Semenya was such a freak, you heard it a thousand times that week (and NOW?)

From the department of "told you so," the South African runner Caster Semenya is keeping her gold medal from the world championships.

Or have people already forgotten about how, for a couple weeks in late August and early September, suddenly everyone fancied herself/himself an expert on gender determination? The temptation is to paraphrase from Jon Lajoie's Michael Jackson Is Dead video ("You fuckin' hypocrites," extremely NSFW). Anyway, point being, whatever is still to come out about Semenya, the fact remains the way some people who should know better reacted is kind of mortifying.

Anyway, a quick google turned up a blog post from U.S. runner Jill Geer, "The myth of fairness meets the question of gender," which is pretty illuminating. She notes that now-infamous photo of Semenya flexing at the finish line (which is just strange since a runner's stock-in-trade is her legs and lung capacity) and her choice of coach. But still...

"Reading about (Semenya's) case has been an eye-opening education for me as I've learned about the incredible varieties of genetics that cause huge variations in what is male and female. It's like learning that it's not always day and night; it's often dusk and dawn. Until you read about and understand the science, it is hard to understand why the case isn't clear-cut.

"Of course, the uncertainty only makes the issue more tragic. If I were an athlete who finished behind Semenya, I would feel bitterly angry and cheated. If I were Caster Semenya, I'd feel equally cheated, and perhaps even more so: I'd feel I'd been cheated not out of a medal but out of my right to enjoy my life. Not only has her performance been called into question, but her entire life has been made the subject of intense public debate, cruel jokes and salacious rumor-mongering. In a classic bit of side-show grotesquery, she was even trotted out in sequins for a South African women's magazine.

These are just a few reasons to feel angered by the whole affair, but if Semenya was put in a position to compete when people close to her knew there might be an issue regarding her sex, it is even more infuriating.

"... Erin Buzuvis of the Western New England School of Law in October delivered a paper entitled 'Caster Semenya, Sex, and the Myth of a Level Playing Field.' While I don't necessarily agree with many of her assertions, that she attempts to lay out a rational argument as much as possible is to be lauded.

"... Even if competition is divided along the lines of sex, she argues, there is inherent natural variation and "unfairness" within the sexes. What is fair, and is it possible and desirable to try to create fairness when there is no such thing as a truly level playing field in sport? To wit, some women have naturally higher testosterone, and more strength, than others. Some runners have grown up at altitude and therefore have an advantage in distance running. Some athletes are wealthy and can afford training aids that others can't."

Whatever happens, happens, one would hope the reaction is a little more mature next time.

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Bleeding Tricolour: OUA ref might have called the Trevail play right

No one who watched the second half of Queen's 43-39 Yates Cup win over Western is going to forget it too soon, especially the no-touchdown call on a goal-line reception by the Mustangs' Nick Trevail when the score was tied with 6½ minutes to play.

That Mustangs drive ended with a field goal. That four-point swing was the Golden Gaels' winning margin, although (key difference) the play did not give them their winning margin. The Gaels earned it by stopping Western there, scoring a touchdown and making two more stops.

Everyone thought Trevail was in, present company included. Tuesday's London Free Press said, "The film showed Trevail should have been awarded a touchdown."

On a play when the receiver leaps or dives to make a catch in the end zone, it's not where the ball is when he gets his hands on it. It's where the ball is when he has secured the catch and gets a foot down (a knee, elbow or hip may equal a foot). The rule is the same as it is on sideline catches. The receiver has to have control of the ball ("secure the catch") and get one foot down with the ball in the end zone (or in touch). What would have happened if he had dropped the ball when he landed? To most observers, that would be an incomplete pass, meaning that possession hadn't been established yet.

This is not to be taken as authoritative. It's just a couple screen-grabs made from The Score's recap of the game (right around the 2:20-2:25 mark). Zapruder, I ain't. It's hard to see at what if any point Trevail had control of the ball and got his foot/knee/hip/elbow down with the ball across the goal line, satisfying three requirements for a touchdown.

Pictorial evidence below the jump. Please click through (there's a photo of Amber Heard in there too).

At 2:24: Trevail gets his hands on the ball, but his feet are off the ground, thus it is not yet a bona fide pass completion. His momentum, since he was running one of Western's patented comeback routes, is taking him toward the goal line. The camera appears to be a couple of yards deep in the end zone, so that can affect the angle. It's not clear if the ball is in the end zone.

Also, on the original angle, the first part of Trevail's body to touch the ground is his left knee, so we know he does not have a toe down at this point.



Still at 2:24: Trevail does not seem to have a foot down, at least if you look at where his right foot is in relation to the lower left leg of Queen's defender Ben D'Andrea.


At 2:25: Trevail's left knee has come down and the catch is official (and by CIS rules, the play is dead when his knee touches), but look where the ball is. Trace a line through the ball parallel to the goal line. Perhaps this is not the exact moment of contact between Trevail and the Richardson Stadium turf (it might have come a blink sooner). It's iffy whether he's in at this point. It looks the ball would be marked down inside the 1-yard line (and scrimmaged from the 1, as per CIS rules).



One last pic just to show Trevail's body position after he came down. You can't see the ball.



Please don't take this as scientific. Like almost everyone else, I thought it was a touchdown too. Those four frames are from about one second of elapsed time, officials aren't perfect, but it's important to keep this in mind: The camera might not lie, but it does distort occasionally.

Sorry if this ends up breaking some hearts in London, Ontario, again. And sorry for fake-promising an Amber Heard pic to make you look.

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Bleeding Tricolour: Yates Cup Champions!

After a 31 year Yates Cup drought (a stat made all the less impressive by a stint outside Ontario), Queens has finally put their name back on the oldest football trophy in North America, and the win came in the most epic of circumstances a 43-39 win over rivals Western Mustangs.

