Roger Lajoie operates Triumph Sports Communications, a leader in providing editorial, broadcast and public relations services.

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The Rog's Rant

Get the blessings of Americans and you have a great Canadian event

Canada certainly is a strange little country at times.

More than 30 million people live in this country and geographically it is the second largest nation on the planet, but the thinking of this great nation is certainly pretty small for such a relatively large place.

I mean a country this size and with such a stellar reputation across the globe is surely able to decide what it likes and what it doesn’t like on its own, no? Apparently not.

Ask any Canadian entertainer who has slugged it out for years and made little or no money – until they get a U.S. deal, and then all of a sudden they are a “Canadian” superstar recently discovered.

Ditto for a Canadian actor, who toils in anonymity for years until an American producer discovers them and they become “overnight” success stories.

Talk about March Madness and the conversation immediately goes to the Florida Gators and The Final 4…while at the same time the Carleton University Ravens are winning their fifth consecutive CIS title and most of the tournament games aren’t even on television in Canada.

We watch American Idol, and totally ignore Canadian Idol. We ignore Canadian talents in the entertainment and media world until they start working in the U.S., then we salute them for being great Canadians. And football fans, here are two words to best describe my point here – Doug Flutie. He plays in the CFL in Toronto for a couple of years and wins two Grey Cups and gets only passing attention; he goes to the Buffalo Bills and the NFL and Toronto football fans are driving two hours to see him and paying four times the price for a ticket.

Comedian Stephen Colbert is another example I saw first hand this week. The City of Oshawa and Colbert have had a wager going and it resulted in Stephen Colbert Day in Oshawa. All in good fun, great publicity for the City and of course, great publicity for Colbert’s comedy show.

But think about this – the media flocked to Oshawa to cover this “event” with many of them making it to the city for the first time in years. National media all flocked to the General Motors Centre to get in on the gag.

Hey like I said, great publicity, wonderful for everybody involved. But what got all the coverage for the Saginaw Spirit and the Oshawa Generals? An American comedian.

So, junior hockey is suddenly cool now because Stephen Colbert says its cool? You roll your cameras now after ignoring place like Oshawa for decades because an American comedian told you to?

Again, don’t get me wrong – whatever it takes to get some good publicity I am 100 percent for. God bless Stephen Colbert! He has done an amazing thing for everyone in junior hockey, especially the Saginaw Spirit, and promoted the hell out of his own show at the same time. I admire the guy very much. I also think his show is very funny and extremely clever.

But it’s another indication about our country. After years and years of promoting junior hockey to deaf ears among many people, these people now get all pumped up because an American comedian tells them this stuff is fun.

It shouldn’t bug me but it does. I just think a country the size of Canada should be able to think for itself and not just follow the lead of our huge neighbours to the South.

But like the kids like to say now, “whatever, right?”

Now if we could just get Colbert to talk about lacrosse a little we’d be all set. 

Comments on The Rant of March 8 on NHL suspensions:

“One thing the NHL is starting to do is at least nail players with a little more severe penalties. One game suspensions really are a joke.” – Dan in Toronto  

“I say have no suspensions at all. If the players won’t protect themselves and don’t seem to care, then why should the fans? They are the guys getting hurt.” – Steve in Thornhill

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