tommytrump's profile

tommytrump
7631
Name: Thomas
Location: London, Ontario, Canada
Gender: Male
Member since: January 30, 2006
Last visit: November 07, 2009

tommytrump has posted 196 links and 1441 comments to SportsFilter and 0 links and 151 comments to the Locker Room.

Sports Bio

I have two favourite sporting events. One as an adult and the other as a child.

The most entertaining sporting event I ever saw as an adult was January 9, 1986. Toronto Maple Leafs at home versus the Edmonton Oilers, 99, Mess, Coffey, and the rest of the boys. At this point in my life I had seasons tickets for the Leafs, I lived in London Ontario, about 2 hrs west of Toronto and as a result sold most of my seats to friends who lived closer to Toronto. I kept tickets for 5 or six games that year and thankfully that was one of them. The Leafs led 5-1 at the end of the first period. The Oilers tied the game at 6, and early in the 3rd, Edmonton led 8-7. Final score 11-9 Toronto! We almost blew the roof off the Carlton Street Cashbox that night.

When I was only 7 years old, living near Toronto, my mother and father threw us kids into the car, drove us to Malton (now Pearson) International Airport. From there, we flew to Montreal, Mom, Dad, my 3 sisters, my brother and I. We watched the Expos play the Astros in a double header. We picniced in the park outside Jarry Park before the games, went for a swim in the pool just beyond the right field fence, and most importantly got Rusty Staub's autograph. I still have it! We flew back to Toronto the same night, we even got to go sit in the cockpit of the Air Canada jet. That's something that wouldn't happen today!
It was the first time any of us, my parents included, had been on a plane. Way too cool.

I've seen the Leafs 4 times at the Air Canada Centre, each time as the guest of friends in their private box. It's the only way to fly, if you can afford it.

I've seen plenty of NFL games in Detroit and Buffalo, C.F.L. games in Olympic Stadium, Frank Clair Stadium, C.N.E. Stadium and Skydome(Rogers Centre).

My family had seasons seats for the Blue Jays for the first 8 years of their existence. I could only guess at how many games I attended, maybe 350? I go to Rogers Centre a couple of times a year for Jays games now, and Comerica Park to see the Tigers at least once a season.

I've been to a Toronto Rock lacrosse game, entirely too much fun and entertainment.

I've seen 2 N.B.A. games live, the Raptors home opener in MoPete's rookie season, and at The Palace of Auburn Hills, against the 76'ers, on the night the Pistons honoured Chuck Daly.

My two sports loves are the Toronto Maple Leafs and the late, lamented Montreal Expos.
May The 'Spo's rest in peace. Damn you Jeffrey Loria, Bud Selig, and the rest of you baseball bastards.

Recent Links

Hockey Hall of Fame ghost revealed at last: The Hockey Hall of Fame moved into the historic building that had been a Bank of Montreal branch for close to 100 years. For more than 50 years a ghost known only as "Dorothy" has haunted the Hockey Hall of Fame. In the early 1990s, Toronto musician Joanna Jordan saw a female ghost looking down on her from a second-floor ceiling. Jordan, who was playing the harp at an event being held in the building's Great Hall, was unaware at the time that a ghost purportedly haunted the space. "I remember it so vividly," she says, "because it's one of those things you'll never forget." Jordan refused to go up to the second floor by herself when she played at the Hall, which opened in 1993. "It was just too spooky up there."

posted by tommytrump to culture at 12:57 PM on October 31 - 2 comments

The Fall and Rise of Theo Fleury: With a "tell-all" book hitting the shelves this week (Playing with Fire, HarperCollins Canada), Fleury goes on the record with the fifth estate and candidly discusses the dark issues that haunted him during the glory years, including the sexual abuse he experienced as a teenager at the hand of the now notorious junior hockey coach, Graham James. Behind the public bravado was a man struggling to shake off his demons. He found his release in increasingly erratic behaviour on and off the ice, fuelled by addictions to alcohol, drugs, sex. The fifth estate's Bob McKeown talks to those who know Fleury best -- both personally and professionally. We'll meet Sheldon Kennedy -- Fleury's childhood friend, Calgary Flames teammate, and a victim of the same junior hockey coach. And the fifth estate talks with Fleury's wife, Jennifer, who married Theo in September 2006, following a year of sobriety, and with whom he credits turning his life around.