But you can go read about the actual game over at the CIS Blog and various Mainstream Media sources, so instead I'm going to go through what was a sports experience (WARNING: lame cliché) I will never forget.

Facebook has revolutionized pre-game arguing, chirping and all around enjoyment. Ever since the Yates Cup page on facebook was made after the win over McMaster last week which took Queens to the final there was back and forth not so politically correct debate between Western, and Queens fans with even a few players chipping in with thoughts of their own. This facebook group was then expanded to another called "YATES CUP ETIQUETTE... The duty of the 13th man". This group had three simple rules:

There is nothing worse than having homefield advantage and having it work to your disadvantage. For the big game this weekend please keep in mind these three rules as the thirteenth man.

1. DO NOT CHEER WHEN THE OFFENCE IS IN THE HUDDLE, AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE, OR DURING THE CADENCE.

2. CHEER YOUR FACE OFF WHEN THE DEFENCE IS ON THE FIELD, WHEN THE BALL IS IN PLAY, OR WHENEVER THE OTHER TEAM'S OFFENCE IS TRYING TO DO ANYTHING.

3. WHEN IN DOUBT, WATCH BIG MATT O'DONNELL AND DO WHAT HE TELLS YOU TOO.

Follow these rules and Western's gonna wish they never got on that big purple bus. Believe it.

When facebook speaks the crowd follows as was evident even from Friday afternoon.

My Friday started with a radio Yates Cup Preview show in which I predicted Queens to win 42-38... not too shabby. Then walking through Queens campus seeing the smashed purple car, and last year's star linebacker Thaine Carter pumping up the crowd while selling "Puke up, Drink Up, We Want the Yates Cup" t-shirts. The scene was set.

On game day I headed down to the field early and participated in the good old Canadian football tradition. The "non-alcoholic tailgate". Along with my classic "Wuck Festern" sign, we ate lots of meat, got into a little bit of banter with some Purple Ponies, and generally enjoyed ourselves. Finally it was time to jam into a packed Richardson (announced attendance was 7,253 which for Kingston sports crowds is very impressive).

The game kicked off on the wrong foot, but soon enough we were up and celebrating Dan Brannagan's eighty-five yard completion for the first of his five touchdowns in the air. The atmosphere had kicked off on the students' side immediately, but the alumni side waits usual quiet self, with the aforementioned rules somewhat being ignored as the biggest cheers seem to come while the offense was on the field.

As the game hit halftime Queens had a 26-17 lead as close as anyone had been to dominate at any point in the game. At this point was one of the lamest halftime shows in the history of sports where a band called USS played in a small stage only visible to the cheerleaders, band and a small portion of the students' side. Had I not known there was going to be a halftime show I wouldn't have even noticed this small distraction off to the side.

As the second half kicked back off Western started to take control again, but the Queens defense had managed to stop Nathan Riva through some absolutely incredible plays by the whole defensive line, particularly Shomari Williams who showed why he is the best defensive end in the country.

Despite Michael Faulds connecting for over 500 yards, the run defense coming up big in several situations really helped save the game on several opportunities. After Brannagan drove down the field to put Queens into the lead for one last team the defense came up big to really win the game.

In this last Western drive the alumni side finally came to life and it was louder than I can ever remember it being. With Matt O'Donnell doing his part to make sure it happened, as always. Western's last drive was about as dramatic as it could get with the silence from the crown after Faulds got hurt thinking "could this be it", to the boos when he returned for the final play hobbling out with only one working knee. The feeling of euphoria when Faulds missed that last pass really is a perfect example of the reason we all get so emotionally invested in sports. For brilliant moments like that one.

Seconds later the clock ran out and it was followed by mass celebrations as it seemed the entire stands emptied in a matter of milliseconds as we all somehow found ourselves on the field. The players were exhausted but clearly ready to celebrate. High fiving, and hugging everyone in sight. Those next few minutes on the field were those of pure jubilation. Seeing Brannagan later awarded Yates Cup MVP, and seeing the Yates Cup itself being presented was the icing on the cake of a fantastic event.

Bring on Laval!

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Bleeding Tricolour: Yates Cup live blog! Saturday, 1 p.m.

Please join us for Saturday's liveblog of the Yates Cup (1 p.m. ET, The Score), which will be simulcast with the Western Gazette. Andrew Bucholtz and Arden Zwelling have this well-covered.

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Bill Simmons has Masshole appeal, any way you thin-slice it

People will decide for themselves whether Bill Simmons The Book of Basketball is worth picking up (it's 700-plus pages, so lift with your legs) but it's worth pointing out a couple of the more splenetic reviews.

The joke, whoever, might on Charles Pierce at Deadspin ("Somewhere in these pages is a real book, and somewhere in that book is a very real heart and a very redeemable soul") and Josh Levin at Slate ("He'd be twice as funny — and a lot less repetitive — with half the jokes.

Sorry, fellas, calling out Bill Simmons is as dated as the phrase "calling out." Some loser did it 10 months ago:

"Simmons' act was fresh in the late '90s and in the 2000s, but it's become the sport media's analog to Will Ferrell's man-child act. It ticked the giggly in the late '90s and early 2000s, when people — especially men who realized that you're not going to be young forever, but you can at least be immature — just needed to disappear into, say, one of Ferrell's comic constructs and laugh like a hyena for 92 minutes. Eventually, you wonder when someone who's a NBA guy in his medium will stop making an ABA movie, to paraphrase one review of Ferrell's thin 2008 vehicle, Semi-Pro. It is often a similar deal with Simmons' references to 1980s pop culture, the Boston Celtics of that era, gambling, Grady Little and porn."
— January 16, 2009

Ha!

