By no means am I going to win any popularity contests in Winnipeg with what I'm about to suggest. I'm going to offer an opinion, and not invent "sources" (my one shot at Gary Lawless for the day) to substantiate what I'm going to say, and hopefully after someone reads this, they will tell me if there is a legal basis one way or the other. It is merely speculation on my part of what could happen in the Phoenix Coyotes/Glendale/Relocation to Winnipeg fiasco.
Before I start, I want to qualify, I was one of the biggest Winnipeg Jets fans in the late 80's to mid 90's. Dale Hawerchuk was my favorite player, Bob Essensa was my favorite goalie, and Teemu Selanne to this day exemplifies how a first class professional athlete should conduct himself. Curt Keilback was my idol, Kris King was in my opinion a perfect captain, Dallas Drake was as solid of power forward as there was. Teppo Numminen was the most under-rated defenseman, Dave Ellett had the most important goal in the history of the NHL, and Stephane Beauregard should have been traded directly to the Chicago Blackhawks for Dominik Hasek*. Oh, and Mike Smith's worst move wasn't drafting Sergei Bautin, which was a colossal brain cramp, but was drafting Aaron Ward one pick ahead of Peter Forsberg. And the worst trade in Winnipeg Jets history was Dave Babych for Ray Neufeld. These are my opinions, and I'm sticking to them. You can't shake them out of me. But man, either way, I loved those Winnipeg Jets, I got angry when they lost, sad when they lost, and every regular season win felt as good as if WE had hoisted the Stanley Cup.
So now that I've qualified myself as a true Winnipeg Jets NHL fan, let me caution anyone willing to read this blog. Those of you who believe that Phoenix Coyotes will exit the NHL playoffs tonight, and Gary Bettman will announce relocation tomorrow are completely wrong. I'm not saying it won't happen eventually, but the chances still remain less than 50/50 as of right now.
It is my belief that the City of Glendale will do anything possible to prevent the Sale of The Coyotes to Matthew Hulsizer from falling through. In the same way Winnipeg media says "don't under estimate the will of the pesky Goldwater Institute", I'm suggesting Winnipeg shouldn't under estimate the will of The City of Glendale, the NHL, Gary Bettman, and Matthew Hulsizer. A lot will transpire before the day it's announced the NHL is returning to Winnipeg.
And in fact, one possibility that has yet to be publicly explored, hits a little bit close to home for Winnipeg sports fans.
Anyone who follows the Winnipeg Blue Bombers is aware that the Manitoba Provincial Government just loaned the Winnipeg Football Club $85Million to build a brand new stadium. Nobody suggested that they broke any laws to do so, and I for one don't think they did.
However, I must say I am not an expert on Arizona State Law. But what's stopping Glendale Arizona from loaning Matthew Hulsizer $100Million to complete his purchase of The Phoenix Coyotes? Forget about the issue of selling bonds, and recouping interest, and all that confusion that nobody seems to understand anyway. It could be as simple as Glendale getting $3.33M back annually for 30 years plus some agreed upon interest, that could come out of the parking revenue. Should Hulsizer fail to make a go of it as owner of the Coyotes in say 5 years, he sells the team for $170M or more, the first $100M comes back to Glendale, the next $70M that Hulsizer put in comes back to him, and he has to write off the losses of the operation. Would that be illegal? If it's illegal in Arizona, how was it legal in Manitoba when the Provincial Government did it for the Bombers? I didn't hear Winnipeg sports fans griping when that deal got signed, but holy Dinah will they gripe if Glendale takes a page from our book. To me it seems simple.
The only hope Manitoba Sports fans would have at that point is that the dreaded Goldwater Institute would be able to block the sale with a legal injunction. However would it qualify under the "Illegal Gift Clause" if it was an iron clad repayable loan? That's where legal advice is needed. And I do believe Goldwater would try, but I also believe the NHL would show a level of patience through Court proceedings if they believe there is a greater than average chance of a ruling in Glendale's Favor.
I've said since the beginning of March when Gary Lawless boldly went on TSN and told Canada, that "it was a matter of days not weeks", that this is Winnipeg's one and only window to secure an NHL franchise. If they don't get one for the 2011-2012 season it's unlikely another opportunity will present itself, barring NHL expansion. Why do I predict such a thing? As indicated by the announcement yesterday of a brand new agreement with NBC and Comcast, the NHL just locked a 10-year Broadcast Agreement that will see their revenues skyrocket from $80M per year to $200M per year. With such a stable agreement in place, so comes National Sponsorships. With the uncertainty of the NFL labor situation, big National companies will make decisions to spend their marketing money differently. UFC as brand will benefit. NBA as a brand will benefit. Male Targeted television programming will benefit. And so too will the NHL, which is experiencing record popularity in the United States thanks to outdoor hockey games, an exciting on ice product and names like Ovechkin, Crosby, Stamkos, and teams like the Blackhawks, Flyers and Red Wings.
As league revenues go up, Winnipeg's hopes go down.
I hope that I am wrong. And maybe my personal effort to be realistic is influenced by a pessimistic outlook. But, my life experience has taught me, that when you hope for something and it wasn't likely from the start, you created your own misery.
I do look at Mark Chipman as a complete hero. Nobody else in this town would have ever tried to bring the NHL back. He's done everything 100% by the book, and he's someone this City can be very proud of. And he deserves to own an NHL franchise, and would be far better at doing so than Eugene Melnyk in Ottawa, and about a dozen US based owners. I'm hopeful he gets that chance, but I'm only guardedly optimistic.
Darren Ford and the Jetsowner.com message forum will say that I don't want the NHL to return. And that my negativity somehow influences the final outcome. I only wish I had that kind of power with my opinions. If that was the case, I'd swear that I'm going to win Friday's Super 7.
*In 1992 Stephane Beauregard was traded by Winnipeg to Buffalo for Christian Ruuttu. Beauregard was then traded by Buffalo to Chicago for Dominik Hasek. Beauregard ended up, all during the same summer keep in mind, getting traded back to Winnipeg for Christian Ruuttu. So Winnipeg could have just traded Stephane Beauregard to the Hawks for Hasek and the World would have been a much better place I think.
Follow me on twitter, @wfxwrestling
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Lawless Far From Flawless
I spent a large part of my weekend twittering back and forth with Winnipeg Free Press Sports Columnist Gary Lawless. I was actually thankful when he blocked me as opposed to answering my direct questions, because it allowed me to proclaim that I had won my first Twitter War before it had even started. It also allowed me to proclaim this man is 100% wrong and he knows it full well. Proof that he has indirectly acknowledged his culpability was the theme of his Column in today's paper where he attempts to sift through what's fact, fiction and what's fantasy. Let me pay compliment here to Mr. Lawless by using a similar theme for my blog.
Mr. Lawless has attempted to cover the NHL's sale of the Phoenix Coyotes on as regular basis as possible. And when it was impossible, because there was no news, he seems to have invented sources to substantiate a column in The Free Press. What follows are just a few glaring examples.
On Thursday April 14th Gary Lawless wrote on the official website for The Winnipeg Free Press that True North Sports and Entertainment may begin a season ticket campaign to demonstrate it's viability as a desirable market for relocation to the NHL Board of Directors. To his credit he did try to speak in hypothetical terms for the most part, with the exception of one glaring statement when he suggested: "Such a cash call could come as early as next week."
Oh really Gary? In the next 7 days, True North will begin selling season tickets for a hypothetical relocation to demonstrate the markets viability? You have no source to back this suggestion, but you believe you can guess the next move of Mark Chipman and David Thomson I guess. Because you've been so good at it so far, haven't you...
Let me remind you, that Jim Balsillie royally ticked off the NHL's establishment in 2009 when he began a similar season ticket drive to a hypothetical relocation to Hamilton's Copps Coliseum, for the same beleaguered NHL franchise. If you're suggestion was half factual, it would only demonstrate an uncharacteristically aggressive overture by True North in their quiet and patient effort to secure an NHL team for relocation. But you felt the need to suggest to Winnipeg Free Press readers that this move was virtually imminent.
And then to take your butt out of the fire, you shift the blame to Tim Campbell citing a Spring 2010 piece he wrote for the same Newspaper you write for. Let me stipulate that I fully believe in Tim Campbell's credibility, and when he posed the hypothetical question to Mark Chipman in Spring of 2010, he probably didn't irresponsibly report that the answer indicated that Chipman would put season tickets on sale within the next week. That's called a guess, it's not educated speculation, it's not sourced information, it's a shot in the dark, that sadly created an embarrassment for the City of Winnipeg and True North's efforts at securing a NHL franchise. Now local media in Phoenix can point to such a column and say "The Canadian Media hasn't exactly been a bastion of accuracy when it comes to the sale of this franchise." As Craig Morgan did in his blog for Fox Sports Arizona. Yes Craig, truer words have never been said in regards to Mr. Lawless.
Sadly that's not all that Gary Lawless screwed up royally last week. There was another gem, that serves to not embarrass Lawless, but also The Winnipeg Free Press and the radio station that allows him to be heard Monday thru Friday, Sports Radio 1290.
