The Result

Well I guess it’s time for me to give everyone an update. Two Sundays ago, I wrote about being on the eve of my Junior A camp. That time has now passed, and I would like to share my experiences with you.

Walking into the room that first Monday, I had many emotions running through my head. The time for me to shine had arrived. Now it was do or die, and I had to make an impression off the start. I did alright the first day, but the second day is where I got noticed. Scoring two goals and getting into my first ever fight definitely helps spark an interest in the eyes of the coach! Now, me being 5'11 and fighting a guy who is 6’2 I was definitely at a disadvantage. The fight ended up in a draw and I came out bloody and bruised, but it didn’t matter. I needed to show the coaching staff that I am an all around player, and I did. As the camp progressed, I continued to put forth a valiant effort, getting points in every game I played.  I made a lot of friends, learned a lot of new things, and developed a lot more confidence than I had at the start. Finally came the moment of truth. The coaches were calling in everybody who hadn’t signed. I waited in line in front of an intimidating, dimly lit referee room for my turn to hear what the coaching staff had to say.

To keep a long story short, this upcoming season I will be a member of the Mississauga Chargers Junior A hockey club. Yeah, I made it, and you know what, I have never been more proud of myself. I defied a lot of odds, and proved a lot of people wrong! But most importantly I made myself one happy guy. 

Now I need to continue to work hard. The season starts September 11, and I need to continue to work out, skate and earn myself the highest possible spot in the lineup. So I guess the next time you will hear from me is before and after my first ever Junior game! For anyone out there who  can relate to my situation, be it now or in the future, take this an example of how powerful willpower can be, and remember, never let go of what matters most to you!

This Is What We Live For

Life is full of ups and downs. That's just how it is. We live each day trying to make it through the day. How many times have you heard someone say, "I can't wait for today to be over." What do those people strive for each day? Do they strive to be the fastest person to reach the next day? What is their motivation? What is their fulfillment? Could you imagine your first grade teacher telling you that they couldn't wait to be out of the school each day? What message would that send to you as a student? As a kid? As a person in general?

Life happens, whether you like it or not. There will always be another problem to solve or obstacle to overcome.

The way we reach our goals, that is what life is all about. What we do with each day, that is the greatest thing about life. It's not about the outcome, it's about the process. The outcome is just part of the reward. But the fun happens while you are too busy to think about what is going on.

I'm Boring - What Gives?

So there hasn't been a whole heck of a lot to say in the last little while! Adam got me here to write some things on my numerous experiences while playing in the Beer Leagues that I play in, and unfortunately, the timing couldn't have been worse. My Monday night D1 division team; Club Sauce, we went out in the round robin portion of our playoffs in a rough game against a team that just dominated us with their size. My Wednesday team, playing in the B division, lost in the playoffs in a game that I had to miss due to school reasons. How lame! I have no stories!

The one cause for relief, however, is my Thursday night D2 division team; the Capitals. I've been playing with this group of guys for a number of years now, and to be honest, it's pretty much my favourite team that I've ever played on. No disrespect to my other squads, but these guys are one in a million.

I can't really specify just what it is that sets them apart from the others. It could be the camraderie in the dressing room that we show, from Sammy and his witty remarks to Bully and Josh with their domination over the remaining few beers in the parking lot afterwards. Maybe it's the fact that unlike many of my teams, it's a primarily older squad, with the youngest guy coming in at 21, and the oldest hovering around 40. Yet...whenever any of us come to the rink, it's just a place to get away, be yourself, and have a good time with a bunch of guys who enjoy their beer and their hockey.

Anyways, the reason that the Capitals are a cause for relief is because we're actually still playing! Better yet, we've been winning! When you win, things always seem to be a lot better off  both in the room, and on the ice. Of course, since this is the only team that I've got that's still going, I don't have much fodder for a weekly round-up. So instead, I've got a better idea.

Since we're in playoffs, I'm going to write a post for each game, detailing the score, any memorable moments from the game, and the overall attitude and feeling. Since it's the playoffs, the odds are that I'll get into some sort of melee at some point, and I'm sure eventually, I'll have something to wax poetic about.

It is, after all...the playoffs.

Moto2: New school class, old school racing

While I can’t recall being at Mosport or Shannonville as my dad raced, the smell of a two-stroke at full throttle makes me feel right at home. There is nothing quite like it, oil being consumed as the air/fuel mixture is burnt, exiting as a sweet blue haze of spent exhaust gases. At Indianapolis last year, watching the 250cc class of riders line up at the bricks, I took it all in knowing that this would be the last time I would watch the 250’s at the Grand Prix level. With as much horsepower as a late model subcompact and light enough to be bench-pressed, these parallel twins carry more corner speed than their 800cc MotoGP counterparts and handle like a roller coaster. That being said, I and the rest of the motorcycle-racing world were perplexed by the loss of the 250 class for 2010, replacing it with Moto2. While the new class was not scheduled to start GP racing until 2011, positive pre-season testing prompted sanctioning bodies (Dorna and the FIM, IRTA and MSMA)to accelerate the schedule. Add to that the fact that there are few manufacturers that make a 250 for viable street use, in which case it would be more financially sound to develop a production based street bike, and the outcome was inevitable. As far as the specs and rules are concerned:
· Honda will supply 600cc, four-stroke production based engines, which are required to last for 6 races before replacement or rebuilding
· Dunlop will supply tires
· Eskil Suter will supply the slipper clutches
· 2D will supply ECU’s, data loggers and timing transponders, with a maximum cost of 650 euros
· Chassis will be prototypical and teams are required to develop their own frames, swingarms, fuel tanks, body work and suspension setup
· Carbon fiber brakes are no longer allowed in an effort to minimize costs by using steel rotors
There are many other details and rules but those mentioned above are likely to determine how the 2010 season will play out for Moto2.

I’ll admit, I was skeptical, for how exciting could homologated racing be in the absence of the Japanese Big Four and Ducati? The reality is that the racing world is facing tremendous pressure to evolve in light of a bleak economic forecast and ever-stricter environmental regulations. For example, Aprilia would charge teams 1.2 million euros to lease an RSA250 for one season, not including development and other costs. In Moto2, once all the costs are tabled, it is estimated the total will be approximately 700,000 euros, which includes both riders and ownership of both bikes. If Zorro can field a team then it must be financially sound. Also, the switch to production based four-stroke engines means that oil will no longer be burnt as part of the normal combustion cycle and that they will run on standard fuel, both eco-friendly moves.

