steve simmons

[Downtownfan]

I posted this a long time ago, but I think it is appropriate in this thread...


Understanding ICFLHaS

There is a disease stalking the Canadian sports landscape.

A seasonal malady, this mental condition usually spikes in November, but this year’s outbreak has been particularly bad. On bulletin boards, in comments sections, in print and on the airwaves, a small but vocal group of sufferers give voice to their illness: Irrational CFL Hatred Syndrome, commonly known as ICFLHaS (pronounced Ick-Flas).

A strange disease, ICFLHaS has been known to render its victims completely illogical, counter-factual, and frankly, quite sad. Akin to a form of cognitive dissonance, ICFLHaS prevents sufferers from having fun and causes them to become increasingly embittered, confined to their basements watching television while desperately betting on Pro-Line, most cut off from real football experiences.

The core of the illness is its irrationality, examples of which abound: ICFLHaS sufferers are known to deride the CFL because it has nine teams, yet love the NHL’s Original Six era. They hate the fact that the league is “only” Canadian, and therefore not “the best in the world” (though it is clearly the second best football league in the world). Imagine telling a Swede or a Frenchman that they shouldn’t support the Swedish Elite hockey League or the French national soccer league, because it is second rate! Man, those millions that watch and attend Japanese baseball must be insane, given its second best status.

They mock the CFL for having had two teams named “Rough Riders,” yet slavishly follow big-time US college football, especially the 14 team-Southeast Conference— with three teams named Tigers, and two named Bulldogs. They laugh at the idea of Winnipeg having been in the CFL’s East division, ignoring the inconvenient fact that in the NFL, Dallas is in the East and Indianapolis is in the South.

Just as damaging is the ICFLHaS sufferer’s unwillingness to face reality. They refuse to believe that the CFL is the second most-popular sports league in Canada, whose televisions ratings are consistently much higher than all save the NHL; they are desperate to ignore the success of the Grey Cup, the largest annual sporting event in this country (and also to avoid the unpleasant failure of the NFL in Toronto, too), and the growth, stability and success of the CFL in recent years.

Perhaps the most virulent strain of ICFLHaS can be found among certain Canadian sports “journalists,” many of whom are actually paid stenographers of media-sports conglomerates. They continually point to the past financial problems in the CFL, ignoring the failures of the NHL (Phoenix, Atlanta, etc.), the NFL (how’s that NFL Europe working out?), or the NBA (where are the Vancouver Grizzlies?).

These jock-sniffers, who are so desperate to be close to professional sports that they became “journalists,” mock CFL players and their salaries as second rate and not good enough for the NFL, yet don’t realize that they themselves are—at best –second-tier journalists in North America—none of them write for the New York Times or work for ESPN. They are, without realizing it, the CFLers of the sports media world—could that be the cause of their ICFLHaS?

Thankfully, for most ICFLHaS sufferers, there is a cure: Fun. The great thing about the CFL and its fans is that they are in it for the fun. Sport is a form of entertainment, and the CFL provides some of the best sports entertainment in North America—genuine, real, sports entertainment. Now, if we could only get these ICFLHaS sufferers out of their basements and get them to a CFL game, they might just be able to cure themselves of this disease. After all, hating the CFL is as bizarre as hating Tim Horton’s, or curling, or maple syrup, or junior hockey or…

["Issues"Mcgee]

I posted this a long time ago, but I think it is appropriate in this thread...


Understanding ICFLHaS

There is a disease stalking the Canadian sports landscape.

A seasonal malady, this mental condition usually spikes in November, but this year’s outbreak has been particularly bad. On bulletin boards, in comments sections, in print and on the airwaves, a small but vocal group of sufferers give voice to their illness: Irrational CFL Hatred Syndrome, commonly known as ICFLHaS (pronounced Ick-Flas).

A strange disease, ICFLHaS has been known to render its victims completely illogical, counter-factual, and frankly, quite sad. Akin to a form of cognitive dissonance, ICFLHaS prevents sufferers from having fun and causes them to become increasingly embittered, confined to their basements watching television while desperately betting on Pro-Line, most cut off from real football experiences.

The core of the illness is its irrationality, examples of which abound: ICFLHaS sufferers are known to deride the CFL because it has nine teams, yet love the NHL’s Original Six era. They hate the fact that the league is “only” Canadian, and therefore not “the best in the world” (though it is clearly the second best football league in the world). Imagine telling a Swede or a Frenchman that they shouldn’t support the Swedish Elite hockey League or the French national soccer league, because it is second rate! Man, those millions that watch and attend Japanese baseball must be insane, given its second best status.

