Sports in Canadian culture

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

In NB, it's very much a north/south and city/rural thing.

All the high schools in the big three cities in the south (and Sackville) have well developed football programs. There are six HS football teams in Moncton for example. Sackville, although a small town, has a robust football program because of Mount Allison University. Sackville in fact won the provincial HS football championship last year (despite Tantramar High School being the smallest in the league).

The smaller rural high schools in the south also generally have football teams too, but because of the size of their schools, they play in an 11 man (four down) league rather than 12 man (three down) like the urban schools do.

Football hasn't caught on in northern NB. This may in part be because northern NB is francophone majority and there is greater passion for high school hockey (which tends to soak up all the athletic young males). The two high schools in Miramichi recently began playing football a couple of years ago.

There was talk a few years ago that the Université de Moncton might start up a football program to ride the wave of university football's resurgence in Quebec, but I think it went nowhere.

As you say: high school football is virtually non-existent in francophone NB so the Aigles Bleus would have to rely mostly on players from Quebec to build their squad.

Their hockey team already does that to some degree, though perhaps not predominantly so.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Their hockey team already does that to some degree, though perhaps not predominantly so.

15 of UdeM's players are from Quebec. 7 are from NB.

The other Maritime teams in USports have similar numbers but the Anglophone teams are more likely to have players from Ontario/Out West.

Originally Posted by esquire

The super-scientific esquire Twin Cities sports delegation has completed its survey, and here are the results:

The Twins dominated with the most visible presence in the MSP area, which isn't particularly surprising given that they're in season. Saw lots of people wearing Twins gear, many mentions in the media, store displays, you name it.

After that the Vikings and Wild were somewhat even with a fair amount of presence. The Wild seem to have more of a profile than they did 6 or 7 years ago. After that, the Gophers. I hardly saw any sign of the Timberwolves. I did not see any sign of their new MLS team except for store merchandise (which is really well designed, I might add), but I did not see anyone wearing it. I did not see any sign of the defending WNBA champion Lynx at all other than a couple of mentions in the paper and on the news.

This concludes the esquire Twin Cities sports study. Thanks to SSHRC for the funding that made it possible.

Thanks for this. Informative.

I'm guessing Minnesota United get more exposure once their new stadium is built and when they move away from the University of Minnesota. New stadium will be right between Minneapolis and St. Paul so they'll have their own little niche corner to themselves.

[esquire]

^ I chanced upon the new MN United stadium while there and it looks like a beauty... very impressive in terms of size and scale.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by JHikka

15 of UdeM's players are from Quebec. 7 are from NB.

.

Not surprised to hear this.

A few of my cousins have played on the Aigles Bleus (and Anges Bleues) and I recall many of their teammates were from Quebec.

[MonctonRad]

Congratulations to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan for winning the 2018 Memorial Cup!

The Titan become the third Maritime team to win the Memorial Cup (after Saint John and Halifax).

I'm sure this rots the socks of Robert Irving (the owner of the Moncton Wildcats). He has been salivating for the Memorial Cup for a couple of decades, and came within a whisker of having the first Maritime franchise to win the Memorial Cup back in 2006 (losing in the championship final). The Cats had a second trip to the Memorial Cup in 2010, which also ended in futility. Now the best that Irving can do is be the owner of the fourth Maritime franchise to win the Memorial Cup........

[EpicPonyTime]

Meanwhile the Memorial Cup drought for Saskatchewan continues. Last winners were the Broncos in 1989.

Longest drought for a province with multiple CHL teams. But at least we're doing better than the Wheat Kings.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Now the best that Irving can do is be the owner of the fourth Maritime franchise to win the Memorial Cup........

Not even just fourth from the Maritimes but third from New Brunswick itself.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Not even just fourth from the Maritimes but third from New Brunswick itself.

And to top it all off, a couple of ex-Wildcats (Liam Murphy and Adam Holwell - victims of the "purge" midway through the 2016-17 season, when they decided to blow up the team and do a complete reboot), were traded and were on the Bathurst Memorial Cup winning team. Holwell even scored the Memorial Cup winning goal.

They were good players that the Cats should have kept rather than completely decimating their roster. The Cats did pretty well in the playoff this year, but might have gone deeper with Murphy and Holwell still in their line-up.

Still, this all turned out well for these two players though - they got a chance to live the dream.......

[kevinbottawa]

Video from Ottawa Race Weekend, Canada's biggest running event.

• Video Link

[elly63]

Canadian Kansas City Chiefs OL Laurent Duvernay-Tardif graduates from McGill medical school
3Down Staff May 29, 2018



Duvernay-Tardif plans to begin his medical career after his playing days are over. He signed a $41.25 million, five-year contract to remain with the Chiefs last off-season.

[isaidso]

Courtesy of Alessandra Tarantino/Associated Press

Shapovalov cruises to a straight set victory (7-5, 6-4, 6-2) and on to the Round of 64 at the French Open. It's the first win ever at Roland Garros for the 19 year old. He's on a collision course to meet Nadal in the Round of 32...

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Shapovalov cruises to a straight set victory (7-5, 6-4, 6-2) and on to the Round of 64 at the French Open. It's the first win ever at Roland Garros for the 19 year old. He's on a collision course to meet Nadal in the Round of 32...

Nadal has looked really good this clay court season. I'd give a lot to see Shapo face him in the fourth round.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Nadal has looked really good this clay court season. I'd give a lot to see Shapo face him in the fourth round.

