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Friday, November 27, 2009
Replays in Footie?
Technology and sports seem to be working hand in hand more and more nowadays and it seems as if soccer might jump on board with that as well.
For those who did not see the incident: Theirry Henry passed the ball to himself with his hand and scored a goal to eliminate Ireland from World Cup contention and giving France a very controversial 1-1 draw; allowing them to advance to the World Cup with a 2-1 victory on aggregate.
Do we welcome replays into soccer? Replays are now in cricket, football, baseball, hockey, in certain areas for boxing and tennis as well. Why not soccer? Another spin on this; is it really replays that are the issues, or the linesman and referees? Now I’m not saying the referees are always at fault, because it’s impossible to be able to see everything all the time. They are after all human. Just something to think about. Referees seemed to have more credibility before, but perhaps that is because there was no evidence to prove them wrong.
But with replays in soccer, how many issues would be solved? How can FIFA structure it? It’s easy to think about the many incidents in sports that could have been solved because of instant replays. Imagine football without the ability to challenge calls, or hockey without the ability to review goals and basketball without reviewing to see if a shot hit before the buzzer.
It doesn’t seem like soccer has had as many issues as other sports when it comes to replays and close calls, but it obviously does exist. But maybe it’s time that soccer added technology into their game. Perhaps a limited number of challenges a game the way tennis has incorporated it, but this may slow down the fast pace of footie. Soccer generally has very few stoppages and is a touch and go game with the clock never stopping. But as technology evolves, so does sports with those technologies. A replay referee may now be needed.
I’m sure many Irish fans will be agreeing with me on this one.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Bleeding Tricolour: Sheahan's gambles get ESPN's attention
Queen's coach Pat Sheahan's smart-aggressive strategy earned his team a mention in ESPN's Tuesday Morning Quarterback column.
Okay, so a Canadian reader tipped off Gregg Easterbrook, but still, he just easily could have not mentioned it while discussing coaches who have gone for it fourth down and gone on to glory (maybe not that day, but eventually).
"Note 3: Reader Shawn Dolan of Ottawa, Ontario, reports (and bear in mind that under Canadian rules, third down is fourth down): 'In Saturday's Mitchell Bowl, the Canadian college football semifinal, the Queen's Golden Gaels faced third-and-2 early in the fourth quarter and went for it, getting the first down. Later, facing another third-and-2 near midfield and clinging to a three-point lead with three minutes to go, (they) went for it and converted. Queen's University held on to upset heavily favored Laval and secure a berth in the Vanier Cup, the championship game of Canadian college football.' "As noted, it was officially third-and-1 (more like 1½) from the Queen's 30-yard line the first time. The second was on third-and-2 at the Gaels 47. Vince De Civita and Matt O'Donnell cleared the way for Marty Gordon each time.
Again, more rigorous study is needed, but you are seeing more CIS coaches who realize an all-or-nothing third-down call is statistically correct. Sheahan, though, did it in late November rather than September.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
What some reaction to Brendan Burke really says
Presumably you saw the John Buccigross feature on how Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke's 21-year-old son, Brendan Burke, who is gay, hopes to work in the hockey industry.
Please excuse the eye-roll at the well-intentioned but empty sentiment. It's understandable if this changed your opinion of the elder Burke "because of his reputation as a hard-nosed, black-and-blue executive who extols the virtues of fighting in hockey," but now that you have had time to digest the news, ask yourself if it should. It reeks of the media getting caught up in the persona it's assigned to a sports figure and perpetuating those generalities. You could even say it plays into old stereotypes that anyone who is gay, or doesn't find gay people evil, is weak or not a person in full.
Brian Burke, by all accounts, is a sharp dude (just ask him), he's educated and has been exposed to a fair bit of the world, since he's always moving to a new GM gig every few years. He is also loyal. One could argue that would make him more likely to develop a stronger bond with his son than some average Joe. Most bigotry comes out being sheltered or not very smart (gee, can't imagine why sportswriters would be oblivious to this concept).
This mostly rates attention due to the status of Brendan Burke's dad. The tail wags the dog. What sort of got buried is that the Miami Redhawks, a college hockey team full of 18- to 22-year-old jocks, accepted Brendan Burke as he is. Perhaps the sports world is more forward-thinking than behind-the-curve sportswriters would have you believe. Buccigross was able to show without telling, bless him:"In between the first round and the Frozen Four, you tell one of the Miami players you are gay. Another player figures it out on the morning of the national championship game, and you have to pull him aside and tell him not to tell anyone before the game. You don't want it to be a distraction. You ask him to wait 12 hours after the game; then he can tell whomever he wants.
That's the real story, far as this high-tech redneck is concerned. Ask yourself if you can see that happening with a major junior franchise team. Perhaps it has already. We don't know, since all the sports columnists who are now compelled to write, "There are gays in sport, gays in hockey, gays in society. I know of many who have served in front offices and scouting capacities. They shouldn’t have to hide, now or ever," have seldom if ever bothered to write that column on a day when it was not convenient or current. (Note he said nothing specific about a gay player.)
"After the heartbreaking overtime loss to Boston University, and mainly by word of mouth, your news gets around to the whole team. There isn't a big emotional sit-down talk, although you do speak with some of the guys personally. The general response is 'OK, Burkie's gay. Who cares? Pass the beer nuts.'
