Category: Sports

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Hockey Sports

Another successful weekend for Stingers hockey!

The (W) hockey Stingers celebrate with pink stick tape. Photo credit: Concordia Athletics

Both Stingers hockey teams are back in the win column, combined 3-0-0 record over the weekend.

It was an eventful weekend at Ed Meagher Arena—the home for the latest Stingers hockey homestand and the 2023 Pink in the Rink weekend.

For the third time in their program’s history, the Stingers hosted the Pink in the Rink event which consisted of a bake sale, an auction filled with prizes, and the women’s team sporting limited-time pink jerseys. All proceeds raised were donated to the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation.

Head coach Julie Chu spoke on what it meant for the team to take part in an event like this for such a good cause. “When we get a chance to run events for positive change, that’s what we want to do and we take a lot of pride in that,” she said. “With everything that we put into it, we also wanted to make sure that when it came down to being great on the ice, we were able to do so.” 

The Stingers women’s team kicked off the action with their game against the Bishop’s Gaiters on Nov. 17. Prior to the opening face-off, a ceremonial puck drop took place to honour breast cancer survivors—a beautiful way to begin the weekend.

Concordia came out of the gate hemming the Gaiters in their defensive zone, outshooting them 10-0 in the first half of the opening frame. Eleven minutes in, the Stingers got rewarded with the first goal of the game off a mid-slot deflection by forward Émilie Lussier.

The Gaiters knotted it up five minutes later, but the Stingers responded with a goal of their own. This one came from forward Émilie Lavoie, bringing the score to 2-1.

The second period of the game consisted of a similar outcome. Concordia scored three unanswered goals to open a 5-1 lead towards the end of the period. The Gaiters closed the gap to 5-2, but the Stingers added another three goals in the third, securing the big 8-2 victory. 

Lussier, Lavoie, and forward Caroline Moquin-Joubert all scored multiple goals and brought momentum into their second game the following day.

After a quick turnaround, the Stingers hit the ice against the Carleton Ravens on Nov. 18. The game had a slow start compared to the day prior—the Ravens and Stingers tied at one after 20 minutes of play. The two teams exchanged goals to open the second period, followed by the Stingers’ third power play goal of the game, making the score 3-2 in favour of the home team.

In the third, the Stingers ran away with the game. Three more goals, including a hat trick from forward Jessymaude Drapeau, topped off another victory for Concordia. 

“We stuck with it. We wanted to make sure that we stayed to our habits and kept our mindset in a good spot even if we were in a tight game,”  coach Chu expressed postgame. 

The team has now improved to a perfect 10-0-0 on the season, holding first place in the RSEQ standings as well as on the U Sports’ women’s hockey power rankings list.

The Stingers men’s team then took to the ice for the second leg of the day. This game was a big one for the Stingers as they had lost four out of their last five games after starting the year 6-1-0. They faced off against Ontario University Athletics West Division opponent Lakehead Thunderwolves. The first period saw the Stingers firing on all cylinders.

A deflection by captain and forward Phélix Martineau off a seeing-eye shot from defenseman Simon Lavigne saw the Stingers jump in front of the Thunderwolves 1-0. One minute later, Stingers forward Loïck Daigle found the puck on his stick all alone in the slot and fired it past the Lakehead goaltender making it 2-0. The Stingers went on to add two more goals before the intermission, leading 4-0 after the first period.

After Lakehead got on the board early in the second period, Stingers forward Isiah Campbell responded by scoring two goals to extend the Concordia lead to 6-1 going into the third period. Despite conceding a late goal, Stingers forward Mathieu Bizier added two third-period goals to cap the 8-2 statement win. Head coach Marc-André Élément spoke postgame about his team’s victorious effort.

Isiah Campbell vs. Lakehead
Photo Credit: Concordia Athletics

“Tonight we played well—we managed the puck properly and that’s why we had success,” Élément said. “There were some guys on our team who scored some big goals tonight that will translate with them continuing to produce offensively, hopefully [this win] will motivate them to keep trending in the right direction going into the winter break.”

Three well-earned wins and a fundraiser for a great cause were the highlights of a very successful weekend for the Stingers hockey community. The teams will be back in action this week with the men’s team playing at McGill on Nov. 23 and the women’s team at the Université de Montréal Carabins on Nov. 24.

Categories
Boxing Sports

Tammara Thibeault: From Concordia to the Olympics

the 2023 Pan American Games. // Courtesy Photo by the Canadian Olympic Committee

The Canadian boxer has been undefeated since 2021 and is now eyeing the gold medal in Paris.

Concordia alumna Tammara Thibeault recently won the women’s boxing middleweight gold medal at the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games. 

Today, all her attention is geared towards the only competition she has yet to win at the amateur level: the Olympic Games.

Her beginnings

Growing up, Tammara Thibeault’s father was a wide receiver for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. During the offseason, he boxed to stay in shape. Thibeault’s passion for the sport started at nine years old when visiting the boxing gym with her father. “On Fridays, we would go together, my three siblings and I, and then eventually I just got hooked on to the sport,” she recalled. 

