TORONTO (July 10) — I was casually scrolling through Facebook the other day when I came upon a terribly distraught woman — her face etched in sorrow; tears welling in her eyes. Out of morbid curiosity, I clicked on the video image, expecting to learn that she’d lost a close relative or friend. Instead, the lady directed her anguish at Rogers Communications, a day after the heartless, cut–throat conglomerate chose to destroy more lives and careers; mothballing, without notice, radio stations in Kitchener, Ont., Calgary and Vancouver — the latter two, all–sports entities with rightsholder agreements in the National Hockey League and Canadian Football League.

It happened just like that. Just like always in the disgusting Canadian media industry, dominated by Ed the Conqueror and rival Bell Canada, which sponsors a therapeutic “Let’s Talk” day each January and then rips the soul from unsuspecting employees that have young families and mortgages. The hypocrisy is glaring and cruel.

But, the distressed woman… she wasn’t ranting, raving or spewing obscenities. Rather, she appeared genuinely hurt — lamenting those who lost their livelihoods without warning; several of whom she knew. “I honestly do not understand how a profit–rich, communications empire can pay someone half–a–billion dollars to play baseball, but cannot withstand the economics of the communications industry,” the lady wondered. “Isn’t Rogers precisely that: a media giant that serves TV viewers and radio listeners across the land? Why not invest more capital in these affiliates rather than quitting on them and destroying careers? It is so merciless. My heart breaks for these people.”

Though authentic with concern, the woman could have saved her breath.

ED ROGERS (LEFT) AND TONY STAFFIERI: RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTINUOUS AND APPALLING CONTRACTION OF THE INDUSRY IN WHICH THEY RESIDE: MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS.

Rogers and Bell do not give a rat’s ass about how Canadiens feel about them… or how many Canadians they indirectly ruin. The “Let’s Talk” campaign is sadly a ruse given the “petty cash” jobs that Bell eliminates each year.

And, yes, the contract awarded by the Blue Jays (100% controlled by Rogers) to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in April 2025 (14 seasons/$500 million) has become a tragic comedy, belying the “need” to penny pinch elsewhere.

Never in the recorded annals of pro sport in Toronto has an “elite” athlete fallen so entirely and pathetically off the rails. The subject has been underplayed by local media, which seems as stunned and exasperated as those who buy tickets and watch on TV. As we approach the Major League all–star break, more than $35 million this season has been invested in a “power” hitter with a measly five home runs (roughly $7 million a shot); none of which have occurred on the home field of Rogers Centre. Think about that: the Jays are averaging more than 40,000 fans and not a single paying pair of eyes has seen Vladdy go deep since last year’s playoff run. He’s plummeted from national hero on the cusp of the World Series to an overpaid bum that has evidently forgotten how to play the game.

Or, doesn’t particularly care to play the game as he once did.

Watch him casually jog toward first base after hitting another futile ground ball. If he’s injured, get him the hell off the field; out of our sight. Otherwise, Guerrero Jr. has become calamitous at the plate; a Double–A–quality batter.

The fire that raged toward the end of last season isn’t even smouldering anymore. It has been extinguished.

So, yeah, unless you’re a torrid baseball fan — a disillusioned one if you follow the Blue Jays — there is no congruence between a $40,000–a–year radio employee and a baseball player who pulls in $216,049 for every game of the schedule, whether or not he participates. If a company can accommodate the latter, it should be able to withstand the former — many times over. But, not in the immoral and ruthless corporate world, where entities such as Rogers and Bell grovel for wireless patronage only to stick the shiv into the same people. That’s what happens in a country that still favors protectionism. Choices remain severely limited. Rogers and Bell are literally shoved down our throats. Until we begin to gag. If we never again had to hear or read the company names, there’d be nationwide ecstacy. But, good luck with that, given the existence of Rogers Centre (Toronto), Rogers Stadium (North York), Rogers Place (Edmonton), Rogers Arena (Vancouver), the Bell Centre (Montreal) and a dozen or so smaller venues I’ve either forgotten or never heard of. There is no escaping the daily impact and repercussion of Ed the Conqueror and his minions. Whether they devastate your family by needlessly shuddering a place of employment. Or, gouge the bile out of fans and ticket buyers that have suffered for six decades with the bumbling Maple Leafs.

It is the most–deplorable and distasteful manner of conducting business.

But, they get away with it — every hour of every day.

PRESS PASS STORIES — Part 1

It’s been so long, sometimes even I wonder if it truly happened: the still–remarkable realization of a boyhood dream — to cover the Toronto Maple Leafs as a reporter, home and away. Just like my hockey idols in the local media: Frank Orr, John Iaboni, Jim Kernaghan, Rex MacLeod, Dan Proudfoot, James Christie. And, as I’ve been told, similar to the illusion of friends and family that veered in different, more–lucrative directions. But, never had a quarter the blast that I experienced while working, for 23 years, as a reporter at The FAN–590, Canada’s first all–sports radio station. It really happened… that pipe–dream of covering the Leafs. Actually, whatever I’d fancied as a kid involved newspaper reporting; I neither ventured toward nor considered talking for a living. So much for best laid plans. But, no complaints here. For 17 hockey seasons (1993–94 to 2009–10), I had the best media gig in the city. Hands down. Following the Maple Leafs all over North America (and abroad) with a tape recorder… and a critical eye. The latter, hardly conventional on radio, which was (and still is) known for broadcast rights and boosterism; in the case of the Maple Leafs, outright ownership (by Rogers). So, I ruffled a few feathers along the way. Which wouldn’t be encouraged in the cross–pollination of team and corporate media. But, neither would I change a thing. I followed through — with perseverance and a dollop of good fortune — on precisely my boyhhod “plan.”

