The big news in Jay land is team President and CEO Paul Godfrey is leaving the team. Being an outsider I have no clear idea on what Godfrey's role with the team has been. I know that when he came to the team they claimed to be bleeding money pretty badly, but then at that time all the teams claimed to be losing money. I never really understood the point of shouting that out all the time. I guess it way of negotiating with the player's association. 'Hey look we are losing money, back down'. But beyond that it seems like a stupid way to run a business. Saying you are bad enough at what you are losing tens of millions of dollars, just seems dumb. But then they are amateures compared to the banks.
But Godfrey apparently turned things around so that they aren't losing money anymore. Most of that turnaround was likely the rise of the Canadian dollar. I am sure it was harder to break even when your revenue is a 70 cent Canadian dollar while your costs are mostly American Dollars. But Godfrey 'found new revenue streams', in English that means found new ways to separate us from our dollars and attendance has been on the rise since he took over. With better attendance comes more advertising dollars. And the TV audience has grown over his time at the top, which I'm sure Rogers appreciates, life must be good.
Beyond that what does the change mean for us? Not much really, somebody new is going to be the one that decides whether JP returns after each season but since the new president won't be in place until the New Year so there is no chance the new guy will fire JP before next season.
In other Jay news, the Jays completed the Matt Stairs trade with the Phillies receiving Fabio Castro. I thought that was done weeks ago. Also, in the Toronto Sun, the same brilliant reporter that Hugo so wonderfully mocked last week writes that AJ shouldn't leave because 'he doesn't need any more money'. I wonder if he writes the same column when say Rogers raises cell phone rates or the Sun raises advertising rates. Is he really trying to say he that people shouldn't see if they can make more money somewhere else because they should be comfortable where they are?
I'll admit I have a hard time with the idea that someone else would know what would be best for AJ. Now I, as a Jay's fan, hope AJ stays to and course think it would be best for the team if he stuck to his original contract and didn't ask for more money. But I wouldn't begrudge anyone for trying to do a little better for themselves. I do dislike the reporters that show such jealousy towards the money the players get. Yeah the players get paid a lot, deal with it.
The White Sox beat the Tigers yesterday so they have a one game playoff against the Twins tonight. It should be a heck of a game. After the game I'll put up a first round playoff pool. Same as the football pool, no money, but you get the right to claim you are smarter than the rest of us. Speaking of pools, later today I should post the winner of last weekend's pool, doubt it's me somehow. Who expected Farve to throw 5 tds?
This week we'll start the look back at season that was and also enjoy the playoffs. And.....if anyone wants two tickets to see An Evening With Kevin Smith tonight in Calgary, I've got two I can't use. Unfortunatly, some things you just can't get out of, so hopefully next week I'll be going up to Edmonton again with hopes of seeing him, finally.