I’m all for saving money and the planet but I questioned the quality of the racing. After watching the first race of the season under the lights in Qatar, I realized just how far off I was. I won’t start regurgitating the highlights, mainly because you may have it on your PVR and there are just simply too many, so I’ll leave it at this. Picture 40 of the worlds premier riders trying to cram into Turn 1, and then battling for position for 20 plus laps, only to have 1st to 10th separated by mere seconds. During the off-season, shortness of breath and heart palpitations might be cause for concern on a lazy Sunday afternoon, but not while racing is on. Associated risks include nail biting and watery eyes, as blinking increases the chances of missing something.

Okay, so I might be exaggerating slightly, but Moto2 is truly the most entertaining motorcycle racing I’ve watched since Rossi battled Lorenzo for the last 3 laps at Catalunya in 2009. Don’t get me wrong, the GP class is still exciting, but in open class racing, the teams with the best engineers are the ones leading the way. Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo are extremely talented, but the YZR-M1’s they pilot are 230 hp rolling computers. The Moto2 class has its share of electronic aides and GP level tech, but identical engine specs from team to team ensure good battles and constant positional changes. No traction control, no electronically adjustable suspension, no tire pressure sensors, and so on. For those of you who scoff at these barbaric alterations, are you even aware that current MotoGP bikes have onboard GPS that allows teams to implement turn-by-turn changes via computer? If so, do you cheer for the ECU or your favourite rider? Do you lineup for the engineer’s signature after the race? Even World Champions like Rossi and Hayden both prefer a return to racing with less electronics, something echoed throughout the paddock. In Moto2 there are literally battles at every corner, of every lap, of every race and anyone betting on the outcomes is likely to have a losing record.

I’ll be the first to admit that I think electronics and computer management are necessary, not only to provide safety for the riders as the machines get faster, but because the engineering feats that racing breeds is what you and I take for granted when we ride a new motorcycle or drive a new car for that matter. Moto2, while stripped down, still benefits from these technologies, but when all teams are on a level playing field, funding is no longer a deciding factor in winning. The Moto2 bikes permit certain modifications as mentioned, but the strict rules act as an equalizer that leaves rider craft to decide the outcome of the race. There are those who believe that GP racing should be left as a showcase for technology, where the best teams should win because they have the best bike. Technology doesn’t create excitement, it just gives the rider the confidence to push harder at safe levels. The entertainment comes from the racing, no matter the technology, especially when you need a degree in electrical engineering to understand most of it. If you don’t believe me then go watch a flat track race at the Indy Mile and tell me it’s not good racing. 100 mph plus, no brakes, drifting around a dirt corner, rubbing elbows with your competition and some riders on pushrod Harley’s!

Like any new class, there have been some growing pains. Some complain that cost savings are not worth the sacrifice in performance, judged by slightly slower lap times than the previous 250’s. Also, some argue that there is not enough chassis development by teams because sponsors aren’t willing to risk consistent results for potentially larger payoffs. However, I believe that these situations will resolve themselves as the season progresses and as the series continues next year. Riders will adjust and teams will venture deeper into R&D as competition mounts between sponsors vying for a slot in a class that is likely to bring increased viewership. But you don’t even have to listen to me rant about the changes because in 2012, both MotoGP and even the 125’s will look very different as well. The GP Commission is reintroducing liter bikes in the GP class with the 125’s being replaced by a 250 four-stoke class, aptly named Moto3. Along with a host of other new specifications and rule changes, the aim is to increase entertainment through improved competition, while implementing cost saving measures.

In the business of sports, if it makes money, it makes sense.

Got Pain?

Chances are, you’ve got parts of your body that nag you from time to time. No matter what you do for a living, whether you’re on your feet all day or sitting on a chair, you’re bound to have a sore back, tight hamstrings, or just overall stiffness. Well, no longer.

First things first, here’s what you need. A foam roller (pick one up here - http://www.performbetter.com/detail.aspx_Q_ID_E_4279_A_rnd_E_43?kbid=1186), or ask around, you’ll find most for around twenty bucks. A cheaper but just as effective alternative is to use a pvc pipe as your roller, which can be picked up at any hardware store for a low price. Next, you’ll need either a lacrosse ball, baseball, or tennis ball, whichever you choose.

Here’s a video demonstrating what to do with the foam roller and ball.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8caF1Keg2XU

A couple of warnings beforehand. Expect these exercises to hurt at first, as the roller and ball will hit trigger points that inevitably, trigger pain. But over time, as your soft tissue adjusts, it will hurt less and less. Your body will feel a million times better, and those nagging aches and pains will miraculously disappear. Try it out, and enjoy your new pain-free body.

The Boys of Summer

Pacing nervously in my room, searching for inspiration, I paused at the sight of an old baseball sitting on the top shelf of my bookcase, surrounded by years of sports memorabilia. I began to trace the unending stitch across the leather surface when I noticed a faint signature. It was that of Devon White, All-Star, Gold Glove Award winner, World Series Champion and my favourite Blue Jays CF. ‘Devo’s’ famous catch in Game 3 of the 1992 World Series, oft compared to "The Catch", will not only be remembered for starting what would have been a triple play, but also as an example of his sublime athleticism. Continuing on, I passed by RHP Dave Stewart, also an All-Star, World Series Champion and ALCS MVP during the Jays’ 1993 championship run. While some will remember ‘Smoke’ for his off-field conduct, he was an ace for the Jays. Finally, I came across Cito Gaston, the preeminent player’s manager, All-Star and member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. He was not only the manager of the first non-American team to win the World Series, but also the first African-American to manage a World Series winning team.

My parents gave this ball to me sometime in 1993, after they attended a charity dinner hosted by the Blue Jays. After placing it among my trophies and collectibles, it faded into obscurity, epitomizing the once famed franchise. I had all the inspiration I would need and the story was beginning to write itself.

The Jays were a good team in the early 90’s, but it was not until 1992, when they beat Atlanta in 6 games to win the World Series, that I began to take notice. In 1993 I was seven and the two most vivid memories I can summon are the epic food fight at my birthday party and Joe Carter's walk-off home run against the Phillies’ Mitch Williams in the bottom of the ninth of Game 6. Down 6-5, with one out and Ricky Henderson and Paul Molitor on base, Carter hit the 2-2 offering over the left field wall. I hadn’t a clue that this team and that moment would be the pinnacle of the franchise. I only knew that I wanted to experience it for myself. My parents signed me up next spring.

