Holy acronyms!

Today guest blogger KWeb delves into the wild world of soccer to explain why you should care that Canada and Guadeloupe are facing off today. Are you ready?

With all of the hockey madness, a really good NBA finals, and baseball season in full swing, I imagine you are dying to know what is going on in the world of Canadian soccer. Boy! Am I glad you asked…

Right now, Canada is playing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the winner of which earns the right to play in the Confederations Cup in 2013.

Huh?

Well, you see, international soccer is an onion the size of the biggest onion you’ve ever seen, with many, many…many layers. So let’s start peeling.

 Being a global game, the soccer world is divided into different regions. CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) is the governing body for the national soccer teams in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The other five regions are: CONMEBOL (South America), UEFA (Europe), CAF (Africa), AFC (Asia) and OFC (Oceania). One of the primary functions of these associations is to stage qualifying games to see who gets to participate in the World Cup. For example, last year, the United States, Mexico and Honduras all qualified for the World Cup in South Africa from the CONCACAF region.

Canada's 2000 Gold Cup win -
check out the size of that trophy!

Moving along, the Gold Cup is held to determine the CONCACAF regional champion, who subsequently gets an invitation to the Confederations Cup, a high-level international tournament that is held the year before the World Cup in the host nation’s country. (Brazil is holding the World Cup in 2014, so they will host the Confederations Cup in 2013 – you might say it’s a World Cup dress rehearsal.) The Confederations Cup is made up of eight teams: the six regional champions, the reigning World Cup Champions, and the World Cup host nation. So far three teams have qualified: Brazil (World Cup host), Spain (World Cup champs) and Japan (Asian regional champs).

Long story short, in international soccer in general, and CONCACAF in particular, the Gold Cup is a big deal.

How is Canada doing?

Well, not surprisingly, Canada lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the first game of the Gold Cup last Tuesday in Detroit. The U.S. certainly deserved to win, but Canada had some chances and maybe if a few breaks had gone their way the outcome might have been different. But, on the other hand, Canada has not beaten the U.S. since 1985, and hasn’t beaten them on U.S. soil since 1957. So maybe not.
 

Next up for Canada is a match versus Guadeloupe (a real country…look it up) today, and then Panama on Tuesday. Both are winnable games, but Canada’s recent record in international soccer is, um, terrible, so don’t hold your breath.

In any case, international soccer is the world game, and fully epic.

So enjoy the onion.

A long time coming

 
As a fan of the Vancouver Canucks, I have had my heart broken many times.  I have watched them come oh so close to winning the Stanley Cup, stood by them through the dark days when for some reason they hired the man who beat us in that game as our coach and General Manager (he promptly dismantled the team and traded my favourite players), defended them during the infamous "Bertuzzi incident" when one of our stars (accidentally) broke another player's neck, and most recently, seen them fall two years in a row to the hated Chicago Blackhawks.  In darker moments (like when it's one in the morning and they lose to Minnesota and I have to get up for work in five hours), I question why I bother. 


Kevin "Don't Speak" Bieksa



Last night I got my answer.



At around 1am Eastern time in the second overtime period, Kevin Bieksa scored the winning goal against the San Jose Sharks, sending the Canucks to the Stanley Cup final for the first time in 17 years.

Jubilation!  Euphoria!  Or that's what I would have felt if I had been watching.  Unfortunately, my night went like this:

9pm - Turn game on. Watch for nearly 4 hours.
12:51am - Baby starts crying.  Husband doesn't stir.
12:56am - Cave to crying.  Head upstairs to fetch soother and quiet baby.
12:57am - Canucks score game winner.
12:58am - Return downstairs.  Fall to knees in frustration.

But I'm quickly moving past the frustration and getting excited.  We're now waiting the outcome of the Eastern final to see if the Canucks will face the Boston Bruins or the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

And I've put the baby on notice - if the games go into overtime during the finals, he's on his own 'til his daddy responds.

What's up in the NBA Part 2

Today we have Part 2 of our NBA playoff update.  This time guest blogger KWeb breaks down the two remaining teams in the Western conference, the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder.  The Mavericks took the first game on Tuesday and game 2 goes tonight in Dallas.

Dallas Mavericks

Dirk Nowitzki

How they got here: Dallas beat the Portland Trailblazers in six games, and then stunningly swept the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers with four straight victories. They are the favourites to make the Finals from the Western Conference.



Team history: Like your friend who eats chicken too fast, the Mavericks (Mavs for short) have a reputation for choking. They were up 2-0 in the 2006 Finals but then dropped 4 straight and lost. The next year they had the best overall record in the NBA but lost in the first round to the Golden State Warriors. It’s been great regular seasons followed by post-season bitterness in Dallas for years. Some people (well OK only me…) call this team the Vancouver Canucks of the NBA.

