From The Toronto Star this morning comes the news that your Federal tax dollars were spent propping up professional sports:

The Toronto Maple Leafs, Raptors and Blue Jays were all on the receiving end of Ottawa's controversial sponsorship program, which made payments to professional sports teams across the country, federal records show.

The Jays collected $461,000 in 2001 and another $461,409 in 2002. The Raptors got $86,250 for the 2002-'03 season. The Canadian Football League was paid $2.3 million in 2001 and 2002. And the Leafs were paid $195,000 in 2002, part of a $1 million payout to six NHL teams, according to a breakdown of sponsorship payouts released by the government.

Officials with Toronto's hockey team were not available for comment last night on what the money was for. But a spokesperson for the Calgary Flames said the federal cash was used for signage around its arena.

I think we all pretty much knew this even though The Star does not point that out. It was evident that at arenas and ballparks for years there have been signs that just say "Canada". I can't imagine a coutry other that the likes of Cuba or Zimbabwe that needs to advertise itself to itself. The apex of neediness - "love me, I am you". Or was the real point - the only point - as is suggested in the story, that sticking up a poster that says that one word costs twelve cents but it can be billed out at $2,500 and requires a commission of $1,350.00? Did we get tricked by people playing to the national neediness with these signs so that we never asked why it was being done and how much it was costing?