Attention CBC and TSN

Attention to whomever is in charge of commercial air time for the CBC and TSN. When you show Hockey Night in Canada (on CBC) and when you show NHL games of the week (or any Raptors games, Blue Jays games, etc.- on TSN) during prime time hours I think it's safe for you to assume that there may be many young, impressionable kids tuning in to these great sporting events. I can tell you that my four-year-old sports fanatic is certainly one who lives for your sports broadcasting.

I am telling you this because I am quickly growing tired of the ridiculous commercials that you show during early-hour broadcasts of NHL games. Whenever there is a pause in play I have to be ready with the remote just in case some genius decides to play yet another commercial for the new DVD release of SAW 3, or a commercial for the new "Hannibal Rising" movie, or "The Hitcher" or any of the other 3,000 ridiculous over the top horror movies who's commercials depict images that no person, especially a four-year-old child, needs to see.

Since when did these types of commercials become appropriate for prime time, or even day time viewing (and yes, I have seen them during the day)? In my mind they shouldn't be shown at all. However, if you have to lower your standards for a few precious advertising dollars then I think families all across this country would appreciate it if you could leave these gong-show ads off the air until late at night when little kids aren't likely to be watching.

If my son sees a grotesque commercial at 11pm that's my fault for letting him stay up that late. If he sees it at 6pm then I think it's time you start sending one of your producers to people's houses to explain to the littel kids all across the country that the scary man with the knife was a really a nice guy and the red stuff all over him was jam from a jelly sandwich he just made.

What does $126 million dollars get you in the year 2007?

Apparently it can either get you a gold-glove centerfielder entering the prime of his career (the Blue Jays' Vernon Wells) or a former Cy Young winning pitcher entering the prime of his career (the Giants signing of Barry Zito).

The inmates are running the asylum in Major League baseball and they've got big fat wads of cash to encourage their lunacy.

I read somewhere the other day that the average salary in MLB is reaching $3 million. There are a lot of below-average ball players making above-average money. I can tell you this, my four-year-old and I will be spending a lot of time in the old backyard this summer working on our fundamentals. Where else can mediocrity earn you $55 million dollars over 5 years (as was the case with very average pitcher Gil Meche).

As for the Vernon Wells and, to a lesser extent, the Zito signings, I actually don't have a problem with them. I applaud the Blue Jays desire to compete with the big budgets of their intra-division rivals in New York and Boston. They've realized that in the AL East you cannot compete on a $75 million dollar budget (how sad is that?). The Wells signing sends a strong message to the rest of the league and, perhaps more importantly, to the fairweather Blue Jays fans all over Canada, that the Jays intend to make a run to return to the glory days of the late-8's and early-90's. For this Blue Jays fan I'm all for them doing that if they spend the money wisely. In my mind, Vernon Wells is a no-brainer. Good on JP and Ted Rogers for seeing that as well and getting this future MVP locked up for the rest of his prime production years. The Yankees can have him when he's 40.

As for Zito, pitching always wins in the NL and Zito was by far the best available pitcher on the FA market. Say what you want about the potential of Daisuke Matsuzaka but the reality is that he has not survived a major league season yet and, until he proves himself on the grandest stage of all, there's no way of knowing if he's the next Ichiro Suzuki (albeit he's a pitcher not a hitter) or the next Kaz Matsui (a bust of Godzillian proportions).

The NL West has some outstanding pitchers there now with Zito, Greg Maddux, Jason Schmidt, Brandon Webb, Jake Peavy, and young Canadian stud Jeff Francis. If you like pitching matchups that division should provide some beauties this summer.

I'm also fairly optimistic about what's been going on in Cubsland this winter. As a long-suffering Cubs fan I've seen a few off-seasons like this one where there were lots of big-time acquisitions but then little substance when it counted the most.

Here's to hoping that Alfonso Soriano isn't the next Adrian Beltre. Here's to hoping that Ted Lilly is actually a $10 million/yr type of pitcher (that should be equivalent to 17-20 wins I would say). Here's to hoping that Lou Piniella is able to light a fire in the bellies of a Cubs team that has looked fairly disenfranchised during the past couple years under laid back Dusty Baker. Overall here's to hoping that the Cubs get a chance to exorcise the Steve Bartman demons and finally earn a chance to go to the big dance.

My dream World Series matchup for the 2007 season? Cleveland or Toronto for the AL against either Chicago or San Diego from the NL. Probably terrible for TV ratings but I at least know that my house would be tuned in for every game.

Only a few more weeks before spring training begins!

You stay classy San Diego . . .

The Benallick family has returned from our Christmas getaway to sunny San Diego. After 6600 km's in the van, 5 states travelled through (Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona and California) and $200 in stolen American money (you'll have to ask my dear wife about that one) we have wrapped up our great California adventure with many great experiences shared.

Highlights:
- Disneyland on December 23rd was a lot of fun. Sure there was probably a quarter of a million people there that day but our kids had an absolute blast. The highlight of the day was the Christmas parade during the evening. We got great seats on the sidewalk right along the parade route so Carter and Jenna could see everything up close and personal. Jenna was in her little Princess dress and pretty much stood and waved to all the Disney characters as they walked by. It was by far the best parade I have ever seen and seeing the huge smiles on my kids faces was the highlight of the trip.
- touring Petco Park was another highlight. As much as my kids smiled like crazy people at Disneyland, their Dad was doing the same at my own version of Disneyland:). What a beautiful ballpark. If you want to know what my definition of heaven on earth is it's a major league ballpark. The tour guide was awesome. If you ever go and tour Petco make sure you ask if Don is doing the tours on that day. He showed us the visitor's clubhouse (which we were told hardly ever is allowed) so that was cool but stepping on to the field and sitting in the dugout was really the best part of the tour. Oh how I wish I had played baseball growing up. Oh well, maybe I'll get to live out that dream through my sons:). They can be the next version of the Giles brothers.

Anyways, there were lots of good times had but we're glad to be home in Saskatchewan (bet you never thought you'd hear someone say that in your lifetime).