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Bruce Dowbiggin

MSNBC Worship: Justin’s Playing What They’re Saying

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“I’m still mad at myself for that, for being convinced at one point in time that the Prime Minister was an honest and good person when in truth he would so casually lie to the public and then think he could get away with it.” —Jody Wilson-Reybould

The sum of what Justin Trudeau knows about guns is that they make a frightful noise. But like all Woke folk, the former drama school teacher also knows these “weapons of war” make even bigger noise when used to rally the troops against evil right-wing elements like Pierre Poilievre.

So when the unspeakable tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, occurred Captain Blackface was presented with an enticing opportunity on how to deflect from ridiculous gas prices, soaring inflation, his inane border closures and non-vaccinated bans. Play the gun card. By aiming it at the CPC base.

Sure, Uvalde was a strictly American tragedy. But why not appropriate the murder of 19 U.S. school children to lay some smack upon those saps in the Canadian boonies? Show them how a tyrant really works. “Hey, we’ll get Jagmeet to rubber stamp a gun ban the way her did the national emergency.”

“It will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer, or import handguns anywhere in Canada,” Trudeau announced as his cabinet head-bobbed. Thus, Canada declared war on the owners of the 1,831,327 valid firearm licences holders in Canada. New legislation would ban the ownership of “military-style assault weapons” in a mandatory buyback program, and impose restrictions banning the sale, purchase, importation or transfer of handguns. The legislation would also limit magazine capacities and ban toys – such as airsoft guns – that look like guns.

This despite the fact that Trudeau knows the four or five groups in Canada  who control the illegal gun market. Targeting them would remove virtually all the problematic gun incidents in the country. But harassing the gang bangers of Toronto, the Hell’s Angels, the indigenous drug mafia and the Asian gangs of the Lower Mainland of B.C. would touch upon too many Liberal clients. Easier to blame the legal owners who abide by whatever laws the Ottawa geek squad conjures up to disqualify Conservatives.

(U.S. legal scholar Jonathan Turley noted the repercussions of Trudeau’s actions: “Biden saying there’s ‘no rational basis’ to own 9mms and AR-15s sounds like he’s channeling his inner Canadian.” Ouch.)

Lest you think the appropriation game is a one-off, think again. While Canadian voters believe Ottawa politicians take their cues from the public, the reality of the Le Dauphin years is that Canadian policy direction is often conjured up in the fever swamps of MSNBC, CNN or the New York Times, the bibles of CDN Leftist cult thinking. He’s playing what they’re saying.

Example: When the American Left annointed the January 6, 2011 Capitol riot into “the worst assault oi American democracy since the Civil War”, Skippy merely said, “Hold my de-alcoholized beer”. Calling the noisy Ottawa demonstration of truckers protesting the government’s anti-vaxx policies a provocation, Trudeau jailed organizers, suspended civil liberties, seized the truckers’ bank records and credit ratings and described the honking truck horns a “national security emergency”.

With trusty scribes like Andrew Coyne wailing that the Bouncy Castle people had “paralyzed Ottawa” with terroristic actions, Trudeau convened the House of Commons, gelded the NDP and won international censure for his over-the top seizure of the government. Xi Jingping loved it.

Did he care? After winning another term and reaching a non-aggression pact with the NDP, it was full speed ahead on the front benches of the Libs. Best of all for Trudeau, who covets acceptance in the global One World community, his closing down Canada’s democracy hasn’t gone unnoticed. U.S. congressman Thomas Massie (GOP) observed, “The dystopian future Trudeau is manifesting in Canada is coming to America if US citizens don’t get involved.”

But there were more borrowed U.S. story lines to roil the nation. For example, Mr. Dressup noted the affect the 2020 George Floyd riots had in whipping up racial tension and all-around leftist loathing of America. The  dying words of the career criminal,  “I can’t breathe”, became a rallying cry for BLM and the militant left.

The inadvertent death of the career petty criminal beneath the knee of a Waukegan, WI, cop prompted cities burned, stores looted and the innocent killed in the mayhem. The issue also rallied the far-left base of the Democratic Party, allowing Joe Biden to win the presidency.

None of the racial animus was lost on Trudeau’s ”never let a crisis go to waste” crowd. When indigenous leaders in B.C. purportedly found “mass graves” near former residential school properties, the king of the photo op knew what to do.

The local chief Irene Andreas insisted that the tribe knew everyone buried in the Cowessess First Nation cemetery,. “All your elders have knowledge of every grave… So please, people, do not make up stories about residential school children being put in unmarked graves. No such thing ever happened.”