On April 14th, at 1am, Lawless wrote in a column available on The Winnipeg Free Press website, "the Free Press has a Glendale source stating Hulsizer has pulled any concessions he's made off the table and reverted to his original proposal to the NHL and Glendale." This supposed source that only The Winnipeg Free Press had was a juicy piece, as Media throughout Canada, and the US quoted the article as evidence that the deal in Phoenix was dead (it may well be dead, but Gary Lawless has proven that he will be the last to know with any factual information). Sadly for Mr. Lawless, a far more credible member of the media, Darren Dreger dispelled such a rumour later in the day, in his daily blog "The Dreger Report" available on TSN's official website.
So now Gary Lawless, if you are to save any face, you need to reveal your source who suggested Hulsizer did in fact pull any of his concessions off the table. You won't because you'd have to admit there was not a reliable source instigating this report.
And if only that was it. Maybe we could say that Gary was just having a bad week. He was getting caught up in all the excitement of it all. It was just a couple of not so minor mistakes. However, since the beginning of March, when this fiasco was just warming up, Gary has made statements that turned out to be less than honest. Yes that's right, I'm suggesting Gary Lawless is a liar. I know it's a harsh word but in this case the big shoe, of the foot currently planted in his big mouth, fits perfectly.
I give you exhibit C: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpTA14bQOUI Gary Lawless' sources told him it would be "a matter of days not weeks" in the first days of March, for this matter to get resolved. And it's been 7 full weeks since. Who was your source on that one Mr. Lawless? Doesn't matter any longer, it's not the sources to be blamed, but the irresponsible journalist who spews this garbage.
On Sunday when Mr. Lawless elected to block me on Twitter, he said it was because I had made it personal in my questions to him. I did ask him why he lied in his column. And I did call him a buffoon. I apologize to Mr. Lawless, not for saying such mean things, but for asking questions that he couldn't answer and for proving him 100% wrong.
If the Winnipeg Free Press had any credibility whatsoever, they would ensure that Mr. Lawless was Mr. Job-less well before the puck drops (whether that's an NHL or AHL puck) for next season. This man has at best been irresponsible in his columns, and at worst been dishonest. Either way he's demonstrated complete incompetence.
What's FACT is that Mr. Lawless is wrong. What's FICTION is what Mr. Lawless has written in The Winnipeg Free Press. What's FANTASY is what Mr. Lawless calls "sources".
Mr. Lawless has attempted to cover the NHL's sale of the Phoenix Coyotes on as regular basis as possible. And when it was impossible, because there was no news, he seems to have invented sources to substantiate a column in The Free Press. What follows are just a few glaring examples.
On Thursday April 14th Gary Lawless wrote on the official website for The Winnipeg Free Press that True North Sports and Entertainment may begin a season ticket campaign to demonstrate it's viability as a desirable market for relocation to the NHL Board of Directors. To his credit he did try to speak in hypothetical terms for the most part, with the exception of one glaring statement when he suggested: "Such a cash call could come as early as next week."
Oh really Gary? In the next 7 days, True North will begin selling season tickets for a hypothetical relocation to demonstrate the markets viability? You have no source to back this suggestion, but you believe you can guess the next move of Mark Chipman and David Thomson I guess. Because you've been so good at it so far, haven't you...
Let me remind you, that Jim Balsillie royally ticked off the NHL's establishment in 2009 when he began a similar season ticket drive to a hypothetical relocation to Hamilton's Copps Coliseum, for the same beleaguered NHL franchise. If you're suggestion was half factual, it would only demonstrate an uncharacteristically aggressive overture by True North in their quiet and patient effort to secure an NHL team for relocation. But you felt the need to suggest to Winnipeg Free Press readers that this move was virtually imminent.
And then to take your butt out of the fire, you shift the blame to Tim Campbell citing a Spring 2010 piece he wrote for the same Newspaper you write for. Let me stipulate that I fully believe in Tim Campbell's credibility, and when he posed the hypothetical question to Mark Chipman in Spring of 2010, he probably didn't irresponsibly report that the answer indicated that Chipman would put season tickets on sale within the next week. That's called a guess, it's not educated speculation, it's not sourced information, it's a shot in the dark, that sadly created an embarrassment for the City of Winnipeg and True North's efforts at securing a NHL franchise. Now local media in Phoenix can point to such a column and say "The Canadian Media hasn't exactly been a bastion of accuracy when it comes to the sale of this franchise." As Craig Morgan did in his blog for Fox Sports Arizona. Yes Craig, truer words have never been said in regards to Mr. Lawless.
Sadly that's not all that Gary Lawless screwed up royally last week. There was another gem, that serves to not embarrass Lawless, but also The Winnipeg Free Press and the radio station that allows him to be heard Monday thru Friday, Sports Radio 1290.
On April 14th, at 1am, Lawless wrote in a column available on The Winnipeg Free Press website, "the Free Press has a Glendale source stating Hulsizer has pulled any concessions he's made off the table and reverted to his original proposal to the NHL and Glendale." This supposed source that only The Winnipeg Free Press had was a juicy piece, as Media throughout Canada, and the US quoted the article as evidence that the deal in Phoenix was dead (it may well be dead, but Gary Lawless has proven that he will be the last to know with any factual information). Sadly for Mr. Lawless, a far more credible member of the media, Darren Dreger dispelled such a rumour later in the day, in his daily blog "The Dreger Report" available on TSN's official website.
So now Gary Lawless, if you are to save any face, you need to reveal your source who suggested Hulsizer did in fact pull any of his concessions off the table. You won't because you'd have to admit there was not a reliable source instigating this report.
And if only that was it. Maybe we could say that Gary was just having a bad week. He was getting caught up in all the excitement of it all. It was just a couple of not so minor mistakes. However, since the beginning of March, when this fiasco was just warming up, Gary has made statements that turned out to be less than honest. Yes that's right, I'm suggesting Gary Lawless is a liar. I know it's a harsh word but in this case the big shoe, of the foot currently planted in his big mouth, fits perfectly.
I give you exhibit C: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpTA14bQOUI Gary Lawless' sources told him it would be "a matter of days not weeks" in the first days of March, for this matter to get resolved. And it's been 7 full weeks since. Who was your source on that one Mr. Lawless? Doesn't matter any longer, it's not the sources to be blamed, but the irresponsible journalist who spews this garbage.
On Sunday when Mr. Lawless elected to block me on Twitter, he said it was because I had made it personal in my questions to him. I did ask him why he lied in his column. And I did call him a buffoon. I apologize to Mr. Lawless, not for saying such mean things, but for asking questions that he couldn't answer and for proving him 100% wrong.
If the Winnipeg Free Press had any credibility whatsoever, they would ensure that Mr. Lawless was Mr. Job-less well before the puck drops (whether that's an NHL or AHL puck) for next season. This man has at best been irresponsible in his columns, and at worst been dishonest. Either way he's demonstrated complete incompetence.
What's FACT is that Mr. Lawless is wrong. What's FICTION is what Mr. Lawless has written in The Winnipeg Free Press. What's FANTASY is what Mr. Lawless calls "sources".
Monday, November 15, 2010
The Return- A look Forward
The number one question I get asked on a daily basis these days is "What's the status of WFX?" Literally every single hour some well meaning person asks me that. So to bring my blog back, which a year ago at this time was a heat seeker focused mostly on a middle aged man named Martin, I decided I would avoid the answer to that question for now, and focus on something else. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Jules, this one's for you!
The 2010 campaign for the Blue and Gold could be labelled nothing short of a DISASTER. For the first time ever I enjoyed season tickets, sitting a row in front of the great Dave Petrishen. I missed one game, in late July when I travelled to the lackluster City of Scranton Pennsylvania where I was supposed to be cast in a minor role in a movie starring Fabio. Enough of the minor details. Back to the Bombers.
When Scott Taylor said going into this season, that the Bombers were a 4 and 14 club (he stipulated that was if Buck Pierce stayed healthy), I thought "The Coach" was just being loyal to his friend, disgraced former Head Coach and General Manager Mike Kelly. I believed a 7-11 or 8-10 record was in store, and thanks to a Toronto Argo team that wouldn't be very good, and an Edmonton Eskimo team that was iffy at best, the Big Blue would make the playoffs.
I believed that even if Buck Pierce got hurt, that Steven Jyles would enter the picture and do enough to win games and Paul LaPolice would have a fresh new offensive scheme that would at least get the job done and show flashes of being exciting. Where did I go wrong? I guess the answer "All of the above" could be practical.
What was really impressive to me was the naive nature of the average Blue Bomber fan. These people really seem to believe that 3 bad calls on the field by the CFL referees cost their team a post season birth. Or if Buck Pierce had just stayed healthy this team was good enough to be competing for the Grey Cup. Man the beer they sell at the Stadium must be laced with something pretty strong (I know, having passed out after the season opener outside in the parking lot).
Last year, during the tumultuous Mike Kelly era I proposed changes I would make given proper autonomy to run The Winnipeg Football club. This year, I want to be far less harsh, as I wouldn't really appreciate it if Joe Mack or Paul LaPolice audited my performance running WFX. But here are some things I would probably list as very high priority:
1. Get better Canadians on the field. Corey Watson will be a very decent Canadian receiver one day, Brock Ralph however is not. Justin Palardy gives us a lot of hope replacing Alexis Serna at Place Kicker. Lets find two or three more gems that will improve our ratio and give us a competitive edge.