"About a week later, you approach your boss, the director of hockey operations for Miami, Nick Petraglia, and tell him. Then, a few days later, you tell Coach Blasi. You are pretty sure one of the players told them both in advance to give them a heads-up, but neither cares, and both are incredibly supportive.
"Blasi says that having you as part of Miami's program is a blessing and everyone is much more aware of what they say and how they say it. He says he is as guilty as anyone and everyone needs to be reminded that respect is not a label but something people earn by the way they live their life. Coach Blasi says you are a great student and an even better person. You say Coach Blasi is a great coach and an even better person."
True, you might not have read that 10, 15, 20 years ago in a daily newspaper, so it does represent progress to a limited extent. Don't miss the point. You should resist putting people in tinier and tinier boxes where if they believe in A (fighting in hockey = good), then they must believe B (gay people = not good). There are gay people who vote Republican or Conservative because they want lower taxes, a stronger military or are just stupid (assist to J.S. Mill). There are NDP voters who go hunting. You should never assume a singularity to anyone's personality, even though we're all guilty of it sometimes.
Accepting his daughter is gay and being in favour of gay rights did not make the former vice-president of the United States any less of an asshole or stop him from shooting a man in the face. The same would go for Brian Burke.
Meantime, all the best to Brendan Burke (you could argue that if he works in hockey, it's more of a tribute to nepotism than a repudiation of homophobia) and the people on the Miami hockey team, who did the right thing without expecting a medal or a pat on the back.
That's where change happens in this world, not in trading on outdated stereotpes. Besides, when it comes to old-school admirers of truculence being comfortable around gay men, Don Cherry long ago retired that trophy:
Vindication! Former Rapidz owner strikes out in court
The former owner of the Ottawa Rapidz has suffered another defeat.
Rob Hall of Zip.ca and Momentous has been out for vengeance since his chute-pull after the Can-Am League team's single, farcical season in 2008. Earlier Tuesday, Judge Lynn Ratushny of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismissed Hall's actions against the Can-Am League and Bruce Murdock, a season-ticket holder and Ottawa resident who put a lot of time and sweat equity into the ill-fated franchise. Claims vs. the City of Ottawa and Can-Am commish Miles Wolff are still extant.
The long-story-short is this is vindication for those who were sickened by how Hall and former partner Rick Anderson's gong show in 2008 almost drove the final nails into the coffin of pro ball in Ottawa. The court not only threw out the claim on jurisdictional grounds (i.e., an Ontario court shouldn't address claims against a North Carolina-based league), but also on its merits, which could be significant in the event of an appeal.
Hall, et al., still has claims pending against Can-Am commissioner Miles Wolff and the City of Ottawa (these people is nothing if not thorough). I'll just reiterate what I said in '08:"The record will show that you and fellow/former Zipperhead Rick Anderson bought the team and acted like overgrown brats with a new toy, not as keepers of a quasi-public trust. You rejected advice from people whose track record, unlike yours, actually suggests they know their ass from second base when it comes to baseball. Worst of all, you toyed with the hearts of the fans. They honestly believed that a new team would rise from the ashes of the Lynx's Long Goodbye. They feel like fools now, and honestly, that sucks.
The legal system is not in the business of applying salve to the thin skins of megalomaniacs. As noted eight months ago, what it boiled down to is that they were trying to get back at the people for their self-inflicted embarrassment. Far be it that they could have found the culprits for causing the embarrassment simply by looking in the mirror first thing each morning.
For pity's sake, one minute Hall was talking about signing a 30-year lease on the Coventry Rd. baseball stadium and the next they were accusing the city and Wolff of duping them into thinking baseball could work in Ottawa. They talked about buying the stadium, but they wouldn't pay their bills. Say whatever you want about the litigation former Ottawa Lynx owner Ray Pecor has vs. the City of Ottawa, but when his team pulled up stakes, they left with every bill paid in full. Wolff worked to get the Can-Am team going and won over the right people at City Hall. The city, for the record, wanted baseball back.
When you get right down to it, the Zipperheads threw an OPM party (other people's money) all summer long party in 2008. Since then, they have been trying to collect a payoff on the backs of people who were sincere about keeping pro baseball alive in Ottawa.
The Rapidz quote, unquote lost $1.4 million. In reality, one of the owners' other businesses, Momentous, was the biggest creditor, to the tune of about $700,000, so one wonders if that was just creative accounting. The rest was unpaid expenses owed to suppliers. Those are the real victims, the businesspeople who have to go to bankruptcy court in hope of getting pennies on the dollar.
The bottom line is Ottawa ball fans should laugh long and loud. They earned it the hard way, by having their hearts broken.
Monday, November 23, 2009
NFL makes curling cool
NFL stars are sometimes willing to branch out to try new things and San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis is no exception.
A few Winnipeg Blue Bombers in past years, such as Milt Steegal, have also given the roaring game a go. They caught on after a while, proving it's a sport you can learn quickly. It may take years to master, but anyone can do it.
Here's the video. Shout outs to the Washington Post and the Associated Press for posting the info online.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Bleeding Tricolour: A song for the occasion!
(To the tune of The Simpsons' Talkin' Softball):
Well, Pat Sheahan had done itEverything else is over at cisblog.ca.
The Golden Gaels had won it
With Brannagan throwin' the ball a country mile
Laval faking injuries made us smile
While Shomari and Osie got after the QB in style
They're talkin' Vanier
All across Ontario
Talkin' Vanier
Valberg and Daprato
Jimmy and Marty runnin' the sprint draw
Allin layin' down the law
We're talkin' Leeper... Morrison and Surya.