In 2012, women’s boxing became an Olympic sport. By then, Thibeault had already been boxing for a few years. She remembers looking up to Mary Spencer at the time, the first Canadian woman to box at the Olympics in her weight class. 

Seeing Spencer, a young Canadian woman at the Olympics, inspired Thibault to chase her own dream of becoming an Olympic champion.

Balancing school and boxing

Following her 2017 Canadian Championship win, Thibeault joined the Canadian national team. From there, success quickly followed, with multiple medals at international competitions.

Around the same time, she started attending Concordia University, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in urban studies in 2023. 

Being a university student and an elite international athlete simultaneously was not easy. There was “a lot of running around, a lot of tiresome days, but I managed to make it work,” Thibeault said.

After next year’s Olympics, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in urban studies, a field she wants to work in after her career in boxing.

First Olympic experience and gold medal galore

Tammara Thibeault with her gold medal from the 2023 Pan American Games.
Courtesy Photo by Sweet Science Management

Thibeault qualified for what was originally the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. However, the yearlong postponement of the event was a stressful experience for her. “The fact that the Olympics got postponed for a year was kind of crazy,” she said. Since her loss in the quarter-finals in Tokyo, the southpaw fighter is undefeated, a streak of over two years. 

In 2022, she won her first world title at the International Boxing Association Women’s World Boxing Championships. Since the Olympics, she has also won the 2022 Commonwealth Games and two continental championships. 

Thibeault then headed into the 2023 Pan American Games this October with two goals: qualifying for the Olympics and winning the gold medal. She did both, winning every fight by either the referee stopping the contest or by unanimous decision.

What’s next?

After taking some time off to relax and attend graduation, Thibeault will start her preparation for the Olympics next summer in Paris. Although she is ranked number one in the world in her weight category and is arguably the favourite to win the gold medal, she tries not to put too much pressure on her shoulders regarding expectations.

“I’m definitely on top of the game right now, but I try not to think about [being ranked number one in the world] because I don’t want it to impact my performances. I try to take everything one step at a time and just, like, really focus on what I can control,” Thibeault expressed.

After the Olympics, Thibeault plans to turn professional. The two main differences between the amateur and professional levels are that amateur boxing is competed in a knockout tournament format, while professional boxing consists of longer single fights. 

“I think women’s boxing is growing and the level of opposition is growing, which is really interesting because you have women like me who have big amateur backgrounds that jump into the professional sport,” she said. “I think people are starting to appreciate women’s boxing more, which is really nice.” 

Categories
Football Sports

Can the Montreal Alouettes win the Grey Cup?

Percival Moslon Stadium just as the sun is about to set. Photo by Matthew Piscina/ The Concordian

The Alouettes are playing their best football at the right time of year.

The Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) just completed their most successful regular season in 11 years, finishing with 11 wins and seven losses. This effort earned the squad a spot in the Grey Cup playoffs with home field advantage in the first round.

The CFL is the Canadian equivalent to the wildly-popular National Football League (NFL) in the United States. Although there are some differences in the rules between the two leagues, the CFL puts out a good brand of football to the spectators that have watched over its storied history. Locally, the Alouettes have won seven Grey Cup championships, most recently in 2010. In 2023, they will try to hoist the historic trophy once again.

This season has been successful for the Alouettes. The 2022 offseason saw the Alouettes lose quarterback Trevor Harris, as well as star wide receivers Jake Wieneke and Geno Lewis, but the team filled the spots successfully. Newly-acquired quarterback Cody Fajardo stayed healthy, something the Alouettes desperately needed, playing all 18 regular season games this year. He also found a connection with former NFL player Austin Mack, who finished the season fourth in passes caught among all CFL receivers.

These statistics are in large part due to Concordia alum Kristian Matte, who was a CFL East All-Star in 2019 and 2021, and the rest of the offensive line. Montreal’s strong defense protected Fajardo from getting sacked and helped keep opponents off the scoreboard. Montreal gave up the second-least amount of points this season.

On Nov. 4, the Alouettes hosted the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the CFL Playoff East Semi-Final. In front of a 20,127 fan sell out at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, the Alouettes punched their ticket to the CFL Playoff East Final with a 27-12 win. Running back William Stanback led both teams in rushing yards, finishing the game with 95 and giving Fajardo extra options when passing yards were hard to come by.

This year’s East Semi-Final was a rematch from last year’s and so will be the East Final on Nov. 11 against the Toronto Argonauts. Last year, the Alouettes beat Hamilton 28-17, but ran into the Argonauts (who would go on to win the Grey Cup), losing a heartbreaker, 34-27. Montreal is hoping history doesn’t repeat itself in 2023.

It will surely be a tough test for the Alouettes this year if they want to clinch a berth in the 110th Grey Cup Final. Toronto finished this season with 16 victories out of 18 games and haven’t lost a single game at home. However, the Alouettes haven’t lost since Sep. 15, winning five straight games and finding themselves two wins away from becoming champions.

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Hockey Sports

Stingers hockey is off to a great start (again)

Faceoff Photo Credit: David J. Beaudoin

Women’s team leads their division in points while men’s team trails division lead by just one point.

