Sports in Canadian culture

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Berklon

Sounds like the World Cup isn't getting much interest in Western Canada. I suspected that would be the case - but I thought Vancouver would be the exception. This is one of the reasons why I think Canada hosting the World Cup is a very long shot. Sure the WC attracts a lot of tourists, but there still has to be some local interest.

What is interesting about the West is that its population is quite diverse and has lots of people whose origins are in soccer-mad countries.

Also interesting is the fact that the World Cup mania in many established (and relatively assimilated) immigrant origin communities in Ontario and Quebec is a bit of ''rekindling''. In the 1970s I can say with quite a bit of certainty that your average kid born here of Greek or Italian parents in Montreal, Ottawa or Toronto was not exactly nuts about the World Cup.

In some cases it probably skipped a generation or two, or the interest is something that developed as an adult among people who did not really grow up paying much attention to soccer. (This was basically my case - though I am not of immigrant origin.)

Of course, if you are part of one of these communities, it is pretty hard to ignore the World Cup today. Even if you did not grow up with the sport.

[Nicko999]

Originally Posted by Airboy

Media are carrying it but the bars I have gone by are full as well as various coffee shops." Football" is quite popular in Edmonton but not the media. However Bouchard is getting the ink now.

Exactly, tennis is way ahead of the World Cup in terms of coverage right now.

Nothing against soccer, I just found tennis more exciting.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Nicko999

Exactly, tennis is way ahead of the World Cup in terms of coverage right now.

Nothing against soccer, I just found tennis more exciting.

And she will get the attention - for this weekend anyway. And deservedly so.

Then it will go back to World Cup.

Although the Rogers Cup will be nuts this year. And the women are playing in Montreal!

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Also interesting is the fact that the World Cup mania in many established (and relatively assimilated) immigrant origin communities in Ontario and Quebec is a bit of ''rekindling''. In the 1970s I can say with quite a bit of certainty that your average kid born here of Greek or Italian parents in Montreal, Ottawa or Toronto was not exactly nuts about the World Cup.

I don't agree. The kids I went to high school with in Hamilton in the early 1980s were manic about football and supporting the teams of their ethnic heritage (mostly Italy, Portugal and Greece, among others), and their older brothers and uncles who were teenagers in the 1970s were no different. Sure, they followed North American sports more closely than the Euro leagues that their parents were fans of, but the World Cup was a different story. It had to do with identity and pride. The teams playing in the lunchtime intramural soccer league in the gym were formed along ethnic lines, and the annual champions would parade around the gym with the flags of their parents' countries in celebration.

This was the scene on St. Clair in 1982 when Italy won:



James Street in Hamilton, which used to be heavily Italian and Portuguese, and is now an indie and artistic darling, was jammed for the celebration, too. That was 1982, sure, but I recall the Italian and Portuguese overflow of fans crowding the bars and cafes on James Street in 1978 for the World Cup. Granted, the winners in the 1970s weren't hotspots for recent immigration at the time--Brazil, West Germany and Argentina--so you didn't get people in the streets all that much, but I'm quite certain that St. Clair would have looked precisely like the photo above if Italy had won in 1974 or 1978.

[Nicko999]

Everybody set up your alarm clocks on Saturday morning. I think we're going to break some TV viewership records...

[SHOFEAR]

Between Bouchard and Raonic and the CFL season getting started thankfully the local soccer talk has once again been pushed back to the fringes of the sporting landscape.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by rousseau

I don't agree. The kids I went to high school with in Hamilton in the early 1980s were manic about football and supporting the teams of their ethnic heritage (mostly Italy, Portugal and Greece, among others), and their older brothers and uncles who were teenagers in the 1970s were no different. Sure, they followed North American sports more closely than the Euro leagues that their parents were fans of, but the World Cup was a different story. It had to do with identity and pride. The teams playing in the lunchtime intramural soccer league in the gym were formed along ethnic lines, and the annual champions would parade around the gym with the flags of their parents' countries in celebration.

This was the scene on St. Clair in 1982 when Italy won:



James Street in Hamilton, which used to be heavily Italian and Portuguese, and is now an indie and artistic darling, was jammed for the celebration, too. That was 1982, sure, but I recall the Italian and Portuguese overflow of fans crowding the bars and cafes on James Street in 1978 for the World Cup. Granted, the winners in the 1970s weren't hotspots for recent immigration at the time--Brazil, West Germany and Argentina--so you didn't get people in the streets all that much, but I'm quite certain that St. Clair would have looked precisely like the photo above if Italy had won in 1974 or 1978.

That's interesting.

The first time I ever heard of the World Cup was sitting in the stands at this CFL game:

http://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/sch...11/edm-at-ott/

The PA announcer at one point came on and announced that Italy had won the World Cup. Everyone (or it seemed) applauded.

Then driving back home we ran into a couple of cars with Italian flags and my dad pointed out to me that these were Italians celebrating the World Cup win they had announced at the stadium.

Growing up I had kids who were Italian, Greek, German and Dutch, etc. in my classes (in Ottawa and also in other towns and smaller cities elsewhere) but there were no large concentrations of kids of these origins in my schools and I can't recall any chatter about the World Cup from any of them.