They're talkin' Vanier
All across Ontario
Talkin' Vanier
Valberg and Daprato
Jimmy and Marty runnin' the sprint draw
Allin layin' down the law
We're talkin' Leeper... Morrison and Surya.
Cha Gheill!
CFL: Western Final Live Blog
Come join us below for the live blog of the CFL Western Final, between the Calgary Stampeders and the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
CFL: Eastern Final live blog
It's an oddly-named Eastern Final this year in the CFL playoffs, as it features the league's westernmost team, the B.C. Lions. The Lions finished fourth in the West Division this year with a 8-10 mark, but earned a crossover berth thanks to finishing ahead of Winnipeg. They knocked off Hamilton last week, but now will take on arguably the league's best team, the Montreal Alouettes. Come join in at 1 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Pacific to see if they can continue their run!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Semenya was such a freak, you heard it a thousand times that week (and NOW?)
From the department of "told you so," the South African runner Caster Semenya is keeping her gold medal from the world championships.
Or have people already forgotten about how, for a couple weeks in late August and early September, suddenly everyone fancied herself/himself an expert on gender determination? The temptation is to paraphrase from Jon Lajoie's Michael Jackson Is Dead video ("You fuckin' hypocrites," extremely NSFW). Anyway, point being, whatever is still to come out about Semenya, the fact remains the way some people who should know better reacted is kind of mortifying.
Anyway, a quick google turned up a blog post from U.S. runner Jill Geer, "The myth of fairness meets the question of gender," which is pretty illuminating. She notes that now-infamous photo of Semenya flexing at the finish line (which is just strange since a runner's stock-in-trade is her legs and lung capacity) and her choice of coach. But still..."Reading about (Semenya's) case has been an eye-opening education for me as I've learned about the incredible varieties of genetics that cause huge variations in what is male and female. It's like learning that it's not always day and night; it's often dusk and dawn. Until you read about and understand the science, it is hard to understand why the case isn't clear-cut.
Whatever happens, happens, one would hope the reaction is a little more mature next time.
"Of course, the uncertainty only makes the issue more tragic. If I were an athlete who finished behind Semenya, I would feel bitterly angry and cheated. If I were Caster Semenya, I'd feel equally cheated, and perhaps even more so: I'd feel I'd been cheated not out of a medal but out of my right to enjoy my life. Not only has her performance been called into question, but her entire life has been made the subject of intense public debate, cruel jokes and salacious rumor-mongering. In a classic bit of side-show grotesquery, she was even trotted out in sequins for a South African women's magazine.
These are just a few reasons to feel angered by the whole affair, but if Semenya was put in a position to compete when people close to her knew there might be an issue regarding her sex, it is even more infuriating.
"... Erin Buzuvis of the Western New England School of Law in October delivered a paper entitled 'Caster Semenya, Sex, and the Myth of a Level Playing Field.' While I don't necessarily agree with many of her assertions, that she attempts to lay out a rational argument as much as possible is to be lauded.
"... Even if competition is divided along the lines of sex, she argues, there is inherent natural variation and "unfairness" within the sexes. What is fair, and is it possible and desirable to try to create fairness when there is no such thing as a truly level playing field in sport? To wit, some women have naturally higher testosterone, and more strength, than others. Some runners have grown up at altitude and therefore have an advantage in distance running. Some athletes are wealthy and can afford training aids that others can't."
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Bleeding Tricolour: OUA ref might have called the Trevail play right
No one who watched the second half of Queen's 43-39 Yates Cup win over Western is going to forget it too soon, especially the no-touchdown call on a goal-line reception by the Mustangs' Nick Trevail when the score was tied with 6½ minutes to play.
That Mustangs drive ended with a field goal. That four-point swing was the Golden Gaels' winning margin, although (key difference) the play did not give them their winning margin. The Gaels earned it by stopping Western there, scoring a touchdown and making two more stops.
Everyone thought Trevail was in, present company included. Tuesday's London Free Press said, "The film showed Trevail should have been awarded a touchdown."
On a play when the receiver leaps or dives to make a catch in the end zone, it's not where the ball is when he gets his hands on it. It's where the ball is when he has secured the catch and gets a foot down (a knee, elbow or hip may equal a foot). The rule is the same as it is on sideline catches. The receiver has to have control of the ball ("secure the catch") and get one foot down with the ball in the end zone (or in touch). What would have happened if he had dropped the ball when he landed? To most observers, that would be an incomplete pass, meaning that possession hadn't been established yet.
This is not to be taken as authoritative. It's just a couple screen-grabs made from The Score's recap of the game (right around the 2:20-2:25 mark). Zapruder, I ain't. It's hard to see at what if any point Trevail had control of the ball and got his foot/knee/hip/elbow down with the ball across the goal line, satisfying three requirements for a touchdown.
Pictorial evidence below the jump. Please click through (there's a photo of Amber Heard in there too).
At 2:24: Trevail gets his hands on the ball, but his feet are off the ground, thus it is not yet a bona fide pass completion. His momentum, since he was running one of Western's patented comeback routes, is taking him toward the goal line. The camera appears to be a couple of yards deep in the end zone, so that can affect the angle. It's not clear if the ball is in the end zone.
