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.

The little wide receiver that could

After a couple of controversial Hump Day Hotties, we’ve gone with a more traditional pick today: NFL wide receiver Wesley Welker. Today’s hottie is not only, well, a hottie, but also a lesson in tenacity and perseverance.

Welker was a promising high-school athlete and was even named the Oklahoma Player of the Year as a senior. He thought the universities would come knocking on his door, but at just 5’9” he was on the small side. Turned out not many were willing to take a chance on him and give him a scholarship. In fact, Texas Tech was the only school to extend an offer, and then only after another player backed out.

Despite a great college career, Welker’s size came back to haunt him once again and he remained undrafted after graduation (he has a degree in Management). He ended up signing with the San Diego Chargers, but was cut from the team during the first week of his first season. He was then picked up by the Miami Dolphins, where he played for three seasons – sometimes enduring rumors that he would be released from the team.

In 2007 he was traded to the New England Patriots, and that’s when his career really took off. Since joining the Patriots Welker has been selected for the Pro Bowl – the NFL’s all-star game – every single year. The voting ended for this year’s Pro Bowl (taking place in Hawaii on January 30) on Monday and the selected players will be announced on live television on December 28th, so we’ll soon see if Welker has made it four in a row. Also, his team currently has 12 wins and just 2 loses with only 2 more games to play, so they are well-positioned heading into the playoffs.

So next time you’re feeling under appreciated at work or like you just can’t get a break, think of this cutie and his struggles to make it big. Or you can just think about him whenever, cause that’s fun too.

Sweet, sweet fantasy (with guest blogger K Web)

My brother has always been a much bigger football fan than me. I’m not sure what it is about it that he loves so much, but I suspect it has something to do with the all-day nature of the game and built-in lounging opportunities that it provides. Below, my big brother and first guide to the weird world of professional sports shares some thoughts on the phenomenon known as Fantasy Football, a virtual competition that has 18 million participants in the U.S. alone and that is probably responsible for as many wasted hours of life as reality TV or Facebook. But let’s let a fan explain its appeal, shall we?

Fantasy Football. Maybe you’ve heard of it? Maybe someone you know plays? But what is it?

Well, Fantasy Football is many things: a game, an obsession, a waste of time. Yes, it is all of the above, but, what you may not know is that it is actually very emotional.

What? Emotional? Well, yes!

You see, Fantasy Football is an online game hosted through various websites (ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS, etc.) where players (otherwise known as General Managers or GMs) sign up to form a league. Once a league is formed, a draft takes place before the season starts with GMs selecting players, just like in a real sports league. The teams then compete against each other throughout the year. Various statistical categories like touchdowns, passing yards, and rushing yards are added together to form a final score. The team with the most points at the end of every week (you guessed it) wins!

But unlike other pools where people pick players to form a team and there are no changes throughout the year, in Fantasy, a team is in constant flux. GMs can add players to their team, drop players, and even make trades.

And this is where it gets interesting because a GM, like a young mother, will nurture and build his (or her) team. One guy isn’t doing so great? Drop him! Another guy is hot… Pick him up! Like a guy on someone else’s team? Make a trade! In this way, GMs live through success and failure just like a real team, and just like a parent watching little Jimmy play soccer. If your team sucks, you’re an idiot for making the wrong moves, and people in your league will let you know about it. If your team wins, you’re a genius for making all the right decisions, and you bask in glory.

I’ve been playing Fantasy Football for 7 years now. There have been times when, all alone, I’ve jumped out of my seat and run around my apartment a-hootin’ and a-hollerin’ so loud that the neighbours probably heard. Touchdown dances, complete with inappropriate gyrations, have been performed. Other times, I’ve felt sick to my stomach, unable even to plow through my usual game-day bag of Jalapeño & Cheddar Doritos.

I’ve been happily married for two years and I can honestly say Fantasy Football has been one of the biggest issues in the relationship. I need to watch my team. I’m happy when my team wins, despondent when they lose. “Hold on honey, my running back is on the field” has been a constant refrain. “It’s so nice outside, do you want to go for a walk?” “Um…don’t you know it’s Sunday?” has been a conversation had many times - that is, at least, when I have enough energy to actually form sentences instead of simply grunting. Fantasy Football is draining that way.

Of course, the best thing about Fantasy Football is it makes the games more interesting. We all know the NFL can be boring at times. Who wants to see the 4th quarter of a blowout on Monday Night? But…if you have a player in the game, and need a touchdown to win your Fantasy matchup for the week, all of a sudden that 4th quarter garbage time can become VERY interesting.

Get that touchdown dance ready – tomorrow is Sunday.