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Growing up I had kids who were Italian, Greek, German and Dutch, etc. in my classes (in Ottawa and also in other towns and smaller cities elsewhere) but there were no large concentrations of kids of these origins in my schools and I can't recall any chatter about the World Cup from any of them.

That's probably why. There are massive Italian and Portuguese populations in Toronto and Hamilton.

[Airboy]

There will be 2 Canadians riding in this years Tour de France which starts Saturday.

Orica Green Edge riders.

187. Christian Meier (CAN)
188. Svein Tuft (CAN)

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by rousseau

This was the scene on St. Clair in 1982 when Italy won:

I wonder if these people would celebrate like that if Canada won. Something tells me they wouldn't. In Toronto it will be easy to find screens set up in public places like the Eaton Centre or Loblaws to watch WC games tomorrow, but to watch Eugenie Bouchard attempt to win Wimbledon will be next to impossible. What's wrong with this picture?

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I wonder if these people would celebrate like that if Canada won. Something tells me they wouldn't. In Toronto it will be easy to find screens set up in public places like the Eaton Centre or Loblaws to watch WC games tomorrow, but to watch Eugenie Bouchard attempt to win Wimbledon will be next to impossible. What's wrong with this picture?

Nothing's wrong with the picture. Nothing at all. Tennis doesn't inspire the same degree of passion that football does. Mostly because it's a sport for individuals. When has there ever been a parade for a tennis champion? When have there ever been parades for golfers, boxers, or judo practitioners? I'd be interested to know of any.

Actually, I wonder if there were parades for the great Soviet gymnasts back in the 1970s? Like for Olga Korbut in 1972? That wouldn't really surprise me.

The chance of Canada winning the World Cup in the next twenty years is just about nil, so it's a purely academic exercise, but I'd guess that your insinuation is right: a Canadian team in the World Cup would probably not inspire the same amount of passion in Canada that other national teams do amongst immigrant/ethnic communities.

Because we're a hockey country, not a football country. Shrug. It is what it is.

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I wonder if these people would celebrate like that if Canada won. Something tells me they wouldn't.

Well it's pretty much a non-issue in soccer as Canada isn't going to be taking home the world cup at any point in our lifetimes, but when it comes to a popular (ie. not tennis), international sporting competitions that we actually do win at, this is the response:

[FrankieFlowerpot]

Well that was disappointing this morning

[Berklon]

Well tennis shared the spotlight with the World Cup the last few days, but I guess all the focus will be back on the World Cup - at least in Eastern Canada.

[SignalHillHiker]

I heard on the radio that Canada has its first ever female tennis player in the Wimbledon finals. Congrats, b'ys!

[Nicko999]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

I heard on the radio that Canada has its first ever female tennis player in the Wimbledon finals. Congrats, b'ys!

Just now... damn...

[FrankieFlowerpot]

Congrats to Vacek Pospisil on winning the mens doubles today - so at least one Canadian winner at Wimbledon today

[Nicko999]

Just imagine when the numbers for the final this morning come out!!!

TORONTO – The Genie Army was out in full force yesterday for Genie Bouchard's historic semifinal victory at WIMBLEDON. Overnight data from BBM Canada confirms that more than 1.9 million unique viewers tuned in to TSN and RDS to witness Bouchard become the first Canadian singles player to make a Grand Slam tennis final – making it the most-watched WIMBLEDON non-finals broadcast on record.

The match attracted an average audience of 791,000 viewers, with audiences peaking at 1.4 million viewers as Bouchard took match point to secure her win over Simona Halep.

Canadians have rallied behind Bouchard and Milos Raonic throughout WIMBLEDON:
• Raonic's quarter-final win attracted an average audience of 545,000 viewers (1.6 million unique viewers) to TSN and RDS on Wednesday
• Bouchard's quarter-final victory attracted an average audience of 304,000 viewers (921,000 unique viewers) to TSN and RDS on Wednesday

Overall, this year's tournament is the most-watched WIMBLEDON in TSN history.

http://www.tsn.ca/story/?id=456453

[elly63]

Actually surprised at those ratings for Bouchard, those are about the ratings for an average CFL game. For this special event I would have thought they'd have been much, much higher.

I can't remember which tournament it was, a while back, where she drew great numbers, so I'm a little disappointed in the semi final. I'm sure the opening minute numbers of the final will be very good with a drop off of viewers later.

I tuned in a little late midway through the first set and it was pretty clear she was being overpowered and this wouldn't be her day, but I think we can safely say she isn't a one hit wonder and her time is just beginning.

[Nicko999]

Originally Posted by elly63

Actually surprised at those ratings for Bouchard, those are about the ratings for an average CFL game. For this special event I would have thought they'd have been much, much higher.

Actually it's remarkable considering it was Thursday morning. If the game was in the evening like in the CFL, the ratings would be at least twice as big.



Back in Montreal this afternoon.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Br5IUerIUAAK66w.jpg:large

She will have to get used to it... she's going to be as popular as Habs players.
Rogers Cup is going to be crazy this year.