Armchair GM for 2011

Watching the Flames shoot themselves in the foot again tonight against Columbus and going into a subpar 13th in the West (10-12-2) just frustrates the hell out of me. Lots of rumours about trading Iginla, enough that TSN had to do a piece and Feaster had to step up to the mike and deny that he's been asked to waive his NTC... I just want to show you a picture from one of the Flames E-mail ticket mailouts.

Who's prominently displayed? Iggy and the kids. Who's not pictured? Everyone who is expendable.

Here's how I see it happening. Basically the rebuild is on, but nobody is calling it that. It's a couple of years late, should have started when Phaneuf got ownership of the volume knob in the Leafs' locker room.

Keep: Iggy, Backlund, Brodie, Byron, Stempniak, Karlsson... Jury's still out on Comeau 

Trade for value: 

Bouwmeester (still on the allstar ballot for some reason)

Gio (even though he rules)

Glencross

Kipper (Also rules, but would turn any team missing solid goaltending into a Cup Contender, awesome value)

Bye:

Stajan

Bourque

Sarich

Call up:

Bouma

Mikkelson

Nemisz

Kolanos (send him a NHL contract!)

Wait on:

Ramage

Granlund

Baertschi

Reinhart

Kipper goes for some solid picks and a nice backup goaltender that can compliment Karlsson and turn into a 1A/1B tandem, the rest of the Flames can finish out their contracts or become pieces to sweeten deals.

Also, no more Sutters, the Sutter Era is finished and the experiment produced one sweet run in '04 and heightened expectations ever since, no more. Time for new systems, skilled puck handlers (like Hagman was supposed to be, like Stempniak is), less grit, more style.

Watch what Washington, Anaheim, Carolina and St. Louis did, if you can't move players, motivate them on the ice, or they just plain shut you out, might be time to look towards the bench.

You want to rebuild like Detroit and not tank like Edmonton, Pittsburgh and pray for a Malkin, Crosby, Hall or Nugent? Hire like Detroit to scout, put up offices in Europe and look for those hidden gems in European Leagues... no one sees them coming. Datsyuk was drafted 171st overall, Zetterberg was 210th, Lidstrom was 53rd... they've got it figured out.

And can we stop with the Iginla will never win a cup in Calgary and we should send him to a cup contender? Although it would be just and fair to send him to the Bruins this year and watch Chara grab the cup off the table, not lift it and give it right to Iginla so him and all of us can have a replay of the Ray Bourque moment, (one of the classiest moves in sport Sakic, by the way) and Andy Ference can run up behind him and celebrate like they were supposed to in '04 because everyone knows it WAS IN.. THAT puck was in.. and Gelinas WAS the Eliminator... and, and, and..

Sorry, a lot of people in Calgary still can't talk about the '04 playoffs.

Bottom line, Jarome deserves a cup, more than anyone in Calgary right now... OK, Kipper too, but are we ready to write him off already? He's only 34 and in top shape still, he wants to stick around, so let him foster the kids into a strong team and when he's at the end of his career, when the chin shrubbery is fading into white, he gets his cup run, either with Calgary, or somewhere else and he retires... after all, there is someone else who only won the cup at the end of his career..

And no more trades with Toronto, please?? they never seem to work..

Flames Post Mortem

Too late to do a write upm I can sum it up in video.

SMBYYC #15 on Ustream

Hangarcat Films was proud to broadcast live via Ustream SMBYYC 15. Social Media Breakfast Calgary #15 consisted of a presentation by Christina Greenway, Social Media Manager for Francomedia.com. Christina discussed the role of her strategies in Francomedia’s head-turning transmedia project “One Child”.The event took place at Melrose Cafe and Bar.

Jerry PA

Couple of guys from Alberta's Film industry have filmed a teaser for a new web series coming soon called "Jerry PA", which I assume it's about the life and times of a Production assistant.

This'll be a barrel of laughs! Check it out!