Sometimes I can't help myself

This week’s Hump Day Hottie, Alexander Ovechkin, may prove to be an unpopular choice. He does kind of resemble a caveman with his, uh, strong features and near unibrow. But last week we featured Sidney Crosby, and the two are often compared, so here we are.

Ovechkin (or Ovie) was drafted first overall in 2004, but because of the NHL lockout that year he didn’t play his first game until October 5, 2005, the same day as Crosby (Crosby went first overall in the 2005 draft). So essentially these two superstars have gone head to head, first pick against first pick, for their entire professional careers. They are two of the most exciting players in the game today, but that is pretty much where the similarities end.

Where Crosby is the typical Canadian player – private, humble, guarded, Ovechkin is loud, egotistical, and flashy.

So why does he deserve a spot here? Because he has personality. Not only is he fun to watch on the ice, but his antics, his interviews, and his music video cameos make sure everyone is paying attention off the ice as well. And hockey is a sport that could use some personality. Unlike the stars of basketball and football, hockey players are often incredibly dull, speaking in clichés and acting like they have really awful lives.

Ovie on the other hand always seems to be having fun. He is, after all, young, rich, and talented, why shouldn’t he be having fun? And that sort of enthusiasm is, I think, attractive.

And beyond that, can we all just agree that he has nice arms? Okay? Okay.

Ovie has had a tough year on the ice. At the Vancouver Olympics his Russian squad finished a disappointing 6th (apparently the Canadian organizers kept the Russian’s quarters well stocked with distractingly nubile “hospitality” staff). A few months later his team the Washington Capitals got booted out of the playoffs by heavy underdogs the Montreal Canadians.

But don’t count this Muscovite out for long. This year his team is sitting in second place in the East and he is fifth overall in points. And he’ll get another chance at Olympic glory in 2014, this time on his own turf. So Ovie is definitely one to watch.

Oh, I also really like his missing tooth.

We should probably have worked this out before the wedding...

Last Saturday the Vancouver Canucks retired former player Markus Naslund’s jersey (meaning a banner with his name and number will hang from the rafters and no other Canuck player will ever wear his number). I watched the ceremony on TV and have to say, I was moved. My husband, however, could not let me enjoy the moment and instead launched into a diatribe about how Naslund did not deserve to have his number retired and how the Canucks as an organization have lost his respect (though I’m not sure they were looking for it).

The episode reminded me of a revelation I had about ardent sports fans a few months ago when my dear friend Chris was in town. Although Chris and I disagree about many many things, our love for the Canucks always gives us something to stand together on. My husband, however, is a Montreal Canadiens fan, and while I have largely learned to tune him out when he talks about his beloved bleu, blanc et rouge or makes fun of my team like he did the other night, Chris just can’t help himself and has to get into it with him. Listening to the two argue (endlessly) that night, I came to some conclusions about the nature of fandom for certain people.

When I was little my parents owned a book called How to Win an Argument. I remember one of the things it said straight up was not to argue with people about matters of faith, because they are always holding a trump card.

Arguing about hockey with my guy (who would probably claim a level of devotion to his team similar to a religious experience) falls into the same trap. No matter what path the argument takes, he can always fall back on the “history” of the team. No team will ever be as good as the Habs or as worthy of supporting because 1) they’ve been around the longest and 2) they have won the most Stanley Cups.

Now I am not going to say that those aren’t valid reasons to love a team. But since even when my team has been around for a hundred years the Habs will have been here for 140, and since the chances of another team being able to rack up the hardware like the Habs could in the pre-expansion era is slim, those arguments are impossible to respond to. Stating a fact that you can’t argue with like “We have the most history” and then resting your case on that is akin to saying “Because I have faith” in a debate on the existence of God. Watching Chris and my husband endlessly circle around in debate with no possibility of a shared middle ground reminded me why when my husband and I talk hockey, it’s mostly to diss the Leafs. At least that sorry franchise is something everyone can agree upon.

So if you have people like this in your life, be they spouses, coworkers or friends, do your best not to engage them. It’s exhausting and only leads to marital discord/an uncomfortable work environment/a streetfight.

Finally, our first Hump Day Hottie

The other day I was watching hockey and I happened to catch Sidney Crosby’s new commercial. I must say, I was caught a little by surprise. When did he get so…hot?

In case you don’t know, Sidney Crosby is one of the NHL’s biggest young stars. He came into the league in 2005 at the tender age of 18, and won a Stanley Cup with his team the Pittsburgh Pengions just four years later. Last winter, he scored the goal gave Canada the gold medal over the U.S. at the Olympics. And he is currently leading the NHL in both goals and points (you get one point for a goal and one for an assist).

