They Are Giving Him What ?!?!?!

The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be a much improved
NHL team next season...Lemme see...they paid Darcy Tucker
9 million dollars to turn in his jersey...he promptly cashed
in his freedom for another 4.5 million to play in Colorado.
Colorado also picked up a goalie from the smouldering
ashes of the Leafs of 07/08 to whom the Leafs paid a
working man's career earnings to take a hike. Kyle Wellwood
found a home and near million dollar one year contract
in Vancouver and the Leafs have spent another King's
ransom replacing their expensive spare parts with the
spare parts of others...the Leafs are typical of the 29
NHL Teams that are not the Detroit Red Wings.
In the absence of any answers - do something to make it
look like you are building a contender...I'm guessing with
the exception of Tampa Bay and maybe Pittsburgh most
teams are investing heavily in make-up to hide their embarassment
for having no clue how to build a machine to counter the
mega beast in Detroit....sad times...sadder still that we will
continue to watch and some will even continue to pay to
attend NHL games...Something struck me watching the
madness of Free Agency that struck July 1st.
Now even fringe players are signing multi million dollar
contracts based on a single good season - or even a marginal
season. What the hell was the NHL lockout about just a
couple of years ago..Salary Cap ??? In the blink of an eye
NHL teams are paying their players more than they were
when the owners shut it all down in an effort to rein in their
own blind, stupid spending. Clearly the NHL is not going to
alter it's approach until it's in ruin.
The NHL, Major League Baseball, Football, Basketball...
They are all nuts ! They have gone berserk !
It's not sports - it's entertainment...the same thing is happening
in the entertainment industry. Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Jim
Carrey all Hollywood icons...sorry...tens of millions of dollars per
movie ?
In a society where healthcare was free for everyone, the aged
were well taken care of, education was turning out sophisticated
and capable career people ( who didn't owe $ 50 - $ 100 thousand
in student loans ) and our streets and highways, and infrastructure
were well maintained, I would have no problem paying our
entertainers handsomely.
Sports and Entertainment are a sad reflection on the state of our
society.
I beleive most people - I will say Canadians have thrown their
collective hands in the air in surrender feeling completely
powerless to influence our direction. We are completely out of
touch with our government - to the same degree as our government
is completely out of touch with us. Our government spends
the majority of our tax dollars not helping us - but playing an
intricate shell game - creating and funding useless institutions
with billion dollar budgets that represent the government's
own unique currency passed from the hands of one politician
to another...
The vast majority of our politicians - I'm reluctant to use political
leaders - I suspect honestly think they are on a noble quest.
But playing the game long ago eclipsed functioning in an
environment with links to the values upon which western
cultures and certainly North American society is based.
Maybe not yet...but soon..." The Times They Are A Changing "
We turn this thing around and right the ship or we will crash upon
the rocks of the shore as surely as the ill-informed of our ancestors
just a short few hundred years ago...
Do you ever watch Austin City Limits on PBS Saturday nights ?
John Prine was featured back in April...I was never a huge fan
back in his hay day but I've got to tell you...watch for a repeat
performance. How could you not like songs entitled " Crazy As A
Loon" and "Some Humans Ain't Human." He's nearly as cynical
as I am...
British Open coming up next week...can't wait...
Till next time....bless.