Freddie P's Blog

Yesterday I attended a wealth management seminar at the King Edward Hotel. It was arranged by my financial advisor who thinks it's a good idea for anyone within ten years of retirement age to stop down and think about a few things.

The seminar was conducted by a guy named Barry LaValley and he didn't talk so much about money as he did mind set. Not only do you have to be prepared for retirement financially, but you also have to be ready emotionally.

Over-all it was a positive experience and it also allowed me to meet two fantastic women who have recently lost their husbands - men I admired very much.

Sitting at the table with me were Teri Ann Marsden and Bernie Wadsworth. Teri Ann was married to legendary Toronto sportscaster Pat Marsden, and Bernie was married to Mike Wadsworth who accomplished so much in his 60 short years it's almost too hard to comprehend.

Pat Marsden is a man I only met a couple of times and never really got to know, but like most people my age Pat Marsden was in my living room every night while I was growing up. He was sports director at CFTO for many years before getting fired, going to CFRB, retiring, then coming out of retirement and working at the Fan.

He died last year of lung cancer and he's sorely missed by Teri Ann and his children, but they can hold on to the image of a man who was larger than life and loved by everyone who knew him.

Bernie Wadsworth lost her husband Mike to bone cancer in the spring of 2004. In his short life Wadsworth attended the University of Notre Dame where he got his law degree, he played pro football with the Argonauts and then became one the best radio and television football analysts in Canada. If that wasn't enough, he became Canada's ambassador to Ireland before heading back to Notre Dame to become athletic director. And shortly before he died the way was cleared for him to become a judge. How's that for a resume?

Nobody was looking for sympathy yesterday but I have to be honest, I felt sorry for both women.
There they were at the seminar planning the rest of their lives alone because the men they loved had been scooped up by a cruel disease long before their time.

But I'll tell you, if it's possible for the deceased to look down upon their families both Pat Marsden and Mike Wadsworth feel pretty good today because both their wives are immensely proud of their legacies and that was beautifully conveyed yesterday.

Category: Stuff | Television

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the John Oakley Show on 640 Toronto. I listen most every morning and enjoy most every moment. All but Tuesday mornings after eight o'clock when he has somebody named Maggie Cassella on the show.

She's billed as a left wing lawyer, lesbian, comic, writer, anti- American actress. Which is fine, there's nothing wrong with multi-tasking, I just wish she'd tone it down a bit.

Having said that, I learned something from Maggie today. I learned that Anderson Cooper is gay. I'm sure that's what she said.

AC gay? I had no idea. It doesn't change anything and I'll still watch his show because you don't judge anyone by their sexual preference because that would be ignorant and intolerant, but I'm still surprised. Anderson Cooper is gay. I would never have guessed.

Category: Television

Well not quite live, but the images of Saddam Hussien's execution that have been made available to news agencies are still somewhat disturbing.

It's on a day like this that I'm proud of our way of life in North America. Granted, there are still pockets in the States that allow executions but having seen Saddam walk to the gallows really makes you wonder about the whole process.

It's barbaric and cruel and tough to watch and raises the question of what really constitutes justice. To be honest, I'm not totally "against" capital punishment because like a lot of people I get sucked up in the "eye for an eye" mentality.

Yet at the same time I think making somebody like Paul Bernardo sit in a jail cell for the rest of his life is a lot worse punishment than killing him. Death would be too easy for that bastard.

So I come away from watching the Saddam execution video with an uneasy feeling - he was a monster who killed far too many people - yet I wonder if killing him sends the wrong message.

Shouldn't we be better than Saddan Hussien?

Category: Television

It I really enjoyed my 36 inch SONY yesterday. I watched the Leafs beat Minnesota 4-3 last night, and yesterday afternoon I watched Team Canada beat Sweden at the World Juniors.

Like million of other Canadians, the World Juniors have become a Holiday Season staple for me. It's the perfect time to have a tournament that means so much.

If the World Juniors lack anything, they lack Paul Romanuk. It's been several years now since Romanuk made a Humble and Fred style decision and left TSN, but I still miss the guy.