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 10:51 PM on October 20 - 3 comments

Dan Snyder's dream to come true in Elmira: It's been six years. Sunday, the Atlanta Thrashers honor their former player by skating at the new Dan Snyder Memorial Arena in his hometown 90 minutes west of Toronto, Graham Snyder will no doubt have a heavy heart, but he will also know that his son will be looking down with a big smile on his face.

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 08:20 PM on October 18 - 1 comment

Yankees yank Ronan Tynan from lineup after anti-Semitic remark: First the Yankees told Challenger the Eagle to take a hike after almost divebombing Derek Jeter and Jason Giambi during the '03 World Series. Now the team is telling another Yankee Stadium postseason tradition that he'd be better off staying at home for Game 1 of the ALCS. ....the team has canceled the appearance of singer Ronan Tynan after the Irish tenor made an anti-Semitic remark to a Jewish doctor who was looking at an apartment in his building on Manhattan's East Side.
"The trouble started when Tynan, 49, bumped into a real estate agent showing an apartment in his East Side apartment building to a doctor from NYU Medical Center."The agent told Tynan, 'Don't worry, they are not Red Sox fans,' according to apartment-hunter Gabrielle Gold-von Simson. "I don't care about that, as long as they are not Jewish' was Tynan's reply."

posted by tommytrump to culture at 04:29 PM on October 16 - 42 comments

Axe comes down on Ricciardi : The Toronto Blue Jays fired general manager J.P. Ricciardi on Saturday, ending an eventful eight-year reign marked by frequent controversy and mediocre teams never good enough to reach the postseason. Many fans will wonder what took so long as Ricciardi, along with centre-fielder Vernon Wells, had become the lightning rod for those most frustrated with the team's playoff drought, which dates back to 1993 when the Blue Jays won their second consecutive World Series. Wells has five years remaining on his $127-million, seven-year deal, an albatross contract that will handcuff the club for many seasons to come. The team managed to escape the $60-million remaining on Rios's deal when he was claimed off waivers by the White Sox, but Ricciardi got nothing in return. Ricciardi twice caused spats by publicly wondering if former pitcher A.J. Burnett's injuries were simply in his head.

He had countless memorable quotes over the years, perhaps the definitive one coming during a radio show while taking calls from fans.

"It's not a lie if we know the truth," he said about the back injury story concocted for B.J. Ryan when the left-hander was actually having elbow issues in 2007.

posted by tommytrump to baseball at 12:48 PM on October 03 - 13 comments

Recent Comments

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 19

British Columbia by 16

Montreal by 26

Calgary by 6

Hamilton by 26

posted by tommytrump at 10:37 PM on November 05

Should SportsFilter Think of the Children?

Since it looks like I started this, just a couple of points:

I've posted over 2,000 times on SpoFi, and have probably used profanity on a dozen occasions. Almost all of these were trying for some kind of comedic effect. Like most things in life, humour is in the eye of the beholder, and subtlety is often lost in print.

If owlhouse started this, I pressed down on the accelerator. I've posted over 1400 times, and I'd guess I've used profanity in about a dozen threads. I'd be surprised if it was that many. It was not my intention to offend anyone, but the administrators here run a fairly liberal site, and as has been stated by others, as long as you don't attack other members on a personal level, you're pretty much free to say what you want.

Oh, and ''fuck Gary Bettman."

posted by tommytrump at 05:31 PM on November 05

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

Fun fact: Fans of the team have more unique ways to say "Fuck the Rangers" than Inuits do for "snow".

Best.

Comment.

Ever.

