Sports in Canadian culture

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by esquire

The Donald Sterling of his time, Harold Ballard, recognized that back when he tried to move his Ticats to suburban Toronto in the 80s... to Mississauga, I think it was?

Ballard threatening to move the Tiger-Cats was almost an annual ritual. I also recall Toronto and London being potential new homes. But it was usually over stuff like stadium improvements or concession rights.

Wikipedia's page on him mentions he applied to own a team based at Varsity and tried to buy the Argos, before he eventually purchased the Cats.

[elly63]

Randorf had good chemistry with the panel but he certainly isn't irreplaceable. A lot of people thought Dave Hodge hosting HNIC and pairing with Don Cherry would be irreplaceable, then along came Ron MacLean.

Randorf is not a game changing loss.

Farhan Lalji might be a good choice to replace Randorf, he knows football.

[SignalHillHiker]

Looks like the St. John's Ice Caps are going to the Calder Cup.

4-0, Game 6, just 10 minutes or so left to the third period.

[Welkin]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I'm not getting ahead of myself. We'll have 12-15 NBA players for the 2014-2015 season and probably 15-20 NBA players by 2015-2016. We'll likely be in a position soon where some Canadian NBA players do NOT make the national team. Only the US can say that today.

I realize that basketball is a game of chemistry where team dynamics are crucial, but it's getting increasingly hard to deny that Canada is turning into the biggest producer of top calibre basketball talent outside the US. The key now is to build a team from that group that gels and gets ample playing time at the international level.

And btw, there's a big difference between the Germans in the NHL and the Canadians in the NBA. Bennett went #1 last year and Wiggins might go #1 this year. In fact, 3 Canadians are pegged to go in the 1st round in this year's draft.

I am not to sure that I would be promoting Bennett just yet. He had one of the worst rookie seasons (4.2ppg) of any #1 pick in recent memory. The Cavs obviously screwed up when they chose him #1. He was more of a top 15 pick and needs some time to develop. Lets hope that Wiggins does a better job living up to expectations.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

Ballard threatening to move the Tiger-Cats was almost an annual ritual. I also recall Toronto and London being potential new homes. But it was usually over stuff like stadium improvements or concession rights.

Wikipedia's page on him mentions he applied to own a team based at Varsity and tried to buy the Argos, before he eventually purchased the Cats.

^Oh God!!!! Don't utter the name of the evil one > you'll conjure his spirit back to the realm of the living where he'll haunt us for eternity.

Owning the Cats gave him great pleasure given the animosity it stirred up in Toronto.

Classic

[SignalHillHiker]

If the Toronto Marlies win tonight, it'll be St. John's old AHL team versus St. John's new AHL team for the Calder Cup.

[elly63]

Nice shoes Harold!

[Nicko999]

This thread needs more tennis talk...

Would be curious to see the numbers for the Sharapova-Bouchard match.

Some 4.4 million viewers watched her semi final match vs Li Na at the Australian Open last January (as a comparison 5.1 million watched Leafs-Bruins Game 7 last year).
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...ticle16480446/

Tennis is my second favorite sport after hockey so I'm glad to finally see the attention this sport deserve.

[J_Murphy]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

If the Toronto Marlies win tonight, it'll be St. John's old AHL team versus St. John's new AHL team for the Calder Cup.

Too bad that didn't happen, I was really cheering for Toronto to beat Texas. Ah well, AHL Calder Cup finals in St. John's for the first time in 22 years.

[SignalHillHiker]

Might not be in St. John's:

Williams hopping mad with Mile One

Big scheduling conflict looms if IceCaps-Stars reach Calder Cup final

“And we can’t even get an accommodation for the Calder Cup final?

“Whatever their commitments might and might not be, if they could only shift or move or accommodate or cooperate, that’s all we’re asking.

“And I’m telling you right now, all we’re getting is stonewalled at this point in time.”

Williams likens the IceCaps to a loyal customer, but suggests there is anything but a solid, working partnership between the hockey team and the rink.

“Pushback seems to be the way it is at Mile One,” he said. “There were problems with the St. John’s Fog Devils (of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) before with Mile One, and I’m told the big part of their failure was they had difficulty finding accommodation and dealing with Mile One.

“Sure, we got a scoreclock, and sure, they finally straightened out the ice (the IceCaps and parent Winnipeg Jets had major issue with the Mile One ice surface last season), but our dealings with Mile One have not been great, that’s the nicest way I can put it.”

http://www.thetelegram.com/Sports/20...ith-Mile-One/1

*****

Mile One being bitchy, Marine Atlantic cutting service to the mainland, the PCs committing hara-kiri, the NDP eating themselves, the Liberals squawking about BS, rolling blackouts to continue until 2017 because Newfoundland Hydro can't meet demand.

