Go Leafs Go!

For the first time since 2004 the Leafs have survived round one of playoff action, and for the first time in about as long, I watched the game on Hockey night in Canada. Looks to me like the sports gambling industry has taken over the joint. Don Cherry's side-kick is still running the intermissions, but the betting adverts have been so seamlessly integrated it's hard to tell them from official content. Another thing I don't remember seeing is corporate logos on hockey gear. If a helmet said Bauer on it, it was because Bauer made the helmet. Now it seems any outfit with the cash can advertise their wares on hockey sweaters... the dairy farmers' milk marketing board, for example. As for the product on the ice, I found it dizzying to be bombarded non-stop with ever-changing advertisements flashing on the boards. The game itself almost seems an afterthought. Job one for the owners is to wring every possible penny of revenue out of their teams. Unlimited advertising, legal betting, and extorting taxpayer money for new arenas by threatening to move the team are all income-maximizing strategies. Kinda makes me miss Harold Ballard.