Like Sean Kealey of Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician said, "What were the odds (Deadspin's) review of Bill Simmons' book would be negative? 1:100?" Neverthless, those who relish the carve-up of genius will dig Pierce's takedown ...

"He did not reinvent sports writing, or even the way people write about sports, which is not the same thing. He didn't even really break down the formidable 'kicked in the gonads' barrier as far as the language of journalism goes. (Did anyone arguing that point ever actually read Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail? Hunter Thompson wrote some pretty wild stuff before he got to ESPN.com.) He didn't pioneer the use of pop culture reference in sportswriting; Andre Laguerre's Sports Illustrated did that and, anyway, Simmons' vaunted pop-cult knowledge is carved out of a very thin loaf of Wonder Bread. He did very little that was new. But he did it on the Internet. He created a gig for himself and sold it well. That should be good enough.

"But, alas, he seems to have bought into a lot of this messianic bullshit, and it shows."

... and Levin's:

"Simmons wouldn't be Simmons without the pointless asides. One of the Sports Guy's biggest flaws, though, is that he tries too hard to entertain: He'd be twice as funny—and a lot less repetitive—with half the jokes. Simmons clearly gets a rise out of mixing sex and sports. Three pages after the Moses Malone-Marilyn Chambers analogy, he says that Shaquille O'Neal is like porn star Peter North — 'dominant, but not the best." He also likens Karl Malone to a 'fake-boobed Asian stripper' and Jason Kidd to "a smoking-hot girl … wearing a 32A." (The small bra size is a reference to Kidd's poor shooting ability. It kind of makes sense in context.)"

Does anyone else find the sports-porn analogies a bit creepy? People consume porn is mass quantities, but it's the low-hanging fruit on the analogy tree. The rub is Simmons created the taste which he is to be savoured by, so screw aiming higher. There's some depth there, but he serves as a very flattering mirror for similarly stunted males to gaze upon their own reflection and say, "Nothing needs changing here."

It's very Guyland, which is why he needs to be stopped. The possible irony is those who set the bar a little higher, the blogging sober and thinking too hard types, might be the ones who are out to lunch. You will never know for sure.

Related:
Bill Simmons: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut; The Sports Guy's The Book of Basketball is a crude, fantastic mess. (Josh Levin, Slate)
You Are Not The Cosmos: A Review Of Bill Simmons' Book Of Basketball (Deadspin)

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Bleeding Tricolour: Time to rock Richardson!

Injured linebacker Thaine Carter has done his best to give Queen's and Kingston its version of Winfield-wants-noise. Ahead of Saturday's Yates Cup game vs. Western, last season's defensive player of the year (out after shoulder and knee surgeries) has penned an open letter to the Golden Gaels fanbase:

"We need everyone’s help to cheer us on to our first conference title since 1997.

"I want to see the crowd jammed into Richardson Stadium like never before; let’s break an attendance record!! Western needs to fear our 13th man!! The stands need to shake and we need to make the Mustangs feel your presence!!

"The 13th man makes all the difference. Queen’s University and the City of Kingston will be on the map in front of a national audience. Let’s make it memorable, let’s make it loud and let's send the Purple Ponies home with their tails between their legs."

Queen's fans are noted for being rather, uh, pensive during the game. Another zinger is that you know the Gaels have a good team when present-day students say they've heard the school has a football team, although no, they haven't been to any games this season.

Since the Toronto Blue Jays and Queen's each won in 1992, the reference fits.

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Women's Pre-Olympic Trials

by Keith Borkowsky, The Curling Guy

As promised, here's a look at the women's pre-trials, which open today at Prince George, B.C. Like the men's draw, four teams will advance to the Roar of the Rings in Edmonton.


1. Kelly Scott, Kelowna, B.C. (25-9 in 2009-10 World Curling Tour games)
Scott, with third Jeanna Schraeder, second Sasha Carter and lead Jacquie Armstrong, recovered from a dismal 2008-09 eith one of the best 2009-10 results around. She's made two finals, won the Manitoba Lotteries Women's Classic and appears to be rolling at the right time. She'll face the winner of the eight vs nine game.

2. Sherry Middaugh, Coldwater, Ont. (9-8)
The only top-four seed without a payday, Middaugh, third Kirsten Wall, second Kim Moore and lead Andra Harmark, could make that point moot with a couple of wins this week. She gets the winner of the seven vs 10 matchup, and could lose if Amber Holland advances to that game.

3. Marie-France Larouche, St. Romuald, Que. (8-5)
One of the most enigmatic teams in the field. The past Quebec champion is joined by third Nancy Belanger, second Annie Lemay and lead Joelle Sabourin. They face a tough quarter-final matchup in either Homan or Belisle. If it's Belisle, there's some history as Belisle eliminated Larouche from the Shorty Jenkins Classic 7-6.

4. Michelle Englot, Regina, Sask. (9-11)
For most of the year, Englot has failed to make a mark. Reaching the quarters at the Colonial Square Classic netted the team of third Deanna Doig, second Roberta Materi and lead Cindy Simmons their only payday in four tries. The plus? It came in their most recent event. They will face the winner of the five vs 12 game.

Ranked by first round matchups, here's the rest of the A-side draw.

5. Heather Rankin, Calgary, Alta. (12-14) vs 12. Sherry Anderson, Delisle, Sask, (12-14)
The only real difference between these two squads is Rankin's won some cash. Her team of third Lisa Eyamie, second Heather Jensen and lead Kyla MacLaughlan have earned $3,700, with $3,500 coming from losing a quarter-final at the Schmirler Charity Curling Classic.
A former Saskatchewan champion, Anderson, third KIm Hodson, second Heather Walsh and lead Donna Gignac have played five events. Success has not followed, as they have only cashed in for $300 this year. Unless her fortunes change, she will likely be an early casualty.