2. Go into 2011 with a 1-2 punch at Quarterback splitting the duties between Pierce and Jyles. Neither QB stood out as a game-breaker, despite what Bombers brass will say about Pierce in the first 2 games of the season. Nobody employs the 1-2 punch, and I believe it would alter every opponents Defensive preparation. Additionally it allows a slumping quarterback a way out, without completely hindering his confidence, or the fans confidence in his abilities. Jyles numbers were far better than Pierce and splitting the workload might increase the chances that Buck can stay healthy. I'm not suggesting an alternating starting schedule, I'm saying that at anytime in a game, the Defense of the opponent will not know which Quarterback is coming onto the field. It's unorthodox and maybe it can work. If one of the two is in complete rhythm let him stay and ride him while he's hot.
3. Should Kavis Reed exit for the Head Coaching job in Edmonton, don't hesitate to bring Richie Hall in to run the Defense. If a better qualified Offensive Coordinator with Head Coaching experience is out there (I dare say Danny Maciocia), give him consideration to replace Jamie Barresi. One of the biggest problems plaguing the Bombers this season was that LaPolice was completely out-coached game in and game out. With two ultra experienced Coordinators in place, you might level the playing field.
4. Create a media blitz and fan hype around next season being "A Year for Doug Brown to win it all". The whole campaign needs to say that the Bombers will do everything necessary to win while their loyal work-horse on the interior Defensive Line is still playing. Make the fans believe that this team will be significantly better, be very aggressive in the off-season with free agency, make a blockbuster trade or two. Everything has got to be hype for next year. They are coming off 3 straight losing seasons, two of which they missed the playoffs. Fans, media and players alike have to feel like 2011 will be significantly different. Create an attitude and a culture where people are proud to say they Love the Bombers again. I, for one, spent much of this season pulling for the Tiger Cats, partly because I believe that Kevin Glenn got the shit end of the stick in Winnipeg, and two because I KNOW Greg Marshall got the shit end of the stick from the Winnipeg Football Club. The franchise needs a serious breath of new life, and I think it should be about winning the Grey Cup for Doug Brown.
5. Partly in tribute to Harry Caray, and partly for my own personal amusement, have Bob Irving sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" at Half-time. Many will hate me for saying I don't think "Knuckles" has any credibility left calling football games in the CFL. He might as well wear a jersey and paint his face, and get the number 97 (Doug Brown's jersey number) tattooed on his aged ass. No offense to Bob, but C'MON!
So call me crazy, those are just some of the things I would encourage the brains of the Blue to consider. I believe Paul LaPolice is on the right track, and will eventually post winning seasons as a Head Coach. However, I also believe if he fails to make the post season in 2011, he should be relieved. The exact same can be said about Joe Mack.
Oh, for all of you who like going to The Keg Steakhouse and Bar, I've got some $50 gift cards I'm selling at discount 15% off. E-mail me at mikedavidson@wfxwrestling.com and I will be happy to hook you up.
And on a final unrelated note. I was a little bit disappointed at the recent termination of Marty Gold from the Red River Community College radio station (I didn't think you could get terminated from a station like that). Those of you who followed this blog a year ago, might have gotten the mistaken impression I hated the man. Truth is, I never like to see a guy terminated from a job he loves, and Marty definitely loved doing "The Great Canadian Talk Show". My issues with Marty stemmed from a disgraced effort at doing a benefit show for a deceased wrestler (a show that still hasn't proven how much money if any was raised), and not from his work as "the oldest man ever to host a campus radio program". He was the uncool version of Van Wilder, but it was a passion, and I truly hope the man lands on his feet at some other campus radio station. Good luck Marty Gold!
The 2010 campaign for the Blue and Gold could be labelled nothing short of a DISASTER. For the first time ever I enjoyed season tickets, sitting a row in front of the great Dave Petrishen. I missed one game, in late July when I travelled to the lackluster City of Scranton Pennsylvania where I was supposed to be cast in a minor role in a movie starring Fabio. Enough of the minor details. Back to the Bombers.
When Scott Taylor said going into this season, that the Bombers were a 4 and 14 club (he stipulated that was if Buck Pierce stayed healthy), I thought "The Coach" was just being loyal to his friend, disgraced former Head Coach and General Manager Mike Kelly. I believed a 7-11 or 8-10 record was in store, and thanks to a Toronto Argo team that wouldn't be very good, and an Edmonton Eskimo team that was iffy at best, the Big Blue would make the playoffs.
I believed that even if Buck Pierce got hurt, that Steven Jyles would enter the picture and do enough to win games and Paul LaPolice would have a fresh new offensive scheme that would at least get the job done and show flashes of being exciting. Where did I go wrong? I guess the answer "All of the above" could be practical.
What was really impressive to me was the naive nature of the average Blue Bomber fan. These people really seem to believe that 3 bad calls on the field by the CFL referees cost their team a post season birth. Or if Buck Pierce had just stayed healthy this team was good enough to be competing for the Grey Cup. Man the beer they sell at the Stadium must be laced with something pretty strong (I know, having passed out after the season opener outside in the parking lot).
Last year, during the tumultuous Mike Kelly era I proposed changes I would make given proper autonomy to run The Winnipeg Football club. This year, I want to be far less harsh, as I wouldn't really appreciate it if Joe Mack or Paul LaPolice audited my performance running WFX. But here are some things I would probably list as very high priority:
1. Get better Canadians on the field. Corey Watson will be a very decent Canadian receiver one day, Brock Ralph however is not. Justin Palardy gives us a lot of hope replacing Alexis Serna at Place Kicker. Lets find two or three more gems that will improve our ratio and give us a competitive edge.
2. Go into 2011 with a 1-2 punch at Quarterback splitting the duties between Pierce and Jyles. Neither QB stood out as a game-breaker, despite what Bombers brass will say about Pierce in the first 2 games of the season. Nobody employs the 1-2 punch, and I believe it would alter every opponents Defensive preparation. Additionally it allows a slumping quarterback a way out, without completely hindering his confidence, or the fans confidence in his abilities. Jyles numbers were far better than Pierce and splitting the workload might increase the chances that Buck can stay healthy. I'm not suggesting an alternating starting schedule, I'm saying that at anytime in a game, the Defense of the opponent will not know which Quarterback is coming onto the field. It's unorthodox and maybe it can work. If one of the two is in complete rhythm let him stay and ride him while he's hot.
3. Should Kavis Reed exit for the Head Coaching job in Edmonton, don't hesitate to bring Richie Hall in to run the Defense. If a better qualified Offensive Coordinator with Head Coaching experience is out there (I dare say Danny Maciocia), give him consideration to replace Jamie Barresi. One of the biggest problems plaguing the Bombers this season was that LaPolice was completely out-coached game in and game out. With two ultra experienced Coordinators in place, you might level the playing field.
4. Create a media blitz and fan hype around next season being "A Year for Doug Brown to win it all". The whole campaign needs to say that the Bombers will do everything necessary to win while their loyal work-horse on the interior Defensive Line is still playing. Make the fans believe that this team will be significantly better, be very aggressive in the off-season with free agency, make a blockbuster trade or two. Everything has got to be hype for next year. They are coming off 3 straight losing seasons, two of which they missed the playoffs. Fans, media and players alike have to feel like 2011 will be significantly different. Create an attitude and a culture where people are proud to say they Love the Bombers again. I, for one, spent much of this season pulling for the Tiger Cats, partly because I believe that Kevin Glenn got the shit end of the stick in Winnipeg, and two because I KNOW Greg Marshall got the shit end of the stick from the Winnipeg Football Club. The franchise needs a serious breath of new life, and I think it should be about winning the Grey Cup for Doug Brown.
5. Partly in tribute to Harry Caray, and partly for my own personal amusement, have Bob Irving sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" at Half-time. Many will hate me for saying I don't think "Knuckles" has any credibility left calling football games in the CFL. He might as well wear a jersey and paint his face, and get the number 97 (Doug Brown's jersey number) tattooed on his aged ass. No offense to Bob, but C'MON!
So call me crazy, those are just some of the things I would encourage the brains of the Blue to consider. I believe Paul LaPolice is on the right track, and will eventually post winning seasons as a Head Coach. However, I also believe if he fails to make the post season in 2011, he should be relieved. The exact same can be said about Joe Mack.
Oh, for all of you who like going to The Keg Steakhouse and Bar, I've got some $50 gift cards I'm selling at discount 15% off. E-mail me at mikedavidson@wfxwrestling.com and I will be happy to hook you up.
And on a final unrelated note. I was a little bit disappointed at the recent termination of Marty Gold from the Red River Community College radio station (I didn't think you could get terminated from a station like that). Those of you who followed this blog a year ago, might have gotten the mistaken impression I hated the man. Truth is, I never like to see a guy terminated from a job he loves, and Marty definitely loved doing "The Great Canadian Talk Show". My issues with Marty stemmed from a disgraced effort at doing a benefit show for a deceased wrestler (a show that still hasn't proven how much money if any was raised), and not from his work as "the oldest man ever to host a campus radio program". He was the uncool version of Van Wilder, but it was a passion, and I truly hope the man lands on his feet at some other campus radio station. Good luck Marty Gold!
