Don Cherry, Coach’s Corner, ‘I believe Women shouldn’t be in male dressing rooms’ Cherry can’t stay away from controversy

The topic came up on Coach’s Corner last night about women reporters in male sports locker-rooms because of a situation last week when defenceman Duncan Keith of the Chicago Black Hawks made a comment to a women reporter in Vancouver. Other male reporters were suggesting that Keith was being sexist towards Team 1040 reporter Karen Thomson just after their lose to the Canucks at Rexall Place.

Don Cherry always has an opinion

 

As you can see in this tweet, Ron MacLean was not in complete agreement with Cherry. Cherry went on to say, “Equal opportunity, then why aren’t men in women’s dressing rooms?”

To which it came up about the players walking around naked and MacLean didn’t think that would be a good idea for men to be in women’s locker-rooms.

My belief is women shouldn’t even be commentators on male sports broadcasts and yes, I’m in agreement with Cherry. Is that politically correct, no. But it is my belief and they should keep women out of men’s locker rooms, period. There are plenty of women’s sports that need women to cover, and let’s keep them separate.

Was Duncan Keith sexist, not at all. He had just lost a game 3-1, and a women reporter asked if he thought a penalty should be called. All he said was, “We should get you as a ref, maybe, eh?” That does not seem like a sexist remark to me.

Let us know what you think of the controversy?

Smartphones are getting stolen in NYC, now Toronto as well, keep that phone hidden

Toronto, Canada – In New York City, now Toronto, and no doubt around the world smartphones are being stolen in subways, on the street and everywhere.

Not only the theft of the phone is a problem but the use of the phone and the stored data/pass-codes you may have already saved on the smartphone itself.

Unknown to many, there are insurance policies available through the cell phone carriers but the price of $7 per month is very unreasonable.

Are people concerned about these possible thefts? No, most say they are not concerned and are watching, but it doesn’t make much sense, since if they are looking at their smartphones, they don’t really have any idea of what is happening around them.

“I’m confident in myself, and I’m aware of my surroundings so I know when people are approaching me and when they are not,” said Isiah while she was standing at a streetcar stop in downtown Toronto while she typed away on her IPhone.

Is cell phone insurance really worth it?

“I would beat them over the head with it, if someone tried to grab it, and I’ll continue to do it,” said Emily of Toronto.

It’s sadly becoming a trend in Toronto, and most recently there was a crew of thieves who stole smartphones from students at gunpoint at Thistletown Collegiate Institute high school and police were called.

The real concern with smartphones and the protection of the owners is the major providers in Canada do not currently have a database where they can identify cell phones that have been stolen. All a phone thief needs to do is head over to a small cell phone store where they can have the phone unlocked and re-set it, without any concerns of being tracked by the phone serial number, known as IMEI numbers.

The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) has expected to create a database to track stolen phones, but that is not expected until the fall of 2013. The reality is people, mostly women are becoming targets of these thefts, and unless they hide their smartphones, these thefts will continue.

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Daniel … Toronto, Canada,    丹尼尔     دانيال … تورنتو، كندا،
My take on everything
@dandmb50

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New Subway station finally arrives at Carlton/Parliament downtown Toronto, umm not really, just a movie prop

Click picture for an even larger view

Toronto, Canada – A new subway entrance (Midtown Blvd Station) popped up for one day downtown Toronto at Carlton/Parliament and although many thought it was thanks to Mayor Rob Ford, it was not real.

It was a fake station entrance for a new CBS/CW-TV series, Beauty and the Beast being shot in the Old Cabbagetown area and Pinewood Studios in the Portlands.

Massive gridlock on film set with paid duty cops not directing traffic while getting $65 an hour (see below)

It use to be fun having films shot in the city, but it is becoming increasingly annoying as they constantly cause horrendous traffic jams while they are shooting weekdays in the downtown area.

Toronto is still a very popular filming site for Hollywood because the crews and the Canadian Dollar are very attractive to producers. Recently the remake of  Total Recall with Colin Farrell was filmed down on the Lakeshore, and we experienced the same thing, as the roadway was closed for several days while the filming took place.

The Toronto Film Office maintains the film industry brings money to the city, and it does, many local people are used as extras in the production but they tend to demand discounted rates for anything that they buy. Car/truck rentals and hotels used for the actors are given at highly discounted rates, and they don’t buy much food because they have everything catered on site.

Caution: This is not a real subway, there are no steps

While it is still a bit fun to see them filming Hollywood style series and movies in the city, lets try and keep it to the weekends.

