After getting some decent feedback pertaining to my 2016 Saskatchewan Tankard preview, I've decided to endeavour into creating a preview for the upcoming Canadian women's Championship being hosted in Grande Prairie,Alberta. I will follow similar guidelines by ranking teams from one through eleven and then creating a separate ranking featuring teams who have the unfortunate task of navigating through the relegation tournament. I hope you thoroughly enjoy and feedback is encouraged. Due to the tradition of ranking the curlers in descending order, I'll continue down this path.
11.Team Newfoundland and Labrador(Stacie Curtis) Stacie Curtis, formerly Devereaux, is known for having much success in the junior ranks, having triumphed to a Canadian Junior title in 2007 has struggled to get her feet planted in the women's game. In a province that has been primarily dominated by Heather Strong, the loss of her sister Laura out west opened the door, perhaps permanently for Stacie to reign supreme and become the consistent representative of this dwindling curling province. I look at the roster that Stacie has compiled for this year's event and this particular thought has come to mind. In years past, Curtis had brought forth cagey veterans, some will surmise over the hill cagey veterans such as Heather Martin which take a toll on the sweeping limitations the team then has. Martin may of been a fantastic shooter back in 1991, but as a reminder we now live in 2016 and I give her kudos for organizing a foursome that won't lack in the sweeping department. They live on the rock which will naturally restricts her bonspiel possibilities and for that reason alone as sad as reality dictates, her winning one game will be viewed as an achievement.
Skip:Stacie Curtis
Third:Erin Porter
Second:Julie Devereaux
Lead:Carrie Vautour
10.Team New Brunswick(Sylvie Robichaud) One of my favourite game shows as a child was "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego" and the citizens who reside in New Brunswick are asking themselves, "Where in the World is Andrea Crawford?" After a very brief stint that saw Andrea Crawford move to Alberta to play alongside Val Sweeting, Andrea for all purposes disappeared from the curling community leaving her third Rebecca Atkinson forced to fill the vacancy with former rival Sylvie Robichaud. It's been a successful partnership as this foursome has now won the last two New Brunswick championships. Normally, you wouldn't consider a 4-7 record as a commendable showing but the mark they set last year in Moose Jaw may be difficult to replicate. One game stands out and that was their draw sixteen upset over then Team Canada, 2014 Champion Rachel Homan. The way in which New Brunswick defeated Team Canada validates my belief that replicating that 4-7 record of a year ago may prove to be herculean. It wasn't so much a match where New Brunswick won, it was moreso an outing where our defending champs beat themselves, Jenn Hanna knows the feeling! I firmly believe this group has the talent to avoid relegation but anything more substantial would render this blogger speechless.
Skip:Sylvie Robichaud
Third:Rebecca Atkinson
Second:Marie Richard
Lead:Jane Boyle
9.Team Ontario(Jenn Hanna) As a general statement, a ninth place finish from an Ontario representative in any National Championship would be construed as extremely disappointing but this could very well be Jenn's ceiling in this event. I watched both the semi-final where they edged Jacqueline Harrison and in the final where they pulled off the improbable upset over Rachel Homan at the Ontario Provincial Championships courtesy of Sportsnet. The fact that I had a front row seat in front of the tube I was able to form some pretty strong opinions and it doesn't take a rocket scientist, or I don't believe so anyway to ascertain that by no means is Jenn a deserving representative. Some questionable strategic decisions from both the aforementioned Harrison and Homan down the stretch paved the way for her national advancement. All that aside, she's the lucky one that has received the privilege of dawning the Black and Red colors in Grande Prairie, and that deserves recognition in itself. Prior to qualifying for this years National Championship, her previous claim to fame was falling victim to the "shot", the in off double by Manitoba's Jennifer Jones that led her to the teams first Scotties title. A Jones-Hanna rematch seems very unlikely. It's somewhat fitting that the Championship is being held at Revolution place as a societal revolution may be required to propel the Hanna rink into this years playoff. To put a more positive spin on this team, as I realize I've been quite negative thusfar and I'll admit that team third Brit O'Neill is one to watch next week. A sharp shooter and a very strong sweeper has me wondering if this will be O'Neill's coming out party?
Skip:Jenn Hanna
Third:Brit O'Neill
Second:Steph Hanna
Lead:Karen Sagle
8.Team Quebec(Marie-France Larouche) When dissecting the landscape of the Quebecois curling scene, you tend to forget the amount of success Larouche was able to forge up in the early to mid 2000's, and even before that as a very accomplished junior curler in the late nineties. We've bore witness to diminishing numbers in the Quebec womens provincials, which conceivably should've favoured Larouche's yearly chances but has succumbed to Lauren Mann in recent years. Well....Larouche is back and better then ever right???? Not so fast, as although if you qualify for a Scotties out of Quebec you deserve mad props but I just don't know how much gas is in the tank this team has. Here's my opinion on Marie-France, the modern game has passed her by. Her penchant throughout the years has been her eloquent draw and touch game and while still important with the abilities of most to drastically manipulate rocks today, if you can't throw the high hard one accurately, something that's never been part of her repertoire,you're already behind the eight ball. The other minor issue I've taken over the years with Marie-France is her "unique" at the loss of a better word, strategical concepts. I've seen her in past Scotties skip herself into big enough messes that she gives the bi-daily messes Browns (former) quarterback Johnny Manziel finds himself in a run for his money in the mess department. She's a confident skip with the mindset that given any circumstance, she can draw the can to avoid disaster. Back in 2004, in a simpler game this holds validity but my fear for her is that the game has got too complicated for her to require the end saving draw after the end saving draw. Tough sledding for Team Quebec next week.
Skip:Marie-France Larouche
Third:Brenda Nicholls
Second:Annie Lemay
Lead:Julie Rainville
7.Team Northern Ontario(Krista McCarville) Without question, the most difficult team to prognosticate at this years Scotties. I'm honestly unsure whether I've pegged this group too high or far too low. Krista took a substantiated leave from the game as other life priorities got in the way which no one will fault but questions do arise to whether or not the nucleus she's compiled can hang with Canada's top ladies teams. The answer to that question should be yes as she valiantly knocked off heavy favourite Tracy Fleury out of Northern Ontario. I just labelled Tracy Fleury as the "heavy favourite" but I think we, myself included have to assess truly how big of an underdog McCarvillle was in this provincial championship. Granted, a four team event essentially secured her spot in the final but this is also the same McCarville who back in late 2009, albeit with a different squad came soooo, sooo close to becoming our countries Olympic Representative. Cheryl Bernard gets all the accolades for her steady play that week in Edmonton leading onto Vancouver, but the script for which I'm following now could be totally different. What if she was the victor? Does she escape Annette Norberg and win Gold? Is the leave of absence kiboshed? Is she viewed as one of our countries better teams in 2016? All intriguing questions to be sure, and one's that will forever be pondered but as we live in the present, can McCarville regain the previous almost golden form and play the role of spoiler or maybe even Cinderella next week. Her competitors will quickly explain to me if the glass slipper fits.
Skip:Krista McCarville
Third:Kendra Lilly
Second:Ashley Sippala
Lead:Sarah Potts
6.Team Prince Edward Island(Suzanne Birt) Fact: Please forgive me for a Western Bias here, but if Suzanne Birt(formerly Gaudet) lived in Western Canada she'd be widely considered the best individual thrower in today's game. No one has ever questioned Suzanne's individual skills, well some may not feel as strongly as I do, but the team in front of her has always left more to be desired. Is it my own clouded perception or does it seem like a McPhee is on her team, leaves her team, is on, leaves, so on and so forth? Robyn Green is back alongside Suzanne which is partly why I've chosen to rank their chances higher than most. Green is an excellent hitter, a trait that is representative of the entire Island foursome. By now, opposition is aware the way you beat Suzanne is by engaging in a feel game as she has no qualms firing a rocket down the ice and letting the angles do the talking. Birt would comfortably play every game to a 2-1,3-2 score and probably be in the playoffs because of it . As evidenced by the #6 ranking, the expectation is that the Islanders will fall just short of the playoffs but them making a playoff appearance wouldn't surprise me. Suzanne once won a Lotto Atlantic windfall(forgive me if I'm butchering the lottery corporation organization's title) and as someone who is no stranger to winning the random lottery here and there, the odds may not be in the favour of Suzanne this time around.