6. Rachel Homan, Ottawa, Ont. (7-0) vs 11. Eve Belisle, Montreal, Que. (10-6)
By far the youngest team here, Homan, 20, with third Emma Miskew, 20, second Allison Kreviazuk, 21, and Lynn Kreviazuk, 18, have not played a ton heading into the Trials. Not sure why that is, but in Manitoba, there is a shortage of cashspiels for elite teams to compete at, leaving them with few options other than a heavy travel schedule to plat the best, or play locally. She qualified after a super 2008-09 campaign. She's only played the Shorty Jenkins Classic in September. She won it and beat her first round opponent, Eve Belisle, in the final.
Backed up by third Brenda Nicholls, second Martine Comeau and lead Julie Rainville, Belisle's best success came at the Shorty Jenkins. She's been paid twice in three events. Could be a an upset special if she gets going.

7. Crystal Webster, Calgary, Alta. (13-9) vs 10. Amber Holland, Kronau, Sask. (21-8)
Webster, with third Lori Olson-Johns, second Samantha Preston and lead Stephanie Malekoff lost a semifinal at the Twin Anchors Invitational in October.
Holland, with third Kim Schneider, second Tammy Schneider and lead Heather Seeley, beat Kelly Scott in the Schmirler Charity Curling Classic and were top-eight qualifiers in three events out of four. The edge goes to Holland, based on her record.

8. Cathy King, Edmonton ( 19-11) vs 9. Krista McCarville, Thunder Bay, Ont. (6-2)
King, with third Kaitlyn Lawes, second Raylene Rocque and lead Tracy Bush has earned cheques in three of five events, winning the CurlTV.com September Shootout.
McCarville has to battle geography to get competition. Her team of third Tara George, second Kari MacLean and lead Lorraine Lang made the semis in their only event of the season, the Manitoba Lotteries Women's Curling Classic. This one's a toss up. Both are former provincial champions, with King adding a Canadian title in 1998.

King, Holland, Scott and one team of your choice will advance. The fourth team could be McCarville, or Homan, but the B- and C-side draws will play a role on who gets the last spot.

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Senators attendance drop should raise red flags

... but have you seen many displayed on cars lately?

The Sens Army is lying pretty low.

There's a malaise in Hockey Country, no question. Ottawa Senators attendance is down more than 1,100 fans per game compared to the same point last season. (The average is 1,191 after Tuesday's game vs. Edmonton.) Take a look around the next time you're out, in a non-sports context. You could shoot a cannon through a Tim Hortons during the noon rush and not hit anyone wearing a Sens hat or hoodie in some parts of town.

(Update: Forbes magazine NHL valuations are out: Note which team lost money.)

There was "grumbling" (Ottawa Citizen) about the $14 cost for the tickets to the game the club's American Hockey League farm team played at Scotiabank Place last weekend. Two seasons ago, after the run to the Stanley Cup final, parents would have paid twice that to give their kids a Bag O' Glass if it had the Senators logo.

At the very least, though, the Senators' fall from grace is an issue. Will anyone write about it in this town? In Ottawa, make the barest inference the hockey team's doing poorly and you'll taste hemlock in your chicken shawarma. You're either a naysayer, a hater or a Leafs fan — theres always a label small minds fall back on. Plausible deniability, don't you know.

The media here is understandably in the tank for the organization. It's the city's only claim on major-league status. Pointing out anything negative is a sure ticket to the shit list. So, no one is going to suggest that the Senators can only be profitable and fill the arena when they're winning even though that's a bad business model in a salary capped-league. They only will if the Senators end up cap-in-hand again like they were in 1999 and 2003 and, personally, let us hope that does not recur.

People who are not beholden to the Senators for access are starting to ask these questions about owner Eugene Melnyk's plaything. Some mental red flags went off in October when there were 2,000 empty seats for a home game vs. the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Around the same time, James Mirtle made a parenthetical comment the Sennies "could lose millions this year if they miss the playoffs."

All told, the Sennies are down an average of 1,141 fans from the same point as last season (from 19,484 to 18,343 after nine home dates). Late last night, you could have gone on the team's website and reserved four 100-level tickets for Tuesday's home game vs. Edmonton without having to sit behind the net, even with the game a little more than 36 hours away. FOTB Jean-Pierre Allard reports, "The Orleans SENS Store has closed its doors with Christmas just around the corner."

It would be glib to say this points to a downward spiral that will end with the franchise becoming the Mississauga Senators between now and the next time the Leafs make the playoffs. To be clear, it's nowhere near that point. (Granted, that might explain why the Eunibomber lashed out at Jim Balsillie back in the summer when he was trying to move a team into Southern Ontario.)

There are outside influences weighing on the franchise. The NHL is a mess. Gary Bettman's NHL is designed to make all 30 teams semi-watchable about half the time. That has hurt the Senators, who had a stacked team from 2003 through '06, more than some franchises.

Many passive sports consumers who got on the Senators bandwagon might be backing another team. Most sports consumers in any city are fluid in their tastes. It's the nature of the beast, not matter how it angers the diehards who are there for all 82 games, since getting a life is not an option (GAC).

What's happened?

It's a combo of discontent with how the team has fallen (7-7 this season vs. a suspiciously spongy schedule), the economy, Ottawa's demographics and the city's cultural paternalism.

Ottawa is not a town of front-runners. You typically hear, "this city loves winners," when someone is trying to make an argument about bringing a CFL team back to town (and I do hope it works). That's off.

It is a town of followers which loves whatever maintains the status quo. People claim the CFL teams died because of poor on-field performance. However, the Rough Riders had decent support throughout the 1980s, when they didn't have a single winning season. It took a solid decade of losing, a league-wide crisis in the CFL and owners from (affects scary voice) out of town before people started staying away.

