Category: Sports

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Hockey’s back, baby!

The return of an NHL regular season, and of Canadian normalcy

Today marks the start of the 2021 NHL season, which, for many of us, also marks the beginning of a return to normalcy. Like so many other Canadians, my life has always included a whole lot of hockey-watching, so when COVID hit nearly a year ago now (what the hell, right?) amongst all the crazy life changes that it brought, the weirdest by far was to be cooped up during the playoff season, with no playoff hockey to be seen.

This return of a “regular season” feels like a breath of fresh air to me. Although it’s not what I once knew it as, and I won’t be able to go home to Ottawa and sit in my family’s seats to enjoy a game in person (or not enjoy — I’m an Ottawa Senators fan so it’s touch and go), being able to watch hockey again is about as normal as anything has felt in the last 10 months.

Before COVID forced businesses to close down in March, I worked as a hostess at a busy restaurant near the Bell Centre. Our success was and is largely dependent on Habs games and big crowds flocking to the arena. Although I actively dislike the Habs, being in a busy, hockey-centric atmosphere is always fun. When the NHL stopped play in March, it didn’t just mean no more hockey, it meant no more work. It meant a massive loss in revenue to my workplace, and it meant myself and my coworkers losing our income and struggling to get government support. I’ll take this opportunity to thank Trudaddy for that CERB cash, despite the hours upon hours I spent on the phone with Service Canada in order to get it.

My restaurant finally opened their doors on Sept. 1, just for the news to come out on Sept. 28 that we would need to close again — the day of both my birthday and the Stanley Cup Final, what fun!

All of this to say, there have been highs and lows this past year. There has been time to reflect, rejuvenate and relax, and plenty of time to go a little stir crazy. So, now that we’re in the thick of it once again — government-imposed curfew and all — let’s take a moment to be grateful for being given back one piece of normalcy that we so craved. Stock the fridge with beer, put on your jersey, and celly from the comfort of your living room; hockey is back.

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The pleasures of making a backyard rink

The activity may gain prominence with public outdoor hockey on hold

Blizzards, icy roads, power outages, and howling winds are some of the many struggles that characterize the cold winter season. Additionally, the prominence of the pandemic and the evolving restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the virus will make an already rough season for some even more difficult.

While Canadian winters are undoubtedly ruthless, the burdens that plague the season can sometimes overshadow the positive aspects that are unique to these times. For one, hockey becomes considerably more accessible with the opening of city-operated outdoor rinks, enabling kids and adults alike to better indulge in Canada’s prideful tradition.

This winter, public rinks will be open, but hockey games will not be allowed. Fortunately for winter sports fans, physical activities that have limited contact amongst individuals such as free skating and skiing will be permitted.

While the news comes to the dismay of hockey enthusiasts, hope is not entirely lost. The uniquely Canadian hobby of making a backyard rink lends itself well to today’s circumstances. Unlike the city rinks and indoor arenas, these personal rinks can offer intimacy that is difficult to replicate in organized hockey.

Stacey Elissa Anne, a mother of two who lives in Thunder Bay, Ontario, said that growing up with two older siblings who played hockey meant her family was often busy splitting time between organized teams and outdoor rinks.

“Living in Winnipeg, my dad made sure to build us an outdoor rink every single winter,” Elissa Anne said. “It’s safe to say our lives revolved around the sport.”

Elissa Anne learned about the work involved in making a personal rink and the dedication it required when her family took to creating one of their own in 2019.

“We couldn’t have enjoyed it more,” Elissa Anne said. “The kids and their neighbourhood friends used it every single day.”

Some individuals continue to build an annual backyard rink in an effort to pay their childhood debts forward. The Tecumseh, Ontario-native Jason Bain has made building a rink a personal tradition that he has upheld for over a decade, but credits his late father for inspiring him to pass on the generous ritual. Bain believed it was his father’s way of connecting with the local kids.

Growing up, my family couldn’t afford to play hockey,” Bain said. “My dad would build an old-school rink out of snow every year, standing outside for hours even after working strenuously long work shifts.”

Nowadays, the time he spends alone outside maintaining a backyard rink for his own children is Bain’s way of connecting with his father, who would go out of his way to do the same for him as a child. Bain added that last season was the first year in which he did not build a rink in over 10 years, something that does not sit well with the Ontario-native to this day.

