Daily Archives: August 21, 2009

For the bullet summary, please go here.

The inherent nature of sports leagues will eventually breed corruption, and the NHL is a ‘corruption poster child’!

Help, police, help!!

Help, bankruptcy court, help!!

Help, U.S. Department of Justice, help!!

Is anyone going to help?

Anyone?

The "Make My Day Law" should be extended to Business interests and justice....."Go ahead punk, make my day"

If you have been around long enough, you can recall who you were friends with, and whose house you gathered in to watch Dirty Harry movies. Or, all Clint Eastwood movies for that matter. The crook had a choice, give up and go to prison, or if he felt lucky, to ‘Go ahead, and make Harry’s Day’.

Harry was a movie hero. Vigilante justice was his specialty. Filling in a void where law seemed to have too many loopholes and cracks, and allowed the guilty to get away with all kinds of ‘bad stuff’.

Harry represented the cop on the edge, the one ready to do what it took to ensure the scum did not get away with it!

Harry sent many bad guys to jail! Well, if the prisons were run by the inmates, you would think Harry would have convinced more of those guys to ‘make his day’. If Harry knew the system was corrupt, he might have  become a vigilante to change the system.

What if the prisons were run by the inmates?

On the ‘inside’, there are ‘rules’ that you must follow, and people you must respect. If you don’t, heaven help you. A shiv may be at your throat or side, and you may be in deep trouble.

Well, what if there was more going on in the Pen than just secret little games, and a sub culture? What if the inmates took control over the institution itself? What if the powers that be decided to surround themselves with other inmates, and it bred more corruption?

Well, we might not be talking about penetentiaries here, but in a sense we are talking about protecting the rights of the less corrupt  inmate(s). What if there is an inmate in trouble? What if the bullies in the Pen are bothering him, and want him ‘taken care of“? If the inmates run the show, who is there to police the inmates?

The NHL as any sports league is ‘self-policing’, as described in this article by Slam Sports:

“The sports leagues are sort of a self-selected, closed group,” Eric Schaffer, a senior bankruptcy partner at the Pittsburgh law firm Reed Smith, said this week in an interview. “They decide who is going to be admitted to their league, they police themselves.

“They also want to make sure they retain the ability to be the exclusive arbiters of who is going to be in their membership.”

Sure they want to ensure they pick and choose who enters the club. The same kind attracts like kind. A less than ethical person tends to find other, less than ethical people. It’s really that simple.

The Phoenix Coyotes case has been in large part about a man who ‘flew the cookoo’s nest’. Jerry Moyes was being bullied in the NHL club. He decided he had enough, but could not turn to the very league that was conspiring to put him away financially. No, he needed a Harry Callahan.

Did Jerry Moyes find the man who would help him change the system? The man that would stand up to the corruption, the greed, the unfair business practices, and the good boys club, and say enough is enough? I think he did.

Filling the void where law cannot always help

We can look at Jim Balsillie as Harry. A man often criticized, and often portrayed as the bad guy, when indeed he is the only one that will stand up to the corruption of his day.

And, is standing up to the current system a bad thing?

Not according to a scholar:

Ross, a sports law and antitrust scholar, said a victory by Balsillie would be a good thing because the major professional sports leagues have too much power over ownership.

“Sports leagues have illegal monopolies by preventing new entry from deserving clubs,” he said in an email to The Canadian Press. “Sports leagues harm consumers by being run by the clubs themselves, in their own self-interest, instead of the best interests of the league as whole.”

If Dirty Harry got arrested in the movies as a corrupt cop that doesn’t play by the rules, people would look, turn away, and ignore him. And when Harry did his thing, and saved the ‘streets’ from more bad guys it would largely not be discussed. A silent hero.

Well, it’s time Harry and all the Harrys’ out there get the thanks they deserve.

I, and many other Canadians are standing behind our Harry! There will be much fallout from this case, and we will likely not stop until things change. Whether vigilante style or otherwise, the NHL is broken. The inmates are running the Pen, and it is high time that got changed.