It is certainly an encouraging start to a season when both hockey teams in a school’s program are winning out the gate. The Concordia Stingers have done just that. While we haven’t reached the halfway point in the regular season, the men’s hockey team trails the tightly-contested Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Men’s Hockey East Division standings by a single point. On an even higher note, the women’s hockey team leads the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) hockey standings by four points. This is on top of remaining undefeated this season.

The Stingers’ women’s hockey team has been nothing short of impressive in the early going of their regular season campaign. Following a loss in the Theresa Humes Cup championship game on Oct. 1, the team won eight straight games, including six in league play. 

With wins against division rivals like the Université de Montréal Carabins, the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, and most recently the Bishop Gaiters, the Stingers have shown how they could compete and be successful against any team in their division. Stingers head coach Julie Chu spoke on how proud she is of the team’s hard work and success. “We have found a way to win differently in all [our] games, and that’s what I’m really proud of,” shared Chu following a 6-1 win against the Gee-Gees on Nov. 3. 

While the start was a victorious one, Chu wants to make sure nobody gets ahead of themselves with it only being November. “We always come out of every game with ‘this is what we did well’ and ‘this is what we need to do better,’” she explains. “It’s always our mentality, and regardless of being undefeated and winning five games so far, it’s a long season, and where we actually want to play our best hockey is at the end of the season.”

The Stingers’ women’s team will look to keep the win streak going when they play next at McGill on Nov. 10.

The men’s team has a lot to be proud about to this point as well. Despite dropping their last two games to the East division-leading Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes, the Stingers began the season with a 6-1-0 record.

This season, the OUA expanded the amount of teams that each university plays. The East division now plays against the West in league play, which only makes the competition tougher.

That being said, the Stingers handled the change well. Concordia earned at least one point against the top two teams in the West division, beating the second place Toronto Varsity Blues 4-3 on Oct. 20 and losing in overtime to the first place Brock Badgers 3-2 on Oct. 28.

Defensemen Christopher Inniss takes a slap shot
Photo Credit: Concordia Athletics

Goaltender Jordan Naylor split the games as starter with teammate Nikolas Hurtubise as the men’s team tried to find a consistent starting netminder after Jonathan Lemieux left in the offseason on a professional contract. To this point, Naylor is second amongst all OUA goaltenders in goals against average (1.98) and tied for fourth in save percentage (0.923).

Also high up on the leaderboard is Stingers’ right winger Charles-Antoine Paiement. He is currently tied for third place amongst leading goal scorers in the entire OUA.

The Stingers’ men’s team will be back in action on Nov. 10 when they travel to face the Western University Mustangs.

As the season progresses for both the women’s and men’s hockey teams, the competition will only continue to increase. But if the Stingers continue to improve on what they have already accomplished, both teams are bound to have success this season.

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Sports

Dear reader, the NFL is third-wheeling Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s love story

Graphic by Carleen Loney

Taylor Swift’s recent appearances at Chiefs games brought many new fans to the sport, and the NFL is cashing in.

Taylor Swift was seen for the first time at a Kansas City Chiefs game on Sept. 24. By then, the rumours had been confirmed: she was there to see her new boyfriend, Travis Kelce, in action. The Chiefs’ superstar tight end scored a touchdown for the occasion. From then ensued a series of events which nobody could have predicted a few weeks before. The Swifties and football fans, who at first look have nothing in common, are now both watching Chiefs games.

Taylor Swift and the NFL in numbers

The pop star attended the Oct. 1 Sunday Night Football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets. This game shattered multiple TV ratings records. On average, 27 million Americans watched the game, with a peak audience of 29.4 million people, according to NBC. This average viewership made the game the most-watched Sunday TV show since the Super Bowl in February.

Her mere presence at the game increased the game’s female viewership by over two million compared to the previous three Sunday Night Football games. This increase was most significant among girls aged 12 to 17, at an estimated 53 per cent. The viewership was up by 24 per cent for women aged 18–24 and 34 per cent for women aged 35 and over.

The gold rush

Taylor Swift is far more popular than the NFL worldwide. For those who are skeptical, Taylor Swift has more followers than the NFL’s official pages on every major social media platform. The most blatant example is on Instagram, where the singer has 275 million followers, while the NFL has 28.6 million, as of Oct. 27.

In this context, it was clear from the start who would get the most publicity by being associated with each other. Therefore, the NFL’s marketing department was immediately ready for it and jumped on the opportunity to showcase their game to a new audience. The league regularly posts about Taylor Swift’s presence at games on their social media accounts and has even made it a game highlight on their official website.

Being one of the most famous artists on the planet, Taylor Swift naturally has a significant and very dedicated fanbase. So when she started loving Travis Kelce, the Swifties did as well. That is evident when looking at jersey sales. In September, the Chiefs’ number 87 jersey was the fifth most popular in the NFL. Its sales also increased by approximately 400 per cent in the first 24 hours after the Chiefs versus Bears game on Sept. 24. 

