Greed, Greed, Greed

Guess the OHL's decision to approve the sale of the Belleville Bulls wasn't such a good decision.

It's only been 4 home games for the Belleville Senators, formerly known as the Binghamton Senators, but it's clear that Belleville, and the surrounding area, still loves and supports hockey. Their average attendance is close to 3900 out of a 4400 seat capacity in the recently renovated Yardmen Arena. If Belleville's old hockey team, the Bulls, still existed, the team would be about 8th overall out of twenty teams in average attendance.

Now, some might be asking why the Bulls left such a rich hockey market. After all, Belleville had played host to a hockey team for more than 50 years, dating back to the World Championship winning Belleville McFarlands in the fifties. Plus, the average attendance was about 3,000 for the Bulls in the old capacity of 3,500.(which is the number the Bulls owner, Gord Simmonds, stated they needed to have in order for the franchise to be viable). It's quite simple why they were sold. Greed overtook Simmonds, commissioner David Branch and the rest of the OHL, and as a result, the Bulls were sold for a generous sum of cash,left a 34 year history behind them and moved to Hamilton.

How's the team in Hamilton doing right now? Not too good. Attendance is barely reaching 2800 in the 8,000 seat FirstOntario Centre, and considering Hamilton is extremely bigger in terms of population compared to Belleville, that number is pathetic. Maybe it's time for new leadership in the OHl, as this decision has obviously not worked at all. Or, maybe the OHL needs to change it's focus with respect to teams. Money isn't everything, and if you get too greedy, decisions like this will hurt you in the long run, like the abomination that is in Hamilton right now.

The Leafs' Hot Start Put Into Perspective

The NHL season is just about one-eighth of the way through, and the Toronto Maple Leafs have got off to one of the best starts in recent memory. They sit second in the Atlantic division behind Tampa, and are top 10 in the whole NHL. This is a large part due to the exciting offence that has fuelled the Leafs almost every game. Gone are the days where the Leafs relied on a couple guys to score. The Leafs now have three full lines (possibly four if Mitch Marner remains on the fourth line) who can score and strike at any point to cushion leads, create comebacks, and conjure something out of nothing. However, there is one glaring issue that the Leafs need to fix, and that is the defence, particularly in front of the net. Frederik Andersen has played pretty well in his first couple of games. He's nowhere near the level that he was at during the latter stages of last season, but have faith, he'll get there, probably sooner than later. However, his goals against average is quite high, due to one reason. Tip ins, tip ins, and more tip ins, none of which are his fault. This is due to the fact that the Leafs can't seem to move players in front of the net. Sure, adding Roman Polak helps in that department, but the Leafs, as a defensive unit, need to step up and help Andersen out. You can't stop what you can't see, and if this problem isn't fixed, teams will be crashing the net more times than often this year. However, if they fix this problem, the Leafs will undoubtedly take a giant step in the right direction in their quest for success this year. But that's the only real issue this year. The Leafs are 2nd in their division, on top of Montreal (How many times has that been said in the last 5-10 years?). The net problems are issues that can be fixed, and will be fixed. Other than that, players and fans have to be pleased with the quality of the team around them. The Leafs have a good start to the year. Let's see if they keep it up.

Remembering Gord Downie

I know that this is primarily a sport blog, but today was an unfortunate day for many Tragically Hip fans, and quite frankly, the whole country, as Gord Downie passed away at age 53 after battling terminal brain cancer for more than a year. The whole country knew this was coming. When his doctor announced that the cancer wasn't curable, everyone knew he was going to die at some point. But in true Gord fashion, Gord decided he wanted to put on a cross-Canada tour with 18 shows in the span of 2 months last summer. Was it easy? By no means. Downie revealed in the documentary "Long Time Running"(which will be shown on CTV) that when he rehearsed, he couldn't remember the lyrics to the songs. Then there was all of the confusion and concern about whether he'd even make it through the tour. But despite all that, he pulled through, and gave the country the ride of a lifetime. I attended the August 16th show in Hamilton, and to give you an idea on the impact of the tour, nobody sat down, stopped cheering or stopped singing through a two and a half hour concert. To me, that's quite unbelievable. Aside from the whole farewell tour, Downie was a supporter of reconciliation for indigenous peoples, he was involved in environmental work, and he, along with The Hip, was a major influence on the Canadian music industry. But the one thing that Downie should be remembered by is that he wasn't a rockstar with a huge ego like many others in his industry,, nor did he get into any controversies. He was just a humble, normal guy- a true Canadian- that just happened to produce the soundtracks of hockey dressing rooms, summer, and all of Canada with The Hip. He, along with the Hip, were not big names in the U.S(aside from Buffalo), but you know what, that's kind of a good thing, because we can truly claim him as one of ours.

Rest in peace, Gord. The music you play, and your contributions to Canada will live on for generations to come.

"Music brings people together. So my function in anything I do is to help bring people closer in".
-Gord Downie.