This really is the developing world.

Why does everything have to be such a shitshow? I love a little chaos, it's part of the old world charm here... but surely not everything has to be run by Uncle Cec in Bauline?

*****

EDIT: It'll be in St. John's. There's just a big gap between games:

[esquire]

Wow, game 4 is 5 days after game 3?! Someone really dropped the ball on the logistics there. But then, who can blame anyone associated with the Winnipeg Jets for not expecting to be in the championship finals

In any event, Go Caps Go!

[J_Murphy]

Originally Posted by esquire

Wow, game 4 is 5 days after game 3?! Someone really dropped the ball on the logistics there. But then, who can blame anyone associated with the Winnipeg Jets for not expecting to be in the championship finals

In any event, Go Caps Go!

It's too bad, but the event that is going on from Thursday to Sunday was booked 5 years ago apparently. IceCaps have only been here for 3 years.

[Trevor3]

Originally Posted by J_Murphy

It's too bad, but the event that is going on from Thursday to Sunday was booked 5 years ago apparently. IceCaps have only been here for 3 years.

Any idea what sort of event that would be? I'm looking at Mile One's website and there is nothing listed for June beside the IceCaps and a dog show this weekend.

[SignalHillHiker]

Mile One has the Canadian Anaesthesiologists Society annual meeting/trade show booked for Friday, June 13 to Monday, June 16.

But, hey, a few extra days of Texan hockey players on George Street won't go astray. I can hear my friends already. "What's that? Come, we goes. I'm having one."

[Dr Awesomesauce]

^Gross.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by Welkin

I am not to sure that I would be promoting Bennett just yet. He had one of the worst rookie seasons (4.2ppg) of any #1 pick in recent memory. The Cavs obviously screwed up when they chose him #1. He was more of a top 15 pick and needs some time to develop. Lets hope that Wiggins does a better job living up to expectations.

That's fair, but it was more of a response to the argument that Canada's strength in basketball was comparable to Germany's strength in hockey.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by Nicko999

This thread needs more tennis talk...

Would be curious to see the numbers for the Sharapova-Bouchard match.

Some 4.4 million viewers watched her semi final match vs Li Na at the Australian Open last January (as a comparison 5.1 million watched Leafs-Bruins Game 7 last year).
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...ticle16480446/

Tennis is my second favorite sport after hockey so I'm glad to finally see the attention this sport deserve.

Canadian tennis fans haven't had much to cheer about over the years. We've had players who had their moments, but never a legitimate star. Raonic is getting closer, but isn't quite there. Bassett and Kelesi never quite made it either.

Bouchard represents new ground for Canadian tennis. With each tournament, the expectations rise. It's already to the point where bowing out of Wimbledon before the semi will be viewed as a mild disappointment by quite a few. That's a lot to ask of a player ranked #18 in the world, but this season has changed everything.

I've only watched her play a few times, but she does seem to be the whole package. If she can win a grand slam, she'll hit the jackpot when it comes to endorsement contracts. She's a marketer's dream.

[Nicko999]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Canadian tennis fans haven't had much to cheer about over the years. We've had players who had their moments, but never a legitimate star. Raonic is getting closer, but isn't quite there. Bassett and Kelesi never quite made it either.

Bouchard represents new ground for Canadian tennis. With each tournament, the expectations rise. It's already to the point where bowing out of Wimbledon before the semi will be viewed as a mild disappointment by quite a few. That's a lot to ask of a player ranked #18 in the world, but this season has changed everything.

I've only watched her play a few times, but she does seem to be the whole package. If she can win a grand slam, she'll hit the jackpot when it comes to endorsement contracts. She's a marketer's dream.

She put up a nice fight to Sharapova today. She is now ranked #12 in the World. Cannot wait for Wimbledon and the US Open.

[J_Murphy]

St. John's Icecaps evened the series with Texas last night in a 2-1 victory and a 49 save performance by Michael Hutchinson. Go Caps! Future is looking bright for the Winnipeg Jets!

[samne]

Love the attention Tennis is getting.

Agreed, Bouchard is the complete package and will win a grandslam sooner than later.

Raonic almost there. May not be the top 3 kinda player but a perennial top 10. Who may snap a slam at sometime, once the big 2 slow down a bit.