Taylor Swift brings the NFL more social media impressions, higher TV ratings, and increases in jersey sales. Knowing this, the league certainly hopes that no bad blood erupts between the two lovers, or else Travis Kelce may become an anti-hero in the Swifties’ eyes. Indeed, they will forever and always stay on their idol’s side. If it were to happen, it would be a treacherous situation for the NFL, as it would leave a blank space in their strategy to appeal to a new audience.

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Football Rugby Soccer Sports

These Concordia semi-final results may sting

The men’s soccer, rugby and football teams all exited in the first round of the RSEQ playoffs this past week.

The time has come to start playing indoors again. Fall and summer sports are wrapping up as the weather gets crispier and heads turn towards sports with freshly renewing seasons. 

That being said, it seems our teams are ready to get a head start on hibernation. Three playoff games were played by the Stingers, and all three of them turned out to be losses. 

Men’s Soccer

On Oct. 27, the men’s soccer team played the Université de Montréal Carabins in a tough RSEQ semi-final matchup at the CEPSUM. The Stingers not only had an away disadvantage walking onto the field, they were also the underdogs. Of the seven teams in the RSEQ, the Stingers finished the regular season in fourth place, securing the very last spot of the playoffs, with only five victories out of 12 games. Meanwhile, the Carabins finished the season without a loss. 

The Carabins yet again proved why they averaged over two goals per game throughout the season: efficiency. Even though Concordia outshot them six goals to four in the first half, the home team was able to convert twice, once from a penalty kick by centre back Kareem Sow. 

Tristan Nkoghe jumps for a high ball
Photo Credit: Concordia Stinger Athletics

The Stingers weren’t too disciplined around the pitch, as they outfouled their opponents and picked up three different yellow cards in the second half, seemingly out of frustration. The third was given out less than three minutes after the final deal-sealing goal was scored. The Carabins won 3-0. Surprisingly, they lost in the finals to the 6-5-1 Patriotes of the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières last Friday. 

Men’s Rugby

It was more or less the same story for the men’s rugby team, who were just able to squeeze into a playoff spot. Bishop’s 15-25 season finale loss at Stade Percival-Molson pushed the Stingers through by point differential, as both the Gaiters and Concordia finished the season with a .500 win percentage. 

Jack Weller and Willem Nijzink make a tackle.
Photo Credit: Concordia Stingers Athletics

For the semi-final game played this past Sunday, Oct. 29, the Stingers had to face the Piranhas of the École de technologie supérieure, who were invincible in the regular season. Lo and behold, another crushing semi-final away loss as Concordia was vanquished 34-3. Five different players each scored a try on the Piranhas, including third line Xabi Chrit, who won game MVP. On Nov. 5, ÉTS lost 18-17 in the finals to the second place uOttawa Gee-Gees. 

Football

Just about the most exciting game of the RSEQ’s 2023 season took place in Quebec City on Nov. 4 when the Stingers football team faced the Université Laval Rouge et Or for the semi-finals. This time around, the Concordia team had a more even matchup, as the Stingers were facing a two-seed as a three-seed in the playoff bracket. ULaval did not play the dominant season everyone expected them to, as they had taken both of their losses to the Carabins, yet Concordia had beaten the latter in their last game of the season. This matchup was a real shootout. 

It started with a safety for Concordia heading into the third minute of the game, putting the Rouge et Or ahead by two points and setting the Stingers at a disadvantage. In the first drive of the second quarter, starting quarterback Oliver Roy threw an interception to Rouge et Or linebacker Justin Cloutier, who took it to Concordia’s 27-yard line. From there, a pass and a one-yard QB sneak took the Rouge et Or ahead by 9 points, then 10 due to a rouge point. 

Just as a 28-yard kick from all-star kicker Eric Maximuik seemed to restore momentum to the Stingers headed into the second half, substitute quarterback Adrian Guay decided to scramble around the halfway line and fumbled the ball. It was recovered by the opponents’ cornerback Maxym Lavallée, who ran it to the house for 49 yards. Laval led 17-3 after the good kick attempt.

Towards the end of the third quarter, Olivier Roy had been back on the field, and managed to throw a stellar 20-yard pass to veteran fifth-year wideout Ezekiel Tiede for a touchdown. The game was on. The Rouge et Or replied with a 22-yard passing touchdown of their own to widen their lead to 14 points, but that didn’t stop the Stingers. 

Our field general put on a fourth quarter showcase. The very next play, Roy threw a bomb to his trusty wideout Tristan Mancini for 37 yards and then another to Tiede. A couple of handoffs to the running backs, and Roy found the endzone after an eight-yard run. The Stingers defense banded together to shut the Rouge et Or down for a drive amounting to less than 15 yards, and it was Roy’s chance again.

With two and a half minutes left of the game, Roy managed to lead a drive that lasted just over a minute and score a touchdown in six plays, topped by a pass to Tiede for 34 yards into the endzone. Not to mention Roy capped off his night by tying the game and by asserting his sixth point of the night out of six points attempted. The teams tied 24-24 at the end of regulation.

Unfortunately, the Stingers did not have it in them to maintain the progress that they’d made over 60 minutes. A couple of 40+ yard field goals and a touchdown from the Rouge et Or, and Concordia’s season was over. 

