Sneezl

Speaking on a variety of topics, Ron Paul again articulates the vision that more and more Americans are beginning to debate:

Why are Americans and big media so afraid of Ron Paul? Why do they refuse to report results when those results include Ron Paul?

Is it that these people are afraid of a real public debate on hard topics? If not that, then what?

It is understandable that Democrats are scared silly of Ron Paul, since a Ron Paul vs. Obama election campaign would be a lights-out disaster for the smooth-talking Obama.

Ron Paul in his own words, again:

… and one last clip:

Miners Trapped In Life-Threatening Mining Jobs (Season 1: Ep 3 on IFC)

You’ll never guess what this commercial is for!

Rumours of a conversation between NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Kitchener-Waterloo businessman Jim Balsillie just got interesting again.

According to reports, an NHL franchise in southern Ontario is an option for Balsillie if he plays according to NHL rules and doesn’t turn things into a media circus before a purchase and franchise move is made.

More realistically, the NHL is looking at its dead-end loser USA franchises like Phoenix (an almost guaranteed loss of $25 million for Arizona tax payers) and comparing them to Canadian markets like Winnipeg (which sold out season tickets before you can say, “Hockey is Canada’s game”) and thinking, “we’re going to be moving more franchises north before we know it, so we’d better start finding places for them to go, NOW.”

In the past, Balsillie has tried to get a team according to his rules.  The NHL didn’t like that, so blocked the attempts.  But times change.

Now that the NHL has less and less choice, they will be returning to their prime Canadian buyers and seeing what the options are.  A 2nd NHL franchise in southwestern Ontario is a big part of this, as is Balsillie.  It’s either move a franchise to southwestern Ontario or let a team lose millions in the desert.

Advantage Balsillie.

The only question marks around Balsillie getting a team in southwestern Ontario now are:

1. Does Jim still want in?
2. How large is the Toronto “home market” zone?  20 miles?  30? 50?  Is Oakville too close?  How about Hamilton?  Even better, how about Kitchener/Waterloo/Cambridge/Guelph/London just off the 401/8 intersection, or just off the train tracks in Kitchener near King if you believe in the public transit craze hitting Ontario?
3. How soon will the deal go down?

Regardless of how these three questions play out, the larger picture is clear: several US franchises are failing, Canadians are ravenously buying season tickets faster than they’re made available, and at some point the NHL will catch up with simple fact that 2-3 US franchises need to move to Canada if the NHL’s best interests are to be served.

The release of the recent rumour that Bettman has had conversations with Balsillie certainly does not give anyone a roadmap to the future, but it does corroborate the theory that hockey is moving back to Canada over the next few years one way or another.

If the NHL’s wishes come true, Balsillie will still be a willing buyer by the time the NHL figures out that hockey belongs in Kitchener/Waterloo/Cambridge/Guelph/London.

Now that the NHL is back in Winnipeg, trade rumors will be flying around Winnipeg like never before. Many fans expect a flurry of player movements over the next few months.

PucknBeavers usually has great NHL trade rumors, but here is a list of potential moves straight from Sneezl that the Winnipeg team could consider:

• Center Nik Antropov to Ottawa for a 2nd round draft pick – At 31 Antropov is a known steady 2nd or 3rd line center. Ottawa is rebuilding and could use Antropov’s help. If Ottawa isn’t interested, this same deal could be completed with almost any other team too, possibly for a lower pick and a prospect.
• Defense Dustin Byfuglien to Pittsburgh for Jordan Staal – This would give Pittsburgh flexibility at wing and defense, unloading a piece of their logjam at center. This would give Winnipeg a perfect #1 or #2 center for a decade, including a player who grew up just down the road from the ‘peg.
• UFA rights of Radek Dvorak to San Jose for UFA rights of Ian White – Both new teams could try to sign a deal before July 1st for players who score 25-35 points per season. Ian White hails from Steinbach, Manitoba, which would make him an immediate hometown favorite.
• LW Evander Kane and Goalie Ondrej Pavelec to Chicago for Jonathan Toews, Nik Hjalmarsson and a draft pick – Getting Winnipeg boy Jonathan Toews into a Winnipeg jersey would be worth almost any price, including the two young Atlanta/Winnipeg players in this deal. From Chicago’s perspective, wouldn’t it be great to market “Kane + Kane”?

Whatever this team ends up being called, today is a good day to chant “Go Jets Go!”