Nonplussed, Team Trudeau staged a revoting photo of him kneeling in the graveyard clutching a stuffed teddy bear beneath his arm. While paid media magpies saluted his “humanity” the action whitewashed a campaign of burning, statue toppling, angry newspaper misinformation and more across the country. His divisive stunt made its mark with the people he craves and drove a stake into reconciliation attempts with the indigenous peoples.

And let’s not forget the Ukraine Express. When the American left-wing media created the Zelensky cult of personality, Skippy ditched his green memes, fired up the government jet and flew to Ukraine with his most loyal cabinet flunkies for some photo ops. All he missed was a selfie with another fatuous hack, VP Selena Gomez… er, Kamala Harris.

Then there was Trudeau getting his Covid marching orders from the titans of DC journalism who daily grilled Donald Trump— and then adopted his vaccines under Biden. Or the misinformation boards urged by the American Media Party to silence critics of the Biden regime. Now outstripped by Trudeau’s multiple Bills C26, C38 etc.

Now, Teddy Bear Trudeau has his eyes on a Vaccine Task Force. Ah, the Venezuela-nizig of Canada continues. Music to this PM’s ears. Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice, shame on us.

Bruce Dowbiggin @dowbboy is the editor of Not The Public Broadcaster (http://www.notthepublicbroadcaster.com). The best-selling author was nominated for the BBN Business Book award of 2020 for Personal Account with Tony Comper. A two-time winner of the Gemini Award as Canada’s top television sports broadcaster, he’s also a regular contributor to Sirius XM Canada Talks Ch. 167. His new book with his son Evan Inexact Science: The Six Most Compelling Draft Years In NHL History is now available on http://brucedowbigginbooks.ca/book-personalaccount.aspx

BRUCE DOWBIGGIN Award-winning Author and Broadcaster Bruce Dowbiggin's career is unmatched in Canada for its diversity and breadth of experience . He is currently the editor and publisher of Not The Public Broadcaster website and is also a contributor to SiriusXM Canada Talks. His new book Cap In Hand was released in the fall of 2018. Bruce's career has included successful stints in television, radio and print. A two-time winner of the Gemini Award as Canada's top television sports broadcaster for his work with CBC-TV, Mr. Dowbiggin is also the best-selling author of "Money Players" (finalist for the 2004 National Business Book Award) and two new books-- Ice Storm: The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Vancouver Canucks Team Ever for Greystone Press and Grant Fuhr: Portrait of a Champion for Random House. His ground-breaking investigations into the life and times of Alan Eagleson led to his selection as the winner of the Gemini for Canada's top sportscaster in 1993 and again in 1996. This work earned him the reputation as one of Canada's top investigative journalists in any field. He was a featured columnist for the Calgary Herald (1998-2009) and the Globe & Mail (2009-2013) where his incisive style and wit on sports media and business won him many readers.

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Bruce Dowbiggin

The Game That Let Canadians Forgive The Liberals — Again

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With the Americans winning the first game 3-1, a sense of panic crept over Canada as it headed to Game 2 in Boston. Losing a political battle with Trump was bad enough, but losing hockey bragging rights heading into a federal election was catastrophic for the Family Compact.

“It’s also more political than the (1972) Summit Series was, because Canada’s existence wasn’t on the line then, and it may be now. You’re damn right Canadians should boo the (U.S.) anthem.” Toronto Star columnist Bruce Arthur before Gm. 1 of USA/ Canada in The 4 Nations Cup.

The year 2025 is barely half over on Canada Day. There is much to go before we start assembling Best Of Lists for the year. But as Palestinian flags duel with the Maple Leaf for prominence on the 158th anniversary of Canada’s becoming a sovereign country it’s a fair guess that we will settle on Febuary 21 as the pivotal date of the year— and Canada’s destiny as well.

That was the date of Game 2 in the U.S./Canada rivalry at the Four Nations Tournament. Ostensibly created by the NHL to replace the moribund All Star format, the showdown of hockey nations in Boston became much more. Jolted by non-sports factors it became a pivotal moment in modern Canadian history.

Set against U.S. president Donald Trump’s bellicose talk of Canada as a U.S. state and the Mike Myers/ Mark Carney Elbows Up ad campaign, the gold-medal game evoked, for those of a certain age, memories of the famous 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the USSR. And somehow produced an unprecedented political reversal in Canadian elections.