With high hopes in 1994 for a three-peat, the Jays struggled and were in third place in the AL East when the league announced the work stoppage that cancelled the 1994 playoffs, a day that will live in infamy for former Montreal Expos fans. When play resumed in 1995, the Jays were floundering and attendance began to decline steadily, from which it has never recovered. I’ll admit, my passion for the game waned as I got older, with hockey becoming more important. By the time I quit ball I had lost complete interest in the Jays. I would watch the highlights but I was indifferent as to the outcome.
Still, I’ve seen improvement in the last two seasons. Some will say that failing to make the playoffs are no improvement but when you are in the toughest division in baseball, things can progress slowly. The Red Sox and Yankees have licenses to print money and have won a combined 7 World Series since the Jays last won. The Rays have emerged as a powerhouse in recent years and made it to the finals in 2008.

So what I want to know is why hasn’t the new energy and excitement surrounding the young Jays translated into increased attendance?

In no particular order, here is my list of possible reasons:

1) The cost of tickets and concessions in tough economic times

Partly, if at all to blame. Nothing in life is free and the laws of supply and demand will decide ticket prices. Prices have dropped since the Jays were in their prime and even for ‘Premium’ games against teams like the Yankees and Red Sox, you can still get good seats for as little as $30, less for non-premium games. Of course, good is subjective and some people are hard to please. Besides, this theory doesn’t explain how the basement dwellers that play at the ACC manage to sell-out consistently. I’ll admit that concessions are expensive but if food and drinks are your primary concern then stay home.

2) Emergence of the Raptors and TFC

Torontonians are sports fans. Period. So of course competition from other franchises has not helped the Jays boost attendance. However, the Raptors haven’t made the playoffs in two seasons and with the exit of Chris Bosh, the future is uncertain. TFC has only been around for three seasons and Jays attendance has been dropping from well before the soccer team started playing.

3) The tarnished image of the MLB due to league-wide steroid allegations

While no Blue Jay has been found to have taken any PED’s to my knowledge, the impact on the sport had been huge. However, I don’t believe that it would be enough to precipitate the league-wide drop in attendance, because purists are few and far between and the average fan still likes their dingers.

4) Rogers Communications Inc.

When Rogers purchased the franchise from Belgian brewer, Interbrew SA (who previously purchased Labatt Breweries), the corporation took on a losing franchise that was hemorrhaging money. After the lockout, player’s salaries ballooned into ludicrous amounts and the Jays could not compete in a market dominated by the almighty American dollar. If anything, Rogers, after acquiring Sportsnet, gave Torontonians more chances to watch and despite the name change of the SkyDome, the refurbished Rogers Center gave fans a new reason to attend the games.

5) No marquee players

When the Jays traded Roy Halladay, they traded their biggest ticket draw as well. ‘Doc’ is well known for his arsenal of pitches and his durability, having 57 complete games under his belt for his career. It definitely hurt when he left but you can’t rebuild without tearing down. The Jays have a solid roster but no one player really stands out, besides maybe Jose Bautista. The Dominican leads the league in home runs with 37 and ranks 3rd in RBI’s with 90. He may not be marquee yet but in my opinion, winning is more attractive than stats. But in the day of the celebrity/athlete, talent seems to count for less than it used to.

6) America’s pastime

Ozzie Guillen, manager of the White Sox, suggested that Toronto needs a couple of hockey players in its lineup to draw a larger crowd. If you remember Dany Heatley failing to make it to home plate on a ceremonial first pitch at a Giants game, Guillen might need to rethink his idea. It does however bring up an interesting notion, that Canadians love their hockey and that baseball is America’s pastime. I don’t disagree completely but franchises like the Marlins, Pirates and Indians, are all in worse shape than the Jays as far as attendance is concerned.

7) Controversy behind home plate and sheer boredom

All games have referees, and the fallibility of human nature invariably leads to blown calls. I won’t get into the debate of whether or not the league needs to utilize video replay but the oldest professional sport in North America is bound to adapt to change slowly. Be patient and hopefully Bud Selig will make one right decision. Most sports can also be frustrating to watch at times, simply because reality is not always exciting. Have you ever watched the pre-lockout New Jersey Devils play the trap? What about the last 30 seconds of a basketball game drag on for 5 minutes? If you want pure excitement watch a demolition derby. As I mentioned, purists seem to be getting replaced by rabid fans waiting for their idols next Twitter post. Baseball is a thinking sport, an athletic chess match that has been around officially since the mid 19th century. Try playing it before you call it boring.

I’ve not written this to detail the careers of three former Blue Jays, to dredge up nostalgia, or to convince you that you should go watch a game, but rather to establish a link between the franchise that was and the current state of affairs in Toronto as a microcosm of the entire MLB. On average, attendance and TV ratings have been declining league-wide for several years, and the Jays are not the only franchise in jeopardy. Major league sports are businesses and in a league without a salary cap, only the richest survive. But the Blue Jays are my team, the team I grew up following and the reason I started playing. I refuse to believe that baseball is dead in Toronto and I hope there are readers out there who share my sentiment.

Physics OMMMGGGG

Last night, a funny thing happened to me as I was polishing off a twenty-eight page script that I was writing for a school assignment. While in the middle of taking a small break from hours of continuous writing, I logged on to the EA Sports website to check and see if there was any more information available on the upcoming release of NHL 11, the yearly hockey sports game that I am near-guaranteed to log hundreds of hours on.

Imagine my shock when the very first thing I saw was "NHL 11 Demo Released!" on the main splash page of the site. My brain immediately went in to giddy schoolgirl mode, and I scrambled for my PS3 controller, knowing that the download time would inevitably lead to some pensive waiting and youthful enjoyment. Upon logging in and starting the demo's download, I proceeded to burn through the rest of my script in a mere twenty minutes, e-mailing it to my teacher and turning back to my television to wait through the remainder of the agonizing 20% of download time.