“Last year just didn’t seem right,” Bain said. “Even if the kids only get to skate on it once or twice, when they get older it would be immeasurably rewarding to see them do the same for their kids.”

Jeff Baer grew up in Stockbridge, Manitoba, skating on local ponds. As a child, Baer always dreamed of building his own rink one day to avoid having to trek through rough terrain and private property to find a place to skate.

This year will be the sixth in which Baer builds a backyard rink for his children, in hopes of forging unforgettable memories. While his two kids are passionate about hockey, his son is particularly fond of everything Canada’s sport has to offer.

“My 14-year-old son was born with cerebral palsy,” Baer said. “For him, hockey is everything and its tremendously helped him overcome his impairment.”

The father of two added that his son would skate at five in the morning before heading to school in past years. While his 10-year-old daughter’s team and their season are uncertain due to the pandemic, Baer has offered to host practice if the situation ever presents itself and is permitted.

“The rink may not be an ideal size to accommodate a full team,” Baer said. “However, it’s plenty large enough to host small skating workouts and drills.”

Rebecca Podniesinski’s family in Keene has resorted to making her yearly rink larger to better accommodate members of the local New Hampshire hockey club.“If we have ice that we can safely share,” Podniesinski said, “it’s just the right thing to do with the weekly shutdowns preventing kids from exercising and doing what they love.”

 

Graphic by Carleen Loney

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A look back at the world of sports in 2020

Recapping this year’s great sports events — despite the pandemic

The year is coming to an end, and it’s time to recap what happened in sports in 2020. This year has been filled with unforeseen situations, but luckily for sports fans, leagues around the world have begun to see a bit of a return to normal these past few months.

Here’s a look back at important moments that happened in sports this past year:

National Hockey League (NHL)

It’s been a unique year for the league, as the 2019–20 regular season had to be abruptly postponed, and then cancelled the remaining games in order to resume right away with a special playoff format.

We saw the Montreal Canadiens take advantage of the new format, qualifying for the 24th and last spot available for what was first a qualifying round to the playoffs. It was the first time since 2016–17 that the Habs qualified for the postseason.

The Stanley Cup was finally won on Sept. 28, 2020, with the Tampa Bay Lightning defeating the Dallas Stars in six games. It was the Lightning’s second Stanley Cup after also lifting the trophy in 2004. For the Stars, it was an impressive playoff run, surprising many fans and analysts. The team didn’t start the regular season on the right track, but turned things around in time and came close.

Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA)

It’s been a busy season for tennis organizers. Most ATP and WTA tournaments have been cancelled this season because of COVID-19, while others, except for tournaments in January and February, were postponed.

Despite that, we’ve still seen important achievements in 2020. In the ATP, third racket in the world Dominic Thiem won his first Grand Slam title last September when he won the US Open. On his way, he defeated Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev, both members of the top 10.

Later in September, we saw the Grand Slam tournament of Roland-Garros exceptionally being played in fall. Normally, Roland-Garros is competed from late May to early June, which made a huge difference for players since the tournament is played on clay, and the colder weather impacted the ball’s speed and rebounds on the surface. Of course, many players were not used to playing in such cold weather, meaning we saw some wearing jackets during their matches.

Tournament favorite Rafael Nadal won his 13th Roland-Garros this year, a record in professional tennis. He has joined Federer at the top of the list, tied with 20 Grand Slam titles each.

In the WTA, young sensation Iga Świątek surprised the tennis world by winning Roland-Garros, her first ever singles title. At just 19 years-old, she defeated Markéta Vondroušová (21st), Canadian Eugenie Bouchard, two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep (2nd), and 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin (4th).

Major Baseball League (MLB)

The MLB season was shortened to 60 games, which forced the league to modify its postseason format. This year’s postseason allowed 16 teams to compete for the title. With a 32-28 record, the Toronto Blue Jays took the last spot in the American League and qualified for the wild-card series round. Despite their early elimination, it’s been great to see the Blue Jays qualify for the postseason.

It’s been hard for the MLB to organize its season with all the cities involved, but it ended pretty well. The Los Angeles Dodgers won their first championship since 1988, after coming really close in the past few years. They defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in six games.

What was interesting about this series was the difference between the two teams’ payroll. While the Dodgers had the second highest payroll in the MLB with $107.9 million, the Rays competed with the third lowest of all, a mere $28.3 million. It raised a lot of questions on parity in baseball, since we’re normally used to having high-payroll teams playing the World Series.