Skip:Suzanne Birt
Third:Robyn Green
Second:Meaghan Hughes
Lead:Marie Christianson
5.Team Saskatchewan(Jolene Campbell) The game of curling needs fresh blood. Watching the provincial final that pitted Campbell against Stefanie Lawton, my pre-game thoughts were, "Here we go again", as if to concede that a Lawton win was an inevitability. I'll be honest as much as I give credit to Jolene for the provincial title, very much like Ontario I can't help but feel that the sluggish play of Lawton contributed to the result. The host network TSN will be all over this team as Russ' daughter Ashley plays third and in all actuality they'll receive more attention then they deserve but don't take that as a slight as for me, and quite possibly I'm homering my home province but playoffs are completely realistic. If they don't get intimidated by the moment, they'll sooth by the naysayers, but channeling back to my original premise, will the inclusion of a Howard on the team lead to heightened attention, the kind that conceivably could effect on-ice performance? We shall see.
Skip:Jolene Campbell
Third:Ashley Howard
Second:Callan Hamon
Lead:Ashley Williamson
4.Team Nova Scotia(Jill Brothers) I'm a self admitted bit of a reality T.V junkie, so just imagine my fandom when back in 2009, the now extinct Score Television Network produced a sports reality show, in search of Canada's next sportscaster. Two of my extreme passions sandwiched into one, it instantaneously became my favourite show, my go to if you will. It was that show that the surname of Brothers rings hollow for myself. Paul Brothers, husband of Jillian was declared winner that very first season and I suppose it provided a level of inspiration to venture into sports a little more extensively and maybe one day be full fledged into the Sport Journalism industry. Useless factoids aside, Jill Brothers is a name that I can guarantee nobody else views as a playoff contender which surprises me because after all she is now the general of the former Heather Smith-Dacey rink, a team that was a thorn on the side for all competitors in a couple Scotties Tournament of Hearts. I'll take this time as well to pat myself on the back as most in the curling community had pencilled in Mary-Anne Arsenault to be the bluenoser entry, but my gut said Brothers would surprise and I expect pleasantly stellar results for Jill and the ladies heading into the event.
Skip:Jill Brothers
Third:Sarah Murphy
Second:Blisse Joyce
Lead:Teri Udle
3.Team Manitoba(Kerri Einarson) A Jennifer Jones-less field aided their chances this playdown season and they certainly capitalized on a weaker Manitoba provincial. These four had a remarkable beginning to their curling season as they reigned victorious in the first ever Grand Slam tier two event taken place in Truro,Nova Scotia. As a side note, I'm puzzled why all Grand Slams don't have a tier two event but that's a discussion for another day. What impresses me most about Kerri is her stoic demeanor under intense pressure. Judging off of facial reactions, you'd have no idea if she was playing a provincial final or a run of the mill Wednesday Open league game which is a good tell tale sign for a skipper. Kevin Koe won in first trip to the Brier, no reason why Einarson can't accomplish the same feat in Grande Prairie.
Skip:Kerri Einarson
Third:Selena Kaatz
Second:Liz Fyfe
Lead:Kristin MacCuish
2.Team Alberta(Chelsea Carey) Three Manitoba teams in the Scotties? Just kidding as I'm not naïve enough to not understand that relocation in our sport is just the nature of the beast. They knocked off the all mighty Val Sweeting in the final so that in large part gives them all the ammunition to go out and win the title. This entire team sans team second Jocelyn Peterman has been to the dance before, Carey a bronze medallist in 2014, Amy Nixon has been to the "show" three times but is better known for her 2006 Olympic escapades, while lead Laine Peters won the 2012 Scotties title playing lead for the rumbustious Heather Nedohin. The second, although lacking experience in the women's game, skipped Alberta to the 2012 Canadian Junior title, so she's got game.Peterman particularly, and I know I've already sung high praises for Ontario third Brit O'Neill earlier, in my books is trending to be the break-out star of this championship. Her successes as a skip don't go unnoticed and the wealth of youthful exuberance will be an overwhelming asset for the veteran Carey rink. Can they get past the legend Jennifer Jones? Would make for a compelling final.
Skip:Chelsea Carey
Third:Amy Nixon
Second:Jocelyn Peterman
Lead:Laine Peters
1.Team Canada(Jennifer Jones) This well oiled machine is revved up and ready to put a licking on the rest of the competition. The late iconic Sandra Schmirler in an interview given in between her 1998 Olympic Gold medal in Nagano and her tragic 2000 passing stated that after her Olympic heroics, her and the rest of her team got burned out and lost the drive to compete. This interview stood out for me, not only because what was said but who said it and the power of the words Sandra delivered. I've always wondered if a rink like Jones will get burned out and lose that drive because let's face it, they've reached and conquered the pinnacle of this great sport, what's left to give? I suffice to say that the Rachel Homan team is the most talented in our country but no one will ever question the fact that Jones is the most determined. The ferocious mentality she takes out with her onto the ice is unprecedented and is intimidating for fellow opposition. You could make the argument that this type of mental edge is good for at least a point per game. Some have implied this as an overall summarization is a weaker field and while it could be better, Jones isn't guaranteed the title but if played well anything short of a final appearance will be an egregious disappointment,
Skip:Jennifer Jones
Third:Kaitlyn Lawes
Second:Jill Officer
Lead:Dawn Askin
Relegation Field(descending order)
4.Team Nunavut(Geneva Chislett) Without having any knowledge pertaining to the Chislett rink, I will direct my thoughts to the gratitude that for the first time we will be sending a Nunavut representative to both the Men's and Women's championship. They will play their three relegation games, all three of which will end in gruesomely embarrassing losses, but we can't diagnose the impact of having a Nunavut rink solely on wins and losses. Our sport desperately needs growth, something I've touched on a few times and one of the only ways to grow is increased participation. Look at the Toronto Varsity Blues Canadian interuniversity men's football program. From 2003 through early 2008 the program suffered through forty nine consecutive losses. Did the team just quit and sulk? No, the program kept working and developing and finally brokethrough against the University of Waterloo. I thoroughly hope that the coaches and support system of the Nunavut rink has prepared them for the inevitable. The more games you get in, the more apt you'll become and just like in this year's past Canadian juniors where both genders representing Nunavut won a game for the first time, and that time, not sure when will come if the curlers dedicate themselves to the sport and put in the necessary practice.
Skip:Geneva Chislett
Third:Denise Hutchings
Second:Robyn Mackey
Lead:Jenine Bodner
3.Team Yukon(Nicole Baldwin) The only team in the field to my knowledge that's utilized the residency snafu which allows one import who doesn't otherwise live in your province/territory to play for your squad. That import happens to be Steph Jackson-Baier who hails from British Columbia. The surprise heading into the year was that the young and up and coming Sarah Koltun rink were taking a hiatus this season to focus on education. Nobody can fault young individuals such as the entire Koltun rink wanting to focus on school but what that did was open the door for someone like Baldwin. As obvious as it is that Nunavut will be finishing fourth in the relegation event, to me it's almost as obvious that these ladies will be finishing third. I wish them the best of luck and as only one member from the Yukon four will grasp,1/4 of "Team Saskatchemewan"(Kelowna summer spiel reference) sends their best wishes as you endeavour on what surely will be a memorable few days in Grande Prairie.
Skip:Nicole Baldwin
Third:Steph Jackson-Baier
Second:Ladene Shaw
Lead:Rhonda Horte
2.Team Northwest Territories(Kerry Galusha) I was torn between who I should reward the number one seed in the relegation event, and by process of elimination you can figure who that was honour was given to*cough, B.C, cough*. Now I let the cat out of the bag that I have the Northwest Territories losing to the British Columbians in the relegation final, let me explain why. When I assess the plight of the Galusha rink, I worry that the haunting memories of losing last year's relegation event may be too steep to overcome. The difference this year is they have a fighting chance as the only reason Tracy Fleury and her Northern Ontario were there last year was due to a ridiculous technicality. Not to sound like a Debbie downer, but there selection of the coach is perplexing to me. It's clear that they didn't watch the Ontario provincial semi-final as if you read my Ontario thoughts earlier in this entry I spoke strongly that Jacqueline Harrison lost the semi-final more than Hanna won, well part of that was due to poor advice from "coach" John Epping. I respect the year John Epping is having on the Grand Slam circuit as his results can be deemed admirable but in his brief coaching history, at least from what I've witnessed has been suspect at best.