Can I change the subject to Maple Leafs from Rangers?

posted by tommytrump at 01:11 PM on November 05

Should SportsFilter Think of the Children?

I won't swear on the Nickelodeon website, and I bet tommytrump is willing to make the same deal.

My ignorant and poorly educated hand to God.

posted by tommytrump at 01:08 PM on November 05

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

Al Leiter, what the fuck did he ever do to you?

Mr. Blister? Birds of a feather.

posted by tommytrump at 12:55 PM on November 05

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

And tommytrump, believe it or not, Some people in this world still try to teach our kids better than that. Grow up.

I think it's great that you try and teach your kids children not to swear. Good for you.

What I wrote was that I don't think this is the first time he has seen the word fuck in print. I don't speak the word fuck a lot, as it loses its effectiveness when people just throw it around willy-nilly (I hope it's okay to use the word(s) willy-nilly). I use the word fuck in its written form even less, for much the same reason. This was a solid opportunity to use the word fuck, and it expresses my thoughts on the matter pretty well. I think A.J. Burnett is a jerk, and I stand by my original statement.

Fuck A.J. Burnett (and Al Leiter).

With regard to your second point, I don't want to grow up. I want to live my life in eternal adolescence.

posted by tommytrump at 12:27 PM on November 05

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

Your son is 11, and hasn't seen the word fuck before?

I doubt it.

To answer your question, I don't know if I feel like a real man, but I feel better than I did before I typed Fuck A.J. Burnett.

Dr. John, those video clips brought a huge smile to my face. That sadly was the highlight of my baseball season.

posted by tommytrump at 10:44 AM on November 05

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

Fuck A.J. Burnett.

posted by tommytrump at 09:26 AM on November 05

Florida Linebacker Tried to Eye-Gouge Opponent

......it doesnt matter what any of you think, its all about winning,

I thought it was the challenge of competition, representing your school, taking pride in doing better than you did before .

.....it is far bigger than any of you, so this sorta thing will continue, its football, and it happens at every level. from elementary to the pros.

I played organized sports from 5-18 (hockey, basketball, baseball, rugby, football) and not once did I think about gouging another player's eyes nor did I have my eyes gouged. I never played pro, but unless your name is Bill Romanowski, I don't think it happens very often .

.......no matter what the cost.

Wouldn't it have been easier to stab or shoot the guy then?
Quicker, and would have taken him out for at least a couple of games.
If you're good, maybe you'd actually kill the guy!
That'd slow Georgia down for sure!

.....if someone spat in your face, how would you react?

I'd hope the officials saw it, and tossed him.
Failing that, hit him hard, hit him clean, punish him for the rest of the game.

posted by tommytrump at 03:44 PM on November 03

SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle

got to wonder why texas tech' 2008 qb graham harrell has not been picked up to replace some of the worst offenders.


That would be hard to do, as he is under contract to the Saskatchewan Roughriders and is at present on the 9 game Injured List .

posted by tommytrump at 02:49 PM on November 02

The Hoser's NFL Picks 2009, Week Eight -- Halloween Edition

The game opened as a Pick 'Em, and the line has moved to Tennessee -3, but since Fraze has the Titans winning by 5, it doesn't really affect his pick.

posted by tommytrump at 05:42 PM on October 31

Antoine Walker broke, arrested for writing bad checks

Why would there be a charge if there was no crime committed?

What's the point of having a trial?

If you're charged with a crime, you must automatically be guilty, according to your logic.

posted by tommytrump at 06:16 PM on October 30

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 18

According to today's Globe & Mail, Calvillo is starting.

posted by tommytrump at 01:44 PM on October 30

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 18

Edmonton by 23

Hamilton by 9

Calgary by 9

Montreal by 9

posted by tommytrump at 01:03 AM on October 29

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle

Paul Beeston signs deal to remain with Blue Jays for 3 years. A little good news for long suffering Toronto baseball fans.

posted by tommytrump at 05:54 PM on October 27