home ice advantage, so the smart money is still on any of the remaining 1-4 seeds.

Shame on Radulov, Kostitsyn. No, I’m not going to play the “they’re Russian / Belarussian, what did you expect?” card. That’s nonsense and if you subscribe to that theory, kindly take the down the Don Cherry poster that is hanging from the ceiling above your bed. Still, these two offensive talents were brought in to add scoring punch to a lineup that has everything else. That they decided to break curfew in order to stay out drinking – on the eve of a playoff game – is a supremely arrogant and selfish act. It shows disrespect to the team and organization that put their faith in them at the most critical time, and it’s a slap in the face to teammates who would probably also to prefer to be out having a good time, but put the team first by adhering to the team curfew. The Predators are equipped to go all the way, and now these two selfish turds have put their coach and GM in a really tough spot. They won game 3 handily without Radulov and Kostitsyn, and the popular refrain is that you do not alter a winning lineup in the playoffs. Another loss will push the Preds to the brink and at that point you’ll see both back in action. But it would likely be too late. Depending on your point of view, Coach Barry Trotz has an easy call in front of him – let them sit in the press box. Should the Preds lose tonight, however, there will be no shortage of people who say the punishment extended beyond it’s original definition, and that Trotz hurt the team. In the end, the blame falls squarely on two players (one of whom I defended quite vehemently) who put their Coach in a position he should never have to be in come playoff time. Here’s hoping they both land in the KHL next season, which is where their selfish actions will likely land them anyway.

Unfitting end of a great career? I’m no Yankees fan, but when I heard that Mariano Rivera, hands-down the greatest closer to ever play the game blew out his knee, I was really sad. I can’t think of a more unfitting and unfair end to a stellar career than shagging fly balls in Kansas City. Yet another reason to loathe the perpetual machine of failure called the Royals. Could he not have done it falling awkwardly off the mound instead? At 42 years old, it’s hard to imagine Rivera will want to put in the hard work required to rehab a shredded knee, just to play another season. He was already contemplating retirement after this year and this injury may have forced his hand. It’s a pity. He deserved to go out to a chorus of cheers at Yankee Stadium, in the post-season after striking out some hapless, knee-buckled chap with his devastating cutter pitch. That likely won’t happen now, and baseball is the biggest loser for it.

Powerless Pujols. The last time Albert Pujols went this long without hitting a home run, he was in his mother’s womb. I don’t think I’d be concerned if I was an Angels fan – yet. He’s still this era’s most feared hitter and it’s just a matter of time before he finds his stroke. He’s only hitting .204, which is way, way, way below his standard of excellence but again, this guy is a beast and will get it back. He’s patient, poised, has a great eye, a terrific swing and has been as consistent as it gets. If he doesn’t get it back, the Angels will have another 9 years to figure out what to do with him, and it would be an even more mysterious drop in an elite level athlete than Tiger Woods’ own collapse. With the Angels scuffling at the bottom of the AL West, the pressure will continue to mount on Pujols as his power outage drags on. But if there’s one guy who can weather this and then carry a team on his back, it’s Pujols. Hey, at least he hasn’t made an error yet, right?

Junior Seau’s suicide. Not much is sadder in sports than learning about the death of one of the greats. Usually we hear about them passing away at a ripe old age after living a full life, but in recent years it seems that players from hockey and especially football are dropping like flies – by their own hand. That’s even more tragic. The connection between head trauma caused by contact, punches, collisions leading to eventual depression and finally suicide is going to be mentioned again and again, and while leagues try to cover their butts, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that they are facing a serious issue that they need to get to the bottom of. Because if they don’t do it by voluntarily, there’s a little thing called the government that will make them do it, and then we’ll be really unhappy. The NFL already has a boatload of lawsuits against them to deal with. There will be more. Many more. They can’t avoid this forever, and the NHL would be wise to get out in front of this issue instead of trying to preserve what seems to be rotten.

Guest Post: Why I Won’t Support the Montreal Impact

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It doesn’t happen often, but from time to time somebody asks to have their thoughts and feelings on a particular topic hosted on cowhideandrubber, and I’m grateful that they thought of this site as a voice for their opinions. Today, native Montrealer Max Harris explains why he can’t and won’t support MLS’ newest member, the Montreal Impact. Max can be reached on twitter, or by leaving a comment in the area below.