Friday, December 11, 2009
An Open Letter to Marty Goldstein
Dear Marty,
Seeing as you banned me from posting on the Moondog Manson forum, I'm forced to address you right here on my blog. You are a bloody disgrace and a coward for the way you have conducted yourself in the matter of the Kerry Brown Tribute & BENEFIT Show.
Never before have I seen such a spineless and ridiculously unaccountable Screw up, as I've seen in the form of you. You ban me from the Moondog Manson forum, and then attempt to continue a debate so that I can't respond and you can have the last word. In reality what you do is attempt to dodge the blame, shift accountability, and avoid the criticisms that you deserve. This could get lengthy as I call attention to your actions. What will your response be? The standard "Mike pay your bill to The Marlborough Hotel." That matter is completely separate to the Kerry Brown Tribute & Benefit show.
You have now stated that I couldn't possibly know what the Net total of the fundraising "Community effort" (as you refer to it) was. On Saturday night November 28th I participated in a very long discussion with Tony Condello. It was witnessed by nearly the entire CWE crew, who believed Tony and I were fighting. Kenny Rogers, Kelly Russell and Kelly's buddy Todd were all sitting at the table, and "the fight" many of the boys witnessed was me taking Condello to task on this event. In the discussion I urged Tony to release a number to the public that was raised and paid to the Brown family. Tony told me that they don't have a final number as of yet, that you, Marty Goldstein were waiting on some ticket revenue from 3 or 4 wrestlers (EZ Ryder's name was mentioned, which I for some reason doubt, I consider EZ to be an extremely honest guy who wouldn't delay squaring up with a fundraising effort). He said at that point, there would still be an invoice to be paid, and then he hoped they could complete the effort with a cheque to Kerry's mother. I pushed to hear a number, and he said he didn't believe he needed to share a number as a private matter. I told him that any effort to not disclose a number to wrestlers who volunteered their services, sponsors who donated products, services or money, fans who bought tickets to support, and concerned individuals in the wrestling community would be downright Scummy. A description you sport rather well Mr. Goldstein.
At that time, under extreme pressure from my line of questioning, and in the presences of the three aforementioned witnesses, and with gentle coaxing from those witnesses, Tony said "If I had to give you my best guess from the numbers I know, I'd say we drew about $1000-$1500 NET". I asked him to clarify that NET suggested that there was bills to be paid from that number, and he said, "Ya sure, there was rent and some invoices to be paid." So we know that Kerry's mother should receive a cheque that will likely not exceed $1500.
Marty, you're effort to dodge and deflect the issue here reflects poorly on only yourself. Condello was more than willing to sit there and be grilled by me. Yet all you will say is "Please call Tony, he handled that." Marty you self serving son of a bitch, you wanted all the glory in all of your boastful press releases, when you talked about all the sponsors that were coming to the table to support this cause. Why wouldn't you do the opposite, and rather than falsely report how well the effort was going, encourage those like myself to step up, by saying something to the effect "We're really working hard, but we've got a long way to go, and need more participation from the wrestling community." No Marty you would have gladly mis-represented this as an unmitigated success if it had not been for people like Ernie Todd, Wayne Stanton, Shane Madison, and myself who are now loudly and clearly saying, wait a minute, we want answers. Your only answer? To cowardly shift all the heat to Tony Condello. If there had been glory, you'd gladly be proclaiming on Slam Wrestling, on your rinky dink College Radio Program, and on Moondog Manson's forum how something was accomplished that had never been done before. I call bullshit. And you are the biggest disher of bullshit I've ever had the misfortune of meeting.
Marty, the most appalling fact of this matter is how in self serving and in patronizing fashion, you chose to cut the legs off of an organized effort by Danny Warren, promoter of CWE. Danny wrestled Kerry in Kerry's last match, and looked up to Kerry as a legend and mentor. Citing politics like a scummy son of a bitch stooge, Marty you said that Danny's free venue (reported to be Maples Community Centre) would not be adequate because it could only hold 300 fans (Marty you fuckhead failure, you didn't draw 300 fans at the Marlborough). In that group e-mail, you thanked Danny for the thought, but suggested the $3000 (simple math of 300 capacity times $10 tickets) would not be nearly adequate to offset the cost of the funeral, which you speculated could cost $10,000 (you did say you were uncertain of the costs of funerals because of your difference of religion and different procedures in different faiths). What Marty didn't realize was Danny had already secured some corporate support in the form of donations/sponsorships that would have guaranteed a number generated was much larger than $3000. But you didn't know, and you didn't ask. You got the title "Event Producer" by kissing Condello's ass and by playing politics, and ensured the success of that event would be nothing short of an uphill battle. Why Marty was it an uphill battle? Because the minute you and your scummy reputation attached yourself to the event, many industry leaders took a step back and a "wait and see" approach. That's the type of leadership and credibility you brought to this effort. Sorry sometimes the truth hurts.
Here's what is most troubling to me.. Yesterday marks the one month anniversary since the event. And we know there was some money generated, as I've reported $1500 net. Irregardless of the actual number, why hasn't a cheque been given to Kerry's family? Not a single cent has been donated to the actual cause? Marty, don't tell me to ask Tony, because throughout this process, prior to the show you badly wanted to be the typical glory hound you have always been known to be, and present yourself as the spearhead of this initiative. I'm asking you Marty, where is the money?
You owe this "Community Effort" transparency. You owe a released statement of what was generated, and at this point you need to release a Financial Statement, so people who contributed financially (IE Bobby Jay, TJ Bratt and Ernie Todd) can audit these numbers and rest assured there was no funny business and false representations. You owe it to the Manitoba Wrestling community to apologize, this is now two "Benefit shows" you've bungled, for arguably the two most respected veterans in Winnipeg Wrestling (the other being Chi Chi Cruz 1994). You and Condello owe Kerry's family a cheque, and more than that, you owe them an apology. And you owe us all some accountability and honesty.
When you can do that, you'll have the right to ask me about the "unpaid bill at The Malborough Hotel", I'll be happy to tell you the story at length when you prove yourself worthy to ask the question.
Marty if you want to debate with me, don't do it on a forum that you have banned me from. Don't do it in online comments that are dodgy, cowardly and mostly scummy. Join me on the Wayne and Shane radio show this Tuesday and debate me, but come equipped with answers. Stop being a coward, and dishonest and start being transparent and accountable.
Seeing as you banned me from posting on the Moondog Manson forum, I'm forced to address you right here on my blog. You are a bloody disgrace and a coward for the way you have conducted yourself in the matter of the Kerry Brown Tribute & BENEFIT Show.
Never before have I seen such a spineless and ridiculously unaccountable Screw up, as I've seen in the form of you. You ban me from the Moondog Manson forum, and then attempt to continue a debate so that I can't respond and you can have the last word. In reality what you do is attempt to dodge the blame, shift accountability, and avoid the criticisms that you deserve. This could get lengthy as I call attention to your actions. What will your response be? The standard "Mike pay your bill to The Marlborough Hotel." That matter is completely separate to the Kerry Brown Tribute & Benefit show.
You have now stated that I couldn't possibly know what the Net total of the fundraising "Community effort" (as you refer to it) was. On Saturday night November 28th I participated in a very long discussion with Tony Condello. It was witnessed by nearly the entire CWE crew, who believed Tony and I were fighting. Kenny Rogers, Kelly Russell and Kelly's buddy Todd were all sitting at the table, and "the fight" many of the boys witnessed was me taking Condello to task on this event. In the discussion I urged Tony to release a number to the public that was raised and paid to the Brown family. Tony told me that they don't have a final number as of yet, that you, Marty Goldstein were waiting on some ticket revenue from 3 or 4 wrestlers (EZ Ryder's name was mentioned, which I for some reason doubt, I consider EZ to be an extremely honest guy who wouldn't delay squaring up with a fundraising effort). He said at that point, there would still be an invoice to be paid, and then he hoped they could complete the effort with a cheque to Kerry's mother. I pushed to hear a number, and he said he didn't believe he needed to share a number as a private matter. I told him that any effort to not disclose a number to wrestlers who volunteered their services, sponsors who donated products, services or money, fans who bought tickets to support, and concerned individuals in the wrestling community would be downright Scummy. A description you sport rather well Mr. Goldstein.
At that time, under extreme pressure from my line of questioning, and in the presences of the three aforementioned witnesses, and with gentle coaxing from those witnesses, Tony said "If I had to give you my best guess from the numbers I know, I'd say we drew about $1000-$1500 NET". I asked him to clarify that NET suggested that there was bills to be paid from that number, and he said, "Ya sure, there was rent and some invoices to be paid." So we know that Kerry's mother should receive a cheque that will likely not exceed $1500.
Marty, you're effort to dodge and deflect the issue here reflects poorly on only yourself. Condello was more than willing to sit there and be grilled by me. Yet all you will say is "Please call Tony, he handled that." Marty you self serving son of a bitch, you wanted all the glory in all of your boastful press releases, when you talked about all the sponsors that were coming to the table to support this cause. Why wouldn't you do the opposite, and rather than falsely report how well the effort was going, encourage those like myself to step up, by saying something to the effect "We're really working hard, but we've got a long way to go, and need more participation from the wrestling community." No Marty you would have gladly mis-represented this as an unmitigated success if it had not been for people like Ernie Todd, Wayne Stanton, Shane Madison, and myself who are now loudly and clearly saying, wait a minute, we want answers. Your only answer? To cowardly shift all the heat to Tony Condello. If there had been glory, you'd gladly be proclaiming on Slam Wrestling, on your rinky dink College Radio Program, and on Moondog Manson's forum how something was accomplished that had never been done before. I call bullshit. And you are the biggest disher of bullshit I've ever had the misfortune of meeting.