Skip:Kerry Galusha
Third:Megan Cormier
Second:Danielle Derry
Lead:Shona Barbour
1.Team British Columbia(Karla Thompson) I recall watching last year's provincials on Sportsnet and leaving petrified with the level of play I was witnessing. That final between Sarah Wark and Patti Knezevic was mind numbing, featuring missed shot after missed shot. It was of no surprise that Knezevic got her province relegated which right here and then is what makes the relegation system flawed, why should a team like Karla Thompson be penalized due to Knezevic's shortcomings from 2015? The quick answer is they shouldn't and thank goodness relegation is going away in a couple years. As much as I was left with my jaw dropped, and not just dropped, I mean dropped needing some kind of medical procedure to correct the issue, conversely I was impressed with what I saw out of Karla and company. I know their was a lot of chatter on how they managed to overcome a seven point deficit in the 1 v 2 against Kelly Scott but to me that screams resiliency. What I also took away from the final where they again faced off against Scott is they're all excellent hitters. Once a lead was built, it was abundantly clear a trip to Grande Prairie was in the rearview mirror. As a clarification, I expect this team to win the relegation and after further thought will slide them between the rankings of Robichaud and Hanna.
Skip:Karla Thompson
Third:Kristen Reckseidler
Second:Tracey Lavery
Lead:Trysta Vandale
Well, there it is folks. I hope you enjoyed reading this opinion piece and like mentioned in the top, feedback is encouraged.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Sunday, February 14, 2016
A Canadian Celebration
There are very few celebrations in Canadian sport that in 2016 remain uniquely and unequivocally Canadian. The Grey Cup is the event that stand outs for most Canadians as the Canadian Football League, league in which awards the Grey Cup, has had a prestigious history, you grow up in Canada and surely you have some affiliation or story pertaining to the yearly event. After watching bits and pieces from the National Basketball Association which claiming that I watched a semblance of a game I generally consider unbearable is a remarkable feat, but back to my tangent, from watching the game tonight I took issue with the entertainment in the lead up to the game and further yet the anthems. Now you're asking yourself, what's the tie in to the Grey Cup? The tie in, and the reason I brought the Grey Cup into the equation is because their's a bigger cultural and societal faux pas that us Canadians seem to wrongfully accept and that is not celebrating sustainable, billboard material talent in our home grown sporting events.
The 2016 NBA All-star game is being hosted in Toronto, Ontario. The principle of an all-star event such as this is to market and celebrate the& great basketball players of this era, which the Association did and have always done a masterful job of doing. The heroes in the basketball community, such as Lebron James, Klay Thompson and fellow splash brother Steph Curry who has some ties to the greater Toronto area got out in the community, connected with the local media and embraced the event for what it is, a showcase to the wonderful fans. The basketball players undoubtedly fulfilled their end of the bargain but the question in peril is did the organizing committee fulfill theirs?
I'm going to construct an argument that goes for all Canadian sporting showcases, such as the aforementioned Grey Cup but will use specific examples from this weekend's All-star game to make my case, and that is why do we restrict ourselves primarily to Canadian acts at the expense of luring in global acts that are more deserving of the moment? The Canadian national anthem tonight sung by Nelly Furtado has got a lot of flack as I've perused through twitter, some even drawing hilarious comparisons to the infamous 'O Christmas Tree' melody based rendition in a Las Vegas CFL game back in the early nineties. The rendition although quirky isn't drawing my wrath so much as why out of all possible acts was Furtado granted with such a humbling honour? Was this the 1996 All-star game or 2016 because the height of Furtado's stardom happened then and it's been all downhill since. This game was brought to Toronto by Tim, the former President of Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, a conglomerate that brings in a wealth of finances along with the duel effort of telecommunications networks Bell and Rogers with the assumed financial assistance of the league itself, and all the league could muster up was Furtado? That's a joke and all parties should be embarrassed. Sting for the half-time show? I'm not convinced Sting in 2016 is substantial enough headline material for a local Elementary school talent showcase, let alone a professional sporting all-star extravaganza. Over exaggeration, sure but the implied point remains and that is in a sport where revenue is endless, give the fans something they enjoy. As a disclaimer, I will admit that the timing may not have been ideal as the Grammys take place tomorrow(Monday the 15th) but nonetheless the expectation is to secure top acts with long advancement notice.
The all-star game is a yearly one-off, an event that only came to Toronto for the first time this year, so the hope is they will learn from their mistakes and up their entertainment game when the city of Toronto is fortunate enough to host this event again but I feel the need to discuss the misnomer that most Canadians have and that is just because you host an event does NOT mean you need to have a Canadian headliner. The Grey Cup is guilty ever as recent headliners have as a general rule been Canadian citizens. The necessity of this could be fiercely debated but my opinion is that you bring over the best act possible, Canadian,American, Swedish, Dutch, Chinese etc etc...bottom line is it doesn't matter. It's factual that a lot of Americans view the Canadian Football League as Pop warner, jokish football but we must examine why. Crummy football? The football admittedly isn't top calibre but the uniqueness of our game conceivably should draw fans in. I have a different thought on why Americans have the sometimes correct opinion pertaining to our league and it draws a parallel to the thesis of the article, and that's how we brand our showcase event, the Grey Cup. When audiences tune in to the night, particularly those who won't give a flying patootie about the league from June-November and see the likes of Imagine Dragons, Carly Rae Jepsen, Justin Bieber and Hedley, what thoughts filter in their head? As the old adage goes, "just get them through the door and they will stay" aptly applies to my logic here as in television terms, attract a Bruno Mars to play your half time show and the non CFL supporter may stay tuned in and learn our Canadian game.
The Super Bowl doesn't restrict itself to American propaganda, The World Cup of Soccer doesn't restrict it's entertainment to that of the particular hosting nationality, what did us Canadians do to have such strict ground rules when celebrating what should be a great day in Canada? The answer, nothing at all.
The 2016 NBA All-star game is being hosted in Toronto, Ontario. The principle of an all-star event such as this is to market and celebrate the& great basketball players of this era, which the Association did and have always done a masterful job of doing. The heroes in the basketball community, such as Lebron James, Klay Thompson and fellow splash brother Steph Curry who has some ties to the greater Toronto area got out in the community, connected with the local media and embraced the event for what it is, a showcase to the wonderful fans. The basketball players undoubtedly fulfilled their end of the bargain but the question in peril is did the organizing committee fulfill theirs?
I'm going to construct an argument that goes for all Canadian sporting showcases, such as the aforementioned Grey Cup but will use specific examples from this weekend's All-star game to make my case, and that is why do we restrict ourselves primarily to Canadian acts at the expense of luring in global acts that are more deserving of the moment? The Canadian national anthem tonight sung by Nelly Furtado has got a lot of flack as I've perused through twitter, some even drawing hilarious comparisons to the infamous 'O Christmas Tree' melody based rendition in a Las Vegas CFL game back in the early nineties. The rendition although quirky isn't drawing my wrath so much as why out of all possible acts was Furtado granted with such a humbling honour? Was this the 1996 All-star game or 2016 because the height of Furtado's stardom happened then and it's been all downhill since. This game was brought to Toronto by Tim, the former President of Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, a conglomerate that brings in a wealth of finances along with the duel effort of telecommunications networks Bell and Rogers with the assumed financial assistance of the league itself, and all the league could muster up was Furtado? That's a joke and all parties should be embarrassed. Sting for the half-time show? I'm not convinced Sting in 2016 is substantial enough headline material for a local Elementary school talent showcase, let alone a professional sporting all-star extravaganza. Over exaggeration, sure but the implied point remains and that is in a sport where revenue is endless, give the fans something they enjoy. As a disclaimer, I will admit that the timing may not have been ideal as the Grammys take place tomorrow(Monday the 15th) but nonetheless the expectation is to secure top acts with long advancement notice.
The all-star game is a yearly one-off, an event that only came to Toronto for the first time this year, so the hope is they will learn from their mistakes and up their entertainment game when the city of Toronto is fortunate enough to host this event again but I feel the need to discuss the misnomer that most Canadians have and that is just because you host an event does NOT mean you need to have a Canadian headliner. The Grey Cup is guilty ever as recent headliners have as a general rule been Canadian citizens. The necessity of this could be fiercely debated but my opinion is that you bring over the best act possible, Canadian,American, Swedish, Dutch, Chinese etc etc...bottom line is it doesn't matter. It's factual that a lot of Americans view the Canadian Football League as Pop warner, jokish football but we must examine why. Crummy football? The football admittedly isn't top calibre but the uniqueness of our game conceivably should draw fans in. I have a different thought on why Americans have the sometimes correct opinion pertaining to our league and it draws a parallel to the thesis of the article, and that's how we brand our showcase event, the Grey Cup. When audiences tune in to the night, particularly those who won't give a flying patootie about the league from June-November and see the likes of Imagine Dragons, Carly Rae Jepsen, Justin Bieber and Hedley, what thoughts filter in their head? As the old adage goes, "just get them through the door and they will stay" aptly applies to my logic here as in television terms, attract a Bruno Mars to play your half time show and the non CFL supporter may stay tuned in and learn our Canadian game.
