Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk is making a forceful pitch for a Major League Soccer franchise as part of a political and financial power play that would likely force municipal officials to choose between chipping in for a soccer stadium or a Canadian Football League park.

Though Melnyk’s grand vision for an MLS team has clearly energized the city’s soccer establishment, it has lowered the temperature on an increasingly chilly relationship with backers of Ottawa’s nascent CFL franchise…the CFL has already granted a provisional franchise to an investment group led by Jeff Hunt, the owner of the Ottawa 67’s junior hockey team. The group is to present its own stadium proposal this month.

Image via Bringtheworldtoottawa

Eugene Melnyk, owner of Senators Sports & Entertainment (SSE), will hold a news conference to officially launch the bid to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Ottawa and present details to build a new world-class stadium.

The news conference will take place Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 9 a.m. at Scotiabank Place’s Gate 1 entrance. Melnyk will be joined by SSE chief executive officer Roy Mlakar and chief operating officer Cyril Leeder. Members from all levels of the National Capital Region’s soccer community have also been invited.

Image via Z

Just got this interesting tidbit sent in by Matsuo and thought it needed to be shared.

Universal Music Group pulled her song off the trailer of their new film Pineapple Express… is this the start of the end of MIA’s music career in the US?

Rumor has it that Canada is strongly considering banning MIA from entering the country due to her possible terrorist connections.

Via E!

Maya Arulpragasam is a Sri Lankan ethnic Tamil who spent much of her childhood in England. Her estranged father is credited as a cofounder of a militant pro-Tamil group EROS, which, in turn, was once linked to the Tamil Tigers. The Tigers have been labeled a terrorist group by many countries, including the United States.

From comment poster RLM, “PLEASE NOTE that the song, Paper Planes, isn’t about terrorism, it is a sarcastic jab at her inability to obtain a visa during the recording of Kala, and how some Americans views immigrants as drug dealers, murderers, etc. Also her estranged father is no longer active. ARULAR is more of a concept album about the civil war in Sri Lanka, about the images she saw while visiting, etc.”

Do you know about Guy Maddin?  You should.

 The Winner of the best Canadian feature film at the Toronto Film Festival 2007 has an unbelievable look at his family life through his eyes.

While his brother Julian de Guzman is only 27 years old and has already played for legendary youth system producer Olympique Marseille, Bundesligers Saarbrucken and Hannover and since 2005 has been playing regularly for La Liga side Deportivo La Coruna in more than 70+ matches, little brother has a resume that might start comparing soon.

Only 20 years old and having already played 90+ matches for the Eredivisie’s Feyenoord, a club he’s been at since he was 12 years old, Jonathan de Guzman might be on the move to a big club like Arsenal or Barcelona.

The interesting thing for these brothers (who’s of Jamaican and Filipino descent) is while they were both born in Toronto and grew up in Scarborough, they represent different National Teams.

Julian de Guzman has represented Canada since 2002 over 25 times at the International Level while little brother Jonathan de Guzman chose to represent Holland at the U-21 level after receiving his Dutch Citizenship last year.

That’s gotta hurt Canada as they lost Owen Hargreaves to England after he chose to represent the Three Lions through family passports, although he started his club career with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

image via Mysite