Marty, the most appalling fact of this matter is how in self serving and in patronizing fashion, you chose to cut the legs off of an organized effort by Danny Warren, promoter of CWE. Danny wrestled Kerry in Kerry's last match, and looked up to Kerry as a legend and mentor. Citing politics like a scummy son of a bitch stooge, Marty you said that Danny's free venue (reported to be Maples Community Centre) would not be adequate because it could only hold 300 fans (Marty you fuckhead failure, you didn't draw 300 fans at the Marlborough). In that group e-mail, you thanked Danny for the thought, but suggested the $3000 (simple math of 300 capacity times $10 tickets) would not be nearly adequate to offset the cost of the funeral, which you speculated could cost $10,000 (you did say you were uncertain of the costs of funerals because of your difference of religion and different procedures in different faiths). What Marty didn't realize was Danny had already secured some corporate support in the form of donations/sponsorships that would have guaranteed a number generated was much larger than $3000. But you didn't know, and you didn't ask. You got the title "Event Producer" by kissing Condello's ass and by playing politics, and ensured the success of that event would be nothing short of an uphill battle. Why Marty was it an uphill battle? Because the minute you and your scummy reputation attached yourself to the event, many industry leaders took a step back and a "wait and see" approach. That's the type of leadership and credibility you brought to this effort. Sorry sometimes the truth hurts.
Here's what is most troubling to me.. Yesterday marks the one month anniversary since the event. And we know there was some money generated, as I've reported $1500 net. Irregardless of the actual number, why hasn't a cheque been given to Kerry's family? Not a single cent has been donated to the actual cause? Marty, don't tell me to ask Tony, because throughout this process, prior to the show you badly wanted to be the typical glory hound you have always been known to be, and present yourself as the spearhead of this initiative. I'm asking you Marty, where is the money?
You owe this "Community Effort" transparency. You owe a released statement of what was generated, and at this point you need to release a Financial Statement, so people who contributed financially (IE Bobby Jay, TJ Bratt and Ernie Todd) can audit these numbers and rest assured there was no funny business and false representations. You owe it to the Manitoba Wrestling community to apologize, this is now two "Benefit shows" you've bungled, for arguably the two most respected veterans in Winnipeg Wrestling (the other being Chi Chi Cruz 1994). You and Condello owe Kerry's family a cheque, and more than that, you owe them an apology. And you owe us all some accountability and honesty.
When you can do that, you'll have the right to ask me about the "unpaid bill at The Malborough Hotel", I'll be happy to tell you the story at length when you prove yourself worthy to ask the question.
Marty if you want to debate with me, don't do it on a forum that you have banned me from. Don't do it in online comments that are dodgy, cowardly and mostly scummy. Join me on the Wayne and Shane radio show this Tuesday and debate me, but come equipped with answers. Stop being a coward, and dishonest and start being transparent and accountable.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Life is Good... Life is so Good
This may well be one of the last times I get to blog about local wrestling for a little while, so I think I better make it good. Speaking of good, nothing has been better for me than life. In the last 2.5 months, I've had maybe a combined total of 2 bad days. It's been amazing. But enough about that. Rapid fire, I wanted to make some observations I've noticed about local wrestling.
Granted, I don't listen to 92.9 EVER, but Bushleaguer Martin sure has been quiet since last weeks initial attack on my blog. You know, the attack where the only thing he could do to deflect very good points and questions about his version of a tribute/benefit show, was to bring up a lawsuit against me that was pretty much unrelated to his failed efforts in life. While it's now one week after the show, and still no type of announcement as to what the event generated. I do know that Marty GoldBoroFleckSteinditsky has been calling an actual wrestling promoter (something he will never be mistaken for being) and canvasing for a late donation for the event. I guess the initial numbers are so reflective of failure that now he will guilt whoever he can to try and bump up his and Condello's dismal results. He was even seen on the corner of Logan and McPhillips with a tin can and a sign that said "donate to Kerry Brown (and in very very small print that you could barely read) and Marty Gold".
A quick observation about PCW's website. It seems to be way more about webmaster a notorious tough guy, Jay Walker and much less about the brand itself. I mean he blogs about Scotty Justice and Antonio Scorpio Jr. Then he writes an editorial about the Industry as a whole. In it he criticizes Hulk Hogan and Kurt Angle, two men he'd swallow a load from if they ever gave him the time of day to ask. Young Mr. Walker needs to get his priorities straight, if the concept of the PCW website is to promote the brand, perhaps, and maybe I'm stretching here, he should make it a lot less about himself. Nobody finds you to be an entertaining figure anyway... well unless you're running away from an angry drunk Sanchez brother with your pants full of dump.
Congratulations to my good friend Danny Duggan. He runs CWE, and he was able to secure Desmond Wolf for his next show. Who is that you ask? I said Desmond Wolf... That's right, for the first time ever, a guy leaves an "Indy" for a "Big League" and people actually care less about him, and fewer people know who he is. Apparently his debut in TNA has been so effective, CWE isn't even advertising him as Des Wolf, but instead will be billing him as Nigel McGuinness. I've heard that CWE is launching a brand new website that should be live any day now. Does that really matter? They are already drawing double to triple what any other local outfit can draw.
Shawn "Northstar" Reid is one of my favorite people in the wrestling business ever. He's the 2009 version of Darren Metselaar, aka Steve Stryker. If you want anything kept secret, don't tell this large gentleman. A couple of weeks back he let the cat out of the bag that his home promotion Ringmasters Entertainment was forced to cancel a show because believe it or not, not one single fan showed up to buy a ticket. I say that show should have been forced to go on anyway, to teach the promoters a lesson. This past Saturday, Reid was nice enough to stooge off the company once again, saying that there is a mis-management within the company, and if they want to get things straight, he thinks they should make him (a rookie wrestler with less than 4 matches experience) the booker. I agree totally.
Did I mention the name Condello? I wonder if Ultimate Cage Wars will return anytime soon? Maybe he can again hire his boy Bushleaguer Martin to really do a stellar job in producing such an event? Ya, there's a recipe for success, Marty GoldBoroFleckSteinditsky going around telling trained tough guys "well do you want a typical MMA bullshit production, or do you want a Hollywood production?" Or "Kid, when we were running the Junkyard, for Rough House Rasslin and we were producing a television pilot, we knew what we were doing, not like you guys (condescending emphasis added) who don't know how to create a story in that cage." That's an ass kicking I'd pay oh about $2025.00 in Court judgment fees to see. Poor Martin, just a scummy stoogy unsuccessful jackass.
Question about the Kerry Brown tribute show... Why in the hell did Andrew not raise a stink about Royce and Ozz losing to Chi Chi Cruz in a best two out of three falls handicap match? I'd like to think if I had a two on one advantage and three chances to do it, I'd be on the winning end of a physical conflict. That's one of the stiffest job outs in recent memory.
So to summarize "When's it going to end you piece of shit? I'm tired of this burn the oil field mentality that's killing our business."
Granted, I don't listen to 92.9 EVER, but Bushleaguer Martin sure has been quiet since last weeks initial attack on my blog. You know, the attack where the only thing he could do to deflect very good points and questions about his version of a tribute/benefit show, was to bring up a lawsuit against me that was pretty much unrelated to his failed efforts in life. While it's now one week after the show, and still no type of announcement as to what the event generated. I do know that Marty GoldBoroFleckSteinditsky has been calling an actual wrestling promoter (something he will never be mistaken for being) and canvasing for a late donation for the event. I guess the initial numbers are so reflective of failure that now he will guilt whoever he can to try and bump up his and Condello's dismal results. He was even seen on the corner of Logan and McPhillips with a tin can and a sign that said "donate to Kerry Brown (and in very very small print that you could barely read) and Marty Gold".
A quick observation about PCW's website. It seems to be way more about webmaster a notorious tough guy, Jay Walker and much less about the brand itself. I mean he blogs about Scotty Justice and Antonio Scorpio Jr. Then he writes an editorial about the Industry as a whole. In it he criticizes Hulk Hogan and Kurt Angle, two men he'd swallow a load from if they ever gave him the time of day to ask. Young Mr. Walker needs to get his priorities straight, if the concept of the PCW website is to promote the brand, perhaps, and maybe I'm stretching here, he should make it a lot less about himself. Nobody finds you to be an entertaining figure anyway... well unless you're running away from an angry drunk Sanchez brother with your pants full of dump.
Congratulations to my good friend Danny Duggan. He runs CWE, and he was able to secure Desmond Wolf for his next show. Who is that you ask? I said Desmond Wolf... That's right, for the first time ever, a guy leaves an "Indy" for a "Big League" and people actually care less about him, and fewer people know who he is. Apparently his debut in TNA has been so effective, CWE isn't even advertising him as Des Wolf, but instead will be billing him as Nigel McGuinness. I've heard that CWE is launching a brand new website that should be live any day now. Does that really matter? They are already drawing double to triple what any other local outfit can draw.
