TORONTO (Mar. 28) — Now we know why that poor senior citizen got thrown out of the Blue Jays’ season opener on Thursday afternoon: He wasn’t a Donald Trump lackey. Unlike Edward Rogers, the individual that owns the stadium and the baseball team, who visited Mar–a–Lago with his family on May 4, 2021 — nearly four months after the outgoing president incited anarchy at the United States Capitol in which five people lost their lives. Still, that did not dissuade the soon–to–be King of Toronto sport from posing with Trump at his sprawling resort in Palm Beach, Fla. Suzanne Rogers made a big fuss over the ostentatious environment and evidently clicked with Trump.

Soon, Edward, Suzanne and the kids (Edward III and Jack) were gathering for a group shot (below).

Canada’s ‘fashion fairy godmother’ Suzanne Rogers was cancelled in her country after posting a picture of herself and family with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
Suzanne married Edward Rogers in 2006. Edward, who is the heir to Rogers telecom and owns the Toronto Blue Jays, is worth about $11.57 billion.
Suzanne posted a photo with Donald Trump on Instagram but quickly deleted it.
It was screenshotted and quickly made its way around the Internet.
‘People in Canada hate (Trump) … It’s image suicide,’ a Canadian insider said.

About the man who wore a red cap to the Blue Jays opener, with the inscription CANADA IS NOT FOR SALE. From the Toronto Sun: Etobicoke resident and longtime Blue Jays fan Dan Begley was “escorted out of the stadium by two big security guards” during Thursday afternoon’s game against the Baltimore Orioles due to his choice of headwear, according a report by CP24. After spending roughly an hour and a half in the stadium with the hat on, he said he was approached by an usher who politely told him that it’s in contravention of their “rule against political statements.” A one–sided doctrine, for sure, given King Eddie’s man–crush on Trump. Which detonated all over the Rogers family in the long shadow of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. Once embroiled in the inevitable backlash at home, Suzanne erased her family photo quicker than her husband can hike tariffs at Scotiabank Arena.

Still, the message was unmistakable: King Edward and his family weren’t at all hesitant in cozying up to the autocrat that tried to overthrow the United States Constitution. By intimidating his vice–president (Mike Pence) to engage in unconstitutional activity with results of the 2020 general election, won by Democratic rival Joe Biden. Somehow, the confused and conflicted citizens of America accorded Trump a second term in the White House. This time, with nary a future vote to secure. Today, he is one military operation shy of annexing Canada the way the Nazis overthrew Poland in 1939. Isn’t it comforting to know that the man who will soon hoard 75% of the Maple Leafs is a MAGA figure? And, we’re told, a fairly regular visitor to the Donald’s golf estate on the Atlantic?

Would it be a stretch, therefore, to anticipate King Eddie offering fellow Trump acolyte Wayne Gretzky a position with MLSE? Perhaps taking over the presedential chair occupied by Brendan Shanahan for the past decade? Stranger stuff has happened (such as No. 99 being traded in his biological prime from Edmonton to Los Angeles). What a final challenge for The Great One: solving the interminable riddle of the Maple Leafs and the Stanley Cup.

Maybe King Edward will order a re–design of the current Maple Leafs uniform — adding red to the long–time color scheme of blue and white. Followed by re–naming his club the America North Maple Leafs. Hey, anything is possible once starstruck by the dangerous lunatic in charge of the world’s most–powerful nation. If King Ed and family, who would you rather have on your side: Donald Trump… or the saps that keep filling your hockey, basketball and baseball arenas? The choice is easy: become a traitor. No one will cease watching the Leafs. Or, paying $150 for a baseball ticket and the privilege of scarfing down weiners for two bucks. Forget the local losers. Much better to brown–nose at the “revenge” president’s opulent golf resort… even as he threatens to steal your home land.

Yup, this is the wonderful chap that will own three–quarters of the mighty Leafs logo. Starting this summer. Can you imagine what’s in store for the Leaf pundits on Sportsnet? If you chuckle, today, at the absurd fandom of website scrawler Luke Fox — or late–afternoon radio/TV co–host Justin Bourne — wait until King Eddie doubles his stake in the parent company. You’ll no longer hear or read a balanced, critical appraisal of the Blue and White. Even commentary that sounds impartial will be viewed through the prism of majority ownership in the hockey club.

From my perspective, the most–destructive conflict–of–interest in Canadian media history.

In the meantime, keep filling Eddie’s sports palaces.

Those private jets between Toronto and Palm Beach aren’t cheap.

EMAIL: HOWARDLBERGER@GMAIL.COM