The product on the field is the players, it's the game, it's not the ownership, it's the players and the game, and there the ones that deserved to get paid, and that's whats going to happen in this case. Greg Zaun, Sportsnet Connected segment, commenting on NHLPA talks, on or about September 09, 2012.
The Oracle of Ottawa knows it can only be bad news in Canada when you go to tune in for your favorite on-air personality and he or she is not there anymore. And you can be pretty sure it is final when the new on-air personality(s) act like that person that you tuned in for was never even here, ever. The Oracle of Ottawa wishes that the corporate over-whores would explain the absence of an on-air personality. The Oracle of Ottawa can take it! If you fired the person for cause, let us know! We are the viewers. We own your five something or other ragged media asses! You really shouldn't ever forget that. Ever.
Jamie Campbell(left) basks in Greg Zaun's immaculate light...
It has been a great summer for the Oracle of Ottawa. Free from all the old bullshit. I had time to watch the most baseball that I have ever watched in years. And, the Oracle of Ottawa really liked the frank and edgy commentary of Greg Zaun! No Blue Jay game is really complete unless it starts with Greg Zaun's "Three Ways To Win" segment in the pregame show! And the Oracle of Ottawa could really tell that no corporate whore fart catcher/communications type, could get Greg to go to a "How to Dress for TV" course! Only an old school dude such as Greg Zaun could wear what he wore, and actually get away with it, and not look stupid like Don Cherry! I will bet he even had on the two-tone water buffalo brogues!! Ya, it was a hell of a good summer, until earlier this week, and no more Greg! And to be replaced by somebodies sweet Latino boyfriend, (Jose somebody....) ever so accommodating, that I swear I could feel little Jamie Campbells love-hole winking..... Shudder.....
What ever could the reason for the sudden absence be? The Oracle searched and searched, and discovered a very frank segment on the recent NHLPA talks, that looks like from here, the beginning of a long cold grey winter. Could it be that Greg Zaun was a little too pro labour for the corporate over-whores at Rogers Communications, that also just so happen to also own the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team? The part where Greg states with full confidence that Donald Fehr did not come out of retirement to lose damn near busted my gut!
Well whatever the outcome is, whatever happens, the Oracle of Ottawa can be certain that when Greg Zaun draws his last breath, his last words certainly won't be "I wish I had said that....". In the Oracle of Ottawa's book Greg Zaun is a stand up guy.
Could this be the reason why Greg Zaun is no longer on Sportsnet?
Experience, in all ages and in all countries, has demonstrated that it is impossible to control nature in her distribution of mental powers. Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, p. 203
The Oracle of Ottawa marvels at the power and the callous stupidity of of certain marketing campaigns. It is absolute proof by demonstration that there exists much more money than brains. At first the Oracle of Ottawa thought that it would all go away quickly, that creepy two-tone animated brown monkey that seems to be spearheading all the media advertisements of the Subway mega fast food monster here in the Canadian market. The ads appear in English and French.
(i.e. somewhere else...)
This two tone brown monkey really creeps the Oracle of Ottawa! How bad is it? Why the insect hominid reminds the Oracle of Ottawa of the same feeling as getting into an Ottawa cab that is being driven by a Pakistani jihadist that is back in Canada on sabbatical from the the mountains of Afganistan! The beady predatory eyes and the evenly filed teeth, just makes the Oracle of Ottawa's epidermis crawl in utter grossness. (And you guessed it; the jihadists don't appreciate their cover being blown either.) And every movement in its body language states that you are the object of its utter and total contempt. Well excuse this old white man for living!
A Subway in its natural state - Empty....
The subliminal messages in the ads state to the Oracle of Ottawa that he is not really welcome in a Subway. The subtle nuances say to the Oracle of Ottawa that all you old white honkey farts that expect total and perfect food every time and on every visit can just go somewhere else! The two tone brown monkey seems to be gunning for a less discriminating demographic. And the Oracle of Ottawa damn near fell of his sofa when, while watching a Major League Baseball game, the latest ads were running with characters that were of African American descent! The first thought that went through the Oracles mind was; What the hell would Jackie Robinson think? Doesn't MLB keep a very close eye on the marketing that could adversely affect the brand? They damn well should...