The Super Bowl doesn't restrict itself to American propaganda, The World Cup of Soccer doesn't restrict it's entertainment to that of the particular hosting nationality, what did us Canadians do to have such strict ground rules when celebrating what should be a great day in Canada? The answer, nothing at all.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
A National Championship of sorts
If we harken back to the 70's and 80's, which is long before my time, and watch some highlight videos of past Canadian Men and Women curling championships, the few that exist online anyway, you'll easily ascertain that the curlers during that tenure played in front of packed, some would say rowdy venues. One video that stands out for essentially all curling enthusiasts is the 1985 Labatt Brier to where which Northern Ontario's Al Hackner made a cross ring double to defeat Alberta's Pat Ryan in the old Moncton Coliseum. It was certainly an iconic moment, but why? The shot, like all curling fans would agree is held in great prestige due to the magnitude of the moment, but let's also as fans of sport dig a little deeper on what makes the Iceman's shot so memorable. Taking nothing away from the skill that it took to pull of the Brier clinching shot, but let's face it, in the modern day of curling we see that type of shot on a game to game basis. Is it possible, eluding back to my original hypothesis, that the reason the shot holds such fan fare was how the players, and more importantly the fans embraced the moment? In a compact facility that was the Moncton Coliseum, an eruption ensued, something that is unforeseen is National Championships today. The fans acted as if Paul McCartney of the Beatles just took the stage for the encore performance. Full credit goes out to Hackner for embracing the moment and running with, a small part why you ask most people with a remedial understanding of the sport and ask them to name a few curlers, the name Al Hackner will surely be brought to the forefront. National Championships have become stagnant throughout the years, through no fault of the curlers though because the calibre of play has substantially improved, which pendants will argue has hurt our sport while others will say it's helped but nonetheless speaking from a purely historical perspective because as I mentioned I wasn't around to witness a live curling event in the 70's and 80's, the atmosphere has changed, you go to a curling event and I know certain groups are trying to change this, but we've slightly lost that entertainment edge How to get it back...keep reading and I've conjured up an interesting proposition that at worst will make some great food for thought.
The Scotties gets played in Montreal, albeit in a smaller center which I thought was a brilliant idea, allowing the long time fans to reminisce what it was like at Brier and Scotties back in the hay day, reverting back to my previous example of the Moncton Coliseum. The Brier is being played in Ottawa this year. Big markets=electric atmospheres? Not so fast. Montreal has the Canadiens which will always be the voice of the city, whether playing at home or the road, and Ottawa has the Senators and that will make the Brier back page paper conversation. The game of curling needs to locate newer, more passionate fans, and as unconventional as they may sound, and goes against every principle a National Championship stands for, but is it time for this to grow into a global event, and judging from what was a massively successful, Las Vegas hosted Contenental Cup, Vegas baby? In what was meaningless curling, the crowd was engaged and I can guarantee that was incentive enough for curlers to want to play. Like any good athlete will vocalize, the more boisterous the crowd, the easier it is to get the adrenalin flowing. Is Vegas a viable option for a National Championship, the upper hierarchy at Curling Canada will vehemently say no but let's explore and I'm sure by the end I'll have you all believing this is a superb idea. Okay, I probably won't but I'd appreciate if you keep reading.....
The climate of Las Vegas has transitioned in recent years. A touristy destination by nature, however the reason I'm suggesting the climate has changed from an interest perspective is because I'm under the premise that Nevadans are open to trying out new things, ie the recent continental cups compounded with their recent desperation to land a National Hockey League franchise. Ten to fifteen years ago hockey in Vegas would've been an absurd, laughed at idea. Have a hard time believing what I'm selling, if in doubt just check in with Sportsnet and the Fan 590's, Bob McCown, about as pessimistic as a person as they come, he's been skeptical pertaining to the plausibility of hockey in Vegas to this day and this is coming from a long time resident of Vegas but even he I think would be in agreement that citizens of Las Vegas could get behind watching the BEST curlers in the world . I can only imagine the snarky remarks he'd gesture my way if I was fortunate enough to have a conversation with him about hosting a curling National Championship in his former home city. I think in society generally speaking, we're more open to trying new things, so based on that observation what is stopping Curling Canada in even giving this a one year attempt to avoid the stagnancy recent championships have become? Revenue? Understood but I firmly believe the amount of Canadians who would be enticed by the idea of booking a week off to head to Vegas to watch curling(gamble and golf as well but you get the idea) would alleviate the valid concern that you lose your loyal,local fan base.When taking into account the amount of our native land that would travel down along with Americans who I maintain would have a large sense of intrigue, it would certainly offset increased travel costs.
On behalf of Curling Canada, I've looked after the fans, they'll come in flocks, need not worry. The last concern in this marvelous proposition is would the players get behind it? Too gimmicky? Takes away from winning a national title on home soil? Lack of general recognisability? All valid concerns sure, but any curler who may feel the idea of playing in Vegas puts this game in a poor light is in my books someone who isn't wholeheartedly getting behind the fact that we MUST find a way to grow our sport. The National Football League, a league that only boasts American franchises in recent years has held regular season games in London, England and Toronto with one purpose, to grow the game. This is an outstanding comparable because in the U.K, even the most well read fan will have no idea who Miami Dolphins linebacker Cameron Wake is,newsflash people.....the only way the U.K will ever know who Wake is and how he plays is by watching them. Las Vegas will have no idea who Northwest Territories skipper Jamie Koe....actually allow me to take that back as if the stories I read are correct about his, shall we say eccentric partying ways, I'm sure he's blazed through the Vegas strip once or twice. Back to a more serious note, you understand the comparison I'm trying to make, no one in Vegas/America will know who these curlers are unless they're exposed to them. Curling Canada may be under the opinion that the forefront their main focus has to be grow the game in Canada, particularly at a junior level but by exposing our best to lesser known curling parts, the long term benefits will exceed the maybe more immediate, cost related negatives.
Crazy idea, maybe, maybe not, but this blogger is ready to see our game take a leap of faith, and what better way then for our curlers to leap onto the blackjack table, err I mean American ice.
The Scotties gets played in Montreal, albeit in a smaller center which I thought was a brilliant idea, allowing the long time fans to reminisce what it was like at Brier and Scotties back in the hay day, reverting back to my previous example of the Moncton Coliseum. The Brier is being played in Ottawa this year. Big markets=electric atmospheres? Not so fast. Montreal has the Canadiens which will always be the voice of the city, whether playing at home or the road, and Ottawa has the Senators and that will make the Brier back page paper conversation. The game of curling needs to locate newer, more passionate fans, and as unconventional as they may sound, and goes against every principle a National Championship stands for, but is it time for this to grow into a global event, and judging from what was a massively successful, Las Vegas hosted Contenental Cup, Vegas baby? In what was meaningless curling, the crowd was engaged and I can guarantee that was incentive enough for curlers to want to play. Like any good athlete will vocalize, the more boisterous the crowd, the easier it is to get the adrenalin flowing. Is Vegas a viable option for a National Championship, the upper hierarchy at Curling Canada will vehemently say no but let's explore and I'm sure by the end I'll have you all believing this is a superb idea. Okay, I probably won't but I'd appreciate if you keep reading.....
The climate of Las Vegas has transitioned in recent years. A touristy destination by nature, however the reason I'm suggesting the climate has changed from an interest perspective is because I'm under the premise that Nevadans are open to trying out new things, ie the recent continental cups compounded with their recent desperation to land a National Hockey League franchise. Ten to fifteen years ago hockey in Vegas would've been an absurd, laughed at idea. Have a hard time believing what I'm selling, if in doubt just check in with Sportsnet and the Fan 590's, Bob McCown, about as pessimistic as a person as they come, he's been skeptical pertaining to the plausibility of hockey in Vegas to this day and this is coming from a long time resident of Vegas but even he I think would be in agreement that citizens of Las Vegas could get behind watching the BEST curlers in the world . I can only imagine the snarky remarks he'd gesture my way if I was fortunate enough to have a conversation with him about hosting a curling National Championship in his former home city. I think in society generally speaking, we're more open to trying new things, so based on that observation what is stopping Curling Canada in even giving this a one year attempt to avoid the stagnancy recent championships have become? Revenue? Understood but I firmly believe the amount of Canadians who would be enticed by the idea of booking a week off to head to Vegas to watch curling(gamble and golf as well but you get the idea) would alleviate the valid concern that you lose your loyal,local fan base.When taking into account the amount of our native land that would travel down along with Americans who I maintain would have a large sense of intrigue, it would certainly offset increased travel costs.
