Berger Grilled (With Extra Cheese)

In the past five years, Ontario has lost around 200, 000 manufacturing jobs. That's about two-and-a-half Peterboroughs worth of jobs that have gone and ain't coming back. If you're surprised by these numbers, it's probably cause the lead issue in the last Ontario election was freaking private religious schools. Who was running John Tory's campaign, Brylcreem Jr?

Anyways, if it's not bad enough that the economies to the South are siphoning off the traditional base of Ontario's prosperity, the Michiganders (or 'Goobacks') have decided to carpetbag our glamorous, non-paying sports media criticism blog industry. Check out George James's Malik's hatchet job on Working Class Howard's coverage of the Bowman saga that appeared on Michigan Live this weekend:

That "seems" to be a ridiculous amount of assumption by Berger, who's a "jock" on Toronto's almost-all-Leaf talk station, The Fan 590, and the paragon of upstanding journalism that is Hockeybuzz. Bowman indicated that he's happy with and loyal to the Red Wings, and he did not state, at any point, that he was "poised" to take on any sort of position with the Maple Leafs.

The BS about Larionov wanting to coach, as indicated by Larionov himself, is a load, and the concept that the board of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment would give anyone any sort of autonomy--they haven't done so for Ferguson, and they didn't do so for Pat Quinn. MLSE's board has not indicated that it's in any way, shape, or form interested in any sort of change, never mind "dramatic" change.

They took R jobs!!!

Actually, and luckily for us, that's as good as Malik gets. His next fifty-odd blog posts on the Bowman saga (bashing Cox, Simmons, Dreger, and more! Jeebus! that shames our productivity in this socialist backwater) indicate we should only be worried if we ran an MSM Red Wings shill blog which acts as if their honour has been impugned by anyone suggesting that Scotty Bowman would want to leave the third or fourth most important shinny nation's "Hockeytown" for the biggest job in the NHL. A position, that despite George's bluster to the contrary, Scotty undeniably has been interested in, and judging by his game of footsie with Ron Maclean Saturday night, still has some interest in. But he did call Toronto the "Laffs", so +10 for originality there! For now, we are not closing down the plant or laying anyone off. But send money anyway.

Howard has taken the high road. His bizarre blog entry Saturday chastised media and fans for obsessing over the JFJ saga, and took the time to remind us what's Really Important:

But, don't we all get just a little carried away with this stuff? Is it really quite as important and all-consuming as we make it out to be? ....

we still go way overboard.

Okay, so John Ferguson is on the hot seat. Richard Peddie has never met a camera, notepad or microphone that he doesn't like. The proprietors of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment seem incapable of making a prudent hockey decision. Or any notable decision pertaining to the Blue & White. And, yes, the Leafs are sliding towards playoff oblivion once again.

But, two miles north of the Air Canada Centre, children are dying of cancer.

Perhaps we should remind ourselves of that every so often.

Okay, sure Howard, there are many, many, more important things than how the Leafs do. But this is a bit rich  from someone who makes a handsome living (enough to afford $150 Cowboys tickets - you saw that coming, didn't you?) fanning the flames of human interest in the Maple Leafs. Howard, if you think your job is that unimportant in the grand scheme of things, quit. There are many other important and worthwhile things to do with your time. Hell, there's more important sportswriting you could be doing, about the fever pitch of Leafs fandom and the possibly unhealthy and distracting role it plays in out culture. But don't keep cashing your checks for doing the same old mittenstringing 51 weeks a year and then try to salve your conscience and download guilt onto your readership by writing this patronizing nonsense.

Fortunately, Monday found Berger back on form. His last few columns on the Fletcher situation have been solid and well-reasoned, except maybe his chilling dystopian scenario of a Leafs franchise run by robots. Come on, Howard, we all know that robots are intelligent. And he also gave us this bonus:

Somehow, that wasn't good enough for Peddie, who chose the status quo over Bowman. That being consecutive playoff misses and a four-decades-long Stanley Cup famine.

DING DING DING!

I believe we have our much-longer-awaited-than-I-thought-possible winner of the 1967 Contest! Come on down!