A few Stingers players had performances to remember, despite overall shortcomings. Roy had 310 passing yards and the third most rushing yards on the field with 51. Defensively, middle linebacker Loïk Gagné dominated the game with 9.5 tackles, one sack and one tackle for loss. The whole receiver core should be recognized for the work they all put in, Tiede especially. 

It’s an exciting year to be a Concordia fan, although the ending may sting. All three of these teams surpassed what was expected of them. The future seems bright!

Categories
Soccer Sports

Heartbreak for Canada as Christine Sinclair plays one last time in Montreal

Fans line up at the west entrance of the Saputo Stadium before the match Photo by Félix-Antoine Beauchemin/ The Concordian

Canada’s women’s soccer team lost 1-0 to Brazil on Oct. 28 at Saputo Stadium in Montreal.

After Canada was eliminated in the group stage during a disappointing World Cup performance this summer, the women’s national soccer team turns to the 2024 Olympic Games. With qualification secured after two convincing wins against Jamaica in September, the road to redemption continued on Oct. 28 at Saputo Stadium in Montreal for the first of two friendly matches in four days against Brazil.

Record-breaking crowd, disappointing performance

A sold-out crowd of 19,619 people gathered at Saputo Stadium for the game. This attendance figure is a national team record for a friendly match in Quebec, men and women combined. It once again proves the enthusiasm for women’s soccer in Canada. Three years ago, 4.4 million people watched the Olympic triumph in Tokyo and women’s national team matches regularly sell out everywhere in the country.

The crowd gives a standing ovation to Christine Sinclair as she comes on in the 68th minute.
Photo: Félix-Antoine Beauchemin.

It was always bound to be a close affair between the two teams, with Canada ranked 10th in the world and Brazil only one place higher. The local favourites came out strong and dominated the initial minutes. However, as the game progressed, Brazil gradually took control of the match and looked to be a far more dominant team. For example, Canada’s first shot of the second half only came in the 92nd minute. 

Despite this, they looked to be able to hold for a 0-0 draw, notably due to multiple great saves from Canadian goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, who was undoubtedly the team’s best player on Saturday. But Brazil’s domination paid off. In the last minute of the game, Débora ‘Debinha’ Cristiane de Oliveira’s shot ricocheted off two Canadian defenders, giving Sheridan no chance to react in time. The ball bounced over the line, much to the delight of the thousands of Brazil fans also present at the game.

Brazilian legend Marta takes a free-kick.
Photo: Félix-Antoine Beauchemin

Nevertheless, Canada got back on track only three days later, beating Brazil 2-0 in front of another sold-out crowd in Halifax on Halloween night, with goals from Jordyn Huitema and Deanne Rose.

A farewell to the greatest international goalscorer of all time 

On Oct. 20, Christine Sinclair announced that she would retire from the national team at the end of the year. Now aged 40, she played her first game for Canada in 2000. Since then, Sinclair has played 329 games and scored 190 goals, a record for international goals for both men and women. For most of the fans at the game, it was their last chance to see Canada’s legendary number 12 in action. As such, they gave her a standing ovation, lasting over 30 seconds when she entered the game in the 68th minute.

Sinclair’s illustrious career also contains many collective achievements. At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, she scored six goals in six games on her way to the bronze medal. She helped the team repeat the feat in Rio in 2016 with another bronze medal. However, the crowning glory of her career came at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, when she captained team Canada to a gold medal.

Categories
Baseball Sports

Baseball United gets off the ground with inaugural draft

Graphic by Cameron Lightly

Former MLB names included in an initial crop of players.

Dubai-based Baseball United held their inaugural player draft on Oct. 24. Of the first 32 selections, 29 of the total selections were former Major League Baseball players, according to the league. That’s a 45 per cent ratio.

The league currently consists of four teams: the Mumbai Cobras, Karachi Monarchs, Dubai Wolves, and Abu Dhabi Falcons. It is the first-ever professional baseball league in the Middle East. “Our mission is to inspire one billion new fans to fall in love with baseball,” the Baseball United website reads.

The league was founded in July 2022 with hall-of-famers Barry Larkin and Mariano Rivera forming the initial ownership group. Former shortstop Elvis Andrus joined ownership in April 2023 and former first baseman Ryan Howard joined the group in Sept. 2023. Former players Adrian Beltre and Felix Hernandez soon followed suit.

The first overall selection by the Mumbai Cobras was pitcher Karan Patel, who was drafted in the seventh round—200th overall—of the 2019 MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox. He was the first player of Indian descent drafted into the MLB. His father is from Mumbai.

Notable former MLB players such as Didi Gregorius, Pablo Sandoval, Robinson Canó, Andrelton Simmons and Bartolo Colón were also drafted into the league. There were players from 25 different countries selected in the draft, including three players from Canada.

“Putting players on teams makes everything much more real for everyone involved,” Chairman and CEO of Baseball United Kash Shaikh said about the draft. “We have All-Stars, former top draft picks and a mix of veterans and younger guys to help carry the game across the world. I’m very happy for all our players.”