As a sports fan, it’s my belief that you should always root for your hometown teams, unless you can provide a good reason not to. For instance, if you’re a transplant or the descendent of a transplant with roots to another team, you get a free pass.  I grew up a die-hard Expos fan, I consider myself to be a loyal supporter of the Canadiens and I pull for the Alouettes (I’ll admit I watch very few of their games, but I wish them well). I take pride in my hometown even though we’re among the worst sports town in North America (largest Canadian/American market without an MLB or NBA franchise is not exactly something to be proud of). That being said, I have not watched a second of either of the Montreal Impact’s first two MLS games and I have no intention to start any time soon. Despite being my hometown team, the Montreal Impact do not have my support. Trust me, I have a good reason.

Full disclosure: I am not a fan of soccer, but I do not detest it. I played the game a little bit when I was younger but the sport has failed to capture my imagination like the “big four” have. The only time I regularly watch soccer is during the World Cup and European Championships, which are global spectacles more than anything else. This is not a diatribe against the sport of soccer; my ambivalence towards the game does not explain why I am not rooting for the Impact.

Ever since the Expos have departed in 2004, I have wanted nothing more than to see Major League Baseball return to my hometown. The fact that Montreal is now a part of a second-tier professional soccer league provides little solace. Throughout the city, youth enrollment in baseball has sharply declined, while more kids are turning to soccer. Meanwhile, local diamonds have been plowed in favour of soccer fields, which require a lot less maintenance. (The above Statistics Canada link shows the nationwide increase in organized soccer, along with the decrease in organized baseball. I have to imagine the numbers are fairly similar for Quebec).

In an ideal world, baseball and soccer could both successfully co-exist in Montreal. Unfortunately, the ascent of one sport is directly correlated with the decline of another. In a city with crumbling infrastructure, the two sports compete directly for scarce resources, namely: land, city maintenance and of course, kids. Our relatively short summers, combined with a general decline in parental commitment to youth sports has made it nearly impossible for kids to play both. I can give you several reasons why it’s better for your children to play baseball, rather than soccer, but if the infrastructure is not in place, it unfortunately becomes a moot point.

I know that we’re a long way from seriously contemplating the return of Major League Baseball to this city. Given the way things are going, I can’t help but have my doubts as to whether or not I will live to see that day. One thing’s for certain, it cannot happen without the support of future generations. Without our children and their children having baseball in their lives, the sport will never return to our city. So without sufficient infrastructure, future generations will be unable to play this game, which means it is even less likely that we will get a team back. My friend Dave Kaufman does a great point of communicating this point in the following Gazette op-ed piece.

I’m a big believer that every action has consequences, even though most of them are often unintended. Whether we like it or not, the proliferation of soccer is killing baseball’s future in Montreal. That’s why I can’t support the Impact. It’s not because I don’t like soccer, but because I care about baseball too much to support its demise in my hometown.

My Top Five Bell Centre Experiences

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Yep, it’s time to step away from the burning-house Habs talk and relax. I got to thinking about how much I miss the Montreal Forum, but the cold reality then set in: the Bell Centre has been a part of my life for nearly as long as the Forum has. In fact, if you ignore those early years where nothing really seems to matter except toys and more toys, the Bell Centre indeed has been more a part of my life than the old shrine of hockey on Ste-Catherine & Atwater. Lining up for hockey tickets, or concert tickets on the upper floors of The Bay in Fairview or at the Dorval mall were always the spots to go. Lining up for tickets was part of the experience, but I’ll sacrifice that part of the journey in favour of the conveniences offered by the internet.

From Habs games, to Montreal Roadrunner games, to concerts, the Montreal Forum  holds many amazing memories for me: Standing room playoff games vs the Bruins (Roy’s return from “appendicitis” most notably), Stopping the Leafs season opening winning streak in 93, Green Day on the day of the Referendum on Quebec separation, WWF events, Harlem Globetrotters…the list goes on and on. I wondered how the Bell Centre has stacked up, and I have to say, that as much as I’ll always favour the Forum for nostalgic reasons, the Bell Centre has provided many great times for me. Here’s a list in no particular order:

Habs at Penguins – Game 7 of the 2010 playoffs
Say what? Habs AT Penguins? Bell Centre? Huh? The Canadiens were on the verge of knocking off another Eastern Conference powerhouse and the Bell Centre was opened to the masses. A $10 ticket got you inside the Bell Centre to watch the game on the scoreboard. In the day leading up to game 7, all I could think about was how odd it would be to watch a game at the Bell Centre without the team actually being there. It was a phenomenal experience. I wrote about it here, but looking back, it really is astonishing to me what a crowd of 22,000 people can do to simulate a real game. The team was hundreds of kilometres away in Pennsylvania, but it was definitely my favourite and most unique Habs experience at the Bell Centre. The celebrations (and sadly, the looting) all made for a crazy, crazy night.