Also, on the original angle, the first part of Trevail's body to touch the ground is his left knee, so we know he does not have a toe down at this point.
Still at 2:24: Trevail does not seem to have a foot down, at least if you look at where his right foot is in relation to the lower left leg of Queen's defender Ben D'Andrea.
At 2:25: Trevail's left knee has come down and the catch is official (and by CIS rules, the play is dead when his knee touches), but look where the ball is. Trace a line through the ball parallel to the goal line. Perhaps this is not the exact moment of contact between Trevail and the Richardson Stadium turf (it might have come a blink sooner). It's iffy whether he's in at this point. It looks the ball would be marked down inside the 1-yard line (and scrimmaged from the 1, as per CIS rules).
One last pic just to show Trevail's body position after he came down. You can't see the ball.
Please don't take this as scientific. Like almost everyone else, I thought it was a touchdown too. Those four frames are from about one second of elapsed time, officials aren't perfect, but it's important to keep this in mind: The camera might not lie, but it does distort occasionally.
Sorry if this ends up breaking some hearts in London, Ontario, again. And sorry for fake-promising an Amber Heard pic to make you look.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Bleeding Tricolour: Yates Cup Champions!
After a 31 year Yates Cup drought (a stat made all the less impressive by a stint outside Ontario), Queens has finally put their name back on the oldest football trophy in North America, and the win came in the most epic of circumstances a 43-39 win over rivals Western Mustangs.
But you can go read about the actual game over at the CIS Blog and various Mainstream Media sources, so instead I'm going to go through what was a sports experience (WARNING: lame cliché) I will never forget.
Facebook has revolutionized pre-game arguing, chirping and all around enjoyment. Ever since the Yates Cup page on facebook was made after the win over McMaster last week which took Queens to the final there was back and forth not so politically correct debate between Western, and Queens fans with even a few players chipping in with thoughts of their own. This facebook group was then expanded to another called "YATES CUP ETIQUETTE... The duty of the 13th man". This group had three simple rules:
There is nothing worse than having homefield advantage and having it work to your disadvantage. For the big game this weekend please keep in mind these three rules as the thirteenth man.
1. DO NOT CHEER WHEN THE OFFENCE IS IN THE HUDDLE, AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE, OR DURING THE CADENCE.
2. CHEER YOUR FACE OFF WHEN THE DEFENCE IS ON THE FIELD, WHEN THE BALL IS IN PLAY, OR WHENEVER THE OTHER TEAM'S OFFENCE IS TRYING TO DO ANYTHING.
3. WHEN IN DOUBT, WATCH BIG MATT O'DONNELL AND DO WHAT HE TELLS YOU TOO.
Follow these rules and Western's gonna wish they never got on that big purple bus. Believe it.
When facebook speaks the crowd follows as was evident even from Friday afternoon.
My Friday started with a radio Yates Cup Preview show in which I predicted Queens to win 42-38... not too shabby. Then walking through Queens campus seeing the smashed purple car, and last year's star linebacker Thaine Carter pumping up the crowd while selling "Puke up, Drink Up, We Want the Yates Cup" t-shirts. The scene was set.
On game day I headed down to the field early and participated in the good old Canadian football tradition. The "non-alcoholic tailgate". Along with my classic "Wuck Festern" sign, we ate lots of meat, got into a little bit of banter with some Purple Ponies, and generally enjoyed ourselves. Finally it was time to jam into a packed Richardson (announced attendance was 7,253 which for Kingston sports crowds is very impressive).
The game kicked off on the wrong foot, but soon enough we were up and celebrating Dan Brannagan's eighty-five yard completion for the first of his five touchdowns in the air. The atmosphere had kicked off on the students' side immediately, but the alumni side waits usual quiet self, with the aforementioned rules somewhat being ignored as the biggest cheers seem to come while the offense was on the field.
As the game hit halftime Queens had a 26-17 lead as close as anyone had been to dominate at any point in the game. At this point was one of the lamest halftime shows in the history of sports where a band called USS played in a small stage only visible to the cheerleaders, band and a small portion of the students' side. Had I not known there was going to be a halftime show I wouldn't have even noticed this small distraction off to the side.
As the second half kicked back off Western started to take control again, but the Queens defense had managed to stop Nathan Riva through some absolutely incredible plays by the whole defensive line, particularly Shomari Williams who showed why he is the best defensive end in the country.
Despite Michael Faulds connecting for over 500 yards, the run defense coming up big in several situations really helped save the game on several opportunities. After Brannagan drove down the field to put Queens into the lead for one last team the defense came up big to really win the game.
In this last Western drive the alumni side finally came to life and it was louder than I can ever remember it being. With Matt O'Donnell doing his part to make sure it happened, as always. Western's last drive was about as dramatic as it could get with the silence from the crown after Faulds got hurt thinking "could this be it", to the boos when he returned for the final play hobbling out with only one working knee. The feeling of euphoria when Faulds missed that last pass really is a perfect example of the reason we all get so emotionally invested in sports. For brilliant moments like that one.
Seconds later the clock ran out and it was followed by mass celebrations as it seemed the entire stands emptied in a matter of milliseconds as we all somehow found ourselves on the field. The players were exhausted but clearly ready to celebrate. High fiving, and hugging everyone in sight. Those next few minutes on the field were those of pure jubilation. Seeing Brannagan later awarded Yates Cup MVP, and seeing the Yates Cup itself being presented was the icing on the cake of a fantastic event.