Toni Braxton

Player to watch: Dirk Nowitzki. Born in Germany, this 7 foot tall assassin has more shots than the Luftwaffe. He is an example of what makes basketball different from other sports: good offense will beat good defense. He’s got a fade-away jumper that no one can stop. Watch for it.

Meaningless information: Back in the 90s, it was rumoured that Jason Kidd (now back with the Mavs after many years) and then-teammate Jim Jackson (now retired) were involved in a love triangle with Toni Braxton. Everyone denies it, but it’s more fun to believe it happened and it was ugly, right?

Oklahoma City Thunder



Kevin Durant



How they got here: Oklahoma City (aka OKC) beat the Denver Nuggets in 5 games in the first round, and then beat the Memphis Grizzlies in 7 games in the second round. They’ll be the underdogs in the Western Conference Finals against Dallas.



Team history: This team moved from Seattle in 2008 after (basically) Seattle refused to use taxpayer money to build them a new arena. After one horrific season, they have been steadily improving and are now an “up-and-coming” team in the league that is finally delivering on its promise. 



Russell Westbrook


Players to watch: Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Durant is a 6’9’’ shooting guard/small forward who was the NBA’s leading scorer this year…and last year as well! He is a great shooter and defines the word lanky. He is going to be around for a long time. Westbrook is a 6’3’’ point guard with unbelievable athleticism. Every so often he will deliver an absolute monster dunk where he jumps up, arches his back at an incredible angle, raises the ball way over his head and throws it down with supreme power. Trust me, it’s awesome. And oh yeah, and they are both only 22 years old. It makes me feel old. 

Meaningless information: Basketball is interesting because they play music while the game is actually going on. OKC takes this to a new level, pumping out sweet jams like your neighbourhood discothèque. Taio Cruz is heavily featured. Aiiii-yoooo!!!

What's up in the NBA

As promised, we have a basketball update from guest blogger KWeb. The NBA, like the NHL, is down to four teams in the playoffs.  Today, KWeb will give us a peek at the two remaining Eastern teams, the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls.  The Bulls currently lead the series 1 to nothing - game 2 is on tonight.

Miami Heat

How they got here:  Miami first beat the Philadelphia 76ers and then the Boston Celtics, both in 5 games.  They are the favourites to make the Finals from the Eastern Conference.

Team history:  An expansion team in 1988, years of mediocrity (or worse) were followed by the team winning its first, and only, championship in 2006.  

Wade and LeBron (in his signature headband)

Players to watch:  Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.  Two of the very best players in the NBA today, they teamed up last season in controversial fashion as James left the Cleveland Cavaliers as a free agent and signed with Miami.  Wade is 6’4’’; James is 6’8’’.  Both of these players are good enough shooters to burn you from the outside, and both are quick enough to go around their defenders and get to the rim.  At times they can both be completely unstoppable, and that’s what makes this team so good.  Editor's note: Don't worry if you don't quite get the lingo.  You might want to try dropping it into conversation while your man's watching the highlights, just to see if he's paying any attention.

Meaningless information:  Miami basketball fans are notorious for arriving late to games, prompting team officials to begin a “Fan Up” campaign which encouraged fans to get to the arena on time, even offering discounts at the concession stand for early arrivers!  The story goes that the mucky-mucks with lower bowl tickets are too busy socializing and enjoying the buffet to be bothered to be in their seats for tip-off, while folks in the upper bowl are there on time cheering away.  Typical.

Chicago Bulls

How they got here:  Chicago beat the Indiana Pacers in 5 games and then beat the Atlanta Hawks in 6.  Even though they have the best record in the NBA, they will be the underdogs in this series.

Derrick Rose


Team history:  This team won the NBA Title 6 times with Michael Jordan in 1990s, making them one of the most successful franchises in recent history.  They went into a bit of a lull for most of the 2000s, but are now right back in the hunt.

Player to watch:  Derrick Rose, Chicago’s 6’3’’ point guard and MVP of the NBA regular season, is an awesome player.  He’s lightning quick; no defender can stay in front of him.  Watch him penetrate the lane and lay it off the glass at ridiculous angles.  He’s a soft spoken, seemingly humble dude but he’s also a vicious competitor who can will his team to victory.  If he doesn’t play lights out the Bulls won’t win this series.

Meaningless information:  Chicago’s coach, Tom Thibodeau, is one of those coaches who yells and gesticulates feverishly from the sidelines.  However, his voice gets so hoarse from screaming all of the time it sounds like a pre-pubescent frog with laryngitis just after it got run over by a Mack truck.  Listen for him during quiet parts of the game.  Then again, it sounds just awful, so maybe skip it.          

Next up, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks.