Jerry Moyes was a victim and a reflection of the abuse and control a league gone bad can have. He was chewed up and spit out by a vicious plan to strip him of his wealth, then his title, and sense of manhood.

Well, Jerry Moyes has turned out to be the white knight of Canadian hockey. He and Jim Balsillie are dishing out there own version of vigilante justice that will continue to fill the void, where law fails.

We can only hope that the justice system will learn from this case and make the necessary changes to change the rules. All to ensure the inmates don’t run the institution. Especially when it affects the safety and rights of fellow inmates.

The ‘Make My Day Law’ has been a law instigated to protect people from violence. Should there be a version created for business bullying and corruption to protect the rights of franchise owners?

Go ahead, make our day!

NHL, we all know this has been a case of corruption, greed, collusion, and bullying. We also know that Jim Balsillie represents the exposure of this, and the attempt to stop it. So, we here in Canada stand behind Jim. So, NHL, ‘Go ahead, make our day!’

For the bullet summary, please go here.

The inherent nature of sports leagues will eventually breed corruption, and the NHL is a ‘corruption poster child’!

Help, police, help!!

Help, bankruptcy court, help!!

Help, U.S. Department of Justice, help!!

Is anyone going to help?

Anyone?

The "Make My Day Law" should be extended to Business interests and justice....."Go ahead punk, make my day"

If you have been around long enough, you can recall who you were friends with, and whose house you gathered in to watch Dirty Harry movies. Or, all Clint Eastwood movies for that matter. The crook had a choice, give up and go to prison, or if he felt lucky, to ‘Go ahead, and make Harry’s Day’.

Harry was a movie hero. Vigilante justice was his specialty. Filling in a void where law seemed to have too many loopholes and cracks, and allowed the guilty to get away with all kinds of ‘bad stuff’.

Harry represented the cop on the edge, the one ready to do what it took to ensure the scum did not get away with it!

Harry sent many bad guys to jail! Well, if the prisons were run by the inmates, you would think Harry would have convinced more of those guys to ‘make his day’. If Harry knew the system was corrupt, he might have  become a vigilante to change the system.

What if the prisons were run by the inmates?

On the ‘inside’, there are ‘rules’ that you must follow, and people you must respect. If you don’t, heaven help you. A shiv may be at your throat or side, and you may be in deep trouble.

Well, what if there was more going on in the Pen than just secret little games, and a sub culture? What if the inmates took control over the institution itself? What if the powers that be decided to surround themselves with other inmates, and it bred more corruption?

Well, we might not be talking about penetentiaries here, but in a sense we are talking about protecting the rights of the less corrupt  inmate(s). What if there is an inmate in trouble? What if the bullies in the Pen are bothering him, and want him ‘taken care of“? If the inmates run the show, who is there to police the inmates?

The NHL as any sports league is ‘self-policing’, as described in this article by Slam Sports:

“The sports leagues are sort of a self-selected, closed group,” Eric Schaffer, a senior bankruptcy partner at the Pittsburgh law firm Reed Smith, said this week in an interview. “They decide who is going to be admitted to their league, they police themselves.

“They also want to make sure they retain the ability to be the exclusive arbiters of who is going to be in their membership.”

Sure they want to ensure they pick and choose who enters the club. The same kind attracts like kind. A less than ethical person tends to find other, less than ethical people. It’s really that simple.

The Phoenix Coyotes case has been in large part about a man who ‘flew the cookoo’s nest’. Jerry Moyes was being bullied in the NHL club. He decided he had enough, but could not turn to the very league that was conspiring to put him away financially. No, he needed a Harry Callahan.

Did Jerry Moyes find the man who would help him change the system? The man that would stand up to the corruption, the greed, the unfair business practices, and the good boys club, and say enough is enough? I think he did.

Filling the void where law cannot always help

We can look at Jim Balsillie as Harry. A man often criticized, and often portrayed as the bad guy, when indeed he is the only one that will stand up to the corruption of his day.

