NHL scores, CFL fumbles, MLB walks
A few thoughts for the weekend:
For someone who originally remarked, “Who cares?” when it was announced that hockey and basketball were returning in an abridged format, I’m now starting to get into it.
Hockey in July. Who would have ever thought, except for obsessed hockey parents who sign their kids up for spring leagues?
Of the four major sporting leagues, I always considered the NHL to be the weakest in terms of organization, promotions and overall quality decisions from the head office.
But, with the COVID pandemic, the NHL is doing things right with the “player bubble” and two Canadian host cities.
No COVID outbreaks in hockey — touch wood. Kudos to them.
Baseball, because it involves travelling, seems to be cancelling more games than they’re playing.
As for the Canadian Football
League asking the federal government for a huge bailout, it still puzzles me why they can’t shut everything down, lock the doors and resume in another year or two.
If the CFL were to fold, Canadians would lose a time-honoured tradition, but there is an alternative that’s exciting and features mostly homegrown talent — the Canadian University Athletic Association.
Everyone, media included, seems to ignore university football until Vanier Cup weekend.
It’s not the NCAA, but still pretty darn good.
I spent a few days in Alberta during the holiday weekend catching up with a friend.
I wore my mask at every gas station and fast-food place (next to the clerks, I think I was often the only one wearing one.)
From Banff to Kelowna, the highways were packed.
Worth noting: I was driving a vehicle with B.C. plates and nobody harassed me or tried to sabotage my car.
The way I judge whether an album is truly great is the quality of the songs that weren’t released as singles. Think of:
• Rumours
• Band on the Run
• The Stranger,
• Exile on Main Street
• Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
• Sgt. Pepper (the latter didn’t release any 45 records to radio)
Now, compare these with other great artists such as Hall & Oates, Duran Duran, Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow and even The Bee Gees.
The first group offered non-stop consistency, the others a lot of great radio hits that we loved, but tons of filler.
Here’s a great playlist:
• The Chain
• Mrs. Vanderbilt
• Vienna, Shake Your Hips
• All the Young Girls Love Alice
• A Day in the Life.
None were ‘A’ sides.
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In my opinion, the anti-mask, COVID conspiracy theorists who picketed Kelowna media outlets this week have received too much media play, but the one thing I took exception to was a picket sign: “Jail Bonnie Henry.”
Ever since Trump supporters began the “Lock her up” chant during the 2016 presidential campaign, anyone who offers an opinion that’s contrary is recommended for jail time.
An old journalism instructor taught me long ago that it’s OK to be critical of a person’s ideas, but never the person.