Author: Peggy Kabeya

Will the CIS ever enforce a fiscal fair-play policy or is inequality the new normal?

In today’s ever-polarizing Canadian economic climate, the divide between society’s haves and have-nots continues to grow. The age-old aphorism of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer is becoming more of an irrefutable fact of life than a quirky rhetorical truism.

In the realm of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), where a lack of tangible funding regulations allows for schools who already benefit from preferential private-funding structures unabated by any financial fair play policies (cough cough Laval), are seeing their lofty influx of private (and sometimes overt public) ‘donation’ pay off in astounding ways.

Anyone who follows Canadian college athletics is well aware of the Laval evil empire: a French university tasked with recruiting in a majority English country, with a modest endowment but an extravagant athletics budget. That has been the basic formula for the Rouge et Or’s athletic supremacy. Now throw in a deep roster of alumni and boosters ready and willing to see their alma-mater profit from their sizable charitable donations for an equally self-serving tax-exemption. With friends like these…

Canadian college athletics is facing a disparaging inequality that is ruining the quality of athletic competition. The CIS’s lack of regulatory oversight is directly contributing to the current misanthropic state of affairs. In the current interuniversity climate; it’s become commonplace to see McMaster Football bulldoze a lowly York Lions team 67-10 or Laval hang 64-0 on Saint Francis Xavier. These blowouts are all well and good because the CIS doesn’t care, and the boosters are getting a sweet return on their tax-protected investment. Schools have complained for years, but after Laval rattled off its latest exploit of four Vanier cups in seven years, schools like the University of British Columbia, University of Calgary and Université de Montréal realized, “hey, our alumni have deep pockets too.” If you can’t beat them, join ‘em, and for those who can’t afford to get a seat at the high rollers table, head for the penny slots cause the CIS casino has no time or oversight for chump change.

Dissolving the CIS’s regional conference into one super conference

Here’s an open letter to anybody who’s anybody.The Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) association needs a national conference realignment. As it stands, the four regional conferences that comprise the CIS (the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec , the Ontario University Athletics, Canada West, Atlantic University Sport) are deeply connected to their geographic location. Nowadays with the commodification of all aspects of educational life, Canadian universities are looking towards athletics to help strengthen their brand.

Heavily subsidized conference juggernauts like the University of Laval (RSEQ), Western Mustangs (OUA) and the University of Calgary (Canada West) are big fish that have outgrown their constricting regional ponds. A quick lesson in trickle-down economics would indicate that the development of a national conference would help leverage the notoriety of “big schools” to help grow the sports in question nationally.

Financially speaking, with both the federal and provincial governments pulling back on education spending, investing in a national syndication of sports and entertainment only makes sense in times like these. If pride cometh before the fall, then nationwide wide airfare expenses for varsity teams must cometh before the science pavilion.

As a society, we’ve entered our age of decadence and half-assing our time in the sun won’t preclude the inevitable. Denis Coderre needs baseball. Toronto needs a subway extension, and Canada needs a national interuniversity athletic conference. Because I said so… and I like football.

Concordia impresses in season opening romp of cross town rivals

The Concordia Stingers men’s soccer team put on a show Friday evening, as they dismantled the McGill Redmen 4-0 in front of a sparsely populated opening game crowd. Anchored by the staunch defensive play of freshman center back Nathan Campbell, the much-improved Stingers overwhelmed their cross-town rivals, to earn their first regulation win against McGill since 2003.

“It’s all thanks to the coaches” said Nathan Campbell following the game. “This year we’re coming out with a better work ethic, it’s 100 per cent every time, every practice, you give it your all.”

The Stingers youthful inexperience was apparent in the early going, as the tenured Redmen squad capitalized off their untimely giveaways to generate viable scoring chances. Bending but not breaking, the Stingers managed to weather the early McGill onslaught thanks to the key defensive contributions of Campbell and second-year goalkeeper Wes Aucoin.