National Football League (NFL)

The NFL always seemed clear that they would maintain their season, and despite some COVID-19 cases in the league and postponed games, things have been going fairly well for the league, considering the circumstances.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have won their first 11 games of the season, the best season start in franchise history. After finishing 8-8 in 2019–20, the Steelers seem to be a totally different team so far this year.

Another team to watch are the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. The team is currently 11-1 after 12 games, and easily leads the AFC West division.

Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA)

All eyes were on defending champion Tiger Woods at the 84th edition of the Masters. The event, normally held in April, was rescheduled for Nov. 12 to 15.

It was finally the best golfer in the world, Dustin Johnson, who put on the green jacket as winner of the tournament.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

We saw many great Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights in the UFC this year, but one thing that  stood out is surely Khabib Nurmagomedov’s last fight. The superstar remained perfect with a 29-0 record, defeating Justin Gaethje in his only fight of 2020.

After the fight, Nurmagomedov announced his retirement from the UFC, following his father’s death. Nurmagomedov is considered as one of, if not the best MMA fighters of all time.

 

Graphic by Rose-Marie Dion

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Everything you need to know about skiing during the pandemic

An abnormal ski season around the corner

For winter sports enthusiasts, the first snowfall entails the beginning of a highly anticipated season. While there will be some sense of familiarity for experienced skiers, this season will be exceptionally unique with COVID-19.

Fortunately, winter athletes hoping to practice skiing as an escape from a disappointing year will still be able to access the wide plethora of local ski hills. However, with the pandemic upending familiar societal standards on its head, skiing will be no exception.

The concept of skiing lends itself well to the COVID-19 era: skiers are already accustomed to spreading out across the mountain, tend to distance themselves from others while riding the slopes to avoid collisions, and are used to covering their faces to combat the cold climate.

However, some issues arise when considering the services surrounding the popular winter activity. The concept of waiting in crowded lift lines and sharing chairs is worrisome for ski resorts, alongside the notion of renting gear and the interactions that procedure entails. The crowding and socializing that typically occurs in warm interior settings such as mid-mountain restaurants and chalets will also need to be heavily controlled and monitored.

The recent drop in temperature has enabled the snowmaking operation to begin for many ski resorts, officially signaling the commencement of the ski season despite the circumstances.

The Quebec Ski Areas Association (ASSQ) has released a set of guidelines that the non-profit organization deems paramount for the smooth sailing of ski operations in the province. Among the many safety measures people are advised to follow, the mandatory highlighted items include: keeping a physical distance of two metres, wearing a face covering inside and outside of base lodging, and washing hands frequently.

Much like the many societal services that have made the online transition, skiers can purchase ski tickets online in advance and learn about the specific regional health regulations that will vary by resort, which ski resorts strongly recommend before presenting oneself in-person.

Some mountains aim to control traffic by limiting the number of daily tickets made available. Regional statuses will not be absolute and will subsequently be susceptible to change as the COVID-19 situation evolves, meaning guests must frequent a business’ website regularly to remain informed and avoid calamity.

“The resorts have redoubled their efforts to put processes in place to ensure the safety of their guests and employees,” said President and CEO of the ASSQ Yves Juneau in a press release published on Nov. 26. “The success of the season also depends on the sense of responsibility of skiers who must now plan their outings in advance.”

In addition to the added physical safety measures, many ski resorts have adopted new policies that cater to customers by acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding the virus.

The Guaranteed Season option, for example, is offered by most local hills free-of-charge with the purchase of any season pass, enabling customers the option to defer the pass to the 2021-22 season or request a full refund. The deadline to defer varies by resort, and skiers cannot use the benefit if they have already started using their subscription.

Furthermore, if services are temporarily interrupted or suspended due to a government decree, a compensation process will occur at the end of the season. Reimbursements will be calculated according to the theoretical number of days offered by a certain pass compared to the number of operating days that the resort was forced to prematurely close.

The pandemic has thrown curveballs and haymakers at every stage, making its notorious presence felt and forcing people from all walks of life to adjust accordingly. While the different operation process will certainly have its ups and downs for ski enthusiasts, local ski resorts hope that the continuous diligence will result in a unique, safe, and rewarding winter season.

