A Brief Look Back

Look, I'm not going to lie. As far as the sporting spectacle is concerned, aught nine was a fucking stinker. From the Canucks crap out, to the Jays hot start coupled with complete collapse, to the Riders' Grey Cup 13th Man fiasco, to the Roy trade. I mean Christ, even the Yanks took The Series.

Yup, as far as I'm concerned there's no need to lament these let downs any longer. Let the cosmic character builder that was 09 reside in the Maniwaki rear view. So if your drink of choice is champers, Crown or Canadian, tonight let's do it up and drink away the pain.

And then tomorrow onto the big 10. Here's to bigger, better and brighter. From the entire management and staff at the Maniwaki Press, Happy New Year.

And to end this year and decade, there really only is one word:

Yup.

The Slate

Woke up this morning at cousin Livvy's in Saskatoon. She flipped on the tube to CTV where Stevie Y and company were right down the street, reading off the roster. I was planted on my couch bed, just coming off the epic week long X-mas Sasky Sow Fest of 09. Had a cup of kipske. In a Canada mug. Was surrounded by family slowly creaking back to life, who could care less about hockey, especially Canadian Oly hockey. Snow sat on icy avenue I outside. Life was great. A Maniwaki Rockwell meat and cheese plate painting of how to mark such an historic event. Pure.

And so Steve rattled off the names to the applause of the hockey mad, red clad, Sasky locals. Myself included. Aside from a few questions I have for the national brass, I solidly stand behind this selection. Here's the rundown.

1. Holy Goalies. Look, no surprises here. It's Marty's job to lose. If it were up to me Fleury would be #2 and Captain Bob would be Raycrofting up on the Place De GM bench.

2. D-cisive. I like this Steve Yzerman character. He wants to win and wants to go with the players that are on fire regardless if they're Flames or not. The Doughty pick had me scraping my bacon off the ceiling. Love it. The fact that Bouwmeester was left off. Even better. Not only is he way over rated, the fact that I'm spared his absolutely inane interviews for the last half of February is reason enough to hail Yzerman a shrewd hockey mind. He has spared the national conscience.

A Niedermayer/Pronger renuinon? Love it. A full Chicago paring of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook? Agian. Love it.

3. Forward Advance. N'ary a thing to nitpick. I'm fine with trotting out hot lines. Thus Patty Marleau by default is ok by me. Sid, Jarome, Nash, Toews of course. What can you say? Looks good. Vinny and Marty St. Louis left in Tampa Bay? Great. Bergeron, Morrow and Staal, not totally sold, but can't say I hate these picks.

Unlike the World Junior team, I can say that this squad has my full and unconditional support. Good pickin'. Now lets get winnin'.

World Jr's X-Box Set To Very Easy

Wow. Hope your all enjoying the great tourney going on right now. Got your jersey on? Have you learned the new chant? Every time Canada scores does your heart swell to the size of the nation itself?

Thus far the official tally for Team Canada is 22 goals for and 0 against over two games. How sporting. Headed to Saskatoon tomorrow and I think I'm going to have to call up my buddy to see if he'll go for a stroll with me down Broadway. Maybe even will hit Midtown mall just for the hell of it.

Slovakia. I'm banking on you.

What?

Just when you think the Canucks are going to drop another one to a scrub team and slide down the West slate faster than a Whistler skeleton, Mason Raymond scores his first career hat trick against Calgary and the lads jump ahead of them in the standings.

What next a Swiss upset tomorrow against Canada? Here's hoping.

Tough Times On The Telly

I don't know what's more embarrassing. Star Trek V playing on Space right now, or the 13-0 score in the Canada/Latvia game, still on in the third.

I know we're playing at home (and it doesn't get more at home than Sasky hosting the World Juniors) and because of this locale, I figured I should at least attempt to rally round the flag for six straight. But even before the puck dropped in the first, I couldn't bring myself to go through with it. So therefore:

Despite the fact that this tourney is being played in our home barns, I am rooting like a wendigo for anyone that can give Canada a game and hopefully even beat them senseless.

Call me Benedict Brett Hull, I don't care.

Six straight World Junior Championships is just plain horse puckey. How does it grow the game in other nations? Answer. It doesn't. It makes lads in said countries turn to other sports like soccer. 13-0 is just plain poor form. Especially as a host nation. After 6 or 7 tallies you take your foot off the gas, goal differential be damned.

So for the next few days, I'm claiming Eastern Euro roots throwing my lot in behind Russia and Slovakia. But I'll also have no problem with the Swedes or even the Yanks taking this tourney.

Anyone who can stop us from becoming the Haley Wickenheiser All Stars.

Весёлого Рождества!

To paraphrase Tolkien:

"Those hobbits are only concerned with bottle and plate!"

Which when it comes down to it, is pretty sound advice. I'm taking the master fantasy scribe's words to heart, sipping on a PIL/Clamato concoction and cooking up enough deer sausage to get us through the rest of the holidays.

