Playing fans for pawns; and trying to handle pressure

Did you get a load of this?

The pucks poohbahs are using a small focus group run by Republican Party strategists to figure out how owners might try to bamboozle fans about the lockout?

(Here’s the story, it’s quite something)

I guess I shouldn’t at all be surprised, in every sports labour stoppage fans are pawns and rarely taken into consideration. It’s a fight between rich players and richer owners and if there’s a few other people hurt (and I know one bar – hello, Harbour Sports Grille! – that’s cutting its opening hours because the lockout’s taking business) well, that’s just too stinking bad.

But to think the owners are getting some right-wingish strategist to find out how best to “massage” their message should piss off fans to no end.

It signals – with equivocation – that all this lip-service to the fans is just that. Bull designed to fool them rather that inform them and if there was any doubt about wanting to pull the wool over fans’ eyes all you really have to do is digest this statement from the group:

“It’s not what you say, it’s what they hear.”

Pretty blatant, no? You find a slogan or a few buzzwords, stay “on message” and try, simply, to fool the people who actually pay the bills and who are genuinely damaged by this lockout.

There aren’t bartenders or ushers or concession workers heading to Europe to find work; the arenas are dark and real people are really suffering and the NHL is hiring heavily-connected consultants to tell them how to massage the people they’re hurting the most?

Yeah, that sucks. Big time.

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Right, the Raptors.

Well, it’s good for them that Kyle Lowry’s back on the court (here’s yesterday’s missive in case you missed it and shame on you if you did.)

And this is a critical week for them, without question.

Games Wednesday, Friday and Monday are the perfect time to start to fine-tune what they do, get into some kind of quasi-regular rotation and work even harder on their own stuff at real speed against real NBA opposition.

To this point, this group is intriguing. It’s deeper, it can score more prolifically than last year (you’ll see more overall production out of small forward and centre than you ever saw last year) but there has been some defensive slippage.

And as we’ve mentioned before, the early-season schedule is a blur; another reason to be ready to hit the ground running and another reason this is a key week of preparation.

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You know what would be really, really cool?

If, on opening night, they carved a hole in the roof of the Air Canada Centre and The Chicken parachuted through it right to midcourt.

From space!!!!!

Seriously. Think what we could learn to further the cause of stuffed animals everywhere!

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So let me get this straight.

Dude who leads the province decides he doesn’t want to do the job any more, packs it in and basically shuts down the legislature for some time because he’s either got personal issues or wants a better job or can’t handle the fight to get his party’s bills passed?

I (don’t heart) Politicians.

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I type the following words fully aware that I don’t imagine I’ve ever strung them together before and full cognizant that I might not ever again.

I can’t wait to find a stool to sit and watch the Canadian men’s soccer team play today.

They’re in Honduras, need a win or a draw to move on to the next stage of World Cup qualifying and I’m told be people who know (hello, First Lady Of The Beat and Not Grace Kelly) that it could be a cracker of a game.

(Cracker?! Yeah, I’ve gone over to the dark side)

Anyway, I can’t debate or even discuss 4-4-2 or whatever but I can say this: The players and coaches have put so much pressure on themselves with their public declarations of how important this game it that it will be fascinating to see how they react.

Athletes I’ve covered have a tendency to play down games like this in public utterances, they talk about just playing their game and their style, treating it as another game, just trying to do what they.

For days, it seems, we’ve heard coaches and players suggest this might be the biggest game they’ve ever played; a true statement but not one most athletes will make in public.

We’d like to think they can rise to the occasion and not be overwhelmed by it; that they will take the challenge well, not shirk from it; that they will dominate rather than cower.

The one person I’ve seen lately who did that was My All-Time Favourite Trampolinist Rosie McLennan (I know, it’s a short list but she’s at the top) because at the moment of the most pressure in the most significant competition of her life, she came up with the best performance of her career and won an Olympic gold medal.

That’s handling stuff well.

Wonder if the soccer team has that kind of effort in it?

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Hey, I’ve got a crazy week ahead with practices, games, flights (Porter to Montreal will be a new experience) and then a super-secret mission later on.

So let’s start doing mail, shall we?

Click. Write. Send.

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Oh, remember how last week was perhaps the greatest week in baseball playoff history?

Well, I think we need Tigers and Yankees and Giants and Cards to pick it up a little bit, it’s been a totally underwhelming few days.

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Comments

[john]

What Lockout?? And if the owners are getting some left-wingish strategist to find out how best to “massage” their message would it be more palatable to the public?

Blogger's note: No

[Jeff]

Doug, I have only flown on Porter once, but based on my first experience (and those of other people I have spoken with) you will really enjoy it. A lot more laid back than the Pearson airport. Take advantage of the freebies...and have a glass of wine on me.

Blogger's note: Have flown it a few times, all excellent, but only to US destinations. Looking forward to it

[UnansweredPoints]

I swear to god, Smith, if The Chicken is sporting a RedBull logo anywhere I'm going to be so disappointed, regardless of how much it might further the cause of stuffed animals elsewhere.

Good luck on your secret mission, agent!

[Peter]

The Chicken comment was AMAZING!

[Ren]

As witty as ever - and some angst - love it.
On the premier - it was only a matter - doing illegal business with the teachers, using that strategy to win a by-election (which went completely wrong), involved in all types of scandals. Ontarians and Canadians need to watch out - we need to all be on alert. Sadly, it is always the workers who get hurt at the cost of ladder climbing and personal achievement. That will never change.

