You know, I had this dream…… if we really wanted to get down and dirty in a trade war with the U.S., I wonder if it would be possible to take back north of the 49th parallel all the sports we are told were invented by Canadians but we graciously allowed the Americans to adopt, many of whom likely believe these things came out of the good old USA in the first place. Let’s start with repatriating basketball, invented by Ontario-born James Naismith. Think how popular the new Canadian Elite League would be, although of course the Toronto Raptors would clean up. Better yet, what if we take back gridiron football, North American style? I wonder how many Americans would be shocked to know that “their” game was the result of Canadian rules from 1874? Dare I talk baseball? Apparently it’s a myth that American Abner Doubleday invented the game in 1839. There was a baseball game played in Beachville, Ontario a year earlier in 1838. 5-pin bowling was invented in 1909 in Toronto by Thomas Ryan. And of course everyone, with the possible exception of a few Americans who don’t care anyway, knows hockey came from Canada even with the vast majority of teams U.S. based. OK, end of dream. Naturally we can’t get rid of the NFL, and all U.S. teams in the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball but maybe we could launch some kind of Founding Rights lawsuit to charge them some kind of performing rights fee? Remember, I said it was just a dream.

That’s Coffeetalk. I’m Vic Dubois.