And, is standing up to the current system a bad thing?

Not according to a scholar:

Ross, a sports law and antitrust scholar, said a victory by Balsillie would be a good thing because the major professional sports leagues have too much power over ownership.

“Sports leagues have illegal monopolies by preventing new entry from deserving clubs,” he said in an email to The Canadian Press. “Sports leagues harm consumers by being run by the clubs themselves, in their own self-interest, instead of the best interests of the league as whole.”

If Dirty Harry got arrested in the movies as a corrupt cop that doesn’t play by the rules, people would look, turn away, and ignore him. And when Harry did his thing, and saved the ‘streets’ from more bad guys it would largely not be discussed. A silent hero.

Well, it’s time Harry and all the Harrys’ out there get the thanks they deserve.

I, and many other Canadians are standing behind our Harry! There will be much fallout from this case, and we will likely not stop until things change. Whether vigilante style or otherwise, the NHL is broken. The inmates are running the Pen, and it is high time that got changed.

Jerry Moyes was a victim and a reflection of the abuse and control a league gone bad can have. He was chewed up and spit out by a vicious plan to strip him of his wealth, then his title, and sense of manhood.

Well, Jerry Moyes has turned out to be the white knight of Canadian hockey. He and Jim Balsillie are dishing out there own version of vigilante justice that will continue to fill the void, where law fails.

We can only hope that the justice system will learn from this case and make the necessary changes to change the rules. All to ensure the inmates don’t run the institution. Especially when it affects the safety and rights of fellow inmates.

The ‘Make My Day Law’ has been a law instigated to protect people from violence. Should there be a version created for business bullying and corruption to protect the rights of franchise owners?

Go ahead, make our day!

NHL, we all know this has been a case of corruption, greed, collusion, and bullying. We also know that Jim Balsillie represents the exposure of this, and the attempt to stop it. So, we here in Canada stand behind Jim. So, NHL, ‘Go ahead, make our day!’

For the bullet summary, please go here.

The inherent nature of sports leagues will eventually breed corruption, and the NHL is a ‘corruption poster child’!

Help, police, help!!

Help, bankruptcy court, help!!

Help, U.S. Department of Justice, help!!

Is anyone going to help?

Anyone?

If you have been around long enough, you can recall who you were friends with, and whose house you gathered in to watch Dirty Harry movies. Or, all Clint Eastwood movies for that matter. The crook had a choice, give up and go to prison, or if he felt lucky, to ‘Go ahead, and make Harry’s Day’.

Harry was a movie hero. Vigilante justice was his specialty. Filling in a void where law seemed to have too many loopholes and cracks, and allowed the guilty to get away with all kinds of ‘bad stuff’.

Harry represented the cop on the edge, the one ready to do what it took to ensure the scum did not get away with it!

Harry sent many bad guys to jail! Well, if the prisons were run by the inmates, you would think Harry would have convinced more of those guys to ‘make his day’. If Harry knew the system was corrupt, he might have  become a vigilante to change the system.

What if the prisons were run by the inmates?

On the ‘inside’, there are ‘rules’ that you must follow, and people you must respect. If you don’t, heaven help you. A shiv may be at your throat or side, and you may be in deep trouble.

Well, what if there was more going on in the Pen than just secret little games, and a sub culture? What if the inmates took control over the institution itself? What if the powers that be decided to surround themselves with other inmates, and it bred more corruption?

Well, we might not be talking about penetentiaries here, but in a sense we are talking about protecting the rights of the less corrupt  inmate(s). What if there is an inmate in trouble? What if the bullies in the Pen are bothering him, and want him ‘taken care of“? If the inmates run the show, who is there to police the inmates?

The NHL as any sports league is ‘self-policing’, as described in this article by Slam Sports:

“The sports leagues are sort of a self-selected, closed group,” Eric Schaffer, a senior bankruptcy partner at the Pittsburgh law firm Reed Smith, said this week in an interview. “They decide who is going to be admitted to their league, they police themselves.

