Freddie P's Blog

Humble and Fred's Podcast of Bronze

Today With Jeff McArthur

March 8, 2010 @ 09:56

Online voting, the Oscars and Sidney snubs Letterman.

Comments: 3, Category: Radio

The Real Brian Burke

March 6, 2010 @ 09:26

Comments: 6, Category: Sports | Video

When Sidney Scored

March 5, 2010 @ 18:19

Vancouver harbour last Sunday afternoon. At about 1:20, Sidney scores for Canada!

And here's Toronto

Comments: 2, Category: Sports

Today With Neil Morrison

March 5, 2010 @ 18:03

Hockey and Oscars.

Comments: 0, Category: Radio

The Budget And The Anthem

March 5, 2010 @ 08:33

I know what you're thinking. If Patterson's writing about the budget and the anthem it will be another stroke job on his bum chum hero Stephen Harper.

Pretty much.

I've maintained over the past couple of years that I fully endorse the job the Conservatives have done while steering us through a global recession with a minority government. I think the budget is sensible and right for the moment.

Needless to say Stephen Harpers detractors are painting it as a vicious right wing document that attacks societies most vulnerable, but that's par for the course. In their eyes the guy can't do anything right.

Michael Ignatieff and Jack Layton did their jobs yesterday. They attempted to poke holes in the budget and came forth with the predictable crap. The problem is neither one of them, but especially the Liberals, can offer up anything better.

Ignatieff represents an interesting problem for the Liberals. While the party enjoys an undeserved popularity across the country, especially in Ontario, Ignatieff is like a large stinky coiler hanging around their necks.

The longer the Liberals keep this lame duck around, the worse it's going to be for them. People talk about Harpers stiffness and lack of personality but what about Ignatieff? Every day he remains as leader, is another chance for Harper to look better.

Canadians in growing numbers are rejecting this guy and eventually it's going to affect the Liberals over-all status. Screw the polls, I really think if an election was held today, the Conservatives would get their majority and Ignatieff would be mostly responsible.

What does this have to do with the budget? This. If Ignatieff thinks the document is so bad, why doesn't he make another move to bring down the government? Why doesn't he roll out something better that the other two parties simply can't resist?

Answer - because he can't, because he's afraid.

And now the anthem. Was it a diversionary tactic, designed to get people talking about something else just before the budget was handed down? Maybe. I know a lot of people would like to think so, but what in the budget was so terrible that Harper would need to go to such great lengths to divert attention?

Why would he want to take attention away from freezing MP's salaries, or the scaling back of big government, or the freeze on foreign aid, or increase in research and development?

Taxes aren't going up; old age pensions aren't being touched our Olympic athletes will continue to be supported.

If anything, I think the anthem issue was raised as a feeble attempt to appease women on the heels of a two week patrotic love-in.

Funny thing is, I don't think enough women give a shit.

Comments: 10, Category: Politics

James Duthie

March 4, 2010 @ 17:00

In a posting from yesterday I mentioned the Torch Catastrophe orchestrated by CTV Globemedia.

They arranged for several of their personalities to jump the line and carry the Olympic torch ahead of deserving athletes and citizens who entered a contest in good faith.

I think it was downright shameful and if I'd been given the same advantage I wouldn't have taken it.

Unfortunately, among those CTVers who carried the torch was TSN's James Duthie who I have the utmost respect for. I still do, even though he made the tragic error of carrying that bloody torch.

To me, James Duthie represents the new breed of broadcaster who provides a great balance of knowledge, ability and humour. Yea, humour, it's important. The days of the tired old talking head is over and that was proved somewhat during Sunday's closing ceremonies.

Rather than have Brian Williams host the closing ceremonies, CTV opted for Duthie and it was a refreshing change.

Listen, I like Brian Williams. I've met him, he's a gracious gentleman and I have immense respect for his broadcasting history and what he's accomplished. He makes me look like a third year Humber student.

However by 2010 standards it's time for CTV to switch to somebody like Duthie.

Several times during the Vancouver games I found myself comparing Williams and Duthie and really, there was no comparison. Duthie brings way more to table than Williams.

The days of the authoritative fatherly type walking us through the games are gone. Television is supposed to be fun and entertaining and Duthie's wit, irreverence and easy style trump Williams old fashioned over annunciation every step of the way.

Apparently, part of the reason Williams jumped from CBC to CTV is because the latter won the rights to the 2010 and 2012 games. He wanted to host them.

Oh oh.

