a mild rant.

what an interesting time to be alive.

over the past two decades, humanity has slowly been stripped of its individuality, creativity, opportunities, and the culmination of these has lead to a loss of our most precious stimulation: inspiration.

the really perplexing part is that we have allowed this to happen.

it is no secret that the human is the ultimate animal. we are able to use our reasoning capabilities to achieve the impossible. the accomplishments embodied by the select few with this privilege are the ones who are often compensated handsomely (for better or for worse).

however, there are a disproportionate number of people whose salaries suggest they are among this select group, yet they have done nothing to demonstrate that they possess these capabilities. this is a very large group of individuals in the "business" world; particularly the ones who collect 7/8 figure salaries for contributing far less than what their salary suggests. unfortunately, these individuals comprise a healthy majority of americUH's "wealthy" population: individuals who siphon profits and hide in the shadows to avoid being discovered.

there are many more of these people than we want to believe.

• who are these people? they are the ones who feel they have EARNED the right to a 7/8 figure salary for an executive position-- i.e., they get paid to TALK, bark orders, use powerpoint/excel, and use fancy acronyms for otherwise retardedly-complicated terms that THEY themselves made up! 
• these greedy pigs realize that their profits are derived from running a more "efficient" company, based on metrics that lack mathematical rigour yet are being touted as such. these people do it "because they can". they don't give a flying fuck if it leads to the extinction of human experiences.

mitt romney is the easiest example; someone who made hundreds of millions from "gaming" (aka cheating) the tax code. it is no wonder why this mentality has begun to contaminate humanity.

it seems that today's institutions, or the people who run them, do not want to market or promote themes of individuality, creativity, or opportunity to humanity because these themes can have profound implications on their profit margins.

the only good thing about money is how easily it can be used to reveal human nature: when money is involved for most people, their animalistic behaviour is engaged and for some reason we think that it doesn't need to be controlled. this is very wrong.

we need to open our eyes.

here are two brief examples of how the vulture capitalist mentality of the past twenty to thirty years has been detrimental to the societal fabric:

example 1: people who grew up in the nineties have a definition of "friendship" that has gradually been compromised over the past two decades. Today's "friends" are more "acquaintances" because most people are competitive and act out of self interest; that is, they'll lie to your face if they think there is *any* chance to profit. *ANY*. it can be very small, but they will still try.

the above example demonstrates just how simple human beings actually are. yet when we are in a position where we must trust ourselves, we often forsake our own judgment in favour of the "friend" because we incorrectly assume that they have the best of intentions. we have forgotten to trust ourselves, and amidst all of this we have have forgotten the true definition of what it is to be a "friend".

• it is a shame that the term "friend" is no longer synonymous with trust. how can we express ourselves if we cannot even trust our "friends"?

trusting others has become risky. it is an act that must now be reserved for family and a select few outside of that. our trust in others will likely be exploited for their own benefits. if mimicry was a form of art, then such behaviour is inspired by mentality of the "business" individuals collecting these 7/8 figure salaries.

in fact, this mentality is pervasive in the "business" community; this community also feels that their degree is somehow much more valuable than a "mere" arts degree, likely because they took some courses on how to use microsoft office *twirls finger*.

with the sudden rush of business graduates over the past 20 (not an exact number; whatever it is, it's been a while), it is evident that this mentality has pervaded humanity. one must exercise substantial caution when awarding this privilege to others. it is not unreasonable to argue that the required level of caution is much higher now than that of two decades ago.

example 2: (one of many media forms) we have been sold inspiration in the form of manufactured entertainment. television is rife with:

• unoriginal television shows catering to a generation with no attention span,  
• news that pussyfoots around the truth, 
• shitty artists' music videos on music channels.... 
• .... wait, what? music on tv? yeah... when artists used to care about their music (and not the fame, fortune, or attention that came with it), they landed on tv.
• commercials containing promotional themes that seek to DISINGENUOUSLY exploit the psychology of their viewers. of course targeted advertising has been around for a while, but this level of advertising is intended to be completely invisible to most humans. it is a snake tactic depicted by the most disingenuous of people.