On behalf of Curling Canada, I've looked after the fans, they'll come in flocks, need not worry. The last concern in this marvelous proposition is would the players get behind it? Too gimmicky? Takes away from winning a national title on home soil? Lack of general recognisability? All valid concerns sure, but any curler who may feel the idea of playing in Vegas puts this game in a poor light is in my books someone who isn't wholeheartedly getting behind the fact that we MUST find a way to grow our sport. The National Football League, a league that only boasts American franchises in recent years has held regular season games in London, England and Toronto with one purpose, to grow the game. This is an outstanding comparable because in the U.K, even the most well read fan will have no idea who Miami Dolphins linebacker Cameron Wake is,newsflash people.....the only way the U.K will ever know who Wake is and how he plays is by watching them. Las Vegas will have no idea who Northwest Territories skipper Jamie Koe....actually allow me to take that back as if the stories I read are correct about his, shall we say eccentric partying ways, I'm sure he's blazed through the Vegas strip once or twice. Back to a more serious note, you understand the comparison I'm trying to make, no one in Vegas/America will know who these curlers are unless they're exposed to them. Curling Canada may be under the opinion that the forefront their main focus has to be grow the game in Canada, particularly at a junior level but by exposing our best to lesser known curling parts, the long term benefits will exceed the maybe more immediate, cost related negatives.
Crazy idea, maybe, maybe not, but this blogger is ready to see our game take a leap of faith, and what better way then for our curlers to leap onto the blackjack table, err I mean American ice.
Monday, February 8, 2016
Phil Jackson:Basketball guru?
The New York Knicks made headlines today when it was announced that they have elected to part with Head Coach Derek Fisher. The news was handed down from Team President Phil "The Thrill" Jackson, who interestingly enough coached Fisher when Fisher was the head floor general for the late ninety/early two thousand dynasty Los Angeles Lakers. Fisher earned almost constant praise who handed down Fisher a plethora of accolades pertaining to his on-court leadership ability. The thought was, and not just from Jackson that this would translate Derek into becoming an excellent Head Coach someday in the Association, and it very well may but that day unfortunately for basketball fans of New York did not take place which left Phil with no other choice but to fire his former pupil and allowing Kurt Rambis to take over on an interim basis.
The reason I brought this discussion point up tonight is not because a coach got fired, as this has become common place, some say too frequent in professional sports but to analyze the worth of Jackson and bring into question whether or not Jackson's reputation of being one of the greatest ever is deserved or whether he's been dragged along throughout the years by the likes of Jordan, Pippen, Kobe, and Shaq. Interesting discussion to be sure, and I tend to slide in the former ledger.
Jackson, who made his professional debut in 1987 as an assistant of the Chicago Bulls, was quickly promoted to head bench boss a little less than two years later, in many individuals eyes won the coaching lottery. How can that statement not ring true when coming to the full realization that he was graced with a young Michael Jordan, a poor man's Steph Curry in Scottie Pippen, one of the original bad boys but yet ferocious rebounder in Dennis Rodman and then overlooked complimentary pieces such as Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley, and long time Orlando Magic Horace Grant. The team was deep and quite frankly a lot of coaches could've stepped into the same situation and equated the same level of success. Some(most) will view the aforementioned remark as an egregious statement but I hold true to my beliefs. In hockey, was it due to Dan Bylsma that the Pittsburgh Penguins delivered a Stanley Cup in 2009? No one in their right mind would cosign that it was Bylsma that was the missing link, the team was going to win eventually when you have at the time the best player on the planet in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Coaches that exceed expectations are held highly in the world of this blogger but I maintain quite strongly that a coach that wins when it's expected to win, and when anything less is considered a monumental failure relies on pre-existing factors and his or hers coaching abilities don't deserve the recognition they receive.
If the assumption that I don't hold Jackson's successes highly wasn't obvious enough already, I'll try to further continue on this tangent. In society, referring to somebody as a "whore" is rightfully viewed as derogatory but I hope no offence is taken when I label Phil as a "Championship whore". He leaves the Bulls in 1998, conspicuously when Jordan's career begins to fade down and hops on over to Southern California to coach the Lakers. This is a Lakers team that was able to lure Shaquille O'Neal over, partly to fulfill his Hollywood aspirations, I mean really who can forget Kazaam?? They also were able to acquire some young Philadelphia hot shot...what's his name again....o right, Kobe Bryant! Not a bad nucleus to begin his Lakers endeavour with. In Chicago, he received a pioneer rep for instituting the Triangle offence, something that was carried forward into Los Angeles. This triangle offence is perhaps my biggest bone of contention when it comes to dissecting Jackson's worth. Simply put, great players make a great offence and Jackson could've implemented the most complicated, research tested and failed methods and it wouldn't of mattered. When you hand the ball to Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan, it doesn't matter what the play call is, they'll score. The Raptors from ten years ago know this all too well(eighty one point flashbacks). The triangle offence is a fancy way of describing get the ball into the best player. I would've loved to see Jackson attempt this offense with the likes of Mugsy Bogues, Andrea Bargnani and Popeye Jones? I'm going to assume his egotistical line of thinking will claim it would've meant multiple championships, but as I eluded to earlier he would've never considered coaching anywhere else as for him it was championship or bust.
The current plight of the New York Knicks is a tricky one and if anything it should verify what I've been preaching this entre entry. The New York Knicks don't have the necessary talent and sure enough the great Phil Jackson, the man overseeing this enterprise is left with his tongue out not knowing what the next move should be. Even though Porzingis, the young European they picked up at the 2015 draft projects to be a nice player and Carmelo is good for 25-30 a night, that's about in the New York cupboard. This is my opinion, I think by Phil landing in New York he presumed that more household names would follow and for his sake unfortunately didn't happen. Phil was out of options and his strategical maneuvers reek desperation as he went so far to aleniate a relationship in Derek Fisher to try something to right this broken ship.
It may not happen this year, probably not next year and not likely even the year after but at some point, those impatient New Yorkers will soon have enough and Jackson will find himself in the hot seat and will then look for the next destination that can guarantee championship. For Phil's overrated basketball mind, he better go somewhere that has actual talent, hello Golden State? I can hear the cringing from Golden State fans all the way from Regina at the slightest thought of that notion.
The reason I brought this discussion point up tonight is not because a coach got fired, as this has become common place, some say too frequent in professional sports but to analyze the worth of Jackson and bring into question whether or not Jackson's reputation of being one of the greatest ever is deserved or whether he's been dragged along throughout the years by the likes of Jordan, Pippen, Kobe, and Shaq. Interesting discussion to be sure, and I tend to slide in the former ledger.
Jackson, who made his professional debut in 1987 as an assistant of the Chicago Bulls, was quickly promoted to head bench boss a little less than two years later, in many individuals eyes won the coaching lottery. How can that statement not ring true when coming to the full realization that he was graced with a young Michael Jordan, a poor man's Steph Curry in Scottie Pippen, one of the original bad boys but yet ferocious rebounder in Dennis Rodman and then overlooked complimentary pieces such as Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley, and long time Orlando Magic Horace Grant. The team was deep and quite frankly a lot of coaches could've stepped into the same situation and equated the same level of success. Some(most) will view the aforementioned remark as an egregious statement but I hold true to my beliefs. In hockey, was it due to Dan Bylsma that the Pittsburgh Penguins delivered a Stanley Cup in 2009? No one in their right mind would cosign that it was Bylsma that was the missing link, the team was going to win eventually when you have at the time the best player on the planet in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Coaches that exceed expectations are held highly in the world of this blogger but I maintain quite strongly that a coach that wins when it's expected to win, and when anything less is considered a monumental failure relies on pre-existing factors and his or hers coaching abilities don't deserve the recognition they receive.
