Slowly but surely, I’m going to make Stuff and Nonsense into little more than a bunch of assorted column ideas. Last year, for instance, whenever I wanted to rant about grad school (which was often) I’d write an entry called “Dazed and Confused”, click the “Publish Post” button and feel reasonably satisfied that I’d done something positive to alleviate the tedium of it all. Thus, I present to you the inaugural “Sports Shorts” column, whose name should be self-explanatory. You will recall that this blog used to be little more than an online sports journal, with the occasional miscellaneous post thrown in for good measure; in the name of personal growth, however, I decided to pare back on the sports-related entires and focus on making myself a more well-rounded blogger. To a large extent I feel as though I’ve succeeded–but that’s not to say I won’t still write about sports every so often.
Like today, for instance:
- My first round playoff predictions–not surprisingly–have been a mixed bag so far. I would never have guessed, for instance, that Edmonton or Colorado would have won their first round series; conversely, I severely underestimated the New Jersey Devils, who suddenly look like they’re capable of sweeping the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
- Speaking of the Devils…okay, firstly, they still form a quarter of my Eastern Conference Quarternary of Evil. But secondly, if you’re ever wondering why they’ve been so bloody good for so long, head on over to the Hockey Database and scour the team’s draft history. I’m not kidding: it explains practically everything. (For the record, and in the name of being a completist, it explains a lot about the Ottawa Senators, too.) Cliff Fletcher famously denounced the draft as the “schmaft” during his reign as the Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager…which leads me to a corollary. Much has been made in the media of the Leafs’ proclivity for past-due veteran players. To an extent, this is true–but in my opinion, if you’re really looking for reasons why the Leafs haven’t been as successful as they should have been lately, check out their draft history as well. Did you know, for instance, that the Maple Leafs traded away the picks which resulted in both Scott Niedermeyer and Roberto Luongo? Neither did I–but they did, and it tells a big part of the story. (By the way, I never got why people were so upset by the Owen Nolan and Brian Leetch trades. At the time, the Leafs had to be considered genuine contenders; both of those players, particularly Leetch, could have been the missing piece of the puzzle, and when you’re in that position…well, you’ve gotta make that trade, don’t you? Maxim Kondratiev isn’t much to give up for a legitimate shot at the Stanley Cup. Yet I digress.)
- I feel as though I need to clarify my anti “the Cup belongs in Canada!” stance. I’m wary of hockey’s preeminence within the sphere of national identity; I’ve accepted it, but that doesn’t mean I’m thrilled about it, in particular since it’s become more acute in the last couple years. In that vein, to claim ownership of the Stanley Cup is, in my opinion, to miss the point–badly. I don’t need to be lectured on the history of the damn trophy–I work with it, remember–and so I don’t need to be told that it was originally donated by Lord Stanley Preston as a means of fostering a collective sense of Canadianness. But that was in 1892; this is 2006, and a lot has changed since then. Canada has no more right to the trophy than the United States–or Sweden, for that matter, or Finland, the Czech Republic, Russia or any other country with a vested interest in the game of hockey. Sure, Canadians feel an unusually strong sense of attachment to the sport–but that, to me, can be counterproductive, because if we guard it too jealously then the sport runs the risk of stagnating and becoming irrelevant. It’s just like a cultural movement: eventually, it needs to move beyond its original boundaries, or else it’s doomed to shrivel up and die. It would be nice if the Stanley Cup came back to Canada every once in a while…but personally, I’ll take its continual absence as a sign that the game is healthy, or at least healthier than we’re lead to believe. Make sense? (Gulley, I know your head is exploding right now…isn’t it time that you wrote a blog entry on this topic as well? Consider yourself officially called out.)
- A final (for now, anyway) note on the subject: I get particularly anxious about this Cup ownership syndrome when hockey fans begin rooting for their team’s biggest rivals in the name of national pride. I won’t name names, but a certain girl who I love very, very much was yesterday seen rooting for her favourite hockey’s team bitter provincial rivals. I can’t say much more than that, because she’ll get mad at me…but when you’re breaking down that barrier, isn’t it a sign that you’ve gone too far? To me, your favourite team is your favourite team–national pride be damned. Do you think I’d ever cheer for the Ottawa Senators under any circumstances? Or that Kevin du Manoir would root for the Leafs if they were the last Canadian team standing? The answer, obviously, is no–and the reason is that we’re both unreasonably legit people.
- One of the underrated pleasures of my job: reading the Toronto Sun sports pages, in particular the letters to the editor. (Obviously, you don’t have to work where I do in order to enjoy this–but do you really think I’d read the Sun if a free copy weren’t procured for me on a daily basis?) I used to think the Don Cherry mentality was a caricature; I’m now painfully aware that it is not, at least if the Sun‘s readership is any indication. Go on: go to their website and see for yourself.
- Finally, this is a big weekend in the Championemiership. That’s all I’m sayin’. Check back next week for more.
If you’re reading this and going, “Man, he’s prolific lately!” it’s because I’m trying desperately not to get to my marking, which is due later this evening and which is still woefully short of completion. In fact, I think the time has come where I can no longer put it off. Do with this entry what you will–I’ve got exams to attend to.
Stuff and Nonsense 