Institutions govern so much of life in Ottawa that people fall into herd mentalities. It happens to the best of us and most of us are nowhere near the best, present company included. Those government-town stereotypes are true to some extent. This is one of the few places where a team could even use a slogan as militaristic as "Sens Army" and "A Force United" (which some culture-jamming bloggers altered to "A Farce United" last season) without getting some media outcry.

Ottawa is like a city composed of insecure teenage girls. The analogy fits Toronto, too, except in T.O. the creature has sharper claws. If Toronto is the character Rachel McAdams played in Mean Girls, Ottawa is the one played by Lacey Chabert. Fitting in and doing whatever is popular at that moment is everything, because they know they can be cast out and won't be missed.

That seeps into sports. "Hey, let's get the CFL back! ... "Hey, Toronto has a World Series baseball team, so let's get a Triple-A club one year before a strike devastates the professional baseball industry and accelerates the death knell of the closest MLB team, the Montreal Expos." They were late to the party.

When the CFL comes back, people will attend because Roger Greenberg, Bill Shenkman, John Ruddy, Jeff Hunt and whoever becomes mayor after Legal Suit Larry O'Brien say they should. The culture is that top-down.

The Senators are not as much of a thing to do among people who only get into sports when it's part of a socially approved mass movement, the ones who are needed to sell out the building and make impulse buys. It's of a piece with having a well-educated populace which has spent a tremendous amount of time in institutions like universities, which are paternalism in a can.

Never mind that mindset has actually put the team behind the 8-ball since the early days and that they've managed to make it work as much as they can. Institutionalized NIMBYism (in the form of the National Capital Commission) eventually led to the Senators building an arena way out yonder in Kanata in the mid-1990s, far from the city's population core. In Toronto, the teams might (might?!) suck and blow, but at least you're downtown once the Blue Jays, Raptors, or TFC are through indulging their flair for mediocre public display.

In Ottawa, you're stuck waiting a half-hour to get out of the parking lot before driving home. People in the public sector were willing to trade sleep for seeing enthralling, winning hockey, as opposed to what they're getting.

That should hopefully help explain there are somee small warning signs are there. It's certainly fair game at a time whe the Canadian hockey mafia start speculating whenever any U.S.-based team has a small crowd (granted, we're talking less than 10,000 in some places), but oh no, you couldn't possibly suggest Bettman's idiotic-times-eight business practices will impact a small-market franchise in Canada playing in a poorly located arena.

As for the Senators organization, as someone who's interested in successful group dynamics and leaderships — call it compensation for some career-related issues — one does wonder who keeps Melnyk in line. (This is speculative, to be sure.) Former GM John Muckler and former president Roy Mlakar were old-time hockey guys. One can imagine them telling Melnyk to shut up and that the only thing he knows about ice is that it's needed to make diaquiris. You wonder who's there to tell Melnyk he's not going to recover that $4-million bonus he had to pay Dany Heatley since it was a binding contract, or that suggesting fans and critics should "get a bomb and blow themselves up" is unbecoming.

Deny, deny, deny, all you want, but the Senators have some issues off the ice (as for on the ice, let's leave that to the professional sportswriters). The easy way out is to say it's the economy, calibre of opponents or people staying home to save local television by making sure they watch all 3 CSIs on CTV.

It will get harder to ignore if the Senators keep sliding. No one can stand here in 2009 and tell you where the NHL will have teams in 2019. Just don't be too smug.

(For anyone doubting the 1,191 figure, I counted. Bear in mind it's a small sample size and there are variables such as day of the week and opponent. For instance, last season's 10th home game was on Saturday afternoon, this season it was Tuesday:)

Opponent '08-09 '09-10 Total
Det/NYI 20,182 18,075 -2,107
Phx/Atl 20,179 19,360 -819
Bos/Pit 19,318 17,014 -2,304
Fla/TB 18,952 17,732 -1,220
Ana/Nsh 19,762 18,970 -792
Wsh/Bos 18,485 20,154 +1,669
Phi/Atl 18,938 17,297 -1,641
NY/TB 19,061 17,511 -1,550
Mtl/NJ 20,475 18,971 -1,504
NYR/Edm 19,619 17,977 -1,642

Avg. 19,497 18,306 -1,191

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Ottawa footy phenom Donzo takes another step

It's a thrill to be to pass along news Abraham Donzo, a teenaged Ottawa soccer player, has earned a "3-month invitation with Everton’s academy in the hopes of landing a professional contract."

It's pretty tough to do justice to the story of Abraham Donzo, but it was a honour to have been able to take a stab at it a month ago. Sportswriters are not supposed to cheerlead, but having been let in on what he's gone through and how he and his Canadian parents Phil and Sue Roberts have made it work, well, I defy you not to cheer for him.

Oct. 8, 2009

Not just in it for kicks
Soccer prodigy hopes long journey leads to pro deal

Abraham Donzo is as tough to label as he is to mark on the pitch.

That's a way to relate how far and fast the footy prodigy has come since arriving in Ottawa in 2005 from a refugee camp in Liberia. The label doesn't stick. It's there, but the only mention of pain that comes up while talking to Donzo relates to rehabbing his right knee after he tore an ACL in May 2008.

He's a well-adjusted 16-year-old Colonel By student, supported by loving parents, educators Sue and Phil Roberts. The hook is he is jetting across the Atlantic next Wednesday for a fourth trial with Everton FC of the English Premier League.

"My journey started kind of sad, but now it's going in a good way," says Donzo, who starred with the Ontario provincial team this summer, scoring all of its goals in 5-of-6 games at nationals.

"When I was leaving my family in Liberia I was sad, but they wanted me to come here, to have a chance at a future, so I was happy they did that."

