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4 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, Sept. 17, 1985 ditorial comments Head Over Heels You know the hype has reached its zenith when a sports event starts crowding the real news off the front page of the daily newspapers If there was any doubt the Toronto Blue Jays are legitimate contenders for the throne in the American League East, those doubts were put to rest over the weekend when the Jays whipped the Yanks three out of four games right in front of the hometown crowd in the Bronx Zoo, otherwise known as Yankee Stadium, or the House that Ruth built. The tour game series was front page news in the Big Apple, and the Toronto media didn't miss a step either, splashing rivers of ink, dozens of pictures and stories on just about every angle, including the behavior of the fans and the utter botching of Canada's National Anthem at the start of Saturday's game. Many Canadian sports scribes have lamented the fact that up until now, the Jays from Toronto just couldn't get any respect south of the border, despite the best record in the game this year and despite the fact the team has held first place in its division since the middle of May. Well, for a team that "can't get no respect' the Jays didn't do too badly in the Thursday to Sunday series against the Pin Stripes. They won three of four, of course, but for some silly errors in game one, the series could have been a sweep. As it stands now, the Jays lead is 4.5 games, and while it's never over til it's over, even crusty Howard Cossell left little doubt in the minds of millions of CTV viewers Sunday afternoon that he thinks "them Yanks is dead." One fact almost as important as the scores of the game was the total attendance in the Bronx Zoo for the four matches, in excess of 250,000 people. That's a new American League record for a four game series. Not bad for a visiting team that still is not taken all that seriously in baseball circles south of the 49th. The Toronto media, of course, had just a hey-day with the series, and rightly so. It was a great weekend for the Jays, the city of Toronto, and indeed all of Canada. When Yankee fans booed the play of O Canada to start game one, there was nearly an international inci- dent. The matter wasn't helped much two games later when a female singer rendered a version of O Canada that was embarrassing, to say the least. Canadians were outraged, and rightly so. It was a bush league performance. But it didn't seem to bother the Jays. Neither did the hooting obscenities of the Yankee fans who at one point showered pitcher Dave Stieb with beer cups and other debris. To their immense credit, the players shut their minds to all the nonsense In the stands and just went out to do the job they were supposed to do. when Howard Cossell paid a visit to the CTV broad- cast booth during Sunday's game with the Jays coasting on an 8-0 lead, he probably said it best that all of Canada can be proud of that team. The Jays are a team whose time has arrived. Of course, baseball tans all over Canada are hop- ing that Cossell proves to be a prophet, but coming back down to earth there is the realization that the season Is still far from over The Yankees may be bloodied, but are they beaten? Don't bet against it, not for a minute. As for those Blue Jays, they have to keep winning, they can't ease off for a single game. But even if the un- thinkable happens between now and the end of the season, the team proved something over the last four days Winning is nice, but to do it with class and style under tough conditions 1s something special No wonder Toronto, Ontario and Canada have fallen head over heels for the Jays 1» 85 CC -- ~NE__ r L.A TTE N) PoRA PERRY <TWR BS(] y, E chatterbox by Cathy Robb DON'T TELL HER ANYTHING This column is for Mike and Kerry and all the other people who don't want to tell me anything for fear of having their names in the paper. A-HA! Thought you'd be saving yourself a fair flock of embarrassement by telling me not to print your names. But look! There's your names! Fooled you, eh? I am writing this Chatterbox gleefully. With a capital G, no less. Nothing makes me happier, not even my new car. This is a revenge column, pure and sim- ple, and since I'll be on holidays by the time you read this, I won't be around to listen to your complaints. Just call John B. and complain to him. You may think I'm making a big deal about nothing, but then again, you've probably never worked as a reporter. The moment I stepped foot into journalism school I caught onto the reporter's single biggest problem ---- the "don"t-tell-him-or-her-anything-cause-he-or-she-will- put-it-in-the-paper syndrome," commonly known as Watergate Disease. In residence, where I lived (that's why they call it a residence because people reside there), I'd walk into the commons room or the kitchen where other students hung out, and conversation would immediately cease. Especially if they were yapping about beer, drugs or any other illegal or immoral substances or acts. I'd say, 'Hi, what's new?" And they'd stare at me like I was from Mars or something. Eventually some macho sap would lean over to a buddy and crack, 'Don't tell her anything or she'll put it in the school paper." At first this really hurt my feelings. I had no intention of printing their conversations in the Sheridan Sun, or anywhere else for that matter So why would they treat me this way" I always felt like an outsider, an outcast, and was never invited to any school parties Unless they were journalism parties, which I still think were better anyway The only time people wanted me around was when they wanted free publicity for their pubs or winter car- nivals or brownie awards Then they were as nice as Betty Crocker on baking day But when it came time for a little normal, human conversation I might as well have been the creature from the black lagoon I understand why people are suspicious of reporters This 1s natural But reporting is just my job I'm not a news hound every hour of every waking day And 1 ap preciate being treated hke a regular joe when it comes five o'clock and my camera 1s tucked safely away at the office After a few years of getting my feelings hurt I started getting mad when people would throw the Watergate. Disease in my face. Getting mad helped me but it tended to alienate any existing friends I somehow managed to extract. So these days I don't get hurt and I don't get mad. I just get even. I'd dearly love to print all the names of all the peo- ple who have ever hit me with the Watergate Disease, but there's been too many and I forget who's said what. But they know who they are and I'd just like to point out one little interesting fact to all of those people. When it comes right down to it, they're wasting their time worrying whether or not I'm going to print something about them in the paper. : Why? Because most of them aren't interesting enough to rate the paper. Now isn't that a snooty thing to say, you're thinking? You'reright. But you've go to take your kicks however you can get them. And I just got mine, but good. I can't stop yakking about my new car. By now the entire world is sick to death with hearing about my slick little Berlinetta, but I do want to point out something I neglected to men- tion last week ---- or whenever it was I wrote that column. Not only is it a great car, it's also a celebrity car, having once been driven by a real live celebrity. Do you follow the Jays" (Silly question. With Toronto's finest sons so close to the pennant there's hardly a baseball fan in town who doesn't follow their progress) If you do watch the Blue Jays, you've pro- bably heard about Ernie Whitt, all-star catcher and batter and all-round nice guy. Every once in a while he comes up to Dennis Anderson's Chev Olds to do a little autograph sign- ing and he does it basically for free. In return. however, Dennis gives him a car to drive around (Guess who's car he drove last year" [et me just say. I'm thrilled. Sitting in the same seat where Ernie Whitt once satis a feeling unto itself I've even got a pic- ture of Ernie-baby and me pasted up on the sun visor Just to impress my friends, natch Only thing 1s. I'm not even going to think about the fact that I probably paid five thousand bucks extra to have Ernie's aura around me I think 1t was worth it I think