Offensively, Concordia netted their first goal late in the first half, thanks to a penetrating run along the flank by fourth-year senior Gabriel Quinn that setup the easy Mitchell O’Brien tally. The Stingers, tasting blood, began pouring it on thick thanks in large part to the impressive two-goal performance of first-year Toronto native, forward Elias Bartiscki who scored his first goal moments later off a Mitchell O’Brien assist; giving the Stingers a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.

“It’s all about your mentality before the game” noted a ecstatic Bartiscki following the victory. Bartiscki who was well-deserving of player of the game honours, acknowledged the level of pressure he was under as one of the team’s most heavily relied-upon offensive pivots despite it being his first year on campus.

“For sure there was a lot of pressure, [but] I really enjoy it, but it definitely gets tough to handle [at times]. With all my family and friends and the whole team behind me, the pressure goes away. When you know you’ve got family behind you, the pressure’s just gone” said Bartiscki.

For the Stingers, coming off a very disappointing 2014 season, this was the dream start they’ve been training for.

“We have a good team, [but] we’re [also] a team with a lot of new faces”, said second-year head coach Gregg Sutton in the postgame interview. “We have expectations of playing to our ability and beyond, I think that’s the best way to look at it, we’re looking to continue to progress and get better and better every game.”

The Stingers will be called upon to be road warriors as they try to salvage their two game road trip after stumbling out the gate in Sunday’s 2-0 loss to the Université de Trois-Rivières. Look for the Stingers to get back to their winning ways against the Université de Montreal, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. at CEPSUM stadium.

Stingers caught sleepwalking in nightmarish season opener at Loyola

The Concordia Stingers women’s soccer team were handed a debilitating 4-0 by way of the McGill University Martlets in Friday night’s season opener at the Loyola sports complex.

“It was a wakeup call,” said Stingers head coach Jorge Sanchez. “One, we have to execute much better in key moments and two, we have to stick to the gameplan.”

The Martlets looked like the more energized of the two sides, as they dictated possession and applied relentless pressure on the Stingers’ back-line. McGill forward Audrey-Ann Coughlan opened the scoring early in the first half, capitalizing off a loose ball scramble in the box following a Claudia Agozzino corner kick.

Coughlan’s big night was only getting started as she went on to complete the hat-trick late in the second half. The second-year kinesiology student who was an instrumental part of the Martlets attack is settling well in her new role as the team’s leading striker.

“We [the Martlets] have a very good system of moving the ball around and trying to find the gaps,” said Coughlan. “I didn’t know what to expect [heading into the game] because last year we had trouble playing against Concordia and the scores were never as big as this.”

Despite the poor performance, the Stingers lone bright spot came in the form of freshman sensation, midfielder Kaitlyn Fournier. The Pincourt native put on an impressive individual performance in her first career regular season game. However, a fierce competitor by nature, the loss weighed heavily on her conscious.

“I just felt like everyone was dead on the field,” said Fournier following the game. “I don’t know if they thought it was going to be an easy game, but we underestimated the other team.”

This week’s uncharacteristically sloppy performance will force the Stingers to recommit themselves to the discipline of coach Sanchez’s team-oriented philosophy.

“It’s not about individual performances, we still lost 4-0 … [Fournier] was dribbling through a lot of players but no one was giving her help, no one was taking initiative other than her,” said Sanchez. “We just made bad decisions at key moments.”

It looks like coach Sanchez’s girls were listening as they rebounded nicely despite the short turnaround in Sunday afternoon’s 2-1 victory against the Université de Trois-Rivières. Next up for the Stingers is a Friday evening tilt against the Université de Montréal at CEPSUM stadium.

