NFL drops another…..

2015/01/23 Leave a comment

In a world dominated by Central bankers concerned about deflation who would have thought that a football player(Tom Brady) would be sent out to face the media to explain his involvement in what an Indianapolis Reporter claims is deflationary monkey business.
Monkey business engaged in by the New England Patriots. Naturally, Mr. Brady denied any knowledge of deflation as it relates to the footballs used in the game he and the Patriots played on Sunday last. In fact why wasn’t the equipment manager sent out to face the reporters. He would have first hand knowledge, wouldn’t he? BUT,
my first reaction to the deflation story, now categorized by some unimaginative reporter as Deflategate, which is probably called deflatengaten in Munich, was what’s the difference, both quarterbacks use the same ball. Well they don’t! I was totally unaware that each team is required to provide 12 footballs for their own use when they are on offense.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a dumber idea. Why would the NFL, a billion dollar monopoly put at risk the efficacy of a game on which millions of dollars are wagered by allowing the teams to provide the footballs which obviously are vulnerable to tampering! Even if there was no tampering in this case.
And this was not just another game it was a contest to decide half of the competition for the SUPERBOWL which everybody knows is THE sporting event of the American year.
Doesn’t the NFL have protocols in place that would ensure no equipment vulnerability. Obviously it does not but did you know that? I did not.
—————-
So what could be behind the story broken to the world by an obviously biased observer that NEW England played with footballs that were deflationary.
(A lark?) (revenge for the terrible beating endured by the Colts)(or perhaps a promotional gambit inspired by someone in the Commissioner’s office to help promote SuperBowl).

Whatever the outcome of this bit of deflationary news, it is much more interesting because the investigation of the balls in question rests with Roger Goodell and company, the NFL’s highest authority and an organization that seems to have an infinite capacity to fumble the ball.

We know one thing, the NFL couldn’t have created a more effective campaign to advertise the SUPERBOWL!

Filed under Uncategorized

The hosed in this group are all Canadian

2015/01/14 Leave a comment

Today gasoline prices in 11(eleven) US states are a shade below $2 dollars a gallon.
In the Greater Toronto area the price per gallon of gasoline, if you’re buying the cheapest grade, is $4.20.
That’s (4 dollars and twenty cents) “at most GTA gas stations.”
Stations selling for less are independent of the 5 major oil companies that have been dictating the price all gasoline consumers pay
for years, costing us hundreds of millions of dollars.
Recently friends were visiting from Italy and as we drove along Lawrence Avenue shortly after they arrived both noticed the gas pricing anomaly at the same time, exclaiming in unison
“…..do ALL the stations charge the SAME price for gasoline?” “Why yes, Torontonians prefer it that way.” The visitors were incredulous!!
The idea that all major service stations, Shell, Esso, Husky, Petrocan and Sunoco in the GTA could getaway with the obvious fixing of gasoline prices, speaks volumes about the intelligence of the consumer of gasoline in the Greater Toronto area AND the competence of the Federal Anti-Competition Bureau(or whatever it’s called now) responsible for making sure things like this DON’T happen!
The lack of competition among Toronto’s oil companies has become part of the landscape. So much so that daily, Radio and Television stations proudly report the price of gasoline (tomorrow),
“at most GTA stations.” And of course the only BIG FIVE stations not selling at the pre-ordained price are those situated close to the Independent Stations that sell their gas at a few cents below the price set by the PIG FIVE! While the Combine restricts competition, it still remembers there is some competition for the gasoline dollar in Toronto but not much.
For instance I have to drive several kilometres if I want to buy my gasoline from a station not of the PIG FIVE. The restriction is obvious! The lack of competition, costs me that’s is a fact!
World oil prices have fallen about 60% since June. Under the watchful eyes of the PIG FIVE gasoline price in Toronto have fallen less than 40%.
How come? You know how come!
It drives me bonkers that people in Niagara-on-the-Lake or St.Catharines can slip across the border into New York state and buy gasoline for $2.00 a gallon instead of paying $4.20 cents a gallon on the way to NYS.
Of course the first thing GTA people will point out is that the US gallon is smaller and the Canadian dollar buys less.
You do the math. Imperial gallon versus the American gallon. In Toronto, the PIG FIVE charge 89.9 cents a litre, in Buffalo where competition rules, prices vary averaging 35 to 40 cents a litre.
It’s a tribute to the strength of the Oil monopoly that even as world prices have dropped precipitously, they have managed to keep GTA gasoline prices substantially higher.
It suggests Federal-provincial collusion with BIG OIL.
Toronto is the perfect place to pull off this kind of mischief because it’s citizens care more about the state of the Maple Leaf nation than they do about oil companies picking their pockets.

Filed under Uncategorized Tagged with , ,