The league is quickly growing in popularity. Its official Instagram account already has over 59,000 followers and that number is only growing. The league will debut with its All-Star Showcase on Nov. 24 and 25. As of now, it is unclear if the showcase will be televised or streamed, but it will be a two-game series between two all-star teams at Dubai International Stadium.

Categories
Sports

Otis Grant: Boxing world champion, ex-student and athlete

Otis Grant (right) vs. Henry Porras, 2004 Photo Credit: Herby Whyne

How did Concordia alumnus Otis “Magic” Grant perform at the highest level while still in school?

Who would’ve known that Concordia University harboured sporting greatness, and not even under the Stingers name? For Concordians who aren’t boxing fanatics or old enough to have sat with him in class, chances are you weren’t aware that the middleweight champion was a full-time student on this campus.

Otis “Magic” Grant grew up as a multi-sport athlete in Ville Saint-Laurent. He played on Vanier College’s basketball team, while fighting professionally to pay for his tuition. He figured he should obtain a higher level of education “to secure [his] future outside the boxing ring”, in case his career took a dive. “You can’t always put your eggs in one basket, especially in professional sport, because your career can be over in one night,” Grant said. 

Grant enrolled at Concordia in the fall of 1989, majoring in recreation and leisure. A month into his first semester, he was being broadcasted on ESPN, beating his opponent Art McCloud by technical knockout.

Although a boxing career was his ultimate life goal at the time, it wasn’t his priority—graduating came first. That being said, you can’t be great without practice and dedication. He would be at school from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., get to the gym by 5:30 p.m. and be showered off at home doing homework by eight. If he had no class in the mornings and had a project to get done in the evening, he would go for a run and work on cardio before school.

“If I had a bad day at school, get a bad grade or fail an exam, it’s the best way to get rid of stress. Physical activity is the best way to counteract the stress that life might bring you. Physical activity has always been my stress reliever,” Grant said.

The champ debuted on Canada’s senior national team at the young age of 17. To maintain status on the team, a fighter must represent the team in at least one international tournament yearly. This had Magic flying around the world, usually to Europe, while he kept up with his academics by regularly checking course syllabi. Outside of training, fighting, and press conferences, he would study in his hotel room while the rest of the team was sight-seeing.

“The guys on the senior team normally were 19+. So I was a young kid travelling with some grown men of 25, 26, 28 years old. But you know, they had no issue. I did my work, I stayed in my room,” he explained.

For Grant, the discipline required in the sport of boxing had intertwined with that required to get higher education. “You’re the only one in the ring, you have no teammates, you can’t call a timeout. To have to be in shape, you have to put the work in. Doing any sport like this will teach you life lessons. You learn that if you put the work in, hard work will pay off,” he said.

The athlete had friends take notes for him in instances when he missed a class during a trip. Grant had become skilled at finding solutions around academic disadvantages. For example, as a self-proclaimed “terrible typer.” He would get his buddy Steve and his girlfriend Betty, now his wife, to type out his hand-written assignments.

Otis Grant vs Librado Andrade 2006
Photo Credit: Herby Whyne

Of his 42 professional career fights, 15 were fought during his time at Concordia—and he won all of them, including  nine by knockouts. His most important fights involved title contention, such as his WBC intercontinental super middleweight title against Jaime Ollenberger, Canadian middleweight title against Dan Sherry that earned him a top-six ranking in North America, and a North American Boxing Federation (NABF) title win against Gilbert Baptist. The latter performance earned him a top-10 world ranking.

Before graduating from Concordia, Grant was offered multiple world title shots, but he turned them down in sacrifice for a diploma. “I waited until I was a little bit older,” he said. The professional boxer only seized the opportunity when the WBO middleweight title was vacated in ’97, as he beat Ryan Rhodes for the belt in his home town of Sheffield.

Grant was named Concordia Alumnus of the Year in 2007 for his community work through the Otis Grant & Friends Foundation, a fundraising foundation for food and clothes to be distributed to people in need, and his work as a teaching assistant and counsellor in Montreal’s secondary school system.

Grant was two accounting classes away from graduating with a business minor. His business success is apparent through his long-time boxing gym started with his brother, Howard, called “Grant Brothers Boxing” in Dollard-Des-Ormeaux. The brothers frequently plan events through BoxKO Promotions. Their latest amateur, BOXCITY 6, was held on Oct. 14.

Otis “Magic” Grant’s story is an inspiration for any student athlete, whatever the size of the goal. “If you have your priorities in order, it shouldn’t be a problem. It’s been done. Nobody can tell you you can’t do it, because I’ve done it,” Grant said.

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Sports

Cricket? In Canada?

Graphic by Carleen Loney

Cricket may initially look complex, but do not worry, it is not. The soon-to-be Olympic sport is even growing in Canada.

Despite being heavily popular in other Commonwealth countries, cricket is relatively unknown in Canada. But this may be about to change.

What is cricket?

The sport is played between two teams of 11 players on a large oval grass field. In the middle, two “wickets,” consisting of three vertical posts on which bails rest, are placed 22 yards apart. Depending on the match format, each team has one or two innings or chances to bat. An innings ends if 10 of 11 batsmen are out or, in specific formats, if a certain number of “bowls,” or throws, has been reached. The winner is the team with the most runs after completing all innings.

