The Air Canada Centre in Toronto and the entrance to Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment which is located there.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Whew. Where to begin? I'm already giddy at the prospect of how much Rogers is going to charge me to download the Leafs "50 years without Stanley app" into the computer chip I'll doubtless have embedded behind my left ear at that point.
Seriously; when it rains it monsoons. That was a crazy 24 hours in the Canadian sports universe and beyond. The news Wednesday that the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan - Teachers - is/was/maybe in talks to sell their controlling interest in MLSE was a BIG story. And after a lot of frantic reporting from all corners I'm not sure anyone can say they know for sure what is going to happen, but there's this: It's going to riveting to follow; it's going to affect millions and millions of fans; it could very well see the creation of one of the largest sports media empires on the planet.
And that's not all! We have Taylor Hall getting booed in Montreal; the Canucks routing the Flames; Dany Heatley returning to Ottawa and LeBron to Cleveland; Raptors rookie Ed Davis making his NBA debut; and Anthony Calvillo promising to return to the Als.
On to the links:
It's not about the money:
• The primary problem with the story that Rogers is in talks to buy MLSE from Teachers is this, as the Globe's ROB team point out: Teachers says they talked in the summer but discussions have since stalled.
• One thing I feel stronger about than ever having interviewed several people close to MLSE and to chairman Larry Tanenbaum is that he does not want to sell and would try to buy out Teachers himself and thus become the majority owner.
• Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun managed to talk to Tanenbaum last night, if briefly, and the MLSE chairman also threw cold water on the idea that MLSE will be sold to Rogers any time soon.
• However; as Stephen Brunt points out; the idea of Rogers owning MLSE almost makes too much sense for it not to happen.
• You know who is shuddering at the prospect of a Rogers-owned MLSE? Don Cherry's tailor. A Rogers-owned MLSE would drastically change the sports media landscape and could very well spell the end of Hockey Night in Canada.
• Bruce Arthur of the National Post makes the case that Rogers buying MLSE from Teachers would mean business as usual for fans; and we know how that goes.
You can never go home again:
Okay. One guy killed his best friend while speeding in his Ferrari; accepted a $4-million bonus and then forced his way out of town when things got a little tough -- for the second time, no less. And the other guy the fans really hate.
• The first guy is of course Dany Heatley and he makes his return to Ottawa tonight for the first time as a San Jose Shark. Roy MacGregor points out that he may be hated; but he's missed.
• The second is LeBron James, who takes his talents back to Lake Erie tonight as the Miami Heat visit the Cleveland Cavaliers. There is a volume of coverage out there; but this feature about what happens to a struggling town when it loses a star of James' wattage comes highly recommended.
Canadian teams, A Division:
• How wild is this: Mason Raymond, a Calgary native scores a hat-trick for the Canucks the second-straight time he plays in his hometown. Vancouver is rolling, people.
• After his emotional admission Sunday night regarding his thyroid problem; Als quarterback Anthony Calvillo sounds a lot more upbeat about football and his future.
• Montreal Canadiens fans are a discriminating lot, so no surprise they know enough to boo the Edmonton Oilers Taylor Hall as Edmonton beat the Habs at home 4-3 OT. Hall didn't score but had nine shots and ran the Habs captain Brian Gionta as he's beginning to show why he was a No.1 pick.
Canadian teams B Division
• The Leafs top line is a top line in name only, as they can't score; they aren't working hard and Phil Kessel is playing like he can't take the pressure.
Is it just me or do the Calgary Flames just not feel like playing for that sourpuss Sutter? Something ain't right there as they're getting blown out a lot. Duhatschek notes that at one point Sutter put out five defenceman on the power play. Yup; embarrassing guys always works.
Youth will be served:
• Raptors rookie Ed Davis turned some heads in his first NBA game; managing 11 points and six rebounds in 24 minutes; a nice diversion from the news that Reggie Evans will be out for two months after foot surgery.
• New Raptor Jeryld Bayless blogs about feeling at home in Toronto. Fine. His real qualities as a blogger will be tested one day when he's not feeling so at home.
You will be missed, Pt. II:
• Lovely story on friendship by Eric Duhatschek on the passing of Jim Kelley.