NHL? Non, non, silly... TDF!

I read an article yesterday that got me pretty excited. Steve Bauer is putting together a mostly Canadian cycling team capable of competing at the highest levels, and he is quite ready to poach hockey players to do it. He was one, after all. He and the SpiderTech racing team, however, need big fat sponsors to get from where they are to where they want to be.

As a recreational and commuting cyclist of the non-club variety, I have never taken much of an interest in competitive cycling. The idea of luring hockey players into the kooky world of professional cycling, however, makes me want to. I mean, a Canadian team in the TDF? Holy crap! I would be all over that!

Can you imagine what kind of impact a pro cycling team composed of former hockey players could have on a sport that describes any kind of shoving or pushing or punching as "fisticuffs"? Don't get me wrong. I want to see a Canadian pro cycling team that plays by the rules and competes well. I would also like to see how free any of these dudes would be with their fists (or slapping hands, or whatever) if their opponent was a Canadian hockey player (retired).

I hereby need to see a top tier Canadian pro cycling team come to fruition and am writing emails to some bloggers who have actual audiences hoping they will help beat the drum. Wish us Canucks luck!

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Are You #%^&1n' Kiddin' Me #5

Sometimes news coverage just makes me want to scream. I don't mind a little fluff or human interest stuff, but the chosen lead stories sometimes leave me really angry. Thankfully here in Canada we have the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). Far from perfect, at least CBC News usually leads off with something that might matter to thinking people.

Global News Toronto, on the other hand, often makes rather different calls. This was their lead story on the late news last night.

 

Here are the top stories, in order:

1) School Piercing Ban (long)

2) Man Dead In House Fire (very short)

3) Ottawa Relaxing Airport Security (Somewhat Longish)

4) Cairo / Egypt / Mubarak / Journalist Suppression (really long)

Perhaps they have a policy of starting with Local news, then National, then International. That's cool. But how and why does a girl getting kicked out of class for a dress code violation trump a fatal house fire, or anything else? How is that News? I mean, Are You #%^&1n' Kiddin' Me? Next I guess they will do a four part series on what some teenagers are hiding in their lockers. For the record, the four parts should cover booze, smokes, drugs and lurid bikini photos. Shocking. It's just shocking.

I guess I shouldn't expect much from a News Provider that puts issues up on Twitter and then reports on air what all the insightful people out on the Internets have to say about it. I guess it is just a natural extension of the "man on the street" interview, but those bug me too. Why the hell would I want the opinion of some joker who gets stopped on the street over an expert who might enlighten me in some way? If I wanted to hear people's personal and random and oh so human opinions, I would start a stupid blog or something or at least read other people's stupid blogs. I mean, sheesh!

Yer pal,

R A N T W I C K