Howard Berger

Marchand Is Still Toronto’s “Daddy”

TORONTO (Nov. 4) — It happens every year… like clockwork. The same arena; the same opponent; the same player; the same result; the same reaction. No one in the modern history of the National Hockey League has gotten under the… Read More

My Pal Stormin’ Norm Rumack

TORONTO (Oct. 30) — There is no way to sugarcoat, embellish or minimize what I’m about to say. So, here it is: On three occasions in the past month, my great friend and former FAN–590 colleague, Stormin’ Norm Rumack, has… Read More

Leafs Blew The Wrong Load

TORONTO (Oct. 28) — The headline to this blog is neither pornographic nor suggestive. It does, however, reflect my long–held opinion that the Toronto Maple Leafs should have traded Auston Matthews before July 1 of this year, rather than binding… Read More

The Leafs Have Been Abandoned

TORONTO (Oct. 22) — It has not happened in the modern history of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Until now. Never before have the Leafs embarked on a five–game road trip without print–media representation. As occurred for the first two matches… Read More

McCown Is Discouraged, Frustrated

TORONTO (Oct. 14) — It was back on June 15, a lifetime ago for Bob McCown, that our country’s most–celebrated sports radio and TV host suffered an ischemic stroke while recording his daily podcast. Four months later, the Bobcat is… Read More

Blue Jays/Leafs are Wickedly Similar

TORONTO (Oct. 12) — I’m starting to think the Blue Jays and Maple Leafs have a blood pact: See no evil; speak no evil; extol the virtues of a good regular season; paper over concerns about repeatedly choking in the… Read More

Ross Atkins Had No Chance

TORONTO (Oct. 8) — I wonder if Ross Atkins truly felt he could pull it off? Sitting, yesterday, in a room full of reporters and columnists smelling blood, did the general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays actually think that… Read More

Toronto Sports Wishes Came True

TORONTO (Oct. 4) — The moral of the story is simple and somewhat a cliché: Be careful what you wish for. Moments after the Maple Leafs kind of fluked their way to a playoff elimination of the Tampa Bay Lightning,… Read More

Give Cowan Some Breathing Room

TORONTO (Sep. 28) — Evidently, there is no further space for a bronze statue along Legends Row. Too bad. If not, Easton Cowan would likely be joining Dave Keon, Tim Horton, Johnny Bower, Darryl Sittler and the others outside the… Read More

Truthfully, the Leafs Are Scared

TORONTO (Sep. 22) — Training camp opened on Wednesday for the Toronto Maple Leafs with players and staff offering the same, tired assurances. To wit: Our team is different than its predecessors… the new additions claiming they signed in Toronto… Read More

Leafs Fans: There’s A Pro in Buffalo

TORONTO (Sep. 13) — For a few moments, Monday night, it seemed as if nothing worse had ever happened in New York on Sep. 11. Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers — late of the Green Bay Packers and making his much–ballyhooed… Read More

Keep An Eye on Klingberg

TORONTO (Sep. 10) — In a season with virtually the same story lines for the Toronto Maple Leafs, a surprising narrative may evolve. It’s only a hunch, but I can see a healthy John Klingberg putting up career numbers on… Read More

Asset Management… or Insanity?

TORONTO (Aug. 27) — Yes, the Maple Leafs have hitched their wagon to Auston Matthews for another five years. Which is, assuredly, a good thing for the club — between October and April. But, the waste of money ($53 million)… Read More

Leafs/Auston Are All Talk, No Action

TORONTO (Aug. 21) — Logically, there are only two factors that would induce Auston Matthews to sign a National Hockey League contract extension before next July: a) he cannot fathom dressing for any other team but the Toronto Maple Leafs.… Read More

COVID Killed The Radio Stars

TORONTO (Aug. 5) — There is no reasonable excuse for such a billion–dollar company as Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment to stay cheap with its broadcasting arm. This is a money machine that can easily ensure its four major teams… Read More

Murray Sustains Timely Ailment

TORONTO (July 27) — So, we wonder: How did it happen? How did goaltender Matt Murray, cleared by the medical staff of the Toronto Maple Leafs prior to the Stanley Cup playoff series against Florida, wind up on Long Term… Read More

The Leafs Are Still Soul–less

TORONTO (July 22) — It’s going to require a maverick… a general manager with gonads the size of medicine balls… an executive possessing unlimited belief and self–esteem… one that doesn’t give a flying fu** what others think and say about… Read More

The Ron MacLean Phenomenon

TORONTO (July 19) — I can tell you, without equivocation, that you’ll never meet a nicer, more cordial and pleasant backstabber than Ron MacLean. The first three adjectives are mine; the latter, a non–stop, prodigious and largely inexplicable sentiment amid… Read More