Random thoughts

So again, I haven't posted anything in awhile (maybe I should just stop saying that), frankly because there's been too much depressing shit going on.

Like I've said before, I typically couldn't care less when celebrities die, sure it's sad, but most of them haven't affected my life in any way. The past few weeks have been different. I've gone over the impact of Michael Jackson's death, but two other people stand out.

If you're a fan of NFL football, you know who Steve McNair was. Simply put, the man was a warrior on the field. Much like Michael Jackson paved the way for many black musicians, McNair did the same for not only black quarterbacks, but also an inspiration for players from small schools like Alcorn State with dreams of one day playing in the NFL, regardless of where they came from. In the year that the Titans were the AFC Champions, McNair was so battered with injuries that he couldn't even participate in practices. He toughed it out every week leading his team one yard short of winning the Super Bowl. Regardless of his personal life, it doesn't change the incredible player that he was and I hope that's what he's remembered for.



George Stroumboulopoulos: "Martin Streek (and David Bookman) are so important to this city, what they do for music ... Streek when he’s on the radio... quality wins. They believe in music. They are the snipers waiting by the window keeping everyone on their game. Because their music knowledge is impeccable, their passion is unrivaled and they’re not afraid to tell you. They understand how important a record can be to your life."

I'll admit that I rarely listened to Martin during live-to-air broadcasts on the Edge because I'm not really a big fan of the format. However, I'll never forget how Martin hosted the Thursday 30. Catching up on whatever was new, whatever was current, and the ground breakers with what personally I think was one of the best voices in radio was something I looked forward to every Thursday night. I'm sad to say that I never did take up his weekly invitation to everyone to swing on by the studio for some free Pizza Pizza and wings, but I wish I had now, if not just to meet the guy.



R.I.P Martin Streek, you will be missed.

Anyways, enough of the depressing stuff. The Home Run Derby is on right now. It'll help me momentarily forget about how much the Jays fucking blow right now. This is my pick to win the thing:



P.S. What is with this fucking garbage strike that's dominating the news lately? Do we really wanna turn into Buffalo?

Rome wasn't built in a day...

All of you calling for Brian Burke's head need to chill the fuck out. So he didn't sign the Sedins, Cammalerri, or Gaborik. A lot of other teams didn't either. I know every Toronto Maple Leafs fan is jonesing for the playoffs but in case you forgot that's not the goal for the upcoming season. We don't exactly have the cap room either even if it was. We're rebuilding right now, and I'm actually glad that we are. We haven't gone on a legitimate playoff run since 2002 and after 6 years (okay I'll give you 5 because of the lockout) of early exits from the post-season, or going on pointless runs down the stretch to try to squeak into the playoffs (resulting in a shitty draft spot), I'm glad management finally decides that we need to start over. It's the second year of the rebuilding project and the first off-season run by Brian Burke. He has a Stanley Cup on his resume, something this city hasn't seen since Lester B. Pearson was the Prime Minister (I couldn't think of anything else that happened in 1967, Expo '67 maybe?), so he's not stupid. If you need an example, look no farther than the 2009 Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. From the 2001-2002 season to the 2005-2006 season, the Penguins were beyond awful. The team was in serious financial troubles too (something we'll never have to worry about in Toronto), but the very next season they qualified for the playoffs. They lost in the first round, the next year they made the finals, and the season after that they were hoisting the Stanley Cup. Over all those years, they turned their horrible regular seasons into high draft picks, adding other players along the way.

So if you want to see the team sign some big name goal scorer (who'd come here now anyway?) and watch the the team either miss or just get into the playoffs and get bounced quickly by a better team, then I guess you have a good reason to complain.