* LES GLORIEUX, THE DEPARTED and BOY GEORGE

Les Glorieux are for sale, they might soon be departed and Boy George is heading out of town. Board up the windows everyone. Chain down everything that can be used as a projectile in a riot. Move your cars from Ste Catherine's Street to the west island, Shuttle Bus the street walkers to Laval. Shut down all the gas stations, call up the National Guard (wait we don't have a National Guard) ok, ok, call in the Surete de Quebec reinforcements from ST Louis de HA HA (they'll be here in 3 days).Whats going on? THE CANADIENS ARE FOR SALE! Oh my God!

People will be jumping from their office windows in the Place Ville Marie Tower. The girls at WANDA'S are applying for jobs in Fort McMurry. The analysts from RDS, 110% and Anti Chambre are already applying to TSN (Toronto Sports Network). Benoit Brunet is changing in those gay glasses for some contact lenses. Dave Morissette is applying to the WWE (the only job he might actually be qualified for).Michel Bergeron is checking with his Hollywood contacts to see what the chances of landing a part in ''LES BOYS'' Part whatever. Bertrand Raymond is considering going to work for the anti suicide hotline (business will pick up with the sale). Yes Folks its pandemonium in Montreal.

I am always slightly amused, perplexed, frightened, bewildered and down right fascinated when things go horribly wrong with ''Les Glorieux''. Nowhere in the northern hemisphere do people take a sport more seriously (alright there was some place in South America where they killed a soccer player for letting in a goal) but truly no where in the normal world (wait did i just say Montreal was normal).OK hang on, i'm all over the map with this article so far. Well quite fitting with the way the Canadiens have been for the last ?? years. Anyways friends are any of you really surprised to hear that the king of companies is looking to potentially sell his franchise. I mean we are talking about junk bond king Gillette, (Boy George) 1992 Chapter 11 champion. New majority owner of the Liverpool soccer team. The King of Ski hills. Did anyone really think this guy was serious about ''LES CANADIENS''

Oh yes, yes, there will be those of you who will start writing me to tell me all the wonderful things BOY GEORGE has done for hockey in Montreal. What a good businessman he is and how we were fortunate to have him as an owner. Well let me just tell those 4 people (his Kids) right off the bat; don't bother writing i won't publish your comments..i mean geez, common. Ah there i go again i regress. The truth is BOY GEORGE is a business man and any good chapter 11 champion will tell you he knows when to get out of Dodge..ER..Montreal. He sees the writing clearly now; failure, no playoffs and Russian mafia combined to break this camels back. The talking heads that are the quote, unquote gods of hockey in this town just didn't know when to shut the hell up.

To quote Dwayne ''The Rock'' Johnson, ''IT DOESN'T MATTER who you are''. The years have ticked off the scoreboard in this town. History can only hold you over, can only carry you for so long (unless of course your a Maple Leafs fan..in which case your just a sadist). The media here, the talking heads, the ex coaches, ex players have been so delusional for so long that they in some way convinced themselves that THEY were the Franchise. That it was them and not the actual owner who would decide the outcome of this team. OH, make no mistake, over the next few months these talking heads will talk even louder, as loud as they can to make sure that the French Canadian heritage is defended, they will demand french ownership, they will tell everyone how no American, or Englishman can actually appreciate the French suffering, they will BLAH BLAH BLAH us to death with it all. More coverage will be dedicated to this issue then the local poutine competition in Lac St Jean. The talking heads will completely ignore the true ownership history of this club (see my blog ''Canadiens the new Toronto Maple Leafs'' article for a refresher). These media pie-holes will do everything they can to influence the naive band wagon hoppers, the ''historyclingers'' and the sentimental swoons that their team is really their team and that they are rightfully entitled to some type of voice on the future of this team. If it wasn't all so funny it would be funny.

In my mind i would like nothing better then to see this team leave this town (my Dad just rolled over in his grave). Death threats will start to pour in. What i say here i say because it needs to be said, only if to make everyone appreciate what we truly have here. You see friends for way to long we have been lulled into a sense of entitlement. The talking heads have for way to long had many people here actually believing that this team does belong to us. It doesn't! The moments, the history, the accomplishments, the heart breaking lows, the breath stopping highs, those belong to us, but they don't give us ownership they give us memories. There unto itself is part of the biggest problem of this franchise and anyone who might even contemplate purchasing it. With any great success comes an even greater desire for greater success. In the case of the Canadiens history has become their greatest enemy.

Hockey isn't what it was in the 50's, 60's or 70's with expansion came profitability, came big business, came sponsorship and corporate boxes. Came ticket prices that excluded the core supporters of the sport; the father with his children enjoying and passing on the torch of their hero's. With the change came expectations of winning all the time or at the very least giving the impression of winning. The sport took a complete turn from what brought it to its heights. The reason rabid fans of Montreal truly believe they have ownership is because back then those players were part of the landscape, part of the fabric of the city. they were working class hero's on a pedestal so high that they could have shook hands with God. But the players back then understood their role, understood the great responsibility. Today the millionaire's and their agents go from free agency to free agency without the slightest regard for history or tradition. The Canadiens PR department has done a wonderful job over the decades at keeping the luster, the dream, the idea of what this team was supposed to be alive. Without them they would be just another team in just another town. Look at the 100th year celebration, the all star game, the throw back uniforms, the plaza garnished with bricks and statues. Its all about heritage but if anything its more about memories

Over the next few months everyone from the Premier to the Prime minster, to potentially the Pope himself will be forced to pipe in on the subject. Irked on by a rabid media that would not know how to go on if the Canadiens were to ever leave. Now many of you are saying forget it Rob, it will never happen; this team will never be allowed to leave this town. Maybe your right, but you know what? Money talks and bullsh..ah...this team doesn't play. There are simply not that many dollars ready to step forward to inherit this disaster (estimated to be worth approx $415 million including the Bell Centre). The risk is not what it used to be, the luster is not as polished, there are no banners hanging since 1993. This team has more negatives then positives. There is a reason Briere, Lecavalier, Sundin, etc, etc. don't play here. You also best believe that even in this depressed economy there is some business man in some town like Hamilton, Seattle, and believe it or not Winnipeg that would love to have a shot at owning the most storied sports franchise in North America. If i was a rabid fan I'd be checking real estate in some of the above mentioned towns cause the party no matter how enticing, entertaining and downright fun its been for the last 100 years might actually be ending. NA NA NA NA...NA NA NA NA...HEY HEY HEY...GOODBYE.

Robbie