As a teen, I played a lot of tennis. I used to follow tennis pretty closely, rooting for John McEnroe then Boris Becker. I always held out hope Canada could develop a top notch mens singles player. We never did.

Canada's inability to produce a single excellent men's singles tennis player is mind boggling. There have been a few decent female players, and at least a couple of excellent doubles players, but not one male player who could even upset their way into a semi-final match. The highest ranking Canadian male in singles play was Andrew Sznajder who somehow got ranked #46 in September 1989. You're forgiven if you've forgotten about Andrew Sznajder.

We've done okay with doubles, however. Grant Connell reached #1 back in 1995 and Daniel Nestor won Wimbledon earlier today with Nenad Zimonjić. Nestor has had a great career, winning 5 Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal. Still, a decent singles competitor eludes us, although we came close...

I seem to recall a young Montreal-born player with promise. His name was Greg Rusedski, as I recall, but in 1995 he decided he could make more money as a Brit. He actually got to the US Open final in 1997, but he was wearing the wrong flag on his backpack.

Will there ever be an elite male singles tennis player from this country?

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Steve "Air" McNair was 36. He quarterbacked the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens to success in the National Football League, winning the NFL MVP award in 2003 and starting Super Bowl XXXIV.

I really liked Air McNair's game. He, of course, was the Titans QB during the Music City Miracle game against the Buffalo Bills that broke my heart and irrevocably turned me off the NFL. I wrote more about that game here.

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Happy Independence Day to my American friends and readers. Here are all the American songs in my MP3 collection.

• American Jesus - Bad Religion
• Look Inside America - Blur
• American Skin (41 Shots) - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
• American Dream - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
• Young Americans - David Bowie
• Real American - Derringer
• American Pie - Don McLean
• The New American Way - Dropkick Murphys
• American Without Tears - Elvis Costello
• An American Trilogy - Elvis Presley
• White America - Eminem
• American Boy - Estelle
• Song From An American Movie Pt. 1 - Everclear
• America The Beautiful - Frank Sinatra
• American Honky-Tonk Bar Association - Garth Brooks
• We're An American Band - Grand Funk
• American Eulogy - Green Day
• Last Of The American Girls - Green Day
• American Idiot - Green Day
• American Woman - Guess Who
• Lost My America - I Mother Earth
• Wild America - Iggy Pop
• Flightless Bird, American Mouth - Iron And Wine
• Two Cool Guys (Theme from Beavis and Butthead Do America) - Isaac Hayes
• Living In America - James Brown
• Bleed American - Jimmy Eat World
• American Bad Ass - Kid Rock
• Kids in America - Kim Wilde
• American Woman - Lenny Kravitz
• Radio America - Libertines
• The Beautiful American - Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington
• Journey Through America - Louis Clark Conducting The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
• Hooked on America - Louis Clark Conducting The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
• North American for Life - Matthew Good
• Bluestime In America - Michael Hill's Blues Mob
• American Way - Nas
• America - Neil Diamond
• America The Beautiful - Neil Young
• Franco Unamerican - NOFX
• America the Beautiful - Ray Charles
• The Great American Nightmare - Rob Zombie
• American Roulette - Robbie Robertson
• An American Draft Dodger In Thunder Bay - Sam Roberts
• America - Santana
• America - Simon and Garfunkel
• The American - Simple Minds
• Breakfast In America - Supertramp
• America, Fuck Yeah - Team America
• America, Fuck Yeah (Bummer Remix) - Team America
• The Team America March - Team America
• L'America - The Doors
• American Woman - The Guess Who
• Americana - The Offspring
• The Body of an American - The Pogues
• American Rock And Roll - The Righteous Brothers
• Last American Exit - The Tragically Hip
• American Girl - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
• American Psycho - Treble Charger
• Elvis Presley and America - U2
• The Hands That Built America (Theme From Gangs Of New York) - U2
• American Man - Velvet Revolver
• American Music - Violent Femmes
• America Is - Violent Femmes
• American Gigolo - Weezer
• Surf Wax America - Weezer
• America - West Side Story

That would make one hell of an American playlist. I'm going to sync the iPod right now and go for a stroll.

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I wrote about our garbage strike on day one and again when the city decided to make my favourite park a temporary dump, but for the most part I've been quiet on the subject.

I've discovered the best way to deal with Toronto garbage strike. I've sent my wife and kids out of town.

It turns out I don't produce garbage on my own. It's true, I've produced only a minuscule amount of recyclables and just a little organic waste. It seems my wife and kids were responsible for 99% of the garbage, recycling and green bin waste we were producing each week.