To clarify something here - I am a gamer. I own all the major gaming platforms and I find it far easier (and more budget-effective now that I'm in school) to stay in on a weekend and tear through a couple of levels of a game, instead of routinely going out and spending money that I don't have. I do, however, have a realistic outlook on gaming, and I know that I cannot allow it to control my life, for fear of becoming one of "those" people. You know the type. The archetypical World of Warcraft nerd, complete with the CTS-preventing wrist brace and a dependancy upon diet cola. As such, I don't usually let myself get too terribly excited for the release of an upcoming video game. I keep myself fairly busy in the real world, and I look at them more or less as a diversion, as opposed to a necessity.

Unfortunately, there are two exceptions to this rule, but thankfully, Diablo III isn't coming out anytime soon.

The other exception, and perhaps the one game that I let myself get giddy over is the EA Sports NHL game, released every September, usually around the time that NHL pre-season camps open up. It will often kick-start my hockey fix and results in hockey overload during the month of September. To be honest, it's one of my favourite times of the year. Now, as anyone who's played the previous NHL titles is aware of, the games don't generally change very much from year to year. They'll update the rosters, add new uniforms, and maybe come up with a new feature or two. A few years ago it was "Be a Pro" mode, last year it was "Boardplay" and the EASHL online teamplay mode. So when I heard about the new physics engine that they were adding to the game, a la Fight Night, I was excited, but tempered my enthusiasm. Physics was great, but it's been around for a while, so no big deal, right?

For the second year in a row, the cover features a
Blackhawk doing something funny with his mouth.

Man, EA pulled a fast one on everyone who had even remotely lowered their expectations.

They've been pimping the new physics engine as the primary feature of NHL 11, and after playing the demo for four hours, I can positively say that they've hit on it. The game feels a lot more real, from the hitting, to the passing, and the shooting. I was impressed, I've got to admit. What I was more impressed with, however, was the stuff that was in the demo that they DIDN'T tell us about.

Things like overhauled presentation, menus, different puck sizes, new passing, disallowed goals (which man, you've got to do a double-take to believe that you're seeing it and it's not being done randomly), the introduction of proper UFA/RFA rules to the GM mode, the introduction of the CHL teams and their players, and of course, the EAUHL; the NHL version of FIFA's 'Ultimate Team' mode. I could go into so much detail on why all of these things enhance the game, but I don't want to waste your time. THIS is the NHL game that we've all been waiting for since the move to the next-gen consoles. It may very well give NHL 2004 a run for its money. If you're any kind of a hockey fan at all, pick up the demo (currently available for Gold subscribers on XBOX 360 and from the PSN Store on PS3).

Right now. Do it. Seriously. You won't regret it.

It'll make waiting for September 7th all the more agonizing.

I'll put up another post in a couple of days after I've really gone through and beaten the hell out of the game. Early impressions though...? I'm blown away. I'm sure you will be too!

In His Own Words - Frank Stegnar

Got to chattin' with an old friend the other night who had just moved back from college in the States... most guys would ask each other how they were, what they majored in, what their plans for the future are... we talked hockey. Turned out he'd been playing Division 1 in the States for the last few years (that's high-quality puck), and so I asked him to write up something for the blog, just a recap on the experience. Always the good guy, he obliged. Now you all go on and read it while I sulk in my room that my career topped out in high school. Carry on.

Frank Stegnar here, 2010 graduate of the University of Massachusetts – Lowell NCAA Division 1 Ice Hockey team. Over the past four years, I have spent all my time training and playing in a league that is just beginning to gain TV recognition in Canada. But before I dive into my past four years, it might be better to know a little background on me. It all began in the Bert Robinson Minor Hockey Association, where I played on the same team with blog owner Adam Amato. After many years of minor hockey, I found myself a rookie in the OPJHL (Provincial Junior A) with the Brampton Capitals. I was fortunate to have been given crucial playing opportunities that season by Coach Randy Novak, which lead to my success in a veteran-laden division. This season put me at a crossroads – NCAA or OHL? I was being heavily-recruited by both, with the same packages on the table – school and hockey. The OHL is every kids dream in Ontario, and the NCAA is a foreign concept to most, as it was to me at the time. So, why did I choose the NCAA? I chose the NCAA route for two reasons: the school had an excellent college of management, and the hockey was arguably the best in the nation (Hockey East). Playing in front of 6,500+ fans every game, while getting a top-accredited degree, was an opportunity that my family and I could not turn down. Head Coach Blaise MacDonald, along with his assistants at the time Chris Mackenzie and Ken Rausch, offered me a package I could not refuse, and I have could never thank them enough for the past four years.

Now that you know what the decision was like, how about the experience? The atmosphere? Well…with opportunity certainly comes hard work. My introduction to the demands of an NCAA Div 1 program was like running into a wall. Fitness testing and body fat testing immediately upon arriving on campus (before school started) and then a month and a half straight of 6am workouts/practices coupled with a day full of class and another skate/lift after class. It is important to note that the hockey game schedule typically did not start until mid to late October. The first month and a half was all training and no games, talk about a shock! Even once we began playing, it was always practice Monday-Thursday, with games only on Friday and Saturday nights. The crowds…are unlike anything seen here in Ontario: The school’s band playing fight songs and popular music during the stoppages, an entire student section of 1,500+ students all chanting un unison against a specific player/team, and over 6,500+ fans per game…try finding that somewhere around here. If you can’t get fired up for an NCAA Division 1 game, you might not have a pulse. If you ever have the chance, I recommend taking in a game. Of course, it is not all glitz and glamour. My schedule was incredibly rigorous and demanding, the school requirements are no different for athletes, and time management became my biggest priority. But in the end, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Our coaches emphasized the importance of being student-athletes, with ‘student’ being the first concern. My coaches may have been more academically strict than other coaches but ultimately it made me more independent and more mature. They are in the business of transforming boys to men, and NCAA Div 1 hockey does just that. The perks come with hard work, and each year presented the same challenges. The good thing: you are so busy that you don’t get a chance to think about the time passing…and before you know it, you are graduated!

Americans love their collegiate sports, especially NCAA Division 1 sports. I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to play in the U.S. hockey system, and definitely recommend taking in an NCAA Div 1 hockey game in the near future.

The Ultimate Man Pt. 2

If the stats weren't enough...



Just sayin'...

Kaberle Remains a Leaf, Burke Remains Frustrating

So midnight on August 16, 2010 came and went, the same way that the 2010 March trade deadline came and went, the same way those trade and August deadlines came and went the year before.