Bring on Laval!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Bleeding Tricolour: Yates Cup live blog! Saturday, 1 p.m.
Please join us for Saturday's liveblog of the Yates Cup (1 p.m. ET, The Score), which will be simulcast with the Western Gazette. Andrew Bucholtz and Arden Zwelling have this well-covered.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Bill Simmons has Masshole appeal, any way you thin-slice it
People will decide for themselves whether Bill Simmons The Book of Basketball is worth picking up (it's 700-plus pages, so lift with your legs) but it's worth pointing out a couple of the more splenetic reviews.
The joke, whoever, might on Charles Pierce at Deadspin ("Somewhere in these pages is a real book, and somewhere in that book is a very real heart and a very redeemable soul") and Josh Levin at Slate ("He'd be twice as funny — and a lot less repetitive — with half the jokes.
Sorry, fellas, calling out Bill Simmons is as dated as the phrase "calling out." Some loser did it 10 months ago:
"Simmons' act was fresh in the late '90s and in the 2000s, but it's become the sport media's analog to Will Ferrell's man-child act. It ticked the giggly in the late '90s and early 2000s, when people — especially men who realized that you're not going to be young forever, but you can at least be immature — just needed to disappear into, say, one of Ferrell's comic constructs and laugh like a hyena for 92 minutes. Eventually, you wonder when someone who's a NBA guy in his medium will stop making an ABA movie, to paraphrase one review of Ferrell's thin 2008 vehicle, Semi-Pro. It is often a similar deal with Simmons' references to 1980s pop culture, the Boston Celtics of that era, gambling, Grady Little and porn."Ha!
— January 16, 2009
Like Sean Kealey of Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician said, "What were the odds (Deadspin's) review of Bill Simmons' book would be negative? 1:100?" Neverthless, those who relish the carve-up of genius will dig Pierce's takedown ...
"He did not reinvent sports writing, or even the way people write about sports, which is not the same thing. He didn't even really break down the formidable 'kicked in the gonads' barrier as far as the language of journalism goes. (Did anyone arguing that point ever actually read Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail? Hunter Thompson wrote some pretty wild stuff before he got to ESPN.com.) He didn't pioneer the use of pop culture reference in sportswriting; Andre Laguerre's Sports Illustrated did that and, anyway, Simmons' vaunted pop-cult knowledge is carved out of a very thin loaf of Wonder Bread. He did very little that was new. But he did it on the Internet. He created a gig for himself and sold it well. That should be good enough.... and Levin's:
"But, alas, he seems to have bought into a lot of this messianic bullshit, and it shows."
"Simmons wouldn't be Simmons without the pointless asides. One of the Sports Guy's biggest flaws, though, is that he tries too hard to entertain: He'd be twice as funny—and a lot less repetitive—with half the jokes. Simmons clearly gets a rise out of mixing sex and sports. Three pages after the Moses Malone-Marilyn Chambers analogy, he says that Shaquille O'Neal is like porn star Peter North — 'dominant, but not the best." He also likens Karl Malone to a 'fake-boobed Asian stripper' and Jason Kidd to "a smoking-hot girl … wearing a 32A." (The small bra size is a reference to Kidd's poor shooting ability. It kind of makes sense in context.)"Does anyone else find the sports-porn analogies a bit creepy? People consume porn is mass quantities, but it's the low-hanging fruit on the analogy tree. The rub is Simmons created the taste which he is to be savoured by, so screw aiming higher. There's some depth there, but he serves as a very flattering mirror for similarly stunted males to gaze upon their own reflection and say, "Nothing needs changing here."
It's very Guyland, which is why he needs to be stopped. The possible irony is those who set the bar a little higher, the blogging sober and thinking too hard types, might be the ones who are out to lunch. You will never know for sure.
Related:
Bill Simmons: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut; The Sports Guy's The Book of Basketball is a crude, fantastic mess. (Josh Levin, Slate)
You Are Not The Cosmos: A Review Of Bill Simmons' Book Of Basketball (Deadspin)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Bleeding Tricolour: Time to rock Richardson!
Injured linebacker Thaine Carter has done his best to give Queen's and Kingston its version of Winfield-wants-noise. Ahead of Saturday's Yates Cup game vs. Western, last season's defensive player of the year (out after shoulder and knee surgeries) has penned an open letter to the Golden Gaels fanbase:
"We need everyone’s help to cheer us on to our first conference title since 1997.Queen's fans are noted for being rather, uh, pensive during the game. Another zinger is that you know the Gaels have a good team when present-day students say they've heard the school has a football team, although no, they haven't been to any games this season.
"I want to see the crowd jammed into Richardson Stadium like never before; let’s break an attendance record!! Western needs to fear our 13th man!! The stands need to shake and we need to make the Mustangs feel your presence!!
"The 13th man makes all the difference. Queen’s University and the City of Kingston will be on the map in front of a national audience. Let’s make it memorable, let’s make it loud and let's send the Purple Ponies home with their tails between their legs."
Since the Toronto Blue Jays and Queen's each won in 1992, the reference fits.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Women's Pre-Olympic Trials
by Keith Borkowsky, The Curling Guy
As promised, here's a look at the women's pre-trials, which open today at Prince George, B.C. Like the men's draw, four teams will advance to the Roar of the Rings in Edmonton.
