TrueBlue

There are a 4 or 5 that I have as my "regulars" but I often like to try a different one every couple of weeks.

The sad thing is we're really not. As good as those places are and as many new ones are coming we're still so far behind provinced like BC, Ontario and Quebec that it's not even funny. Phillips is probably my favorite brewery and they're based out in BC ... Really wish I had access to more of their stuff. Really like Parallel 49 too, based out there. Phillips Blue Buck is pretty good for sure and I know they had an ISA or something that I quite enjoyed. Granville Island was bought by a big brewer but they have some good stuff as well that is pretty widely available (English Bay Pale Ale being my favourite) It's nuts though, been to BC a few times over the summer and there are so many more options available that just don't have the distribution out of province. Vancouver is littered with breweries that I'd never heard of before. Luckily the Alberta government is making it easier for Alberta Breweries to grow without penalizing them heavily so hopefully that will let some of the brands that aren't Bigrock spread across the prairies. I love me some Bigrock don't get me wrong but most of their selection is based around the Traditional and it seems that the English style brown ales don't get enough love from the craft beer world. I'd love to see WildRose get some more exposure and maybe start bottling the damned SOB or Wred Wheat again rather than making me drive all the way to their brewery to get it. Blue Buck isn't sold here but I had one last week in Toronto and I really enjoyed it. I really liked their Super Cooper Anniversary Ale, Electric Unicorn White IPA, Octofox IPA and Green Reaper IPA as well. Good choices for what I like in an IPA although I haven't tried their Imperial yet and I have yet to pick up their Hopbox. Their Snowcase advent calendar comes out tomorrow and I'm picking one up (24 new beers for Christmas!) - really would like to try that WCPA they have too. Haven't really liked much coming out of the Granville Island offerings. Have you tried anything from Muskoka? They're very hit and miss for me. If you like Phillips, try out the Hoperation Triple Cross. It's an IPA, but tastes more like a witbier. The only thing I've tried from Muskoka is their Detour IPA. It was okay. Too much of a citrus taste. Probably would be better the second time around.

One things for certain, we're living in the golden age of Canadian beer, there has never been so much choice. Hard to believe 25 years ago Canadians were basically restricted to the products of 2-3 breweries. Harder to believe now, every time I get in line to pay for beer invariably the guys in front and behind me have cases of Bud. On a scale of good beer, Bud has always fallen into the piss-poor strata. Goes to show the power of marketing overwhelms the power to think with one's brain. I would agree marketing overwhelms and I don't think that's just in regards to brands like Bud, etc. Even in the craft beer market, marketing plays a major part. The main reason I found out I liked breweries like Phillips, Parallel 49 or even Barkerville is that their labeling caught my eye. Even breweries like Rogue that have select offerings in Manitoba are majorly popular just because of their unique branding. Took me a lot longer to catch onto other breweries such as Lake of Bays, simply because when you're not sure what you're looking for, you're not going to go for the product that looks boring. When I started into craft beers, I just always went into LCs with an open mind to find something that catches my eye. After being burnt too many times, now I always need to have at least a couple of ideas for what I am looking for.

Lots of fun speculation happening around here. It'll be even more fun once we here some actual candidates' names in a month or so.

I'm sure if we signed Getzlaf that people here would be happy.

I just want Pszczonak to do something just so that they have to pronounce his name.

On the third steamboat.

No Brodeur-Jordain on the list. Perrett got both MOC and MOL for the Als. My bad, I saw an internal list that had LBJ instead of Perrett.

My predictions, for the hell of it: Burris over BL Mitchell Bighill over Venable Westerman over Sinopoli Olafioye over Perrett Logan over Peredes Walker over Hazelton

First thing I noticed, how does Luc Brodeur-Jordain get MOC, while Jeff Perrett gets MOL? They're both linemen and they're both Canadian....

I'd want Lirim back.

Hard to say. If that ends up being the case, then what do Hamilton and Ottawa do to when they want to host? Even if you added temp seating to THF or TD Place, it would be hard for them to crack anywhere near 35,000. Don't forget that there is a movement to make Skydome (Rogers Centre) a baseball only venue which means no football, so any future Grey Cups in Toronto would have to be played at BMO field. They've said BMO field can expand to 40,000 for Grey Cup. Whether that is actually true remains to be seen.

Hard to say. If that ends up being the case, then what do Hamilton and Ottawa do to when they want to host? Even if you added temp seating to THF or TD Place, it would be hard for them to crack anywhere near 35,000.

Lots of planning went into not only ticket sales to the game, but also the events during Grey Cup week, all which have exceeded budgeted expectations. The gala dinner alone will be the largest indoor banquet ever held in Winnipeg with over 200 tables sold. So what has hurt the football club in ticket sales to the game so far, has been made up and then some with the huge response to the festival events. I don't think there is any concern with the amount of revenue the football club will earn, which is a big win for this organization.

Because that's what it is. This place will hold just over 36,000 on the 29th.

That's the spirit!

Realistically you aren't going to get an act that appeases everyone. There are those that will complain, those that will announce their excitement, and the majority that may or may not think it's ideal but will enjoy the show for what it is: a 12-15 minute act that is meant to entertain and get the crowd watching having a good time, which Fall Out Boy should do just fine.

Considering it was going to be Shawn Mendes not too long ago, I'd say we lucked out.

This announcement did it for you, eh?

The name has been said here. I'll leave it at that.

It's a band. I'm calling Hedley. A little while ago I said they weren't Canadian.

It's a band.

If anything, you'd have to think that a successful Ottawa franchise will only help the possibilities of a future team in The Maritimes. So if that's what it does, go REDBLACKS.

So a would be defender would be penalized for using his arms/hands to trip up a QB trying to escape the pocket?

Sorry to those hoping, but it ain't the Foo Fighters. If you haven't heard yet, the announcement's coming tomorrow at noon.