For larger view, click picture

And if you have to hold up traffic while they are filming, keep it to five minutes at the most. While they were filming on Parliament this week, they had 3-4 paid duty police officers, but they barely controlled traffic, as you can see at the Carlton/Parliament intersection. (above)

They would stop traffic for up to 20 minutes with no police directing traffic on the south side of Parliament, rather they were standing on the side of the road chatting and the one officer is even texting/facebooking his friends while on official duty.

Keep in mind the officers are only making $65 an hour for uniformed paid duties, and possibly they make even more on film sets. But rarely do we see them directing traffic at their paid duty locations (film or construction.) The city claims we have no money, and there is too much gravy, and the police received over $2 million last year, just for paid duties.

New Jersey Devils NHL, give me a break, they now have sign language for the singing of National Anthems

I’m all for inclusion, and we have seen it for many years, sign language (ASL) of political speeches, but tonight was a first for me.

‘Signing (ASL)’ the anthems at New Jersey Devils

New Jersey Devils have a women performing sign language for the ‘singing’ of the National Anthems.

Is that really necessary, since I thought most people know the words of their National Anthems.

It’s possible the New Jersey Devils received a lot of calls, I mean texts, from the hearing impaired community.

UPDATE: If you missed Don Cherry on Coaches Corner last week, they started off this weeks segment with the kiss on the cheek of points leader of the Leafs, Nasem Kadri in Ottawa. (YouTube below)

Cherry was on his rant again about the touch icing not being addressed in the NHL. This is where one team sends the puck the length of the ice and icing is not called until the receiving team touches the puck.

This causes both players to race to touch the puck first and in many cases can be career ending resulting from these chases into the end boards.

Cherry has always maintained this problem could be resolved if they just blow the whistle when the puck crosses the end goal line, but the NHL thinks the way it is, creates ‘excitement’ in the game, yeah right real excitement.

NHL thinks this is sooo exciting, not fans, except for serious injuries to players

Oh just a footnote, the Leafs beat the Devils, in New Jersey Satiurday night, 2-1.

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Daniel … Toronto, Canada,    丹尼尔     دانيال … تورنتو، كندا،
My take on everything
@dandmb50

Dutch – French – Spanish – Hindi – Chinese

Translate full Blog into any language. Click your flag above, if it’s not there click any flag. It will take you to Google Translate.There will be a drop down menu for languages, find yours and click to the right.

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Nazem Kadri of the Toronto Maple Leafs finally gets the respect he deserves, second hat-trick this year

It appears that Nazem Kadri has finally made a mark in the NHL and scored his second hat-trick this year, but the previous American management of Ron Wilson and Brian Burke tag team didn’t think he was worthy to play in the NHL. They have both been fired, thank goodness.

Kadri is now Leafs leading point leader

Kadri is currently sitting in sixth place in the NHL behind Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks, and there is still about 12 games to go before playoffs.

Go Leafs Go and maybe, just maybe we will see the playoffs for the first time in almost a decade.

Kadri even got the pleasure and endorsement of Don Cherry in the video above, with a kiss on the cheek as he did to Leaf favorite Doug Gilmour many years ago.

TTC subway closed – Way too many buses replacing subway, wasting our money

TTC University subway line was closed Sunday for upgrades, buses replaced subway, but was it over staffed when TTC say they have no money?

The closure of the University line was widely announced through the media for weeks but the management at TTC felt it was necessary to have way too many buses and staff to handle the few passengers on the route. Several of the drivers and staff associated with the closure were on overtime, and there were many workers all along the shuttle bus line, directing the few passengers.

At a time when the TTC maintain they are constantly needing money to run the system.

Are they managing the system correctly and efficiently, and using our money the right way? I don’t think so. From what I saw Sunday, there were an awful lot of empty buses running up/down University Avenue and they had paid duty cops along the route, giving buses the right of way, which is an additional cost to the TTC.

It was announced by the TTC they are upgrading the signals along the University line since the signalling system is over 50 years old. They say the upgrade will allow trains to run closer together and thus improve service.

To get a look at the TTC track cleaning train, check it out HERE.

The TTC is an efficient service and one we can be proud of, but when they mismanage the system as they have done on the University line shuttle buses is that making it efficient and worthy?

Coaches Corner (Don Cherry) He’s okay with visors, yeah right, not true. Was he forced to say that?

On Coaches Corner Saturday night Don Cherry said he’s okay with players wearing visors as Patrick Kane on the left of Chicago Blackhawks.

But was he told by higher-ups in HNIC (Hockey Night in Canada) that he had to change his view on visors? Since many times before he has complimented players who do not wear visors, as “look at him no visor” as if a player not wearing a visor is some sort of ‘real man’ which is very far from the truth.