As we wrote on Feb. 16 after Gm. 1 in Montreal, the Four Nations had been meant to be something far less incendiary.  “Expecting a guys’ weekend like the concurrent NBA All Star game, the fraternal folks instead got a Pier Six brawl. It was the most stunning beginning to a game most could remember in 50 years. (Not least of all the rabid Canadian fanbase urging patriotism in the home of Quebec separation) Considering this Four Nations event was the NHL’s idea to replace the tame midseason All Star Game where players apologize for bumping into each other during a casual skate, the tumult as referees tried to start the game was shocking.

“Despite public calls for mutual respect, the sustained booing of the American national anthem and the Team Canada invocation by MMA legend Georges St. Pierre was answered by the Tkachuck brothers, Matthew and Brady, with a series of fights in the first nine seconds of the game. Three fights to be exact ,when former Canuck J.T. Miller squared up with Brandon Hagel. (All three U.S. players have either played on or now play for Canadian NHL teams.)  

“Premeditated and nasty. To say nothing of the vicious mugging of Canada’s legend Sidney Crosby behind the U.S. net moments later by Charlie McEvoy.”

With the Americans winning the game 3-1 on Feb. 15, a sense of panic crept over Canada as it headed to Game 2 in Boston. Losing a political battle with Trump was bad enough, but losing hockey bragging rights heading into a federal election was catastrophic for the Family Compact. As we wrote in the aftermath, a slaughter was avoided.

“In the rematch for a title created just weeks before by the NHL the boys stuck to hockey. Anthem booing was restrained. Outside of an ill-advised appearance by Wayne Gretzky— now loathed for his Trump support— the emphasis was on skill. Playing largely without injured Matthew and Brady Tkachuk and McAvoy, the U.S. forced the game to OT where beleaguered goalie Craig Binnington held Canada in the game until Connor McDavid scored the game winner. “

The stunning turnaround in the series produced a similar turnaround in the Canadian federal election. Galvanized by Trump’s 51st State disrespect and exhilarated by the hockey team’s comeback, voters switched their votes in huge numbers to Carney, ignoring the abysmal record of the Liberals and their pathetic polling. From Pierre Poilievre having a 20-point lead in polls, hockey-besotted Canada flipped to award Carney a near-majority in the April 28 election.

The result stunned the Canadian political class and international critics who questioned how a single sporting event could have miraculously rescued the Liberals from themselves in such a short time.

While Canada soared because of the four Nations, a Canadian icon crashed to earth. “Perhaps the most public outcome was the now-demonization of Gretzky in Canada. Just as they had with Bobby Orr, another Canadian superstar living in America, Canadians wiped their hands of No. 99 over politics. Despite appeals from Orr, Don Cherry and others, the chance to make Gretzky a Trump proxy was too tempting.

We have been in several arguments on the subject among friends: Does Gretzky owe Canada something after carrying its hockey burden for so long? Could he have worn a Team Canada jersey? Shouldn’t he have made a statement that he backs Canada in its showdown with Trump? For now 99 is 0 in his homeland.”

Even now, months later, the events of late February have an air of disbelief around them, a shift so dramatic and so impactful on the nation that many still shake their heads. Sure, hockey wasn’t the device that blew up Canada’s politics. But it was the fuse that created a crater in the country.

Bruce Dowbiggin @dowbboy is the editor of Not The Public Broadcaster  A two-time winner of the Gemini Award as Canada’s top television sports broadcaster, his new book Deal With It: The Trades That Stunned The NHL And Changed hockey is now available on Amazon. Inexact Science: The Six Most Compelling Draft Years In NHL History, his previous book with his son Evan, was voted the seventh-best professional hockey book of all time by bookauthority.org . His 2004 book Money Players was voted sixth best on the same list, and is available via brucedowbigginbooks.ca.

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Bruce Dowbiggin

What Connor Should Say To Oilers: It’s Not You. It’s Me.

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This just in. Connor McDavid is on track to be the greatest hockey player ever. Apologies to the Gretz/ Orr/ Howe partisans. But if he stays healthy and gets the hell out of Edmonton he will be hands-down the best ever. He is equal measures of Gretzky’s intuitive genius, Orr’s 200-foot impact. Howe’s sandpaper attitude. It’s an honour to watch him.