If the assumption that I don't hold Jackson's successes highly wasn't obvious enough already, I'll try to further continue on this tangent. In society, referring to somebody as a "whore" is rightfully viewed as derogatory but I hope no offence is taken when I label Phil as a "Championship whore". He leaves the Bulls in 1998, conspicuously when Jordan's career begins to fade down and hops on over to Southern California to coach the Lakers. This is a Lakers team that was able to lure Shaquille O'Neal over, partly to fulfill his Hollywood aspirations, I mean really who can forget Kazaam?? They also were able to acquire some young Philadelphia hot shot...what's his name again....o right, Kobe Bryant! Not a bad nucleus to begin his Lakers endeavour with. In Chicago, he received a pioneer rep for instituting the Triangle offence, something that was carried forward into Los Angeles. This triangle offence is perhaps my biggest bone of contention when it comes to dissecting Jackson's worth. Simply put, great players make a great offence and Jackson could've implemented the most complicated, research tested and failed methods and it wouldn't of mattered. When you hand the ball to Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan, it doesn't matter what the play call is, they'll score. The Raptors from ten years ago know this all too well(eighty one point flashbacks). The triangle offence is a fancy way of describing get the ball into the best player. I would've loved to see Jackson attempt this offense with the likes of Mugsy Bogues, Andrea Bargnani and Popeye Jones? I'm going to assume his egotistical line of thinking will claim it would've meant multiple championships, but as I eluded to earlier he would've never considered coaching anywhere else as for him it was championship or bust.
The current plight of the New York Knicks is a tricky one and if anything it should verify what I've been preaching this entre entry. The New York Knicks don't have the necessary talent and sure enough the great Phil Jackson, the man overseeing this enterprise is left with his tongue out not knowing what the next move should be. Even though Porzingis, the young European they picked up at the 2015 draft projects to be a nice player and Carmelo is good for 25-30 a night, that's about in the New York cupboard. This is my opinion, I think by Phil landing in New York he presumed that more household names would follow and for his sake unfortunately didn't happen. Phil was out of options and his strategical maneuvers reek desperation as he went so far to aleniate a relationship in Derek Fisher to try something to right this broken ship.
It may not happen this year, probably not next year and not likely even the year after but at some point, those impatient New Yorkers will soon have enough and Jackson will find himself in the hot seat and will then look for the next destination that can guarantee championship. For Phil's overrated basketball mind, he better go somewhere that has actual talent, hello Golden State? I can hear the cringing from Golden State fans all the way from Regina at the slightest thought of that notion.
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Louisville slugged out
Having been to Louisville,Kentucky in 2012 for the first two rounds of the NCAA Basketball tournament, better known to most as March Madness, I grew a fond attachment to the Cardinals athletic program, having been a fan ever since. The men's basketball program particularly has been a staple in the state of Kentucky as the program rose to prominence from being an afterthought in the early nineties to a Rick Pitino led men's powerhouse culminating in a National Championship in 2013.
On February 5th, a dark day, perhaps the darkest day took place in the program's history. A self imposed tournament ban was issued on behalf of the institution. For what you ask, a pre-emptive strike at the expense of a recruiting issue the NCAA is currently investigating. So that's right, to clarify, the school is punishing the players, the kids who have dreamt their entire lives of participating in March Madness due to a mistake or oversight, however you want to slice it, that the athletical department made in attempts to recruit the nations best. How is this justifiable? It's not, it's a travesty and repercussions and pre agreed upon penalties when facing these types of situations need to be arranged so this never happens again.
If an employee steals money from his or her's organization, does head office clamp down and fire it's entire staff? Heck no, they punish the individual who committed the crime. I respect the fact that the University of Louisville is cooperating with the investigation at hand but the way they're admitting or accepting responsibility I view as contradictory. A violation of recruitment rules was clearly present here judging from the school's self imposed penalties they have issued but I question the legitimacy of their internal investigation. An individual(s) are at fault for the mess that's been created, why has the investigation from the NCAA or L'Ville(one of many ways Kentuckians pronounce the great city) not focused on the few that are responsible and discipline those appropriately? By banning the players, the innocent bystanders if you will, all that has been accomplished is that it's been made abundantly clear that the University doesn't care about their students, and as a cop-out at the risk of opening a can of worms that they want to keep secret from the powers at be will sacrifice the good fortunes and entertainment to their student body to save the institutions belittling reputation.
Now, I'll take this a step further and correlate my frustrations with this into something that revolved around a much more sensitive matter that played out at Penn St University regarding the Joe Sandusky sex abuse scandal. Despicable act, not condoning actions of anyone involved here, but similar to Louisville, the Nittany Lions received a post-season ban as a penalty for the university's lack of eptness in how they handled this unbearable longevic, disgusting behavior. A post-season ban for the players in this scenario aswell? The players should've been aided, not punished. I'm not going to spend time parlaying my thoughts how decisions like this put the abused in a more vulnerable life decline because kids knowing the possible price that their OWN friends and OWN school may have to pay will scare them into speaking the truth. This cycle is damaging and needs to stop, and a better hierarchy in handling these kind of sensitive matters needs to be developed because in 2016, particularly with abuse, this should NEVER be tolerated and each individual on this earth must have the confidence to speak up and stop it before it happens to someone else.
Ok, I realize I went a tad off topic with that latest tangent but I feel strongly about that and it's up to the NCAA to alter it's principles. Now getting back to the topic at hand, this is what I would propose to rectify the lose-lose game that currently best describes the players point of view: If a university self imposes, or if the head body imposes any kind of ban on a school for a school violation, allow the players the following. Provide the option, if the player chooses to partake in a immediate transfer. I'm fully aware with the way rules are currently construed it states that a player that elects to transfer will be required to red shirt the following semester. Rules are rules, but provisions can be constituted and this should be one of those exception. A school infraction should translate into immediate transfer availability. Wrapping this back around to Louisville, it's disheartening that fifth year seniors Trey Lewis and Damion Lee won't have the life enriching opportunity of playing in the tournament. You play your whole collegiate athletic careers to reach this pinnacle especially when you have a team like the Cardinals who could've inflicted serious damage on the tournament,
NCAA, in the future, do the right thing. Look after your students!
On February 5th, a dark day, perhaps the darkest day took place in the program's history. A self imposed tournament ban was issued on behalf of the institution. For what you ask, a pre-emptive strike at the expense of a recruiting issue the NCAA is currently investigating. So that's right, to clarify, the school is punishing the players, the kids who have dreamt their entire lives of participating in March Madness due to a mistake or oversight, however you want to slice it, that the athletical department made in attempts to recruit the nations best. How is this justifiable? It's not, it's a travesty and repercussions and pre agreed upon penalties when facing these types of situations need to be arranged so this never happens again.
If an employee steals money from his or her's organization, does head office clamp down and fire it's entire staff? Heck no, they punish the individual who committed the crime. I respect the fact that the University of Louisville is cooperating with the investigation at hand but the way they're admitting or accepting responsibility I view as contradictory. A violation of recruitment rules was clearly present here judging from the school's self imposed penalties they have issued but I question the legitimacy of their internal investigation. An individual(s) are at fault for the mess that's been created, why has the investigation from the NCAA or L'Ville(one of many ways Kentuckians pronounce the great city) not focused on the few that are responsible and discipline those appropriately? By banning the players, the innocent bystanders if you will, all that has been accomplished is that it's been made abundantly clear that the University doesn't care about their students, and as a cop-out at the risk of opening a can of worms that they want to keep secret from the powers at be will sacrifice the good fortunes and entertainment to their student body to save the institutions belittling reputation.
Now, I'll take this a step further and correlate my frustrations with this into something that revolved around a much more sensitive matter that played out at Penn St University regarding the Joe Sandusky sex abuse scandal. Despicable act, not condoning actions of anyone involved here, but similar to Louisville, the Nittany Lions received a post-season ban as a penalty for the university's lack of eptness in how they handled this unbearable longevic, disgusting behavior. A post-season ban for the players in this scenario aswell? The players should've been aided, not punished. I'm not going to spend time parlaying my thoughts how decisions like this put the abused in a more vulnerable life decline because kids knowing the possible price that their OWN friends and OWN school may have to pay will scare them into speaking the truth. This cycle is damaging and needs to stop, and a better hierarchy in handling these kind of sensitive matters needs to be developed because in 2016, particularly with abuse, this should NEVER be tolerated and each individual on this earth must have the confidence to speak up and stop it before it happens to someone else.