we are inspired by art in our daily life, and television is no exception.  growing up in an era where many movie stars started off in tv (will smith, anybody? FRESH PRINCE), it seems that the lack of originality is a consequence of a corporatized entertainment industry. it started getting blatant with britney spears (who was aight), and it got worse with american idol, but now it just sucks ass and we've stopped caring about "stars" because they're all made by the corporations who promote them.

we have slowly been robbed of what made us great, which was attained by promoting a vision of working independently, yet together, in order to achieve prosperity for all. as long as there are people who stand to make 8 figure salaries by stripping us of our experience, we will not get back to where we were.

the individuals making these 7/8 figures are now resorting to collecting personal information in order to keep their large and undeserving salaries. they are actively seeking individuals with mathematical and computing proficiencies to assist in developing automated systems that build profiles on everyone. they want to use these profiles in order to mathematically calculate how to exploit our behaviour for their own profits.

the goal of today's corporations is to be feeding, employing, insuring, financing and 'servicing' *every* individual in their system. they use mathematical analysis to determine how to best exploit our individualized behaviour. its not as successful as they'd like, but they are more than willing to pay individuals who shares their vision.

in the end, what is in the best interest of the individuals making the 7/8 figure salaries is inarguably against the best interests of humanity.

caveat emptor, my friends.

humanity has been institutionalized.  the question is, how do we change course?

A long-awaited Steve Tambellini Rant

Before I continue, I provide a bit of background information. This is optional reading:

I live in Edmonton,

Here's the big surprise: Everybody loves the EDMONTON, "AIWYLERS" (or OIlers).

When I was younger I never understood the fanfare for a team that played clutch and grab, gritty* hockey. I'd argue that my passion and love for this city is unparalleled by any Edmonton AIWYLER fan. I also thought Craig MacTavish was a pedo the first time I saw him on the bench as a headcoach. I think this was because of his long eyelashes. Whatever, it's worse that when I googled him 5 years later, I found out he killed someone driving hammered behind the wheel. Goon. I'm sure he's apologetic and all, but I'm just adding an "after the fact" thought.

*this word is probably the most used word in the Coliseum when the hockey game is on. I bet if you polled all AIWYLER fans about their favorite "intangible" in a player, they'd say "gritty". Newsflash guys, RYAN SMYTH or BELANGER-type gritty are not the same as David Backes gritty. *shakes head*

That being said, nothing irritates me more than this city's selectively informative behavior, meaning that they read one one thing and they're talking about it at the game. But I understand that not everyone has the time to get into sports like me; I only do so because the statistics that are produced by sport fascinate me.

Now that I've expressed my unrequited love for my city and disdain for the AIWYLER fans, I am here to criticize *drumroll* you guessed it...


-------

The EDMONTON AIWYLERS!!
More specifically, the joke of a GM that sits at the helm named Steve Tambellini.


Who is Steve Tambellini? Steve Tambellini was an NHL player who served as Vice President of Player Personnel with the Vancouver Canucks from 1998 to 2008. In 2008 he was hired by, YOU GUESSED IT, The Edmonton AIWYLERS.

The rumor was that Steve Tambellini was quite upset being named as the Assistant GM to Mike Gillis. Apparently he felt he had done enough as the Assistant GM to previous GM in Vancouver, Dave Nonis (who was fired in 08), to be a legitimate GM in Vancouver.

Now I understand this is pure speculation, but understand this: When it comes to rumors like this, they're often true but never verified. A classic example is the fight Iginla and Phaneuf had in the locker room which lead to the Phaneuf to Toronto trade. Don't believe this? Google it, there are many places that can heard this story.

I'm of the belief that Tambellini was actually mad and upset. Considering it took Dave Tallon 2 years to get a new GM job, this should serve as proof that even the best GMs have a hard time finding work. I'd argue that Rick Dudley should have been kept as the GM of Winnipeg, too.

BTW, about Tallon: The Hossa/Campbell deals were forced upon him by team president McDonaugh, google this if you want. The big signings were all about increasing the buzz in Chicago.

Ok back to Tambellini: What has he done to earn the GM job in Edmonton? Nothing. Instead, there's a circus going around this city now. The Edmonton Oilers reality show "Oil Change" gives air time to the likes of "head scout" Stu MacGregor and now there are little AIWYLER cronies out there dropping this guys' name like he's Jim Nill.

Excuse me? Who's Stu MacGregor? He's Steve Tambellini's guy. The guy Tambellini so proudly defers to when it comes to making draft selections.