Foo Fighters, 2011
If Dave Grohl wasn’t considered one of rock’s great frontmen already, may have ascended right to the top of the list during this summer’s tour that landed in Montreal. For nearly 150 minutes the Foo Fighters blew the roof clear off the Bell Centre with a rip-roaring show for the ages. I’m not one for big arena shows, but the energy in the building that night was simply off the charts, and it all came from the band from the very first note. It’s hard to think about what today’s rock landscape would look like if Nirvana hadn’t been abruptly torpedoed. Everyone that I speak to that was at that show still raves about it to this day, and indeed it was probably the best rock show this city has seen in some time.

All Star Weekend, 2009
I didn’t have tickets to the game, to the skills competition or to any event in the city that weekend. I didn’t see any of the players, I wasn’t a part of the legion of people that got to pick up players at the airport as they arrived from out of town. Instead, I hung around the Bell Centre, checked out the miniature Hall of Fame / media tent that they had set up and just took in the sub-zero atmosphere. To see the Bell Centre decked out with massive banners of Carey Price, Alex Kovalev and Sidney Crosby was terrific. The exhibits around the Bell Centre were fantastic. It was well worth freezing myself half to death to get all of these cool pictures.

Canadiens Fan Appreciation Night, 2002
What was so memorable about a regular season finale where the Habs mailed it in for a  3-0 loss? Well, it was the second home game for Captain Saku Koivu after returning from cancer treatments, so there’s that. But what really made it memorable for me was around half way through the games when one of the usherettes came to us and asked us to check under our seats. Taped underneath my mom’s seat was a sealed envelope that said that she had been selected to meet a player at ice level at the game’s conclusion and get an authentic jersey signed by a randomly chosen player. My mom is a big Habs fan, but she passed off the winning ticket to me knowing that this would mean a lot more to me. About 5 minutes before the end of the game, all winners gathered at ice level in the corner of the arena (where the zambonis come out) and randomly selected a number between 1 and 25. I chose 24, my lucky number. It failed me that night, as I drew Yanic Perreault. Don’t get me wrong, he was the Habs best forward and leading scorer that year. He was a nice player, but ultimately a footnote in Habs history. It was even more disappointing to learn that choosing number 23 would have put me face to face with Doug Gilmour and 25 would have been Jose Theodore, who had his Hart Season that year. He was kind of a big deal. Anyway, it made for a really great experience. Being introduced by Michel Lacroix was a thrill, even if the building was 75% empty by that point! Shaking hands with Perreault, hanging around on the ice for a few moments with the winners & Habs players is something I won’t soon forget. I still have the jersey and the team 5×7 photo from that night.

Metallica, 2005
I first got in to Metallica in 1989, when I was just 11 years old. A bit young for such weighty subject matter in music, but I digress. I remained a fan for a relatively short period, until a couple guys named Vedder and Cobain came on to the scene. “Alternative” was in, metal was out. It remained that way for about a decade. While Metallica was falling off the map, other bands were making big names for themselves, at least in my mind. The earth’s axis was put back in proper order in 2005 when one of my best friends (and roomate at the time) came home from work with box seats to that night’s show. Without giving Metallica a second thought for a decade (except to make fun of Kirk Hammett’s painted fingernails), I was instantly stoked, and my anticipation was well rewarded. Metallica just so happens to be the tightest, most powerful band I’ve ever seen live, and I’ve seen more shows than I can count. When you’re sitting up in a box and still feel the intense heat from the pyrotechnics at stage level, you know something is going very, very right. Fortunately, the only face-melting that night was due to Hammett’s shredding. Hey, having your face torched in the same city twice was probably too much for one guy anyway. This show may be the loudest I’ve ever heard a crowd at the Bell Center, and that’s counting any and all Habs games. The other contender for loudest event at the Bell Center? Read on…

Honourable Mentions:

WWE Smackdown (sometime in the early 2000′s)
Ain’t no fan like a wrasslin fan! Growing up I was a huge wrestling fan. As they say, it’s a soap opera for guys. I had been to see the WWF at the Forum several times, and saw the greats; Macho Man, Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Big Boss Man, The Undertaker…but I had never been to one of their live-for-TV events. The old farts from the 80′s had passed the torch to the likes of Triple H, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin and they did not disappoint. If Metallica wasn’t the loudest event ever, then this was. The WWE had come a long way in terms of razzle dazzle since the 80′s, and it was a viciously fun time, even if pro wrestling is the biggest joke this side of Kim Kardashian’s views on marriage.