 

Graphic by Laura Douglas

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Conor McGregor comes out of retirement… again

McGregor will fight Dustin Poirier at the UFC 257 in January

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) superstar Conor McGregor will once again be back in the octagon after retiring for the third time in four years on June 7, 2020.

It seems to be becoming common for the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight and lightweight champion to retire from the sport and come back less than a year later each time.

When the Irishman retired for the first time in April 2016, it only took three months before fans saw him back in action again. At that time, there was nothing special about McGregor coming out of retirement, especially for a rematch against another famous UFC fighter, Nate Diaz.

What makes McGregor’s case weird is that he retired again on March 25, 2019, but for just nine days. We’ll probably never know if that was planned, or if McGregor really wanted to retire at the moment, but an amazing fight opportunity came to him afterwards and he simply couldn’t turn it down. However, that third retirement announcement last June, once again followed by a comeback in the same year, makes it harder than ever to believe his announcements.

Having a superstar coming out of retirement for a big fight against another superstar always gets fans’ attention and often headlines the news until fight night. That’s especially true when you’re of McGregor’s caliber.

It therefore helps to increase UFC profits, including pay-per-view numbers, which are expected to be higher because of the excitement behind the athlete’s return. There’s reason, then, to wonder if McGregor has used retirement as a financial strategy in order to get more money from his latest fights.

McGregor was only 28 when he first retired in 2016, and his rematch against Diaz was greatly awaited by fans. Those elements make it hard to believe he really wanted to stop the competition at that time.

However, continuously retiring in order to come back won’t have the same effect every time. It will be interesting to see if he does it again after his fight against Dustin Poirier on Jan. 23, 2021.

 

Graphic by Rose-Marie Dion

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Does Formula 1 really #RaceAsOne?

The new race in Saudi Arabia raises questions about the new Formula 1 initiative

Formula 1 (F1) announced their provisional calendar for the 2021 season on Nov. 10, which includes a new race in Saudi Arabia that sparked controversy.

When F1 launched their #WeRaceAsOne initiative back in June in the midst of international Black Lives Matter protests, fans were pleasantly surprised that the sport was taking a stand on the issue.

It is no surprise to long-time followers of F1 that the sport has showcased predominantly white drivers from privileged backgrounds. This new initiative was, according to F1, “aimed at tackling the biggest issues facing our sport and global communities.”

Lewis Hamilton, the first and only Black driver to race in the sport so far, fully supported the initiative and took it upon himself to use his platform to raise awareness on racial discrimination.

At a race this season in Mugello, Italy, the seven-time world champion wore a T-shirt on the podium drawing attention to the Breonna Taylor case. Taylor was shot and killed in her bed by Louisville police officers back in March. The shirt read: “Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor.”

The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) responded to his statement with a new rule stating that, for the duration of the post-race interviews and podium ceremony, “The driver may only wear their racing suit, which is fastened to the neck and not on their waist.”

The FIA made it clear they did not want to mix politics with the sport, and Hamilton argued his statement was one of human rights and not politics.

This decision left the fans divided, as some agreed that Hamilton’s statement on the podium was of political nature and others were left confused as to where the sport situates itself regarding human rights.

With the unveiling of the 2021 provisional calendar, however, some fans had their answers.

This next season will welcome a new Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia, the 33rd country to host a round of the world championship. The city of Jeddah will be hosting the event, which will potentially be a night race.

As stated by F1, “The final track design has not been decided, but organizers say it will feature a good flow of long straights and tight corners, with no equivalent track on the calendar.”

The hefty deal of $900 million that race organizers agreed on was the subject of controversy.

Amidst the announcement, human rights organization Amnesty International even accused Saudi Arabia of “sportswashing,” a term used to refer to the practice of hosting a sporting event as a means for a country to better their reputation.

Amnesty International said that Saudi Arabia violates its citizens’ human rights by using torture as a form of punishment; being the world’s top executioners; criminalizing public gatherings such as demonstrations; and keeping many outspoken activists behind bars, violating their rights to free speech.

F1 believes, however, that this new deal with Saudi Arabia will help cross borders in terms of sharing a common passion.

“[F1] has worked hard [to] be a positive force everywhere it races, including economic, social, and cultural benefits,” the release said. “Sports like [F1] are uniquely positioned to cross borders and cultures to bring countries and communities together to share the passion and excitement of incredible competition and achievement.”