I'm here to call out Steve Tambellini. What has he done to earn his job? Where is his body of work to show that he's capable of making competent managerial decisions that may involve risk? I don't see it.

In fact I'd argue the biggest problem I have with Tambellini is the lack of risk in his draft picks.

This city needed a true bonafide number 1 center. Tyler Seguin was a player that carried himself like Steve Yzerman, and had so many similarities in style of play.

Taylor Hall was the guy who hogged the puck with Nazim Kadri in the 2009 WJC and lost gold for Team Canada.

Tyler Seguin is a leader on and off the ice, and he plays like a MAN. He doesn't whine, he just plays the game. Credit to Julien (although I think Renney would do as good of a job if he had Seguin) for handling Seguin the way he did last year. Many people would argue that pulling a player in and out of lineups is detrimental to their development, yet Seguin is showing that he's a true #1 center in his second season.

Taylor Hall showed a very uncanny similarity Marian Hossa on the offensive side of the puck before he was injured last year. Now I know that's "not bad" for a first overall pick. But Edmonton had a HUGE need for a CENTERMAN when Hall was drafted, yet Hall was taken. Does that make any sense?

Only to make matters worse this year is that defenders have figured out Hall will come off the boards and execute his "power move" to get to the net. I'd say his play has REGRESSED from the last bit of last season compared to this year.

Time will tell what Taylor Hall's legacy will be. My opinion on hall is this: 2 weeks ago on HNIC he generated a good rush but held on the puck too long with three defenders on him, turned the puck over and gave up an odd man rush for which he took a penalty when he tried defending. That's what I think Taylor Hall is. Good offensive player but no commitment to the other side of the ice. He also strikes me as a selfish player.


This year, good old Tambellini thought Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as their first overall. The city rejoiced, as the idiot AIWYLER fans' faith in Tambellini's decisions remains untainted. What the hell was Tambellini thinking? Is a true #1 stud defenseman named Adam Larsson "not worth it"? To make matters worse, who would you rather have: Tyler Seguin or Ryan Nugent Hopkins?

I don't care if people say RNH is a "datsyuk", because I'm a Red Wings fan and I know a Datsyuk-type player when I see one. RNH is not Datsyuk. He will be a Patrice Bergeron-type player; note that PB is one of my favorite Canadian players for his commitment on both ends of the ice.

That's not bad for a first overall draft pick either, but this begs the question: If you had two first overalls who would you pick?

Hall/RNH
Seguin/Larsson


How can people in this city be happy with the lack of promise this "young core" is showing? Kane and Toews are best friends off the ice, and it doesn't seem like that this group of players does not have the camaraderie that the young Blackhawks showed 3-4 years ago.

Seguin is a true leader, Hall is nothing of the sort. It's easy to see the lack of leadership in any of the young Oilers. I think Magnus has the qualities, but I don't think he'll embrace them until he can lead by example.

Omark, Gilbert, Petry, Eberle were moves by Lowe.
Hall, RNH, Magnus, Lander, and some other pluggers are moves by Tambellini.

I think someone needs to start putting heat on Tambellini, because this team doesn't look as promising as this city wants to believe. He's made the safe pick by following the ISS's pre-draft rankings two years in a row.

Seguin is a fucking star.
Larsson is going to be a fucking star.


I feel like Steve Tambellini is making decisions that will allow him to keep his job, not allow his team to win the Stanley cup. Ultimately I think it's the duty of the GM to make decisions that have some risk, but a huge upside of these risks pay off. Steve Tambellini doesn't seem like the guy who can make those decisions. In fact, I think he will make the safe decision to ensure he can keep his job and defend his decisions, but making the safe choice is hardly a good reason for why you should keep your job.

A bunch of stuff..

Okay, imagine we had to pick one of the commissioners of the four major professional sports to be on the front page of some children's book. Our candidates are:
Bud Selig.

A controversial commissioner who dealt with one of the ugliest work stoppages in the history of professional sport, the 1994 MLB work stoppage. This stoppage was so ugly that "replacement players" were used. It was ugly enough that an injunction was filed that ORDERED baseball to continue, and replacement players were banished. Some may argue the charges of collusion that occurred prior to this injunction were a large reason as to why the judge ordered the 1995 season be played. 144/162 games were played.