A happy birthday to The Skip as I'm sure he's Merrying it up in the Eastern Townships. And seeing as our heritage hails from the Motherland, Team Russia gave us a pretty wow present today as the Federation unveiled it's Oly roster, officially throwing the sweater into the pot. If this doesn't make for a great tourney, I don't know what would.

F

NHL:

Ovechkin
Semin
Malkin
Kovalchuk
Datsyuk
Maxim Afinogenov
Alexei Morozov

Motherland:

Danis Zaripov
Sergei Zinovyev
Viktor Kozlov
Alexander Radulov
Sergei Fedorov


D

NHL:

Andrei Markov
Anton Volchenkov Sergei Gonchar
Denis Grebeshkov
Fedor Tyutin (The Dangler says this guy is pretty desce. Great pick.)

Motherland:

Dmitry Kalinin
Konstantin Korneyev
Ilya Nikulin

G

All NHL:

Evgeni Nabokov
Ilya Bryzgalov
Semyon Varlamov

Merry X-Mas From Maniwaki Country

Just a quick note, before I delve head first into a plethora of perogies and PIL. As the Skip has made this cross country X-mas Eve jaunt a few times, going door to door from La Cabane to Grandma's, this mark's my first foray into the festive late innings. Apparently a nasty weather front is approaching so my approach might resemble Gandalf and the lads trying to climb that mountain. Hopefully the Great Northern Maniwaki Spirits will help me on my quest for kobass and pickles.

So with this in mind let's just invoke the words of the Great Vlad The Dad, "Have we got everything? Then may God Bless Our Journey."

So everyone out in Maniwaki country, take'r easy so's you can get to where we got to get. So the drinking and sowing can commence.

Merry, merry and happy happy.

A New Hope?

Ok, Anthopoulos, I'm listening. This is the kind of move I like. Perhaps with proper hurling coaching, and a slack, no pressure 2010 time table, Brandon M. will hit the hill as a starter right about the time Drabek is about to make his Big League transition.

Maybe, maybe not. But so far the new GM gets the benefit of the doubt. A month ago, I was screaming blue murder at the thought of yet another agonizing, futile rebuilding process. But since this is the path that has been drawn out, I can think of a worse comic book panel sequence to have unfolded thus far. A "young, controllable" fireballer, who has no pressure to be an ace, yet will be given every opportunity to be one is not a bad thing.

Now That's An Exit

Of course. What else would you expect?

The Late In The Year Ticker

Hey! This shitty decade is just about over. Let's start with some good news:

...Way to go Marty....now the undisputed all time shut out leader at 104. This is one of those records that's an absolute milestone. 45 years, and passing a legend in Sawchuk. Somehow there's a goal tending debate for the Olympics?....

....Brandon Blockbuster.... We just swapped Morrow for League? Oh my god. Am I actually starting to get the holiday spirit and feel all toasty and warm about the Jays front office? Until we find out who the other prospect is in the trade, we'll hold off on the hot toddies. Still though. Encouraging. Definitely encouraging...

...Fuck Off Haley...I almost might shell out the extra loonies and get tickets to the opening tilt against Slovakia. Just so I can root for a well deserved home ice upset after the poor, pummelling of the host country last Olympics... Do not underestimate my stock in this game...I honestly hope Gaborik and Chara show up in drag for this one....

Week 15. Fool Me Once, Shame On You. Fool Me Week 5389? Shame On Me...

Look, I'm not going to lie. There's been a lot of Bah Humbug floating around HQ lately, and lately I'm finding that I just want the calendar to flip to a new decade, as it will somehow reset the collective consciousness including my own small Matrix-node piece of real estate that resides within it. And as far as decades go, I want a real good one. Like the Roaring 20'. Complete with exciting new radio technologies, vibrant, mega- expansive Metropolises and multi racial jazz ignited parties that jitter until the wee hours. Opulence, decadence, intelligence, adventurousness and ultimately a new hopefulness.

The latter which I succumbed to about a week to early, as the challenge came across the bar tonight. Canucks vs the lowly Blues. Would I get suckered into betting 10 smackers for the home squad? When I knew in my femur that of course we'd cough up an easy one to the worst team in the west.

But no. Not this time. Perhaps things could change. Perhaps we could do the impossible and actually put together a solid 60 against the bottom feeding Blues that only beat us repeatedly when they're in the bottom quarter of the conference. God dammit, I was going to be my own Ghost Of Christmas Right Fucking Now and proudly place my ten bucks on the wood in a vote for the future. In a vote for the shiny new decade. In a vote for hope.

The result? Let's just say that a win tonight would vault us our of the nine spot and into the top eight. However the date on the calendar still reads 2009.

An "Abbreviated" Recap

One added thing that really sucks about the Doc trade is something that you're guaranteed not to read about in the mainstream sports feeds. And that is it's absolutely shitty timing. I haven't had a second to spare to actually weigh in on any of it with any weight.