The 2021 season will start in Australia and end in Abu Dhabi with a total of 23 races, a jump from the current 17 races the revised 2020 calendar had due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s revised calendar made F1 teams stay in Europe for most of their races and revisit some old fan-favourite circuits such as Germany’s Nürburgring and Italy’s Mugello and Imola.

Contrary to fans wanting these tracks back on the permanent calendar, F1 decided to go a different route and keep the usual big budget Grand Prix races that usually appear on the calendar.

With the unfolding of the 2020 season and the many controversies it brought, many are left to wonder if F1 does #RaceAsOne.

 

Graphic by Laura Douglas

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A unique 2020 NBA Draft for a unique year

This year’s NBA Draft was exciting, eventful, and packed with surprises at every turn

After a long hiatus in the NBA, draft night is upon us. Fans will finally get to find out which of the exciting young prospects their team will add on from colleges, overseas professional teams, or perhaps even from Quebec CEGEPs. Tonight is very important for many teams, and it will shape franchises for years to come.

Before the draft, a few picks had already traded hands; the Portland Trail Blazers traded the 16th overall pick to the Houston Rockets, and their 2022 first round pick along with Trevor Ariza in exchange for Robert Covington. This year’s Trailblazers’ pick was eventually traded to the Detroit Pistons, who selected 6-foot-9 centre Isaiah Stewart.

One interesting change in this year’s draft is the change in the hat tradition. In previous years, players and their families have been handed caps of the team that drafts them. This year, they were given one of every team’s hats, to be ready for anything. Players held small draft parties with their families from the comfort of their homes, and when a player was drafted, their home and families were displayed on television.

This was emotional for many players, especially for Anthony Edwards, whose home had portraits of his mother and grandmother displayed since they had unfortunately passed away while Edwards was young.

Some very interesting selections were made during the draft, and there was plenty of excitement and drama surrounding them. Edwards was taken with the first overall selection by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and — despite a few flaws in his game, such as below average defense — is projected to be an excellent shooting guard to pair alongside D’Angelo Russell.

James Wiseman, the seven-foot tall centre from the University of Memphis Tigers was selected second overall, and should be able to help push a star-studded Warriors lineup back into finals contention. The infamous Lamelo Ball was selected third overall by the Charlotte Hornets.

Some players were drafted far higher than expected, and others fell down general managers’ draft boards. Patrick Williams, a combo forward who was expected to go around ninth overall, ended up being selected fourth overall by the Chicago Bulls, ahead of players projected to go much farther ahead, such as Obi Toppin (eighth overall) and Deni Avdija (ninth overall). Many Raptors fans were hoping that Isaiah Stewart would be available at pick 29, due to the team’s lack of centre depth, but the Pistons selected him with the 16th pick.

The Raptors selected two interesting guards. Malachi Flynn, a 6-foot-2 guard from the University of San Diego, has excellent playmaking ability reminiscent of Fred VanVleet, who just signed a four-year contract extension with the Raptors worth $85 million. Jalen Harris was selected at pick 59, and is projected to be a scoring machine. However, Harris is a very raw prospect and can use some time to develop in the G League before coming to the NBA.

This draft was very interesting, as there was a lot of fluctuation in people’s draft rankings. This draft projects to have a lot of excellent role players, but there was a distinct lack of star power, like Zion Williamson last season. Some more trades were finalized later on, due to the league’s various rules about trading such as the Stepien Rule, which states that no team can trade their first-round selections in two consecutive years.

The NBA implemented the rule after Cleveland Cavaliers owner Ted Stepien attempted to trade all of his first round draft picks, and succeeded in trading his first round picks from 1982 to 1986 in trades that ended up having poor returns. The league eventually had to step in, as he was actively ruining his franchise by doing so.

The main blockbuster trade of the night was a four-team trade which sent  Steven Adams from the Oklahoma City Thunder over to the New Orleans Pelicans, Jrue Holiday from the Pelicans to the Milwaukee Bucks, and had the Denver Nuggets exchanging a draft pick in 2023 in order to secure the draft rights to R.J. Hampton.

 

Graphic by @ariannasiviria

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A bright flame on the glistening ice

Student-athlete Kalena Korbiak is a three-time vice Canadian figure skating champion

Did you know that Concordia University’s psychology program holds a second-year student who is also a figure skating sensation?

