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: September 08, 2025

tommybiden has posted 424 links and 4,443 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

Ken Dryden was a towering figure in the crease and a principled gentleman off the ice: Great athletes are uncommon. Great athletes who are also great people are rare as that rarest of birds, the Stresemann’s Bristlefront of Brazil. The Canadiens and the fans of Montreal are fortunate to have had two such men, Dryden and Jean Béliveau. Dryden was in the net in Moscow when Paul Henderson scored to give Canada the victory over Red Army in the greatest hockey series ever played.

posted by tommybiden to hockey at 05:47 PM on September 06, 2025 - 1 comment

Ottawa Senators, NCC complete sale agreement for 11 acres at LeBreton Flats.: Cyril Leeder (Senators C.E.O.): “There are still many more hurdles to clear, and we look forward to working with the NCC and other stakeholders to achieve our shared vision of creating an event centre at LeBreton Flats that can be enjoyed by our Ottawa-Gatineau community.”

posted by tommybiden to hockey at 03:14 PM on August 11, 2025 - 5 comments

Venezuelan Little League team forced to skip World Series after Trump denies visa for annual event: “The players are demoralized,” Cacique Mara wrote in a statement in Spanish on social media earlier this week. “The only thing that they know is baseball. They want to go to compete and put the name Venezuela and Latin American on high. They don’t represent any threat, they are 15-year-olds that want to win the world series.”

posted by tommybiden to baseball at 10:41 AM on July 29, 2025 - 2 comments

Ex-NHL enforcer breaks silence on viral golf course beatdown: 'This might be a blast': Nick Tarnasky became a viral sensation after adding some sound effects to his beatdown of a drunken instigator earlier this month and is finally sharing his side of the story on the wild scene

posted by tommybiden to hockey at 07:07 PM on July 15, 2025 - 5 comments

White Sox fan learns fate after reducing Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte to tears by mocking his dead mother: The Chicago White Sox and Major League Baseball have banned a 22-year-old man indefinitely after he taunted Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte over the two-time All-Star’s late mother.

posted by tommybiden to baseball at 03:11 PM on June 25, 2025 - 3 comments

Recent Comments

SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle

US Open ask broadcasters not to show any booing of Trump at Sinner vs Alcaraz

posted by tommybiden at 08:08 AM on September 07, 2025

Play SportsFilter's NFL Pickem

My picks:

Eagles by 15 (lock)
Chiefs by 3
Falcons by 3
Bengals by 5
Dolphins by 10 (lock)
Raiders by 2
Cardinals by 21 (lock)
Jets by 3
Commanders by 11 (lock)
Jaguars by 6
Broncos by 10 (lock)
49ers by 3
Lions by 9 (lock)
Texans by 1
Bills by 6
Bears by 5

posted by tommybiden at 05:33 PM on September 03, 2025

CFL Pickem Week 14: The Other Saturday Football

My picks:

Lions by 17 (lock)
Tiger-Cats by 14 (lock)
Blue Bombers by 16 (lock)
Stampeders by 15 (lock)

posted by tommybiden at 05:28 PM on September 03, 2025

Cowboys Trade Micah Parsons to Packers

Considering the situation seemed completely irreparable, is the return for Parsons awful?

It seems 'okay' to me.

posted by tommybiden at 07:30 AM on August 29, 2025

CFL Pickem Week 13: Happy Labour Day

Revised picks:

Elks by 8 (lock)

It's Road Warriors Labour Day Weekend

The Banjo Bowl

The Battle of the Q.E.W.

The Labour Day Classic

posted by tommybiden at 05:34 PM on August 28, 2025

CFL Pickem Week 13: Happy Labour Day

My picks:

Blue Bombers by 8 (lock)
Argonauts by 8 (lock)

posted by tommybiden at 05:32 PM on August 28, 2025

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

Amazing photo, Ufez

posted by tommybiden at 02:21 PM on August 27, 2025

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

Blue Jays fans break another Loonie Dog record at Rogers Centre

posted by tommybiden at 02:20 PM on August 27, 2025

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle

rcade, I'll be away from technology for most of the rest of the week, here are my picks, if we CFL Pick'Em this week

Winnipeg by 10

Ottawa by 3

B.C. by 10

Saskatchewan by 10

Lock 'em all

posted by tommybiden at 09:03 AM on August 19, 2025

CFL Pickem Week 11: The Week of Blown Locks

Tim Horton's is in Georgia?

Tim's is awful.

posted by tommybiden at 06:05 PM on August 16, 2025

CFL Pickem Week 11: The Week of Blown Locks

Tim Horton's is in Georgia?

Tim's is awful.

posted by tommybiden at 06:05 PM on August 16, 2025

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

Alejandro Kirk does it all as Blue Jays win comeback thriller to open series against Texas including his 1st career stolen base!

posted by tommybiden at 09:40 AM on August 16, 2025

CFL Pickem Week 11: The Week of Blown Locks

My picks:

Argonauts by 10 (lock)
Roughriders by 10 (lock)
Lions by 10 (lock)

posted by tommybiden at 05:45 PM on August 15, 2025

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

I see Tom Dundon is leading a group purchasing the Portland Trail Blazers.

Is this a good thing for the franchise and its fanbase?

posted by tommybiden at 02:34 PM on August 13, 2025

Ottawa Senators, NCC complete sale agreement for 11 acres at LeBreton Flats.

Though, the Ottawa PWHL club's facility is scheduled for renovations, shrinking capacity by over 2,000 seats.

The club regularly sells out or nearly so.

Oy.

posted by tommybiden at 07:52 PM on August 11, 2025