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ON FUT CO Toh WL GPU FE Be FEE (IRR BAC Taint TE WA S00 or TI Tia avid Sat NS Yt po JR VR, SN FIR SUR Fe SR A EERE EL OSE REM AREE b FARER0 S MAT MS DAE fan! . - ol ALS Re Re of nn AFA PR 0S i Boh hb tg ARIAS iad N WPWAAAATE V4 SAAN DRE LEE PEE RAR EARL RAID PRESEN AFA 2 - . £20 AN 4 Sal Agr Fm gw ey, orn Ss AY a es NI $l el ME he) AR chatterbox by John B. McClelland RIPPED OFF I heard some very interesting comments recently on an open line radio sports show. One caller was bitterly lamenting the fact that the fan of professional sport is getting ripped off these days. The caller, who obviously knew his sports, was griping specifically about the pro tennis event in Toronto a couple of weeks ago, and just how 'bush league" the whole thing was for the fans, who paid big dollars for tickets. . This guy mentioned that after spending $18 for a ticket, he had to wait half an hour to get served a beer in the lounge before the match started; washroom facilities for female spectators were terrible; and when the tennis finally did get underway, he had to witness the rude, childish and ignorant outbursts of some of the competitors by shaming the officials who were being paid five bucks for their work. This caller used the tennis matches as an example, but he said fans are being ripped off at almost all professional sports events these days. Once the fan has + paid his way into the park or the arena, he is treated like a third class citizen; lousy service, long line-ups for everything, high costs, and most of all, poor quality performance by the '"'big-name" stars who are bing paid big, big bucks to perform. The host of this sports talk show didn't quite agree with the caller. But then the host admitted that as a member of the media, he is not treated like Joe Fan at sporting events. ~The members of the media get free tickets. They don't have to pay for parking in a lot a mile away. They eat and drink in areas reserved strictly for the media. They don't "have to stand in line for 20 minutes to use a filthy public washroom. In short, the members of the media have it pretty good when it comes to their attendance at pro sports events. _I agree with the caller. I think sports fans are being ripped off these days. And one of the reasons why the rip-off is getting bigger all the time is because the sports media are ignoring it. Sports writers and broadcasters don't see the game from the same perspective as Joe Fan sitting in the stands. They don't have to put with the many little . aggravations which detract from Joe Fan's enjoyment. Sure, the sports media people know the quality of the product is going downhill rapidly, but it's pretty hard to be really critical when you're enjoying all the little perks. Ihave made a promise to my son to take him to a Blue Jay game before the season. ends. Based on a cost of two tickets at $8 each, gasoline, parking, snacks at the game, a souvenir program and a cap or t-shirt for my son, the total cost is going to be in the $35 range, maybe more. The fact that it might turn out to be a real stinker of a game hasn't even crossed my mind. After all, it is an outing with my son. But think about the sport fan with season tickets, or the one who goes to pro games on a fairly regular basis. - The cost adds up. Then think about the quality of the product, game in and game out. There is a disease that has crept into all pro sport in North America, and that disease is slowly killing the enjoyment for the fans. Big money is part of that disease. So are the law suits (you almost have to be a lawyer to read the sports pages. these days). But the really deadly part of the killing disease is indifference. Players on the court or on the field have reached the point where they don't care about Joe Fan sitting in the stands. The owners and promoters don't care how much aggravation Joe Fan has to endure once he's paid for his ticket. The people who write about pro sports or broadcast them don't care that they are not telling Joe Fan the whole story. And they don't care to take the side of Joe Fan and start handing our criticism when and where it is due. Joe Fan is a man alone these days. He's getting ripped off in a dozen different ways, and he doesn't have a friend. I would like to see the owners of pro teams and the promoters of special professional events take the attitude that Joe Fan is a first class citizen after he's paid for his ticket. Everything possible should be done to ensure that Joe Fan gets good service; from parking, the food booths, the washrooms, the seating and so on. Secondly, I would like to see the sports