Well, this certainly makes sense -- not

[JQK]

although we are going to the Olympics and US isnt...

The Olympics? Could you pick a less-relevant sporting event?

The last time the olympics ment anything was probaly '92.

And let's not forget the 52 years Canada couldn't do in olympic hockey, and hockey is Canada's game, isn't it?

Just because you don't do well in a specific window of time every 4 years, doesn't make your national sport any less YOUR national sport

[GMac]

technically our national sport is lacrosse........ but hockey is up there...lol

[Phil]

Baseball is as much America's game as Lacrosse is Canada's: yes, they both have quite the following, but both are clearly less popular when compared to the nation's respective giants, hockey (Canada) and football (USA).

I agree the Olympics are irrelevant for baseball... what they need to do is allow MLB players (MLB put a stop to that real quick... heaven forbid it might boost the game's popularity abroad... like Dream Team did for basketball) to play for their countries... it'd be cool to see the Dominicans, Cubans, Japanese, and even Canadian major leaguers slug it out where national colours.

But the Jays and Expos playing in Puerto Rico makes as much sense as the Yankees and Red Sox playing in Winnipeg on the 4th of July... or the Packers and Lions facing off on Thanksgiving... in the Philippines.

Lastly, why does every thread on the General board have to turn into a political dispute? Honestly, let's agree to disagree... we obviously don't see eye to eye, but let's leave it to that one thread... thanks! (I'm not pointing any fingers, I admire you all for keeping it reasonably civil, seeing as patriotic feelings run pretty deep on both sides of the border... now let's focus on something else for a while.)

[GMac]

Lastly, why does every thread on the General board have to turn into a political dispute? Honestly, let's agree to disagree... we obviously don't see eye to eye, but let's leave it to that one thread... thanks! (I'm not pointing any fingers, I admire you all for keeping it reasonably civil, seeing as patriotic feelings run pretty deep on both sides of the border... now let's focus on something else for a while.)

first time you'll see me agreeing with a Bomber fan....lol

[Puckguy14]

Chris, first off forgive me if I accidently put a bad word in here.  

Bud Sleig is a *friggin* idiot who has ruined this game.  Some STILL haven't come back from the 1994 debacle.  He barely saved 2002 as well.  We won't start with QuesTec.  Plus the idea of contracting and kill both the American and Canadian economy with the loss of jobs and revenue by contracting is pure insulting.  Look at Florida and Anaheim!  Two teams of the 6 that were rumored to be gone if Selig had his way.  And always the one comment that A's fans cringe: "I watched 32 years ago the Kansas City A's move to Oakland. They hurt the Giants badly. They never really did very well themselves. It was a horrible mistake."

- Bud Selig, 6/2001, annual congressional baseball game, Washington, D.C.

Of course i love both the A's and Giants, but which Bay Area team has had the more success?  4 World Championships, 6 AL Pennants, and too many division titles to think of right now.

And how can we forget the debacle in his home stadium, called the 2002 All-Star Game. Milwaukee fans still feel as cheated (almost as much as Buffalo Sabre fans do to a certain goal in a certain championship series) about the result.

How the *Buck* this guy runs baseball is beyond me.  (as I get back to topic) Does this *poo poo head* have a clue or is he as dumb as a certain American leader (won't mention his name)or a certain governor (won't mention his name, but you've seen his movies.)  

This guy is truly an insult to baseball.  Yes, there is a problem in Montreal, but when the team has no owner to sign players to build a new fan base so they can demand a new stadium so baseball can be successful up in Quebec.  But the ultimate insult.  Interleague play with Toronto and Montreal on Canada Day weekend...played in Puerto Rico?  This *dumbSuck* has the brains of Paris Hilton with the body of an ugly old senior citizen.  

Oviously, no one has come out of the woodwork to buy the Expos and move them, so keep them there since there are no investors.  Why have them do twice 25% more road trips?  The players have had a *$#!Tfit* about this last year and it eventually cost them a possible trip to the postseason where the Expos could've made more revenue from the playoffs and maybe we'd be talking about the World Champion Montreal Expos instead of the World Champion Florida Marlins.

And for Chris' sake why the *Duck* do they play God Bless America at every Sunday blueJays home game?  That's more stupid than having both Canadian teams play on the road on Canada Day...oh wait!  You did that too!  What gives?  If you're gonna be patriotic to the American holidays, give some kudos to Canada...AND THIS IS COMING FROM AN AMERICA for crying out loud!

Get a *fudging* clue Selig.  For baseball, CHANGE IS NOT *FRIGGING* good.  If you want a team in Puerto Rico, give them an expansion team...if you can find an owner you dumbSuck excuse of a commisioner.  Who's worse?   Selig or Bettman?  Personally, they're even to me.

But maybe Selig is more stupid.  The luxury tax is so DUMB!  Gee, let's let the Yankees steal all the talent along with the Dodgers and pay the tax while the all the owners put in their pocket rather than spend it on their teams (do you hear me A's owner Steve "I couldn't give a rat's @$$phalt on the A's" Schott.