Star Wars in Concert, 2009
I was always able to evade the “dweeb” label growing up. As a scrawny kid with glasses, there should have been no other way to describe me. I had unhealthy obsessions with Star Wars (and still do), and comic books (it’s back). But I could always play sports as well as anyone, so I was given a break…I guess. But when it was announced that the music of Star Wars could be heard live and in concert, I could barely contain myself. An evening hosted by Anthony Daniels (that’s the “gay robot” from Star Wars for the clueless) where I got to hear John Williams’ iconic score performed by a live symphony orchestra? Yeah, it was awesome. Here’s a quick video that pretty much sums up what Montreal is all about:

I’m Still Alive

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Hola everyone!

If you’ve been stopping by over the past month, you’ve been met with a whole lot of nothing. I’d like to apologize for that, but the truth is I’m rather enjoying the summer.

I’ve finally been able to take some time off for paternity leave and as such decided to focus on hanging with my little family rather than blogging in the deadish off-season. I’m not going to lie, I’ve also spent a lot of time listening to baseball games via the MLB app on my cell phone. I got tired of painstakingly tuning the AM dial on my radio trying to pull in signals from Vermont, Maine and New York that only made me strain to hear the game anyway. Baseball and radio are like pb & j, and to be able to sit outside in the warm sun with a cool adult beverage(s) in hand is my version of heaven.

As far as my thoughts on the Habs go (because I know that’s why 90% of you stop by to begin with), Gorges has yet to be signed, and I believe he will be before his arbitration date of July 28th; he’s too important to the team in many ways to be parted with (I wrote this post exactly 7 months ago about the Habs defenseman, if you want to know my opinion of him). He’ll likely get 3-3.5 million per year and be worth it. Otherwise, the Habs also promoted former Bulldogs coaches Randy Cunneyworth and Randy Ladouceur to accompany Jacques Martin and Perry Pearn behind the bench. Getting a little crowded back there, isn’t it? We’re all expecting Pierre Gauthier to sign a couple more depth players, and no doubt they’ll come in time. I like the work the Habs GM has done, and despite some questionable asset management, he’s slowly making a believer out of me with his signings. They’ve been responsible and consistent with the team’s character. Not signing Zenon Konopka still has me scratching my head, as he would have fit the bill perfectly, but that’s now old news now.

I’ll be back with more regular posts as the new season approaches, but for now I’m enjoying the summer, and just waiting for my next round of paternity leave weeks to roll around.

Five Hole For Food is Back!

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Who says hockey is a winter-only sport? Want proof? Then head out to Parc François-Perrault in Montreal’s St-Michel/Villeray district on Wednesday, June 29th between noon and 6:00pm for a game of ball hockey to help the hungry. The rink is part of the Canadiens “Bleu-Blanc-Bouge” program, and the Habs have graciously agreed to let Five Hole For Food use the rink for the day. The post-game action will happen at Boston Pizza – 7300 Boulevard des Roseraie Anjou, QC H1M 2T5. Boston Pizza is also a major sponsor of Five Hole For Food, so its only fitting that we help return the favour.

So what do you have to do? It’s pretty simple – bring your hockey stick and some non-perishable food items for the benefit of Moisson Montréal. As if playing hockey and helping Montreal’s less fortunate wasn’t enough, with your donation, you’ll have a chance to win a 2010-2010 Montreal Canadiens signed team stick.

If you haven’t yet heard of Five Hole For Food, here’s the quick rundown: Richard Loat (also known as @mozy19 on twitter) wanted to find a way to give back to the community following the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and came up with the idea of driving across Canada, playing ball hockey while raising food for local food banks. What’s better than that? Probably nothing. Last year’s event was an absolute success – far exceeding their donation goals. This year’s campaign is also on track to break their new goal, and Montreal will get their opportunity on June 29th.

Five Hole For Food has grown from a small operation to a full-fledged team replete with a media relations team, a communications department, PR personnel, sponsorship specialists and much, much more.

Here’s a video from last year’s event in Ile Perrot, it will give a flavour of what you can expect on Wednesday:

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If you’re on vacation, or off from school, what better way to spend a summer afternoon than to get some ball hockey in while helping the less fortunate? We hope to see you there!

New Sunday Shinny on The Franchise

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Gotta keep the seat warm while the next set of blog posts germinate.

This past weekend I was lucky enough to once again join the guys at The Franchise for their Sunday Shinny. We hit on all kinds of topics; Alexei Yemelin, the NHL playoffs, including our predictions for each series and Conn Smythe, teams in small markets, Gary Carter, and all kinds of other fun stuff.

You can hear the 46 minute show here.


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