Sid the Kid, as he is known, has never been on my hot list because he seemed like, well , a kid. Not only did he have trouble growing a beard come playoff time, but he was also living at Penguins owner (and former hockey great) Mario Lemieux’s house with Mario’s family. But now that he has bought his own house, grown into his face a bit, a taken to wearing tight-fitting gear in his commercials, I may have to revise my opinion of the lad.

So I’ll put this out to the public at large - Sidney Crosby: hotsy totsy or hotsy notsy?

The Grey Cup

Last night was the 98th Grey Cup – the championship game in the CFL (Canadian Football League). It’s Canada’s version of the Super Bowl, in about the same way the Gemini awards are our version of the Oscars. And just like you will watch cross-country skiing during the Olympics, a lot of people watch the Grey Cup every year who don’t normally pay any attention to the CFL.

This year’s match did have quite a bit of drama. The same two teams that played last year – the Montreal Alouettes and the Saskatchewan Roughriders – were facing each other again. Last year the Roughriders only needed to kick a field goal to win the game. They did, but someone got confused and wandered into play when he shouldn’t have, so they got a penalty for having too many players on the field and had to redo the kick. This time they missed, handing the victory to the Alouettes.

Needless to say there was a lot of build up (as much as there ever is in Canadian football) heading into yesterday’s game. The Roughriders have been haunted by that play and desperately wanted to erase the memory with a victory, while the Alouettes were eager to prove that they were champions, rather than just a team that benefited from their opponent’s mistake.

Darian Durant

So what happened? Well, the Alouettes won on yet another heartbreaking play. With about a minute to go and the Roughriders storming down the field (a touchdown would have won them the game, a field goal would have tied it and sent it to overtime), Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant got into some trouble. With the Alouettes bearing down on him he attempted to throw the ball out of bounds, but instead threw it directly into the arms of an Alouette player. It was the only turnover of the game, and a costly one. The Alouettes were able to run down the clock and became Grey Cup champions for a second year in a row.

You may hear people talking about this game today, so now you’re prepared. But rest assured, by tomorrow all talk of the CFL will be suspended until the 2011 Grey Cup, taking place next November in Vancouver.

The Alouettes celebrate their win

Catch that?

If you happened to catch Glee last night you may have noticed Finn reference Jay Cutler, NFL quarterback. If the name sounded familiar, that’s because we featured him and his lady love Kristin Cavallari back in September. See, sports knowledge can even help come in handy while watching a show centred on singing and dancing!

Since we last talked about him and his on-field woes, Cutler has continued to have a rough season with the Chicago Bears. In fact, he was recently described as “a player who possesses all the physical tools for the position but just not enough of the mental make-up to be a consistent winner.” Hmm...sounds a little like Finn himself, don’t you think?

Your NFL news: Week 6

The big story in the NFL this week seems to be the growing concern over violent hits. The more research that is done on concussions, the scarier some of these helmet-to-helmet collisions become. There were at least three concussions on Sunday and a number of other head injuries as well. In response the NFL has announced that it will unveil new head protection rules in time for next week’s games. As usual this has led to a flurry of commentary about whether this is long overdue or an affront to football’s nature.

A sample of the reporting on each side:

“Sunday, we had the ghastly spectacle of an NFL in which it is completely forbidden to jump around happily after a touchdown -- but perfectly fine to make a sadistic helmet-to-helmet hit that can cause lifelong harm…. [E]ach year about 1 million play football, most of them high school boys. The NFL not doing everything possible to prevent head injury sets an awful example for the high school players who model themselves on what they see in the pros.” [from Gregg Easterbrook, "NFL must enforce rules, hit back"]

“I loved and was completely enthralled by every one of those violent encounters and I'm not afraid to admit it. That is the essence of this sport we all adore called football. My guess is that deep down the vast majority of people out there feel the exact same way, whether they would confess to it publicly or not.” [from Ross Tucker, "Hard hits will keep coming"]

We’ll have to wait and see what exactly the NFL proposes, and of course whether or not it does anything to protect the players.

James Harrison, fined $75,000 for a violent hit on Sunday

Dunta Robinson, was fined $50,000 for his hit 

Brandon Meriweather was also fined $50,000 this week

Jenn Sterger

Finally, to follow-up on last week’s story, Brett Favre had a meeting today with the head of NFL security. Not sure what exactly they discussed, but apparently the woman at the centre of this controversy doesn’t want to cooperate with the NFL (whatever that means), so the whole thing may end there - at least as far as the NFL is concerned. His wife may not move on so easily.

