racingmeridian.com

PONIES…Canadian Champ Biofuel (2010 Horse of the Year) had looked decidedly lethargic while suffering defeats in her only two starts this season. Her connections have done the right thing by announcing her retirement. The irascible runner, a local favourite, has clearly lost the bloodlust for victory and a pale imitation of the filly satisfies no one…

AMY…Ginner recommended a perusal of Amy Winehouse singing “Love Is a Losing Game” from the 2007 Mercury Awards (available on You Tube) as an antidote to the prevailing sadness over her death. The performance encapsulates the genius and talent of the tiny powerhouse, and it is breathtaking to watch her silence a crowd using the majesty of her singular talent. I was thrilled to watch the three minute clip, particularly after cringing through highlights of her recent Belgrade debacle. The Mercury performance underlined the savage brilliance of the woman, the Belgrade show her terrible fragility…

THE BIG SMOKE…we have found the gravy in Toronto, and it is…the libraries?? The Ford Administration has launched an ignoble attack on these venerable institutions, all the while spewing appalling ignorance. Did Doug Ford, the Mayor’s brother, really say he didn’t know who Margaret Atwood was? That there were more libraries in his riding than Tim Horton’s?…I had a sick feeling when Mayor Ford gave a prominent role to Don Cherry at his inauguration. I was shocked when he became the first Mayor in twenty years not to attend the Pride parade. Now we’re easing into contempt and disgust….

GRID IRON…I’m fascinated by the permutations of the recently signed owner/player agreement. As an outsider, I’m not subjected to propaganda or lobbying. And I’ll tell you; this resolution is not even remotely close to being the “fair” settlement being portrayed in the media. No, it’s a slam dunk win for the owners. The rookie cap, and the ability to control your rookie for a stunning five years (four years and a club option on an additional year), means the majority of NFL players will only ever have one contract (based on average career tenure of just over three years). Think about it. The controlled, managed initial contract given to a player will, in the majority of instances, be the only contractual negotiation a player ever has with his team. Superstars, and those who can thrive into a sixth, seventh year in the NFL, will definitely be richly rewarded - they are the winners. But the “working class” player, the dude who is just above average, is now likely to play for a grossly underwhelming amount and then be  drummed out of the league after an injury or through a simple recycling program which keeps filtering in young cheap players. The monies available to a Brady or a Manning figure to be staggering, but the bulk of NFL players will be considerably poorer as a result of this deal…