It's Rider Time Again

So hockey season is finally over. June 9th saw it all wrap up and the Chicago Black Hawks end a 49 year drought by winning the Stanley Cup. Fellow Leaf despisers were quick to email me and point out that this now officially makes the Toronto Maple Leafs the NHL's longest and perhaps biggest loser. The Leafs last won the Stanley Cup in 1967. The Chicago Black Hawks last won the
Stanley Cup in 2010. See the Leafs now have the league's longest record for futility. Found it hard watching the final with
Chicago playing PhiladelphIa. Basically have never been a fan of either one of them. In the end was glad to see the Hawks win especially with so many Canadian players on the roster.
So hockey's done and its time for football. Remember the way, the miserable way, the Saskatchewan Rough Riders season ended last year. Leading from start to finish in the Grey Cup only to lose it after time had expired due to a too many men on the field penalty. It just doesn't get any worse than that. However it is a new season. However some pretty good players have left Saskatchewan. Stevie Baggs and John Chick both left for the National Football League and those are some pretty big holes to fill.
Quarterback Darian Durant was apparently injured in training camp today. Some sort of a hand or finger injury.
Riders begin Sunday with a pre season game against the BC Lions. Pre season games usually don't mean a heck of a lot but
with several big holes to fill and the search for a back up quarterback this years pre season games could mean a lot.
Once thing we learned last year. Don't count the Riders out. This team is gritty and hopefully the grit has not been lost in the off season.

Ballad Of Harper's Folly

The legend lives on from Toronto on down
Of the fake lake they call Harper's Folly
The lake, it is said, has the Liberals quite mad
And taxpayers screaming "It's a waste, by golly

It was made for the G8
Now isn't that great
A meeting costing billions of dough
When Ma Bell could have done it for less, you know

But there's no limit to what the politicians will spend
To satisfy their enormous ego
And the taxpayer just bends and takes it in the end
And re-elects them again, its strange amigo.

Own The Podium ? Groan

Let me start by saying I hope I am wrong. I hope I am dead wrong. I took some heat a few days ago when I suggested in an article that Canada was really putting pressure on itself and a target on it's back with it's slogan "Own the Podium".
The British media, in particular, was all over that one with it's complaints of poor sportsmanship and accusing Canada of a "non Olympic spirit"
I said at the time the Brits didn't have to worry about that. Canada could end up making their own slogan look bad by simply not delivering. So here we are at the half way point of the Olympics and Canada has eight medals. Four years ago at the half way point of the 2006 Olympics Canada had eleven medals. The United States leads the way in 2010 with 20 medals or a pretty substantial 12 medal lead and Canada is not even in second place. We are fourth in the medal standings and not exactly "owning the podium". Even to a Brit, it would appear pretty obvious that it is the Americans who are "owning the podium" and not the Canadians. By the way it's not the Brits either. They sit with one medal so perhaps instead of so carefully scrutinizing and disecting the Canadians, the British need to look at what is happening with their own athletes.
So what has gone wrong for Canada ? Or has anything ? There still is a long ways to go but Canada has missed on some pretty good chances to claim more medals.
It seems no matter how much money Government's and sports bodies pour into improving out athletes, and I am all for funding, it comes down to one thing. Heart. No matter how well trained you are, no matter how much funding you have been given it comes down to desire, translated heart.
Look at our gold medal winners. Most recently Jon Montgomery in skeleton. You could just see the fire in this guy's eyes. He was not going to be denied.
Funding won't buy that. It comes from inside. Likewise Alex Bilodeau and Maelle Ricker and Kristine Nesbitt. Heart. How else do you explain Switzerland forcing Canada into a game that ends only in a 3 - 2 shootout victory for Canada. Does anyone seriously think the Swiss team is on a par with the Canadians. But they played with heart, none bigger than Jonas Hiller, the Swiss goaltender who did everything but stop Sydney Crosby in the shootout.
There is still lots of time for Canada to improve on their medal count and there is nothing wrong with what they have accomplished thus far. But Own The Podium. Relax British media, calm down offended Aussies - if our slogan "Own The Podium" is the embarrassment you claim it is, well it may end up with Canada embarrassing ourselves and then Dear British media, when you host the Olympics in two years, we will carefully scrutinize everything that you do.

The Olympics

Hard to believe that I haven't posted anything on here since the storm of January 26th. I really wish this city would invest in some snow ploughs. I mean thats a long time to be snowed in. Just kidding. The storm was a bit over played. I mean I have seen worse but snow removal in this city is slow going.
The Olympics are on. Like most everyone else, I am enjoying all of it but really looking forward to the mens hockey. For many of the European players, including those who play in the NHL, winning an Olympic gold is bigger than the Stanley Cup. I think Canadian and American players are just starting to realize that now. The dream of almost every Canadian boy is to win a Stanley Cup. The dream of most European players is to win Olympic gold.
Canada should be in the medal hunt this time around but I am not sure about gold. They certainly have the ability to win the gold but so do about five other teams. I am looking for a Canada - Russia final. With Ovechkin and Malkin and a few others, their power play should be something. I think they are really weak on defense with only three really known defencemen.
If you recall Vladislav Tretiak that doesn't mean much though. No-one had heard of him in the great Canada Russia series and he was only one of the best goaltenders in the world.
Sweden also has a great team and could push Canada down to a bronze and when you look at the Americans and Finland's roster you can't count them out either although Finland has been diluted quite a bit.
Should be exciting. Would love to have tickets for the final rounds. I really enjoyed the World Juniors in Saskatoon and this would just be so much better.
And last night it was exciting to see Canada finally get that gold medal on home soil. Kind of sad this morning to wake up and see the Australians are accusing Canada of cheating and saying their guy won the gold but thats the way it goes. So much for sportsman ship but I am always reminded of this:

An Englishman wanted to become an Irishman, so he visited a doctor to find out how to go about this. "Well" said the doctor, "this is a very delicate operation and there is a lot that can go wrong. I will have to remove half your brain". "That's OK" said the Englishman. "I've always wanted to be Irish and I'm prepared to take the risk".
The operation went ahead but the Englishman woke to find a look of horror on the face of the doctor. "I'm so terribly sorry!!" the doctor said. "Instead of removing half the brain, I've taken the whole brain out". The patient replied, "No worries, mate!!"

Winter Snow Storm

The common theme in Saskatoon and Regina today. Digging out after a prairie snow storm. I am always amused by the comments of the media. They go on and on like this is something unusual. This is Saskatchewan. We are on the Prairies. We get winter snow storms, blizzards and the like.

Kootenay Ice Crohns Fundraiser

KOOTENAY ICE PARTNER WITH CROHN’S AND COLITIS FOUNDATION OF CANADA
January 11, 2010 []

Cranbrook, BC -- Jeff Chynoweth, General Manager of the Kootenay ICE Hockey Club, today announced that the ICE will be partnering up with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC) to raise money for research in hopes of finding a cure for the diseases.

On Friday, January 29th when the ICE host the Prince Albert Raiders, the team will be using yellow sticks during warm up and in the first period of the game. The sticks will be auctioned off in a silent auction during the game behind Section U with all money raised going to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation to aid in research. The winning bidders will receive their yellow sticks after the game from the ICE Players.

If you would like to volunteer for the Foundation on January 29th or for any other upcoming events please email Tisha Simpkins at tsimpkins@CCFC.ca

Facts about Crohn’s and Colitis:
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes two similar yet distinct conditions called Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
One in every 160 Canadians have IBD
Most people are diagnosed before the age of 30
Crohn’s can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus and cannot be cured by drugs or surgery
Colitis affects the inner layer of the colon or large bowel and can be eliminated by surgically removing parts of the colon
The University of Calgary Research facilities are world class and one of the largest in North America

Tickets to the game on Friday, January 29th at 7:00 pm are on sale now at the Kootenay ICE Office and Kootenay Collectibles.

Wow - It's Been Awhile

Our media center at the World Junior Hockey championships. From here we assisted the various media types. In the foreground the play by play broadcaster for the Switzerland junior team



The gold medal winning United States junior team warming up prior to one of their games in the World Junior Hockey tournament in Saskatoon


It has been awhile since I have posted anything on this site. December 18th to be exact and ofcourse a lot has happened.
Most importantly was Christmas. My daughter was home from University in Ottawa, my son lives here in Saskatoon so we had numerous family get togethers.
Then came the World Junior Hockey Championships. I had volunteered to work in media as many years ago I had been a play by play broadcaster for several Western Hockey League teams.
I was assigned various duties in my volunteer role assisting some 450 assigned media types who were covering the World Juniors. Saskatoon put on a great show hosting the event setting the third highest attendance record. Not bad for a small non NHL city but we really know how to do things up right here. Saskatoon Shines right !
The 50/50 draws were incredible each game with the last one going almost to $300,000 and the winner taking home half of that.
Canada did not win. Disappointing to many but this Canadian team had nothing to be ashamed about. They lost 6 - 5 in overtime to the United States ending a streak of five straight world junior championships. And if they had to lose to someone, I was glad that it was the American team that won. Throughout the tournament in my volunteer role I got to mix and mingle with some of the teams and the USA team was very polite, very nice bunch of young men and very deserving of their gold medal championships. I also realized from this tournament how much I have missed doing hockey play by play and many times found myself wishing I could return to it.
Now the world junior is over attention has ofcourse turned to the Eric Tillman situation. The very popular General Manager resigned his position today after being given an absolute discharge on a low end sexual assault charge. Although it was classified as low end, the victim was his sixteen year old babysitter so not a good situation at all. I have mixed emotions on this one. One the one hand, you think there should be some accountability. He should receive some punishment. After all football is only a game and this is life we are talking about. And then on the other hand you just feel badly that this incident took place. Tillman is a likeable man and has done an outstanding job with the RoughRiders. Two trips to the Grey Cup in three years and what should have been two championships had it not been for THE MISTAKE in November's game against Montreal. Life takes some weird twists and turns sometimes. Although part of me feels Tillman's resignation or dismissal had to be, the other part of me senses that the Riders loss will be some other CFL teams gain as Tillman will not be out of work for long.