Unfortunately this was near-lethal in the 1990s, since baseball attendance had plummeted, but it was necessary. Selig's legacy will largely be "The guy who got his power because another commissioner got fired, and instituted the wild card". He has a lot yet to prove. Some argue that the salaries will eventually become depressed and things will be okay, but we will see. Baseball has shown, recently especially, that big bucks aren't required to win the championship.

Get it done Selig.

Next up...
David Stern:


The man who has demanded a level of professionalism from his players that wasn't seen previously in basketball. Not only has the NBA been less-unsuccessful (not his fault, I'll explain a second) under his tutelage, but violence and behavior from the players has also been much-improved. The 1998-99 NBA lockout didn't achieve much, but it did cap the maximum salaries of the players and the "rookie wage scale", a term that's used to determine how much draft picks in the NBA get paid. His legacy will largely determined this offseason, when the 2011-2012 NBA lockout will occur due to ridiculous salaries and team owner's lacking the ability to show restraint. I feel that David Stern will "win" this lock out and probably restore the NBA CBA's reputation of being a "model" for professional sports.


Now, this is where things get interesting. Above we have proven Commissioners who have done nothing but grow the sport and improve it. In Selig's case, what he
Aaand, his sidekick that was whisked away in the early 90s by the NHL owners...

The Count, aka Gary Bettman:


Now, before I started writing a quick snippet on each commish and stuff, I had a point to all of it. Having to find a cheery picture of Gary Bettman is hard work though, and I am pretty sure this caused me to lose my train of thought. In any case, this is the best picture I could find of him.

Where to begin with Gary Bettman? Previously hailed as the "prodigy" behind Stern, the NHL owners thought they had a true winner on their hands. This man proceeded to move teams with good hockey markets that were NOT economically viable at the time, such as Quebec and Winnipeg to other locations such as Colorado and Phoenix, respectively.

Now I know what you guys are saying, "OMFG THIS LOSER WON'T LET THE JETS COME HOME, HES SUCH AN IDIOT" bla bla bla bla. Listen guys, Gary Bettman is not necessarily the most respectful professional out there. Look at his face, he's such a smug bastard. But the fact of the matter remains that he did do his homework.

1. Phoenix did have one of the largest TV markets in the United States.
2. Neither city was viable in the long term when compared to where they moved and the arenas these new locations had. One can argue that Colorados consecutive sellout streak was impressive. The Pepsi center is a nice arena, and I would say that Denver fans are pretty good.

The one thing that Gary overlooked was the fact that the move from Northern Phoenix to Glendale would destroy the long term prospects of the team. America West Arena, or whatever it's called, is the arena of the Phoenix Suns. It could accommodate a hockey rink but had limited capacity. As a result, this prompted a move to Glendale and also the huge financial crisis that's going on with the team. Simply put: Fans in Glendale don't give a rats-ass about "hackey".

What irks me is this:

"Commissioner Gary Bettman will be the face of the National Hockey League for a while yet, negotiating a five-year contract extension last November, The Globe and Mail reported on Friday.

According to the newspaper, the nine-member executive committee unanimously approved the extension.

The Globe adds that one of the biggest backers to get Bettman the extension was Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs, who is the league's chairman of the board of governors. As chairman, one of Jacobs's duties is to keep the commissioner and the other key executives under contract.

"Old news. I believe my contract has been extended four times, each time with the approval of the board of governors," Bettman confirmed to The Globe via e-mail.

One governor told the paper he believed Bettman also reached an understanding with the executive committee that deputy commissioner Bill Daly and chief operating officer John Collins will also be retained beyond this season.

