...well, actually it was just me. The rest of the team is there and ready to bring you guys some kick-ass content from Niagara Falls, and the WPT event there. Sadly, for me, I sit on the US-side of the border at a Days Inn, unable to cross to both a) play the event, and b) do the radio show with the boys.

Never fear though, my people! PokerRoad Radio will go off without a hitch and our inaugural sail into poker broadcasting immortality will not be stopped! It\'s just that my ass will not be on the boat...sniffle, sniffle. Let me tell the story though...

Sooooo, Amanda, Bart, and I flew into Buffalo last night and rented a car to drive over the Canadian border and into Canadian Niagara Falls in. We were stopped at the border with all of the regular questions about what we were planning on doing and whatnot. I told them that we were going over to cover the event, shoot video, conduct our radio show, and do some player interviews. We were then greeted with the directions to park the car and step inside, which we obviously did.

The three of us cruised inside and began chatting with the officer at the desk, who was none too friendly...

\"Where are you headed in Canada?\", she asked me.

\"The FallsView Casino\", I replied.

She then asked if I was working in Canada, which I mistakenly answered \"no\" to. I thought that she was asking if I had some kind of permit situation in Canada, or if I was on a work Visa, or something of the sort. I just meant that we were not going to be employed by any kind of Canadian company of any sort.

\"What\'s your business in Canada then?\", she rolled out at me.

\"Oh, we are going up there to cover the tournament for our new website, PokerRoad.com.\", I informed her.

\"I see, so you are going there to work...\", she spat back.

From this point on it was just on, as you could imagine. We went back and forth for a while on this and that. She asked me if I had ever been arrested, and I told her no, not since I became an adult. She then went and pulled up my record, finding that I actually had been arrested once...when I was 18 years and 2 months...for my high school senior prank, i.e., minor vandalism. I honestly didn\'t even remember as it was 12 years ago and such a small offense that it just didn\'t hop into my memory when she asked me, and I had never had any trouble with it before.

At this point, she instructed me to sit down and she, apparently, went to work attempting to find some way that she could keep me out of Canada.

She called me back up and the conversation went something like this...

\"Have you ever been arrested for anything else in your adult life?\"

\"Not to my knowledge.\"

\"Not to your knowledge, or \"no\"?\" \"Well, last time I said \"no\" and you found an obscure arrest charge that I didn\'t even remember, so I don\'t want to say \"no\" again and have you pull something else out that makes me look like I am lying again, so I am saying \"not to my knowledge\".\"

\"So you have never been arrested for drug trafficking, or smuggling illegal aliens across the border?\"

Um, yeah, that would be a big \"NO\" people. Unfortunately for me though, this officer had it on my official record that I had a) been arrested several times down in San Diego for attempting to traffic illegal Mexican aliens across the border, and b) also several arrests for attempting to distribute all kinds of narcotics around San Diego and Los Angeles.

For the freaking love of all the imaginary criminal charges in a tree! At any rate, we went back and forth, again, for a little bit and she informed me that there was no way that I was getting into Canada tonight and that I had to deal with this with the FBI. Now, I have traveled the world many times over, so you can imagine my surprise at not being allowed into...Canada, people.

Soooo, we drove around to several hotels on the US side of the border, all of which were full, and we eventually settled on this lovely Days Inn that I now sit typing this to you. Amanda and Bart went over the border and left me here...why?

Because PokerRoad will not be stopped! You can slow us down, but you can not stop us! Ever!

All of the shows will still go on. Bart and Gavin will be co-hosting with none other than our very own, Bear. That\'s right, people, the government got ill on me and I called in my dad to handle things! Sadly though, it looks like I am heading back to LA as I can\'t get into Canada and obviously have a couple of things that I need to take care of...damn, I really felt like playing some online poker too.

That\'s it. I\'ll let you all know how this whole debacle turns out...

Blaming Canada,
J