tommybiden's profile

tommybiden
7631
Name: Thomas
Location: London, Ontario, Canada
Gender: Male
Social Media Account: thowden@rogers.com (AIM)
Member since: January 30, 2006
Last visit: March 30, 2025

tommybiden has posted 416 links and 4,356 comments to SportsFilter and 0 links and 278 comments to the Locker Room.

Sports Bio

I have two favourite sporting events. One as an adult and the other as a child. The most entertaining sporting event I ever saw as an adult was January 9, 1986. Toronto Maple Leafs at home versus the Edmonton Oilers, 99, Mess, Coffey, and the rest of the boys. At this point in my life I had seasons tickets for the Leafs, I lived in London Ontario, about 2 hrs west of Toronto and as a result sold most of my seats to friends who lived closer to Toronto. I kept tickets for 5 or six games that year and thankfully that was one of them. The Leafs led 5-1 at the end of the first period. The Oilers tied the game at 6, and early in the 3rd, Edmonton led 8-7. Final score 11-9 Toronto! We almost blew the roof off the Carlton Street Cashbox that night. When I was only 7 years old, living near Toronto, my mother and father threw us kids into the car, drove us to Malton (now Pearson) International Airport. From there, we flew to Montreal, Mom, Dad, my 3 sisters, my brother and I. We watched the Expos play the Astros in a double header. We picniced in the park outside Jarry Park before the games, went for a swim in the pool just beyond the right field fence, and most importantly got Rusty Staub's autograph. I still have it! We flew back to Toronto the same night, we even got to go sit in the cockpit of the Air Canada jet. That's something that wouldn't happen today! It was the first time any of us, my parents included, had been on a plane. Way too cool. I've seen the Leafs 4 times at the Air Canada Centre, each time as the guest of friends in their private box. It's the only way to fly, if you can afford it. I've seen plenty of NFL games in Detroit and Buffalo, C.F.L. games in Olympic Stadium, Frank Clair Stadium, C.N.E. Stadium and Skydome(Rogers Centre). My family had seasons seats for the Blue Jays for the first 8 years of their existence. I could only guess at how many games I attended, maybe 350? I go to Rogers Centre a couple of times a year for Jays games now, and Comerica Park to see the Tigers at least once a season. I've been to a Toronto Rock lacrosse game, entirely too much fun and entertainment. I've seen 2 N.B.A. games live, the Raptors home opener in MoPete's rookie season, and at The Palace of Auburn Hills, against the 76'ers, on the night the Pistons honoured Chuck Daly. My two sports loves are the Toronto Maple Leafs and the late, lamented Montreal Expos. May The 'Spo's rest in peace. Damn you Jeffrey Loria, Bud Selig, and the rest of you baseball bastards.

Recent Links

‘Our staff made a mistake’: Toronto Blue Jays fan tossed from Rogers Centre for sporting ‘Canada is not for sale’ hat: Etobicoke resident Dan Begley was supposed to be at the Rogers Centre on Thursday afternoon watching the Jays home opener with two of his buddies. Instead, the longtime fan said he was “escorted out of the stadium by two big security guards” just moments after the game began due to his choice of headwear. For today’s game, Begley, who is 70, wore a Blue Jays hoodie and a red ballcap with the slogan, “Canada is not for sale.”

posted by tommybiden to baseball at 09:25 PM on March 27, 2025 - 3 comments

George Foreman, heavyweight boxer who became lovable champion, dies at 76: George Foreman, the fearsome heavyweight who lost the “Rumble in the Jungle” to Muhammad Ali before his inspiring second act as a 45-year-old champion and a successful businessman, died Friday night. He was 76.

posted by tommybiden to boxing at 09:24 AM on March 22, 2025 - 3 comments

Canadian soccer coach Marsch tells Trump to 'lay off ridiculous rhetoric' of Canada as 51st state: Canada soccer coach Jesse Marsch waded into politics Wednesday, telling United States President Donald Trump to "lay off the ridiculous rhetoric about Canada being a 51st state." The 51-year-old Marsch, a former U.S. international who was born in Racine, Wisc., made his comments at a CONCACAF news conference at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., the site of next month's CONCACAF Nations League Finals featuring Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Panama

posted by tommybiden to culture at 06:07 PM on February 27, 2025 - 1 comment

Vancover Canucks trade J.T. Miller to Rangers, and more: J.T. Miller has been dealt by the Vancouver Canucks to the New York Rangers for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini and a first-round pick. In a second trade Vancouver picks up another Pettersson in a deal with Pittsburgh

posted by tommybiden to hockey at 08:57 AM on February 01, 2025 - 3 comments

Avalanche trades Mikko Rantanen to Carolina Hurricanes as part of blockbuster three-team deal: The man they call “Moose” has left the Rocky Mountains for Tobacco Road. The Colorado Avalanche traded Mikko Rantanen, one of the top goal scorers in team history and a key member of the 2022 Stanley Cup title team, Friday night to the Carolina Hurricanes in one of the most seismic transactions since the franchise moved to Denver. Colorado received Martin Necas, Jack Drury, a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft and a fourth-round selection in 2026 from the Hurricanes as part of a three-team deal announced late Friday night. Former league MVP Taylor Hall also went from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Hurricanes as part of the blockbuster.