At just 21-years-old, Kalena Korbiak is a three-time vice Canadian figure skating champion with her Montreal-based synchronized skating team, Les Suprêmes. In this context, “vice” means that the team stood second on the podium at the national level.

Korbiak has been an avid skater since she was four, when she was introduced to the sport by a family friend at the Aréna de Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts in the Laurentians.

“We were just sitting there at the arena, watching, and she said ‘Oh mommy, mommy! I wanna go shkate too. I wanna go shkate,’” said Vera Korbiak, humoristically imitating her then-four-year-old daughter.

“It’s something I connected with. It automatically became part of my identity since I was placed in it at such a young age,” said Korbiak.

From that day on, Korbiak joined the Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts skating club as a freestyle skater, and competed regionally in that category from the age of nine until she joined her elite synchronised skating team at 17.

Her loyalty to the sport was tested numerous times as she enrolled in other disciplines throughout the years, like downhill skiing, horseback riding, and even Ukrainian dancing. However, none could compete with the feeling she got once strapped in those skates.

“I was always placed into something else in order to help me with figure skating, particularly ballet,” said Korbiak . “Me and my mom decided that I was going to be doing ballet and I did so for six years until the end of high school to improve my core and skating skills.”

As a child, Korbiak would head to skating practice right after school. Korbiak and her mom would then drive from their hometown of Sainte-Adèle to Montreal for karate lessons; a Ukrainian dance class followed. If that isn’t exhausting enough, she would sleep at her grandmother’s in the east end of Montreal so that she could attend Ukrainian school on Saturday mornings, and Girl Guides later.

That lasted for three years until ballet replaced karate. Two years later, she stopped Ukrainian dancing.

During her last year of high school, in 2016, her devotion to figure skating finally paid off. After obtaining the highest regional score in her different freestyle elements, she earned an eight-minute solo at the Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts 2016 Fantaisie sur Glace Gala.

“The people there were saying ‘Oh my god she’s such a beautiful skater,’” said Vera. “I always told them the secret is ballet because that really brings out the beauty in a skater.”

This was Korbiak’s first year with Les Suprêmes.

“I found out about Les Suprêmes when I was about to go to Dawson and was staying with my grandparents in the east end,” Korbiak said. “So, I did my research and found out they were doing synchro in Saint-Leonard, and that the team was looking for skaters, so I tried it out.”

At that point, Korbiak had only been doing freestyle and was completely new to synchro. The audition period had already ended, but the team had still not found the number of skaters they required. When Korbiak showed up, she was thrown right into a practice to see if she could keep up with the choreography.

“We were and are always looking for skaters that can show different technical skills and are well rounded,” said Geneviève Rougeau, the team’s head coach for the last two years. “I think Korbiak fit in that category perfectly.”

Rougeau explained that right out of the gate, Korbiak demonstrated exemplary skills, executional versatility, and quick adaptation, which is exactly what they were looking for.

Not only was she quick to adjust, but she was quick to make new friends.

“I am actually pretty shy, so I don’t usually talk much to new people, but I noticed right away that [Korbiak] was super bubbly. She came up and started talking to me right away. I learned very quickly that she is a really nice and friendly person,” said Aly Bernardo, a fellow Les Suprêmes skater who has been on the team for 15 years.

Ultimately, Korbiak aspires to become a renowned national figure skating freestyle coach. As for synchro, she wants to take it up a notch and enter the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships (WSSC) in the senior division and become an international Canadian champion.

 

Photos courtesy of Kalena Korbiak

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Heading towards a slightly different Super Bowl

COVID-19 restrictions might have their impacts on the upcoming Super Bowl LV

With the current National Football League (NFL) season being played as normally scheduled, the league is preparing its next Super Bowl event, which will be held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida.

The latest updates say that fans will fill 20 per cent of the stadium’s capacity. However, it’s still early to come to conclusions, as the Super Bowl LV will be played on Feb. 7, 2021. Things might change again for the next edition of the football world’s biggest event, and one of sports’ most-watched annual games.

The NFL announced on Nov. 12 that singer The Weeknd will lead its halftime show. The announcement didn’t include anything about additional singers or pandemic restrictions, but that makes it obvious that this year’s halftime show will be challenging with social distancing rules, especially if fans are around.