And still Tomas Kaberle remains a Toronto Maple Leaf. Am I the only one who feels worn out by this entire process?

Along with numerous other Toronto Maple Leaf fans, I have sat and waited patiently while GM Brian Burke shopped what was once a prized asset around the league, in search of a top – six forward to add to a completely refurbished roster.

And waited. And waited.

Listen, I’m all for the process of not making trades simply to make them. What I am not for, however, is listening to my team’s GM consistently state his intentions to move him if the right offer comes along, explain exactly how he thought he had moved him at the draft (except for possibly the weirdest trade mixup I’ve heard of since a Jonas Hoglund fax machine blunder a decade ago), then realize the team is not anywhere further with this shit than they were when Kaberle was once part of The Muskoka Five.

I like Kaberle. I think he’s a fantastic puck – moving defenseman, the likes of which this organization has not seen in a long, long time. But I also know that he is getting a little long in the tooth, and that squeezing useful minutes out of him, Komisarek, Phaneuf and Beauchemin (and hey, anybody remember Luke Schenn)? Could prove to be problematic as we move into the new season.

Perhaps what scares me the most as a Toronto sports fan is the fear that Kaberle could play out the remaining year of his contract with the organization and then bolt for greener pastures. Can’t remember where we’ve seen that before.

Maybe I’m another misinformed Leafs fan who just doesn’t get it, but to me, moving Kaberle for a suitable prospect who can play for the blue and white for years to come (Derek Joslin was rumoured to be coming over from San Jose for a while) is not an offer that I would have taken lightly. Sure, Burke argues that the market just did not offer the Leafs what they felt Kaberle was worth, but maybe constantly informing the media that you were receiving shitty offers from every team you spoke to served to drive that market down just a little bit more?

There is still the chance that Kaberle could sign an extension, or waive his no-movement clause at the deadline in March (which he was said to do last year, restricting the Leafs to only deal with three teams), but considering Burke has a personal policy of never personally asking a player to waive that clause, it is just as likely Kaberle plays out the string then leaves the Leafs for nothing come July. I know that if my boss told me he was looking to transfer me to another department but couldn’t get any true offers back for me, I would soon be looking for new employment. And while many argue that this is the world of sports, keep in mind that Kaberle has always tended to be a little more sensitive than most athletes.

Some will argue that the Leafs’ defence corps looks great for the upcoming season, but you wonder how it will affect players used to getting top minutes when they have to sit on the bench more than they have in years in order to evenly distribute talent. A workhorse wants to be a workhorse, and forcing the top four defencemen in the organization to play show-jumper may prove detrimental to everyone.

But it’s all over for the time being. Kaberle was forced to endure a few more months of being told his team was looking to get rid of him if they could, and Burke got to spend a few more months telling the media his personal views on anything and everything he was looking to do to drastically alter the Leafs, bringing in Colby Armstrong and Kris Versteeg in the meantime (yayyyyy).

So now the Leafs go forwards, with another six or so months to go before this whole thing starts all over again. All I ask is for everyone to shut up about it until then.

Going for It

Rudy Ruettiger. Anthony Novielli. What do these names have in common? Both tried to achieve a goal that no one thought would be possible (although the former sold the movie rights to his life for a lot more than the latter makes at his current summer job). One of these athletes also made a team that he had always dreamt of making, while the other is still in the process of trying to make his. Want to guess which one hasn’t reached his dream yet? Yeah, that one’s a no-brainer. It’s me, Anthony Novielli. Over the last six months, I’ve been skating with the Mississauga Chargers Junior A hockey club with hopes of making the team. Now, for your average AA or AAA hockey player, this isn’t that big of a deal. If they don’t make one team, they’re bound to find another one. Me, on the other hand, I’m a 19 year old university student who played my last season in Juvenile Select fighting for a spot on a team against many young, talented and ambitious players.

Now, Illustrious would be the last word that anyone would use to describe my hockey career. It’s been filled with many ups and downs along the way. I have learned a lot, and most importantly developed an even stronger bond with the game of hockey than I ever thought possible, a bond I wouldn’t trade for the world. But tomorrow night begins what is quite possibly my last kick at the can in terms of how far I go with my hockey career. The Mississauga Chargers’ main camp is something that I hoped to get invited to last year, but didn’t. Coming into rookie camp this year, I knew I needed to make an impression. After a decent showing, I was invited to main camp. Throughout the summer I have been skating with the team, in hopes of impressing the management staff so that a player card would be offered to me.

Knowing that I needed to further improve my game, I started attending a gym at the beginning of June, running twice a week with one of my closest friends, and most importantly tried to practice living a healthy lifestyle. At the end of this endeavour, if the hockey aspect fails, I know that I can take away the fact that I am in better shape and healthier then I have ever been. There is always good to be found in any bad situation, and I am learning that you just have to look for it.

All this summer’s work has brought me to this day: August 15, 2010. I sit here writing to you the day before the start of main camp. It’s hard to explain all the emotions I am experiencing right now. On one hand, I am excited to start camp because I can finally put an end to all of the suspense concerning whether or not I will make the team. On the other, there is a part of me that doesn’t want camp to start simply because it means that if I don’t make it this time, I will be too old: my hopes of playing junior just a memory.

Now let’s get one thing straight here. I am not writing this for people to sympathize with me, or to turn this story into some huge production. I am doing this to prove to myself that I am a good hockey player, and to collect and share my thoughts with those in a similar situation. With the exception of my close friends, there are a lot of people who hear my name and think, “Oh him, yeah he’s awful.” And you know what, there’s nothing wrong with that. What motivates me is the idea that one day those same people will be able to look down a roster sheet, see my name on it, and think to themselves, “Maybe, just maybe, we were wrong.” I know that I shouldn’t care about what other people say and think, but I do. I believe that deep down, we all do. The thing is, if I was doing this solely for the reactions of other people, then I know that I truly don’t deserve to make the team. But I know that I am doing this for me. I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror in a few weeks’ time, smile and shout out a giant “Yes!” I want to have that tingling feeling in my stomach, knowing that I accomplished something that truly matters to me. Even typing this, I am fantasizing about the GM sitting down with me and saying, “Congratulations, you are now a member of the Mississauga Chargers.” I can’t even begin to tell you how I would react. I legitimately believe that I could cry: that’s how important making this team is to me.