The batting team has two batsmen on the field, one at each wicket. They can score runs by hitting the ball directly outside the boundary for six runs. If the ball bounces before reaching the boundary, it counts for four runs. If both batsmen safely run across to the other “crease” where the wickets are, for one run. The batsmen may also run back and forth between the creases to get more runs.

The fielding team has all 11 players on the field. They aim to get the batsmen out. The “bowler” gets the batsman out if he throws the ball and hits the wicket. If the batsman prevents the ball from hitting the wicket by blocking it with their legs, they are out. A ball hit, then directly caught, also counts as an out. Batsmen can also be “run out” or “stumped” if a player throws the ball onto the wicket and the batsman is out of the crease.

Important times ahead

Concordia alumnus Mudasser Akbar, MEng ’17, is the CEO of the Montreal Tigers, the city’s professional cricket team. They are the reigning GT20 Canada champions. Entirely played in Brampton, Ontario, the league had attendance figures reaching 5,000 people per game. Unfortunately, the reality in Montreal is not the same. Akbar explained how no cricket ground in the city has lights to allow people to play in the evening.

However, Akbar is optimistic about the sport’s future in Canada. “It is a growing sport [in Canada],” he said. The national team has qualified for the 2024 T20 World Cup for the first time. There, Canada will play some of the best nations in the world. He thinks playing against these countries can help grow the sport. 

More importantly, cricket will be an Olympic sport starting at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. “I am super happy and excited,” Akbar said. He explained that such an event will bring massive attention to the sport. “Imagine a Canadian cricket team representing [the country] at Los Angeles. That would be amazing.”

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Football Sports

Stingers Football to face Laval Rouge et Or in RSEQ playoff semi final

Jean-Sébastian Lamothe [6] William Legault [86] of the Carabins Photo Credit: José Acosta

With the regular season officially over, the Stingers have their eyes on a long playoff run.

Coming off a massive victory in their final regular season game against the Montreal Carabins, the Stingers football team will try and keep the momentum going into their RSEQ playoff semi final against the Laval Rouge et Or on Nov. 4.

Out of the five teams in the RSEQ football conference, four teams made the playoffs—with the first seed playing the fourth seed and the second seed playing the third.

Concordia had the third seed locked up after their dominant win against the McGill Redbirds at Percival Molson Stadium on Oct. 20. This meant that despite their winning effort against the Carabins on Saturday, the Stingers could not move up or down in the standings. They will end the regular season with a 5-3 record.

Montreal captured the first seed this season, having clinched it weeks before the playoffs began. The Stingers played spoiler to a potential undefeated season, as the Carabins ended the regular season with a 7-1 record. Laval, who finished the season with a 6-2 record, secured home field advantage in the semi final by clinching the second seed, meaning they will be the team hosting Concordia in the first round of the playoffs.

The fourth and final seed was decided on the final day of the regular season, as the winless Sherbrooke Vert et Or upset the McGill Redbirds to steal their spot in the RSEQ playoffs.

This year, Laval and Concordia matched up against each other twice. Finding consistent offense was an issue for the Stingers against the Rouge et Or this season, with Concordia compiling only 21 total points in their 31-14 and 23-7 losses. However, it seems like Concordia is right where they want to be headed into Saturday’s matchup.

Receiver Oriola Poirier [87] heads out for the pass made by quarterback Olivier Roy [12]
Photo Credit: José Acosta

The two teams were only separated by 26 total points scored for the entire regular season, with Laval scoring 226 and Concordia 200. This proves that come playoff semi finals, it may come down to whose defense can hold the fort longer.

The combination of similar offensive stats with Laval, as well as three straight momentum-building wins to end the regular season, shows that the Stingers are surging at the right time of year. After their win against McGill on Oct. 20, head coach Brad Collinson spoke on the challenges that lie ahead of them in the playoffs.

“Moving forward we have some big games coming up—we are going to be going up to Quebec City to face a good team [in Laval],” said Collinson. “If we want to beat the best, we have to be the best.”

A simple message, but an effective one. The Stingers will have to be at their best if they want to beat the Rouge et Or this Saturday. But Concordia has proved that they can play with the best in the RSEQ. If they bring that gameplan to the field on Nov. 4, it could earn them a one-way trip to the RSEQ championship game on Nov. 11.

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Sports

Islam Makhachev reigns supreme at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi

Graphic by Amelia Hart

UFC 294 rocks the Middle East as heavy favourites Islam Makhachev, Khamzat Chimaev, Ikram Aliskerov, and Muhammad Mokaev win in emphatic fashion.

UFC 294’s main and co-main events were significantly altered just 12 days before they were supposed to fight. Insert two of the promotion’s most respected fighters and we’ve got ourselves a banger. 

One fight silenced doubters and the other raised a lot of questions on whether or not the right man won.

Makhachev ends the rivalry and finishes Volkanovski in Round 1

Islam Makhachev didn’t want to leave any doubt this time as he ended the main event with a skull-crushing blow. He also ended the debate on whether or not he should be the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Makhachev (25-1) finished featherweight champion Alexander “the Great” Volkanovski (26-3) with a vaporizing left high kick three minutes and six seconds into the very first round. Silencing critics and successfully defending the lightweight belt for the third time in a row.