So while I could ramble on all week, all year and all of the next decade, I will summarize my thoughts, analysis and inner most ruminations on this trade to end all trades. Extra extrapolations will most definitely pop up in these e-pages (and probably at the most random of times) in the aforementioned up coming time periods. For now:

1. Rebuilding Fucking Sucks. I tried to fight the bitter, bitter reality for as long as I could. Perhaps the bridge would be built and we could contend in 2010 like we were told. Perhaps the rotation would return with Doc at the helm. Vernon would find his swing again, and Snider would emerge as the other irreplaceable ROY on the team. In the end, Antholopolopoulous' assessment was one that you had to begrudgingly accept. Roy himself could not bring us back to October. We must adopt the Ray model.

2. The Other Offers. Some really great rumours twittered around the intraweb. The one that really had me on the edge of the Maniwaki couch was the Rays offering of Upton and their #2 prospect, hurler, Wade Davis. No doubt Doc nixed that one before the entire pitch was given. But for the sake of balancing the power in AL East, it would have really been compelling and made the Rays a legitimate player. Imagine all those Halladay losses to the Rays that would've been automatically erased. Imagine him at the helm of their young staff. If we couldn't do it, I almost wanted them to.

3. Speaking Of The Big Two. Fuck them. I'm so happy he didn't end up in pinstripes or pitching out of Fenway. It just would've been soooo wrong. I would've had to hang up my jersey until at least 2015.

3. However. Back to the other offers. The only player that truly excited me in a potential swap was one who was in the Hades farm system, Jesus Montero, en route to the Bronx.

4. The Twitter Matrix. What a tangled, tangled web that was woven by this trade. It completely engulfed me. With connectivity to anything and everything at unprecedented levels, I could not rip myself away from the raging rip of information. All I could do was go with it and try and swim parallel to the coast, wading in its waters the entire time. Christ, at times it almost felt like I was sitting at the table listening to the negotiations as they were lobbed back and forth.

And the rumours. On the last day, the flunked physical probably got more ratings than the John and Kate Plus Eight finale. By this point the my innards had been ground down to a fine paste. Twitter is an evil, evil, insidious technology.

5. Did We Get Enough? Really tough to say. As it is the prospect game and all. Will these three all become Evan Longoria, or will they be an Alexandre Daigle. Whatever their fate, one thing that is for certain is that we scooped up the creme of the Philly farm system. Well two of them at least. d'Arnaud I'm still not sold on. Drabek has a fortunate lineage (which I hope didnt' over inflate his worth) and Taylor's numbers pointed to him being the real deal. His immediate flip over to Oakland for Wallace was another twittered twist that helped sand down my spleen, but in the end it seemed like the right move as his bat is highly regarded. Moreso than Taylor's. Like one commenter stated, something to the effect of "I'm happy that we got a fat pig that crushes everything." After I picked myself off the floor in a fit of the guffaws, I was inclined to agree. Just get guys that can bomb.

6. AA's Rating? Well he certainly seems as schwarmy as JP. Like he should managing and East Side Mario's out in Mississauga. But at least he's proven that he's creative, patient and low key. The last bit being instrumental in pulling off this caper. I can only imagine him sitting in his Indianapolis suite like Don Corleone quietly assessing the offers as they were presented. While I, and of course everyone else thinks he could've and should've gotten more, the logistics of pulling this off in the twitter era was a feat unto itself. At least he's got a plan and is sticking to it. Quality over quantity, featuring the oft heard, "young controllable players." Put it like this. So far he's given me enough to give him at least the benefit of the doubt.

For now.

7. PS. Seattle Suddenly Means Business. If they land Jason Bay and dump Batista, sign me up for five road trips regardless if the Jays are playing or not.

8.PPS. Your 2010 WS Champs Featuring NL Cy Young Winner Roy Halladay, The Philadelphia Phillies. Yup.

So Long And Thanks For All The Class...

For now, let's not worry about the names that went, the prospects that were picked, the prospects that were flipped, the rumours, the secrecy, the twitters, the anticipation and the ultimate heartbreak. For now let's just talk the guy at the centre of this most epic of trades. For now, let's just talk about the man.

In the early part of this decade, my friend Mike and I often sat outside a very sketchy Blenz Coffee on Granville St and spouted off on many, many subjects ranging from punk rock to The Big Leagues. These topics of conversation were mulled over meticulously and debated in between the often interesting interruptions from some of the more colourful street folk.

One such subject was that of the then-infuriating hype surrounding two of the Jays young chuckers, Chris Carpenter and Roy Halladay. Jays broadcasts at the time routinely touted these two as future aces who possessed lights out stuff which was simmering and developing in the back of the rotation. Sure to surface soon.

Although I wasn't as tuned in to ball as I am now, every inning's work by these two that I did I watch, I was yet to find myself as enthusiastic. I waited. And watched. And waited. And saw nothing except for frequent trips to the mound by the manager, often resulting in many early hooks.