media look at what they are covering from the vantage point of Joe Fan. Some of those media hot shots (who are often just as pampered as the athletes, and have even bigger egos) just might be shocked enough into standing up for Joe Fan. And finally, we get to the quality of the product. Quite frankly, I don't see how you can tell an athlete earning $1 million a year that he (she) should try harder. How do you tell John EcEnroe that he should keep his yap shut? Any improvement in the quality of the product on the field is something that will take a long time. It might come when everyone connected with pro sports changes their attitude towards Joe Fan in the stands. - If this change of attitude does not happen soon, Joe Fan is going to take matter into his own hands. He is going * tosay "to hell with this," and then kill the goose laying the golden egg of pro sports. one LJ [ J ° Priorities On the very last week of the gleeful announce- ment that 20 big corporations had "saved" the Toronto Santa Claus Parade, a guy almost killed himself trying to swim underwater across Lake Ontario to raise money for the Hospital for Sick Children. The 20 corporations donated a total of $1.5 million to save the Parade. The guy in the lake managed to raise about $350 in pledges for the hospital. Quite frankly, we find it disturbingly ironic that up to $500,000 may be spent to stage the annual Santa Claus Parade in Toronto on November 14. Is it necessary to spend that much on a parade? Could not the spirit of Christmas be captured for the young- sters in some way at a much smaller price tag? In these days of supposed tight money and tough economic times, surely half a million dgllars could be better spent to help those who truly are in need. Are the children of Toronto going to recognize the difference between a $500,000 parade and one that costs $50,000 for example? We suspect not. Ever since the Eaton Company announced it was getting out of the parade business, the big story in Toronto this summer has been the effort to save the parade for the children. In Beirut this summer, the effort has been to save the children, period. * Of course, one can argue that jyst because there is a nasty war going on somewhere in the world, that's no reason why Toronto should not have its Santa Claus Parade. Nevertheless, there is something unsettling about the way priorities seem to evolve in this country. One minute we hear that Canada is on a quick trip to economic oblivion, the next minute we * hear that 20 companies chipped in $1.5 million for a Santa Claus Parade that will be staged six weeks before Christmas. - We are not trying to 'humbug' the good intentions of those who believe Toronto should have a Santa Claus Parade. Every community should have 'But why can't it be done for a tenth of the price and the rest of the money used to help those who are truly in need these days. Hockey Violence Anyone who thinks the $850,000 in damages awarded last week to a former pro hockey player by a civil court in Detroit is going to clean up the violence on the ice, either doesn't know the game or is dreaming in colour. ___ The $850,000 damage judgement in favour of Dennis Polonich and against Wilf Paiement is absurd and should be appealed without delay. - If anything, this kind of judgement is going to lead to more mayhem on the ice than there -is now. Secondly, the incident in question took place in a game four years ago. Most people who kiow the game agree that hockey has 'cleaned up its act' greatly in those four years. : Stick swinging on the ice can never be condoned, of course. By the same token, the very nature of the game and the fact that players carry sticks mean there will always be incidents involving the lumber. ~~ But court ruling like this one are not going to help. The ramifications for the game are enormous. The precedent it sets is dangerous to the game. This ruling must be challenged. letters To be complimented "Dear Sir: Congratulations on win- ning second place in the Best All Round, Best Front Page and Best Editorial Page cat- egories in the Better News- papers Competition. You and the staff at The Port Perry Star are to be complimented ~ on producing one of Can- ada's finest newspapers. I am sure you are proud of ~ your accomplishments, and I sincerely hope you will take this opportunity to tell your 1) readers that you are a winner. If 1 can be of any help to you in the coming year, please let me know, and please don't hesitate to call the CCNA Toronto office if you need any assistance. Keep up the good work. Yours sincerely Ralph E. Hennigar, Q.C. President Canadian Community 'Newspaper Association