By TSM

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”

OR

what Joe Bowen wrote on Twitter recently.

Some days life deals you lemonade and some days it’s just lemons. Today I got dealt lemons. Hope we can turn it into lemonade — Joe Bowen (@BonsieTweets) September 26, 2015

Multiple sources are telling me that the direct result of the Toronto Maple Leafs banning Bowen and Ralph from team charters (along with TV folks) is that the radio crew will be left to call the games from a studio, here in Toronto, watching on tv!!!

Can you imagine the New York Yankees going on the road and their road play by play being done from a studio in New York????

What is this, the Durham Bulls???????

Apparently the cost for 2 guys to travel on their own when the Leafs are on the road is in excess of $200k. Neither Rogers nor Bell is willing to eat that cost, so right now, road games will be done from a studio in Toronto….

I’m told it’ a little bit of chicken right now, and of course this could change but as usual, it’s the Toronto Maple Leaf fans getting screwed.

Who is to blame?

I’d imagine we could start with Lou Lamoriello who is the one who likely kicked the broadcasters off the plane.

Oddly enough the team is owned by Rogers and Bell who split the radio rights. So you can continue the blame chain at those outlets.

I’d imagine neither station makes very much money off the radio games, especially when the team sucks as it has and will, so neither station wants to be saddled with the cost.

An insider suggested a compromise may be that the Leafs pick up the travel cost for the radio stations directly. That has yet to be offered up.

For now, take out the nickel and pay Jim and Joe at their lemonade stand!

Happy Sunday

TSM