These quick exits fuelled many more "Guatamala Blend" hash overs and my compadre and I both agreed these two just weren't going to happen. The obviously blue biased broadcasters were just inflating the national Bridgestones, eager to give us hope that 92/93 would return soon. Eventually Carpenter got dealt and Doc got sent down to the minors. And we both didn't think a thing of it, and moved on to other subjects such as the merit of the year's Warped Tour headliners.

Now we all know what eventually happened. Both Halladay and Carpenter became Cy Young winners and perennial contenders. I, wronger than wrong in my assessment, joined the rest of Blue Jayville and became quite stoked that were at least able to keep such an emerging, dominant force. It's not like Cy Young awards were atypical for the Dome hurlers at the time, as Clemens had finished his tour, and Hentgen had hoisted one before that. But mild mannered and polite Doc Halladay, quietly, yet ferociously made us all stop in our sections and drop our programs.

He wasn't brash like Clemens. He didn't disappear off the radar like Hentgen did. He dusted himself off in the minors and got seemingly stronger every year. A contender for the Cy Young every year. Complete games that compounded by the season. The post game praise, routinely doled out by opposing managers, the Yanks and Red Sox most notably.

And this was just on the field. Around town there was charity work, there was community involvement. Never a whisper of scandal or ego. When contract time came around, he signed extensions well under market value while publicly backing management's "five year plan." True team player.

And to see him live. Good lord. Doc pitched the best ball game I've ever witnessed live in my entire life. And I've been to a ton with The Skip going back all the way to the Exhibition Stadium days. This match against the Mariners, in '06 was unbelievable. My compadres and I sat field level at Safeco, and watched Doc cut another patented gem to compliment the twelve run Jays bomb toss that also took place that night.
(featuring a very stately Sir John A. McDonald grand slam. Which I called in the fourth, ripped on Red Hook.) Phenomenal watching Doc constantly confuse the Seattle line up, seven in a row at one point, the Amtrack train whistling by every few innings while he worked. And while his actual line on the night (9 hits over 7 innings) wasn't his best work ever, for me and my squad, it might as well have been his magnum opus. Just a beast of a ball game.

The word, "class" gets lobbed around a lot as if it were between-inning warm up ball, but this guy really was the real deal. A true throwback and competitor. Look, you can't blame him for wanting to finally get a shot at winning a World Series. You can't blame the guy for at least wanting to pitch in October. When it became evident that Ricciardi's five year plan was growing exponentially (along with certain salaries) how could Doc not look elsewhere? And even as JP's Cirque Du Skydome - The 09 Trade Deadline, took center stage, Halladay still continued to take the high ground during the media mess even when he was thrown under a few TTC streetcars.

And that's what's the damdest shame of this entire story. Is that ideally Doc wanted to win here. In Toronto. In Canada. At home, in the Dome. And they couldn't bring him the bunting. During every interview that I saw during the summer, he always prefaced with something to the effect of "Ideally I'd like to win here in Toronto." I'm convinced that just one October appearance alone would've garnered another extension.

Never mind the "Level Of Excellence," the good Doctor brought an aura of respectability and even nobility to the team, that is reserved for the uppermost echelons. Halladay played hard for the Jays and pitched like every game like it was Game 7 of The World Series. And win or lose, we always left the mound and the stadium exuding the air of a player that had just won it all. As a Jays fan, as a baseball fan and as a sports fan, I can only say that watching Doc pitch regularly not only made for great baseball, it just made a good example. Of how to win. And how to do it the right way.

So, thanks Roy for your stunning years of service. Both in the Dome and out. If you end up getting that ring or if you don't, it doesn't matter as the effect and impact you've had on the city, the nation, the fans, and The Game itself, is already as good for baseball as can possibly be pitched.

The Quills Are Still Furiously Busy

Whilst there's a ton of stuff flying around, and it's pretty much a done deal, I'm reserving judgement until the ink's dried and it's officially official.

For now you can peruse the e-pages and believe the hype if you so do choose.

Breaking Blues

If this isn't adding to my already nasty hangover.

I can't watch. Yet, I can't turn away.

More. Later. Definitely.

Be Still My Beating Heart...

...as we had a plethora signings today.

1. Jose Bautista. Wow.

2. Joey Gathright. Please slow down.

3. John Buck. My god Alex, is there nothing you can't do?

At least that last inking actually had some merit as the signee's Hancock foreshadowes the Jays immediate future.

J-Bay. Big Proppy

J-Bay. Free agent. And not going back to Beantown. This I can live with. Even if he isn't signing with the Jays and making a run at 2010. (A Maniwaki fantasy tale at this point. Rivalling any JK Rowling series.)

I just have to give a guy that takes a pass on the big two, big props. And of course deem him, "Big Proppy." As the MLB machine, which twists up a massive seemingly inescapable vortex, enshrines that every major free agent spends an obligatory tour in the Nor' East of the US.