There was something about those games and Paul's voice. I'd like to say "take nothing away from Gord Miller" who's replaced Romanuk, but I can't.

Compared to Romanuk, Miller is a play-by-play weakling. Sorry, but those are the facts.
Yesterday was almost bitter sweet. While I was watching the Junior game, I was thinking about Romanuk - and immediately after the game was over, I flipped over to Sportsnet and guess who was there.

Paul Romanuk was doing freelance duty at the Spengler Cup in Switzerland. It was nice to hear Paul, but let's be honest, nobody cares about the Spengler Cup.

It got my mind to thinking - wouldn't it be nice if just once a year TSN could forgive Romy for leaving and assign him to the World Juniors. Let Miller do the Spengler.

Category: Television

I saw the story announcing that Global has eliminated its entire sports department. Starting in late January they plan to plug into Rogers Sportsnet for their sports coverage during the supper time and late evening newscasts.

It means veteran Toronto sportscaster Don Martin gets the boot.

Too bad Donny, it happens to the best of us. Martin was there for 17 years delivering sports in that old style, old fashioned, this shit actually means something kind of way. Pretty boring I'd say.

If I sound a little bitter, I am. There are several little things that happen over ones career that you never forget, and one of mine dealt with Don Martin.

It was 1988 at the CBC studios on Jarvis St. I had just agreed to co-host The Sports Zone with BJ Del Conte. At the time the show as panned because it just a couple of guys sitting in easy chairs poking fun at pro sports, you know, like a million shows you see on cable networks today.

The Sports Zone was actually ahead of its time, but the old guard in Toronto wasn't ready for it and neither was Don Martin.

Turns out the half hour on Sunday nights at 11:30 was up for grabs and the sports department at CBC put a bid in for it and the entertainment department did the same.

Turns out the entertainment department got it, so what did they do, they came up with the idea for an off the wall sports show.

Needless to say the CBC sports guys hated the idea but the only contact I had with the CBC sports department was Don Martin, and this was the contact.

The night of the very first show I was in the studios and realized I had to drain the main vein so I headed for the washroom. Just as I was entering, Don Martin was exiting.

Feeling pretty good about being in the environment I was actually quite excited to see Don Martin so I said "Hi Don!"

Don replied "the intruder!", and he blew right past me like it was my fuckin' fault CBC created a show and hired me.

That was the only contact I ever had with Don Martin but believe me; over my career it did me no harm, although today I officially forgive him because I feel bad he got punted.

Category: Sports | Television

Nice piece about Michael Landsberg in the Sunday Star. Chris Zelkovich did one of those "Unplugged" features on Michael.

Hey man, don't get me wrong, Michael's a nice guy and you can't argue with the "success" of "Off The Record", but I've always been amused by the attention television gets over radio.

Especially when you look at the numbers. The average daily audience that "Off The Record" attracts across the country would get a Toronto radio morning man fired.

And don't I know it.

Category: Radio | Television

Spinning the radio dial on Tuesday, it seems the topic of the day was Cassie Campbell.

In case you didn't see or hear the hockey game on Saturday night, Cassie was a last minute replacement for Harry Neale on Hockey Night in Canada.

Cassie has had some casual work as a colour person on TSN women's hockey telecasts, but her experience is well short of what you'd think HNIC would demand.

But Harry was snowed-in in Buffalo and somebody within the CBC brain trust came up with the idea of using Cassie. After all, she was going to be in the building anyway doing some rink side reporting.

Cassie filled in and did a credible job under the circumstances - but the issue on a few talk shows yesterday was the post game reaction. Right off the bat she got some rave reviews, but once the dust settled it became the opinion of many that the positive reaction was more because she was a woman, and not because she did a good job.

In fact she was actually weak, and this led to another issue. Why would CBC put her in that position? Why would they take someone with her experience and throw her onto the ultimate Canadian stage.

I didn't see the game on Saturday night because I was at the game. But I look at it this way. First of all, who cares about her experience, it was only a hockey game for cryin' out loud and it was an experiment. Big deal.