The ACL injury meant Donzo was not 100% match-fit the last time he was at Everton. Getting into an EPL team's academy is as vital for a 16-year-old footballer as the NHL draft is for a teen hockey player. Ottawa Fury president John Pugh notes, "this is the probably the time" that Everton will decide whether to add Donzo to its academy. He'll likely find out in January.

"I know this is my last chance with Everton," the 5-foot-11, 160-lb. striker says. "I feel good, skill-wise. The only thing I am worried about is the physical play. They're big guys and they're tough."

REALITY SHOW WINNER

You know about Donzo winning a reality show, Soccer Dreams, and catching Everton's eye. A bigger part of the backstory is the Roberts family. Donzo came to Canada with a male relative, Sekou Donzo. He eventually moved in with the Robertses, who are his legal guardians.

"They're always there for me," he says. "I was shy at first, but I get treated like a brother and I treat them (siblings Michelle, Amy and Meagan) like a sister."

His dad, who is the Ottawa Gee-Gees' special teams co-ordinator, might never forget the rush his spouse and daughters threw at him about adding Abraham to the brood.

"It just kind of fell into place," Phil Roberts says. "His uncle was working all the time and Abe is still in contact with him. Children's Aid approached us about him. They said to us, 'We've never done this, but he's doing well here in school, we don't want to have to switch.'

"When my daughters and wife cornered me about it, I went, 'Uh -oh, I'm not a young guy.' I was 49 years old at the time, we have three daughters, I'm coaching football all the time, coaching basketball at the high school. But within two weeks, I knew it was a good fit."

Roberts' contacts in the helmeted, hand-using version of football paid off when Donzo injured his knee. One of his former players, Western Mustangs assistant coach Mickey Donovan, helped connect them with Dr. Kevin Willits in London, Ont., for treatment. Willits also coaches at Western.

Of course, no one could rehab the knee for Donzo.

"He was ready to go after 4 1/2 months," Roberts says. "I'm a football guy, and I was just amazed. He was waking up at 6 a.m., icing it six times a day ... I know university, pro guys who couldn't do what he did."

What happens at Everton is not necessarily make-or-break. There are a lot of football teams.

When you go in there for a two-week trial, you've got to be better than what they've had in the academy," explains Steve Hill, Donzo's coach with the Ottawa Fury. "You can't be as good as, because they have people who have been there since the age of eight, nine, 10 years old, whom they've worked with 3-4 years. It's a bit cutthroat."

That's the kicker. The hard part is still ahead for Donzo, after leaving family, after the culture shock, after blowing out a knee. Is it in him?

"I'm not the kind of person who gives up," he says.

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Bleeding Tricolour: McMaster-Queen's OUA semifinal live blog

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Curling into the Olympic Trials

by Keith Borkowsky, The Curling Guy


There's plenty on the line this week in Prince George, B.C., where 24 of the top Canadian teams battle to determine the four men's and four women's teams that advance to the Canadian Olympic Trials.

So much, that there's rumours that some may retire if they don't advance.

For those that may know (and you're forgiven), Canada has a multi-step qualifying process to select it's Olympic curling teams. Earlier rounds require a PhD in mathematics, so we'll just focus on the present circumstances. Four men's and four women's teams have already qualified for the Canadian Olympic Trials. Four more spots remain. That's what's on the line starting Tuesday, with a triple-knockout draw. Teams can earn one of the four berths with either a perfect record through the A-side, one loss through the B-side or two losses on the C-side. Three losses kills your Olympic dream.

Here's a quick look at who's in the men's draw at the Canadian Pre-Olympic Trials (marketed as the Road to the Roar), which runs Nov. 10-14. Look for an upcoming post on the women's draw.


MEN

The top four rinks don't play first round games and have byes directly to the quarter-finals. They are seeded as follows:

1. Jeff Stoughton, Winnipeg (13-6 in 2009-10 World Curling Tour games)
Stoughton's had success this year, winning the Manitoba Lotteries Classic in Brandon and qualifying for the semifinals at the Meyers Norris Penny Prairie Classic in Portage la Prairie, Man., He's also suffered a 1-3 record at the Cactus Pheasant Classic in Brooks, Alta., in his final tune-up event leading into the trials.
Among Manitoba rinks, Stoughton is one of the most seasoned, mature rinks you'll find, as evidenced by a 5-0 record in one-point games. That's why they win when it matters. They haven't played as much as others, with only three World Tour events on the schedule so far. That was by design. Stoughton, and his rink of third Kevin Park, a past Canadian champion, second Rob Fowler and lead Steve Gould, wanted to build gradually towards the Olympic dream and peak at the right times.
As Stoughton faces the winner of eighth-seeded Bob Ursel of Kelowna, B.C., or ninth-seeded Ted Appelman of Edmonton, you'd wonder whether being the top seed really gives you an advantage. You'll see why later.

2. Wayne Middaugh, Toronto ( 7-4)
Another team that didn't play a heavy schedule leading into the Trials, and may not need it. Middaugh made his only appearance in the playoffs in Portage la Prairie, backed up by third Jon Mead of Winnipeg, second John Epping and lead Scott Bailey. He will face the winner of seventh-seeded Jean-Michel Menard or 10th-seeded Pat Simmons of Davidson, Sask.

3. Brad Gushue, St. John's N.L. (22-8)
For a minute, let's put aside the debate on how ridiculous it may be to have a defending Olympic gold medallist without a direct berth into the Roar of the Rings Canadian Olympic Trials. His team has changed — frequently — since 2006. But he's settled into a nice routine with third Mark Nicholls, second Ryan Fry and lead Jamie Korab. He won early and often in Baden, Switzerland and in Brockville, Ont., two September events, and made the semis at the World Cup of Curling in late October. He's currently ranked fourth in the world, and beats teams by an average of three points a game. It's a bad idea to let them have the hammer.