Ok, I realize I went a tad off topic with that latest tangent but I feel strongly about that and it's up to the NCAA to alter it's principles. Now getting back to the topic at hand, this is what I would propose to rectify the lose-lose game that currently best describes the players point of view: If a university self imposes, or if the head body imposes any kind of ban on a school for a school violation, allow the players the following. Provide the option, if the player chooses to partake in a immediate transfer. I'm fully aware with the way rules are currently construed it states that a player that elects to transfer will be required to red shirt the following semester. Rules are rules, but provisions can be constituted and this should be one of those exception. A school infraction should translate into immediate transfer availability. Wrapping this back around to Louisville, it's disheartening that fifth year seniors Trey Lewis and Damion Lee won't have the life enriching opportunity of playing in the tournament. You play your whole collegiate athletic careers to reach this pinnacle especially when you have a team like the Cardinals who could've inflicted serious damage on the tournament,
NCAA, in the future, do the right thing. Look after your students!
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Tribulations of the Senators
The hot topic tonight once again, and deservingly so is the play of McJesus himself, Connor McDavid who led the Edmonton Oilers to a triumph over the Ottawa Senators by tallying two assists. He's a prodigy, an unquestionable assertion for a player that barring injuries will be the cornerstone of the Oilers franchise for the next fifteen years. The combination he possesses featuring hands of Pavel Datsyuk with the speed of a Mike Gartner, he's virtually an unstoppable force that will require # 1 defenceman to shadow his whereabouts. All that being said, and I could literally go on and on in my admiration towards Connor, what I want to talk about tonight is the (mis)fortunes of the team on the losing end, that being the Ottawa Senators.
As a Toronto Maple Leaf fan growing up in the mid to late nineties, I grew up with some classic Senators-Maple Leafs action, and the more thinking I do the most memorable matchups I bore witness to were the Patrick Lalime,Daniel Alfreddson, Wade Redden narrated Senators against the Mats Sundin, Alyn McCauley(had to give a plug to the thoroughbred checking center) and Tomas Kaberle led Leafs in consecutive playoff matchups. The Senators were always blessed with more talented rosters through and through but the kryptonite was the goaltending, usually Patrick Lalime particularly letting out the untimely goal, one goal sticks in my mind when in the opening period in a game seven, Joe Niewendyk let off a weak slap shot from the high hash that trickled through. This became a common occurrence and arguably hampered the Sens from tangible playoff successes around that time frame.
Goaltending was an issue then, but now as we sit through this 2015-2016 campaign, it's the least of their worries. The tandem of Craig Anderson and the "Hamburgler" himself Andrew Hammond are definitely a capable duo but the lack of defensive depth the Sens display doesn't do the numbers of the aforementioned two any justice. A 2.95 GAA for Anderson, the preferred starter of late on behalf of Dave Cameron is nothing to cry home about, but if it wasn't for the defensive woes, could be soooooo much better. So this defensive crisis the Rideau Canal faces, the essence of my entry tonight, what needs to change? It's possible that we first must look at the Swedish defenceman Erik Karlsson, the supposed anchor of this group. Karlsson gets a lot of praise from the Canadian media but from my vantage point not much of it is deserved.
So how many of you reading this conclude that Karlsson is a top five defenceman in the NHL? I respect you feel this way but hopefully after reading this tonight you'll be swayed in the correct direction, that he is not and in all reality is the precipus when delving into the shortcomings of the Senators. Let's first talk about his positional play, I play Ball Hockey and in Ball Hockey a rover can be quite useful as offence is the name of the game and backwards skating is not required. What position does Karlsson play? Defence? Could've fooled me. His defensive awareness is virtually non-existent and that was in full display in this evenings tilt against Edmonton. I appreciate he has a high skill level and has the coveted puck skills to be able to jump into the rush but this by all accounts doesn't dismiss the lapses in judgement that usually result a multitude of odd man rushes the other way. I literally lost track tonight on how many odd man rushes the Oilers had. Grant you players such as Hall, Eberle, and McDavid will create scoring chances based off of pure skill, the honus is on Dave Cameron to knock some sense into the captain, remind him that although the offence is welcome, he's a defenceman first and foremost and taking care of his own end is paramount. The "brainfarts" of Karlsson isn't the only thing causing mass panic for General Manager Bryan Murray and fans abound. The dilemma on how to handle the Jared Cowen drama bas been much debated in and around Ottawa. Here's the issue regarding Cowen, yes he was a first round pick back in 2009(9th overall to be exact) but that doesn't make up for a severe fault in his game, a lack of footspeed. I've had this opinion about some other defenceman entering the ranks, such as Luke Schenn or Roman Polak, the game that once was is no longer and the way all three of these gentlemen perform on the ice is no longer condusive to with the way game operates. Cowen has voiced displeasure for not playing often enough in Ottawa, does he have reason to be frustrated? 100% he does but we live in a winning business and the facts are Jared Cowen is an AHL calibre defenceman. Bryan Murray I can guarantee would love to honor his request but because he was such a high draft pick, can't afford to give him away. If I was Jared Cowen's agent, I would advise my client that he should count his blessings, appreciate the fact that he is still up with the big club because it could be worse. There aren't many teams that would employ Jared Cowen in the show, simply put. Jared Cowen was once part of the more memorable Memorial Cup celebrations in which his Spokane Chiefs captain infamously dropped the cup after being awarded it. If they don't straighten out the mindset of Cowen and fix Karlssson's positional alignment I can assure you that their won't be any cups to drop for a long, long time Ottawa.
As a Toronto Maple Leaf fan growing up in the mid to late nineties, I grew up with some classic Senators-Maple Leafs action, and the more thinking I do the most memorable matchups I bore witness to were the Patrick Lalime,Daniel Alfreddson, Wade Redden narrated Senators against the Mats Sundin, Alyn McCauley(had to give a plug to the thoroughbred checking center) and Tomas Kaberle led Leafs in consecutive playoff matchups. The Senators were always blessed with more talented rosters through and through but the kryptonite was the goaltending, usually Patrick Lalime particularly letting out the untimely goal, one goal sticks in my mind when in the opening period in a game seven, Joe Niewendyk let off a weak slap shot from the high hash that trickled through. This became a common occurrence and arguably hampered the Sens from tangible playoff successes around that time frame.
Goaltending was an issue then, but now as we sit through this 2015-2016 campaign, it's the least of their worries. The tandem of Craig Anderson and the "Hamburgler" himself Andrew Hammond are definitely a capable duo but the lack of defensive depth the Sens display doesn't do the numbers of the aforementioned two any justice. A 2.95 GAA for Anderson, the preferred starter of late on behalf of Dave Cameron is nothing to cry home about, but if it wasn't for the defensive woes, could be soooooo much better. So this defensive crisis the Rideau Canal faces, the essence of my entry tonight, what needs to change? It's possible that we first must look at the Swedish defenceman Erik Karlsson, the supposed anchor of this group. Karlsson gets a lot of praise from the Canadian media but from my vantage point not much of it is deserved.
So how many of you reading this conclude that Karlsson is a top five defenceman in the NHL? I respect you feel this way but hopefully after reading this tonight you'll be swayed in the correct direction, that he is not and in all reality is the precipus when delving into the shortcomings of the Senators. Let's first talk about his positional play, I play Ball Hockey and in Ball Hockey a rover can be quite useful as offence is the name of the game and backwards skating is not required. What position does Karlsson play? Defence? Could've fooled me. His defensive awareness is virtually non-existent and that was in full display in this evenings tilt against Edmonton. I appreciate he has a high skill level and has the coveted puck skills to be able to jump into the rush but this by all accounts doesn't dismiss the lapses in judgement that usually result a multitude of odd man rushes the other way. I literally lost track tonight on how many odd man rushes the Oilers had. Grant you players such as Hall, Eberle, and McDavid will create scoring chances based off of pure skill, the honus is on Dave Cameron to knock some sense into the captain, remind him that although the offence is welcome, he's a defenceman first and foremost and taking care of his own end is paramount. The "brainfarts" of Karlsson isn't the only thing causing mass panic for General Manager Bryan Murray and fans abound. The dilemma on how to handle the Jared Cowen drama bas been much debated in and around Ottawa. Here's the issue regarding Cowen, yes he was a first round pick back in 2009(9th overall to be exact) but that doesn't make up for a severe fault in his game, a lack of footspeed. I've had this opinion about some other defenceman entering the ranks, such as Luke Schenn or Roman Polak, the game that once was is no longer and the way all three of these gentlemen perform on the ice is no longer condusive to with the way game operates. Cowen has voiced displeasure for not playing often enough in Ottawa, does he have reason to be frustrated? 100% he does but we live in a winning business and the facts are Jared Cowen is an AHL calibre defenceman. Bryan Murray I can guarantee would love to honor his request but because he was such a high draft pick, can't afford to give him away. If I was Jared Cowen's agent, I would advise my client that he should count his blessings, appreciate the fact that he is still up with the big club because it could be worse. There aren't many teams that would employ Jared Cowen in the show, simply put. Jared Cowen was once part of the more memorable Memorial Cup celebrations in which his Spokane Chiefs captain infamously dropped the cup after being awarded it. If they don't straighten out the mindset of Cowen and fix Karlssson's positional alignment I can assure you that their won't be any cups to drop for a long, long time Ottawa.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Tankard thoughts(draw two)
In draw two of the 2016 Saskatchewan Tankard, I will be providing updates for the featured match this evening involving Kerrobert's Brad Heidt and Regina's Randy Bryden. Enjoy
End one
End two
End three
-Brad Heidt makes a pistol hit and roll to sit two behind in cover. Bryden now the chaser.