1. Kelly Scott, Kelowna, B.C. (25-9 in 2009-10 World Curling Tour games)
Scott, with third Jeanna Schraeder, second Sasha Carter and lead Jacquie Armstrong, recovered from a dismal 2008-09 eith one of the best 2009-10 results around. She's made two finals, won the Manitoba Lotteries Women's Classic and appears to be rolling at the right time. She'll face the winner of the eight vs nine game.
2. Sherry Middaugh, Coldwater, Ont. (9-8)
The only top-four seed without a payday, Middaugh, third Kirsten Wall, second Kim Moore and lead Andra Harmark, could make that point moot with a couple of wins this week. She gets the winner of the seven vs 10 matchup, and could lose if Amber Holland advances to that game.
3. Marie-France Larouche, St. Romuald, Que. (8-5)
One of the most enigmatic teams in the field. The past Quebec champion is joined by third Nancy Belanger, second Annie Lemay and lead Joelle Sabourin. They face a tough quarter-final matchup in either Homan or Belisle. If it's Belisle, there's some history as Belisle eliminated Larouche from the Shorty Jenkins Classic 7-6.
4. Michelle Englot, Regina, Sask. (9-11)
For most of the year, Englot has failed to make a mark. Reaching the quarters at the Colonial Square Classic netted the team of third Deanna Doig, second Roberta Materi and lead Cindy Simmons their only payday in four tries. The plus? It came in their most recent event. They will face the winner of the five vs 12 game.
Ranked by first round matchups, here's the rest of the A-side draw.
5. Heather Rankin, Calgary, Alta. (12-14) vs 12. Sherry Anderson, Delisle, Sask, (12-14)
The only real difference between these two squads is Rankin's won some cash. Her team of third Lisa Eyamie, second Heather Jensen and lead Kyla MacLaughlan have earned $3,700, with $3,500 coming from losing a quarter-final at the Schmirler Charity Curling Classic.
A former Saskatchewan champion, Anderson, third KIm Hodson, second Heather Walsh and lead Donna Gignac have played five events. Success has not followed, as they have only cashed in for $300 this year. Unless her fortunes change, she will likely be an early casualty.
6. Rachel Homan, Ottawa, Ont. (7-0) vs 11. Eve Belisle, Montreal, Que. (10-6)
By far the youngest team here, Homan, 20, with third Emma Miskew, 20, second Allison Kreviazuk, 21, and Lynn Kreviazuk, 18, have not played a ton heading into the Trials. Not sure why that is, but in Manitoba, there is a shortage of cashspiels for elite teams to compete at, leaving them with few options other than a heavy travel schedule to plat the best, or play locally. She qualified after a super 2008-09 campaign. She's only played the Shorty Jenkins Classic in September. She won it and beat her first round opponent, Eve Belisle, in the final.
Backed up by third Brenda Nicholls, second Martine Comeau and lead Julie Rainville, Belisle's best success came at the Shorty Jenkins. She's been paid twice in three events. Could be a an upset special if she gets going.
7. Crystal Webster, Calgary, Alta. (13-9) vs 10. Amber Holland, Kronau, Sask. (21-8)
Webster, with third Lori Olson-Johns, second Samantha Preston and lead Stephanie Malekoff lost a semifinal at the Twin Anchors Invitational in October.
Holland, with third Kim Schneider, second Tammy Schneider and lead Heather Seeley, beat Kelly Scott in the Schmirler Charity Curling Classic and were top-eight qualifiers in three events out of four. The edge goes to Holland, based on her record.
8. Cathy King, Edmonton ( 19-11) vs 9. Krista McCarville, Thunder Bay, Ont. (6-2)
King, with third Kaitlyn Lawes, second Raylene Rocque and lead Tracy Bush has earned cheques in three of five events, winning the CurlTV.com September Shootout.
McCarville has to battle geography to get competition. Her team of third Tara George, second Kari MacLean and lead Lorraine Lang made the semis in their only event of the season, the Manitoba Lotteries Women's Curling Classic. This one's a toss up. Both are former provincial champions, with King adding a Canadian title in 1998.
King, Holland, Scott and one team of your choice will advance. The fourth team could be McCarville, or Homan, but the B- and C-side draws will play a role on who gets the last spot.
Monday, November 09, 2009
Senators attendance drop should raise red flags
... but have you seen many displayed on cars lately?
The Sens Army is lying pretty low.
There's a malaise in Hockey Country, no question. Ottawa Senators attendance is down more than 1,100 fans per game compared to the same point last season. (The average is 1,191 after Tuesday's game vs. Edmonton.) Take a look around the next time you're out, in a non-sports context. You could shoot a cannon through a Tim Hortons during the noon rush and not hit anyone wearing a Sens hat or hoodie in some parts of town.
(Update: Forbes magazine NHL valuations are out: Note which team lost money.)
There was "grumbling" (Ottawa Citizen) about the $14 cost for the tickets to the game the club's American Hockey League farm team played at Scotiabank Place last weekend. Two seasons ago, after the run to the Stanley Cup final, parents would have paid twice that to give their kids a Bag O' Glass if it had the Senators logo.
At the very least, though, the Senators' fall from grace is an issue. Will anyone write about it in this town? In Ottawa, make the barest inference the hockey team's doing poorly and you'll taste hemlock in your chicken shawarma. You're either a naysayer, a hater or a Leafs fan — theres always a label small minds fall back on. Plausible deniability, don't you know.