4. Mike McEwen, Winnipeg (18-12)
Consistent play is key for the best of the "next generation" of Manitoba's top teams. When they play well, they have beaten the Gushues, Middaughs, Stoughtons and the other top teams in Canada. A key stat to keep in mind. They are 7-2 in one-rock games, and 2-1 in extra-end games. They need to keep the game close, but can force the issue. The 2003 World University Games champion, McEwen plays with third B.J. Neufeld, second Matt Wozniak and lead Denni Neufeld. He will know his quarter-final opponent, as it will be either Kerry Burtnyk or Jason Gunnlaugson, both Manitobans. Burtnyk and McEwen also curl at the same club. And Gunnlaugson eliminated them from the Portage WCT event with a 7-2 loss. There will be an incentive to win.

There will be upsets at this event, at least on paper. That's the nature of curling, especially when the stakes are this high. Someone will come out of nowhere (as much as it applies at this level. As they are seeded in the draw, here's the rest of the field.

5. Kerry Burtnyk, Winnipeg (19-11)
Burtnyk is one of of two teams in this draw, aside from Stoughton, that knows what coming second at the Olympic Trials means. You watch on TV while the guy that beat you plays for gold. He's retired once after such a loss, and there are rumours he might do it again if he does not advance. Burtnyk's lineup of former world champion Don Walchuk at third, second Richard Daneault and lead Garth Smith won the Portage la Prairie WCT event with a field that included three of the top four seeds at Prince George. He has to beat fellow Manitoban Jason Gunnlaugson and McEwen to get to the A-semifinal, where he could meet Stoughton, the man that beat him in the 2009 Manitoba championship game.

6. Joel Jordison, Moose Jaw, Sask. (8-11)
Jordison, who won Saskatchewan last year, hasn't looked good all year. If that continues, he won't last long here. Jordison's lineup of third Scott Bitz, second Aryn Schmidt and lead Dean Hicke could get a first round win as they face 11th-ranked Greg McAulay of New Westminster, B.C., but the next game puts him against Gushue. If he qualifies, it will be from the B- or C-side unless his team gets their game in gear fast.

7. Jean-Michel Menard (10-3)
The rink from Quebec, which includes third Martin Crete, second Eric Sylvain and lead Jean Gagnon could be one of those teams that comes out of nowhere. Menard won the 2006 Canadian championship and could beat 10th-ranked Pat Simmons in his first game. He'd face Middaugh next if he did, and then all bets are off. While he hasn't played a lot on the World Tour, he won a smaller event, the Challenge Casino Lac Leamy. In those 13 games, Menard was aggressive, played well with the hammer and beat teams by an average of three points per game.

8. Ted Appelman, Edmonton (27-11)
It's hard to call a 27-11 team an upset special. But just like the March Madness college basketball tournament, there's upset specials waiting to happen. He's played five events, got paid at all of them and has built up a solid CV of success. If he played anywhere but Alberta, you would likely see his rink of third Tim Appelman, second Brandon Klassen and lead Brendan Melnyk at the Brier once in a while. playing a heavy schedule of 38 games, there's a risk he put it on the line too soon. But he's no worse off than his first round opponent, ninth-ranked Bob Ursel. And this young team has an experienced Don Bartlet as an alternate. Watch them.

9. Bob Ursel, Kelowna. B.C. (23-6)
One of those teams, where the skip doesn't throw last stone, Ursel has posted lopsided victories, beating teams by an average of more than three points per game. His team of fourth Jim Cotter, second Kevin Folk and lead Rick Sawatzky beat Kevin Martin at the Westcoast Curling Classic and went on to claim the title. He's lost two other finals. That sounds like a pretty good lead-up to the most important event in November, and is one reason the Stoughton rink may not see the top-seed as an advantage. Either Appelman or Ursel will play the Stroughton rink in the quarters.

10. Pat Simmons, Davidson, Sask. (25-7)
A past Saskatchewan champion, Simmons, third Gerry Adam, second Jeff Sharp and lead Steve Laycock have dominated with the hammer. They've been paid at all five events they have entered this season, winning the Horizon Laser Vision Centre Classic in Regina. It will be interesting to see how he plays Menard in his first-round game, as it could set the tone for a good week. A loss there wouldn't kill his chances.

11. Greg McAulay, New Westminster, B.C. (8-8)
A past World champion, McAulay brings experience. But at 49, his Olympic window could be closing. If Jordison wasn't struggling as much as it has this season, McAulay would probably be sent to the B-side early. A first-round win nets a showdown with Gushue, so he will likely have to make a run through the B- or C-sides, where luck of the draw plays as much a role as skill. He's backed up by third Ken Maskiewich, second Deane Horning and lead Aaron Watson.

12. Jason Gunnlaugson, Beausejour, Man. (21-12)
Gunnlaugson is a gambler. It says so right on his CCA bio, where he lists his career as poker player. So you know he's not going to be scared of facing Burtnyk, a legend he grew up watching, in his first round game. He's capable of throwing a takeout shot in four-seconds flat. Check it out on YouTube. There's evidence. The knock on Gunnlaugson in past years is he's been so eager to use it for a highlight reel shot that he's ignored easier options and missed his shot. This year's team is different and includes third Justin Richter, second Brayden Zawada and lead Tyler Forrest, the remnants of the Reid Carruthers rink that actually earned the spot in the pre-Trials. Like most young teams, when things go well, they storm the gates. When they go badly, games can fall apart. They have faced Burtnyk before this year, losing the final at Portage 6-2. Burtnyk opened the game scoring three and stole a single in the fourth end for a 4-0 lead. So a steady start will be crucial, and if they get it, they could do damage. However, 2014 may be a more realistic goal if this team stays together.

