Canada beat Germany 5-1 last night at the world juniors. Never before has a team outshot its opponent by such a margin -- 49-13 -- and still come through such adversity.
Another great headline that could not be written: "Canucks Grubauered." By the way,
Forty-three-year-old Claude Lemieux has signed a NHL contract with the San Jose Sharks. He's older than Joseph -- the one in the Old Testament, not the one in Toronto.
The Detroit Lions are on the wrong side of another blowout, that being the competition for worst defence in recent NFL history. The two previous marks were each held by the Minnesota Vikings; those teams actually made the playoffs.
A Toronto columnist might need all of next year to live down writing of Mats Sundin that, "The guy's only crime is that he's not a mercenary, that he's true." (Down Goes Brown has the takedown.)
It's so nice to see philanthropic efforts pay off -- Oklahoma State and the University of Oregon have deep-pocketed donors and their teams are in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl.
Last, and certainly least, Darcy Tucker vs. Jordin Tootoo -- it's hard to figure out who to root for in that scenario.
This post was worth nothing, but this is worth noting
- Please don't infer anything from the fact German goalie Philipp Grubauer, who made made 44 saves against Canada, plays for the Belleville Bulls. The Kingston Frontenacs brain trust would hate it if you said, "Does this mean Belleville's backup goalie is playing with more confidence than Kingston's starter?" or "does this show why you should take the CHL import draft seriously?"
- Last but not least, two weeks later, can someone please answer why it's significant that Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel) was wearing a No. 70 Vikings jersey on a recent episode of How I Met Your Mother? A playoff game hangs in the balance, plus someone here is pretty much addicted to that show, and why not?
- Happy New Year. Plans are to see Slovakia-Russia today at the World Juniors (and, uh, see if anyone is Blagoing tickets for the Sweden-Russia game).
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4 comments:
Sags, this is a country that still celebrates people like John Ralston Saul as "learned types" that "comment eloquently on Canadian politics."
Post-literate Canada might not be so bad. We might get some actually half-decent writing once in a blue moon.
My newspaper office was sent a few advance copies of Ralston Saul's A Fair Country. took one, read the first couple pages on the bus ride home, put it on the shelf. It sits there still.
Well, some would say if you want to know the names of Canadian writers, pay close attention to the credits on any popular schlock coming out of Hollywood. There is a lot of half-decent writing.
I just thought it was noteworthy that more than half of people contacted in a survey couldn't name a Canadian writer. The onus is probably on the questioners, who you can feel free to call tools of the CanLit cult, which seems particularly strong in Ontario. In other parts of Canada, people read Margaret Atwood without anyone mentioning she's Canadian.
Anyway, there are a ton of good Canadian writers. I was into Paul Quarrington long before Canada Reads started pumping him up (although it was great that the CBC Radio exposure led to King Leary getting back into print). He's more than half-decent, to name just one person.
I wonder if the people who couldn't name a Canadian writer could name one of any nationality.
That's just it, isn't it.
Putting aside that my favourite Canadian writer is Stephen Brunt (cause we all know non-fiction, especially sports writing, isn't actually writing, right?) I read Russell Smith, David Gilmour, Douglas Coupland and Will Ferguson because they are great writers that happen to be Canadian and write about Canadian things. I've never really been into Quarrington -- and I've tried -- but he's a good addition to any CanLit list.
Gare Joyce too (but, see above).
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