Reaction Roundup: Rob Ford befriends an owl and reporters get excited

Rob Ford visited the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show yesterday, where he showed off his well-honed fishing skills, fired a gun and got spooked by a possum (we don’t blame him: those things are creepy). The mayor was in a jovial mood, clearly enjoying being the centre of attention for something that doesn’t involve a court appearance. Judging by the onslaught of articles, photos, tweets and videos from city hall watchers, they liked it too. Or, at the very least, they worked out that Ford + animals = funny, and decided to capitalize on the opportunity (naturally, so did we).
• The National Post wrote a play-by-play account of the day, including Ford’s attempts to bond with Alexandra, a great horned owl. The highlight: Ford blows in the owl’s ear and chides Global TV reporter Jackson Proskow: “Jackson, you could have been lunch.”
• Proskow got his revenge by tweeting several videos of Ford’s escapades, including the one below showing the mayor’s uneasy relationship with the owl.
Mayor Ford and an owl. Video. http://t.co/eF1UagBa
— Jackson Proskow (@JProskowGlobal) February 7, 2013
• The Toronto Sun couldn’t resist the obvious puns. Its front page today depicts a gun-brandishing mayor and the words “Ford on Target,” and online, their story is titled, “Rob Ford a hoot at Toronto Sportsmen’s Show.” (To be fair, the Sun wasn’t the only outlet to give in to the “hoot” pun temptation.)
• The Globe and Mail swiftly edited journalist Marcus Gee’s cellphone footage into a short video with a delightful circus-meets-Lone Ranger soundtrack.
• The Toronto Star opted for a photo slideshow. Photographer Randy Risling deserves kudos for capturing some hilariously candid facial expressions from the mayor.
• Jonathan Goldsbie clearly thought so, too. The NOW writer wins a gold star for using one of Risling’s photos for a spot-on comparison of Rob Ford with Alfred Hitchcock.
Fordcock http://t.co/GjICQG2v
— Jonathan Goldsbie (@goldsbie) February 7, 2013
Which part of Rob Ford, shooting, fishing, or petting animals qualifies as sportsmen?
Rob Ford is the one on the left…
…in the photo.
When is Vaughn going to ban owls
Wow, some rare species on display here.