Hey friends remember when I wrote a weekly sports blog?? Well the events of today was enough for me to type out a few thoughts. A Facebook post would've been TL:DR for most, then I remembered, oh yeah I have a blog.
Well the last 3 months were the most turbulent times as a sports fan in my life. Yeah I remember 92 and 93, but I was a kid and kids are stupid. The last 3 months had it all, the terrifying lows, the dizzying highs, the creamy middles. Despite me whipping out my "Reasons To Live" book and pointing at a blank page when the Umpires, Major League Baseball, Fox, noted squid Harold Reynolds, ISIS and the Illuminati conspired to rob the Blue Jays of a World Series berth I wouldn't trade that playoff run for the world. It was such a fun fucking ride, for the first time in my life one of my miserable teams was on the verge of something special.
I am not here to write about that today, I am writing about the architect of this team being unceremoniously cast aside by the dickheads at Rogers.
Fuck Rogers as a team owner, telecommunications company, record label and as a motherfucking crew.
Mark Shapiro fuck you too, I am never going to pronounce your name like you want to, it's Sha-pee-ro not Sha-Pie-Ro you fucking asshat.
Rogers is the most tone deaf piece of shit owners in the history of sports. I hate how they renamed SkyDome "Rogers Centre" I hate how they're a bunch of cheap assholes when they make money hand over fist robbing Canadians blind for cell phone, cable and internet service and I especially hate how there is a statue of Ted Fucking Rogers outside of the SkyDome, but no statues honoring the many great players in Blue Jays history. I hope that god damn statue gets toppled Saddam Hussein styles.
I especially hate how they handled Alex Anthopoulos. What they did to him is a complete joke and it makes the Blue Jays the laughing stock of the sports world.
This all goes back to last winter when Ed "Bumblefuck Eddie" Rogers clumsily went behind Paul Beeston's back looking for his replacement. This asshole tried to get Kenny Williams from the Chicago White Sox to be team President. The Chicago White Sox happen to be owned by one of Paul Beeston's best friends in Jerry Reinsdorf, so of course that blew up in Rogers' face. Then there was the whole Dan Duquette saga. The whole thing was a god-damned Didsaster.
All the whispers surrounding this club at the start of the season was playoffs or bust for AA and John Gibbons (who is the best...and is likely gone too). From April-July 27th things looked like always did for the Jays, treading water at .500 but I always knew that this team was better than their record. Then Tulo happened... Then David Motherfucking Price. The rest is history.
I am so fucking upset about Rogers letting AA walk, I know them and their minions at Sportsnet are putting the spin on it that AA was offered a contract and a raise and turned it down. Bumblefuck Eddie even put that in his god damned press release. But the fact is Rogers wanted AA gone, it was clear for almost a year. It's a fucking shame too.
They brought in a Baseball guy to be team President in Mark Shapiro, not a guy to oversee renovations of the SkyDome, not some pencil pusher to increase popcorn sales and negotiate on the business side of things. They thought someone they thought could run the team better than Alex Anthopolous - the man who was named Executive of the Year during his good bye press conference. Rogers promised Mark Shapiro final say on all baseball decisions, and to be fair to Shapiro, he didn't leave his job in Cleveland to be second banana. He came to Toronto to run the show, so AA had no choice but to walk away. Why the fuck would AA want to clear all his decisions with someone, and potentially have that same person veto his decisions?? Apparently the first meeting Shapiro had with AA he 'scolded' him over his decision to sell the farm for the playoff run. Fuck off bud Flags Fly Forever.
AA was a great GM, I know he made mistakes but fuck bud who hasn't?? I forced myself to watch Tim and Squid to see his interview and you can tell in his voice how upset he was. It should not have happened like this.
Mark Shapiro could well have a great reign as President of the Club, I fully expect the Jays to be in the thick of things next season, and as a diehard Blue Jays fan I can only hope so. That being said, I am concerned for the future, AA was able to do most of his magic through trades, because whether we like it or not American baseball players do not want to play in Toronto. To them Toronto might as well be a distant outpost on the god damned moon. Is David Price going to want to re-sign with these assholes? Doubtful. What does Jose Bautista and the rest of the team think? They all loved and respected AA and now this.
There was a very poignant tweet today, it said being a Toronto sports fan is like being a Chicago Cubs fan if the Cubs played all 4 sports. Can we ever have nice things in Toronto? Why am I doomed to a life of sports misery.
Many question my mental capabilities (not just with sports, but with coaster slanging, my day to day life etc.) for continuing to support these Toronto teams, and it is fucking hard, but I will be cheering this team in 2016 and beyond despite the assholes that own this team and are insistent on running it into the ground.
Thanks for listening to me rant and rave.
Your boy HDH