[jeff]

Really? A 4 run comeback in the bottom of the 9th to send it to extra innings isn't enough for you? You my friend have high expectations!! ;)

[Rob.V]

So I missed all the angst yesterday over the guy that parachuted from the moon on the weekend (wasn't even aware that was happening!).
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What a great article that was. Is it just me or are you guys numb to all of this?. Remember when you were a kid and it seemed as though there was constant "peace" in Sports. I'm sure there wasn't however at least the owners could make all of their money (in private). Yup, those simple times are gone.
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Wouldn't it be funny if one day the next guy that comes along in a parachute was "locked out!"
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I've said this before however Sports are really for the young. I wish I could go back to the days when I cried for the Leafs (when I was kid). At least as a kid I was naive enough to care... now I simply ignore them.
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I'm sure the owners we're crooks back then, and the players just wanted a pay cheque... but I didn't know any better!!.

What no music today? This is actually funny that I mention this because I generally think what's played here is from a vintage before my time. And although I'm much more of an Alt Rock kind of guy personally lets shake it up a little today.
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Here is something for you dude. Go grab a couple of glow sticks will you!
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Kid from Niagara Falls makes good! Deadmou5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmfAZazJKXI

[james]

Curse you, Mr. Blogger! I was so looking forward to Lowry's debut, but now I can't get the Chicken Plunge out of my head!

[David in Oakville]

Morning Doug,

Hahaha!

Not sure I like the scientific ramifications of "the Chicken" doing a full gainer off the international space station into the ACC. If he survives, then it is possible that Dinos traveled here from space and might still be out there.
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Which is more surprising.. that NHL owners are seeking guidance on how to tweek their message that the lockout is good for fans and in their best interest or that Toronto elected Rob Ford to 'stop the gravy train". All aboard.
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Looking forward to seeing Lowry interact with the other Raptors and how it changes the look of the team.

[LeeZ]

"Seriously. Think what we could learn to further the cause of stuffed animals everywhere!"
A clarification, if I may: that's Doug being facetious.
Yesterday was perhaps the most bizarre discussion on this blog...ever! What started as a typically provocative (albeit in good fun) viewpoint advanced by Doug generated into a free-for-all of hostility, charges of elitism and not just a little sandbox behaviour. And all because some dude fell out of space! And who says Canadians are boring!

[Dadeo]

Stuffed? You mean The Chicken is not a real chicken!!

[sam]

A vast array of subjects today....

It's funny, Dalton used to be the teachers best friend.....Now he is clearly public enemy #1. I was surprized to hear of his resignation. However he seems to be armpit deep into a whole mess of stuff....mostly unpleasant and of his party's own doing. Where did it go wrong?

Great Quote from the article...
“It’s not what you say, it’s what they hear.”
you know you are in trouble when the Republican spin doctors are working on your side...Really, negotiations can be difficult, but there should always be a solution and in a timely fashion. Work stoppages are not predictable - they should be avoided in a mutually beneficial outcome.
Where did it go wrong?

You finally got a quote or two from Lawry....
Things might be looking up...

[SheikYurbouti]

Spin doctoring just might be the worlds second oldest profession, so we should be used to it by now.
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Great to see that Lowry is back on the court with the boys. No doubt he'll be a little rusty, but with the team having a few solid days to work on the mistakes and further develop the offense, I'm anxious to see how well his game utilizes the other tools on the court. Go Raps!!
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Well, there may not be any immediate scientific breakthroughs coming from "the stunt", but science teachers around the world may be thankful for it. Spoke to my daughter who teaches middle school science and math in California, and she says she has very rarely seen so much interest in science in her classroom, and is already busy at work to centre some lessons on this jump. Just as the moon landing inspired young scientists of our day, this stunt may well inspire future scientists of this youtube generation.
Heck, being a curriculum leader, and a teacher bent on exploring alternative teaching methods (eg. she also has extensive background in outdoor education and finds it a great tool in creating interest in science), she is already seeking both colleague and student help in using their youtube time to find other videos to explore scientific ramifications. So far, the kids are eating it up!
Who knows, it may even inspire a future scientist to land a stuffed animal from space at a Raptors game!

[doug]

in my humble opinion I fell the pendulum of commish's and owners has swung back towards the players from fans....simple reason owners and most notably Goodlell totally blowing that ref's lockout, over pennies and with 14 owners on

[doug]

man sent that one to early, it ticks me off when i do that I wish your blog like gmail had a delay period where you can retract it....anyways as i was saying 14 owners on Forbes richest list, and players now openly challenging Goodell in regards to bogus concerns about head injuries when he wants to go to 18 games and teams play on Thursdays etc....Stern is the same, Bettman also but this time Bettman has over-played his hand as he is dealing with Fehr, Fehr has plenty of experience in playing Betman's game....as one article I recently read properly pointed out, Fehr has never lost a strike or lockout, he is the man that made major league baseball what it is along with Marvin Miller....so Bettman and all the owners playing the fans for fools is ending as their have been too many strikes, lies,propaganda, the ref's strike tipped the balance...stinker of a soccer game....;ok cheers...

[John Dinner]

Rosie looks all that more golden now. I found my stool only to have to wait until it was already 1-0 before the game was put on (an indication of where soccer sits). I have worn my Canada soccer jersey in some 25 countries to much derision and surprise (futbol/soccer/football in Canada??). I have never been more embarrassed. And worse, I have never received more emails reminding me of the smack I have talked. Talk hockey, talk to another Canadian. Talk soccer, talk to the world. The world is having a field day at our expense. Or at least mine.

[doug]

time for reality...kudos to my hometown for standing up to this lowlife who thought he had to mock a dead girl....lucky the least thing that happened to him was being fired and to listen to him him whine makes him more a pathetic person...time for this blog and all blogs to make a stand..

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1272587--ontario-man-fired-from-job-over-comment-posted-on-memorial-page-to-amanda-todd