Remembering the Misery and Pain

TORONTO (Jan. 7) — I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease 50 years ago this afternoon (Jan. 7, 1976) at Toronto General Hospital. Diagnostics and immediate treatment for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) has changed for the better since that time. For… Read More

Explaining The Win Over New Jersey

TORONTO (Jan. 1) — The Maple Leafs came up with their biggest victory of the season on Tuesday night, blanking the New Jersey Devils, 4–0, at Scotiabank Arena. Clearly, it couldn’t have happened without major contributions from the big–money boys… Read More

Burke Discusses the Doddering Leafs

TORONTO (Dec. 25) — I begin tonight by sincerely hoping that everyone on board here enjoyed a merry Christmas; a quiet, pleasant day replete with treasured family time and lots of love. As I perused YouTube late in the afternoon,… Read More

Should Treliving Continue as GM?

TORONTO (Dec. 22) — With the Maple Leafs, three days before Christmas, sitting but three points above last place in the National Hockey League standings, it is fair to wonder whether the battery of general manager Brad Treliving and coach… Read More

Sadly, Unfairly, It’s Berube’s Time

TORONTO (Dec. 19) — The “Coach Killers” will strike again. Very soon. It says here that Peter DeBoer will replace Craig Berube behind the bench of the Toronto Maple Leafs, perhaps as early as next week. It will be far–less… Read More

Poor Berube Was Wasting His Breath

TORONTO (Dec. 14) — Honest to God, what could he say? For one of the few times in his career with the Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews chose to make himself uvavailable to reporters on Saturday night. After making himself unavailable… Read More

The Leafs Take a Casual Pass — Again

TORONTO (Dec. 13) — For the first time in the modern history of the National Hockey League, the second–best defenseman on the planet came up for trade. Naturally, Quinn Hughes landed someplace other than here: the lazy, never–assume–risk world of… Read More

Shhhh… The Leafs Are Winning

TORONTO (Dec. 6) — Fans of the Maple Leafs have often accused media of wanting the team to lose. Which makes little sense today given the calamitous cross–pollination of media and team ownership. Watch a full episode of Kyper and … Read More

Let’s Give Max Domi a Break

TORONTO (Nov. 22) — Yeah, I get it. The Maple Leafs, in this city, are more important than family, health and religion. But, let’s try, momentarily, to reel in some perspective. After every game in this National Hockey League season… Read More

The Leafs Are Deathly Stale

TORONTO (Nov. 10) — Hello again. Pardon the lengthy span between blogs, but I’m a new father. Nothing biological; too late for that. Instead, a little puppy came into my life on Halloween… and I named her “Pumpkin.” Original, huh?… Read More

These Blue Jays Are Clearly Unique

TORONTO (Oct. 24) — I don’t know if the Blue Jays are sound enough to overcome the defending–champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, which begins tonight here in town. Part of me says the Dodgers are too deep… Read More

The Blue Jays Will Romp Tonight, 7–2

TORONTO (Oct. 20) — In sports, as in life, an opportunity lost can bite you hard. That’s what the Seattle Mariners are facing tonight in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series at Rogers Centre. With all of Blue… Read More

For Schneider, It’s Russian Roulette

TORONTO (Oct. 18) — A Guinness world record was established early Saturday by baseball folks here in Canada: Most geniuses born in one night. Blue Jays manager John Schneider got devoured and expectorated by the local and national media for… Read More

Absurd Managing By Schneider

TORONTO (Oct. 5) — For their manager’s sake, the Blue Jays had best wrap up this American League Division Series in the minimum three games. Which was all but a certainty until a screw popped loose in John Schneider’s brain.… Read More

Is Benevolent Edward Going Batty?

TORONTO (Oct. 2) — Here’s hoping that Baroness Rogers is keeping close watch on husband, Ed the Conqueror. A couple of notifications from One Mount Pleasant Road suggested that Edward may have contracted an illness. First, it was announced that… Read More

Recalling Encounters With Fame

TORONTO (Sep. 27) — Given that I traveled extensively during my radio career (1988–2011), mostly while covering the Maple Leafs, home and away, for 17 seasons, I encountered many famous sports people. Often by chance. Frequently while flying from city… Read More

Johnston Shows Strong Leadership

TORONTO (Sep. 22) — From such an old Canadian Football League fogie as myself, I’m impressed by the fundamental alterations announced today. CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston showed iron balls in venturing where none of his recent predecessors would. Everything in… Read More

Leafs Still Missing Two Key Elements

TORONTO (Sep. 18) — Training camp in the National Hockey League is a time of whimsical hope. Invariably, players speak the same language — almost to a word — when encountering the media on Day 1 of the annual slog.… Read More