Below you can see what Cherry had to say in 2011, about visors which got him into trouble again, and his dislike for Europeans and French Canadians.

Is this what a ‘real man’ looks like?

Cherry always speaks his mind, at least when he is told to change it. He’s a good broadcaster and we like him, but over the years he has been told to stop certain things and he complies. Many years ago he was a heavily against European players in the NHL and it seems he has conceded that, and now encourages Canadian and Toronto players when he gets the chance.

Players you are willing to take advice from this guy?

It’s been reported that about 75% of NHL players wear visors and the ones that do not are,  ‘real men?’

I don’t think so, they are wrongly following  the lead of Don Cherry, and in the worst case scenario could very easily lose an eye.  If they do, they could end their career, and would be sorry to admit it.

The simple answer to this problem, is make it mandatory for anyone coming from the minors to wear a visor since all players are now required to wear visors in the minor junior leagues. They have worn face protection since they were tykes.

Check out some of the other postings about what Don Cherry has had to say,    just click HERE.

For some very strange reason people, players, reporters think getting hit in the eye is a joke, and funny. It’s very far from that and could be career ending. I just don’t understand what is funny about getting hit in the eye, when you have the ability to prevent it with a piece of very efficient equipment called a visor. Below you will see the interview of Chris Pronger who received such an injury, which could have been 100% preventable.

Player protection number one

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Daniel … Toronto, Canada,    丹尼尔     دانيال … تورنتو، كندا،
My take on everything
@dandmb50

Dutch – French – Spanish – Hindi – Chinese

Translate full Blog into any language. Click your flag above, if it’s not there click any flag. It will take you to Google Translate.There will be a drop down menu for languages, find yours and click to the right.

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Let’s meet for lunch at ‘centre ice’ in the new Loblaws at Maple Leaf Gardens downtown Toronto

UPDATE: November/15 2012 - Tell me it’s not true, they painted over the centre ice spot? They should hang hockey sticks over it with RED LIGHTS a blazing.

UPDATE: August 13/2012 -  The grocery store is open, but now the ice-rink on top of MLG has announced it will open September 6-9, 2012. It will officially seat 2796 with many of the old seats from Maple Leaf Gardens.

It is open now and you can actually rent the ice ($300 hour) for a practice or a game, and then streetcar goes right to the door.

Toronto, Canada - The new Loblaws at Maple Leaf Gardens downtown Toronto is a breath of fresh air, for any grocery shopper. The red carpet and the wonderful band playing on the second level is gone, but the shopping will continue as thousands are still shopping.

I’m the furthest thing from a shopaholic and especially grocery shopping, but Loblaws has made the experience much more bearable at the renovated historic landmark.

The pleasant level of the background music, the friendly staff throughout the store from merchandise isles to the checkout, where they even bag your groceries.

One thing I was very disappointed in however, was the non-attention applied to the “centre ice” red dot signifying where the original face-off spot was for the Maple Leafs (one of the original six in the NHL) over the many years they entertained us. I looked and looked, and couldn’t find the red dot, and I even tried to place myself so I could estimate where it might be.

I expected a flashing red light, spotlights from every corner of the store, but no, just a twelve-inch red dot in the middle of isle number, oops I don’t want to destroy the excitement, you will have to look for it yourself. People were walking over it without looking and someone actually parked their shopping cart right on top of it, shameful. Maybe I’m getting a little too excited, but it seems like a big deal to me.

When people walked by as I took pictures many said “what’s he doing” but others would say, “It’s centre ice.” Why wouldn’t someone want a picture of one of the most exciting and historic places in hockey history anywhere.

Ryerson University ice rink on top floor of MLG, opens September 6-9/2012

Now I’m settling down and can now concentrate on grocery shopping and waiting for the next stage, when the new ice rink on the top floor of Maple Leaf Gardens opens September 6-9, 2012, for Ryerson Rams, who will play their home games for the Ryerson University, which will also include, Peter Gilgan Athletic Centre facilities just below the ice rink.

Maybe Loblaws overlooked the significance of the red dot and who knows, you may see a flashing light or a few hockey sticks hanging from the high ceiling as you walk through the store in the near future, we can always hope.

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Daniel … Toronto, Canada,    丹尼尔     دانيال … تورنتو، كندا،
My take on everything
@dandmb50

Translate full Blog into any language. Click your flag above, if it’s not there click any flag. It will take you to Google Translate.There will be a drop down menu for languages, find yours and click to the right.

(English is default language.)

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