Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Viva, viva Bellevegas

It's a good day down in Rollins' place of origin, since a $20-million arena renovation plan has been approved for his beloveds, the Belleville Bulls.

Twenty million? The K-Rock Pot cost the City of Kingston $43 million. In other words, Belleville is spending half as much money and is getting twice the hockey team. That sounds about right. These are good times for the Bellevegans, definitely, between the Bulls leading the OHL's Eastern Conference, looking forward to P.K. Subban skating for Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Ottawa next month and having a home game some time next week against the Kingston Frontenacs.

It's the same ol' same ol' down in the land of Limestone. Lost amid the Dougie! dementia of last Friday was that the Frontenacs probably have to play something on the order of .600 hockey over the duration of the season just to make the playoffs.

Frontenacs owner Doug Springer also outdid himself during a post-game interview with TV Cogeco hero Mark Potter following that win on Friday. Mercifully, it is not on YouTube, but Save The Fronts saw it and reports:
  • Springer insisted that, "Larry Mavety is a great hockey man, and I don’t think anyone would disagree with that." That is true, insofar as there is no one actually named Anyone ... however, as for everyone not named Anyone ...
  • Springer could not come up with an answer when asked what Mavety had brought to the table, lo, these past 11 seasons, issuing only the vague "we're looking to the future." Quoth the Fronts Savers,
    "If you can’t even come up with a single reason why the Mavesty has had a positive impact on this organization, you’re admitting that he’s been a failure.

    "It's like being asked 'do you think your habit of discarding lit matches on your wood floors might have contributed to your house fire?' and replying that since that’s in the past, and you’re looking to the future, it's irrelevant."
  • The owner could not name one of his assistant coaches, requiring Potter to say the magic words, "Darren Keily."
On the plus side, though, Belleville getting their arena refurbished.

Related:
$20M arena plan scores; City council votes 6-2 in favour of Yardmen renovation (Belleville Intelligencer)

3 comments:

Duane Rollins said...

I can't even begin to tell you how much this warms my heart. But, I want to see the construction start and be at the press conference when the words "Bulls never leaving Belleville" are uttered before getting too excited.

4,400 seats seems about right for Belleville...

Unknown said...

Wow, what a flashback. I spent a lot of time in Belleville, many, many years ago. Haven't heard a couple of those names in decades - can't believe they're still alive! Jack Miller! I was raised on CJBQ!! Bob Dolan, I spent many nights of my early adolesence bombed and underaged in his eponymous bar " Dolans ". Wow, time travel.

Duane Rollins said...

Pete,

I'm sure my underage ass stumbled around that bar a few times too...(albeit a couple years after you...sorry...). You might remember my grandfather's name--Lyle Langabeer--as he was on council from 1980-1990ish. He ran for mayor in 1978. Finished a close second to Ben Cork.