This & That While I wait for Game 4 of the Finals

I understand the layover between games. But it doesn’t mean I have to like it. So what to do… what to do…

The THIS: Chris Botta’s YouTube Experiment: Not only is he innovative, he’s certainly brave too. Venturing into the YouTube culture gives me the chills. But then again, having come from the compact, hand held 8mm camcorder generation, I know how easy video can be used against you. Let’s suffice it to say…. I’ll never be running for public office…. EVER. But Botta’s video entries on his nyipointblank blog are pretty interesting.

I can’t help but look at the first installment with the eyes of a wife and mother. “What? You couldn’t hit the dinning room table with Pledge before you shot it? You can see the dust in the sunlight.” These are the things I notice.

Go ahead… laugh. But I spent 2 months wondering if Jason Blake’s wife knew his socks were dirty when they photographed him for his first major article called “A Bug’s Life” back in 2001. It was a great article, and a great photograph, and all I could focus on were the socks. I would have been mortified.

But what Botta’s first installment does prove is the amount of professionalism he puts forth even unscripted from his dining room table. Not an “ummm”, “you know” or “ahhhh…” to be heard. Communications students; please take note. There is an invaluable lesson in that clip that lasts 4:07.

The second installment on Camden Yard is a cross between a travel channel episode and a Lighthouse Project infomercial. Nice piece on a place I’ll probably never see… unless Baltimore hosts a Pony or ASA Girl’s Softball Nationals tournament. THEN… maybe I’ll see it. But it was interesting and nicely done. Even the possibly beer-tinged critique of the Men’s room was quite professional. However, it did show me that what they did successfully in Baltimore is small in comparison to what the Lighthouse project is proposed to contain. But one step at a time. The “If you build it they won’t necessarily come” line is quite prophetic, especially considering what I heard on the radio today.

The THAT: Today I sent a scathing e-mail to Toronto’s Fan590 radio station. I tuned in around 4:15 pm as I haven’t logged onto that radio station in quite awhile now that NHL.com has a video portal and pod casts. But for some reason, I felt like checking it out.

I arrived smack in the middle of basically NHL SMACK. I had to listen for a good 15 minutes before I could determine that some sort of financial report has come out that the six Canadian teams make up an inordinate share of the NHL’s profitability.

No DUH.

I could have lived with those facts and figures. Even when the figures said that there were 8 US teams, including the NY Islanders, that didn’t make HALF of what the Senators took in, and they were the lowest drawing of the six Canadian teams, I was hurt but not incensed But when Rob McGowan decided to start berating Gary Bettman, the US fan bases and just our citizenry in general, I almost punched my monitor.

This is why there is such a rift between the Canadian Hockey fan and the US Hockey fan. In Canada, we may as well be Unicorns because they don’t believe we exist. But yet, they accuse the Commissioner of pandering to this non-existent base while destroying Canada’s game.

To this I would love to say: Oh! Canada! Take your six teams and create your own league. While you’re at it… Take the Blue Jays too. BTW… Baseball is AMERICA’S game, and we don’t seem to be putting you guys down every minute for having the nerve to have a team.

Obviously, I’m heading into territory that I have no business treading. But this is what happens when there’s not much else going on, and I’m home alone with the keyboard. Maybe I should learn to knit.
Uh…. No.

Red Wings roll over the Pens and the season wil be over.