“They also want to make sure they retain the ability to be the exclusive arbiters of who is going to be in their membership.”

Sure they want to ensure they pick and choose who enters the club. The same kind attracts like kind. A less than ethical person tends to find other, less than ethical people. It’s really that simple.

The Phoenix Coyotes case has been in large part about a man who ‘flew the cookoo’s nest’. Jerry Moyes was being bullied in the NHL club. He decided he had enough, but could not turn to the very league that was conspiring to put him away financially. No, he needed a Harry Callahan.

Did Jerry Moyes find the man who would help him change the system? The man that would stand up to the corruption, the greed, the unfair business practices, and the good boys club, and say enough is enough? I think he did.

We can look at Jim Balsillie as Harry. A man often criticized, and often portrayed as the bad guy, when in deed he is the only one that will stand up to the corruption of his day.

And, is standing up to the current system a bad thing? Not according to a scholar:

Ross, a sports law and antitrust scholar, said a victory by Balsillie would be a good thing because the major professional sports leagues have too much power over ownership.

“Sports leagues have illegal monopolies by preventing new entry from deserving clubs,” he said in an email to The Canadian Press. “Sports leagues harm consumers by being run by the clubs themselves, in their own self-interest, instead of the best interests of the league as whole.”

If Dirty Harry got arrested in the movies as a corrupt cop that doesn’t play by the rules, people would look, turn away, and ignore him. And when Harry did his thing, and saved the ‘streets’ from more bad guys it would largely not be discussed. A silent hero.

Well, it’s time Harry and all the Harrys’ out there get the thanks they deserve.

I, and many other Canadians are standing behind our Harry! There will be much fallout from this case, and we will likely not stop until things change. Whether vigilante style or otherwise, the NHL is broken. The inmates are running the Pen, and it is high time that got changed.

Jerry Moyes was a victim and a reflection of the abuse and control a league gone bad can have. He was chewed up and spit out by a vicious plan to strip him of his wealth, then his title, and sense of manhood.

Well, Jerry Moyes has turned out to be the white knight of Canadian hockey. He and Jim Balsillie are dishing out there own version of vigilante justice that will continue to fill the void, where law fails.

We can only hope that the justice system will learn from this case and make the necessary changes to change the rules. All to ensure the inmates don’t run the institution. Especially when it affects the safety and rights of fellow inmates.

The ‘Make My Day Law’ has been a law instigated to protect people from violence. Should there be a version created for business bullying and corruption to protect the rights of franchise owners?

 NHL, we all know this has been a case of corruption, greed, collusion, and bullying. We also know that Jim Balsillie represents the exposure of this, and the attempt to stop it. So, we here in Canada stand behind Jim.

So, NHL, ‘Go ahead, make our day!’

For the bullet summary, please go here.

This guy’s no patsy! He’s not NHL material!

‘Jim, you have poor character! Jim, didn’t you hear us? You have poor character. Jim! Won’t you listen to us? Come on man, get it through your head, your character is poor. Poor Jim, poor! Aren’t you listening? See we told you. Jim doesn’t listen. That’s cause he is of poor character.’

‘ We tried time and again to ask Jim to play by the league’s rules. But, he just wants to do his own thing. He keeps wanting to move this team, or that team, or any team to Southern Ontario. That is not what is approved by the NHL, and that makes Jim in violation of league processes.

See, that means Jim is of poor character. Would somebody please stop this guy, already!’

‘Oh, give me a home, where the buffalo roam, and the skies are not cloudy all day.’

If the fights going on at the ownership level, spill out on the ice, the NHL may just have a chance at survival!  Don Cherry was right!  There will always be fighting in hockey! It’s part of the game!

Didn’t you hear?

The NHL’s Board of Governors is all one big happy family. Look at the smiles on the faces of the representatives on the BOG. Look, they are smiling. No, that IS a smile, not a forced grimace. It IS a smile, OK?