Someone once told me “You only have one chance to do something. All those times you think you’re missing something with your friends, you’re not. Sacrifice now for something greater later. Laugh if you want, but 99.9% of your friends would do anything to have the opportunity that you have. You have your foot in the door right now. Do everything you have to do to give yourself the best opportunity.” This quote could not have struck a nerve any harder. Something had awakened in me, and let me tell you, that feeling is not going away for a second over the next two weeks. I am ready to make an impression and make it next to impossible for the management staff to turn me away.

Yet at the end of the day, the way I see it is simple: I’m just a boy who refuses to let go of his dreams. A boy who would sacrifice his own semi-formal for a Single-A playoff game. A boy who has never grown up and needs to prove to himself that he can attain something he truly desires if he works for it. Again, I am not looking for sympathy; I just needed to put into words how I feel, 24 hours away from the biggest tryout of my life. I will let you know how everything pans out in the end, and for anyone reading this that may find themselves in the same position, just know that there’s someone else out there who knows exactly how you’re feeling. It’s something that you can’t put into words, can’t rationalize. The only thing that you know is that you refuse to let anyone other than yourself keep you from playing the game you love.

The Ultimate Man

You know that guy from the Dos Equis commercials? The one who is the ultimate man? Well, I've got news for you...

He's not. And neither is the Old Spice guy.

They're pretty cool. Not gonna lie. Yeah, I'd probably hang out with them. Go for a few beers with them. But I'd ditch them in a second to hang out with the ultimate man. Who's that you ask? The ultimate man is Roger. Roger Federer. The Swiss Maestro. Fed Express. The Man.

Roger's not the kind of guy you want to just hang out with once in a while for a brew. He's the kind of guy you want as your neighbour. Your best man. Your fishing buddy. Your wingman. Your hero.

Yeah, big deal. He lost to Andy Murray today. He's got to let a few guys win once in a while so that they don't retire like Safin did. That's also why he's letting Nadal stay at No. 1 for a little bit. It's because Roger is THAT nice. He's the man.

No, I don't have a man crush on him. But let's look at the stats for a second:

A career record of like 700-170.

62 career titles.

237 straight weeks at #1 (285 weeks total).

Twin girls. Yeah...most people have 1 kid at a time. Rog spreads his seed to the max.

He wears a white Nike custom made suit just to walk on to the Wimbledon court.

Can you say classy?

Plus, he used to be a bad ass junior player full of profanity laced tirades (in German, French, English - yeah, that's right - three languages) and broken racquets and still gets respect from EVERYONE on the tour. They kind of have to respect him actually...they have no choice.

King of the World

Some people are athletes. They're just born that way. But to be an elite player, the best in your sport...no, the best in your sport's entire history, is another story. Roger was sent here to conquer tennis and he's done that. He toys with players on the court and they can't do anything about it. Yes, he loses the odd match, but c'mon - he is human...

THE ULTIMATE HUMAN

Let's be realistic here. Roger is the man. He can do anything. He's going to win the US Open.

Just sayin'.

League Structures Part 1: Domestic Tournaments

Soccer, or football depending where you are in the world, has yet to burst through the United States and Canadian markets where spectators will choose to focus on baseball, basketball, hockey or American football. At first glance, the North American sports spectator, excluding Mexico, views soccer as low scoring, slow moving and lengthy.

Delving into the sport and its leagues, there are many aspects of the beautiful game that are extremely exciting and even superior to that of the North American big four sports. One way to look at this is the league structure for soccer around the globe. The best example of this can be found within the most popular league in the world, the English Premier League (EPL).

Televised in over 200 countries worldwide, the EPL is seen as the globe's most followed sports league. Made up of 20 teams from all over England, each team plays 38 games in total, playing each team in the league twice (once away, and once at home). There are no divisions or conferences like in North American leagues and no playoffs at the end of the season. This means whoever has the most points at the end of the season is the winner. Simple enough, but what really makes the Premier League, as well as other European leagues, such as the Serie A in Italy or La Liga in Spain, are the structure of the leagues, structures which make it exciting for fans from teams who are not always leading the pack.

England’s football governing body, the Football Association (FA), sanction two major domestic tournaments each year. These are the League Cup (or Carling Cup) and the FA cup. The League Cup is the smaller of the two domestic cups and 92 teams take part. This includes the 20 teams of the EPL and the 72 clubs of the Football League, which is made up of three separate leagues: the Championship Division, League One and League Two, which each have 24 teams. The winner of the League Cup earns a Europa Cup spot, as well as a spot in the Intercontinental European club tournament, if the winning team has not earned that spot by other means.

The FA cup has a total of 762 teams from all around England competing and includes the major professional teams within England as well as smaller semi-professional and amateur weekend clubs. Much like the League Cup, the winner, if not already qualified, will earn a spot in European competition. Domestic tournaments such as these are seen throughout all the national leagues within Europe.

The further a team succeeds within the competitions, the more revenue earned through advertising, television revenue and stadium attendance. This can lead to a team buying players and improving the squad. The EPL teams are the favourites to win both these domestic cups, but these domestic tournaments create not only excitement from the minnow teams competing against the giants, but also EPL teams who may not be competing for the league title.

MMA in Ontario

Finally, folks. The sport of mixed martial arts is about to be legalized in Ontario. About time, isn’t it Dalton McGuinty? I’ll let you in on a little secret here. People. Like. Fighting. The sport has become ridiculously popular all over the world lately, especially in Ontario. And why not? Fighting is the ultimate form of competition, dating back to pretty damn early in time.  

Take a look at this guy.

Think he rolled dice to settle his arguments?

And let’s not get into the safety issue of MMA. Both professional boxing and kickboxing are legalized in Ontario already. Add in wrestling and ju-jitsu, and you have yourself an MMA fight. There is not much difference.

Now here’s a little bit of shock value for you readers. I’ll name three sports for you right now that report more injuries and deaths per year than mixed martial arts; Golf, cheerleading, and lawn bowling. http://www.sportingo.com/all-sports/a10042_ten-most-dangerous-sports-world. Hey, don’t laugh. Even if you’re thinking up creative headlines such as, “Lawn bowling accident strikes again.” Maybe that was just me. All puns aside, mixed martial arts are in Ontario to stay. That means no longer being forced to just watch it on a big screen at your Boston Pizza, no matter how good those nachos are. We can now go ringside and get our own taste of the action. I’ll see ya at the fights.

