/Blog/DevonPeacock/blogs.aspxDevon Peacock's Blogen-usCopyright 2010, CFPLNEWS-AMWed, 08 Sep 2010 00:28:00 GMTSun, 29 Aug 2010 19:51:44 GMT1http://emmisinteractive.comA festival in Guelph yesterday brought out the best and worst in us. The festival was to encourage women to be topless in the same places men walk around shirtless.   We'll save the debate for women going topless in public for another day, frankly I think going shirtless in public (beach etc.. excluded) is over-rated. It's like nude beaches; the only people who do it are people who should really cover up. Regardless, the whole point of the event was to help women feel comfortable which is as good a reason as any to hold an event like that.   Unfortunately it was slightly marred by the men who decided to just sit and watch like perverts. Some brought cameras with them; almost all wore sunglasses to hide their eyes.   I'd ask how they'd feel if someone treated their wife or girlfriend in such a creepy way but something .../Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10135373devon.peacock@corusent.com (Devon Peacock)/Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10135373Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:51:44 GMTDid the Oxford Dictionary change the definition of hero without telling me? I ask because I can't figure out why some of us consider Steven Slater to be a hero. Slater was given hero status on Monday when he went onto the public address system after a JetBlue flight from Pittsburgh, cursed out a passenger he said had treated him rudely, and then made an I'm-outta-here exit down an emergency chute with a six-pack at Kennedy Airport. That's heroic!?! Heroes go into dangerous situations that the rest of us run out of. Heroes perform extraordinary tasks in extreme situations. Heroes don't freak out and then run away. Slater isn't a hero, he isn't a role model and he definitely isn't an inspiration. What he is, is an example -- of a person you shouldn't be. I get that he hated his job (even though he now says he loves flying .../Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10131692devon.peacock@corusent.com (Devon Peacock)/Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10131692Sun, 29 Aug 2010 18:59:52 GMTBetter late than never right? On Saturday Dalton McGuinty changed his mind (again) and gave the O-K to mixed martial arts in Ontario. Only a few months ago this was a non-starter for McGuinty who said allowing MMA in the province wasn't a top 3 priority for Ontarians. Now apparently that's changed and its popularity is strong enough to sanction the sport in the province. I'm sure the economic spin-off's had nothing to do with it. The reality is it did but that distracts from the fact mixed martial arts should have been sanctioned a long time ago. MMA wasn't allowed in this province because the Ontario Athletic Commission said it was illegal under the criminal code. Section 83.1 of the criminal code states that anyone who "engages as a principle in a prize fight, encourages, promotes or is present at a prize fight as an aid, second, surgeon, umpire, .../Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10132361devon.peacock@corusent.com (Devon Peacock)/Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10132361Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:20:40 GMTThe NHL has many problems but in my opinion the biggest is that it's consistently inconsistent. The way the league hands out discipline is a perfect example but what's bothering me is the NHL's current battle against long-term contracts. The league doesn't like contracts that are longer than ten years and I don't blame Gary Bettman and company for that. A lot can happen over that time with injury and a failure to perform at previous high levels being the two biggest red flags. I don't like those kinds of contracts but given that I'm not in charge of a team and never will be, that doesn't mean much. If a GM and an owner want to make that kind of commitment that's their decision. Teams have made that decision because it's allowed by the NHL and therein lies the problem. The league has approved the very contracts it says .../Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10131096devon.peacock@corusent.com (Devon Peacock)/Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10131096Wed, 11 Aug 2010 11:10:09 GMTBeing a sports-fan in Canada takes dedication. If you happen to enjoy a sport other than (or in addition to) hockey, golf or the CFL, you need to work hard to find the inside scoop. Sports journalists who cover baseball and basketball specifically have dropped the ball (pun intended). Over the winter during the Roy Halladay trade talks, the news was broken by Jon Heyman from SI.com. Most recently during NBA free agency the big news concerning the Toronto Raptors was broken by journalists outside Toronto. We heard about Chris Bosh from ESPN and we heard about the Hedo Turkoglu trade from the Arizona Republic. It has become apparent that those with the best access to the movers and shakers in Toronto have the worst information. That's a tremendous shame because these are people that have a job many dream of. They have the ability to share tidbits about the .../Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10126261devon.peacock@corusent.com (Devon Peacock)/Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10126261Sat, 17 Jul 2010 15:06:45 GMTAs we told you on AM980, University of Waterloo president David Johnston has been picked by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to replace Michaelle Jean as governor general. He'll take over the post October 1st when the term of Michaelle Jean officially ends. Johnston, now 69, has ties to London, back in the 1970's he was the Dean of Law at the University of Western Ontario. Johnston is fine but I wish we thought a little bigger. It's too late now but maybe we can chew on this for five years when we need to replace Johnston -- Prince Harry. We just had the Queen in Canada for a 9-day stint and she created a buzz wherever she went. Since the position of governor general isn't going away anytime soon I think we should get creative with the role. Why not offer the job to Harry and say we'd like him .../Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10124639devon.peacock@corusent.com (Devon Peacock)/Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10124639Sat, 10 Jul 2010 03:11:36 GMTIn a season where so much has gone right for major league baseball, the powers that be have found a way to do something absolutely stupid. We've been treated to four no-hitters, including two perfect games over the first three months of the season. We almost had a third perfect game but that was ruined by Jim Joyce, but even that didn't harm the Tigers, Joyce and MLB as they all came out of it smelling like roses. The Padres, Reds, Braves, Rangers, Rays and Twins are all good news stories while 18 of the 30 teams in the majors are playing over .500 ball. There's a lot to like this year which is why Bud Selig's latest idea to make some extra cash rubs me the wrong way. At first it seems like a good idea, MLB has introduced a system where you can pay to reserve playoff tickets .../Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10123973devon.peacock@corusent.com (Devon Peacock)/Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10123973Sun, 04 Jul 2010 20:00:24 GMTI think it's absolutely despicable the Arizona Diamondbacks pushed for -- and got -- the highly controversial new Arizona immigration law. .....What's that? The Diamondbacks had nothing to do with it? You'd think they did the way the Major League Baseball Players Assocation is acting. The union wants Major League Baseball to yank the 2011 All-Star game from the Diamondbacks because the law is in Arizona. I don't blame the union for being upset. The law is certainly unsettling and 27% of its members are latino. Just to make sure we're all on the same page, Arizona has approved a law that makes it a state crime to be in the U.S. illegally, and it requires police to question people about their immigration status and demand to see their documents if there’s reason to suspect they’re in the nation illegally. Last Friday there were modifications to the law. Police are .../Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10111138devon.peacock@corusent.com (Devon Peacock)/Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10111138Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:14:38 GMTNow that it's becoming clear the Chris Bosh era in Toronto is in its final days I'm seeing a fair bit of hate towards the current and soon to be former Raptor captain. You're free to feel how you want but I think the hate is misplaced. First off, Bosh hasn't mislead fans like Tracy McGrady did when he was with the team, nor did he quit and force his way out ala Vince Carter. Bosh cares and I believe truely enjoys Toronto and living in Canada. If the team was a legit contender I think he'd stay, but the Raptors aren't. Be honest, if you were Bosh and you were in an organization that wasn't performing to the ultimate standard and you had a chance to choose your next employer AND work with some of the best of the best in your industry... you'd go. Especially if your industry .../Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10123443devon.peacock@corusent.com (Devon Peacock)/Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10123443Wed, 30 Jun 2010 22:29:27 GMTAs my esteemed colleague and good friend Nathan Smith wrote in his blog, "Vuvuzelas - Drowning Out South African Culture", the vuvuzelas are annoying. I agree with him on that but I don't agree with anyone who says they should be put away until the end of the World Cup. I don't care how long the South Africans have used them, whether it's been 20 years or 2 years, it's what they like to do to enjoy a soccer game. Who are we, as visitors, to say they should stop? There are customs/traditions in every country that visitors may not like or find annoying but that doesn't mean the host should stop because others think so. If you were to invite me to your house and I started re-arranging items or putting them away because I found them annoying what would you do? The vuvuzelas aren't any different than the .../Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10118650devon.peacock@corusent.com (Devon Peacock)/Blog/DevonPeacock/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10118650Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:56:40 GMT