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Friday Night Football: Lions - Eskimos live blog

It all comes down to this. The 8-9 Edmonton Eskimos and B.C. Lions face off for the third and final playoff spot in the CFL's West Division. The winner's in, while the loser has to hope Hamilton beats Winnipeg on Sunday. To add even more drama, this is the last game that will be played in B.C. Place until 2011. The action starts at 10:30 Eastern; 7:30 Pacific. Come join me after the jump then for the live blog!

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C'est la Vince: Can't have a Raptors' 15th anniversary without No. 15 ...

Well, it has been almost five years. Time heals all wounds and Vince Carter is a suspiciously quick healer when it suits him ...

"Raptors fans with long memories didn't get the chance to boo Magic SG Vince Carter, who was scratched with an injury on Sunday.

"But that opportunity might come Nov. 22 at Air Canada Centre when the player who demanded out of Toronto after six-plus seasons will be ... honored by the franchise as part of their 15th anniversary celebration.

"The Raptors say they will first ask Carter if he wants to go through with a ceremony, realizing the back-story.

" 'Everybody wants to know how we can do it, but Vince is part of the history here," Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo told the Sentinel. 'Most of the people that he had problems with here are gone.' " — Orlando Sentinel
(emphasis mine)

C'est la Vince. A good hate-on is a good hate-on, but honestly, as you get older, you realize the absurdity of hating people who only appear to you as two-dimensional figures on a TV screen. Honestly, didn't all those Green Bay fans (well, most of them) look like a bunch of whiny ingrates booing Brett Favre on Sunday?

Crystal is the traditional 15th anniversary gift, which is appropriate since Carter has been accused of playing like he's made of glass. Just kidding, but not really. Besides, his injury is a blessing since it meant being able to pick up hot-shooting Ryan Anderson in fantasy this week.

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Six degrees of gruesome Fanelli injury

There's a Kingston connection with the awful story about Ben Fanelli, the Kitchener Rangers rookie defenceman who is in intensive care with skull and facial fractures.

The firsts-thing-first hoping Fanelli has a full recovery (not the same as whether he'll return to competitive hockey). It was not a head shot although it did look like Michael Lianbas, the 20-year-old Erie Otters player, took a good three full strides before hitting Fanelli, who had turned his back to play the puck up the boards behind his own goal.

The odd part is Fanelli went in the fourth round of the OHL draft in May, one round after the Rangers selected forward Keli Grant, a Kingston boy who attends Ernestown Secondary School, where my mother teaches. Mike Koreen, the Kingston Whig-Standard's excellent sports editor, wrote a while back about how Grant's experience this fall "will hit home for those who feel it's tough to force 15-or 16-year-olds to make such an important decision about their athletic future at an early age."

Perhaps that's where the debate is, whether it's necessarily good to force 16-year-olds to skate alongside 20-year-olds. For every player who's ready for it emotionally and physically, there are a few who are not, speaking generally.

The Rangers kept Fanelli instead of Grant to fill out their maximum allotment of three 16-year-old players. Grant ended up being caught up in a numbers game in Kitchener and with his hometown Kingston Kimco Voyageurs Junior A, who are only allowed two 16-year-olds (one of whom is his twin, Kris Grant.) He also lost his NCAA eligibility in the process by playing in an exhibition game with the Rangers.

Needless to say, all of that is a trifle compared to what is ahead for Fanelli and his family. Strange how that works. (Bob McKenzie might have Twitter updates on Fanelli later.)

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Forest City Fireworks: Guelph-Western OUA football quarter-final liveblog

Check in at 1 p.m. Saturday for another lively liveblog of the Guelph-Western OUA football quarter-final, which is live on The Score and 1290 AM in London.

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Scott Russell is politely asking you to drink a glass of shut-the-hell-up

(And please do it out of a commemorative Olympic glass. They've available at Petro-Canada now.)

Remember when you were a kid and wanted to do something and an adult would ask you why and you'd wail, "Because!" and be told, "Because is not a reason?" That's what comes to mind after seeing Scott Russell demand you respect his authoritah bestowed by his CBC Sports blazer (and expense account) and just shut up-shut up-shut up about the downside of taxpayers underwriting the cost of the 2010 CTV Olympics.

"It’s time for the dissent to stop and for us to be gracious hosts.

"Incredibly, there are a significant number of people in this enlightened nation who don’t get it. They complain about everything from the corporate greed embodied by the Games to the fact that the torch relay was first conducted in 1936 in Berlin, the so-called 'Nazi Olympics.' "

Please. Aattitudes will soften as as the days draw down toward the opening ceremony. The snow will pile up outside. You'll start seeing "multi-ethnic" (Russell's term) photogenic tweens wearing Olympic apparel and it will be too cold to go out, so your defences against being colonized by the Olympic Spirit will wear down, especially since the government doesn't have vaccine against it like there is for H1N1.

All that will come in time. It is just mind-boggling this aging Zack Morris would actually write, "It's time for the dissent to stop" and "Isn’t this an opportunity to move on from the business of investigating the Olympics to celebrating what they can possibly offer?" There's no irony in that coming from someone at a network which presented a very sanitized portrayal of life in Beijing during the 2008 Olympics, no, not at all.

People are smarter than credited to be by Russell and some of the CBC mealymouths. You can strike a balance the fun of watching Canadians go for medals and knowing the Olympics really is one part corporate billboard and one part a big swinging dick contest between nation-states. Of course, that is why Canada goes for the gold in the easier-to-win events which are dominated for affluent nations which can afford to build winter sports facilities (as opposed to those in the Summer Games which come down more to being able to run really fast or for an extended period). Honestly, after reading that you'd wonder if Russell is trying to get a job at CTV.

Related:
It's time to embrace the flame (Scott Russell, CBCSports.ca)

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