Sports

A little of this and that.

NHL

What do these teams have in common?

Boston Bruins (last year Stanley Cup Champions)
Vancouver Canucks (last year Stanley Cup Finalists)
Detroit Red Wings - always a tough playoff team.
Chicago Black Hawks - 2010 Stanley Cup Champs
Pittsburgh Penguins - 2009 Stanley Cup Champs

All these teams lost in the first round of the NHL Playoffs. I know this is not news to you, I just find it amazing....and wanted to point out that Phoenix/Nashville just has a weird ring to it for me.....times are a changing!

NBA

The Chicago Bulls, best record in the NBA (50 wins 16 losses) have lost their superstar for the rest of the season. Derrick Rose tore his ACL and is out. This is an incredibly tough blow for the Bulls, and although they have a great team, to win the East (with Miami around) - is going to be really tough.

Derrick Rose - He will be missed big time!

MLB

The Toronto Blue Jays have started the season kind of luke warm.......but the good news is....the rest of the division has too. The have 12 wins and 10 losses....and are only 2 games out of first. I think it is going to be a very close, and tough battle in this division....should be fun to watch.

MLS

This is a short story for me. The Toronto FC, a team full of promise this year are 0 and 7 out of the gate. This is a huge disappointment.

NLL

Once again it is Lacrosse to the rescue in Toronto. Last years NLL Champion Toronto Rock have secured first place in their conference and will host a playoff game this Saturday, May 5th in Toronto at the ACC against arch rivals The Buffalo Bandits.

           Go Rock Go!!


Note - The Crooked Arrows - a lacrosse movie, is coming in May. Keep an eye out for it.


NFL

Interesting fact.....the NFL draft has better TV ratings in the USA then NHL playoffs. Think about that for a minute. Teams are simply picking players, and more people watch that than NHL hockey playoffs. This is not news, but it is difficult for me to get my head around sometimes.


Olympics

It is only 88 days until the 2012 Olympics in London, England.

Cheap Shots.

Cheap Shot - any mean or unsportsmanlike remark or action, especially one directed at a defenseless or vulnerable person.

I despise cheap shots in sports and I always have. I find it a gutless way for a so called "tough" guy to settle a score with an opponent, take out a star player or vent some frustration.

There is, in my opinion no place for it. I am not talking here about a fight or tough body check, I am talking about a blatant attempt to hurt a player that is totally unaware of it.

When I played lacrosse (back in the day) I did receive my share of "cheap shots".

I won't be specific of players or teams (to prevent the innocent), but I think the three worst on me were...

• I fell on the floor in lacrosse....a player on the other team cross checked my head into the concrete, splitting my forehead open....probably one reason I may be short a few brain cells today
• I was running down the boards for a long pass from the goalie, a player from the other team stepped on the floor (they already had 5 on the floor) and he took a full 2 handed swing at my knee, dropping me to the ground. I never saw it coming.
• a scrum in the corner of the boards was going on, I was at the bottom of the pile...a player on the other team tried to put his finger into my eye as I lay there covered in other players.

These events might make you cringe...maybe even laugh, I guess it depends on your character. I never have understood that behaviour. It simply makes no sense to me.

The most recent "cheap shot" was in a basketball game between the L.A. Lakers vs.Oklahoma City. Ron Artest...oops....sorry....he changed his name to Metta World Peace. Anyway.....RonMetta just made a basket and he was pumped and in one swift motion he through an incredibly vicious elbow at James Harden......sending him to the floor. Check it out!

He could have killed the guy. We have been talking all year about head shots in hockey, and concussions etc., at least hockey players have a helmet.

For this elbow....."World Peace" received a suspension for 7 games. Whoop dee doo. 7 games is a complete joke. How about this. You throw the guy out of the league for a year....or maybe for life. Why should he be paid millions of dollars and be allowed to behave like this.  It is a privilege to play a sport. This is a joke....and the NBA should be ashamed. I am tired of it.

All leagues, pro and amateur need to stand up and end this form of brutality. Sports can be rough (and should be sometimes) - tough, bloody nose hockey and lacrosse is great to watch. However go back to the top and read it again. There is no room in sports for Cheap Shots!

MOB Lacrosse 2012

The 2012 season of MOB (Mississauga Oakville Burlington) Lacrosse is upon us.

Masters Lacrosse at its finest........not really.......but nonetheless a great league.

Lacrosse is such a remarkable sport. It gets into your blood stream. Some of you that are reading this think I am crazy, but those of you that play the game, you totally understand what I mean.

It does not matter what level you play the game at, when a new season begins....you just can't wait to get playing.

The MOB league is special in a few ways.

