The Toronto Raptors and the New Jersey Nets of the NBA (National Basketball Association) are having a two-game series in London, England this weekend. My question is...
Why would the league send over two of the very worst teams if their aim is to garner interest???
Their records are 17 and 43, and 17 and 44. I don't think it matters which belongs to whom.
Maybe the league hopes their plane will go down. That would be a quick and inexpensive way to improve league play dramatically. If it happened, those teetotallers across the pond just might take an interest in our basketball.
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Showing posts with label national. Show all posts
Showing posts with label national. Show all posts
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Thursday, 12 March 2009
Karma (and the law) catches up
The chickens have come home to roost. Peter Pocklington may die in prison if he's convicted of the fraud charges filed against him in Palm Springs, California stemming from a personal bankruptcy filing in 2008. If the name doesn't ring any bells, "Peter Puck" is the former owner of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League who was vilified by the entire country of Canada for selling Wayne Gretzky, the greatest hockey player who ever lived, for about $18 million to the Los Angeles Kings.
The man collected enemies like kids collect hockey cards. He brought in strike breakers to settle a company dispute with workers at a company he owned which eventually closed. He had another company bailed out by the Canadian government to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.
In his personal bankruptcy papers, he claimed he was worth $2,900. He um, forgot to mention the luxurious home he has, the contents of a storage locker, the investment companies he owns offshore and last but not least two bank accounts. This man used to boast a wine collection worth $750,000 and a house full of Renoir sketches.
At some point he left Canada because he was displeased with its socialist leanings. He preferred to be among "people who are impressed with those who get up early and make things happen." He made things happen, alright--mostly disasters left in his wake. He has had more failed companies than Michael Jackson has had surgeries.
He has a United States citizenship application currently being reviewed, but now, at 67, he is a broken man with $20 million in debts and possibly facing prison time. I'm not so sure that the Americans are as enamoured with him as he is with them. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
The man collected enemies like kids collect hockey cards. He brought in strike breakers to settle a company dispute with workers at a company he owned which eventually closed. He had another company bailed out by the Canadian government to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.
In his personal bankruptcy papers, he claimed he was worth $2,900. He um, forgot to mention the luxurious home he has, the contents of a storage locker, the investment companies he owns offshore and last but not least two bank accounts. This man used to boast a wine collection worth $750,000 and a house full of Renoir sketches.
At some point he left Canada because he was displeased with its socialist leanings. He preferred to be among "people who are impressed with those who get up early and make things happen." He made things happen, alright--mostly disasters left in his wake. He has had more failed companies than Michael Jackson has had surgeries.
He has a United States citizenship application currently being reviewed, but now, at 67, he is a broken man with $20 million in debts and possibly facing prison time. I'm not so sure that the Americans are as enamoured with him as he is with them. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
Sterling drops
One of the early pioneers of the First Nation's movement in Canada is gone. Sterling Brass died on Friday at the age of 70.
Chief Lawrence Joseph remembers Brass as a true leader who worked hard to improve the lives of First Nation's people.
He is survived by his three children Goldy Silver, Copper Nickel and Zinc Mercury.
Story
Chief Lawrence Joseph remembers Brass as a true leader who worked hard to improve the lives of First Nation's people.
He is survived by his three children Goldy Silver, Copper Nickel and Zinc Mercury.
Story
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
My town is a hotbed of our national sport
So, what's the big deal? Nothing, really. Except that what few people may know is that hockey is not Canada's national sport. At least not our national summer sport. Heck, it wasn't even our national winter sport until sometime in the 90's when somebody decided it should be. What has always been our national sport until it was relegated to our national summer sport to make room for hockey is that oh-so-popular sport you see being played by Canadian youngsters in the streets and every vacant lot available was, of course, lacrosse.
For those of you who may not be familiar with it, the game is sort of like hockey, but instead of using a puck and hockey stick, you use a very, very hard ball and a lacrosse stick. The ball is carried in webbing on the stick and tossed among players until a shot on goal is feasible. The only other major difference is that players use much less equipment. This is because there isn't much body checking in lacrosse--they just whack you in your bare arms and legs until you scream "uncle" and relinquish the ball.
The goalie is an exception in terms of the amount of equipment he wears. Remember the very hard ball? He's allowed to wear the padding of three full-sized sofas so as not to deter his attention from keeping the ball out of his net--a net that is much narrower than a hockey net. He also gets a special stick with a much larger "pocket" than a player's stick. The amazing thing about this game is that anyone ever scores at all. The goalies look like grizzly bears who accidentally wandered into the arena and took up positions at either end as if they were playing for The Salmon Cup.
Below we see a women's lacrosse match--a much milder version of the game. Here, the girl on the right is executing a "just-letting-you-know-I'm-here" tactic, where she extends her arm completely resulting in simultaneous blows to her opponent's arm and head, almost dislodging her mouth guard.
The team-mate of the girl under attack is wistfully wishing she were a majorette and is just dying to twirl her "baton".
Below is the aforementioned grizzly bear, always ready to scoop up a passing salmon with his fish net.
Oh--I almost forgot. My town is on the verge of a lacrosse championship.
For those of you who may not be familiar with it, the game is sort of like hockey, but instead of using a puck and hockey stick, you use a very, very hard ball and a lacrosse stick. The ball is carried in webbing on the stick and tossed among players until a shot on goal is feasible. The only other major difference is that players use much less equipment. This is because there isn't much body checking in lacrosse--they just whack you in your bare arms and legs until you scream "uncle" and relinquish the ball.
The goalie is an exception in terms of the amount of equipment he wears. Remember the very hard ball? He's allowed to wear the padding of three full-sized sofas so as not to deter his attention from keeping the ball out of his net--a net that is much narrower than a hockey net. He also gets a special stick with a much larger "pocket" than a player's stick. The amazing thing about this game is that anyone ever scores at all. The goalies look like grizzly bears who accidentally wandered into the arena and took up positions at either end as if they were playing for The Salmon Cup.
Below we see a women's lacrosse match--a much milder version of the game. Here, the girl on the right is executing a "just-letting-you-know-I'm-here" tactic, where she extends her arm completely resulting in simultaneous blows to her opponent's arm and head, almost dislodging her mouth guard.
The team-mate of the girl under attack is wistfully wishing she were a majorette and is just dying to twirl her "baton".Below is the aforementioned grizzly bear, always ready to scoop up a passing salmon with his fish net.
Oh--I almost forgot. My town is on the verge of a lacrosse championship.
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