Maybe I am. I'm not particularly sure that I care, though. I've been disappointed by the results of supporting lost causes so many times by now, though, that I've decided yet again "What's one more?"
In case you're wondering what I'm talking about, it's the
Hockey Night in Canada theme music as composed by
Dolores Claman in 1968. It's been around as long as I can remember. Hearing it accompany visuals of NHL team logos exploding out of a starfield in the start and end titles of the show is one of my oldest memories.
CBC announced yesterday that
whatever negotiations there were to renew the license agreement finally fell through, a day after Claman's agents announced that CBC was planning to drop the music in any case on her website. I have no doubt that both sides were playing some kind of hardball game with each other. If, as suggested in some of the quotes, the plan to drop Claman's music was in the works for the better part of a year regardless of whatever else happened or happens with regard to her lawsuit against Mothercorp or with viewer reaction to the news of the talks collapsing...I wouldn't be happy with that idea.
I've noticed some people - and the
Globe and Mail unsigned editorial commentary today as well - taking the position that it was just another commercial jingle. One of the members of the original recording orchestra was on
Ontario Today affirming as much yesterday. This wouldn't be the first time something outlived and evolved beyond its roots.
I acknowledge that
the proposed contest to pick a successor theme seems to be intended to not only produce good work from the musicians who partake, but to do good in the country's athletics and fitness concerns as well. Also, the CBC's choice of a partner in organizing the competition is very good. I know
Nettwerk Records by a fair-sized number of albums of theirs in my music collection and their boss, Terry McBride, is a leader in the Canadian music industry's fight to prevent DMCA-style coopyright rules from taking hold up here.
For all that, I still - irrationally - see the present state of affairs as unacceptable to me.
I've signed
the digital petition to restore the classic theme, despite knowing the likelihood of its success in persuading anyone in a position to remedy the situation. I've joined at least one of the relevant Facebook groups, with the same foreknowledge in play.
It's irrational, I'm in denial...and I don't care.
Thank you for enduring this unscheduled rant.
Back to comics soon, I hope...