Monday Night Hockey streaming is a rip off

 

Hey Toronto Maple Leaf fans, you are getting ripped off by Rogers Communications.  Sportsnet has just made the Leafs more expensive for viewers.  That's right.  Monday Night Hockey will be shown exclusively on Sportsnet+.  That means that 23 per cent of Toronto's games will only be available with streaming services.  It's nothing more than a cash grab.  Many fans can't afford to go to a Leaf game anymore.  They are struggling to put food on the table.  Now they are even being deprived of watching a Monday night Leaf game on TV..  They can't watch without paying more for streaming.  Keep in mind that the Leafs are a team that hasn't won the Stanley Cup since 1967.  They had a miserable 2025 season and didn't even make the playoffs.

Leaf fans deserve much better.  There's no way I will be paying for streaming on Sportsnet+ and I'd advise other fans to do the same. Don't be a sucker.  Fans deserve more respect.  All Rogers wants is our money.  They don't appreciate us.  They are not treating us well.  I'd take Hockey Night in Canada any day, if it were still possible.  I know where I stand.  I will always be on the side of the fans.  They are the lifeblood of sports.  They should not be taken for granted.

- Joanne

Autumn Reading

Want to cozy up with a good book this fall.  May I suggest my latest novel The Roving Reporter: Spanning the Globe in the 1990s.  

Why not curl up o with a good book,  or if you prefer, read it in ebook form.  Check out my author's page by clicking on the link below.

Joanne Madden – Author

Are you looking for some mysteries, thrills and suspense?  Then read The Roving Reporter: Spanning the Globe in the 1990s, and follow the adventures of Sandra McKay, the intrepid reporter from Prince Edward Island.  In the first “Reporter” novel, The Missing Reporter, which takes place in 1989, Sandra is kidnapped while working as a crime reporter for the CBC.  

The Roving Reporter is the second installment of my “Reporter Trilogy” featuring the spunky Maritime journalist.  The Riving Reporter covers the years 1990 to 1997, when Sandra becomes a foreign correspondent at the London bureau of the Canadian Press.  She covers major stories in Britain, France, Italy, South Africa, Japan, Hong Kong, Egypt, Mexico and South Africa, while being pursued by the mob  She is accompanied by Colin Purcell, a crusty English photographer.

I am currently working on The Return of the Reporter, the third and final novel of the series.  In The Return of the Reporter, Sandra returns to Canada and works as an investigative journalist at the Toronto Star.  The novel will focus on the time period leading up to the Millennium and the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  It should be noted that all of the “Reporter” novels stand on their own.  However, it is advisable to read the complete series in sequence so that you will have a better understanding of the characters and circumstances.

NOTE:  I am pleased to announce that The Roving Reporter will be the Book of the Day on November 21, 2026. on the Online Book Club website Online Book Club for Readers

It will be available at a better price on that selected day.

Here is the five star review of The Roving Reporter from the Online Book Club.

The Roving Reporter by Joanne Madden is a book about a woman trying to chase big stories. It follows Sandra McKay, a journalist from Prince Edward Island, and her life.

Sandra is a Canadian journalist. She takes a job as a foreign correspondent for The Canadian Press. This work takes her to different parts of the world. She reports on major events and news. Along the way, she balances her career with her marriage, family, and personal relationships. She also gets in contact with Colin Purcell. He is a talented but controversial photographer. His approach to journalism is very different from hers. As Sandra travels from one assignment to another, she experiences the excitement and difficult side of being an international reporter.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I like that it was not only about Sandra’s work. It also shows the effect her career has on her life. She travels to different countries, but she still deals with issues, such as loss and family problems. This comes with the job. Sandra was my favorite character. I connected with her. She takes work seriously and does what she believes is right. I had mixed feelings about Colin Purcell. His attitude and the way he works with paparazzi made me struggle to like him sometimes. I love Dennis and Marcel’s story. Marcel experienced a lot for someone as young as he is.

I like that the book covers historical events. I found that interesting. I also like the writing. A lot happens in the book, and the story goes through different places and events. I like how everything came together.

This is an intriguing story about journalism, family, travel, and loss. I had absolutely nothing to dislike. It is well-written. I encountered a few errors while reading, but the overall editing was commendable. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars for these reasons. I recommend it to readers who enjoy books on journalism and the 1990s.

Thank you to all you readers for your support.

- Joanne

Blue Jays will have to wail 'til next year

The Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Texas Rangers yesterday by a score of 7-2.  Yes, they won, but it was a hollow victory.  It was far too little, and much too late.  The Blue Jays have not been mathematically eliminated yet, but it's just a matter of time.  For all intents and purposes, the 2026 season is mercifully over for the for the team.  Despite last night's win, there was some bad news.  The team suffered two additional injures in a season riddled with injures.  Vladdy and Dylan Cease are both injured.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.  hasn't been himself for most of the season.  Vladdy probably would have played better if he had stayed on the Injured List (IL) for a while. It's hard to believe he's only hit one homer at home this year.  That one home run saved him from the ignominy of not hitting a dinger at the dome in 2026.  Sometimes players do no service to the team when they play injured. This is definitely a season in Vladdy's career that he'll want to forget.

