Open for everything, actually
It was inevitable, rally. Today, the provincial gates swung open, and the hoards will soon be among us. Why, up at the light, the parking lot was full, and that has been rare for some time. We stayed long enough for me to get a bowl of fresh ice cream while the (two) dogs announced their excitement to all and sundry. Let the record show: within a compact car, that’s LOUD!
We drove around the loop, just because we could. So many homes, standing empty until the hoards catch up. This is where we usually find ourselves in early spring, not in mid summer. It’s our second year of enforced crowd diversion. Could we simply return to life as normal?
I really don’t understand pro hockey, as a business. So many actions that would be anomalous in a different sector of the economy. We have a large (Canadian) city that spent piles of money to construct an ice pile (palace wannabe). No team available. Meanwhile, the city of Seattle, somewhat south, has been granted a franchise (a polite way of saying “money printing permit”).
And since a team needs a team (is than an oxymoron?) each of the other clubs (save one) will provide someone for the roster. Hate to have that coaching nightmare. Might be entertaining, behind the scenes. In the case of Montreal, who had one really, really important player last year… well, that player isn’t on their protected list. The assumption is that a new team can’t afford the ginormous salary. Did I mention “money printing permit”? I did? Well that’s what makes this whole thing into something much less than a sporting endeavour.