The Importance of the Invictus Games

It has been more than a week since the 2017 Invictus Games concluded, and I'd like to elaborate on the importance of the games, aside from the competing. I assume that some people watched the Games, some people didn't, and some people chose to watch the closing ceremony only(Bruce Springsteen was performing, after all). But regardless if you watched it or not, watch the highlights of the games, and look at the athletes. These are not high performance Paralympians, or people that you would recognize at first glance. These are ordinary people who have suited up for their respective countries to keep us safe, and in doing so, have experienced an unimaginable hell through their injuries and possible post-traumatic stress disorder. Yet, here are these people, some with one arm, some with no legs, or some who are paralyzed- all doing athletic events with the capability of any high performance athlete. To see them compete is both amazing to see and inspiring. The importance of the Games is not on the focus of profit. The importance of these Games is to showcase the athletic ability of extremely brave individuals who risked their lives in the line of duty. The importance of the Games is to raise awareness about these individuals, so they may be supported. Finally, the importance of the Games is to thank these individuals. They put themselves in uniform to protect us, and we should be forever grateful. So, do yourselves a favour. If you haven't watched the Invictus Games, please do so. It's the least we can do to appreciate and thank those who served.

Could 2017/18 Be The Year Of The Raptor?

Another NBA season is just around the corner, and once again, "Is it their year?" loftily hangs over the Toronto Raptors. The last 4 years of Raptor ball have been pretty good, to say the least. They've been top 3 in the East for almost 5 years, they've got a playoff streak of that same length, and they possess the best backcourt in their conference, and arguably the NBA. But in the NBA of the present, where super teams have become the norm, pretty good isn't good enough. The success they've had either flamed out in the playoffs, or when they've been good, they've been stopped short by some guy named LeBron James. Long story short, a team that could've gone to the Finals in another era has half a decade filled with close calls. But the landscape of the NBA has changed this year, mainly in the East. Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward bolted for Boston and Isiah Thomas was dealt to Cleveland along with the majority of the 2016/17 Celtics starting 5. Sure, those moves only total up to two, but it has evened up the NBA landscape by a little bit. So, what does this mean for the Raptors? For the pessimist, it means just another year, but for the optimist, it means that the Raptors could actually break through. With the Raptor core still intact, and a more even playing field, there is no super team other than Golden State. The East is up for grabs, and if the Raptors can pull themselves together, create some magic, and silence doubters, they may have a chance to pull together a deep playoff run. So once the season starts, everyone will still be talking about the Cavs, Celtics, Warriors, and Thunder, but the league may forget that there is a dark horse in Toronto waiting to strike. If they do, and with success, then 2017-2018 may be the year of the Raptor, and there will be no superteam in the East to overtake them.

A New Dawn: The Start Of A New Hockey Season

It's the start of September, the days are getting shorter, leaves are changing colour, and fall is about to begin. Sure, it's an important month for all of the above reasons, but September is the start of a brand new hockey season for minor and pro hockey teams all across the country. For me, it's one of the best times of the year, aside from summer, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The start of the season parallels to spring, in a way. Hockey arenas, no matter how old they are, always look squeaky clean. New ice has been installed, leaving a beautiful canvas of white ice and painted lines for players to skate on and refine their skills. Best of all, new sticks are often purchased, new jerseys are given out and new friendships are made between teammates. While that all sounds great, September is where the work starts. Coaches will use every opportunity they have in to push players to the limit. Practices may be painful and pre-season games will often look sluggish, especially if a team is made up of a majority of new players. But it is through this work, this never ending grind, that teams come together, and that can mean continued success moving forward into the regular season. Personally, I have gone through this whole process for more than a decade and I embrace it. I welcome not only the clean rinks, new equipment, and new relationships, but I also welcome gruelling two hour practices where your legs and quite frankly, your whole body, feels the strain of completing strenuous skating and battle drills. That may seem like a bit much to the average human being, but I'm a hockey player, and all hockey players love this time of year, no matter what level or age group. Bring it on, September. Let's play.

A Year To Forget For The Blue Jays

The year of 2017 looked like clear skies for the Toronto Blue Jays. The team was coming off two straight American League Championship Series (ALCS) appearances, the pitching seemed to be peaking, and the red-hot offence was considered the best in baseball. Even with the departure of Edwin Encarnacion, the Jays looked like a team that could go into the playoffs, and possibly the World Series. But the skies were anything but clear for the Birds this year. Every position on the roster has been hampered with the nightmare known as the disabled list. That list has robbed the Blue Jays of grade-A talent, with the likes of star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, second baseman Devon Travis, and ace pitcher Aaron Sanchez gone for extended periods of time. However, that's not the complete list of players who have been injured. Jose Bautista, Russell Martin, Josh Donaldson, and Marcus Stroman were on the DL for short stints, but when they were injured, the Jays possessed gaping holes in their lineup, leaving utility players such as Ryan Goins and Darwin Barney to try and fill the holes once occupied with star power. Therefore, the offence is not red hot as it was in the past two years, and the pitching has struggled mightily, with the exception of starting pitcher Marcus Stroman and closer Roberto Osuna. Yet, here the Jays sit, with a record of 61-72, last in the AL East division, and more than 8 games back of a wildcard spot. The team may create a miraculous run to a wildcard spot, but it's highly doubtful, as the team has struggled to find consistency now and the majority of this year. Fans and analysts alike may think it's time for the team to sell at the conclusion of this season, but this team still can be competitive next year if the players are in good health. Maybe 2017 was just a year full of bad luck and misfortune, a year deserving to be thrown in the trash. However, this team is aging, and it realistically has one or two competitive seasons left in them. The championship window is closing for the Jays, and if 2018 is much like 2017, expect the future to be full of turbulence and rebuilding in Toronto.