CIS CORNER: WHEN IT COMES TO COVERAGE, LET'S LOOK TO MAKE 'NET GAINS

Evidently, National Post columnist Mark Spector isn't counting on any invitations to year-end athletic banquets at Canadian universities to fill out his 2007 social calendar.

Wednesday, he wrote what could be called a "truth hurts" column about Canadian Interuniversity Sport and its low standing in the sports hierarchy.

Without any slant, Spector delved into what's become a self-fulfilling prophecy:

" 'Obviously, it's a chicken and egg situation,' said Alberta basketball coach Don Horwood, who has banged his head against the hardwood for 24 seasons. 'The media won't cover it, because not enough people care.' Not enough people care, partly because the media doesn't cover it.

" 'The point basically is, there is no interest.' "

Fair enough. Here's the irony: Spector's column only came to my attention through Mark Wacyk's CIS Hoops Blog. In 2007 -- and I e-mailed Spector these thoughts, lest you think I'm a totally passive-aggressive A-hole -- writing an article about the general interest in (and the commensurate media coverage) a second-tier league without investigating whether or not it has a blog culture seems like an oversight.

It's smallish, but it's there. Blogs like Mark Wacyk's along with cisfootball.org, College Colours and the increased traffic this blog saw during the CIS football season, shows an audience is there for university sports in this country. It just tends to be fringy, cultish, and concentrated on the campuses and among alumni.

All together: That's not a bad thing. On average, the CIS is an educated, web-savvy audience, so the Internet might be where much of the CIS coverage is headed. Simply put, we might have to do it ourselves, and hope that eventually the gatekeepers in the media notice and co-opt us. (Please! Co-opt me!)

I might not be the guy to do it, but as a show of faith, when my work sked permits I will check out the occasional Carleton Ravens or Ottawa Gee-Gees game, just as a fan at first, and I'm toying with going to Halifax for Final 8 men's basketball championship in March. (The CIS women's hockey tourney is in Ottawa, and we'd like to get out for it too.)

(UPDATE: CIS Hoops Blog is noting 6,200 tickets have already been sold for the Jan. 23 Capital Hoops Classic between the Ravens and Gee-Gees hoops squads. You don't say.)

Speaking of which, CIS hoops

The Ontario University Athletics men's basketball schedule does resume tonight, with an Ottawa-Toronto weekend -- the U of T Varsity Blues and Ryerson Rams are here to play OUA East leaders Carleton and Ottawa this weekend. I plan on checking out the Carleton-Ryerson game tomorrow.

As noted previously, both Queen's squads are seeing real success. Under long-time coach Dave Wilson, the women's hoops Gaels are always OUA East contenders (they have a first-place showdown against York tonight) but what the men's team has done under Rob Smart is brain candy. They went 2-2 on their trip out west over the holidays, beating Trinity Western and Fraser Valley, and losing to top-5 teams UVic and UBC by a combined eight points. What's not to like? That team has a tough weekend ahead, with York and Laurentian coming to town.

Another CIS note: The Globe and Mail's James Mirtle caught up earlier this week with former NHL prospect Jordan Smith, who's making a comeback with the Lakehead Thunderwolves 10 months after his losing his eye in an American Hockey League game.

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.