We know, we know, if he is so great why couldn’t he get the Oilers over the hump, particularly the past two seasons against Florida? Gretz, Orr, Howe all won Stanley Cups while leading their teams. So did Mario Lemieux. Fair point. But Howe in his prime never played more than two series in the postseason. Orr often played just three. Gretz teams often bagelled opponents for years.

McDavid’s teams the last two years have had lengthy paths to tred. Just getting to a Final is a huge accomplishment. Repeating that feat (going seven then six games) in the Final is humungous. It’s exhausting, mentally and physically. That’s why so few teams do it.

Still, that’s not the point. We have been asking since 2018 how long McDavid will hobble his legacy by staying in Edmonton. Those early columns were talking about a team that missed playoffs or did a Maple Leafs fold early on. The current iteration of the Oilers has gotten to the brink. They have players who’ve been around a while. And fell short.

Now the Oilers are an old team, the oldest in the  regular season, the oldest team in the playoffs this year. Teams carrying more than two plus-30 players have a miserable track record of winning Cups. And the Oilers have zero Grade A prospects in the pipeline. At 28, McDavid is a young guy on their roster. Not good.

As the hockey world knows he can sign an extension on July 1 to follow the contract he has now. Money will be no object as the NHL salary cap (finally) goes up. Term will be forever if he wants it. His running mate Leon Draisaitl is tied up till age 36. The Oilers desperately want him to stay after the Gretzky fiasco in 1988. So what is he going to do? He’s got national endorsements in Canada, but in the U.S.? Connor who? The sky is the limit.

Oilers fans palpitating over the future of their star were looking for hints as to his mindset when he met the media following the Oilers loss in six games to Florida. It was a chance for him to say he’s staying, he loves the place, his wife is committed to freezing every winter in the Alberta capital. He could have cried and said “Mess told me not to do that”.

What they got was a lot of maybe. Yes, he kept the doors open, but he said he needs time to see the landscape till the clock tolls on July 1. He needs to examine whether this veteran team has a future. Because in a few years they’ll be like Howe’s Detroit teams in the 60s, a played-out dynasty.

Under NHL rules no team can contact him about signing. But he will know that everyone will want him at a max deal. Some will offer no state income tax. Some will have teams on the cusp of the Cup he desires (see Matthew Tkachuk to Florida in 2023). Some will be giant U.S. media cities with the ability to make him what Gretzky became in L.A. Some will offer warm weather and anonymity away from the rink.

These are all knowns. For the impatient,  teams can approach the Oilers now about a trade. So he’s holding all the cards. It’s prom night and he gets his pick. Unless Edmonton (gulp) jumps the gun on a trade.

Let’s play Peter Pocklington for a minute here and see this from the Oilers’ POV. Pocklington traded Gretzky, because Peter was broke. That’s not Darryl Katz’s problem. His problem is his team is about to get ancient. There is no McDavid for Draisaitl on the horizon. Plus, you’ve tied up several players (Nurse, Nugent Hopkins) to contracts they can’t hope to play up to. And youngish players coming into free agency.

He must address the other side of the 1988 Gretzky equation. How to get full market value for a superstar? Which means getting another star to help Draisaitl going forward. You could let the two play out the string together in Edmonton, of course. But with so many strong teams in Colorado, Vegas, Dallas, even Winnipeg that would be a hard slog. And by the time you realized that it would be too late.

The smart play, as Michael Corleone would say, is move fast. Trade McDavid before the start of next season for a boatload of young players to supplement Draisaitl. Take a short-term PR hit but live to compete another day.

Of course, Katz is not going to trade McDavid. He’s a fanboy owner. He’ll throw the Rexall kitchen sink at him and hope that’s enough. McDavid will be patient (if he’s smart). The “will-he-sign?” drama will bleed into the next season, a millstone for the team. The distractions will mount before Edmonton realizes that an unsigned McDavid is a liability. And Connor on a max deal with a minus team is no bargain either.

Remember the re-structured Oilers won a Cup in 1990 using Mark Messier and the players they got for Gretzky. Think about it, Edmonton.

Bruce Dowbiggin @dowbboy is the editor of Not The Public Broadcaster  A two-time winner of the Gemini Award as Canada’s top television sports broadcaster, his new book Deal With It: The Trades That Stunned The NHL And Changed hockey is now available on Amazon. Inexact Science: The Six Most Compelling Draft Years In NHL History, his previous book with his son Evan, was voted the seventh-best professional hockey book of all time by bookauthority.org . His 2004 book Money Players was voted sixth best on the same list, and is available via brucedowbigginbooks.ca.

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