Bettman's current contract, which pays him $7.2 million annually, was originally set to expire this summer"

When, at the same time that November of 2010 we also heard:

"Phoenix Business Journal - by Mike Sunnucks
Date: Monday, November 15, 2010, 1:48pm MST
Related: Sports Business

Prospective Phoenix Coyotes owner Matthew Hulsizer is putting together his own front office management group in anticipation of buying the team from the National Hockey League before the end of the year.
It’s not clear, however, how many of Hulsizer’s people will be brought in and what kind of impact that will have on the Coyotes business personnel.
If he buys the team, sources familiar with the situation say Hulsizer will bring some of his own people from Chicago, and possibly Milwaukee, to work on the management and business side of the team.
Hulsizer is CEO of Peak6 Investments in Chicago. His wife, Jennifer Just, is also a principal and cofounder of the firm.
Hulsizer did not respond to a request for comment. He’s not expected to make a lot of hockey-side changes to the Coyotes with coach Dave Tippett and general manager Don Maloney both receiving awards and accolades for last season’s playoff appearance.
The NHL has owned the Coyotes since last year and wants to sell to Hulsizer for between $160 million and $170 million.
Team president Doug Moss was let go over the summer and the NHL promoted Coyotes CFO Mike Nealy to COO. Vice president for communications Jeff Holbrook left when Moss did, and has been replaced by former Phoenix Suns marketing executive Jim Brewer. The Coyotes also have new media relations staff, and have seen some turnover in the sales department the past two seasons.
The Coyotes are trying to turn around lagging attendance and revenue numbers, and have their bottom line match up better with their improved on-ice performance.
Hulsizer needs to work out a new lease with the city of Glendale at the city-owned Jobing.com Arena and get a sale approve by the NHL and other owners. A deal needs to get done by Dec. 31 or the NHL will open the Coyotes sale to bidders who want to move the team out of the Phoenix market. "

Yeah, I forgot to mention that: Bettman had the owners buy and manage the Coyotes after Del Biaggio went to jail, and this resulted in the owners essentially accepting losses of a few million each per year because Phoenix is bleeding profusely.

Is it out the question that the owners got a bit excited that Bettman got them out of their collective ownership of the Phoenix Coyotes? Sure seems like it to me, and now they're on the hook for 35+M that some can successfully argue that Bettman didn't deserve in the first place.

Look, there are teams like Florida, Tampa, Atlanta, that are hard to break even on. Yeah the Lightning are doing well, but that market is unable to support the team when they dont' perform. Oren Kouleas and Len Barry thought they had it made when they got this team. Hell, they thought they could play fantasy hockey as owners and look what happened. They went from:



to: Selling the team and hating the eachother picture. I don't got one:(


Anyways, Bettman meant well but I feel at this point he has done a bit more bad than good. Especially when chasing away Balsillie. Was it wrong for Balsillie to try and obtain a team and then challenge relocation under anti-trust? Yeah, I would say that isn't the most attractive thing to do as a prospective NHL owner. It shows you have zero respect for the "wink wink nudge nudge" club, but still he is worth billions of dollars and was willing to take tens of millions in losses to operate the team in Phoenix for two additional years before debating relocation...

Anyways, it's really easy to question Bettman so let's move on.

Ah yes, Roger Goodell:


The "Sheriff". The guy who demands that players "act right". The man who has punished players for any sort of off-field issue that has caught public attention.

What will his legacy be? I mentioned what the current reputations of the previous commissioners is. For Roger Goodell, it seems like he didn't want to play the role of Commissioner. There is no reason the NFL should have any sort of work stoppage at all. Record revenues, record ratings, record everything...

The owners get 1B of the total 9B revenue PLUS 40 percent of the remaining 8B. They claim that their profits are decreasing and that they need an 18 game season to make up for this lost profit AND they want an additional billion for expenses that are unknown. The root of the problem? The owners refuse to release their books that show their financial health, and they're essentially asking the players to "trust them".

Kind of a hard spot to be in if you're a commissioner, but this is why you get paid 10+ M a year. You're supposed to put your foot down and get a deal done. The point of a commissioner is not only to listen to the owners, but to ensure stoppages that are ridiculous as this continue. I want to say that Goodell will find a solution, but I'm more inclined to believe he's a bit of a "yes man" and his appointment was a total mistake.

Time will tell, though.

Kovalchuk, and the arrival of Lemaire

So when I saw this:


I thought to myself: "Yeah, you're pretty damn clever milking the CBA. Especially with that deal for that sort of player". I understand the economics of the NHL do not allow every team to front load a deal to the extent that the Devils did. But if you can get an elite player like Kovalchuk, who is arguably worth Crosby/Heatley money on the open market, you do it.

I thought with the struggles Rolston had last year and with Parise being injured early on, along with a Coach who tried to "Tame" Kovalchuk (as if he was a bloody domesticated animal) were a perfect storm of how a team can collapse.