A sigh of relief

Carrie Underwood takes in the game (hubby Mike Fisher
plays for Nashville)

My team the Vancouver Canucks won their series with the Nashville Predators last night, meaning they will advance to the next round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Watching the game I felt nervous and on edge. It was game 6, so even if they had lost they would have had another game to try to knock out the Preds, but I could not relax. I realized that I have felt anxious for the whole playoffs. I don’t think I’ve really enjoyed a single game. The Canucks haven’t exactly made it easy for me – they have played a lot of tight games and have allowed the other team to come back way too often. But I don’t remember ever feeling quite like this before. I almost dread the games, and watching them has often felt like a somber duty rather than a happy pleasure.

I thought maybe it was because of my new life as mum to a little baby. Sleep is in short supply these days and since I live in the Eastern Time zone, games can sometimes go on well past midnight. Quite frankly, I’d rather be catching some much needed zzzs than watching the Canucks get their asses handed to them by my least favourite team (the Blackhawks, in case you were wondering).

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman were
regular fixtures during the series

But then I realized that I’m not the only one feeling anxious these days. My brother was here to meet his new nephew recently and I observed the same dread and apprehension in him. (Sidebar---three cheers for my lovely sister-in-law who indulged me and my brother - matching jerseys, modified touchdown dances and all - while we watched hockey and kept her from sleeping.) So it’s not just me.

So what’s the deal? I think this attitude stems from us (and by us I mean the Canucks) being the favourite for the first time, well, ever. We (again, the Canucks) sat on top of the league this year. We had the best record and the best player. If the world made sense, the Canucks would not have had to work so hard to win the first two series.

The Canucks celebrate their win

Just like in real life, expectations breed pressure. I’ve enjoyed a magical, no expectations no pressure Canucks cup run once before in my life. Now it’s my turn to endure a nerve-wracking slog through the playoffs. I’m hoping that the Canucks will make all this pain worthwhile.

Back in the saddle

My last post was way back in December. Why so long between updates? Well, just after Christmas my husband and I welcomed a new addition to our family. We weren’t expecting him to arrive until the end of January, so there were quite a few activities that were unexpectedly put on hold. Needless to say, he’s taken up a lot of my time (in the best possible way) and posting has fallen way down on the old priority list.

I’ve now caught my breath a bit, but more than that, there is simply too much going on in the sports world to ignore any longer. Posts may be a little sparse for awhile until I settle more into this whole motherhood thing, but I will do my best to keep you up to date.

So in that vein, let me give you a brief overview of what’s going on with some of the major sports.

Hockey
It’s playoff time for the NHL, and we’re now into the second round, meaning there are 8 teams left in the hunt for the Stanley Cup. A lot of interesting stuff has already happened, including one of our favourites getting fined for making a rude gesture at the crowd (he claimed his equipment malfunctioned), Mr. Carrie Underwood taking his new team into uncharted territory by winning a series, and my team exorcising some demons by finally beating its playoff nemesis. Playoffs wrap in June, so there's lots more to come!

Basketball
Also in playoff mode, you won’t be hearing much more than the big big NBA news from me since I stopped watching the game when Mike Bibby and the Grizzlies hightailed it out of Vancouver. My brother and one time guest blogger is into it, so maybe I’ll see if he has anything interesting to say on the subject.

Baseball
Baseball season got underway in April. On a personal note, my baby has been to a couple of games so far (both loses for our hometown Blue Jays). He assures me he had a great time, though he thinks Rivera should be sent packing.

Football
Big things going on off the field in this sport. Right now it looks very unlikely that there will be a season at all this year (it usually starts in September) because of a labour dispute. I’ll be posting more about this as things develop, but if you’re looking for a brief and fascinating look at what’s going on (and an explanation of why we should all be firmly on the players side of the battle), take a peak at this article from one of my favourite sports blogs, The Edge of Sports.

So for anyone still out there, thanks for sticking with me.  It's a great time to be a sports fan!

What's with the waffles?

If you live in Toronto (or even if you don’t) you may have seen a headline or overheard a conversation about the Toronto Maple Leafs and waffles. What’s the connection? Well, lately people have begun tossing waffles onto the ice at Leafs games to protest their poor play (they are currently the worst team in their division and the third last team in the league). And last night during yet another loss, one fan was ejected from the game, banned from all future Leafs, Raptors, Marlies and TFC games, and charged by the police with mischief, all for throwing some eggos.

I think it all began a few weeks ago when one fed-up fan threw waffles on the ice after a 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. The man (who asked not to be identified) was later interviewed by a Toronto newspaper where he explained that he wanted the Leafs to “wake up and eat some breakfast.”

One Leaf player shot back “I don’t appreciate it…. Throw a filet, throw a T-bone. Spend some money.” It seems like he didn’t quite get the symbolism of the waffles. Besides, after dropping $400 plus on a couple of tickets, most people probably can’t afford to be wasting expensive cuts of meat and may feel like they have already spent enough on this team.


As for last night’s waffle-tosser – his tickets were a gift. But with the legal fees he’ll be paying, it looks like the Leafs have still found yet another way to bleed their fans dry.