Bachelor Mike could easily coast through the summer without sanitation services. It's shockingly easy.

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Who does Jonas Gustavsson think he is? Not only does he get the coolest nickname ever, but he's holding off on making his decision as to which NHL team he'll suit up for next season. All this from an undrafted goalie.

The Best Goaltender Outside the NHL™ will likely choose between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Dallas Stars. He might decide tomorrow, or he might keep us waiting Sundin-style.

I need The Monster here just so I can cheer on someone named The Monster. It's not only fun to say, it's fun to type, too.

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Toronto Argonaut slotback Arland Bruce scored the Argos first touchdown of the season on Wednesday, on a 21-yard pass from Kerry Joseph. Then, he paid tribute to Michael Jackson by removing his helmet, shoulder pads and uniform top, then laid down in the end zone.

Here's the controversial celebration:

Remember when guys like Jim Brown, Walter Payton and Barry Sanders refused to celebrate touchdowns? They acted like they've been in the end zone before, and they'd be there again.

But heck, Arland Bruce's MJ tribute was pretty tame compared to his Spider-Man routine last season.

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If my wife comes home with coffee that isn't fresh, I spank her. I'm sure other husbands do the same. It's the fear of stern spanking that sells Chase & Sanborn coffee.

14 other creepy vintage ads can be found right here.

I feel sorry for this little dude who used the wrong soap.

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I'm submitting a song for SLS22 consideration. I'm submitting "21 Guns" by Green Day.

Green Day's "Know Your Enemy" was noticeably absent from the recently unveiled SLS21. I didn't mind it, but I thought it was a little too "American Idiot" and I know these guys can do better. "21 Guns" is a great deal better.

Although I won't see it for a year, I hear this song is prominently featured in the critically lambasted Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

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During the summer months, softball or slo-pitch are my participation sports of choice. For years and years I've played in at least two leagues, averaging about three games a week these days. I'd guesstimate I've played over 250 games this decade, but one game six years ago has provided me with the best story.

Six years ago, on Canada Day, I played a softball game against Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys fame. You can read all about it in this six-year old entry.

Enough time has passed that I can call out Nick Carter on being a brutal ball player. That's right girls, your teen crush couldn't catch a ball to save his life.

I just had to get that off my chest. Carry on...

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I share an MP3 from my collection every Wednesday. You have seven days to grab this week's MP3. Please right-click your mouse and select "Save Link As..." or "Save target as..." so you can download it to your PC before playing.

Band of Horses - The Funeral
With all the free agent signings yesterday, I completely forgot the weekly MP3. Here it is a mere day late.

I'm sure you've all heard "The Funeral" by Band of Horses before, but just in case it's eluded a few of you, I urge you to download this MP3 and give it a listen. It's a fantastic tune.

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Damian Cox giveth, taketh away, and returneth the Kubina to Atlanta trade. But it's not the deal we were teased with, Kubina for Colby Armstrong, but instead it's Pavel Kubina and the rights to forward Tim Stapleton for defenceman Garnet Exelby and winger Colin Stuart.

This is clearly a move to make cap space. I'm not a fan of the bodies we're getting back for Kubina, but I understand the money we save will help land another free agent. Burke sure does love hard-nosed toughies who can't score to save their lives. We certainly won't be pushovers with guys like Schenn, Komisarek, Finger and Exelby on the blueline.

Let me close with a word about Tim Stapleton. I attended several Marlies games last season, and Tim Stapleton was consistently a standout. During the most exciting playoff clinching overtime win, it was Stapleton who scored the winner. I got an autographed picture of Stapleton that's pinned to my daughter's bulletin board right now. I'm sorry we won't have #17 to cheer on at Ricoh next season but I'm hopeful he'll get a chance to see more NHL ice in Atlanta.

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Hours after dipping his toes in the free agency pool by signing tough guy Colton Orr, Brian Burke has reeled in a bigger fish. No, it wasn't the Mike I wanted, Mike Cammalleri, but 27 year old Mike Komisarek. He signed a 5 year deal with the Leafs for $4.5 million per year.

That's right, $4.5 million a year over five years for a guy whose allergic to points. I understand that's not his game and that we're getting a hard-nosed defensive defenseman who will block shots and hit everybody in sight, but that's a lot of cabbage. Still, my Montreal-liking frenemies tell me I'll soon fall in love with the man they call Komi.

Orr and Komi promise to make us tougher, but will they combine to put up Brad Marsh-like offensive stats? We can only hope...

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In 2000, a certain beer company launched an ad entitled "The Rant". You may have seen it. It starred Jeff Douglas as Joe, a proud Canadian with something to say. Here's the ad.