They mock the CFL for having had two teams named “Rough Riders,” yet slavishly follow big-time US college football, especially the 14 team-Southeast Conference— with three teams named Tigers, and two named Bulldogs. They laugh at the idea of Winnipeg having been in the CFL’s East division, ignoring the inconvenient fact that in the NFL, Dallas is in the East and Indianapolis is in the South.

Just as damaging is the ICFLHaS sufferer’s unwillingness to face reality. They refuse to believe that the CFL is the second most-popular sports league in Canada, whose televisions ratings are consistently much higher than all save the NHL; they are desperate to ignore the success of the Grey Cup, the largest annual sporting event in this country (and also to avoid the unpleasant failure of the NFL in Toronto, too), and the growth, stability and success of the CFL in recent years.

Perhaps the most virulent strain of ICFLHaS can be found among certain Canadian sports “journalists,” many of whom are actually paid stenographers of media-sports conglomerates. They continually point to the past financial problems in the CFL, ignoring the failures of the NHL (Phoenix, Atlanta, etc.), the NFL (how’s that NFL Europe working out?), or the NBA (where are the Vancouver Grizzlies?).

These jock-sniffers, who are so desperate to be close to professional sports that they became “journalists,” mock CFL players and their salaries as second rate and not good enough for the NFL, yet don’t realize that they themselves are—at best –second-tier journalists in North America—none of them write for the New York Times or work for ESPN. They are, without realizing it, the CFLers of the sports media world—could that be the cause of their ICFLHaS?

Thankfully, for most ICFLHaS sufferers, there is a cure: Fun. The great thing about the CFL and its fans is that they are in it for the fun. Sport is a form of entertainment, and the CFL provides some of the best sports entertainment in North America—genuine, real, sports entertainment. Now, if we could only get these ICFLHaS sufferers out of their basements and get them to a CFL game, they might just be able to cure themselves of this disease. After all, hating the CFL is as bizarre as hating Tim Horton’s, or curling, or maple syrup, or junior hockey or…

I was about halfway writing one of these myself and I'm glad I saw this, because this one is much better than what I had in mind.

A few years ago, I worked in a sports bar in Scarborough and I had many interactions with unfortunate sufferers of this disease. I had a drink with a guy who claimed to be a Broncos fan for decades. He was very quick to trash the CFL when I talked to him, but later in the conversation I mentioned the Lombardi trophy and he had the nerve to ask me, "what the hell is the Lombardi trophy?" I told him it was the big NFL trophy and he laughed in my face. He was convinced it was called the superbowl. I even pointed out that the trophy does not resemble a bowl at all, but that didn't seem to register. He promptly told me because I am only in my twenties, I have no understanding of pro sports. I just felt sad for the guy after the conversation. He was only on his first drink the whole time. I figured it was an indication of things to come, and boy was it ever!

[Will]

I was about halfway writing one of these myself and I'm glad I saw this, because this one is much better than what I had in mind.

A few years ago, I worked in a sports bar in Scarborough and I had many interactions with unfortunate sufferers of this disease. I had a drink with a guy who claimed to be a Broncos fan for decades. He was very quick to trash the CFL when I talked to him, but later in the conversation I mentioned the Lombardi trophy and he had the nerve to ask me, "what the hell is the Lombardi trophy?" I told him it was the big NFL trophy and he laughed in my face. He was convinced it was called the superbowl. I even pointed out that the trophy does not resemble a bowl at all, but that didn't seem to register. He promptly told me because I am only in my twenties, I have no understanding of pro sports. I just felt sad for the guy after the conversation. He was only on his first drink the whole time. I figured it was an indication of things to come, and boy was it ever!

Several forum members watched the disastrous 2010 Eastern Final at the Yonge & Eglinton Shoeless Joe's location. The staff was co-operative in putting the game on one of the televisions much to the chagrin of some middle-aged guy sitting with his Pro-Line betting sheet. There were maybe 5 to 10 of us there that day while the rest of the bar was fixated on whatever NFL match was playing on the screen. Nobody said anything untoward about a CFL game being on, but they were all just fixated. I'll reiterate what I also say that for some reason some anti-CFL types really feel the need to emphasize their hatred and also I fail to understand why people do not realize that they can like both leagues.

[doubleblue]

I have always wondered how much of Simmons writings and comments are on purpose just to stir up controversy. But he sure got under Brian Burke's skin. I think it was at Burke's farewell speech that he mentioned there was one guy in the media he would have loved to punch out. I think everybody figured it was Simmons. lol

I remembered reading once about Bob McCowan where he said that he found out early that he could get better ratings by being a jerk than by being a nice guy. Maybe Simmons thinks the same way.