Tim Tebow gets cut

It’s not quite early September without some form of attention-grabbing Tim Tebow headline, so without further ado: Tim Tebow has been cut by the Philadelphia Eagles, in the most closely media-covered third string quarterback competition in recent memory. The former first round draft choice was told to turn in his playbook early Saturday morning at the Eagles’ practice facilities. Tebow, who last suited up as a New York Jet in 2012, has an uncanny ability to attract excessive amounts of unwanted media attention. After a brief stint as a college football analyst, the born-again Christian was given a second chance in the form of an opportunity to compete with former Eagles quarterback Matt Barkley for the team’s third string quarterback responsibilities. Barkley was traded and Tebow was released.

Reigning champs humbled in Quebec City

In an epic rematch of last year’s Dunsmore Cup, the Laval Rouge et Or defeated the University of Montreal’s Carabins 12-9 with a last second-field goal in Saturday night’s season opener. With 15,000 spectators on hand, the Rouge Et Or re-established their vaunted home field advantage after snapping a 70 game home unbeaten streak in last weeks preseason loss to the UBC Thunderbirds. Points came at a premium as both team’s defenses were especially stout throughout the game. Snake-bitten by two missed field goals, the usually automatic Carabins kicker L.P Simoneau’s failed attempts proved to be the difference. Laval second year quarterback Hugo Richard, looked comfortable in the pocket despite throwing an interception early, completing 22-34 passes for 301 yards through the air. Look for them to rely more on the second-year signal caller as they look to compete for another national championship this season.

Drogba nets three in first start

Didier Drogba, 37-year-old Montreal Impact striker, scored three times in his first career start, as the Impact defeated the Chicago Fire 4-3. The former Chelsea legend made his impact felt Saturday night in front of a sold out home crowd. Drogba’s hat-trick makes him the first player in Major League Soccer (MLS) history to record the feat within his first two club appearances. The win pushed the Impact into sixth place in the MLS standings, ahead of rivals Philadelphia Union.

The Stingers new jerseys and new logo didn’t save them from a humiliating home loss

Earlier this week, Concordia officially unveiled the first phase of their “historic” re-branding initiative. Ironically, buzzwords were in no short order at Wednesday’s press conference/fashion show, where Concordia’s president Alan Shepard and athletic director Patrick Boivin took to the stage, bloviating about the Stingers new look.

Rebranding they said, Stingers United they said, but 37-0… no one said anything about that. The football team’s sad performance Friday night against Sherbrooke highlights the real issue with a majority of Concordia athletics. We’re just not that good; and without the facilities and fan support to attract a better crop of incoming talent, 37-0 runs the risk of becoming the norm for the rebranded Stingers.

A slippery slope awaits if the new look Stingers continue to have trouble adapting to the new realities of Interuniversity athletics. People want shiny things that sparkle and win, but delivering somewhat shiny things that don’t win isn’t an easy sell.

New jerseys and re-sodded turf don’t translate into gridiron success, and Friday night’s 37-0 debacle at Loyola bares witness. Head coach Mickey Donovan turned water into wine last season, when he took an undersized and undermanned Stingers team to the playoffs in his first year at helm. However, handcuffing Canada’s best up and coming head coach to the recruiting tagline of “we got new jerseys,” isn’t doing anyone any favours. We’ve seen this movie before, and the premature proclamations of the boys who cried wolf, eventually turns skeptics into us all.

In the midst of Quebec’s latest round of educational budget cuts, Concordia University’s fledgling athletic department appears to be the winners of this years golden parachute sweepstakes. The award, which has been a Concordia University mainstay in tough economic times, was historically the exclusive property of ineffective administrators looking for a quick payday; but times have changed, and Concordia’s time honoured tradition of fiscal irresponsibility has undergone a much needed facelift.

Cue Concordia Rebranded! In collusion with the oddly pseudo-autonomous recreation and athletic department headed by enlightened despot Patrick Boivin; Concordia is set to launch a series of head-scratching propaganda videos that would make even Joseph Goebbels* weep in admiration. The videos whose purpose hasn’t really been made clear to anyone outside the University’s immediate brass, looks to be a marketing stunt that falls short on substance.