The media here is understandably in the tank for the organization. It's the city's only claim on major-league status. Pointing out anything negative is a sure ticket to the shit list. So, no one is going to suggest that the Senators can only be profitable and fill the arena when they're winning even though that's a bad business model in a salary capped-league. They only will if the Senators end up cap-in-hand again like they were in 1999 and 2003 and, personally, let us hope that does not recur.
People who are not beholden to the Senators for access are starting to ask these questions about owner Eugene Melnyk's plaything. Some mental red flags went off in October when there were 2,000 empty seats for a home game vs. the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Around the same time, James Mirtle made a parenthetical comment the Sennies "could lose millions this year if they miss the playoffs."
All told, the Sennies are down an average of 1,141 fans from the same point as last season (from 19,484 to 18,343 after nine home dates). Late last night, you could have gone on the team's website and reserved four 100-level tickets for Tuesday's home game vs. Edmonton without having to sit behind the net, even with the game a little more than 36 hours away. FOTB Jean-Pierre Allard reports, "The Orleans SENS Store has closed its doors with Christmas just around the corner."
It would be glib to say this points to a downward spiral that will end with the franchise becoming the Mississauga Senators between now and the next time the Leafs make the playoffs. To be clear, it's nowhere near that point. (Granted, that might explain why the Eunibomber lashed out at Jim Balsillie back in the summer when he was trying to move a team into Southern Ontario.)
There are outside influences weighing on the franchise. The NHL is a mess. Gary Bettman's NHL is designed to make all 30 teams semi-watchable about half the time. That has hurt the Senators, who had a stacked team from 2003 through '06, more than some franchises.
Many passive sports consumers who got on the Senators bandwagon might be backing another team. Most sports consumers in any city are fluid in their tastes. It's the nature of the beast, not matter how it angers the diehards who are there for all 82 games, since getting a life is not an option (GAC).
What's happened?
It's a combo of discontent with how the team has fallen (7-7 this season vs. a suspiciously spongy schedule), the economy, Ottawa's demographics and the city's cultural paternalism.
Ottawa is not a town of front-runners. You typically hear, "this city loves winners," when someone is trying to make an argument about bringing a CFL team back to town (and I do hope it works). That's off.
It is a town of followers which loves whatever maintains the status quo. People claim the CFL teams died because of poor on-field performance. However, the Rough Riders had decent support throughout the 1980s, when they didn't have a single winning season. It took a solid decade of losing, a league-wide crisis in the CFL and owners from (affects scary voice) out of town before people started staying away.
Institutions govern so much of life in Ottawa that people fall into herd mentalities. It happens to the best of us and most of us are nowhere near the best, present company included. Those government-town stereotypes are true to some extent. This is one of the few places where a team could even use a slogan as militaristic as "Sens Army" and "A Force United" (which some culture-jamming bloggers altered to "A Farce United" last season) without getting some media outcry.
Ottawa is like a city composed of insecure teenage girls. The analogy fits Toronto, too, except in T.O. the creature has sharper claws. If Toronto is the character Rachel McAdams played in Mean Girls, Ottawa is the one played by Lacey Chabert. Fitting in and doing whatever is popular at that moment is everything, because they know they can be cast out and won't be missed.
That seeps into sports. "Hey, let's get the CFL back! ... "Hey, Toronto has a World Series baseball team, so let's get a Triple-A club one year before a strike devastates the professional baseball industry and accelerates the death knell of the closest MLB team, the Montreal Expos." They were late to the party.
When the CFL comes back, people will attend because Roger Greenberg, Bill Shenkman, John Ruddy, Jeff Hunt and whoever becomes mayor after Legal Suit Larry O'Brien say they should. The culture is that top-down.
The Senators are not as much of a thing to do among people who only get into sports when it's part of a socially approved mass movement, the ones who are needed to sell out the building and make impulse buys. It's of a piece with having a well-educated populace which has spent a tremendous amount of time in institutions like universities, which are paternalism in a can.
Never mind that mindset has actually put the team behind the 8-ball since the early days and that they've managed to make it work as much as they can. Institutionalized NIMBYism (in the form of the National Capital Commission) eventually led to the Senators building an arena way out yonder in Kanata in the mid-1990s, far from the city's population core. In Toronto, the teams might (might?!) suck and blow, but at least you're downtown once the Blue Jays, Raptors, or TFC are through indulging their flair for mediocre public display.
In Ottawa, you're stuck waiting a half-hour to get out of the parking lot before driving home. People in the public sector were willing to trade sleep for seeing enthralling, winning hockey, as opposed to what they're getting.
That should hopefully help explain there are somee small warning signs are there. It's certainly fair game at a time whe the Canadian hockey mafia start speculating whenever any U.S.-based team has a small crowd (granted, we're talking less than 10,000 in some places), but oh no, you couldn't possibly suggest Bettman's idiotic-times-eight business practices will impact a small-market franchise in Canada playing in a poorly located arena.
As for the Senators organization, as someone who's interested in successful group dynamics and leaderships — call it compensation for some career-related issues — one does wonder who keeps Melnyk in line. (This is speculative, to be sure.) Former GM John Muckler and former president Roy Mlakar were old-time hockey guys. One can imagine them telling Melnyk to shut up and that the only thing he knows about ice is that it's needed to make diaquiris. You wonder who's there to tell Melnyk he's not going to recover that $4-million bonus he had to pay Dany Heatley since it was a binding contract, or that suggesting fans and critics should "get a bomb and blow themselves up" is unbecoming.