The Super Bowl has never faced a similar situation before, having to make its halftime show interesting without singers and dancers getting in contact with each other.

The two teams that will play the Super Bowl also won’t be known until just two weeks before the event, meaning supporters of the two finalist teams will only be able to buy their tickets and travel to Tampa Bay a few days before the game.

It will probably be hard to control such travel from fans, and make sure that all pandemic restrictions are being respected during this big event.

What’s certain is that the upcoming Super Bowl LV will be different, regardless of the teams playing and the final score. People probably won’t remember it for its noisy atmosphere, and sadly not for the traditional pregame tailgate parties, as there always are before NFL games. However, if the league manages to make the event happen properly and safely, it should still be considered a huge success.

 

Graphic by Rose-Marie Dion

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The intricacies of a full-time career in streaming

Everything you need to know about the people behind the screens

The evolution of electronic sports (eSports) in the early 2010s coincided with the popularization of online streaming. While an eSports event will typically offer high-level gameplay in a competitive atmosphere that caters to many spectators worldwide, gaming streams can offer an exclusive viewer experience that varies by content creator and channel.

Richard Blevins, better known by his online alias Ninja, burst into mainstream pop culture in March 2018 when he played Fortnite Battle Royale on the streaming platform Twitch, with highly touted hip hop artists Drake, Travis Scott, and Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. More recently, congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez streamed Among Us on Twitch in order to reach out to the younger American population to vote, playing alongside well-known streamers such as Pokimane, HasanAbi, and Myth.

As a result of the growing demand for live content, streaming has become a viable career option for individuals who are proficient in video games. However, while a career in the industry is seemingly simple on the surface, making an adequate living requires incredible commitment and effort in developing a personal brand that is both captivating and unique.

“I think people do not realize just how time consuming it gets,” said Michael Luker, a professional Hearthstone player and full-time streamer on Twitch who uses the name of Luker on the platform. “In my case, I stream for roughly five hours regularly. On top of that, I’m editing videos to post on YouTube, actively interacting on social media, and collaborating with other streamers and partners.”

Hearthstone is a free-to-play digital collectible card game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment in 2014.

According to Luker, the most successful streamers are constantly promoting themselves beyond the scope of their streams while offering a healthy dose of entertainment and skill on air. He added that despite playing the game for hours on end while broadcasting live, he must put additional time into independently developing his skills as the upkeep of his stream and the ongoing distractions make for unfavourable conditions for improvement.

“At the end of the day, I’m still doing what I love and get to play video games for a living,” Luker said. “These are good problems to have and I’m grateful for that.”

Luker was amid a school winter semester during his third year at Champlain College when he was able to qualify for the 2017 World Electronic Sports Games (WESG), an international tournament held in Haikou, China.

Luker was one of seven North American qualifiers for the event and finished runner-up in the respected competition that saw him earn $60,000 USD for his efforts. Upon returning to Canada, he officially left college in favour of pursuing a career as a professional Hearthstone player.

Luker started streaming full-time in April and has since devoted a substantial portion of his time towards his steady community of fans. His self-made platform allows him to indulge in his passion while serving as an informative hub where viewers with similar interests can interact.

“If there are 50 people talking to me in my chat, I am reading everything and having 50 conversations at a time,” Luker said. “Meanwhile, I’m simultaneously focusing on the game at hand.”

Streaming has found an entirely new meaning for some individuals during the pandemic. Brian Kim, known as brianyokim on Twitch, has always considered himself a casual gamer at heart but made the leap to streaming his gameplay to make the most of negative COVID-19 circumstances.

“Through streaming, I’ve been able to get social interactions that are hard to come by while working at home,” Kim said. “I’m still an amateur, but I love the idea of not only networking with old friends, but also making new ones in the process.”

In these trying times, Kim believes the relationships he’s already been able to forge with other streamers in the community thus far greatly outweigh the financial incentives to stream his gameplay. You can catch both Luker and Kim streaming regularly on Twitch.

 

Photo courtesy of Michael Luker

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Sports

A memorable Masters

Dustin Johnson wins the 84th edition of the Masters

The Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club is traditionally held in the spring of April and serves as a joyful indication to golf enthusiasts everywhere of the beginning of a fresh season.

The Masters is widely considered the most influential career milestone that every golf star must conquer to achieve greatness in the sport. As a result, the best contenders have always had their sights set towards claiming the illustrious green jacket.