Would you fly to France? It's tempting. Shapovalov did beat Nadal on hardcourt at last year's Canadian Open but duplicating that feat on clay might be too big an ask. He's still improving and gaining confidence so who knows. It would be a shame if Denis can't get to the Round of 16 but that's how the draw goes sometimes. Either way, it's going to be a great match.

I usually just watch out of love for the game and rarely have someone I root for strongly. Having a horse in the race is very different. I'm discovering that it's far more nerve racking.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Would you fly to France? It's tempting.

I've considered doing the French Open before. Hasn't gotten high up enough on my priority list yet. It's probably the weakest of all of the Majors in terms of facilities, amenities, etc.

Originally Posted by isaidso

Shapovalov did beat Nadal on hardcourt at last year's Canadian Open but duplicating that feat on clay might be too big an ask. He's still improving and gaining confidence so who knows. It would be a shame if Denis can't get to the Round of 16 but that's how the draw goes sometimes. Either way, it's going to be a great match.

Nadal's been dominant on clay this season and the assumption is that he'll win this French Open (with maybe Zverev and Thiem able to beat him). As long as Shapo puts in a competitive match I think he'll do great. His ranking should be strong enough to put in a decent showing at Wimbledon as well so that he can really have a strong hardcourt season. It's great to see.

Originally Posted by isaidso

I usually just watch out of love for the game and rarely have someone I root for strongly. Having a horse in the race is very different. I'm discovering that it's far more nerve racking.

I'm mostly in the same boat. I'm more captivated by Shapo than Raonic or Pospisil because he just has that raw energy and looks way more determined to win. Raonic and Pospisil just seem to play so...passive, at times. FAA is going to have that same Shapo upside so Canadian men's tennis is in pretty good hands for the next few years.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by JHikka

I've considered doing the French Open before. Hasn't gotten high up enough on my priority list yet. It's probably the weakest of all of the Majors in terms of facilities, amenities, etc.

Speaking of amenities, how do the facilities in Toronto/Montreal stack up to the Majors? I've never been to the Canadian Open. From the outside, the facilities up at York University look depressing. Is it nicer inside?

Originally Posted by JHikka

Nadal's been dominant on clay this season and the assumption is that he'll win this French Open (with maybe Zverev and Thiem able to beat him). As long as Shapo puts in a competitive match I think he'll do great. His ranking should be strong enough to put in a decent showing at Wimbledon as well so that he can really have a strong hardcourt season. It's great to see.

I'm mostly in the same boat. I'm more captivated by Shapo than Raonic or Pospisil because he just has that raw energy and looks way more determined to win. Raonic and Pospisil just seem to play so...passive, at times. FAA is going to have that same Shapo upside so Canadian men's tennis is in pretty good hands for the next few years.

I'm just hoping for a strong showing by Shapo as well. Raonic's time may have come and gone. He's such a big fella and injury prone. I do like his cerebral nature but looks like he's in danger of over doing it every time it goes beyond 3 sets.

I'm excited about FAA too but no one to get excited about on the women's side unfortunately. Tennis seems to be mirroring men's track and field (sprints). We produce great men's sprinters but rarely any on the women's side. In soccer and swimming it's the opposite. Women at the top of their game but a dearth of top talent on the men's side.

[megadude]

Lol. York is in a depressing area after all. And I did go to school there for a year. It does indeed look rather drab from the outside.

I'm not a huge tennis fan and can't compare facilities, but it's okay I'd say based on the three times I've been to the Canadian Open.

Centre Court is kind of nice. It's modern but seems to me to be rather simple. Though I've never been to Roland Garros, All England Club, Flushing Meadows and whatever you call Oz Open's facility.

I have been to the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, and centre court seems comparable to me. But obviously, the surroundings are much, much better. Very pretty setting.

It would have been nice for the National Tennis Centre to be in an attractive area of the city, but that's hard to do these days regarding the logistics of moving people, property values and also the NIMBYism. Tonnes of parking at York and accessible by Hwys 400/401/407.

In regards to young local players, it's a good location. Fairly central to the communities you'd expect elite tennis players to come from.

[isaidso]

Thanks for the run down. It's a shame the National Tennis Centre is in such a crappy part of town. Premier tennis clubs are usually exquisitely beautiful places with an air of old money/history everywhere. I didn't get that feeling at all when I was up there.

York University? I was depressed just walking around York; quite the opposite experience of the bucolic university settings I'm used to.

[samne]

Agreed, the NTC is in one of the dumpiest parts of the city.

Would be way better setting somewhere like the Exhibition grounds. But, I guess 1 week event of the year tough to get prime real estate.

[isaidso]

Speaking of tennis majors, it's a shame the Canadian Open wasn't included. Of major tennis tournaments only Wimbledon is older.

Wimbledon (1877)
Canadian Open, US Open (1881)
French Open (1891)
Australian Open (1905)

On wikipedia it says regarding the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club: "Established in 1874 by I.F. Hellmuth and located in Rosedale, the club that year played host to a tournament (for gentlemen's singles) that over time became the Canadian Open tennis championship, now known as the Rogers Cup." Wouldn't that suggest that the 1881 date for the Canadian Open should really be 1874?

[esquire]

^ For those of us unfamiliar with the environs of York U., what is that part of town like?