Bring on Canuck # 2 to show Jim how unpatriotic he is for fighting for hockey in Canada! Yes, if Anthony Leblanc and his ‘Canadians are snapping up real estate in Arizona by the hundreds’ wasn’t enough Canadian guilt, let’s bring on another. Are ya crackin’ yet Jim! Didn’t you learn from Anthony?

Do ya need more ‘dilithium Crystals’…..’Cap’n she’s breaking up, I don’t know how much longer I can keep her going’!

Wow!

Can anybody give this Canadian a break! I am talking about me. For that matter, can anybody give another Canadian a break. This time I am talking about Jim Balsille.

Eugene Melnyk, the owner of the Senators felt sorry for Jim before, but is just mad as heck at him now. Melnyk says Jim thinks he should not be the owner of the Senators. Is that it?

Mr. Melnyk, since you like writing direct letters aired in public. How about I send you one?

Ok,here goes….

Dear Eugene:

Can I call you squeeky? Or how about, Squeeky Clean Eugene? Does that sound about right? Can’t dig up any muck on you so it must be true. Unlike your friends, who seem to have muck all over them.

'Squeeky clean' Eugene Melnyk

First off, do any of your horses race at the tracks of Jeremy Jacobs? Just askin’. After all, when you are in the horse business like Jacobs, it would become a ‘nagging’ question, whether you and he would be in that club together too. Small world, and all that. That wouldn’t have anything to do with you supporting the BOG, and not supporting Balisillie would it?

Did your ‘horsing around’ get you an easier ticket to the NHL winners circle?

The way this club works, you need to have connections outside hockey as we are learning. So, I hope you don’t mind the questions related to the whole horse thing.

 You felt sorry for Jim Balsillie when you figured he had a snowballs chance in Barbados to survive his bid to own a team.

You know Barbados?

Of course you do, you live there and don’t pay the great Canadian income taxes the rest of us Canadians pay. Isn’t that right, Mr. Great Canadian?

Isn’t it ironic, the closer you get to Ottawa, the less taxes you pay? Do you know Brian Mulroney by any chance? Just askin’ again.

OK, so you felt sorry for Jim Balsillie for what exactly? That he couldn’t put a team where most of us Canadians that want to see pro hockey live? Is that it? Would it have been OK with you, had he bought a team, and left it where he was supposed to leave it? Would that have been OK with you Mr. Melnyk?

Well, Eugene, how do you feel about the Phoenix Coyotes? Do you think they deserve to stay in Phoenix? Do you think Jerry Reinsdorf is the best owner for them? How do you feel about the concession demands he has for the taxpayers of Phoenix? You do remember taxes don’t you? Ya, well how do you feel about the taxpayers having to foot the bill for lots of hockey that they really don’t want, when the City of Glendale could easily change the hockey spots for other events, likely more than making up lost hockey revenue? How do you feel about that?

Or, how do you feel about the fact that Jerry Reinsdorf wants an out clause, where he and your other friends at the NHL can pretend to care about Phoenix, all the while, laughing and waiting to say, ‘oh well Phoenix, sorry, moving now’. Does that sound like a move of good character to you?

Mr. Melnyk. With all due respect, to accuse Jim Balsillie of poor character is the pot calling the kettle black, at the very least.

If Jim Balsillie was truly of poor character, the NHL Board of Governors should welcome him with open arms, as he would fit right in.

Tit for tat? Who gives a rat’s butt? Really!

This isn’t about liking or having to like anybody. This is a businessman buying an asset. He is helping another businessman sell the asset.

But I have to tell you. I would really like to know how you ‘cracked the lineup’ to get into this good boys club.

Is this club like the movie, Stepford Wives. Toe the line, keep the smile, and play by all the rules like you have no value or opinion of your own? Is that what it means to get into this club?

All I have seen so far myself is a steady stream of proof, showing corruption, greed, collusion, and networking, that has everything to do with unfair business practices. Keep rubbing your friends back and he’ll give you something back.