The ongoing pandemic ultimately forced tournament organizers to postpone the 84th edition of the event, settling on a projected return in mid-November and after a seven-month adjournment, The Masters officially took place from Nov. 12 to 15.

The azaleas that traditionally outline the course and give the competition it’s distinct look gave way to fall foliage. The usual thousands of patrons that line the course in greeting the field of players were now in the comfort of their homes. The greens that are notoriously deceptive and delicate were uncharacteristically lenient due to the added softness from frequent precipitation and cold conditions that come with the fall season.

While the most traditional of the four golf major tournaments was as different as could possibly be this year, the Masters ended in the most normal way, the green jacket being awarded to the top-ranked golfer in the world, Dustin Johnson. In 2019, Johnson finished in a three-way tie for runner-up at the event, and experts have always known it was only a matter of time for the superstar.

Sometimes as fans, we like to make spicy predictions because it gives us something new to root for when watching from home,” said Tom Carrier, a life-long golf enthusiast and golf instructor from Laprairie. “It’s easier to say in hindsight now that the tournament is done, but Johnson was the obvious pick if you know anything about golf.”

In the end, Johnson finished 20 under par, the lowest 72-hole score in Masters’ history. His five-stroke margin of victory was the largest since Tiger Woods’ historic 12-shot win in 1997.

He came into the fall edition of the Masters on a dominant run that hadn’t been seen since a young Woods lead the game for several years at the turn of the century.

In Johnson’s six previous tournament appearances this year, he won two events (the Northern Trust, TOUR Championship), finished second three times (PGA Championship, BMW Championship, Houston Open), and finished a respectable sixth at the US Open.

Johnson first became the top-ranked golfer in the world at the beginning of 2017 and has maintained the prestigious honour for a total of 104 weeks, fourth-most all-time. With his victory at Augusta National on Sunday, he now has two major championships to his name to go along with his 27 professional victories.

Johnson’s list of accolades rivals golf’s most notable superstars of the past; yet, the top-ranked golfer struggled to avoid criticism and skepticism from fans and peers coming into the competition.

While Johnson has won two majors, cynics will be the first to state he should have a couple more in his possession after failing to convert 54-hole leads into victories in several notable tournaments. In addition, his stoic and silent nature has at times played into the misconnected narrative that he is an uncaring and simple-minded jock.

However, Johnson proved he is as meticulous as any generational talent through his most recent triumph in golf’s biggest test. Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy summed up this year’s champion in a nutshell: “[Johnson] makes the game so simple. It’s something to admire all the time.”

 

Graphic by Rose-Marie Dion

Categories
Sports

One more step towards normality in major sports league

 Sports leagues are slowly getting back to normal habits

Slowly but surely, sports leagues around the world are seeing a bit of a return to normal. Some sports, like tennis, have been back for a while; others are still trying to figure out how to get back to business.

Both the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Soccer (MLS) have modified seasons and are currently in action, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced earlier this month that it will have a 72-game 2020–21 season starting on Dec. 22.

The news comes just a month after the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA championship, which shows how much the league wants to get back to a regular schedule as much and as soon as possible.

The National Hockey League (NHL) is the next major sports league expected to announce its anticipated 2020–21 starting date, especially since the NBA has been a bit of a model for the league since the start of the pandemic.

With all those announcements and some sports already in action, it feels like the only thing missing in order to have everything happening just like before are the fans. Whether a league like the NBA intends to play a 72-game season or not, it’s really the fans in the stands that makes the biggest difference. However, policies to fight COVID-19 are in place for a reason, and it would be surprising to see the NBA or the NHL negotiate those rules at the start of their respective 2020–21 season. Things went well for both leagues when they got back to action for their 2019–20 playoffs, without fans.

In Europe, some places are back to allowing people in stadiums during soccer games, depending on the countries’ rules and leagues the soccer teams are in. Attendance has been varying in those countries for the past few weeks, but that’s still progress in terms of fan experience and business.

With the same idea, the NBA Golden State Warriors announced on Nov. 13 that they have submitted a plan to local officials and the state in order to have home games played in front of a 50 per cent filled crowd.

We’ll see what the next big move from a major sports league will be, especially in America, but it looks like their goal is to resume normal activities as soon as possible.

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