On July 1, 2000, I was at Molson Park for an Edgefest when Jeff Douglas actually delivered this rant live. That's how popular this ad was.

It didn't inspire me to buy beer, but nine years later, it's still a great ad. I am Canadian.

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Karl Malden was 97. He starred in the 1970s TV series "The Streets of San Francisco", won an Oscar playing his Broadway-originated role as Mitch in "A Streetcar Named Desire," and made famous the American Express catchphrase "Don't leave home without it."

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Toronto Star sports writer Damien Cox writes a blog he calls The Spin on Sports and I subscribe to the RSS feed. Earlier this afternoon, here's the update I got in my Google Reader.

I also follow Damien Cox on Twitter, where he's @DamoSpin. Here's his tweet shortly thereafter.

The deal Damien Cox was reporting was Pavel Kubina going to the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for Colby Armstrong. It's a deal I dig, but if you go to Cox's Spin blog now, there's no sign of that entry. It's been deleted.

The deal could still happen, but it hasn't happened yet. It's been one big Cox tease and quite premature.

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Today is a big day for hockey fans. As of midnight, teams can sign free agents. I had my eye on a few, namely Cammalleri, Gaborik and Ohlund. Ohlund's already gone to the Lightning, so he's off the table, but I'm still hopeful Brian Burke can make a little noise and improve my team.

So far, he's signed one free agent, and that's Colton Orr. Burke has said he wants to make the Leafs tougher, and Colton Orr will do that. Colton Orr is an enforcer, and he comes cheap. He's signed to the blue and white for $4 million over four seasons.

Here's what he's known for:

With Colton Orr in the fold we can finally start planning that parade.

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Happy Birthday, Canada, you're 142 years young today.

Over the past 6.5 years I've written quite a bit about you. All of those posts can be found at http://www.torontomike.com/o_canada/. But here are a few of my favourites, in the order I wrote them.

1. Vimy Ridge
2. O Canada! (2003 Version)
3. A Distinct Identity
4. Blame Canada
5. Reason Number 32
6. Our Other Anthem
7. The Maple Music Revolution
8. My Ten Favourite Song References to A Canadian Place
9. Best Canadian Movies
10. Top 100 Canadian Songs: The Definitive List
11. D'oh Canada!
12. My Ten Favourite Canadian Albums
13. Helping Fukuoka, Japan Celebrate Canada Day
14. 117,000 Reasons to Remember

Happy Canada Day!

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Firefox 3.5 came out today. I just updated, and so should you. Better yet, if you're still using Internet Explorer, this is a good time to test drive Firefox.

Sure, there's a new Firefox icon, but what else is new? The video below will show you.

I like how they talk about that present you're buying for somebody and need to delete from the browser history, so they've introduced Private Browsing. We all know they're really talking about porn. Now, when you're surfing for porn, nobody will be the wiser.

Thanks, Firefox 3.5!

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The BBC had a 13-year old swap his iPod for a Sony Walkman. It's a pretty fun read as the kid compares the two portable music devices.

I loved my Walkman. I took it everywhere and spent a great deal of time making perfect mix tapes. Here I am gushing about my good ol' Walkman days back in 2004 and here I am doing it again in 2005.

Once you adapt to the iPod, there really is no going back. The shuffle, the sound quality, the storage capacity, the size... it's simply not a fair comparison. But back in the day, when we didn't know any better, Walkmans rocked.

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I really thought Justin Pogge was on his way out. Earlier this month, a Sportsnet report suggested the Justin Pogge era had indeed come to an end here in Toronto. It was time to move on, to get Jonas Gustavsson to compete with Vesa Toskala for the Leafs spot, to make James Reimer a Marlie.

Today it's been reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs have made a qualifying offer to goaltender Justin Pogge.

The move ensures that Pogge remains a restricted free agent after July 1st, allowing the Leafs to match any offer made to Pogge by other clubs. Had the Leafs not extended the offer and failed to sign him to a new contract by Wednesday, Pogge would have become an unrestricted free agent.

Drafted by the Leafs 90th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Pogge has failed to live up to expectations. The Fort McMurray, AB native has spent most of the last few seasons with the Marlies, Toronto's AHL affiliate, and has not impressed in call-ups to the big club. In seven appearances with the Leafs last season, Pogge was 1-4 with a 4.35 goals against average and 0.844 save percentage.

I've never been so happy to be so wrong. I really want Justin Pogge to succeed and I'm glad Burke is giving him another year with the Marlies. I know I'll be there, cheering him on with my kids from the front row.

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