Putz.

We have an amazing chance to finally bring some credibility back to Ottawa football and yet, still the skeptics are drowning out the believers. Next to Eugene Melnyk, I can't imagine you could get a better representation for the Lansdowne Park/CFL plan. With Jeff Hunt in the mix along with local developers its a win win for everyone.

The city of gets the millions every year in property taxes for the site, the developers get their share and Ottawa football fans finally get some much needed respect around the league and hopefully a return of the classic Roughrider name and R on the helmet. (Note to Horn Chen...if you hold out for anything more then a reasonable sum for the name, were sending Brian McGrattan to see you)

But with the hopes and dreams of those who can see the big picture, there's ALWAYS the sticks in the mud on city council. The latest is coming from Clive Doucet who maintains he wants an international design competition for the site. Clive, do you honestly think someone from outside Ottawa would understand what we need? I understand he wants more trees and respect the fact they don't want it to become a sea of condos, but what's wrong with the plan in today's paper? He was on the news tonight saying that just looking at one plan doesn't make sense and if the city was buying new buses they wouldn't just look at one offer. Really, Clive...ask anyone who's ever been stuck on one of your city's accordion style buses in a snowstorm if those were a smart buy.

Plenty of numbers have been thrown around this week, and despite my pathetic high school math even I could figure this one out:

1. Lansdowne Park currently losing almost 2 million a year

2. New proposal makes between 12-15 million a year in taxes for the cash strapped city

Now, I know the Sens and 67's are the hottest tickets in town these days but I want a flex pack for the upcoming council meetings when some of the monkeys oppose this.

Dear city of Ottawa

Problem: The lower part of the South side of Frank Clair stadium needs to be torn down and repaired.

Solution: Sell Lansdowne Park and the stadium to a private company (from Ottawa) who will also put a team back in the CFL.

Now granted it's a heck of a lot more difficult than that, but I want the city to spend my tax dollars on more important things (roads, police, better ambulance response etc...) and let the business community take over a project of this magnitude. The previous city council proved it couldn't handle a project like the O-Train and were supposed to let them figure out a plan for LP? Now there's word that some of the city councilors want to open up an international competition where some creative mind from across the globe will think they have the solution to Bank Street's current eyesore. Every major city on the planet should have some kind of stadium so that you can attract big name concerts acts and events similar to the soccer tournament from this past summer (sadly, Lynx stadium is too small). There has to be someone locally with a vision and the deep enough pockets to pull this off?

Or is there...

Speaking of sports venues, you may have heard TGOR's Steve Warne going on about the giant slug at the corner of Greenbank and Hunt Club this morning. It's actually the new Ben Franklin sports dome, and is much bigger as you get closer.

So you like beer eh? Watch this...

The road to Stanley starts...eventually.

Most of the Sens pre-season chatter that I heard around every golf tournament this summer was ...

1. Can they go the distance again and make it to the finals?
2. When are they going to trade Gerber?
3. What do you think of the new uniforms?

And here's my educated answers:

1. I hope so
2. I don't know
3. I like the red jersey

Now, as the pre-season rolls along there's the odd spot for one of the young guns to nab a spot but the reality is most of the kids will be heading back to Bingo which means were in good hands down the road if one of the big stars land up in the infirmary.

Nobody really knows for sure who's going to win the cup this year and for selfish reasons, being the PA announcer and getting to introduce the commissioner as he's about to hand the biggest prize in hockey to Alfie would be a dream come true. I have to believe that our guys learned the hard way just how difficult is was to leave the rink in Anaheim that night and how important it is to get back and win it all.

Heading into this season I hope Wade Redden will silence his critics (Steve Warne...and every second emailer) and rebound from last year, play up to what the fans are expecting and if leaving Ottawa is on the agenda then go out on top.

Daniel Alfredsson needs to pick up from where he left off last year (prior to puckgate), Dany Heatley and Spezza need to sign here long term and Ray Emery has to start taking a limo to the rink.

A few more pre-season games then we open the season Oct 3 in Hogtown, before coming home and raising the Eastern Conference banner the following night against the buds. Hopefully it will give the Scotiabank catwalk crew some practice on how to raise a Stanley Cup banner 365 days later.

Mike Fisher...

Step one in Bryan Murray's long list of guys to get signed before next season was completed today as the Sens have secured Mike Fisher to a 5 year 21 million dollar extension. I think it's safe to say that he could probably be the Sens next Captain once Alfie retires in a few years. This shot was from the Sens annual charity golf tourney last Friday. I'd be smiling too if my bosses at the Team gave me a 5 year extension..(nudge, nudge, wink wink)

Golf...

This is why you should wait for the marshall if your cart breaks down...

What did you think was going to happen?....

OK, admit it..you've done things in your life that you weren't particularly proud of. I may have showed my junk for a free drink back in my college days (among other things) but these jokers take the cake this week for biggest boneheads on the web. Now unlike some other sites (like the one I ripped this one off of) I won't be awarding any cash, but the following certificate if they send me their address.

And the winner is....

Expos...Dodgers, it's all good...

As a longtime Expos fan, I hated the Dodgers thanks to Blue Monday.

36 years later, I'm starting to get over it thanks to Alyssa Milano.

I'd like to see Tiger do this...