Golf requires a character that understands and calls each and every rules violation on not only your playing partners but yourself while competing in a tournament. PGA Tour veteran and longtime commentator Mark Rolfing took offense to this “witch hunt” suggesting “What I don’t like about it, is at the end of the round you sign a score card saying ‘I shot 72 today’ which means you played by the rules and that’s what you shot. Why do you have to submit to a drug test? Why can’t you just sign a piece of paper saying that I didn’t take the drugs that are banned in this book?” Rolfing said.

I’m sorry Mr. Rolfing but this is 2009, and as a result the six figure paycheck does not suggest that everyone play by the rules. Faldo suggested that “It is might clean out there.” To turn a blind eye to golf being so much of a gentleman’s game that people will not do whatever it takes to get an edge is extremely nearsighted. We are in the day and age where people can’t be taken for their word and must be further scrutinized.

Just imagine some tour rookie goes out and wins the Sony Open, the Bob Hope, and the Phoenix Open. Would those questions not creep into the mind of the average viewer. Yes, Yes, and Yes. It is nice to give people the benefit of the doubt, but the Fed Ex Cup has brought it on themselves offering 10 million dollar payouts. Don’t be surprised if your favorite 300 yard driver is scene to be taking something that is illegal under the PGA Tour’s policy this year. But please be sure to test the Major Champions and not just the John Deere Classic winners.

Now that they have made a little extra money through playoff revenue, the money burns a hole in their pockets. Maybe it is a situation of this is the first time that the Rays can attract big name free agents into their market. I guess that this is a way that the Rays can demonstrate to their fan base that all the money that you put into the club last year will go back into the club. But it seems out of place for the Rays and their mantra. Maddon has said, “If (players are) around 30 and take good care of themselves they might be productive for five or six years. What’s wrong with that?” Burrell 32, I guess into that category.

Burrell is a great right-handed bat that has been consistent over his 9 year career, but became expendable after the Phillies signed Raul Ibanez to a 3 year 31.5 million dollar contract. He will likely be used in a DH role as injury plagued Cliff Floyd was just not as dependable as the Rays had hoped. 

Will this be the signing that sets the dominoes in motion for signings to start coming fast and furious for the 30 some odd free agent outfielders.  

Photo Courtesy of allposters.com

Toronto FC:

This past year Toronto FC was the newest addition to the MLSE evil empire. Considered to be a success by many, but when you look a little closer it becomes apparent that people are the ones getting played. Ticket prices have increased significantly in one season of play. People will take those ticket price increases and just hand over their money like paying the tax man. But that’s not my concern, it’s the product. How is it that a last place team can increase its ticket prices? What about improving the on field performance and then concerning yourself with increasing revenue.

Team 2: The Raptors

This team does not have any chance to win even the lowly Eastern conference. There already needs to be drastic changes in the make-up of the team in order to make any inroads into improving as a team. But alas, as long as there are home playoff dates MLSE is content with the performance and are happy with the paycheck that Raptor fans write to them. How is it that 2006-2007 last place team the Boston Celtics have enough in the front office to go from the basement to the penthouse. (Well at least the patriots and Bruins lost). Just wait until next year when ticket prices again increase, for just another playoff appearance.

Team 3: The Leafs

This situation is so bad that they can’t even get a marquee GM. There is so much money involved in the game that quality of life is now the main consideration for guy’s like Brian Burke. Why not live in Anaheim during the winter months? Hopefully they will get a salary cap guru to crunch the numbers with a moneyball approach. Guys values are dependent on statistics, rather than a gut feeling. I enjoyed on an “off the record ” interview with JFJ… Landsberg “Who was the first player to call you when you were fired from the leafs” JFJ “Pavel Kubina”. No kidding you lined his grandkids grandkids pockets.

Keep in mind folks you can still get a $2 Tuesday ticket for a blue Jays game. At least it gets you in the building and then you can worry about the price of concessions. As for me, my first and final trip to yankee stadium next week, I’ll keep you posted.

It is a fact, that in Canada women do not receive the same wages as men. “Women workers earn, on average, only 70 cents for every $1 a man gets – even though on an average, women are better educated than men”, says Doris Anderson. This has continued to plague female workers for no reason but their gender. “And when companies base pension plans on how long people live women still pay the same rates as men but often collect less” says Anderson.