Concordia wouldn’t be the first university to fund an athletic rebranding initiative. Laval and the University of Montreal have undergone similar revitalization projects in the recent past to astounding success. However, what Concordia lacks here is the major public private funding initiative that helped propel the aforementioned institutions into their athletic renaissance.

What I find most egregious is the questionable timing of this proposed rebranding effort. According to the Concordia university website, the Quebec Government is cutting $73M from its educational budget. These cuts will directly impact the money allocated to Concordia which has already conceded a $8.4M dollar deficit for the upcoming school year, or in 2012 terms, three University administrator severance packages. Begging the question, how will they finance this rebranding?

Under Armour inspired videos of athletes exercising in the dark are nice, but so are new buildings, and without the money to commit to a full scale revitalization of the schools decrepit athletic facilities, what exactly are we re-branding?

Link to video here: http://youtu.be/n_vQv05ZpZs

*This comparison was intended to be witty and not offensive. We apologize and encourage upset readers to send us their feedback at editor@theconcordian.com or leave a comment below.

With the last offseason departure of oft-injured starting quarterback Francois Dessureault, the Stingers enter year two of the Mickey Donovan rebuild charged with the daunting task of finding a viable replacement under center.

“You know there were some nerves,” said freshman Quarterback Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren following the Stinger’s 21-18 preseason victory over Queen’s Golden Gaels. Gilbert-Knorren who bounced back from a shaky start after coming in for relief of preseason starter Trenton Miller, was quick to provide perspective on the current state of the Stinger’s precarious quarterback situation.

“I think we complement each other,” said Gilbert-Knorren. “Trenton [Miller] is just great at getting the ball out quick, making those reads and getting the ball downfield, whereas I can still throw the ball downfield, and I can change defenses with the way they scheme [to defend], I think it’s a great competition and we make each other better.”

Gilbert-Knorren, the supremely talented dual threat quarterback is locked in a tight training camp battle with fellow first-year transfer Trenton Miller, the American pocket passer with the golden arm.

“It’s still up in the air,” said Stingers’ Head Coach Mickey Donovan, when asked who will be the opening day starter. “It’s a position that’s pretty competitive [this year] and it’s going to be a tough call for us. We feel we have some great quarterbacks here, and on Sept. 4 we’ll know who’s going in.”

Despite the coaching staffs insistence regarding the uncertainty surrounding who will be the Stingers starting quarterback, sources close to the team have stated that Trenton Miller is on the inside track for the starting spot. Miller’s pro-style experience and pocket presence seems to be a better fit for offensive coordinator Matt Connell’s system. However, familiarity may prove to breed contempt as Miller’s strong arm and limited mobility channel shades of the ghost of Reid Quest (Concordia’s quarterback in the 2013 winless season).

“If Trenton wins it outright we’ll be able to use Jahlani at other positions, running back, receiver, returner, whatever position it may be. [We] just gotta get the ball in his hands,” said Donovan. Conversely, Donovan also stated, “If Jahlani is the guy, it’s hard to put Trenton in the game at another position. It’s a competitive spot, and they’re both doing a great job.”

The contingency plans seem to already be place if the forgone conclusion of Miller’s starting quarterback coronation comes to fruition. However, Gilbert-Knorren’s ability to extend plays behind suspect offensive line play could tip the starting quarterback odds in his favour.

“I’d love to be the opening day starter, but at the end of the day it comes down to what’s best for the team,” said a confident Trenton Miller.

With the top two ranked teams in Canada—Laval and University of Montreal—competing in the RSEQ conference, the Stingers will need to rely on solid quarterback play to be able to assert themselves in Canada’s toughest football conference. All eyes will be under center come Sept. 4 at 7 p.m., as the Stingers open their season against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or under the lights at Loyola’s Ed Meagher Sports Complex.