Thankfully, I still have tons of evidence.

Not the least of which are media credentials issued by the three Toronto sports teams: the Maple Leafs, Blue Jays and Argonauts. And, press passes to such big events as the Stanley Cup final, the Grey Cup and the World Series. The latter credentials reside in the pages of giant, cardboard scrapbooks from the Blue Jays championship years of 1992 and 1993. Same for the 1982 and 1983 Argonauts, which made it to the Grey Cup; winning the latter match, in Vancouver, for the club’s first Canadian football title in 31 seasons. Many other credentials, however, remain in a large bag of such items that I’m pleased to share with you today. For example, my first three Leafs passes (above) on behalf of International Sports Properties, the company that published game–programs for the Leafs and Winnipeg Jets… and all nine teams in the CFL. I later added GOAL Magazine to my profile, with the privilege of writing many stories (between 1982 and 1988) for the National Hockey League’s official publication.

But, there was more in that bag…

Changing faces and varying weight (look how fat I was in 1995), these were the Leafs–issued credentials early in my radio career (which began on May 30, 1988 and ended June 1, 2011). Bob Stellick was the club’s director of media relations. The Leafs brought in Cliff Fletcher and acquired Doug Gilmour from Calgary in 1991–92. Then made it to the Stanley Cup semifinals in 1993 and 1994. The 1995–96 season is a difficult memory as I lost my mom to cancer in January.

Also issued, by the NHL, were league–wide passes (above), which allowed entry to all arenas and games during the regular schedule, providing arrangements were made with the corresponding media relations staff. In many ways, these were redundant given that the Leafs always put me on the visiting media list for out–of–town games. They were mostly helpful for off–day practices and morning skates, during (or after) which game credentials were handed out.

Eight years of Toronto Blue Jays media credentials (above), beginning in 1987 — one season before starting my radio career — when I filed live updates to Oldies–108 in Hamilton with the legendary (now deceased) Rockin’ Robin McMillan. It led, indirectly, to my hiring by CJCL AM–1430 the following spring. We became The FAN–1430 in September 1992, just before the Blue Jays won their first of consecutive World Series titles. My first big assignment was to cover spring training in 1989 (credential below). After that season, I traveled to Oakland for Games 1 and 2 of the American League Championship Series. The A’s mauled the Blue Jays in five. The 1994 media pass coincided with the players’ strike and cancellation of the playoffs and World Series.

As the Blue Jays were gunning for the 1992 American League East Division title (and, ultimately, their first World Series championship), The FAN–1430 sent me to Baltimore (above) to cover a late–September series. The memory is still difficult as my maternal grandfather, Alec Robins, died during the Sep. 22 match. What a terrible phonecall to receive in the Camden Yards press box.

After the excitement of the first Major League All–Star game in Toronto (July 1991), I was dispatched to San Diego (left) for the 1992 event… and old Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh (at right) for 1994. Almost scored an interview with George Bush Sr. at the “Murph”, but the United States president had to attend a pre–game function. He actually apologized to me.

These were lean years for the Toronto Argonauts (above), in the wake of the 1991 Grey Cup victory over Calgary that featured Notre Dame speedster Rocket Ismail. For four seasons, starting in 1992, the Boatmen struggled. It all changed, however, when Don Matthews returned as coach and Doug Flutie joined the club from Calgary. In 1996 (below), the Argos went 15–3 and narrowly defeated Edmonton in the Grey Cup snowstorm at old Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton. It was a joyous summer as we awaited the arrival (in December) of our first child: my son, Shane. He came around 11 nights after the championship triumph over the Eskimos.

 

That ’96 Hamilton Grey Cup (at right, above) was among seven Canadian Football League championships I covered for radio. Others were in 1988 (Ottawa), 1989 (SkyDome, Toronto), 1991 (at left, when Ismail and the Argos prevailed over Calgary in the bone cold of Winnipeg); 1994 (middle, above) in Vancouver when the hometown B.C. Lions defeated Baltimore on a last–play field goal by Lui Passaglia. I then went to hockey, full time, but covered the Argonauts 2004 Grey Cup triumph over B.C. at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa during the NHL season lost to labor strife.

 
On a February 1990 trip with my radio pal, Chris Mayberry, we took in four NHL games in 30 hours. We drove to Boston on Friday and saw the Bruins and Islanders the following afternoon at the old Garden. After which we hurried to the car for our trek south to Hartford and the Whalers–Leafs game at night (credential above). For whatever reason, Bill Watters couldn’t make that trip and I wound up doing color with Joe Bowen on our radio broadcast from the Civic Center. It was the first of four–such nights I worked alongside the great Bowensie. Chris and I drove from Hartford to New York early on Sunday. We saw the Rangers–Calgary matinee at Madison Square Garden then drove to Philadelphia for the Flyers–Penguins evening match at the Spectrum.