Shawn "Northstar" Reid is one of my favorite people in the wrestling business ever. He's the 2009 version of Darren Metselaar, aka Steve Stryker. If you want anything kept secret, don't tell this large gentleman. A couple of weeks back he let the cat out of the bag that his home promotion Ringmasters Entertainment was forced to cancel a show because believe it or not, not one single fan showed up to buy a ticket. I say that show should have been forced to go on anyway, to teach the promoters a lesson. This past Saturday, Reid was nice enough to stooge off the company once again, saying that there is a mis-management within the company, and if they want to get things straight, he thinks they should make him (a rookie wrestler with less than 4 matches experience) the booker. I agree totally.
Did I mention the name Condello? I wonder if Ultimate Cage Wars will return anytime soon? Maybe he can again hire his boy Bushleaguer Martin to really do a stellar job in producing such an event? Ya, there's a recipe for success, Marty GoldBoroFleckSteinditsky going around telling trained tough guys "well do you want a typical MMA bullshit production, or do you want a Hollywood production?" Or "Kid, when we were running the Junkyard, for Rough House Rasslin and we were producing a television pilot, we knew what we were doing, not like you guys (condescending emphasis added) who don't know how to create a story in that cage." That's an ass kicking I'd pay oh about $2025.00 in Court judgment fees to see. Poor Martin, just a scummy stoogy unsuccessful jackass.
Question about the Kerry Brown tribute show... Why in the hell did Andrew not raise a stink about Royce and Ozz losing to Chi Chi Cruz in a best two out of three falls handicap match? I'd like to think if I had a two on one advantage and three chances to do it, I'd be on the winning end of a physical conflict. That's one of the stiffest job outs in recent memory.
So to summarize "When's it going to end you piece of shit? I'm tired of this burn the oil field mentality that's killing our business."
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Goldstein and Shallcross- A New Coalition of Idiots
BEFORE I START THIS BLOG. THIS BLOG IS MOST DEFINITELY NOT INTENDED TO OFFEND ANYONE WITH EXCEPTION OF THE PARTIES I'M CRITICAL TO IN THIS BLOG. I DO ANTICIPATE SOME LEVEL OF BACKLASH FOR MY OPINION, AND AM PREPARED FOR THAT BACKLASH, BUT I FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT MY OPINION ON THIS MATTER AND WILL STATE IT DIRECTLY WITH NO PUNCHES PULLED. SO HERE GOES...
What is it about the month of November? Last year Andrew Shallcross entered into a failed Promoters Marriage with Ernie Todd, and the results were laughable by many, and stressful for those who had too much vested to laugh. For those of us on the outside looking in, it was a great time to point and ridicule at the chicanery of those two trying to do what their version of "better for the business" was as an alliance. At that time, I coined the term, "Coalition of Idiots" to accurately describe the duo working together.
In the 1990's there was an entertaining tag-team in WWF called Luke & Butch-- The Bushwackers. They were beloved by children and outright mocked by adults. Well in 2009, we have a brand new version of The Bushwackers. They're right here from Winnipeg Wrestling, and their names are Marty and Andrew-- THE BUSHLEAGUERS. Nothing more evidenced this theory than last night's effort by Marty "Gold" Goldstein Boroditsky Fleck and whatever name he used today, to produce the tribute and fundraiser to the late Kerry "Pitbull" Brown. An event promoted by Tony Condello. Now, in the 90s The Bushwackers were lead to the ring by a geek named Jamison... Well this new age version can be lead around by Condello for being the only guy in town that would hire Marty to produce an event in this day in age.
I realize poking fun at Marty using a tribute and fundraiser is an extremely sensitive matter. And I apologize to those in advance for anything that may be taken as offensive. My goal here is to express an opinion, and the mark that Kerry left on the business is definitely respected by me. I hope the show was successful in raising the funds for the family to alleviate any financial burden the much too early death of Kerry caused.
The issue that has arisen to me, was Marty's outright manipulation to get the role of Producer from Condello in the first place. Marty used the logic that Winnipeg is a political hot-bed and if he was not named Producer to this event, some wrestlers would boycott the event, and some guys wouldn't want to do a job, and an "outsider" needed to be brought in to be a "Leader" of an event like this. With his tag-team partner Bushleaguer Andrew closely in tow, Marty demonstrated his incredible leadership by sending out blanket emails enlisting the help of whoever would assist in the event. I've booked talent and produced events for many years, and I don't think I've ever depended on blanket e-mails to unite such a supposed political landscape. Martin, if there was a gap to bridge, why did you not demonstrate your leadership with more than blanket emails? Because you are an idiot that's why.
But lets digress and back on topic. The event, which in his earliest e-mails needed to draw numbers that far exceeded 300 people that any community club could hold was attended by a mere 100-150 supporters. These fans were very quiet, which I guess is understandable given the fact that it was a solemn occasion. Martin the producer, instructed the tape crew to set one hard cam on the ring, and one on the crowd to pick up their anticipated reaction to all the excitement the night of old school bad booked wrestling would bring. One major problem, there was no excitement. As one girl who was there to support a local non-political wrestler who actually helped in the organization of the event told me by text message, "This show is much quieter than the other I've been too." Well that can be sort of attributed to what happens when you put 125 people in a room that's built for 1000. AND you let a guy who would NOT have the foggiest clue of entertainment, oh I don't know lets called him Bushleaguer Martin, produce the event.
Normally, and I anticipate this at any moment, Marty will jump up, puff out his chest and brag about the level of production that this has been, and even go as far as to say it's never been seen before. He will say that critics everywhere are raving, though you won't be able to hear a single peep. I guess everyone just calls Marty personally to tell him of his level of success, but they all choose to keep the compliments secret. I once made the mistake of hiring Marty to co-produce an event I was having at Coyotes Bar and Billiards (now known as Vivid). The pompous jackoff, with absolutely no people skills decided he'd get on a ladder and start rigging their lights to better suit his vision of production. When venue manager Jamie walked up to Marty and asked what he was doing, Marty not so politely told him "Do you want a Hollywood production, or a typical Coyotes production?" in his uniquely and generally revered condescending tone. Yup that Marty GoldBoroditskysteinfleck is one hell of a producer... in his own mind. What was Condello thinking by hiring this loser?
And not to be outdone in the people skill lacking department, there's tag-team partner Bushleaguer Andrew. Before I get too deep into Andrew, who runs not promotes Premier Championship Wrestling, a local outfit that has been run into the ground the same way his ring has been maintained over the last 7 years (it hasn't been maintained at all, just to be clear). When the benefit and tribute show was first discussed, and my very good friend Danny Warren, promoter of CWE who wrestled against Kerry in his last match was going to organize the event (and given his track record this year, he would have vastly outperformed the Goldstein/Condello partnership) I immediately said given my reputation for being a political heat score, I would step back and not be involved in any planning, organization or event day production of the event. Though I fully supported the concept and wished for the best, I did not know Kerry at all and didn't think my involvement could be useful. The exact same thing could be said for Bushleaguer Andrew.
Well... Trust Bushleaguer Andrew to display his ridicularity and lack of ample people skills at the Kerry Brown Tribute Fundraising show. This one left me shaking my head in a disgusting laughter last night when I was told. Andrew the Bushleaguer, actually picked a fight in the back with local wrestler Rob Stardom. By all accounts, Stardom had been veteran like in asserting his position with local wrestling rookies Scott Justice and Sabortooth, both far from being mistaken as superstars in anyone but Bushleaguer Andrew's assessment. Who knows if he was right or wrong, maybe there was a little bit of both at play. However, he was one of Kerry's very good friends, and he loved Kerry like a big brother figure. Something he's told me himself. What does Bushleaguer Andrew do, on a night when Rob was probably a little bit sore inside? You guessed it. He started a verbal altercation that had to be pulled apart and cooled down by veteran Chi Chi Cruz.
Now many will jump all over me. But where in hell did these idiots grow up? Marty is knocking on or past 50 years old. Andrew is knocking on 40. And they perform like this on an occasion as important as this.
Last week before I got banned from a local wrestling discussion board by Bushleaguer Martin, I attempted to debate with him, a local college radio talk show host of all things. I wanted Marty to step up and be successful yesterday. I'd love to admit I was wrong today and Marty drew 400 people, and raised $5000+ (his first e-mail he informed the Winnipeg Wrestling community that he thought they needed to raise double that number at $10,000) and proved me wrong for suggested he handled himself terribly in this all important matter. Unfortunately, Marty lived up to his long-living performance level and only impressed himself.
One thing Bushleaguer Marty mis-represented last week was the notion that all the Industry leaders in Winnipeg were committed to making this event successful and would be "brought together". Well, not including myself because I don't need to refer to myself as a local wrestling leader, some of the following were not there: Mentallo and Kenny Omega (arguably the two best wrestlers based in the province right now and in the last 10 years), Shane Madison (who made a financial contribution but did not attend by choice), Danny Duggan (who just 3 weeks ago drew approximately 500 people to his show was in Thompson on a business trip), Ernie Todd (the last promoter to book Kerry regularly, who chose a shift at a part time job over appearing, though he bought a block of tickets in support), Jon Cutler (recently returned from WWE developmental in Florida, who probably had not even met Kerry). Marty was expected to be a LEADER for this event. Did he reach out to Wayne Stanton? No. Me? No, actually the minute Marty convinced Tony that he was the right guy to be a leader, I immediately got taken off the mailing list, in the off chance that I might want to make a financial or professional contribution.