Look, we all dug 04. And 07 was a nice punctuation. But for all intents and purposes it's gotten to the point where 09 was just the logical extension to this two headed North East Beast. Had the Red Sox won instead of the Yanks, the same cosmic quota would have been filled. These two teams have in a sense become one entity. One enemy.

So yes, my hope is that Bay lands in Seattle. It would also be kind of swell if Seattle was able to retain Bedard and give that Victoria native, Michael Saunders, some regular at bats. Hell, we'd have pseudo Team Canada just a few hours away. Which would ensure a 5 game Maniwaki minimum for 2010.

And it would also help take at least bit of power away from the "monster-that-devours-all-talent."

Oh That Tiger...

Look, man I know you got pinched and all, and I know it must really suck to have your dirty laundry all over the interweb and talk shows and such. But come on. Don't you think you're over reacting a bit?

To be honest, I haven't really been following this "scandal" that much as I really don't think:

a. it's that shocking that the richest athlete on the planet has a couple of bitches in his blackberry.

b. it changes my opinion of him one bit. I don't watch golf. I don't follow golf. I don't play golf. But as a sports fan, what I saw of last year's US Open, was probably one of the most incredible athletic performances I've ever seen in my entire life. Both mentally and physically.

I mean can we all relax? You can't say that he's a bad guy. It's not like he's Mike Tyson or anything. Sure he's got some marital troubles, but hey, that's his biz. And really, I don't see why he just didn't just decline comment on the entire situation.

Honestly the most shocking thing about the whole tawdry affair is that the gals he had on his score card were of the very '80's porn star set. I wouldn't of thought that the billion dollar man would be parking his cart at the equivalent of Traci Lords' pad. Tiger you dog.

Winter Wrap

Ok, thank the Canadian Television Gods I had a looooonnng day today. Minimal meetings surfing which was relegated to my old motorola. Anyways, from the wire, it didn't seem like much was happening anyway aside from the Rays acquiring a Soriano not named Alfonso.

So after all the hubbub, kerfuffle, and fouffera, where do we really stand?

1. Roy Is Still A Jay. And thank fuck for that. Look, after all the talk and speculation, no one really had the horsehide to dole out the prospects AND the blue chips, which in my mind is the minimum buy in to get a seat at the table. Since when did the Yanks start giving a shit about their farm systems?

2. Baseball Needs A Salary Cap. We've all known this for a while. While the Curtis Granderson trade would be the show piece signing for most clubs for the next two years, it was really just a warm up for the rest of the Yanks' off season. Roy is still on their radar and by spring we could see him at camp fronting the rotation. Ahead of CC, Burnett and Pettitte. Fuck. (for anyone who thinks the luxury tax evens the playing field enough, just read the last two sentences again.)

3. Scott Boras Still Scares The Shit Out Of Clubs. The guy signs autographs at the Winter Meetings. The Jays won't sign any of his clients because they don't want to deal with him. And squads that do have to approach the table with a gallon of holy water, just to stave off the stench of brimstone.

4. The Economic Times Are Still Uncertain. Hey Barack! Never mind trying to shift to a greener 21st Century economy, just fix this shit so teams can sign some serious free agents and not over value their young talent.

Christ, talk about much ado about nothing...

Jacked In

Ok, this is getting ridiculous. Somebody please unplug me. I'm drowning. Please. For the love of god. Throw me a life preserver. A piece of old driftwood from the Beachcombers. Anything. I can't stop. This damn feed just keeps rolling and rolling and rolling. Sucking me back in every few minutes

It's like that enormous wave that put me through the spin cycle in Maui. The one that held me under for what seemed like minutes, finally spitting me out. Only to have another one come crashing down immediately. I was never so happy to reach the beach.

So. Whilst the turbulent waters of the winter meetings are still churning, let's see what went on Day 2. And hope that I can tear myself away from this devil box long enough to make it to make through a long day in movie land.

1. The Yank, the Yanks, the Yanks. Of course they landed one of my favourite players in The Bigs, Curtis Granderson. Of course they're still in the hunt for Halladay. Of course they'll probably reel him in as well, shortsing Anthopolous and the rest of us in the process, giving us a drunk Joba Chamberlain and Kate Hudson's autograph.

2. We Got A Little Too Cozy With Milton Bradley. Yeah it was looking like the Jays had been dressed up in a trench coat and fedora by the media, as the "mystery team" that was involved with the Cubbies for the volatile outfielder. Thank god that one got shot down. Hell, if we're giving up Halladay and picking up Bradley, I was bracing for inquiries/offers to be made for Jose Guillen and Elijah Dukes as well.

3. Kevin Milwood. If you don't have the bucks, prospects and Florida training complex to throw at Roy, or the bucks for John Lackey, why not roll the dice with Kevin Millwood? Hey, Team Maniwaki did last year to astonishing rave reviews.

more...so much more...

