Category Archives: Sports

Rippers Sacrificing True Fans at Altar of Bad Publicity An Odd Definition of Success

1 Reply

By Jason Menard

Apparently, I missed out on the day they defined “success” at school. Because if David Martin is using this word to describe the launch of the London Rippers baseball club, then I clearly have no idea what the word means any more.

“It was one of the most successful launches in minor baseball history,” Martin is quoted as saying. This is just a few paragraphs after his VP Alison Stier is quoted as saying, “We couldn’t have asked for a (better) marketing campaign… We knew it would stir controversy. Never did we think it would be like this.”

First off, does anyone else find it odd that Stier was anticipating controversy? Continue reading →

Baseball Team Gets Ripped for Poor Taste, Treating Fans Like Morons

6 Replies

By Jason Menard

Yesterday was supposed to be a day of excitement for London baseball fans. Unfortunately, a combination of spectacularly poor judgement and an unwillingness to be honest about a mistake has turned what should have been the easiest home run in franchise history into a potentially franchise-threatening stumble out of the batter’s box for the London Rippers.

Reaction was swift and almost universally negative towards the Rippers’ name and logo. The obvious reference to Jack the Ripper is in poor taste; the fact that it was announced on a day where many were openly showing their support of ending violence against women is deplorable. But the continued denial of any “Jack the Ripper” tie is absolutely insulting. Continue reading →

Time, Innovation, Not Rule Changes All NHL Needs

Leave a reply
By Jason Menard

Guy Boucher’s 1-3-1 system isn’t just putting the freeze on opposition offense – it’s blazing through a copy-cat league and making some general managers’ blood boil. But instead of taking a torch to the rulebook, the NHL must ensure that cooler heads prevail because – like all defensive innovations – it’s just a matter of time until the pendulum swings the other way.

The system, which sees one forward enter into a mild forecheck, backed up by three players across the neutral zone, and one defenseman playing a deep-centre-field/safety style of defense, is gaining popularity because it works. Continue reading →

Kuhnhackl Suspension Proves Stars Play By Same Rules; NHL Must Follow

Leave a reply

By Jason Menard

Tom Kuhnhackl’s 20-game suspension couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

I mean that wholeheartedly and it’s reflective of a positive change in the Ontario Hockey League that holds everyone – stars and goons alike – accountable for their actions when it comes to head shots.

Minor leagues have often been the proving ground for changes that find their way to the big leagues. One can only hope that OHL commissioner David Branch’s hard-line on head shots will find its way to the NHL sooner rather than later. Continue reading →

Standing Up for What You Believe Sometimes Means Swallowing a Sour Cherry

8 Replies

By Jason Menard

As nauseating as Don Cherry’s “puke” comments were, all the calls to fire him for his statements are misguided. And for those who have tired of the flamboyant former coach’s bombast, the best way to deal with it is to put him on ice.

You don’t like what Cherry has to say, or how he chooses to say it, don’t tune in on Saturday nights. Turn off the TV during intermission, or change the channel altogether and, perhaps, find a game on TSN.

If enough people do this, then the tall foreheads at the CBC will get the point. Instead, thousands will play right into Cherry’s hands, tune in specifically to watch what he says, and everyone goes home happy – except the viewer. Continue reading →