blogovich

On hiatus until August

Back week of Aug. 15.

Prime Minister Harper's (lack of) physical fitness

Hate to have to bring this up, but shouldn't the country be a bit concerned/raising the issue of, our Prime Minister's health/weight?

He's pretty hefty, as seen in the photo accompanying this story: http://www.therecord.com/news/canada/article/559966--hats-off-as-royal-couple-visits-calgary

I was shocked when I saw the photo in print today.

Harper has promised to bring in a fitness tax credit if/when the federal government balances its budget in 2015 and kudos to him for that. People that take the personal responsibility to work hard to stay healthy and fit should benefit in some way, tax-wise, for doing so and not further burdening our health care system. But shouldn't the PM be taking his own advice/looking in the mirror/setting a fitness example?

Nothing personal, nothing political, just saying. We need a healthy PM, do we not?

 

 

Brian Burke (and previous suits) is the best-known Toronto Maple Leaf. That's why the team is bad

When's the last time you read or heard a media story about the Toronto Maple Leafs that didn't mention their windbag general manager Brian Burke?

Never, right? Says it all about this franchise. The blowhard bully GM - not any player - is the team's superstar. Whether it's controversy about him being in Afghanistan visiting Canadian troops on the first day of possible signings of unrestricted free agents, his "principles'' (arguably to the detriment of building the team) about not signing restricted free agents to offer sheets , whatever the topic Burke - a commenter on the Globe and Mail website refers to him as the Bloviator and it's perfectly apropos - and whatever he says or does, hockey-related or not, dominates news about the Leafs.

Funny thing, too, about the Afghanistan issue (arguably much ado about nothing). After being questioned in print about it by Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons Burke told the National Post among other outlets that he wouldn't dignify the Sun column with a response. But he couldn't resist responding!

Obviously, a GM is in a position where he has to answer questions about his job, which is building and maintaining a team. But when he's essentially the only thing you ever read or hear about . . . doesn't say much for the team, or the job he's doing, does it?

It's not just Burke. And, yes, it's in at least some measure the media's fault. But this has been going on forever with the Leafs.  Even when they won Stanley Cups during the 1960s. Then, and he fostered this, it was all mostly about Punch Imlach, the coach and GM. Maybe a bit about Dave Keon, George Armstrong, Tim Horton etc. but mostly about Imlach. Then it was all about Harold Ballard, the zany owner. Then it was about Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the ownership group, and now it's all about Burke.

Sure, the occasional player like Darryl Sittler, Lanny McDonald, Borje Salming, Wendel Clark, Doug Gilmour and (this says even more) Tie Domi works their way in there, but it's always about 'suits' with the Leafs.

No wonder they've been generally lousy on the ice.

Blow to Clemens' ego even worse than possible jail time

Former pitcher Roger Clemens is on trial for lying about drug use. He could wind up behind bars.

But even that prospect won't hurt this self-absorbed individual more than this, from a propspective juror, today.

“If he were sitting there, I would not know who he was,” one woman said, as Clemens sat facing her about 15 feet away.

Given Clemens' outrageous ego, it's the funniest - and likely most hurtful to him - thing I've heard during the entire steroid era in baseball.