-The veteran Heidt drawing upon his experience, once again threw a beautiful hit and roll, rolling off a half tucked Knapp stone behind the guard.
-On Mitch Heidt's first,Heidt elects for the aggressive play ignoring the Bryden half open stone, deciding to draw around and sit two.
-After a Robinson roll-out, the petal to the metal approach continues for the Kerrobert bunch. Making Bryden work to earn their coin.
-Big trouble for Bryden after Robinson attempting a come around, wrecks on the guard. Heidt will look to guard their two shot stones.
-All this complaining of overly conservative play can be thrown out the window, rocks galore here in the third.
-The saving grace for Bryden is that the shot stones of Heidt are behind the tee line thus allowing Randy to tap his rock tight to the four for shot rock.
-Drew Heidt draws in far too deep trying to cut off Bryden's second point, and now Randy has a draw to the four for his second point. This is a classic skip deuce as the Heidt clan was all over Team Bryden before the the team's elder statesmen bailed the crew out. 2-1 Bryden.
End five
End six
End one
-Bryden lead Trent Knapp places the opening rock of the game top four, Brad elects to hit and it's open season for a classic first end blank.
-Interesting to see Brad himself only throw second stones this season, the confidence level he has in sons Mitch and Drew is apparent with that decision.
-One of those ends that smelt like a blank, looked like a blank, but resulted in a score of one in lieu of Drew Heidt sticking on his last.
End two
-Regis Neumeier with two perfect stones to begin the second whilst T.Knapp put up a workable corner and both skips appear ready to gamble.
-Kelly Knapp attempts a hit and roll on a Heidt stone landing fully in the eight foot, but fails to acquire the role.
-Roll out by Mitch Heidt has increased the chances of a second blank, although a corner does exist on the other side of the house.
-Great cross sheet role attempt by Troy Robinson and now the corner guard is definitely in play.
-Judging by Drew's snarky reaction, some sweeping miscommunication prevented their role attempt and now we'll see Randy try what Drew could not accomplish.
-Count me in as one who thought two experienced skips such as Brad and Randy would've encouraged more rocks in play but as it stands a second consecutive blank is staring us in the face but this time a blank is actually made successfully(forgive me for to quote the great Roger Clemens, "misremembering"that Heidt stole for one in the first)
End three
-Brad Heidt makes a pistol hit and roll to sit two behind in cover. Bryden now the chaser.
-The veteran Heidt drawing upon his experience, once again threw a beautiful hit and roll, rolling off a half tucked Knapp stone behind the guard.
-On Mitch Heidt's first,Heidt elects for the aggressive play ignoring the Bryden half open stone, deciding to draw around and sit two.
-After a Robinson roll-out, the petal to the metal approach continues for the Kerrobert bunch. Making Bryden work to earn their coin.
-Big trouble for Bryden after Robinson attempting a come around, wrecks on the guard. Heidt will look to guard their two shot stones.
-All this complaining of overly conservative play can be thrown out the window, rocks galore here in the third.
-The saving grace for Bryden is that the shot stones of Heidt are behind the tee line thus allowing Randy to tap his rock tight to the four for shot rock.
-Drew Heidt draws in far too deep trying to cut off Bryden's second point, and now Randy has a draw to the four for his second point. This is a classic skip deuce as the Heidt clan was all over Team Bryden before the the team's elder statesmen bailed the crew out. 2-1 Bryden.
End four
-After the lead Knapp undercurled on a draw attempt to the four foot, he more than made up for that with a pristine center guard and it has forced Heidt's to get in the runback/peel mode.
-Brad Heidt, using the same principles as last end, is ignoring the hitting game and on Mitch Heidt's first one,played a back eight tap back to ensure the Bryden rock stay in the rings behind the button. This gameplan is refreshing.
-With Bryden lying three all behind the tee, fourth thrower Drew will look to draw around the center guard and their own red top twelve. Brad was very clear in his thought process that by either fully burying the rock or keeping it half open, the jam presents itself for Randy.
-Drew goes deep(common theme of the night), thus allowing Randy to draw right to the pin and the Heidt team is in a world of hurt.
-The Bryden draw was evidently too big of a hurdle for Heidt to jump as Bryden stretches his lead to two.
End five
-The prototypical beginning to any curling end, the team without hammer(Bryden) places two rocks on top of one another and Heidt places a corner guard.
-Brad Heidt rolls past the corner allowing Kelly and the Bryden rink to hit and stick and sit two
he;
-At some point the Heidt four has to regain their composure, from my vantage point were outplaying Bryden in the first two ends but have begin to unravel providing a significant edge to the rink from the Callie.
-Heidt with a stone in the eight foot, half wrapped around the center with the Bryden stone back four, some contemplation was given to either throwing a high guard and staggering the red(Heidt) or coming right in. The guard was chosen after much debate.
-After Mitch delivered his stone, the Heidt's now have two promotable stones to access Bryden's back four marker. The more guard attempts now for Randy the hotter the fire he's playing with.
-Brad asking Drew for a double run off nose to promote the reds in the rings to remove the yellow.
-The double run is made partially but they lose the one red they were hoping to keep around which interestingly enough isn't that good for Heidt as with a simple hit on the open red in the back of the eight foot, the force is in play. Can Drew make a pressure draw? This remains to be seen as he;s been a little heavy on a few draws tonight.
-The entire way down it appeared to be a routine draw for Drew but an apparent pick slowed down the draw attempt and has led to ANOTHER steal for the Bryden foursome.
End six
-On Trent Knapp's opening stone, a rock originally pegged for the top four slides to the back twelve.
-Now reeling from a three point deficit, Neumeier has thrown up a second corner guard and then is a disastrous turn of events for Bryden, Kelly Knapp's peel attempt goes wayward and bumps the Heidt rock into the rings.
-The last couple of rocks from Heidt have been an effort to protect the rock Knapp chipped in, Robinson by virtue of the end's developments attempts a double run, gets rid of one.
-With Bryden sitting two, one in the top, the other being in the back of the twelve Brad calls for a come around to the four foot, gets a piece of the eight.
-A freeze to the back rock by Heidt is followed by a freeze on top for Bryden. Randy still lying two.
-Bryden just can't be undone! Drew made a quality draw to the back of the four, but Randy was able to come right on top to get this, steal another point. 5-1 Bryden and due to the wide spread score and inevitable string of peels that will precede the Bryden strategy, I'm going to sign off this game but will come back later if I notice the score tightens.
-Now reeling from a three point deficit, Neumeier has thrown up a second corner guard and then is a disastrous turn of events for Bryden, Kelly Knapp's peel attempt goes wayward and bumps the Heidt rock into the rings.
-The last couple of rocks from Heidt have been an effort to protect the rock Knapp chipped in, Robinson by virtue of the end's developments attempts a double run, gets rid of one.
-With Bryden sitting two, one in the top, the other being in the back of the twelve Brad calls for a come around to the four foot, gets a piece of the eight.
-A freeze to the back rock by Heidt is followed by a freeze on top for Bryden. Randy still lying two.
-Bryden just can't be undone! Drew made a quality draw to the back of the four, but Randy was able to come right on top to get this, steal another point. 5-1 Bryden and due to the wide spread score and inevitable string of peels that will precede the Bryden strategy, I'm going to sign off this game but will come back later if I notice the score tightens.
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