Well, Mr. Melnyk (who lives in Barbados and avoids true Canadian taxes), you profess to be the wonderful Canadian?

Where was your support of Mr. Balsillie before he pointed out your faults? He did so to prove nobody is perfect. You can thank the NHL for dragging you in the mud. They set this up with their accusations of poor character.

I hope your hockey team is a little tougher in spirit than you seem to be.

Eugene, the way I see it. Jim Balsillie is a man of integrity. He sees what is wrong, and he is using the court to try to crack a lineup that he doesn’t have to like. He doesn’t have to be ‘friends’ with. He just needs to get on the inside, give hockey back to Canada where it belongs. 

Eugene, maybe Jim is just trying to say he is no different than you, and deserves a team too.

Does he care if he is liked in the process? Heck no, and why should he?

This is ‘Go to the mattresses time’. It’s business. Nothing more. Just business.

At least I'm in....Sorry about your luck fellow Canuck!

And, I would suspect Jim Balsillie, who is a Canadian living in Canada, contributes to the income tax pool of this country. Bad, bad, man! 

 And to think, you could probably walk your tax return to Parliament Hill in Ottawa before or after the Senators play. Tsk tsk tsk!

More reading if you can stand reading about the ‘squeeky clean’:

• Globe Sports (How to ruin a judge’s vacation with filings)
• ESPN (Melnyk responds)
• Slam (Melnyk fires back)
• Earth Times

For the bullet summary, please go here.

This guy’s no patsy! He’s not NHL material!

‘Jim, you have poor character! Jim, didn’t you hear us? You have poor character. Jim! Won’t you listen to us? Come on man, get it through your head, your character is poor. Poor Jim, poor! Aren’t you listening? See we told you. Jim doesn’t listen. That’s cause he is of poor character.’

‘ We tried time and again to ask Jim to play by the league’s rules. But, he just wants to do his own thing. He keeps wanting to move this team, or that team, or any team to Southern Ontario. That is not what is approved by the NHL, and that makes Jim in violation of league processes.

See, that means Jim is of poor character. Would somebody please stop this guy, already!’

‘Oh, give me a home, where the buffalo roam, and the skies are not cloudy all day.’

If the fights going on at the ownership level, spill out on the ice, the NHL may just have a chance at survival!  Don Cherry was right!  There will always be fighting in hockey! It’s part of the game!

Didn’t you hear?

The NHL’s Board of Governors is all one big happy family. Look at the smiles on the faces of the representatives on the BOG. Look, they are smiling. No, that IS a smile, not a forced grimace. It IS a smile, OK?

Bring on Canuck # 2 to show Jim how unpatriotic he is for fighting for hockey in Canada! Yes, if Anthony Leblanc and his ‘Canadians are snapping up real estate in Arizona by the hundreds’ wasn’t enough Canadian guilt, let’s bring on another. Are ya crackin’ yet Jim! Didn’t you learn from Anthony?

Do ya need more ‘dilithium Crystals’…..’Cap’n she’s breaking up, I don’t know how much longer I can keep her going’!

Wow!

Can anybody give this Canadian a break! I am talking about me. For that matter, can anybody give another Canadian a break. This time I am talking about Jim Balsille.

Eugene Melnyk, the owner of the Senators felt sorry for Jim before, but is just mad as heck at him now. Melnyk says Jim thinks he should not be the owner of the Senators. Is that it?

Mr. Melnyk, since you like writing direct letters aired in public. How about I send you one?

Ok,here goes….

Dear Eugene:

Can I call you squeeky? Or how about, Squeeky Clean Eugene? Does that sound about right? Can’t dig up any muck on you so it must be true. Unlike your friends, who seem to have muck all over them.

'Squeeky clean' Eugene Melnyk

First off, do any of your horses race at the tracks of Jeremy Jacobs? Just askin’. After all, when you are in the horse business like Jacobs, it would become a ‘nagging’ question, whether you and he would be in that club together too. Small world, and all that. That wouldn’t have anything to do with you supporting the BOG, and not supporting Balisillie would it?