posted by tommybiden to hockey at 10:54 AM on January 25, 2025 - 6 comments

Recent Comments

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

I am also not seeing them.

posted by tommybiden at 12:10 PM on March 27, 2025

Celtics Sold For $6.1 Billion

Thank you for this, Howard.

Love the detailed breakdown, from a deep Celtics fan.
There's an upcoming consolidation of MLSE in Toronto.
Rogers *not rcade*, is buying out Bell's stake.
Larry Tanenbaum is expected to divest his share in the company as well.

Toronto sports fans are ..... unsure about these developments.

posted by tommybiden at 09:57 AM on March 21, 2025

March Madness is Here

I'm in! Thank you for doing this, rcade!

posted by tommybiden at 11:21 AM on March 17, 2025

John Feinstein dies at age 69

.

posted by tommybiden at 09:00 AM on March 15, 2025

SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle

Last night, Nikola Joki scored a triple double before half time. He then went on and nabbed *another* triple double before the end of the game. A double triple double?

Isn't that this week's special at In~N~Out?

posted by tommybiden at 01:02 PM on March 10, 2025

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

Hamilton Tiger-Cats win day with wonderful tweet

posted by tommybiden at 04:39 PM on March 06, 2025

Former NFL Punter Chris Kluwe Arrested for Civil Disobedience

I knew I liked Kluwe for some reason.

posted by tommybiden at 06:02 PM on February 21, 2025

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

I'm Canadian, I can only speak for myself. I do not know what I'd do were I at the game.

I'm not embarrassed by what fans did, we have freedom of expression in this country. Is it ideal? No. Fracturing a friendship, a trust that has existed for well over 150 years between the two nations is significantly more disturbing.

I fully understand the booing, harmless compared to threatening a nation's sovereignty.

Canadians as a group are justifiably angry. It seems the country has galvanized, united in a way I honestly cannot remember ever before.

posted by tommybiden at 04:22 PM on February 16, 2025

NHL 4 Nations Face-Off

I'll watch some of these games but yeah, as mainly a hockey fan, I don't really feel the hype and I don't think the winner is going to be in any sense a legendary team talked about decades from now, unlike most Olympics or World Cup or Canada Cup winners.

This, exactly.

I popped in/out on the Sweden/Canada game last night. I'm sure I'll look in on tonight's game. It's great hockey, without a doubt. I don't imagine the Golden Knights or Shea Theodore are loving this tournament right now. He's out for the balance of the series, and who knows how much longer.

posted by tommybiden at 04:39 PM on February 13, 2025

NFL Playoff Pickem: Super Bowl

Well shit, I was sure I'd clicked Eagles locked, oh well....

posted by tommybiden at 08:36 PM on February 09, 2025

NFL Playoff Pickem: Super Bowl

My picks:

Chiefs by 7 (lock)
Passer: Jalen Hurts
Rusher: Barkley
Receiver: A.J. Brown
Player with interception: Sydney Brown
Player with sack: Jalen Carter
Player with first turnover: Mahomes
Super Bowl MVP: Barkley
Tiebreaker: March 18th 2025

posted by tommybiden at 10:02 AM on February 09, 2025

Vancover Canucks trade J.T. Miller to Rangers, and more

All Pettersson's, all the time.

posted by tommybiden at 09:46 AM on February 01, 2025

NHL 4 Nations Face-Off

Without a doubt, it'll be good hockey.

I'm a Maple Leafs fan, Auston Matthews has been banged up all year. He's captaining the u.s. team, I'd rather see him rest & recover from a few aches. i fully understand why russia isn't in the tournament, but why aren't Czech Republic and Slovakia? Or, like that tourney a few years ago, have a 5th club, a World club for those not from the nations already in.

posted by tommybiden at 08:01 AM on February 01, 2025

NHL 4 Nations Face-Off

I'm a 'fairly serious' hockey fan. I have next to zero interest in this tournament. I'd rather the players on the team I cheer for in the NHL weren't playing.

posted by tommybiden at 09:58 PM on January 31, 2025

SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle

Marc-Andre Fleury plays his (likely) final game in Montreal.
The entire YouTube clip is worthwhile but if in a hurry, start at the 3:45 mark

posted by tommybiden at 08:07 PM on January 31, 2025