Fast forward 4 months, here we are discussing how the Devils are in the Playoff hunt. I actually called this, but I am going to lose a 100 dollar bet to a friend that consisted of me being such a Kovalchuk fanboy that I thought he'd hit a PPG average by the end of the season.

Yeah yeah, I picked the wrong bet. He would have taken "NJD making the playoffs" as a bet too, so yeah. Sometimes I get ahead of myself, ANYWAYS here's my proof that I called this well before Jersey was in the hunt:

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?p=30971825#post30971825

Yes, I am "DregerFan". I'm a big fan, Darren Dreger. Way to give me props for buying stock in your Hockey Insider skills WAY WAY before anyone else gave you a chance. That's right Bob McKenzie, I predicted depreciation of your "Inside" skills upon the arrival of D^2.

So, things have changed. Why did I think things would change? Simple, upon Lemaire coming in, he had the respect of his players. This is the same coach for whom Kovalchuk was disappointed didn't return for the beginning of the 2010-11 season. To show his commitment to Lemaire's style of hockey, which does nothing but produce wins and deep playoff runs, he started to play.

Now, I am an imaginative person, I make no qualms about it. But after the first 5-6 games and being comfortable in Lemaire's system, I believe Kovalchuk voiced his opinion to the locker room. I am paraphrasing, but I want to believe he said:

"Boys, we're going to the 'chip"

While the team might not have necessarily cheered loudly and emphatically, I do believe that Elias echoed Kovalchuk's words and Lemaire gave them something to play for. There is no better motivator for hockey coaches than Jacques Lemaire, he's seen and done it all. He knows what it takes to win, and these guys know it. Look at how Rolston's been playing too. This is clearly a locker room that believes it can not only make the playoffs, but win the championship if they make it to the playoffs.

Here's my vote, get it done Kovalchuk. There will be no greater underdog story in Hockey History if your Devils make it to the playoffs, and there will be no greater fable to regale young sports fans when we talk about the 10-30 devils making it to the playoffs, and winning Lord STanley under a leader who's heart was always questioned.

Spring Training and the Jays

I am not going to lie, when Wells was traded I envisioned this:


And boy, I was *not* happy. Considering how much of a man crush I have on Alex Anthopoulos, I felt disappointed. Wait, what? As a Jays fan, I was disappointed? Damn straight I was upset at the time. This is Vernon Wells, a man who, at one time, was a perennial ALL STAR, GOLD GLOVE, 30+ HR, 100+RBI, I daresay MVP candidate if the rest of the Jays roster ever decided to pan out the way Ricciardi envisioned. It hurt, a lot.

Considering how well Bautista played last year, and how he did make adjustments that aren't indicative of what you would call a "one year wonder", I questioned how much Bautista would do for the locker room.

I always thought that Wells' cool, calm demeanor was something that's healthy for a locker room. After all, it's always the quiet leaders who rake up the championships. I thought with his very-good season last year, especially considering he was batting behind the human broom Jose Bautista, that he was going to have a great year this year. Anyways, he's gone now and I'm over it.

Wells is one of the best catching outfielders in the game today, his arm isn't what it once was... His Wins above replacement (which is a metric that evaluates how many more wins your team will receive if a given player plays this position instead of an average player) is tied with Gutierrez, which is no small feat.
With all that being considered, I still love Vernon Wells as a player, but I understand that even if he got us 30+ HR, 100+ RBI, his OBP would still be 330 and that he'd still make some questionable decisions at the plate. And we would be paying 23M for this.

And this is where I'm giving AA a ton of credit, because I never envisioned that Jose Bautista would take control of a locker room so fast, and also be an incredible asset. He is helping the young guys, and also leading by example. He is helping in every way possible, which I cannot say for Wells.

I guess sometimes we're all served humble pie. Jose Bautista seems like a player who will lead this team to success like we've never seen. Considering how far our team has come in a year, we actually have a lot of promise for once.

New theme.

Sorry table guys, but the theme of my blog is totally different.

I have archived whatever stories and good times we've shared, but my focus is totally different now.

notetoself, how to replace ^M in linux so I'll never gooogle again:

:%s/[ctrlkey+v and ctrl-key+<b style="color: black; background-color: rgb(160, 255, 255);">M</b>]//g