A short notice replacement for the injured Charles Oliveira, Volkanovksi seemed a little too timid when striking with the lightweight champion. To his defence, he had only 12 days to prepare for the biggest rematch of his life. Volkanovski started a little sluggish as he tried to get reads on whether or not Machachev would shoot. Even though the shot never came, the latter prevailed from the moment the fight began. He set up the high kick by attacking the calf on two separate occasions, poked away at the body and then finally slipped a left high kick over Volkanovski’s guard. The kick landed directly on his right eyebrow and wobbled him instantly. Makhachev didn’t let up and continued teeing off with a barrage of punches and hammerfists until the fight was stopped by referee Marc Goddard.

The 31-year-old Makhachev might just be the biggest name in the UFC after Jon Jones or Conor McGregor. His 13-fight win streak is tied for third in the promotion’s history. It doesn’t look like anyone can stop him—he’s already on his way to surpassing Khabib Nurmagomedov as the lightweight division’s GOAT.

Khamzat Chimaev remains undefeated and beats former welterweight champion in a back-and-forth affair

The seemingly unstoppable force Khamzat Chimaev (13-0) faced his toughest challenge yet, going head-to-head with former welterweight champion and late-notice replacement Kamaru Usman.

The hype around this fight was undeniable even though Paulo Costa was forced to pull-out due to a staph infection in his elbow 10 days prior. However, Chimaev wasn’t going to let his long-awaited return be spoiled. He hadn’t fought since September 2022 and “The Wolf” was hungry for anyone. Insert wily veteran Kamaru Usman and we got ourselves a barnburner.

Or so we thought.

Khamzat dominated Round 1, taking the former NCAA Division II National Champion down with ease as he controlled his back threatening submissions. Chimaev locked him up with a body triangle and worked his way around his neck and back, attempting to unload some heavy ground and pound. Even with the arena against him and an absolute beast on his back, Usman defended very well. Not too bad for someone who took a fight against one of the scariest men in the division on 10 days’ notice.

The second round is where things got very interesting.

Usman weathered the storm and used his patented jab along with some crushing calf kicks to keep Khamzat at bay. Even though this round wasn’t as eventful, it showed that both these men have massive respect for each other. Weary of each other’s power, Usman and Chimaev each attempted to steal the round by doing the most damage they could without getting countered. In the end, most people had Usman winning the second round  as he inflicted more damage and avoided multiple takedowns.

Moving onto Round 3, the duo matched in a much livelier battle on their feet. Usman definitely pushed the pace more between the two fighters, but all was nullified when Chimaev scored another takedown midway through the round. Usman was able to leverage a hip and get up, but it wasn’t enough to garner the victory.

The 36-year-old former champion now finds himself on a three-fight losing streak that started in August 2022.

Chimaev ultimately won by majority decision, potentially setting up a date with newly minted middleweight champion Sean Strickland.

Right for the challenge: Dagestan’s Ikram Aliskerov proves that he’s ready for a ranked opponent next

Ikram Aliskerov (15-1) makes light work of Warlley Alves (15-7) with a combination of stiff jabs, one-twos and a devastating knee that lead to the demise of the former winner of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil. Aliskerov’s only loss was to Khamzat Chimaev back in 2019, and now the 30-year-old has won seven fights in a row—six of them being finishes—amassing a 3-0 record in the UFC.

The Kasumkent native will definitely be fighting a ranked opponent as he continues to climb the ladder in the middleweight division.

Two time’s the charm?

A bizarre no-contest on the main card almost led to bedlam in the Magomed Ankalaev (18-1-1 1 NC) versus Johnny Walker (21-7-0 1 NC) fight as referee Daniel Movahedi was forced to call for the stoppage at the 3:13 mark of Round 1. Due to an illegal knee strike by Ankalaev, Movahedi was advised by the ringside physician that Walker could not continue.

According to Walker’s coach John Kavanagh, the doctor asked Johnny where he was and he responded by saying “I’m in the desert”.

We all know Johnny Walker’s a weird dude, but by no means should you take that answer as definitive evidence that he’s been concussed. English isn’t even his first language.

When the fight was called off, Walker began yelling and almost started a full-on brawl in attempts to start the fight up again. Cooler heads prevailed when UFC president Dana White stepped in to calm the 6’6 Brazilian down.

The same ringside physician was seen earlier in the day as he questioned if Victor Henry (23-6-0 1 NC) was actually in pain when he was clearly hit with an illegal groin strike. That fight also resulted in a no-contest, but not without sparking debates.

Another exciting PPV card in Abu Dhabi

Octobers, the UFC, and Abu Dhabi have become synonymous as another successful card leaves UFC fans wanting more. Does the newly crowned P4P king go up to challenge for the welterweight title or does he fight Oliviera again? I’d prefer that he defends his lightweight title a couple times before attempting to become the fifth double champ in UFC history. 

The UFC returns on November 4th in São Paulo when perennial heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis will take on rising superstar Jailton Almeida. 

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