On your Mark Scheifele's and other matters

I wonder if part of the interest in keeping 18 year old Mark Scheifele with the Winnipeg Jets by fans is that we want this kid to experience the same party we as fans of the Jets are having. Sure it would be better for him to wait, but he's just so excited and enthusiastic and so are we so it builds and builds until finally we win the Stanley Cup. Okay probably not, but his enthusiasm really seems to mirror that of the fans and it's certainly catching.

I noticed at the Jets game yesterday that there were one or two Atlanta Thrashers jerseys in attendence. There are former Atlanta Thrashers fans in Winnipeg. Who knew! Anyways, I was reading comments on TSN's website about the Jets. There was a bitter Atlanta Thrashers fan, and commenters and Winnipegers were sympathetic to his plight (with caveats of course).. but someone made the comment that everyone should all chip in and send him to Winnipeg to see his team here. And I thought, wouldn't that be a brilliant marketing move (and peace offering to thrashers fans) by Travel Manitoba and the Jets organization? Get a few tickets and put together a Winter Wonderland sort of prize pass targeted towards Atlantans. Or Americans in general but use Atlanta as the hook. Maybe a few prize packs for different games. Why not? People in the south probably don't really get what Canada is about, so it could work to build up Winnipeg as a quirky winter destination. Surely there are hotels who would be on board and other people in the travel industry. Why not be proactive? Be creative? Stop coming up with stupid slogans like "It's Manitoba time". God that annoyed the hell out of me. Why are they paying to advertise Manitoba to Manitobans? You never see Winnipeg offered as a destination prize on the Price is Right either, but again, why not? It could lead somewhere. Winnipeg is a mystery place with a funny name to many people. It's like Timbuktu or Ouagadougou, only closer and okay maybe not as warm.

Finally, CBC was supposed to be up and running in HD over the air starting tomorrow Friday September 30th. But a notice on their website says that the ALREADY delayed switchover of a month will be delayed even further. So if you wanted to watch the return of the Jets in HD over the air, guess what, you're sh!t out of luck. But hey, it's not like they had 5 years notice on the digital changeover. Oh wait, they did? They waited until the last minute and finally said they would do Winnipeg because they were forced to? Pathetic.

This is your money funding the CBC. 1-866-306-INFO (4636) is the number to complain to the CBC, but I'd suggest you go further and complain to your member of parliament. The CBC needs to be accountable. This game of delaying the inevitable has to stop. Other countries have a public broadcaster that works for the public. Canada has a public broadcaster that seems to work only for special interests, and throws your money away not on providing you with high quality over the air service, but instead on trying to play in the same league as CTV or Global.

So to reiterate, the return of the Jets on CBC Hockey Night in Canada? WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE OVER THE AIR IN HIGH DEFINITION. Because the CBC is incompetent and seemingly does not have the capability to do their job.

I'd act surprised, but if you've read this blog before, and you've followed the actions of the corporation before in print media, you can see why I'm not.