I could care less about voting!

It's that time again, where a full 15% gets all aflutter over civic duty, while the remaining 85% gives a resounding "meh." It's Civic Election time!

The politician with the coolest nickname outside of Ben "Cooter" Jones, Dave "Bronco" Bronconnier has decided not to seek re-election for mayor in this fine burg of ours, opening the floor up for a new mayor to step in... and before you load another page and tell me, "Who Cares?" I ask you to take a moment to give a damn, just one little damn.

The Mayoral Seat is not as glamorous as the PM's office, it's seen as a paperpusher, a ribbon cutter, etc.. this guy has more of a direct influence on your day to day than ol' Blue Eyes in Ottawa there, yet the turnout for Federal Elections is much higher (58%). You complain about traffic? Bitch at the mayor. Transit feels unsafe and reeks of urine? Bitch at the mayor. 3 bucks to park at the C-Train when you can just park at Sunridge Mall and walk over to Rundle? screw that! Bitch at the mayor! Ring Road ends at 17th Ave SE instead of Glenmore where it would have gotten more trucks off surface roads? Bitch at the Mayor!

I'm asking you to bitch with a ballot, that's all.

"But I don't know who to vote for?" "What's a ward?", "I don't know if i CAN vote!"

Well here's where you start:

City of Calgary Website has a portal with candidates, ward maps, and voter information. It tells you when it's is,where to go and what you need to vote.


But who to vote for? What's their stance on the issues? For that I turn it over to the people, it can't get any more democratic than this. A bunch of citizen bloggers have put together a comprehensive and unbiased website listing all the candidates (Mayoral, Alderman, School Council), their websites, Facebook pages and Twitter feeds. You want to make up your own opinion? Here's where the info is.

Calgary Democracy: Spartan, grey, but more information that you can shake a stick at, you want to follow Barb Higgins on Twitter? She's on there, You want to find out more about Ric McIver's policies? the link to his website is there.. go check it out.

Calgary Politics is a blog getting into more detail about the candidates, interviews, articles, opinions, from all ranges of the political spectrum.

Calgary Civic Camp is all about the issues, be it, urban chickens, 17th Ave SE revitalization, etc, this is a great forum where ideas are being discussed. 

I encourage all to check out these links and to follow and engage the discussion on twitter under #yycvote. This is my city, your city, it affects your traffic, your commute, your kid's education, the lineup at Tim Horton's in the morning, the money in your pocket, the pothole in front of your house, the neighbour's dog who won't shut the hell up at 3am!

I don't care who you vote, just do it dammit! It's on October 18, 2010. Let's do this!

Interview with Project X

I had a chance to work with Project X on a bunch of videos that were screened at their LAN events, and we sat down to talk about what it took to bring them all together.



The videos can be seen here.

Thoughts on the Heritage Classic.

I think it's a wonderful opportunity for the NHL to give the Calgary Flames a chance hold court at it's most prestigious stage but before we get into a tizzy about the shinny to happen at McMahon, I'm just going to rant and piss and spit like a tomcat in front a snarling dog..

Point 1 - There is no rivalry between the Canadiens and the Flames, sure the Flaming C has been the only team to take the Stanley Cup at the Forum but this happened in '89 and they've gotten over it. So why are we pitting these two so called historied rivals? Why the Habs again? I'll offer a couple of alternatives and a reason why they didn't come to fruition:

Vancouver - now this would have been a good game, but two western teams = no one in the east giving a flying fuck. Click. Next.

Toronto - There's definitely more of a rivalry between the Leafs and the Flames (specially with Capt. Pylon over there now and Ian White working on his mustache in YYC now) but the Leafs are royalty in the NHL and if they're gonna take part in a Heritage Classic, it's going to be played in Hogtown (and you can bet they'll be calling on Montreal again...)

Edmonton - well, they get disqualified because of the west coast thing again and because they'd be repeats, by the way, is Staios the only one in town available to don a Jersey? When did he become the face of the Flames? Whyte Avenue must be pissed!

