570News - Gary Doyle

This is more than a Long (er) Weekend. It is the celebration of our nation. We may not be over-the-top like our American neighbours, but we do have a lot to be proud of. There is still a laundry list of things we MUST deal with as a country. At the top of my governmental TO DO list is an improvement in the way we communicate and treat our native people. A report released today says Aboriginal children have the poorest living conditions of any in our country and that is a blight. My mentor told me once “If it doesn’t work at home, don’t export it.” He was talking about my personal faith and value system, but it’s not a stretch to suggest it should be our national viewpoint. We can ill afford to look upon other countrys and tsk tsk them for not living up to our standards when we don’t. That said, it’s a two way street and our natives have to stop approaching governments from the perspective of embittered victims. We can’t redo anything. We can move on.

Enjoy this great country and all it’s gifts. For me, I got a great one 22 years ago on Canada Day. Happy Birthday Pat.

I found it more amusing than amazing when I read a piece in the Record by Sports Editor Al Coates about the Kitchener Rangers trip south after the Memorial Cup. If you didn’t read it, the basic message is “so what” and “I’d have done the same thing, get over it.” Really? Wasn’t it your paper that started the chase? There were constant mentions of it…calls to the league office, quotes from other team officials who basically said “so what?”….Now it’s no big deal. The Rangers financial picture has never been better….they have finally gone public with their desire for a new rink in the city and reports indicate the Memorial Cup brought in over ten million dollars to the local economy. Does this signal a shift in the way the scribes will scribble about the local Lords of the rink? Here’s a tip. Tape your ankles. Hopping on and off the bandwagon can be dangerous.

Some guy got arrested in Florida on drug charges. Usually not a headline. But when the suspects’ first name is God…. the media responds. Headlines like “God Busted” “God Gets Caught Selling Drugs” and “God’s Latest Run In With The Law.” It’s hard to blame the newspapers….how often can you get my attention with a headline like that. I blame his parents. Why not George? Adolph? or Lucipher? At least the expectations would have been lowered. If you name your son after a deity, the pressure will be immense to live up the namesake. Which, by the way, is impossible in this case.

George Carlin died on the weekend. He was 71 and had a history of heart problems. Voted as the 2nd most influential stand-up comedian of all time (some guy named Pryor was first), Carlin was always able to make me laugh and when I heard that he had died I smiled. Not for some moribund reason. I was remembering his contorted face…his 7 Words, the Hippy Dippy Weatherman, and his passion for the language. George Carlin was many things, but his talent for making us think about what is important, and what really isn’t, is why I list him as the best stand up of all time.

I’m amused that the Ontario Hockey League says it will “investigate” the Kitchener Rangers post season southern holiday for the players and staff. Some in the media insist this is wrong, and by flogging it publicly the league has responded. The question is why? More members of the media (and fans) want the league to investigate it’s on-ice officials. Why so inconsistent? Why so sensitive to criticism? Why protect them? Why aren’t they getting better, like the rest of the product? Those are questions worthy of a league-wide investigation.

1. We’re (mostly) all guilty of this expression. I hear it a lot. ‘for free’. It’s free. Nothing is
for free. It’s just free. Not absolutely free, not 100% free. It’s free.

2. “New Record” We hear this little redundant ditty daily. Gas prices that achieve an all-time
high are establishing the record. Not a new record. Every record is new. Or it wouldn’t be
a record.

3. “An autopsy will be performed on a body” Really? What else would you suggest? An
autopsy will be peformed. That’s it.

Thank you for allowing me to vent. I’ll wrap up on a lite note. I saw a bumper sticker on the weekend that made me laugh. “Gas is now more expensive than beer. Drink. Don’t drive!”

That was nice. I enjoyed a relaxing day with my family. Got to spend quality time with boys. Instead of cards, we talked. Top that Hallmark!

Call me when you’ve got a job…Wait a minute. Peter DeBoer has a job. He’s the coach/gm of the Kitchener Rangers…not the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, Atlanta Thrashers, Florida Panthers or Tampa Bay Lightening. (if I missed your team I apologize) Ease of the trigger finger cowboy. Pete wants an NHL job. He’s ready, but he’s also picky, and holds a lot of cards where he is. If he doesn’t go the big leagues, don’t feel bad for him if you see him at the Aud this fall.

I will obviously never learn. I talked yesterday on the show about ceiling fans and how they get greased up and ready to go, long before I consider firing up the AC. This morning I asked my wife if it was time to fire it up again, and she told me that the guy she shares workspace with heard my hard-headed approach, so no. Live by the (s)word, die by the (s)word. It’s gonna be hot at the old house tonight.

The hockey season is officially over.

Amen

PS: 11 weeks till training camps open