TOP CLICKS: The week that was in viral stories

The Toronto Sun takes you straight to the heart of the action.

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Whether it’s local news, provincial and national politics, or the worlds of celebrity and sports, we have you covered.

Some stories set the world on fire. And these ones are the most popular online stories from the past seven days, clicked on by Sun readers like you.

Here are our top stories:

SIMMONS: Canadian hockey fans the losers in Rogers’ $11-billion NHL deal

Commissioner Gary Bettman does just about everything right to build his business, rarely makes a wrong or bad deal.

But Rogers Sportsnet’s 12-year contract extension for national broadcast rights to the NHL in Canada was a real slap in the face to hockey fans across the country, Steve Simmons writes.

He describes fans in Canada as “smarter, more sophisticated, more educated, more network-savvy than ever before” — and the return from Sportsnet simply doesn’t match up.

Since Sportsnet swept in and came away with exclusive rights to NHL games in Canada 12 years ago, there has been no breakthrough with its broadcasts, and the product has been stagnate, almost in decline compared to the work done at other networks.

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Blue Jays’ missing Home Plate Lady mystery reportedly solved

Blue Jays fans were saddened to learn the status of the missing Home Plate Lady after the Rogers Centre fixture was absent from the first games of the season.

Fans shouldn’t be expecting to see the beloved Toronto superfan in her usual spot at all this season due to “some health issues,” Dan Bilicki reported.

That said, prior to the update, people on social media speculated a more dire reason for Home Plate Lady’s absence, resulting in an outpouring of support for the mystery woman.

Smallest Blue Jays crowds in years at Rogers Centre to watch AL East-leading Toronto

The Blue Jays finished off a seven-game home stand with a 5-2 record that jumped them to an early season perch of first place in the American League East.

But while it was an impressive run on several levels, not to mention an ideal tone-setter for a tough opening month in a critical season for the franchise, the Jays did so in front of the smallest crowds Rogers Centre has seen in years, Rob Longley reported.

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There were several factors at play for the nosedive in attendance, like games always being a tougher sell in April, especially midweek dates, and the Washington Nationals not being a huge draw, especially on a Wednesday afternoon.

The freak weather that day was also likely a reason why only 20,104 fans were in attendance.

But when you consider that last year’s lowest paid attendance was the 22,254 on hand for a Sept. 23 date in which the Jays were well on their way to that unsightly last-place finish, the dip has been noticeable.

Donald Trump weighs in on Tiger Woods-Vanessa Trump relationship

After Tiger Woods and Vanessa Trump, ex-wife of Don Jr., went public with their relationship, many wondered what U.S. President Donald Trump had to say about the golfer and his former daughter-in-law.

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When Trump was asked about Woods potentially becoming a part of his extended family, the President was very supportive of the idea, declaring: “I love Tiger and I love Vanessa.”

While admitting it was sad when their marriage ended in 2018, Trump lauded his son and his ex for maintaining “a very good relationship” and their “five incredible children.”

But while it was news to much of the world, Trump knew about Tiger and Vanessa “months ago” and said he was pleased for both of them.

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LILLEY: Carney tells another fib – the man can’t recognize the truth

Liberal Leader Mark Carney wants Canadians to believe he is the man who saved two economies in crisis.

It was Paul Martin who balanced Canada’s budget by 1998, when Martin was Canada’s finance minister from 1993 until 2002. Carney didn’t join the Finance Department in Ottawa until 2004, which is six years after the budget had been balanced.

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Carney claimed he had nothing to do with moving the offices of Brookfield Asset Management from Toronto to New York City when in fact he chaired the board meeting where the decision was made, voted in favour of it and then sent a letter to shareholders encouraging them to vote for the move.

And when asked whether the Trump administration’s tariffs, applied around the world, would send Canada into a recession, he claimed that when he was Governor of the Bank of Canada, we avoided a recession.

But Carney actually declared a recession in December 2008 — and now that he is running to form the next government, he wants Canadians to believe he is such an economic genius that due to his stewardship, Canada avoided one.

Carney better start shopping for new pants because he’s going to run out soon once they are all catch fire.

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