Unfortunately for the Blue Jays’ Vlad Guerrero Jr., his cringeworthy controversial quote (“The money they paid me wasn’t for what I’m going to do. It’s for what I already did.”) — which he actually reaffirmed when given a chance to explain — will overshadow his accomplishments for the rest of his life.
asserted
he → pay → life
That quote now joins the list of the most emblematic statements made by a fabulously wealthy and privileged person that reveals a shocking lack of character and outsized sense of entitlement.
asserted
that → join → entitlement
Someone needs to put a banner in the dugout with Joe Dimaggio’s answer when a reporter asked why he plays so hard: “Because there is always some kid who may be seeing me for the first time.
uncertain
who → need → time
I owe him my best.”
asserted
I → owe → best
Nancy Miller, Toronto
Vlad can expect plenty of boo birds next season
Vlad Guerrero Jr.‘s recent interview stating the $500-million (U.S.) contract he signed was for what he “already did” not for “what I am going to do” will be hard to swallow by fans and Blue Jays brass alike.
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I → expect → fans
Anybody in their right mind would realize the half-billion deal was in anticipation of the best yet to come.
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deal → realize → best
Well, his offensive numbers were dismal and his home power all but evaporated this season.
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power → evaporate → ?
On top of that he hit into 20 double plays, fourth-worst in the majors this year.
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he → hit → majors
I hope (since he can afford it) he hires the best hitting coaches this off-season to master the art of adjusting to pitchers who have adjusted to him.
asserted
who → hope → him
He might also work on sprinting hard in 90-foot bursts to first base.
uncertain
He → work → base
Guerrero would have been mercilessly booed this year had he played in New York or Philadelphia.
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he → boo → York
David Maki, Toronto
It’s the fans who end up paying for these contracts
I was very disappointed in Vladdy’s recent observation his $500-million contract was based on what he has done in the past.
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he → ’ → past
While disconcerting, I think it’s important to note what he said is unfortunately the truth in Major League Baseball and most professional sports today.
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said → think → Baseball
The owners, desperate for a winning team, offer exorbitant contracts to players based on what they have achieved in the past with the hope it will continue in the future.
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it → win → future
If that player disappoints and does not deliver as expected they can continue to cash in their big paycheque with no consequences whatsoever.
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they → disappoint → consequences
In reality, they are being paid for the past, not the present.
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they → pay → past
So why do I care?
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I → care → ?
Well, as a long time Blue Jays fan I have seen ticket prices increase considerably over the years to the point where it has become unaffordable for a family of four to attend a game.
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family → see → game
I understand it’s the owners who are responsible for this craziness, but it’s the paying customers that ultimately pay the price.
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that → understand → price
Navdeep Bains is not the answer for Ontario’s Liberal party
As the Ontario Liberal Party looks to rebuild, selecting Navdeep Bains as its next leader would be a mistake.
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selecting → look → leader
Ontarians need a leader who can immediately hold the Doug Ford government accountable inside Queen’s Park.
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government → need → Park
Choosing Bains — a former federal minister who currently lacks a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario — repeats the exact structural flaw that doomed the party’s two previous leaders, Steven Del Duca and Bonnie Crombie.
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that → choose → leaders
Leading from the sidelines leaves a party invisible in daily debate and severely outmatched on the legislative floor.
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Leading → lead → floor
Toby Carr, Scarborough
Meta cancels accounts without explanation
asserted
Meta → cancel → explanation
The Star report on how Meta/Facebook cancels accounts for no good reason is both alarming and dangerous for democracy.
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Facebook → cancel → democracy
My Facebook account was cancelled a year ago for no good reason, other than saying I had violated community standards.
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I → cancel → standards
But I was not told what community standard I had violated.
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I → tell → standard
I was also informed I could appeal my case if I sent Facebook a recent headshot and proof of identity in the form of pictures of my driver’s licence, passport, marriage certificate, official name change paperwork, voter ID, tribal ID, status card, immigration papers, tax identification card and Visa.
uncertain
I → inform → licence
Considering Facebook sells this kind of information to advertisers and unknown buyers to boost their billion-dollar profits, I didn’t want to send my personal information to the AI machine giving me orders.
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I → consider → orders
So I lost my Facebook account, for no good reason, and I also lost 10 years of work I had spent building a community of friends, with no real means of finding out why.
asserted
I → lose → means
For this reason I now hate Facebook, and hope someday Canada will create its own social media network, manned by people with bigger hearts and saner heads than the billionaires who run Facebook.
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who → hate → Facebook
Max Moore, Toronto
Privatization will have minimal impact on airline decisions
While polls are useful when the respondents are well-versed in the issues, I doubt this is the case with the poll on airport privatization cited in the article.
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this → have → article
Airlines make decisions to their route structure based on the viability of a service, not the management structure of airports.
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Airlines → make → airports
A city of a 100,000 people cannot expect to have the same route structure as a city of 500,000, or several millions as is case in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).
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city → expect → Toronto
Airport privatization will have little, if any, influence over airlines’ decisions.
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privatization → have → decisions
In 2025 Air Canada expanded with over 30 news routes.
asserted
Canada → expand → routes
And a few weeks ago, it announced more expansion with new services to Guangzhou, China from its trans-Pacific hub in Vancouver; to Oslo, Shanghai and Guatemala City from its global hub in Toronto; and to Basel, Switzerland; Dubrovnik, Croatia from Montreal.
asserted
it → announce → Montreal
System-wide airport and navigation fees comprised only about 7 per cent of Air Canada’s total operating expenses in 2025.
asserted
fees → comprise → 2025
The Aporia