Now the Oracle of Ottawa knows very many former urban road warriors, that worked for various levels of government here in Ottawa, whose jobs required them to be always on the road during their former work days. From several discussions the Oracle of Ottawa soon learned from these seasoned hands, people who really know of such things, that if you want to avoid "road rash", never, never, never eat anything, especially anything that contains "meat" from a Subway sandwich shop!
What is road rash you ask? Well that is the treat you get from eating in places you really shouldn't have. Several of the seasoned hands explained to the Oracle of Ottawa that they can readily understand how Jared the Subway guy, lost so much weight so fast! And, if you check into it yourself, he seems to be in no hurry to repeat the masterful feat of self marketing. Oy vey!
Now the best Subways in Ottawa are located in the brand new suburbs. And the young kid who works there really has no idea how to make a steak sub. His Mom still cuts his meat for him at home! And the Oracle of Ottawa must say that he always wears the gloves! Yes Sir! He wears them all the time. When primping his greasy hair and massaging his inflamed zits, just so ready to pop, anytime now! And especially when he squares off the rest room, he doesn't want to catch anything untoward, now does he? And of course he wears them when he makes your sub. Unfortunately for you it is the same gloves!
Yes, the Oracle of Ottawa remembers a number of "special" occasions the results of eating at a said certain sandwich shop. It was like a two toned brown monkey crawled up his colon and died. Only to be crapped out in wet sludgey, cramppy agony, with the cold pleasure that he had given birth to yet another new marketing concept!
Is it just the Oracle of Ottawa, or is that that two tone brown monkey evil creepy?
One thing a writer has, if he is fortunate, and I have been fortunate, is a partnership with the years. Roger Kahn, The Boys Of Summer, p. xxi
Re: Memo from the Sports Desk....
Well dear reader, if you thought this piece was going to be on the Oracle of Ottawa's impressions of the latest 'Harper Government' interview with the Fuhrer himself, on the state broadcaster of the CBC, you are going to be disappointed. The Oracle of Ottawa was watching the Toronto Blue Jays just whooping the Chicago White Sox on Sportsnet. But during the commercials, the Oracle of Ottawa checked in briefly, and came to the realization that I could miss 90% of it and still cover it for my adoring readership.
The Prime Minister states that he doesn't pay much attention to the Canadian media! The Oracle of Ottawa was very surprised when the pig-eyed little man's nose didn't explode out of his face! He doesn't pay attention to Canadian media? If that is true, why wasn't he wearing his favorite Do- Me Hot Pink lipstick, in double high gloss? Is it because some one in the Prime Ministers Office picked up my wicked trashing of it in this blog? You can rest assured dear reader that that is the case. The Oracle of Ottawa collapsed in laughter when the Great Man mentioned that we are "running out of runway"! He should have listened to those young punks in the NDP and not have closed it!
Now the Oracle of Ottawa knows that somebody in the Prime Ministers Office will have read this piece within twenty four hours of this 'umble blogger pushing the "publish post" button. And the Oracle of Ottawa has two serious observations to be taken into consideration. The first is; stop buying the Great Mans suits at Walmart! Second; if that is his old Walmart suit, someone had damn well better book him into the DND medical Centre for a cat-scan! It appeared to this blogger that this man has lost at least 15-20% of his body mass in a very short time of about a week! Or has he had a near death experience in the form of a very frank chat with, say, that nice American Ambassador to Canada, whereupon the 'Harper Government' was confronted with the facts of their nuts deep depth (debt?) to the Peoples Republic of China, especially relating to a recent certain "tele-com" deal? Ya, those frank discussions can be near life or death, can't they?
Yes dear reader, the Oracle of Ottawa sensed like Peter Mansbridge, that something was deeply troubling the Fuhrer. What ever could it really be? Hmmmm.... But back to the ball game...
It seems that the "syringe era" of Major League Baseball is over. The Oracle of Ottawa has not seen one guy so far that looked like a comic book character. And watching baseball in full 1080HDi is just like watching a shiny baseball card in full motion! Baseball is so real in HD. The Oracle of Ottawa is again enjoying the great game. The Rogers Sportsnet coverage of the Blue Jays is just the best out there. The commentary isn't Harry Cary, but is the best I have seen and heard so far. Could it be possible that the corporate lads in Toronto still have some semblage of a soul left? There may be hope for Canada after all...
What is the definition of great character team? Even when they lose, you can't stop watching! Hats of to the corporate overlords at Rogers Communications! (And please don't screw it up!!)
