Mailing It In...

This is pure, unadulterated comedy TV.

It’s that week where, well let’s face, everyone who watches SportsCentre in Canada is in mourning. Why? Because Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole are, to put it in their own words, ‘Mailing it In.’

Ten hilarious years on the job anchoring SportsCentre and while everyone seems to have fond memories of the dynamic duo, I don’t.

And why?

Because I grew up many a mile away, where the only sports that seemed to ever be on TV was cricket. And more cricket.

But this isn’t me complaining. This is just me enjoying the ride I had watching Jay and Dan since late 2011, and yes trying to model a little bit of my sportscasts on what they do. Sure, it’s a lot easier to be outlandish when you’re on TV because, face it; you don’t have to describe everything like you do on the radio.

I wish I had the ability to say I remember what Jay and Dan did back in 2004, around the time Anchorman came out. I would have been around 12 then, an age when well, you remember stuff you did. I still know what I did back in 2002 for the most part, but in this case, I don’t since I wasn’t around.

And while people call Jay and Dan’s move to Los Angeles and to FOX Sports as the “Wayne Gretzky trade” all over again, it’s not difficult to see why they moved. Surely, when you’re pushing 40 that’s the age to move and discover sunny skies and golden beaches, rather than look back two decades later and wonder what might have been.

And what does this departure mean for TSN as a whole? That’s just one of the questions that now arise. How will TSN deal with their loss? Will Jay and Dan succeed in the U.S?  And of course the big one - Who will replace Jay and Dan at TSN?

Sure TSN’s next anchors, whoever they maybe, will have tons to live up to, and I’m sure they will. But for budding sportscasters like me, and probably several hundreds more in the country, the departure could mean an opening somewhere in the organization.

O’Toole and Onrait, and yes I used their surnames for a change, did perhaps the right thing by moving on. It’s what they feel was best for them. And to me personally, that's the way to do it. And in this crazy industry, we call journalism, there’s one thing that’s always constant – Change!

Prior to Jay and Dan I hear that sports news was delivered much like hard news, serious and informed, with not much personality and or witty, sarcastic remarks. So there’s that, a complete and radical transformation brought about by these two unique personalities and by Ron Burgundy to some degree as well, but mostly, Jay and Dan.

Something to live up to? Yes.

So if Jay and Dan were to ever read this someday, thanks for all the memories, albeit it was just for a couple of years. And while most of them are in the form of YouTube clips, I’ve got something to work towards in the future.

"Ya blew it!"

No, not yet.

 And I'll leave you with one of my personal favourites from what I remember watching on TV.