Deny, deny, deny, all you want, but the Senators have some issues off the ice (as for on the ice, let's leave that to the professional sportswriters). The easy way out is to say it's the economy, calibre of opponents or people staying home to save local television by making sure they watch all 3 CSIs on CTV.
It will get harder to ignore if the Senators keep sliding. No one can stand here in 2009 and tell you where the NHL will have teams in 2019. Just don't be too smug.
(For anyone doubting the 1,191 figure, I counted. Bear in mind it's a small sample size and there are variables such as day of the week and opponent. For instance, last season's 10th home game was on Saturday afternoon, this season it was Tuesday:) Opponent '08-09 '09-10 Total
Det/NYI 20,182 18,075 -2,107
Phx/Atl 20,179 19,360 -819
Bos/Pit 19,318 17,014 -2,304
Fla/TB 18,952 17,732 -1,220
Ana/Nsh 19,762 18,970 -792
Wsh/Bos 18,485 20,154 +1,669
Phi/Atl 18,938 17,297 -1,641
NY/TB 19,061 17,511 -1,550
Mtl/NJ 20,475 18,971 -1,504
NYR/Edm 19,619 17,977 -1,642
Avg. 19,497 18,306 -1,191
Ottawa footy phenom Donzo takes another step
It's a thrill to be to pass along news Abraham Donzo, a teenaged Ottawa soccer player, has earned a "3-month invitation with Everton’s academy in the hopes of landing a professional contract."
It's pretty tough to do justice to the story of Abraham Donzo, but it was a honour to have been able to take a stab at it a month ago. Sportswriters are not supposed to cheerlead, but having been let in on what he's gone through and how he and his Canadian parents Phil and Sue Roberts have made it work, well, I defy you not to cheer for him.Oct. 8, 2009
Not just in it for kicks
Soccer prodigy hopes long journey leads to pro deal
Abraham Donzo is as tough to label as he is to mark on the pitch.
That's a way to relate how far and fast the footy prodigy has come since arriving in Ottawa in 2005 from a refugee camp in Liberia. The label doesn't stick. It's there, but the only mention of pain that comes up while talking to Donzo relates to rehabbing his right knee after he tore an ACL in May 2008.
He's a well-adjusted 16-year-old Colonel By student, supported by loving parents, educators Sue and Phil Roberts. The hook is he is jetting across the Atlantic next Wednesday for a fourth trial with Everton FC of the English Premier League.
"My journey started kind of sad, but now it's going in a good way," says Donzo, who starred with the Ontario provincial team this summer, scoring all of its goals in 5-of-6 games at nationals.
"When I was leaving my family in Liberia I was sad, but they wanted me to come here, to have a chance at a future, so I was happy they did that."
The ACL injury meant Donzo was not 100% match-fit the last time he was at Everton. Getting into an EPL team's academy is as vital for a 16-year-old footballer as the NHL draft is for a teen hockey player. Ottawa Fury president John Pugh notes, "this is the probably the time" that Everton will decide whether to add Donzo to its academy. He'll likely find out in January.
"I know this is my last chance with Everton," the 5-foot-11, 160-lb. striker says. "I feel good, skill-wise. The only thing I am worried about is the physical play. They're big guys and they're tough."
REALITY SHOW WINNER
You know about Donzo winning a reality show, Soccer Dreams, and catching Everton's eye. A bigger part of the backstory is the Roberts family. Donzo came to Canada with a male relative, Sekou Donzo. He eventually moved in with the Robertses, who are his legal guardians.
"They're always there for me," he says. "I was shy at first, but I get treated like a brother and I treat them (siblings Michelle, Amy and Meagan) like a sister."
His dad, who is the Ottawa Gee-Gees' special teams co-ordinator, might never forget the rush his spouse and daughters threw at him about adding Abraham to the brood.
"It just kind of fell into place," Phil Roberts says. "His uncle was working all the time and Abe is still in contact with him. Children's Aid approached us about him. They said to us, 'We've never done this, but he's doing well here in school, we don't want to have to switch.'
"When my daughters and wife cornered me about it, I went, 'Uh -oh, I'm not a young guy.' I was 49 years old at the time, we have three daughters, I'm coaching football all the time, coaching basketball at the high school. But within two weeks, I knew it was a good fit."
Roberts' contacts in the helmeted, hand-using version of football paid off when Donzo injured his knee. One of his former players, Western Mustangs assistant coach Mickey Donovan, helped connect them with Dr. Kevin Willits in London, Ont., for treatment. Willits also coaches at Western.
Of course, no one could rehab the knee for Donzo.
"He was ready to go after 4 1/2 months," Roberts says. "I'm a football guy, and I was just amazed. He was waking up at 6 a.m., icing it six times a day ... I know university, pro guys who couldn't do what he did."
What happens at Everton is not necessarily make-or-break. There are a lot of football teams.
When you go in there for a two-week trial, you've got to be better than what they've had in the academy," explains Steve Hill, Donzo's coach with the Ottawa Fury. "You can't be as good as, because they have people who have been there since the age of eight, nine, 10 years old, whom they've worked with 3-4 years. It's a bit cutthroat."
That's the kicker. The hard part is still ahead for Donzo, after leaving family, after the culture shock, after blowing out a knee. Is it in him?
"I'm not the kind of person who gives up," he says.
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