Blue Jays Story

Dear Rogers

Dear Rogers,
I've been a patient fan. I've waited. It's been 18 years since I last saw the Blue Jays play anything resembling meaningful baseball.
I've gone to the ballpark. I paid the extra price for tickets when the ticket prices were raised. I've endured the Skydome changing into the Rogers Centre and going from having the cheapest concessions in the league to paying $10 for American beer. I've bought merchandise. I have hats from every incarnation of the Blue Jays logo (except for that abysmal muscle bound Jay). I watch games on TV live and see the advertising on the network owned by you. I listen to games on the radio station, also owned by you. I've put up with drastic payroll cuts, going from a team with the highest salary in baseball to a team that doesn't even meet league average.
I was thrilled when Alex Anthopoulos became the GM and his new vision for the Blue Jays. This was going to be a team built the right way through shrewd trades for prospects and draft picks. There is a time, however, when you have to add to those prospects and picks. There is a time where you have to show the fans that there is a reason to hope, a reason to believe, a reason to keep cheering for the team.
Yet, in this offseason there were 3 major names which could have been acquired simply by spending money. I'll ignore Albert Pujols, because he was not really an option. It leaves us with Yu Darvish and Prince Fielder.
Darvish was projected by many to be a Blue Jays target, some of whom even predicting the Jays as favourites to land him. Tonight, it was announced that Texas won the bidding. The Texas Rangers, a team who in May 2010 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but who were saved by new owners with a desire to win. I have no idea what the Blue Jays offered but I have no reason based on past experience to believe it was a competitive bid.
Prince Fielder, also has been mentioned as a Toronto target but once again despite all the league thinking that the Jays have money to spend all the indications point otherwise.
So this is a simple request. Show us fans that you have the desire to win. Show us that winning the World Series is worth risking losing money. (Although with a competitive team even a stadium that's half full would be profit making).
I have 2 years left in my cellphone contract with your company. It currently is my only remaining service with Rogers. It will likely be my last, although a playoff appearance may change my mind.
Sincerely,
[Name withheld]

5 Reasons I love hockey

Ok time to get back into this.

Here re-posted from Pension Plan Puppets are the 5 Reasons I love hockey.

My love for hockey began in the 1993 Leafs playoff run probably at the moment Gilmour went around all sides of the net to score the OT winner.  It continues to this day and here's why:

5. Toronto Maple Leafs -

Moving to this country at the age of 5 enabled me to be introduced to hockey.  I will always be grateful for that.  If not I would probably be watching soccer or even worse cricket in the UK or Kuwait oblivious to the true beautiful game.  The Toronto Maple Leafs, however, introduced me to passion.  There are few things in my life I am more passionate about than my Leafs fandom. I cried myself to sleep as a 9 year old losing to the Kings in Game 7,  I cheered louder than I'd ever cheered before when Sundin tied the game against the Hurricanes in '02 and felt the stinging pain of defeat in what seemed like seconds later, I stood and cheered as Sundin made his return to the ACC, I praise OLAS and lament Raycrap.  I love being a Leafs fan.

4.  Fighting -
I will never be able to see eye to eye with the puritans who want to rid the game of this blessed pastime.  There's just something about a player dropping his gloves to defend himself that automatically earns respect.  Sure, staged fighting and fighting after clean hits can be troublesome, but those are trivial concerns.  Hockey remains the only sport where one on one combat is part of the game.  This fact should be celebrated not shunned.

3. Hockey Night in Canada -
Though they don't have their famous theme song anymore but Saturday nights for me have been about HNIC since I started watching hockey.  As a younger kid, it was the only night I was able to stay awake for the whole game to watch my heroes battle on the ice.  It remains a fixture in my week, no matter how much my schedule has varied over the years.

2. Overtime -
No other sport comes close to matching the drama that is sudden-death OT.  The fact that the outcome of a game can be determined at any second ensures that I have my eyes glued to the action the entire time.  There is no time to walk around, carry out inane conversations or time to update your facebook status like in other sports.  One shot could mean the difference between glorious happiness and miserable tears.  The saddest thing that could ever happen would be tampering with this format. A change that I fear is coming

1. Goals -
No play in any sport brings me to my feet like a hockey goal.  Each one is unique and similar at the same time.  It is a strange but lovely contradiction.

It's Been A Long Time

I have been neglectful. I have failed to update this blog in what seems like forever but life got in the way.

Finally, though, I see some hope on the horizon. Ignoring the thumping at the hands of the Bruins the Leafs have played some stellar (well stellar considering the calibre of players) hockey lately.

Going into the game tonight the Leafs are 7 points behind les dirty munchkins for the final playoff spot. Sure, it may seem like an insurmountable task but then again some thought it would be impossible just for the Leafs to get out of last place.

It may be a a long time coming just as this post was, but a change is gonna come.