Pan American Pan (PAP)

Heading into the Pan American Games the organization deserves to be wiped across the examination table of the provincial auditor. Call the PAP smear.

Contrast the original forecast with now. They forecast a rush on hotels, reserve early. Recent comments by the phenomenally greedy Toronto hoteliers there was no rush to reserve. Indeed there will be vacancies all over the place.

Contrast. They pushed the idea to buy advance tickets. Unfortunately up til this moment, this date, ticket sales are so far behind that the officials are skirting around the issue of ticket sales. Trust this observation. If ticket sales were furious they would be bragging like it was 1066ad in Normandy.

Indeed, there are rumored price drops which means that advanced ticket buyers hoping to purchase seats at a discount will now be paying the premium price for some events. Some people are upset.

After the fun ends there will be the predictable hangover. Except so few people will see the games in person that no one will get much of a headache. Rather taxpayers will be outraged by the final enormous cost overruns of which cost points will trickle rather than pour out.

Is there a beneficiary, certainly UofT Scarborough campus will be a big winner. A low cost world Olympic class swimming pool is in their use. After it will certainly be declared as a probable venue for Toronto's next summer Olympic bid. Its certain to happen. The Pan Am Games will be declared by all the politicians as a success. Taxpayers will go..."What the hell?"

And everything will be right with the world.

Gilmour for ....

On paper Mark Hunter will get the job. Should he? Yes he is a skilled scout and player negotiator. The problem for the Leafs is to get more of a politically diplomatic powerhourse. Unlike other clubs, the Leafs have a monumental wailing wall of sports media. The guy should have some Leaf cred but been on his own so as not to get tainted with failure.

In that light then, if they are as smart as they pretend to be there is only one effective choice. The only person to fit that role and is now a General Manager, is Doug Gilmour of the Kingston Frontenacs.

He played for the Leafs during a more successful period. He does wear a Stanley Cup ring. He has played with a variety of hockey clubs, not just the Leafs. The variety means he's been in a position to study other organizations. He would also provide cover for those who will assert that the Leaf's have no tradition blah, blah. He has been away from the Leafs long enough so as to be free from the taint of the recent Leaf regimes. Gilmour would be far more recognizable and popular with the fans and with the media in other words, Leaf-cred.

And most important of all, unlike Hunter, the presence of Doug Gilmour would be a hip check to Don Cherry's voice. He's a good Kingston boy too.