 First.....parity is a great part of this league. We have four teams. Each year we have a draft....players are split into 4 categories loosely based on skill level (1,2,3 or 4). The theory being that every team has an equal amount of every skill level. This formula has worked incredibly well. Over the years, there has been the occasional blowout, but not many, and one interesting MOB fact.....never has the first place team at the end of the regular season won the coveted Campbell Cup. This is a great system.

Second....this a great league for family and friends to get together....many of the teams feature Father and Son duos and brother and brother and buddy and buddy on the same team. It really make it special to play the game you love with the people you love. It is very special.

                                                        Me and my son Stu in 2010


Third.....good friends after the game. This year our venue is Joshua Creek in Oakville. Commissioner Keith Kennedy found a nice facility with a double floor, and a fine establishment above to partake in a cold beverage and watch the next game. When the games are over a good group of guys will retire upstairs and relive every play, mock each other a bit, watch some playoff hockey.....and just have a few good laughs.
Many of the players I have known my whole life. That is cool.

MOB Lacrosse is off and running, and I for one, cannot wait.   (Go Blue Thunder!!) (shameless plug)

The Emotional Roller Coaster.

I have hit many a "hook" shot in my day while playing golf. Never on purpose though. I know golfers, even buddies of mine that can hook the ball by shifting their feet and hands, but even then it is usually a long slow hook.
Bubba Watson's shot in sudden death at The Masters was nothing short of amazing. 155 yard snap hook, to win the Masters. Well done Bubba!!

It was an emotional win. The pressure these guys feel to win, the media scrutiny of every round....every shot, every putt. It is relentless, and for a guy that has never won a major like Bubba, it means so much. When he hit his final put, the emotions poured out, and he broke down. It is an amazing process that our body goes through. You have often heard it said that there is a fine line between laughter and tears.

Making a mistake at a big event, or winning a big event, sometimes there is no difference as to how our body handles it.

Sometimes we break down when we lose.

Sometime...when we win.........

And sometimes......it is disappointment.

It happens often in sport. Recently in the NCAA, March Madness was another great example of an "emotional roller coaster". Incredible highs to unbearable lows, and some of these moment happen in minutes....or even seconds. When you are in a tournament at this level, every moment is an important moment. One team hits a 3 pointer to take a 2 point lead with 20 seconds to go and you can see victory, and seconds later your competitor hits a shot to tie the game, and so on. When the final shot is made, and the game is over....the emotions pour out. You will often see a player from the winning side break down, over come with jubilation and happiness, and on the other side (the "losing" side) - you see a player broke down, heartbroken from getting so close....and not making it.

I am not sure if it is ever happened to you. It is an odd feeling for us all, because when it happens, it is something we have no control of, and that is the part that makes us uncomfortable. At lot of athletes (especially male) think that it is something that they should be able to control...to "tough" it out.

Don't. Let it happen, be "in the moment". It might be the best moment of your life.

The Masters.

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Augusta National Golf Course, Georgia, home of the Masters Golf Tournament this week.

It is the official start of the golf season for me. I love the Masters, and I always have. I can remember my Dad getting so excited when I was a kid as this golf tournament would near. I too got caught up in the beauty of the game. It was different, something about The Masters that made it special. Sunday was a special day for my Dad, and I loved how he became mesmerized, from the moment he got up on Sunday, ready to see who would conquer the course.

This year is no difference, as a matter of fact this year has an incredible feel. There is something about this field that makes this weeks event look like it could be amazing.

A quick look at some players to watch.

Tiger Woods.

This guy simply has to be feared at the Masters. He has won 4 times here, and although his last 18 months have been difficult, he is just coming off a victory in his last event. He seems to have his focus back and
Tiger + Focus + Masters = Victory.   Watch out for the Tiger.

Luke Donald - The World Number 1.

Luke is flying under the radar right now, which is kind of funny, since he is the Number one ranked player in the World......has not done too much lately...but, watch out.

Rory McIlroy

Rory is the "young gun" from Ireland. He is fearless, cocky and loaded with talent. He is playing great right now. Watch out for this young man.

Hunter Mahan

Hunter might be one of the hottest golfers on the tour right this minute. He had already won twice this year and looks really solid. Do not over look this guy to win the Masters in 2012.


Mike Weir

My sentimental favorite. He won this event in 2003. It was incredibly exciting for me. He is not playing well right now. Injuries etc. have taken Mike off the radar completely. This tournament might be what he needs to revive his career. My prediction is Mike will make the cut this year. I hope so.


Take some time this weekend (Thursday - Sunday) to soak it all in. The Masters. It just feels good.