Weighing In On Winter

Man it's even cold here in usually temperate Van. Aside from the lack of snow it pretty much resembles any other Canadian city. Sunny skies shine down on our frigid skips to work. Christmas carols blare over department store speakers as people frantically line up for that last pair of red Olympic mittens. Here at HQ we've stocked up on Cold FX, oil of oregano and pretty much every other root, seed and amphibian organ in hopes of warding of Old Man H1N1.

Apparently in Indy, things are progressing slowly. Some minor moves have been made, whilst the media moans and groans that they're in the midwest. Twitterfeed. You're getting expense accounts and front row seats to watch one of the greatest sporting cirque's this side of Vegas. Quit bitching, eat that bison/brie and cracker combo and get me the scoop on the Holliday, Halladay and Granderson!

Ok, whilst Pettitte did ink another pinstripe on his uni yesterday, some other major players are still waiting in the wings. Let's take a peek at some of the shit floating around.

1. Tampa Roy? Although both camps are denying this doozy, the Rays apparently Choated up by offering the first legitimate deal for the ace and face of the franchise. BJ Upton and #2 prospect, pitcher Wade Davis. The thinking is that Roy boy can still reside in Florida, be close to his fam all season and contend.

As for myself this is the first offer I've seen that doesn't want to make me shit in my mouth. Actually far from it. The upsides to Upton are many. His bat, his speed, his post season performance...Downsides. Well, he had an off year last year, hitting only .245 and he's certainly nowhere near Halladay's class in the class department, showing occasional glints of Jose Guillen or Milton Bradley. However, he's not a free agent until 2012 and cost a whopping four hundred grand last year. Packaged with a top pitching prospect and a guy has got to take notice at least.

2. The Yanks Want It All. They want their vets. They want to keep their young guns in the system. They want their payroll under control. They want Halladay. They want Granderson. They want another 26 World Series. I want to party with Megan Fox and entourage on a jet en route the south of France with a million Euros thrown in for good measure.

3. So Does Boston. Theo what happened? At one point you flew to Curt's house, had a din din, and brought home the first Series Banner in 87 years. Now you're not willing to fork over a pitcher who wants to be a short stop for only, say....the best pitcher in baseball? Come on. Tampa's making you look bad. Again.

4. Some NL Central Shit I Don't Really Care About. Brad Penny signs with the Cards.

5. Some NL East Shit I Care Even Less About. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.

6. Some AL West Shit I'm Actually Keeping An Eye On. Never mind Figgy jumping from Anaheim to Seattle. The M's have got some cash to drop, and while they're denying a deal with J-Bay, I won't be convinced until he officially suits up for another squad. If the Jays jettison Roy for the Sox/Yanks ridiculous asking price, and Bay ends up in Safeco, you can bet I'm good for five trips south of the border in 2010.

Thank god these meetings only go for four days. You honestly might see me on the next episode of Intervention.

Warning: Disconnection Could Result In Shock

Ok, don't get me wrong, I love the digitial age. Cell phones, text messages, youtube, you name it. However lately I have been feeling awash in the plethora of tweets, facebook updates, ticker lines and various other e-droplets that form this massive digital tidal wave.

Truth be told, I have found myself drifting off on more than one occasion, making plans to eventually move back to the ranch in Sasky, fortifying it, eventually turning it into a millitary style compound to survive the coming sentience of Skynet. Enough. I don't care what rehab facility Lindsay Lohan is tweeting from. I don't care if you just baked a tray delicious cookies that are cooling on your counter. I don't need to know that you're on the verge of divorce and I certainly don't need to see pictures of in vitro of your yet to be born son or daughter. (No kidding.)


What happened to simpler times? In the old days poor old Tiger wouldn't have gotten pinched. He'd be sipping Hennesy with Ron Artest. He'd probably win the tourney, half in the bag anyways as Artest booted around the back nine in the golf cart, rattling off rhymes for his latest disc. And it would be much more entertaining than seeing Tiger squirm while attempting to purchase a Dungeions and Dragons style cloak of media invisibility. I don't even think that he has that many gold pieces.

So. Despite all this, I must confess that I am about to do a complete backside 180 over the gap by revealing the new Matrix style node that I will be jacked into for the next four days straight. Yes, the Season is upon us. Roy is on the block. And the MLB Winter Meetings Have Begun.

For the next 96 hours, you can probably find me right here as well as home at HQ.

Week 13. And We Don't Care!!!

Halladay blah, blah, blah...Favre, Belichick, Brady blah, blah, blah....Ahhh fuck it. Never mind team meetings and sports psychologists and "back to basics" approaches. Sometimes just a dose of nihilistic, original anarcho fuelled mayhem is the perfect prescription.