Tony Condello is a love him or laugh at him kind of guy. But he holds considerable amounts of respect in certain circles locally that exceeds Marty Goldboroditskysteinfleck, but what is truly sad about this event is that it exposed that Tony can't bring Marty up to his respect level, and only diminished his own level of respect amongst the "local industry" by hitching his wagon to The Bushleaguer Martin.
And that's my donation to the cause.
What is it about the month of November? Last year Andrew Shallcross entered into a failed Promoters Marriage with Ernie Todd, and the results were laughable by many, and stressful for those who had too much vested to laugh. For those of us on the outside looking in, it was a great time to point and ridicule at the chicanery of those two trying to do what their version of "better for the business" was as an alliance. At that time, I coined the term, "Coalition of Idiots" to accurately describe the duo working together.
In the 1990's there was an entertaining tag-team in WWF called Luke & Butch-- The Bushwackers. They were beloved by children and outright mocked by adults. Well in 2009, we have a brand new version of The Bushwackers. They're right here from Winnipeg Wrestling, and their names are Marty and Andrew-- THE BUSHLEAGUERS. Nothing more evidenced this theory than last night's effort by Marty "Gold" Goldstein Boroditsky Fleck and whatever name he used today, to produce the tribute and fundraiser to the late Kerry "Pitbull" Brown. An event promoted by Tony Condello. Now, in the 90s The Bushwackers were lead to the ring by a geek named Jamison... Well this new age version can be lead around by Condello for being the only guy in town that would hire Marty to produce an event in this day in age.
I realize poking fun at Marty using a tribute and fundraiser is an extremely sensitive matter. And I apologize to those in advance for anything that may be taken as offensive. My goal here is to express an opinion, and the mark that Kerry left on the business is definitely respected by me. I hope the show was successful in raising the funds for the family to alleviate any financial burden the much too early death of Kerry caused.
The issue that has arisen to me, was Marty's outright manipulation to get the role of Producer from Condello in the first place. Marty used the logic that Winnipeg is a political hot-bed and if he was not named Producer to this event, some wrestlers would boycott the event, and some guys wouldn't want to do a job, and an "outsider" needed to be brought in to be a "Leader" of an event like this. With his tag-team partner Bushleaguer Andrew closely in tow, Marty demonstrated his incredible leadership by sending out blanket emails enlisting the help of whoever would assist in the event. I've booked talent and produced events for many years, and I don't think I've ever depended on blanket e-mails to unite such a supposed political landscape. Martin, if there was a gap to bridge, why did you not demonstrate your leadership with more than blanket emails? Because you are an idiot that's why.
But lets digress and back on topic. The event, which in his earliest e-mails needed to draw numbers that far exceeded 300 people that any community club could hold was attended by a mere 100-150 supporters. These fans were very quiet, which I guess is understandable given the fact that it was a solemn occasion. Martin the producer, instructed the tape crew to set one hard cam on the ring, and one on the crowd to pick up their anticipated reaction to all the excitement the night of old school bad booked wrestling would bring. One major problem, there was no excitement. As one girl who was there to support a local non-political wrestler who actually helped in the organization of the event told me by text message, "This show is much quieter than the other I've been too." Well that can be sort of attributed to what happens when you put 125 people in a room that's built for 1000. AND you let a guy who would NOT have the foggiest clue of entertainment, oh I don't know lets called him Bushleaguer Martin, produce the event.
Normally, and I anticipate this at any moment, Marty will jump up, puff out his chest and brag about the level of production that this has been, and even go as far as to say it's never been seen before. He will say that critics everywhere are raving, though you won't be able to hear a single peep. I guess everyone just calls Marty personally to tell him of his level of success, but they all choose to keep the compliments secret. I once made the mistake of hiring Marty to co-produce an event I was having at Coyotes Bar and Billiards (now known as Vivid). The pompous jackoff, with absolutely no people skills decided he'd get on a ladder and start rigging their lights to better suit his vision of production. When venue manager Jamie walked up to Marty and asked what he was doing, Marty not so politely told him "Do you want a Hollywood production, or a typical Coyotes production?" in his uniquely and generally revered condescending tone. Yup that Marty GoldBoroditskysteinfleck is one hell of a producer... in his own mind. What was Condello thinking by hiring this loser?
And not to be outdone in the people skill lacking department, there's tag-team partner Bushleaguer Andrew. Before I get too deep into Andrew, who runs not promotes Premier Championship Wrestling, a local outfit that has been run into the ground the same way his ring has been maintained over the last 7 years (it hasn't been maintained at all, just to be clear). When the benefit and tribute show was first discussed, and my very good friend Danny Warren, promoter of CWE who wrestled against Kerry in his last match was going to organize the event (and given his track record this year, he would have vastly outperformed the Goldstein/Condello partnership) I immediately said given my reputation for being a political heat score, I would step back and not be involved in any planning, organization or event day production of the event. Though I fully supported the concept and wished for the best, I did not know Kerry at all and didn't think my involvement could be useful. The exact same thing could be said for Bushleaguer Andrew.
Well... Trust Bushleaguer Andrew to display his ridicularity and lack of ample people skills at the Kerry Brown Tribute Fundraising show. This one left me shaking my head in a disgusting laughter last night when I was told. Andrew the Bushleaguer, actually picked a fight in the back with local wrestler Rob Stardom. By all accounts, Stardom had been veteran like in asserting his position with local wrestling rookies Scott Justice and Sabortooth, both far from being mistaken as superstars in anyone but Bushleaguer Andrew's assessment. Who knows if he was right or wrong, maybe there was a little bit of both at play. However, he was one of Kerry's very good friends, and he loved Kerry like a big brother figure. Something he's told me himself. What does Bushleaguer Andrew do, on a night when Rob was probably a little bit sore inside? You guessed it. He started a verbal altercation that had to be pulled apart and cooled down by veteran Chi Chi Cruz.
Now many will jump all over me. But where in hell did these idiots grow up? Marty is knocking on or past 50 years old. Andrew is knocking on 40. And they perform like this on an occasion as important as this.
Last week before I got banned from a local wrestling discussion board by Bushleaguer Martin, I attempted to debate with him, a local college radio talk show host of all things. I wanted Marty to step up and be successful yesterday. I'd love to admit I was wrong today and Marty drew 400 people, and raised $5000+ (his first e-mail he informed the Winnipeg Wrestling community that he thought they needed to raise double that number at $10,000) and proved me wrong for suggested he handled himself terribly in this all important matter. Unfortunately, Marty lived up to his long-living performance level and only impressed himself.
One thing Bushleaguer Marty mis-represented last week was the notion that all the Industry leaders in Winnipeg were committed to making this event successful and would be "brought together". Well, not including myself because I don't need to refer to myself as a local wrestling leader, some of the following were not there: Mentallo and Kenny Omega (arguably the two best wrestlers based in the province right now and in the last 10 years), Shane Madison (who made a financial contribution but did not attend by choice), Danny Duggan (who just 3 weeks ago drew approximately 500 people to his show was in Thompson on a business trip), Ernie Todd (the last promoter to book Kerry regularly, who chose a shift at a part time job over appearing, though he bought a block of tickets in support), Jon Cutler (recently returned from WWE developmental in Florida, who probably had not even met Kerry). Marty was expected to be a LEADER for this event. Did he reach out to Wayne Stanton? No. Me? No, actually the minute Marty convinced Tony that he was the right guy to be a leader, I immediately got taken off the mailing list, in the off chance that I might want to make a financial or professional contribution.
Tony Condello is a love him or laugh at him kind of guy. But he holds considerable amounts of respect in certain circles locally that exceeds Marty Goldboroditskysteinfleck, but what is truly sad about this event is that it exposed that Tony can't bring Marty up to his respect level, and only diminished his own level of respect amongst the "local industry" by hitching his wagon to The Bushleaguer Martin.
And that's my donation to the cause.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Rarest Occasion-- I WAS WRONG!
Recently, I boldly predicted that the Bombers would finish the season 6 and 12 and wouldn't even get a sniff of playoff football. As any Canadian Football League fan knows as of today, the Bombers finished 7 and 11 and if it hadn't been for a real bad half of football, they very well could have made the playoffs. So, I've been exposed, I'm far from being an expert on CFL Football. (This is me taking away the criticism I'm sure all those Mike Kelly lovers will fire off in my comment section).
Here's the scoop. Mike Kelly has been an embarrassment to the Winnipeg Football Club. Last week cussing out Bob Irving was a whole new low. Missing the playoffs in a division where the Toronto Argonauts finished 3 and 12, should be unacceptable. Being brash, arrogant, over the line of good taste often, is only acceptable when you are delivering championships. When you are missing the playoffs, and giving us the worst loss in a single game in recent memory (remember the Banjo Bowl? I sure do), and then swearing at a local Media Icon (Bob Irving), you should be fired. There should be no post last game of the season interview where you talk about your goals for the off season, you should gracefully call it a day and ride off quietly. No, Mike Kelly won't do this, he's done it his way this long, why change now.