I demand everyone to start a campaign to RECALL THE COMISSIONER

[NJTank]

Selig should have never kept his job after 1994. He was just an interim comish when he took over for Fay Vincent 11 YEARS AGO!!!!

It is time he step asside for teh good of the game their are pleanty of good replacements out there.

[JQK]

Bud Selig is a good commish. He really is (Selig vs Bettman? Selig wins every time). His heart is in the right place, but things often don't go the way he envisions them. I think it's the easy way out to just blame him for everything and go join the mindless "Selig sucks" mob, because he doesn't suck. He has done alot of good for baseball. He has tried to get it back on track, and get it to the point where it was at before 1994. Will that ever happen? Probrally not, but the man is trying, and he really has the best intersts of baseball at heart.

You want to blame people? Blame the supposed "small market" team owners who do nothing except pocket all their money and spend nothing on their teams. They are ruining the game of baseball, and they are blaming the Yankees and Red Sox, and pointing fingers, while behind the scenes they are pocketing all the luxury-tax cash they are getting and doing nothing with it...

[Phil]

I demand everyone to start a campaign to RECALL THE COMISSIONER

A memorable rant by Puckguy... and I agree on every point... almost right down to the suppressed/masked swear words.

I fully agree... this would make for a fun poll... who's the stupidest commissioner...

I'm guessing Selig would take it right now, but depending on how long the lockout goes, Bettman would gain ground.

David Stern would end up a distant third, because nobody here really cares all that much about basketball (which is rather unfortunate) and because lately he's been making some reasonably good decisions and has kept (for the most part) out of the public eye.

Oh... and Bob Goodenow isn't exactly a commissioner, but as the head of the NHLPA, I wonder why... why... why aren't they TALKING ABOUT HOW TO FIX HOCKEY AND THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT! A lockout *will* hurt the game... badly... and yet you do nothing... NOTHING... to avoid it.

Memo to the Players: SUCK IT UP. A Salary Cap isn't so bad. Look at the NFL... they've got one! You don't see the football players slummin' it on the corner of Mediterranean and Baltic. Heaven forbid you would actually have to be accountable for your already-ridiculous salaries.

[jkrdevil]

Bettman beats Selig. Selig has done some good things where as Bettman had destoryed everything traditional with hockey (I'm still surprised that the give out the same cup every year, instead of making a replica each year that the teams keep like in other sports), and is killing the game by trying to make it the NBA (which sucks).

This is stupid with the Jays and 'Pos. If you ask anyone they will probably say it's stupid. Selig also defeats the purpose of Commisioner. The position was created so a none owner/outsider (who knows the game, unlike Bettman) runs the game and in the best interest of baseball. Selig is a former owner.

[JQK]

Bettman almost makes me wish for the days of John A. Ziegler Jr.

[IceCap]

jays and expose in pr on canada day weekend is only the second thing the mlb has done that upsets me as a canadian. the first was canadian teams wearing the american flag. couldnt they use a patch like the raptors wore with both flags? those are my only two complaits about the mlb as it realates to canada.

go jays! (cant call them blue jays anymore)

[CC97]

I think it's about time MLB just pulls out of Canada all together. No one cares. All i've ever heard from either canadian team or their fans is bitching. Bitching about getting mistreated, bitching about what flag is on what hat, it's starting to get irritating.

It's easy to comment from the outside looking in John, very easy.  How would you like having to stand up during the 7th inning for "The Maple Leaf Forever" every Sunday?  How would you like every one of the U.S. teams wearing Canuck flags on their caps, jerseys, and jackets?  How would you like having the Yankees and Mets play on Independence Day in Ottawa?

You wouldn't like any of that.

And you'd complain to no end about it.

And I would agree with you as to why you'd be complaining.

But the same thing happens to us, and you say we're "female dog(ing)" about it, and we should lose our teams for it.

Wow, valid argument ???

It's okay for the NHL to have a majority of teams in the U.S., but god forbid Canada has 2 baseball teams... we 'stole' two WORLD Series titles, wow, I guess 10 straight Stanley Cups won by U.S. teams is just peachy.   How bout we have 24 mlb or nfl teams in canada, and we'll let the U.S. keep 6?  does that sound fair?

You hate Canada?  So what, lots of people hate many places, good for you, good for them.

Just please keep it to yourself, because it really hurts when you say things like that.

[JQK]

My argument is that yea, MLB is screwing you guys over, but who have they NOT screwed over? MLB is in the business of screwing fans, and knowing that they will always come back. And if you don't come back, if you protest them by not showing up, your team will leave, so your just kind of stuck. Even the mighty New York Yankees were held hostage by The Boss, saying he wanted more attendance or he'd move to Jersey, a sacralige in the Yankees world.

ANd you are right. If they made the Yankees play in Canada on Independence Day weekend, i'd be miffed, but i wouldn't be hysterical with rage over it. It's a game. In a month most people won't even remember or care where the hell the game was. All i'm saying is to chill, take things a little lighter. Not EVERYTHING is ment as an offense to your country.