What A Shitty Day

Not just in Maniwaki country, but everywhere else. Lets' survey the landscape:

1. Shut The Fuck Up JP. How long has it been since you got turfed? Definitely not six months. Then why are you chiming in on the already messed up Halladay situation? Haven't you done enough? How are you helping at this point? Do you think that vilifying Rogers is going to get you another job? You're not even qualified to manage a little league team, and if I see you at the diamonds in Whalley, I'll call the cops.

2. Poor, Poor Portland. I'm sorry. I'll quit bitching about my fantasy teams. Portland fans really have it rougher than most. You've got one team. And that team has caused so much heartbreak over the years. I'm almost happy that you didn't get the Expos. Would you want an injured Strasburg to go along with your finished Oden?

3. Canucks vs. The Shittiest Team In The League. Once a Canuck, always a Canuck.

Your Final Answer?

Re: Allan Iverson. I know the camps are split decisively in two. For. And Against. Maniwaki definitely rides into battle in the FORmer battalion. I just love this guy.

NHL Notes From The North. Sort Of.

All Canadian squads are on the road tonight. Let's see who did what:

1. We Don't Suck! Captain Bob rebounded from an absolutely shit first period yesterday, to scoreless for the following five, as he shut out Philly tonight 3-0. Extra point to Bieksa for landing a first punch against Jeff Carter in their tilt. If it were a Karate tourney, that oyazuki would've definitely garnered him the ippon.

2. Toronto Doesn't Suck!!! Back a few weeks ago the lads and I were watching the Leafs/Caps. "If T.O. wins this game all of their problems are solved," I tabled, even upping the ante with, "They'll even make the playoffs." And I'm sticking to it. Yup. 4 - 2 since with tonight's result 6-3 over the Jackets.

3. Edmonton Doesn't Suck Either!!! As they nixed their nasty losing spell knocking off Detroit 4-1. And how about that Patty O'Sullivan with two goals? A little foreshadowing...

4. Montreal Sucks!!!! And I'll tell you why. Pick a goalie. Just pick one already.

5. So Does Ottawa! Yeah, but they played the up and coming LA Kings, rife with Young Guns. So much so that Lou Diamond Phillips and Emilio Estevez are spinning in their graves. What they're still kicking you say? How about that Drew Doughty with the tie breaker. Cue foreshadowing shot of his Sherwood....

6. Calgary Doesn't Suck But Still Lost. Why because they had to face ex-Canuck Taylor fucking Pyatt that's why.

7. Team Maniwaki Doesn't Suck!!! As all I've seen are player's names digitally tattooed all over the TSN tonight. Plenty of points courtesy of O'Sullivan, Doughty, and... Jason Blake!??? One thing I have come to accept though. I am destined to play this entire season without one week of a full, healthy slate. Just picked up Teemu on the weekend. Yup.

Turn Back Ye Who Would Set Us Back...

Ok, so looking at some of the offers out there for Roy. And while I stand steadfast in my demands that the Jays stick to their story and do what they said they were going to do, namely compete in 2010, I've got to at least take a peek at who's out there as the front office is hellbent on imploding on a scale on par with "black hole singularity."

And while we can still see beyond the imminent event horizon, the only player that semi interests me is this Jesus guy. Hey if I'm to survive cosmic collapse then I want a guy named Jesus in the space ark as well. While his play behind the plate, seems to need some work, his work at the plate is apparently light years ahead. I can work with this. Especially after watching the AL MVP award get handed out this year.

The Yanks apparently are offering Phil Hughes (mildly interesting as well, as his 09 numbers are encouraging), Joba Chamberlain (not so much so. An over rated John Rocker waiting to happen) and Austin Jackson (who hit .300 in AAA last year with, count'em 4 bombs. whatevs...)

Up the I-90, the Red Sox are rumoured to be offering Clay Buchholz (whose 2-9 record in 08 and completely undazzling 7-4 in 09 makes me laugh at Theo as if he were headlining Comic Relief) and top prospect Casey Kelley (who's apparently an amazing hurler, but would rather play short stop. Too bad he can't hit worth a shit.) So all Theo's got for the best pitcher in baseball is the most hyped pitcher in baseball, and a guy who has the potential to be the best pitcher in baseball, but would rather settle for to be a low rent defensive short stop with no power. (hmmm....maybe Kelly would fit into the Jays plans perfectly.)

So after looking at these initial pitches for the best pitcher in baseball, does anything really jump out at you off the showroom floor? Me neither. We've gone from having to be "blown away" with a deal to even consider a move, to basically handing over the corner stone of our organization, to one of the Big Two, who happen to be in our division, for the equivalent of Clay Bucholz or Joba Chamberlain.

While I realize that the wheels are in motion, and the rebuilding model is being displayed on the Jays flip board, I still pose this question to the front office. How much tweaking would this roster need to seriously compete in 2010?

Starting Rotation:

1. Doc
2. The Bat Boy
3. Rookie Romero
4. Marcum
5. McGowan

Starting Nine:

1B Overbay
2B Hill
SS Gonzalez/McDonald (i know, i know...)
3B Edwin Encarnacion (look i said i know!!)
LF Lind
CF Wells
RF Snider

DH Where did this guy come from?