All week long, I said if Mike Kelly matches Doug Berry's mark of 8 and 10 last season, and made the playoffs, let alone host a playoff game, he should get one more season to undo a lot of the wrong that he did this year. But that would require a win against a team that wanted it far worse. I laugh at those who argue Kevin Glenn isn't a worthy starting Quarterback in the CFL. 2 years ago, if it had not been for a broken limb, this guy quite possibly would have ended the long Championship drought that Blue Bomber fans have had to endure (please remember that Ryan Dinwiddie lost that game by a mere 4 points, and completed just 15 of 33 passes). Does anyone doubt that Greg Marshall's defense wasn't more prepared for this game than any other game this season? I wonder if Lyle Bauer watched that game, stroked his goatee and thought to himself "What if? What if I had just left Brendan Taman in charge? And what if he had promoted Greg Marshall to be Head Coach last year?" Those what if answers probably yield far different results. One Brendan knew how to work with the media, and get positives out of stories that could be slanted negatively. And I seriously doubt Greg Marshall ever would have allowed this team be so unprepared as to get humiliated as regularly as it did (Banjo Bowl, in Montreal last week, and today against Hamilton were rough to watch as Bomber fans).
I can't help but also wonder where this team finishes if Mike Kelly hadn't staked his entire existence to an inexperienced Quarterback going into training camp. Lets forgive that Kevin Glenn was released without even getting a training camp to prove himself in the new system. But Michael Bishop was a free agent a month into the season, and former league Most Outstanding Player Casey Printers was a free agent until about 8 weeks ago. You put anyone of those three through a training camp and familiarize them with this set of receivers, and the team probably finishes 9 and 9. And hosts a playoff game. And even with the inconsistent play that plagued Michael Bishop, it would be considered a success story for a rookie head coach to have finished second.
But not to worry. Mike Kelly didn't do the worst job in the CFL this summer. That distinction goes to Bart Andrus who boldly decided that Arland Bruce wasn't bigger than the Argos. Bruce is the single most talented receiver in the league right now. And his chemistry with Glenn is frightening. He is a true bona fide game breaker, and I believe he's the single biggest reason the TiCats finished second, and the Argos finished last.
So what now? In a perfect world, Lyle Bauer would hold a press conference and announce his resignation. The Winnipeg Football Club Executive would lure a worthy candidate to over see the corporate management of the team, and hire a truly qualified person to handle the Football operations. That Murphy fellow who is Director of Player Personnel would be fired for the Pacman Jones fiasco, Mike Kelly would be exterminated for being the irritating and disrespectful louse that he is. And a new direction for this franchise would be adopted immediately and urgently. He's as boring as a bowl of cornflakes but Tom Higgins comes to mind as the perfect choice to run the Football end. And with the impending deal to go to private ownership already well established, why not just name David Asper Chief Executive Officer. Higgins could coach, and coach damn good. The current roster of the Calgary Stampeders demonstrates that Higgins knows how to assemble a winning football program. He's won a Grey Cup as Head Coach in Edmonton. And I firmly believe in the motto "Once a coach, always a coach", he'd leave his post as Director of Officiating to run the program. One major problem though, the mis-management of one Lyle Bauer, has created a crisis where Doug Berry still has one year of pay as FIRED Head Coach. And for some insane reason that only Bauer understands Mike Kelly is allegedly the third highest paid Head Coach in the CFL (behind success stories named Buono and Huffnagel), and Kelly's contract has two more years before expiry. Yeah don't vomit, this idiot named Mike Kelly got paid more than Marc Trestman in Montreal, and Trestman had double the victories plus one this season. He could have loaned the Bombers 3 wins and still finished on top of the CFL East Division. True story!?!
It will be very interesting to watch the off season unfold. If Mike Kelly is retained as Head Coach, what will happen with Corporate Sponsorship? Season Ticket Sales? Free Agency? I am not much of a gambler, and I have no faith in Lyle Bauer's dice rolling skills. So here's hoping today was a stark wake-up call for the local professional football organization. We can only hope Lyle Bauer saw the same thing 1/3 of the fanbase saw, which is that his buddy Mike Kelly is a dismal failure as a pro football coach.
On Final thought... IF YOU GOOGLE MIKE KELLY, YOU'LL SEE HE DIDN'T HAVE SUCCESS AS HEAD COACH OF THE WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS.
Here's the scoop. Mike Kelly has been an embarrassment to the Winnipeg Football Club. Last week cussing out Bob Irving was a whole new low. Missing the playoffs in a division where the Toronto Argonauts finished 3 and 12, should be unacceptable. Being brash, arrogant, over the line of good taste often, is only acceptable when you are delivering championships. When you are missing the playoffs, and giving us the worst loss in a single game in recent memory (remember the Banjo Bowl? I sure do), and then swearing at a local Media Icon (Bob Irving), you should be fired. There should be no post last game of the season interview where you talk about your goals for the off season, you should gracefully call it a day and ride off quietly. No, Mike Kelly won't do this, he's done it his way this long, why change now.
All week long, I said if Mike Kelly matches Doug Berry's mark of 8 and 10 last season, and made the playoffs, let alone host a playoff game, he should get one more season to undo a lot of the wrong that he did this year. But that would require a win against a team that wanted it far worse. I laugh at those who argue Kevin Glenn isn't a worthy starting Quarterback in the CFL. 2 years ago, if it had not been for a broken limb, this guy quite possibly would have ended the long Championship drought that Blue Bomber fans have had to endure (please remember that Ryan Dinwiddie lost that game by a mere 4 points, and completed just 15 of 33 passes). Does anyone doubt that Greg Marshall's defense wasn't more prepared for this game than any other game this season? I wonder if Lyle Bauer watched that game, stroked his goatee and thought to himself "What if? What if I had just left Brendan Taman in charge? And what if he had promoted Greg Marshall to be Head Coach last year?" Those what if answers probably yield far different results. One Brendan knew how to work with the media, and get positives out of stories that could be slanted negatively. And I seriously doubt Greg Marshall ever would have allowed this team be so unprepared as to get humiliated as regularly as it did (Banjo Bowl, in Montreal last week, and today against Hamilton were rough to watch as Bomber fans).
I can't help but also wonder where this team finishes if Mike Kelly hadn't staked his entire existence to an inexperienced Quarterback going into training camp. Lets forgive that Kevin Glenn was released without even getting a training camp to prove himself in the new system. But Michael Bishop was a free agent a month into the season, and former league Most Outstanding Player Casey Printers was a free agent until about 8 weeks ago. You put anyone of those three through a training camp and familiarize them with this set of receivers, and the team probably finishes 9 and 9. And hosts a playoff game. And even with the inconsistent play that plagued Michael Bishop, it would be considered a success story for a rookie head coach to have finished second.
But not to worry. Mike Kelly didn't do the worst job in the CFL this summer. That distinction goes to Bart Andrus who boldly decided that Arland Bruce wasn't bigger than the Argos. Bruce is the single most talented receiver in the league right now. And his chemistry with Glenn is frightening. He is a true bona fide game breaker, and I believe he's the single biggest reason the TiCats finished second, and the Argos finished last.
So what now? In a perfect world, Lyle Bauer would hold a press conference and announce his resignation. The Winnipeg Football Club Executive would lure a worthy candidate to over see the corporate management of the team, and hire a truly qualified person to handle the Football operations. That Murphy fellow who is Director of Player Personnel would be fired for the Pacman Jones fiasco, Mike Kelly would be exterminated for being the irritating and disrespectful louse that he is. And a new direction for this franchise would be adopted immediately and urgently. He's as boring as a bowl of cornflakes but Tom Higgins comes to mind as the perfect choice to run the Football end. And with the impending deal to go to private ownership already well established, why not just name David Asper Chief Executive Officer. Higgins could coach, and coach damn good. The current roster of the Calgary Stampeders demonstrates that Higgins knows how to assemble a winning football program. He's won a Grey Cup as Head Coach in Edmonton. And I firmly believe in the motto "Once a coach, always a coach", he'd leave his post as Director of Officiating to run the program. One major problem though, the mis-management of one Lyle Bauer, has created a crisis where Doug Berry still has one year of pay as FIRED Head Coach. And for some insane reason that only Bauer understands Mike Kelly is allegedly the third highest paid Head Coach in the CFL (behind success stories named Buono and Huffnagel), and Kelly's contract has two more years before expiry. Yeah don't vomit, this idiot named Mike Kelly got paid more than Marc Trestman in Montreal, and Trestman had double the victories plus one this season. He could have loaned the Bombers 3 wins and still finished on top of the CFL East Division. True story!?!
It will be very interesting to watch the off season unfold. If Mike Kelly is retained as Head Coach, what will happen with Corporate Sponsorship? Season Ticket Sales? Free Agency? I am not much of a gambler, and I have no faith in Lyle Bauer's dice rolling skills. So here's hoping today was a stark wake-up call for the local professional football organization. We can only hope Lyle Bauer saw the same thing 1/3 of the fanbase saw, which is that his buddy Mike Kelly is a dismal failure as a pro football coach.
On Final thought... IF YOU GOOGLE MIKE KELLY, YOU'LL SEE HE DIDN'T HAVE SUCCESS AS HEAD COACH OF THE WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