Did your ‘horsing around’ get you an easier ticket to the NHL winners circle?

The way this club works, you need to have connections outside hockey as we are learning. So, I hope you don’t mind the questions related to the whole horse thing.

 You felt sorry for Jim Balsillie when you figured he had a snowballs chance in Barbados to survive his bid to own a team.

You know Barbados?

Of course you do, you live there and don’t pay the great Canadian income taxes the rest of us Canadians pay. Isn’t that right, Mr. Great Canadian?

Isn’t it ironic, the closer you get to Ottawa, the less taxes you pay? Do you know Brian Mulroney by any chance? Just askin’ again.

OK, so you felt sorry for Jim Balsillie for what exactly? That he couldn’t put a team where most of us Canadians that want to see pro hockey live? Is that it? Would it have been OK with you, had he bought a team, and left it where he was supposed to leave it? Would that have been OK with you Mr. Melnyk?

Well, Eugene, how do you feel about the Phoenix Coyotes? Do you think they deserve to stay in Phoenix? Do you think Jerry Reinsdorf is the best owner for them? How do you feel about the concession demands he has for the taxpayers of Phoenix? You do remember taxes don’t you? Ya, well how do you feel about the taxpayers having to foot the bill for lots of hockey that they really don’t want, when the City of Glendale could easily change the hockey spots for other events, likely more than making up lost hockey revenue? How do you feel about that?

Or, how do you feel about the fact that Jerry Reinsdorf wants an out clause, where he and your other friends at the NHL can pretend to care about Phoenix, all the while, laughing and waiting to say, ‘oh well Phoenix, sorry, moving now’. Does that sound like a move of good character to you?

Mr. Melnyk. With all due respect, to accuse Jim Balsillie of poor character is the pot calling the kettle black, at the very least.

If Jim Balsillie was truly of poor character, the NHL Board of Governors should welcome him with open arms, as he would fit right in.

Tit for tat? Who gives a rat’s butt? Really!

This isn’t about liking or having to like anybody. This is a businessman buying an asset. He is helping another businessman sell the asset.

But I have to tell you. I would really like to know how you ‘cracked the lineup’ to get into this good boys club.

Is this club like the movie, Stepford Wives. Toe the line, keep the smile, and play by all the rules like you have no value or opinion of your own? Is that what it means to get into this club?

All I have seen so far myself is a steady stream of proof, showing corruption, greed, collusion, and networking, that has everything to do with unfair business practices. Keep rubbing your friends back and he’ll give you something back.

Well, Mr. Melnyk (who lives in Barbados and avoids true Canadian taxes), you profess to be the wonderful Canadian?

Where was your support of Mr. Balsillie before he pointed out your faults? He did so to prove nobody is perfect. You can thank the NHL for dragging you in the mud. They set this up with their accusations of poor character.

I hope your hockey team is a little tougher in spirit than you seem to be.

Eugene, the way I see it. Jim Balsillie is a man of integrity. He sees what is wrong, and he is using the court to try to crack a lineup that he doesn’t have to like. He doesn’t have to be ‘friends’ with. He just needs to get on the inside, give hockey back to Canada where it belongs. 

Eugene, maybe Jim is just trying to say he is no different than you, and deserves a team too.

Does he care if he is liked in the process? Heck no, and why should he?

This is ‘Go to the mattresses time’. It’s business. Nothing more. Just business.

At least I'm in....Sorry about your luck fellow Canuck!

And, I would suspect Jim Balsillie, who is a Canadian living in Canada, contributes to the income tax pool of this country. Bad, bad, man! 

 And to think, you could probably walk your tax return to Parliament Hill in Ottawa before or after the Senators play. Tsk tsk tsk!

More reading if you can stand reading about the ‘squeeky clean’:

• Globe Sports (How to ruin a judge’s vacation with filings)
• ESPN (Melnyk responds)
• Slam (Melnyk fires back)
• Earth Times