Sexual harassment is another issue that Canadians should pay much closer attention to. Even today, when a woman is abused or raped there are people who believe that it is the woman’s fault because of the clothes she wears, or the way she smiles, or how she wears her make-up. It is as if a child was being bullied in the schoolyard. “That man’s imagination for a Scottish girl he could molest as she filed papers in the cabinets in the tiny office, it was that wanting to cry in my best suit and high heels I could barely walk in”, says Dionne Brand. Even though there is more awareness today about this problem in the workplace, it remains a black eye that should concern employers more than it does.

There has been a greater initiative for equal job opportunities, the fact remains that generally speaking higher positions on the corporate ladder continue to be filled by men. If two people are equally qualified for a position, why is it that women continue to be snubbed? “Work(ed) the kitchens of hospitals, and that is where I did find a job the next week” says Brand. This is where many brilliant minds will fade into oblivion, as oppose to being provided with an equal opportunity at a better paying, more societal important position.

The party discriminating usually is motivated due to person’s differences from themselves, and they are unable to comprehend or accept those differences between one another, and as a result those people discriminate. The only thing that is accomplished by bigotry is further hatred between differences. One form of this discrimination is displayed in the treatment of women in the workplace. This has become a prominent issue over the last 40 years, in which the women’s rights movement has provided a societal acceptance with integrating women into the workplace. In Canada, women must struggle through making reduced wages than men. Women are also bombarded with sexual harassment in the workplace. In terms of positions being filled by women there is a lack of equal opportunity.

Whether it is rooted in ethnicity, gender, age, size, it must stop in what we perceive to be our more advanced society. As a western culture, we have taken strides to stop the hatred between differences, yet we continue to push this fact that exists. We can no longer claim ignorance, as everyone is cognicsicant of this lowest form of hurting other human beings. Men must also take a larger stake; these are our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters, and nieces, these are our fellow human beings.

Two days before the Grey Cup festivities begin, vendors along Front St. have been told to make way for the big corporations. A Chip truck owner in the area believes that he will lose between $1,500 and $2,000 because of the city’s decision.

But his disappointment is directed at the timing the city has given him and other vendors. The City of Toronto had this week on their calendar for a year, but they have waited until this past Monday to advise vendors that they must vacate Front St. to make room for the Grey Cup interactive area.

The vendors have done all kinds of preparation in lieu of the coming week including buying more than the usual amount of goods to sell throughout the coming week. These vendors have not only lost money for this coming weekend, but also for the previous week when road improvements were carried out by the city on Front St.

One of the things that Toronto prides itself on is diversity, and this includes the food that is available. Visitors from out of town who are here for the Grey Cup, will have the same food choices around Rogers Center that they have in their hometowns. One of the goals of this week was to showcase to the rest of the country what Toronto has to offer. An act like this is not a good way to kickoff hosting the most important week in Canadian football.

During the summer there are multiple festivals and events throughout the city that offer Torontonians a number of different food choice. These include events such as the CHIN picnic, Taste of the Danforth, and Taste of Little India. These cultural events are apparently just for the people of Toronto. Once the city is ensured to have visitors, the politicians succumb to corporate interests.

Instead of providing patrons with local Toronto fare, the city has decided to yield to the pressures of the Wendy’s corporation, who is the title sponsor of the CFL. This week visitors to Toronto should ensure that they venture away from the shadow of Rogers Center and get a true taste of what Toronto has to offer.

Just because I don’t support faith based funding, does that make me a segregationist?

Bryden Suits

UK source/International: The BBC

Provides all the amenities that an international news source should have. It provides users with easy to access and use stories and information throughout the world. The audience is British, but it also provides insight that can be interpreted accross the globe. It is a little more visually stimulating than other news sites, and it provides many one click links from the front home page to whatever you are seeking from weather to the top stories.

National Canadian Source: The CBC

This site is very dynamic. It covers all facets of multimedia, from podcasts to text. It is user friendly and is simple to navigate. The design is nice, especially with images on the front page with simple point and click depending on what your interests are. The site has a number of interactive media from podcasts to international news to information about their television shows. It is the voice of Canada and gives quality information about all of Canada. Meaning its not Torontocentric.

Local Toronto Source: The Toronto Star

This site provides local late breaking information in images, text, and audio formats. The site is very easy to navigate and the headlines are put in a timeline cronology. The audience is not only local but it is also geared toward a national audience. It is more of a newspaper style website. It has mostly photos and text in its stories but it also has human interest stories.