So who's left that might have some history with the Flames? Atlanta? Make them wear the old Flames jerseys? Not enough... Tampa? might be a good game, but if they miss another goal, this city would jump on to the field and kill the ref... and frankly the sunbelt teams wouldn't hold up, people just wouldn't care about FLA playing outside.

So Bettman finds himself with the promise to deliver another Winter Classic and the Flames are the front runners, but in fact any Canadian team would do fine, but he really wants Ovechkin vs Crosby so he makes that happen and gives us the Heritage Classic to tide the "Bettman hates Canada" peanut gallery (or Galerie de Arachides if you live in QC).

Point 2 - The Jerseys. When the Flames chose the '89 vintages as their 3rd Jersey, they eliminated the opportunity of making a special gesture for the Heritage Classic so they had to dig deep into Calgary's hockey history and come up with.... the Tigers? Never heard of them? well, do what every other news reporter did when they announced it... look it up on Wikipedia. Kind of an odd choice, since they could have gone with the WHA Cowboys or the Stampeders, and kind of keep the colors going.. instead they grab the Tiger Jersey, slap some Maroon on it, drop the cat and throw up the Flaming C on it and announce you can buy it at FanAttic around Xmas for a premium price. It just looks like they're trying too hard to give it unnecessary gravitas (think of the press conference, Bettman mentioning the Flames games played vs how many the Habs have played), when the Flames already have a rich history, just a short one in relation to Montreal.

Oh and Calgary Tigers Jersey + Pseudo Flames color scheme =

Look like the Quidditch players in Harry Potter.

Point 3 - So why Feb 20th? why not on New Years Day? Well, you don't want to divide your audience, and the Canadian TV audience that is recovering from their turkey overdose would be tuning into Old time Shinny at McMahon instead of Crosby vs Ovie (better known as, "we have to pit these guys against each other as much as possible before Alex bolts for the KHL" Classic.).. put them far enough apart and everyone's gets a piece.

But all pissing and moaning aside, this will be a glorious event, and hey, we might even get some snow on that day! I want to be there, this'll be a great event for Calgary, for the Flames and for Hockey in general... did you know the Hitmen will take the ice on Sunday? I'll be wearing my '89 Jersey fer sure on that day.

And a word to the NHL, when you make too many things special, then it's not special anymore.

Do you think I'll be able to sneak in a flask of derelict warmin' rum on that day?

Go Flames Go!

On the Subject of the Flames Free Agency

I was out all day yesterday and training this morning so I haven't had a chance to throw my armchair GM two cents in but it basically goes like this:

Tanguay - give him another chance
Chokinen - has a lot to prove, Sutter sounded like he trying to patch things up with an old girlfriend
Nystrom - just let the future Flames Captain walk out the door, boyos..
Lombardi - if we're calling old Flames back, why not him?
Kotalik - Why isn't this bum sucking snowballs in Vladivostok yet? (Google Map it)

As for Jackman, Ivanans, Karlsson, etc... not too worried about them, Sutter pulls good guys out of nowhere, it's those name guys that he's been iffy with.

Strap in boys, the season hasn't even started and I already want to start drinking..

And yeah yeah, what in the hell do I know about hockey, why should I be writing about it? Hey, it doesn't stop most guys from doing it..

Colo-Colo VS FC Edmonton

This is what la Garra Canadiense sounds like cheering for their club. Chile's most popular Club (whose stadium is a mere blocks from my family home) Colo-Colo flew to Edmonton, AB to face their new NASL team, FC Edmonton.

Colo Colo won 4-3 in front of a crowd of almost 6000 fans, the video tells you who they were cheering for...

Dale Albo!

Newsboy VS World Cup Pt 2

Here's a little video that Newsboy from X92.9FM shot about reactions to the World Cup here in Calgary, the second part stars me. Check it!