Despite the overall disappointing season, there have been some bright spots,  Kazuma Okamoto has hit over 30 homers this season.  Unfortunately, no other Blue Jay has hit close to that many home runs.  Lous Varland established himself as one of the best closers in MLB this season.  He has a great career ahead of him if he continues to pitch so well.  24-year-old rookie outfielder Brett Bateman has shown a lot of promise and will probably be the Jays' leadoff batter going into next season.  Another promising young Jay is second baseman Charles McAdoo, also 24.  Infielder and left fielder Josh Smith, 29, is another play who could contribute greatly next season as a power hitter.

Brett Bateman

Charles McAdoo

Josh Smith

As for manager John Schneider, I hope he doesn't appear in so many Rogers commercials next season.  I also wish he wouldn't spit so much.  It's so crude and undignified for a manager.  By the way, I can't imagine Cito Gason in a commercial for Rogers.  As for Vladdy, isn't it about time he stopped dousing his teammates with Gatorade.  It's getting tiresome. However, I do like the home run jacket.

I hope that there isn't a lockout over the proposed salary cap.  I wish the owners and players would consider the fans more than they do.  Fans are the lifeblood of sports.  Yet, their welfare is often overshadowed by greed.  A perfect example is the number of games being streamed on Apple TV.

- Joanne

Thank you to Sally Field for standing up for Canada

On Monday night, two-time Oscar winner Sally Field added another award to her collection.  She won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Anthology Series or Movie for Remarkably Bright Creatures.  At 79, Sally was the oldest actor in her category.  In her acceptance speech, she thanked Canada, saying "Blessed Canada.  Our neighbours, our friends."  The audience cheered this great actor as she expressed her support for Canada.  "Our voices matter, our diversity, our unique storytelling matters.  We can't let those voices be silenced or compromised or merged," she continued, taking a swipe at the Paramount-Warner Brothers merger.

It must be noted that Remarkably Bright Creatures was filmed in British Columbia.  Thank you, Sally, for standing up for Canada.  I know that many Americans are disgusted with the way Donald Trump has been treating Canada.  They are repulsed by his bullying.  Therefore, I urge Americans to let your voices be heard in broad support of your northern neighbour.  Unfortunately, Trump has severely damaged the relationship between the two countries,  He is a one-man wrecking crew.  Do not allow  him to completely destroy a wonderful and mutually beneficial friendship. That would be a terrible tragedy.

Thank you, Sally Field!

- Joanne

  

A message to Americans

Jean Chretien, former prime minister of Canada, spoke in Gander, Newfoundland yesterday during an emotional tribute to the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  The 92-year-old brought the house down in a fiery speech interrupted by standing ovations.

Chretien was prime minister when the attacks occurred 25 years ago on September 11, 2001.  The ex-PM talked about how Canada showed solidarity and kindness to Americans in their time of need.  He recounted the hospitality that the people of Gander showed to stranded air travellers, most of them American.  He also spoke with pride about the Canadian government's sponsorship of the motion to invoke the NATO alliance's mutual defence clause. "Our closest friend was attacked.  We said that was an attack on us too, and we fought back side by side."

The 20th prime minister of Canada was blunt and honest.  He pulled no punches.  "I am just a former prime minister, 92 years old, and a very proud Canadian, but I have seen a few things in my lifetime, and I know this country and the people from coast to coast to coast.  I have a message for our American friends.

Yes, Canada is a generous, open country, and Canadians are tolerant and kind.  But never mistake our generosity for weakness..  Never, never mistake our tolerance for lack of determination, and never, never mistake our kindness for softness.

We know who we are, and we are  proud of it.  Building a country like this, with this climate and this geography, is a sign of toughness, not of weakness.

Welcoming people from all over the world, caring for each other, including the weakest in society, is a sign of strength.

We embrace our friends and we help them in their moment of need, but we bow to no one.  The more we are threatened and abused, the more we will stand up for ourselves, and stand united.  

Friends need to be honest with each other, just as the people of Gander, and anywhere else in Newfoundland and Labrador, they will give you the shirt off their backs, like they did 25 years ago.  But they will always show you the respect of telling you the truth.  So, my friends, here is to truth, to respect, to friendship, and to good neighbours.

Long live the United States and long live Canada!" he declared, ending his speech in French.

I ask you, have you ever heard Donald Trump speak about kindness and welcoming people from all over the world?

- Joanne