On Monday evening there will be a very interesting battle for ‘eyeballs’. Canada’s television networks will be rolling out the results of what has been been the closest federal election in a generation or more. Meanwhile, under the dome in Toronto, the Blue Jays will be playing the Kansas City Royals in game 3 of the American League Championship Series. We should care more about what will be in those ballot boxes, but will we?
Wednesday’s deciding game of the Division series between the Jays and Texas had absolutely everything, including some moments that were more than a little frightening. In that historic 7th inning, the Rangers were allowed to score what could have been the winning run on the strangest of plays. Had Jose Bautista not saved the day with that timely 3 run homer in the bottom of the 7th, who knows how bad things might have gotten.
The umpires would have needed a police escort. Indeed the Blue Jays might have forfeited the game because of the behaviour of some of the 48,000 fans. What an ugly stain that would have been for Toronto, and the entire country.
It raises the question once more, do we attach too much importance to the exploits of groups of overpaid grown men playing what are basically adolescent games at the maximum skill level? I’m afraid the answer to that is obvious and it’s very troubling. What we’re talking about is entertainment pure and simple. Nothing more.
Four years ago, Greg Selinger’s NDP won re-election in Manitoba. It was argued by some pundits that a significant factor was the return of the NHL to Winnipeg. Heaven knows Mr. Selinger had almost nothing to do with the Jets’ return, but it happened on his watch, and somehow it persuaded voters that he deserved another four years in office.
It was interesting that Stephen Harper, Tom Mulcair and Justin Trudeau only agreed on one thing during the marathon federal campaign, that they would stop going to Rogers Centre to watch the Blue Jays.
I’m Roger Currie
Photo by Keith Allison