It's Like Crack...but in Polyester

Yesterday, I relapsed into my addiction. I'd been clean for...wow, I guess it was a year or two, and things had been going really well for me otherwise. Unfortunately, sometimes you run across a bad influence or two, and you find yourself falling off the beaten path, and plummeting back into the depths of your vice. If I had to take a good, long look at it, I'd probably surmise that there are two people to blame for my relapse into addiction; our jolly old editor, Adam Amato, and a good friend from school by the name of Michael Mitnik. If blame were to be assigned to anyone, it would be those two.

So thanks, guys. Thanks a lot. It's your fault that yesterday afternoon at about 3:00pm, I found myself inside Millennium Sports, finalizing the purchase of a Dion Phaneuf Leafs jersey.

My name is Adam, and I am a jersey addict.

Since I was in grade 9 and had enough money to actually purchase anything of value, I have enjoyed collecting hockey jerseys. Even in grade school before that, I would occasionally wear the jerseys of my hockey teams. Occasionally someone would make a comment, but hey, whatever! It's my wardrobe and I can wear what I want, right? As soon as I got into highschool, I realized that maybe it was time for me to migrate on to the jerseys that the professionals wore. I'd previously owned an old Edmonton Oilers Gretzky jersey that I wore out in grades 3 and 4, but that was it, and the realizations that I could purchase these cool-looking fabrics was like an absolute revelation for me. For a long while, that was a large part of my identity. I was the "hockey jersey guy".

Of course, collecting jerseys is expensive, and as you grow older, you find yourself wanting to have more clothes to wear around to different places - I found myself more comfortable in hooded sweatshirts and t-shirts than always wearing around a different jersey, and eventually, when I was 22, the addiction basically subsided. I had been cured. I still wore jerseys every so often, but usually only two or three times per month, depending on the circumstances.

Everything was going great...up until a week ago, when Amato unlocked the door of my addiction, and then Mitnik knocked it off it's hinges.

The day that Adam approached me online to write for this blog, I was sitting at work. I'm currently employed as a facility operator for the Town of Richmond Hill, which is a great, easy job in which there's a lot of downtime if you work hard when you need to. I was at the point where I was simply waiting for the last group to leave, so I could lock up and go home. Adam messaged me about the blog, and when he told me that he thought that I could write about being a jersey collector and a beer league player, I felt a little torn. Half of me didn't want to tell him that I hadn't bought a jersey in years, and that they weren't a focal point for my dress nearly as much as they had been. The other half started thinking that - hey, maybe it'd been a while since I'd gone out and picked one up...perhaps I was due?

I left work that night happy that I was going to have another outlet for my writing, and that all of my ranting about sports and sports-related topics, which would often fall upon the deaf ears of my classmates (few of whom are as hockey-mad as I) would finally have a forum. I also pondered how much jerseys were going for in this day and age, and recalled thinking that maybe, just maybe, I might have to go in and take a look.

That, of course, was the seed. Then, along came good ol' Mitnick with a can of performance-enhancing seed stimulants.

The following week at school was intense. I'm a television broadcasting student, meaning that I'm essentially a film student learning the in's and out's of television. We produce short films to practice composition, lighting, and editing, and do audio projects to help us with sound editing and design. That particular week (this week, in fact) was the week that our large final projects in Audio and Visual Skills were due, and I was particularily feeling the strain, since I had opted to do a five-minute short film, which had co-opted most of my time over the weeks prior. I was at school on Monday (a day off) doing some last-minute audio work on it, and preparing to print the video to a tape in one of the editing suites. Perhaps unsurprisingly, most of my class was also there, in the editing suites, and I ran into Michael Mitnik in the hallway on the way for a much-needed injection of Tim Horton's.

A word about Mike - he's a goalie, camera aficianado, and all-round nice guy. What I didn't realize until that moment is that the man may in fact be more addicted to jerseys than I am.

Mike was clad in what looked like a brand new Leafs jersey, complete with Jonas Gustavsson's #50 on the back. I complimented him on the purchase, as he'd called me the day before to inform me that they were on sale at the mall in which he worked. We chatted a bit about the jerseys, and then went back to work on our projects. I gave him tons of credit; wearing a jersey in the dead heat of summer takes some serious dedication to one's wardrobe. I figured that he was just probably pumped at buying it, and didn't think about it again.

Until the following day, when I came into class, and Mike was now clad in a white J.S Giguere jersey! I remember looking at him, and making some sort of comment in the vein of "really!? Another one!?" It was here that he jokingly laughed at my old self-professed title of jersey whore, and something inside of me snapped. I simply smiled; I knew what was coming. The first moment that I had during the week, I made a trip to the mall. I recall going into the store, and seeing the rack of jerseys. All on sale, thanks to the new design. $79.99 for a jersey with a name, $49.99 for a plain one. Both goalies, Komisarek, Beauchemin, Kessel, some leftover Jason Blakes, and three Dion Phaneufs.

I admit, I waffled for a bit, but knowing that the Phaneufs were going fast, and that they had one in my size...I quickly bought the jersey and left the store. To assuade my guilt, I then went into Bluenotes and purchased some jeans to try and legitimize the spending of money on a jersey. I came home with several bags, therefore it was a clothes shopping trip! I just so happened to buy a jersey! Right? RIGHT!?

I still have half a mind to go back and buy the Kessel, too.

Damnit.

A Letter From Your Editor

Let’s not waste any time here with some prissy little love note from myself to you readers. This isn’t GQ, and I‘m not here to tell you what you should like about us or why I’m capable enough to be your editor. This is a sports blog from a group of guys who are legitimately pumped about the chance to write a sports blog.

We’ve started off with a team of about eight writers, each with a passion for the sports and topics they’re covering, most with a lifetime of experience to back it up. They range from lifetime rec league athletes to professional hockey players with NHL experience. Some of them played sports simply because of their love for it, with their joy for the game surpassing their skill set and forcing them to get normal jobs like the rest of us. Others have the credentials to back up every word they’re typing, having reached some of the higher levels of their sport, be it provincial and national championships or making it all the way to the show.

