THROWIN’ ELBOWS WITH BRENDAN MCGUIRE
1. HOW TO GET THE CFL GOING AGAIN: Until recent comments from ex-CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon, I viewed the 2020 season as a lost cause. Not anymore. Well, at least not yet anyway. Try this on for size: Open training camps July 1st at nearby universities or high schools in each CFL city. Sequester the players and coaches in one location, just like training camps used to be in the good ole’ days. Make COVID-testing mandatory for each person entering this isolation and have essentials delivered from the outside world. Scrap the preseason (cuz who really wants to watch that crap anyways?) and start a 14-game regular season on August 1st. Teams can isolate in one local hotel, no fans in the stands and only TV/radio personnel allowed at the games. This would be a ratings smash for TSN, enough for Bell Media to find extra sponsorship money to help make up for the loss of gate revenue. The Riders had nearly $6 million dollars in liquid cash going into last season. If they made money in 2019, they should be able cough up nearly $1,000,000 in revenue sharing to each of the other 8 teams around the league. Toss in a 50% pay reduction from the players (what other options do they have at this point? Plus, their room and board for the season is covered) and she’s game-on! This can happen and it should happen.
2. FALL OF ’94 ALL OVER AGAIN: No baseball and no hockey reminds me of the baseball strike of 1994 that killed the price of mustard crops in Saskatchewan followed by the NHL lockout that fall. It was a terrible time to be a sports fan but a good time to branch out and do other things. Truth is, we have way too much hockey on TV as it is. I’m enjoying the break from it.
3. ANTI-SHUTDOWN PROTESTORS: They shout down government control of anything like it’s some kind of evil. It’s as if these people are too stupid to believe the government would ever have a reason to shut the economy down. I’m hearing a lot of whining such as self-isolation causing depression and putting people out of work. That’s news? We all know that! Maybe offer a solution instead of just whining and complaining or subscribing to these nonsensical conspiracy theories.
4. DEAR TRUMP SUPPORTERS: I’m not American, nor are most of you, but we’re still allowed to have opinions on the U.S. president. He impacts our lives as much as he does plenty of the Americans who did get the chance to vote for or against him and complain about us ‘foreigners’ who dare criticize Donald Trump. If you vote for Trump or even openly support him, even in the aftermath of the horrendous week he just had, then you are part of the problem. Unusual to put that kind of accountability on the public, but the reality is, it’s Donald Trump’s deplorable supporters who are responsible for putting him in the White House and therefore responsible for putting him in charge of the world’s biggest stage at this critical time. Seriously, next time you Tweet, or post on Facebook, or campaign or even vote, think about what you’re saying and think about what you’re doing. Think about the ripple effect and consequences of your actions. Be part of the solution and not the problem.
5. OVER-UNDER FOR SENS PRESIDENT: I give it a year before Anthony LeBlanc is sick of Eugene Melnyk or vice versa. LeBlanc will be back in time to push the Atlantic Schooners thing ahead going into 2021. What disappoints me is that he would view the CFL as somehow beneath working for the Ottawa Senators.
6. OUR PREMIER: He and the people around him have a done a nice job in protecting us and guiding us on our way back. So has opposition leader Ryan Meili. You don’t become a doctor if you’re an idiot and this guy is no dummy. Our poor American friends south of the border would be so lucky to have the leaders we have right now.
7. BILL GATES: He says we can all bounce back after a 6-to-12 week shutdown. Is Bill Gates ever wrong?
8. CJME RADIO: In working from home, I’ve enjoyed cranking up the CJME/CKOM afternoon drive all week with David Kirton. Always liked working with Dave in my glory days at CJME. He always reports the story and never tries to BE the story. That’s so rare nowadays.
9. CFL DRAFT: Yawn, wake me up when it’s over. I’ll be watching a classic Expos game on YouTube.
10. MORE BINGE-WATCHING FOR SELF-ISOLATION: THE LAST DANCE episodes 3 and 4 didn’t disappoint and The Sopranos all 82 episodes are as good now as they’ve ever been.
(Follow Brendan on Twitter at @brendanhowardmc)
Tell Ambrosie 2020 CFL season toast, done.
Sincerely,
Moe Exotic
I seriously don’t know why I read this every week. 5 minutes of my life I won’t get back.
Who is this clown???
As if Hillary Clinton would have been a good choice? Come on man…..
1) if anyone suggests someone else take a 50% pay cut, please look in the mirror and ask yourself would you take a 50% pay cut? I wonder how many players would come from the states or across Canada to self isolate away from family and friends For 4 or 5 months? I wonder if the PA is on board with all of this? I really would love to see CFL football this year but it certainly won’t even be close to the ideas you laid out. 2) if your bothered about the amount of hockey on TV and enjoying… Read more »
1. Why is it necessary to boast about how wealthy we are & how we can help out our poor siblings in the CFL? $6MM in cash going into last season? An April 17 article by Terry Jones with the head of the Eskimo board reported that the Eskimos had $12.8MM in cash Dec 2018. The Riders make a lot of money but also spend more than anyone. And the Bombers have been fairly profitable too. Constantly whining for attention doesn’t look good on us. I have friends who follow other teams who have a word for it – small… Read more »