Benoit Khézami 🇨🇦🇻🇦⚜️ 🇹🇳🇮🇪

Why are the Montreal Alouettes in their third Grey Cup final appearance in 4 years, how does it connect to Quebec’s political landscape, and why does it matters? In 2023, Montreal billionaire Pierre Karl Peladeau bought the Montreal Alouettes directly from the CFL. The team had been put under league control following the financial collapse of their previous owners. Pierre Karl Peladeau is the CEO of Quebecor (even if Quebecor wasn’t involved in the transaction), the former chair of the board of Hydro-Quebec, and a former Parti Quebecois leader for a short stint in 2015-2016. From the first year, the newly acquired Montreal Alouettes started with a bang: after a 13 years championship drought, they won the Grey Cup finals after a spectacular comeback. Having secured the key play of the last moment of the match, defensive back Marc Antoine Dequoy used the moment to issue a clear message about the presence of the French language at that year’s Grey cup, where despite the Alouettes’ presence the protocolar preseance given to Canada’s second official language was deemed insuffucient, or, as he more bluntly phrased it, « gardez-le votre anglais ». In 2024 the Als saw a massive hike in attendance (particularly helped by the sporting decline of the other Montreal summer league team, the CF Montreal), but ultimately lost the Eastern final vs the would-be Grey Cup Champions that year, the Toronto Argonauts. In 2025, the Als did win the Eastern final, but lost the Grey Cup final against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, which is more colloquially known as « Canada’s team ». In 2026, the debate about a CFL expansion in Quebec city started to emerge, with the league indicating it was open, and Premier PSPP showing openness to fund a CFL stadium project in Quebec city. Despite this Quebec expansion debate, this did not stop the Montreal Alouettes from being the best team in the eastern division for the regular season this year, nor from winning the East final. Why does it matter? Let’s be clear here: Pierre Karl Peladeau is not some neutral businessman. He is a key figure of a unique Quebec schizophrenia: he is both the stakeholder of a caricatural crony capitalism, who often have spectacular battles and negociations with Ottawa and the CRTC, and someone who uses his influence to promote Quebec nationalism, separatism and the French language. I would argue that for those who understand Quebec, this whole game of give and push is typical of the local elites, its just that for Pierre Karl Peladeau, its very obvious. But ultimately, if we do end up having a second Grey cup this decade, it will be due to the players on the field, most notably our outstanding Quarterback, Davis Alexander, running back like Travis Theis and a receiver like Tyson Philpot. However, the team being together to begin with is caused by the visionary, transformative and financial leadership of Pierre Karl Peladeau, who probably feels he earned a second Grey Cup owner ring after securing such a large NHL TV contract earlier this year, an NHL TV deal he probably felt was worth it because now, unlike previously, the Montreal Canadians plays good hockey.

A true dedication to the current zeitgeist in Canada: the Montreal Canadiens changed their colors (for some marquee matches) to match the flag of Canada, and nobody complained. A few years ago, this would’ve generated a tsunami of complaints.

Un vieux m’a dit « toi t’est jeune, nous on avais Anthony Calvillo, toi t’a Davis Alexander, profite en ».

Depends of how old is the family in the sector. Rule of thumb, if you have a banker, you google the family name and it says « family of merchant since the 16th century » he’s progressive for todays standard, professional, but he remains a guy that’s culturally apart of the « elite ».

Les Alouettes s’en vont à la Coupe Grey!

The point is Paraguay having gone bankrupt, not the "progress of democracy". Talking about "yes but in 1960 there would’ve been a coup" to minimize such a huge part of citizen’s reserves being gone is tone deaf and paternalistic.

If there is one lesson from the culture war, is that liberals don’t win by out-ideologizing the populists to aim for the perfect median voter, but by betting on large scale issues that affect everyone.

?!?

Comment le parti démocrate a gagné une victoire aussi large? En faisant des choix idéologiques difficiles. En payant souvent cher une masse énorme d’organisateurs de façon permanent, souvent a partir de ressources qui étaient auparavant accaparés par des consultant d’elites. En prenant des candidatures crédibles. Je pense que pour les partis politiques canadiens, il y a matière à réflexion: le modèle politique du consulting d’elite s’essoufle, et on reviens au vieux clientelisme populaire avec des machines electorales geantes qui connais tout le monde par son prenom. Historiquement, les libéraux sont les meilleurs dans ce genre de configuration au Quebec, mais le cadre juridique actuel permet-il encore de faire une vraie campagne électorale? Voir moins

Dans une démocratie libérale, les riches sont pas sur le bulletin de vote… sauf s’ils ont la brillante idée de pavaner leur richesse et d’attirer l’attention des médias mondiaux.

Le retour des démocrates au Texas signifie que la réaction américaine contre l’immigration n’a pas réussit à changer la donne politiquement, et qu’in fine la démographie et le progressisme a gagné la  »guerre culturelle ».

On assiste à la mort politique du mouvement MAGA. Il y aura un retour à un progressisme de centre gauche socialement conscient contre un centre droit responsable fiscalement, résolument pro-occidental, constitutionnel et prêt à gouverner.

Il a maintenant marqué un but contre les 31 autres équipes du circuit Bettman.

D’un côté, la Russie mène une guerre sanglante en Ukraine. D’un autre, le Canada contourne un jugement du tribunal administratif du sport. Je suis sûr que les "réalistes" vont faire la différence. (Ils la feront pas)