Yet none of that matters here. We’re never going to apologize for speaking our mind on anything and everything that transpires in sports, nor should any legitimate sports fan. The Backcheck is a range of views on the sporting world from guys who don’t want to get off their couch to guys who have done things the rest of us have always dreamt of. It’s a group of guys’ opinions and beliefs on what they watch or what they play, in the same way you and your buddies fire back and forth at each other at the pub: these are those thoughts, online for you to click on whenever the hell you feel like it.

So hate it, love it, disagree with us, tell us we’re scum. We don’t want it any other way. It’s that same passion that got us to do this thing in the first place. We want you to read it, but if you don’t, well, we’re still going to write it, because it’s what we like to do. So kick back, grab a beer, a protein shake if you’re a fan of Jordan, and turn up the game that’s playing in the background. No one said you had to take this thing too seriously.

Now let’s get going.

The Dream Never Dies

August 14th 2010. To most people, this is just another Saturday -- wake up at 11 (ish)...haul your ass out of bed at 11:30...eat breakfast (lunch?)...go back to bed and watch tv...Holy shit! It's already 3pm?

This isn't my Saturday though. As of today, EPL starts again. Life starts again.

I've been involved with competitive soccer for as long as I can remember. Player, coach, fan - you name it, I've done it. I was never one to have the talent to make the pros, but the dream never dies. That's why the EPL season is so special to me, just as the NHL is to hockey players, the NBA to hoopsters, or the MMA to bad asses. Because you win and lose with YOUR team. If they score, you've scored too. If your player gets hurt, you start to hurt.

I know I'm never going to be playing for Man U...heck, I probably won't even ever go see a live game. But, whether I like it or not, my winter is going to be intrinsically tied to their winter. A good campaign is gonna be a fun ride for me. A rough season...well there's always next year right? Because the dream never dies.

I'm the Guy That Your Team Can't Stand

Well, an introduction is in order.

My name's Adam Dodd and I'm a beer-league veteran. Since the summer of 2007, I've played in the men's leagues in Toronto, usually twice or three-times per week. I run my own team, and have played on teams that have been in the B, D, and E divisions. Off the ice, I'm in school, studying at Seneca College to work in the television broadcasting industry. I've got a Bachelor of Arts degree from York University in Humanities, and I try and conduct myself in my day-to-day life as a pretty decent guy with a good sense of humour. I've rarely run into people who I couldn't get along with, and I try really hard not to get mad at people, because I like being nice.

That is, until I step on the ice.

I've loved the game of hockey since I was a kid. I'm a moderately talented player who can usually put up a solid number of points. My passing and positioning is good, and I've been told that I'm a good teammate. The only problem is that whenever I step on the ice against your team, the easy money says that at some point during the game, someone is going to try and take a run at me.

That's right. Me, Adam Dodd? Number 77 in red?

I'm the guy that your team can't stand. The player that exaggerated a hook or a trip that sent you to the sin bin. The asshole who stands JUST inside of the goalie's crease and just glides further in when you cross-check him. The very same jerk that is grinning like an idiot every single second of the game, even when you're trash-talking him, and the one guy who's still going hard for the puck in the corners when the score is 7-0, just so he can pass it back to his defense.

Yeah, I'm that guy.

(Yes, I am in fact THIS guy as well)

It's actually kind of funny. My Thursday night team that I've been with for a few years now, it's become a bit of a running gag. During our game this past Thursday; a 9-0 win over a vastly inferior opponent that got NO bounces go their way and had players missing, one of their players simply ignored the puck and took a very blatant run at me, recieving a four-minute penalty for body contact. After the game, one of my teammates asked me what I'd done to the player for him to go after me so viciously. I pleaded ignorance, and everyone burst out laughing, causing one of our defenseman to look at me and deadpan: "No, really. What'd you say to him?"

The simple fact is that I'm an antagonizer, an agitator; whatever you want to call it - I do the job because I'm good at it. I'm a smart guy and I can read people well. Players, especially hockey players, will get far angrier at you if you play little games with them, than if you simply try and trash talk them. The incident on Thursday happened because I don't believe in giving up on a play. It doesn't matter to me if I'm up 12-0 or if the game is tied 4-4, I'm still going to try my hardest. My work ethic and my internal drive doesn't permit me to do otherwise. Now, that doesn't mean that I'm going to be an outright dick about it. I'm not going to score the 13th goal in a blowout and cheer like I've just won the lottery. That's just being a poor sport. I can be a lot of things, but a poor sport isn't one of them.

Not everyone's going to agree with all of my views as I post them in this blog, and I'm sure there's a lot of people out there who'll think that my style of play is despicable. In fact, my own mother is one of them. I've had countless discussions with her on why I sometimes play the style that I do, and even after years of doing it, she doesn't understand why I can't just go out and play. Sure, sometimes I do. But the role that I play on the team can sometimes tilt the balance of a game back into our favour, and you cannot devalue the importance of momentum in a tight game.

My function in this blog will probably entail a sarcastic look at the week's happenings in my quest to have someone on each hockey team I play against hate me, as well as a glimpse inside of what it feels like to want to go and purchase the entire stock of jerseys at Millennium Sports in Vaughan Mills mall. (Holy run-on sentence, Batman!) From time to time, I may spontaneously launch into stories about my life, my history in hockey, or anything else that happens to strike my fancy that I can manage to relate to sports.

I hope that you (being the reader) enjoy what I have to contribute, because if we meet on the ice, you probably won't.

Especially if you're a goalie.

See Ya, Love Handles

I know, I know. There’s nothing better than running long distances for losing fat. Treadmills help you tone up right? Besides, if you’re not working in your target heart rate, there’s no point at all in even working out, is there?

Well fuck that. I know that when I’m in the gym, I’m not just there to kill time. I want to get in there, get my work done, and get out. Plodding away for thirty minutes on the stationary bike is not my idea of a productive use of time, especially when you can get better results, quicker. This is where complexes come in. Here’s a sample below. Start with a light weight, even just the bar. (THIS IS HARDER THAN IT LOOKS).

Hang clean-8 reps
Bent over row- 8 reps
Military Press- 8 reps
Deadlift- 8 reps

Now go through that whole circuit without putting the weight down. Rest 30 seconds. Do it again. And then puke.

Here’s a sample complex to get an idea of how it should look.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzIPAuxcL2g

That’ll take you four minutes, tops. And you get better cardiovascular benefits than jogging for 30 minutes. Not to mention the elevated metabolism for the rest of the day. Now get to the gym and try these out. Try not to hate me too much.