Does this really look like all is lost? Does it look like there's no hope? Does it make us look like the Orioles or the Pirates? No it does not. No way, Jose Valverde. The most pressing issue of course is the hot corner, which in today's thin, thin crop of free agents, does pose a problem.

However, I'm sure if AA were to shift his attention from giving away Roy to finally shoring up a shortstop, he would fare much better than JP did. And I would feel much more secure, as a Jays fan, seeing the already hesitant, rookie boss, make his first big splash by making any other deal than oh...say...the biggest trade in baseball this offseason.

And what about this guy? An Overbay trade could potentially make room for him.

To sum up, 2009 was seen as a bridge year to 2010 right from spring training. The high hopes of a hot start and the clownish antics of a clownish GM made it seem from a performance standpoint, even worse than what it was originally pegged to be. And yes, we all bemoaned it. I griped. You griped. We all griped at shitty, shitty, shitty 09. But if we deal Roy within the Division for basically nothing, we are ensured to have at least another decade of shitty seasons.

To reiterate, repost, rehash and ultimately refute the current course of action by the Jays front office:

Keep Halladay a Jay in 2010. If we're out of it in July, trade him at the deadline out of the division. Or take the picks at free agency. Then rebuild. It's either that:

...or it's this.

Tuesday Morning Quarterback

Yesterday night TSN said that they'd give all Riders fans an early Christmas present by not running Duval's second attempt, Grey Cup clinching kick on the "Plays Of The Week."

A microscopically small consolation. But I'll take what I can get.

Having witnessed Superbowl XLIII and David Tyree's law of physics bending catch, I wondered how insanely excruciating it must have been to be a Pats fan watching that gut grinding final minute. But now I know. Holy smokes, the only thing I could say to myself was, "How did this happen?"

It started as I picked up myself off the bar floor and uncurled myself from the clenching my innards as I was certain they were about to explode. I, along with the rest Riders Nation, jumped in jubilation when I saw Duval's initial kick shank out. And then the voices came from behind me. Nope. Penalty flags.

And we all know the rest.

Now while the field goal (kicked with 0:00) left in regulation was an eery cosmic counterpoint to the legendaryGrey Cup 77, the reality is that the Riders blew this game from the fourth quarter on. Never mind the 13th man, who it was or if it was Gainer the fucking Gopher himself.

In the fourth, we had just come off a great drive, and practically ran the ball what seemed like the length of the full 110, making it 27-11. We seemed invincible. However, my internal alarm bells starting going off when Montreal responded with a great run of their own and. for two points.

That conversion, I submit to the network brass, was the TSN turning point.

And then the wagon wheels just flew off. Montreal receivers morphed into Nightcrawler from the X-Men as they seemingly teleported away from the Sasky defence. Nary a block to be seen. And when the Riders finally did grab a hold of one, said receiver suddenly turned into the incredible Hulk. At one point I think I saw an Allouet casually drag two Riders, whilst singing the classic French song.

It was absurd. Even Durant was starting to get rattled, making hasty throws, even tossing a few interceptions. Not that the defence could provide an answer for the Allouets. And Calvillo. Holy fuck. When the camera caught a glimpse of him in the first, he looked like he wanted the Mcmahon turf to swallow him up. But each quarter he looked more and more confident. By the fourth he was practically Don Corleone.

In the fourth, he played the Sasky defence like a fiddle at a cabaret. Splitting them up, running the ball himself. Scarier and scarier. By the time lobbed the second TD of the quarter to make it 27-25, I had practically shit in my mouth. It was only a matter of time.

And that god dammed Damon Duval! This idiot is going to go down as the hero of the already infamous 97th Grey Cup. The same kicker that in the first half, punted the ball straight into the Roughrider D, and MISSED THE FIRST FIELD GOAL ATTEMPT TO WIN IT. I COULD'VE MADE THAT KICK GIVEN ENOUGH TRIES!!!

Yeah, the unlucky thirteenth facilitated the extra boot, but in the end, a coaching gaffe was just the proverbial cherry on top of the pile of cow puckey that was the fourth quarter.

But gotta hand it to the organization. Refusing to give up the name of the extra attacker, instead taking the loss together. And I've never seen a squad, in any league, in any sport face their fans after a crushing title loss like that. And good old Sasky fans. True Green to the end to show up and still support.

So yeah, while TSN has provided a bit of relief for one of the most heart breaking games I've ever witnessed, I can't even think of how kids in Canora and Kamsack and Watrous and Lanigan and everywhere took it. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them are still crying.

A week's reprieve from this ugly, bitter, shocking loss, is appreciated. As we'll undoubtedly have to relive the defeat in many different forms, from future sports blunders retrospectives to barbs over beer, for the next 97 Grey Cups at least.