If the big brains at CTV are on top of their game they will make the switch sooner than later. Let Duthie host the prime time stuff and give a lesser shift to Williams.

It would seem obvious, but then again, these are the same people that insist on ramming the infuriating Ben Mulroney down our throats.

Comments: 6, Category: Sports | Television

Creative Thinking

March 4, 2010 @ 07:45

Make no mistake about it, what Brian Burke has done to the Toronto Maple Leafs is exactly what Leaf fans have been demanding for years.

Gut the team and start over.

Of course I could remind everyone of that old saying, "watch what you ask for it may come true" but I really don't think it applies in this situation. What Burke has done, and is doing to the Toronto Maple Leafs is the only way improve long term.

Yes, the Phil Kessel trade sticks in the craw of most Leaf fans, but hey kiddies, that's old news, water under the bridge and history we cannot change. All we can do is hope that Burke gets creative in the free-agent market over the next couple of years, or turns some of those third and fourth round draft picks into gold.

But here's another spin on the whole scenario. Why not get creative now, with what they've got?

The Leafs have 20 games remaining on the season and if they don't finish last in the over-all standings they'll be very close. They've got nothing to lose at this point, only things to gain.

How about this, for the remainder of the season why not put Tomas Kaberle at centre ice. Take his skating ability, puck handling ability and play making sense and experiment with it.

Burke maintains that the best way to build a hockey team is from the defense out, and admittedly, he's done a pretty good job of building his defensive core, to the point where Kaberle has become expendable and almost became active in yesterday's trade market.

Instead of playing out the season with Kaberle on defense, with the assumption of trading the guy in the summer, why not do some investigative shuffling. Make him Phil Kessel's centre man for rest of the season and see what happens.

There is absolutely nothing to lose. If it works, great, its one less thing to worry about and the pressure comes off to trade the current longest serving Leaf.

If it doesn't work, then trade the guy.

Comments: 9, Category: Sports

Today Craig And Matt

March 3, 2010 @ 12:54

Trade deadline stuff.

Comments: 1, Category: Radio

Today With Bruce Barker

March 2, 2010 @ 13:23

Final Olympic chat.

Comments: 1, Category: Radio

Olympic Wrap-up

March 2, 2010 @ 13:13

I really don't know how to handle this without sounding like a hypocrite, but I guess when you get right down to it, there are a ton of us in this category.

I'm one of those guys who doesn't believe in the Olympics. I think they're a colossal waste of time and money and I've made that point on many occasions. I've said I don't want the Olympics to come to Toronto and besides being a burden on taxpayers, the Olympic movement is rife with corruption and very few at the top can be trusted.

Having said all that, what a great two weeks in Vancouver.

I guess its like anything else, regardless of your position, once the commitment is made the best thing to do is make the most of it and man oh man did Vancouver make the most of it.

All the events were held, all the medals were handed out and most people, other than snobby malcontents, walked away happy, impressed and full of fabulous memories.

That ultimately is part of the satisfaction for me. The British and Russians press were Vancouver's biggest detractors, but in the end they looked absolutely foolish while putting pressure directly on themselves to out-do Canada in 2012 and 2014 respectively.

Great moments? There were a ton of them with the capper being Sidney Crosby's overtime goal. It was excruciatingly painful to watch the closing minutes of regulation time, but in retrospect, it couldn't have had a better finish, an overtime goal scored by Canada's latest hockey icon giving this country a record for gold medals at a Winter Olympics.

It was the final event for a wonderful event and it all went our way. With those 14 gold medals we did own the podium make no mistake about it.

I could go on and on about other poignant moments but I won't. They've been talked about and analyzed by everybody and his brother.

All that matters at this point is that the games were a success and hopefully the price tag won't be too staggering and force all of us to keep paying for decades to come. But it's too late to worry about that now.

And not to close on a downer but I have to mention this. If there was one clear-cut blemish to these Olympics it was the decision by CTV Globemedia to bully their way to the front of the line and have their announcers carry the torch.

And it has nothing to do with journalistic integrity, it has everything to do with earning the right. Kerrin Lee Gartner and Donovan Bailey didn't carry the torch, but Ben Mulroney and Michael Landsberg did. Are you kidding me?

Shameful. Shameful for CTV to think it up and even more shameful for those involved to actually do it. I can only deduce that they were forced to do it.

If any of those broadcasters had entered the Torch Lottery like everyone else and won, cool, there's no problem with that. But to do it the way they did was downright wrong.

They should have declined, I would have.

Comments: 22, Category: Sports