However, I will say this. In a twisted example of gender inequity, I can confidently say a man with Cassie's experience would never have even been considered as a fill-in. Not for a second. Cassie got the break simply because she's a she. End of story.

Category: Radio | Television

It's interesting what's happened at Sportsnet. In case you didn't know or didn't hear, the sports network has had a change of direction (I love that term) and drastically reduced their hockey coverage.

Instead of Hockey Central being a nightly feature, it's been reduced to a weekly feature.

Among the casualties was Sportsnet news director Scott Morrison who just signed on with Hockey Night in Canada.

But here's the point. Sportsnet in my opinion, and in the opinion of many guys I know, had surpassed TSN in its hockey analysis. It was flat-out more entertaining.

Bill Watters, Nick Kypreos and Gord Stellick had their finger on the button people. It was a lot easier to watch, and a lot more informative than anything TSN had to offer.

Kypreos, who actually cut his teeth on the Humble and Fred Show was exceptional. He and Watters are so well connected the show simply had something to offer every night.

But ratings are ratings, and bean counters are bean counters and for those reasons it couldn't continue. And because of that, we all lose.

Category: Sports | Television

I arrived back in Brampton last night just in time to watch the Argo game. Talk about disaster. They stink. But I've said it all along; I don't think they're coached very well.

Like everybody else in Canada, I love Pinball Clemons and you can't measure the contribution he's made to the Argos, the CFL and the city of Toronto. I just don't think he's a very good coach.

But I'll tell you who is good. Elliotte Friedman. He's the new host of the CBC's CFL telecasts, and talk about an improvement.

He is so much better than Brian Williams in that capacity it's scary. When Williams made the move to TSN a couple of months ago, I wrote on this very site that I thought "the dean" of Canadian sportscasters was a little over-rated.

Friedman has proved that. Elliotte is smooth, and interesting and down to earth - three attributes that had escaped Brian Williams.

I don't know what was involved in William's departure from the CBC, although I do know at the time it was presented as a tragedy. The network was taking a big hit. I don't think so.

However, if the general consensus is that William's abrupt ending at the CBC was a mistake - then the old "Mother Corp" fell upwards.

Category: Television

Typical. Typical that so many have taken the opportunity to attack George Stroumboulopoulos, one of the nicest guys in broadcasting.

And I'm not talking about anything that's been said or written in the states - who gives a shit what they say.

I'm talking about the Canadian crap that's been written since Strombo's new show "The One" debuted on Tuesday night.

It's a funny country this Canada. Reading some of the stuff you'd swear most of the jerk offs who wrote it were hoping the show would bomb. Hoping that a young Canadian guy, who got the chance of a lifetime, would fall flat on his face.

It's a security thing I think. Most of the arsholes who are in a position to pass judgment, deep down, are jealous. They can only dream of picking up the phone one day and having their agent tell them to get on a plane to Los Angeles as soon as you can.

It's a call that 99.999 percent of us will never get, and unfortunately that drives some people nuts. Especially some of the weasels in the print media.

One guy who really blew me away was Steve Tilley of the Sun. Here's a guy that didn't give Strombo a break going in, or out. His entire column on Wednesday was some piece of crap about a nose ring, with a couple cheesy lines thrown in about the name Stroumboulopoulos.

And on the subject of the nose ring. Some think George sold out. Are you kidding me?

If any of the critics who claim George sold out had the same opportunity, they'd run over your back dashing to the airport. Every single one of them.

George Stroumboulopoulos did what any responsible, talented ambitious young man would do. He pursued an opportunity. An opportunity that could have, and still might, lead to a show business career in the States that could make him millions and millions of dollars.

George Stroumboulopoulos has nothing to be ashamed of. And if the show "The One" does not survive he should have no regrets.

George Stroumboulopoulos has already lived an experience the vast majority of us can only dream of. But for some reason in Canada, that doesn't impress people, it pisses them off.

Go figure

Category: Television