You may have noticed that we did not have a Monday Man yesterday. Given that Your NFL news will be posted on Monday or Tuesday, this feature will be moved to Wednesday.

You know in your heart what's right

Major League Baseball has a bit of a unique structure. It was originally made up of two leagues: the American and the National. The National League was around first and the American League was initially its competitor. Though the leagues are now legally one entity, they still have slightly different rules. For example, in the American League there is a player whose job it is to hit for the pitcher (called the Designated Hitter) while in the National League, the pitcher has to bat.
We’re now into the second round of baseball playoffs, meaning that there are only two teams left in each league. In the American League the Texas Rangers (who knocked out our Monday Man’s team) are facing the New York Yankees. And in the National League- the Philadelphia Phillies are up against the San Francisco Giants.

xoxo Roy

The National League series is posing a bit of a conundrum for me: I hate the Phillies and always have, but a former Blue Jay (and the best pitcher in baseball), Roy Halladay, is on the Phillies and I love him. (Read more about his awesomeness here.) So what do you do when your heart is pulling you in two different directions?

I’m watching the Phillies game as I write this, and they are losing 4-3. Every time the Giants get a hit on Halladay I feel sad. And when the Phillies get a hit, I don’t. So I guess I have my answer. I love Roy more than I hate the Phillies – so GO PHILLIES GO!

Your NFL news: Week 5

What with turkey and houseguests, football was not on as much as usual in my household this weekend. My round up is correspondingly a little bare, but a story that I couldn’t avoid is the one developing around Brett Favre.



Glory days

Favre is the 41-year old quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. He’s had a long and illustrious career – highlights of which include a Super Bowl championship and a cameo in There’s Something About Mary (he was Mary’s ex-boyfriend, refresh your memory here). He’s also very married, Roman Catholic, a father and yes, even a grandfather.

Now in Tiger-esque fashion, some sleazy voicemails and texts (not to mention some –ahem– little penis shots) have been made public and the NFL is investigating. Favre had allegedly been harassing a couple of women who work for his former team the New York Jets and doesn’t know how to take no for an answer. (Incidentally, the Vikings played the Jets last night - Favre's team lost).



Favre's post-game press conference



Now as of yet there’s no hard proof that it is actually his voice on the messages (though it sounds an awful lot like him) or his body parts in the photos (and I certainly can’t vouch for their likeness). If someone is stupid enough to risk their reputation, family and endorsement deals in this way though, there’s probably a whole lot more dirty laundry waiting to be aired, and we’ll probably find out the truth eventually.

You have to wonder when these guys will learn that recordings and photographs last forever, but I guess they do hit their heads a lot. At any rate, I think we can now safely say that Mary picked the right pony with our boy Ben Stiller.

Much to be thankful for

October is not only the start of hockey season, but also the month that baseball playoffs begin. The playoffs got started last week and there has been no shortage of drama thus far. One of the most exciting series to watch right now is the one taking place between the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Rangers seemed to have the series under control after they won the first two games. But the Rays didn’t give up and came back to win the next two. So they are now tied 2-2, and since the first round of the playoffs is a best of five series, whichever team wins the next game will advance.

One player who has been a big part of the Rays comeback is first baseman Carlos Peña. Born in the Dominican Republic in 1978, he moved with his parents and three younger siblings to the US when he was nine years old.

He grew up in Cape Cod and then attended Northeastern University where he studied electrical engineering. In 1998 he was drafted by the Texas Rangers (the team he is now facing in the playoffs). He bounced around from team to team for quite awhile and spent a good deal of time in the minor leagues before having a breakout season in 2007. That year he was named the Comeback Player of the Year by his fellow players, and donated the $20,000 prize money to underprivileged Dominican youth.

He’s since signed a three year, $24-million contract with the Rays. He’s also continued his charity work, acting as a spokesperson for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and getting involved in relief efforts after the earthquake in Haiti.

Peña’s attitude towards his success (and his great smile!) made him a natural choice to feature this holiday Monday. When his club was behind two games to nothing Peña called a meeting and urged his teammates to relax and remember how much they had to be thankful for already. “This is a ballcub of guys that love to play baseball and have gone through many difficulties to get to this point, so all of us appreciate where we're at,” said Peña. “[This is] what I dreamed of as a kid…. To be able to live the dream, I'm just extremely grateful.”

It's always nice to see an athlete who appreciates all that he has. And in a few weeks - if everything goes well - he may have a World Series championship to add to his list of blessings. But first he has to get through tomorrow with a victory. Good luck to Peña and the Rays, and Happy Thanksgiving everybody!