“If Fred has shown us anything in the 4½ seasons he has been with us, it’s that he has a tremendous ability to gather himself when he may not be playing to the standard that he sets for himself. I … Read More
TORONTO (Mar. 16) — It’s odd, all this chatter in Leafs land about goaltending. According to flag–wavers in the mainstream Toronto media, this was not supposed to be an issue. The sub–par performance by Frederik Andersen in the abbreviated regular… Read More
TORONTO (Mar. 15) — He had to run. God’s voice of hockey here in Canada for two generations. Understandably, of course. At 87 years of age, if offered a COVID–19 vaccine, you go for it. Quickly. “How are you, Howard?”… Read More
TORONTO (Mar. 9) — This story and this blog is about the man who provides the soundtrack of sports on television in Canada. You know, instantly, that I’m referring to Chris Cuthbert; or C.C. as those in the industry call… Read More
TORONTO (Mar. 6) — With the exception, perhaps, of Harry Neale, he was the most–complete and informative analyst in the history of hockey on television. Certainly, here in Canada, though many good voices have resided south of the border (John… Read More
TORONTO (Mar. 3) — Amid the gloom and despair in the Canadian sports media industry, there’s been a triumphant story: the return of Mike Wilner. Increasingly a staple, from 2014 to 2020, on radio broadcasts of the Toronto Blue Jays,… Read More
TORONTO (Mar. 1) — Norm Rumack remembers the unmistakable feeling of doom.
It was June 23, 2009. Early morning on a Tuesday. The night before, while en route to a promotional appearance near Toronto Pearson Airport, he’d gotten an email… Read More
TORONTO (Feb. 28) — If the old saying “the numbers don’t lie” relates to the Toronto Maple Leafs, 2021 could be quite a year for the franchise with the longest Stanley Cup drought. The figures atop the National Hockey League’s… Read More
TORONTO (Feb. 26) — For years, we have known that Canada’s two communication leviathans, Bell and Rogers, compete as cable, Internet and sports media providers. They copulate only as 75 percent co–squires of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment… and only… Read More
TORONTO (Feb. 20) — I worked in radio with Bob McCown for the better part of a quarter–century. And, though we were never buddy–buddy, it wasn’t unusual for us to chat until we had nothing left to say. Particularly in… Read More
TORONTO (Feb. 18) — How does it happen? What converts a fundamentally normal human being into a seething blob of despair when the Toronto Maple Leafs spit up a 5–2, third–period lead against the Ottawa Senators? How does such an… Read More
TORONTO (Feb. 15) — It was Apr. 27, 2006 and I felt sorrowful.
While in my hotel room at Le Centre Sheraton in Montreal, covering Games 3 and 4 of the Canadiens–Carolina playoff series for The FAN–590, I called Jim… Read More
TORONTO (Feb. 13) — It should come as no surprise that the people sacrificed in the Bell Media bloodletting this week want the blood of their employers. Having lived through a not–for–cause termination by Rogers nearly a decade ago, I… Read More
TORONTO (Feb. 9) — After Bell Canada carved its media division by randomly firing more than 200 people last week, I restrained from drawing the hypocritic parallel between the company’s “Let’s Talk” initiative and its immolation of employees. But, no… Read More
TORONTO (Feb. 8) — During the first month of the pandemic–shortened National Hockey League season, forward Wayne Simmonds of the Toronto Maple Leafs might have been the best of all free agent acquisitions. He was doing more for the club… Read More
Clowns to the left of me; Jokers to the right…
— Gerry Rafferty, 1973
TORONTO (Feb. 5) — Yes, I am biased and no, the communications industry is not alone in destroying careers. But, neither would Bell Canada be extinct… Read More
TORONTO (Feb. 3) — Imagine the Toronto Maple Leafs, in the early 1970’s, with Ken Dryden and Gerry Cheevers playing goal. With Bobby Orr, Brad Park, Borje Salming, Ian Turnbull and Pat Stapleton on defense; Dave Keon, Garry Unger, Darryl… Read More
TORONTO (Feb. 1) — It was a few hours before the 2011 National Hockey League draft and I was sitting next to Jim Gregory on a bus outside the Minneapolis Marriott. The former Leafs general manager was battling cancer and… Read More
I’ve been wrong about Dinwiddie
The Leafs Are Great — Today
Bizarre Football Day At The CNE
The Leafs Look Bored — Already
Watch, Admire… and Remember
My Father And Sports
Maybe The Veteran Stuff Will Help
When Your Hero Is No More
Bobcat, Wilbur and the Trial Balloon
It’s Impossible To Predict The Leafs
Toronto Sun Closes Leaf Comments
Dinwiddie Loses Game For The Argos
God Help Fans Of The Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs Are Drug–Addicted
Craig and the Core–4: Hmmm…
Only Pinball Can Save The Argos
How Does Life Go On?
Are The Penguins Pursuing Marner?
They Ambushed The Staff at CHML-900
What About Those Jerseys, Keith?
CFL Command Centre Needs Overhaul
Marner Is Going Nowhere
How Much More Can Be Expected?
There’s No Hope For the Blue Jays
How close we came to Zapruder–2
Toronto Sport Has Gone to the Pits
Damien Was Only Half–Right
Solid Day’s Work by Treliving, But…
Edmonton Is Toronto’s Daddy
Pelley’s Integrity At Stake – Already
The Morning After: May 3, 1967
You Think Marner Is The Problem?
We’re a Bush League Sports Town
So, What Is Mitch Thinking?