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Concordia Stingers Defeat Bishop’s Gaiters 5-1 to Take 1-0 Series Lead

Concordia Stingers' women's hockey vs. Bishop's Gaiters, Game 1 of RSEQ semifinals 2023. Kyran Thicke/ Concordia Athletics

The Stingers’ women’s hockey team pulled out a victory in Game 1 of the RSEQ semi-finals on Thursday

The Ed Meagher Arena was rocking from the get-go for Game 1 of the Stingers’ best-of-three series. Many Concordia student-athletes were in attendance, setting the atmosphere in the building all night by chanting loudly and booing the Gaiters any chance they got.

“The crowd was the real MVP of this game,” said Stingers’ defender Alexandra-Anne Boyer, who scored the game-winning goal in the second period. “Getting into the other team’s head, encouraging us, getting us pumped. It was insane. I loved it.”

Stingers’ head coach Julie Chu agreed that the crowd was a big advantage for her team.

“It was special to see our student section really come out,” she said. “The different teams, the different people around the community that came out to support our players. I think that was a difference-maker for us as well.”

It was a very tight game from the start. The fourth-place Gaiters came to play, and they proved that the first-place Stingers will have to work hard to beat them.

The teams traded power-play goals in the first period. Concordia forward Rosalie Bégin-Cyr blew the roof off of the arena by opening the scoring off a feed from forward Emmy Fecteau. Less than a minute later, Gaiters’ defender Marie-Camille Théoret blasted a point-shot past Stingers’ goaltender Alice Philbert to tie the game at one.

“Scoring the first goal helped calm down the younger players,” Bégin-Cyr said. “We were getting shots. It was just a matter of putting the puck in the net,” she added. Bégin-Cyr finished the game with a goal and two assists.

Concordia took the lead for good in the second period, when Boyer took a shot from the boards. It found its way through traffic and beat Gaiters’ goaltender Aglaé René de Cotret, putting the Stingers on top 2-1.

“There was a little hole and I saw it,” Boyer said. “I heard someone say ‘shoot’. I had an incredible screen. I took the shot and, showtime!”

The Stingers did not slow down in the third period. Concordia forward Justine Yelle extended the lead to 3-1 as she skated around a Gaiters’ defender and tucked it home on the backhand. Second-year forward Jessymaude Drapeau added two power-play goals to punctuate the 5-1 victory.

“We’ll celebrate it tonight,” Bégin-Cyr said. “Tomorrow, we’ll re-focus for Saturday.”

Although it was a one-goal game until midway through the third period, Chu was not bothered since the Stingers were still getting scoring opportunities.

“Early on, we had some chances. We hit a couple of posts. We had a chance in the second that was a wide-open net that we found a way to miss,” Chu said. “I think it’s really easy… to think about what we missed versus focusing on what we can do on our next shift.”

Even after winning a national championship, the Stingers were excited to win Game 1 of the playoffs.

“The national championship [was] a long time ago,” Chu said. “We actually haven’t talked about last year’s team… Now, we’re just thinking about Game 1 and giving our best there and now they’ll enjoy this.”

She added that it’s no use to compare themselves to last year’s team. All they can do is compare themselves to this year’s team and focus on how they can improve.

The Stingers are now one win away from advancing to the RSEQ final. Game 2 of the semi-final will take place at Bishop’s University on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m.

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Division 2 men’s hockey is expanding in the RSEQ

Stingers' D2 men's hockey team during practice, 2023. Maria Bouabdo/ The Concordian

Teams in the D2 league will get to play 13 extra games against CEGEPs starting in 2023-24

Starting next season, teams in the division 2 men’s university hockey league in the RSEQ will get an extra 13 games added to their season, played against division 1 CEGEP teams.

The league currently consists of three teams: Concordia University, École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), and Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC).

Instead of playing 12 games per season, which sometimes can go a couple of weeks without a game, each team will now get to play 25 games per season.

Stingers D2 forward Christopher Séguin is looking forward to seeing a busier schedule. He previously played for the Patriotes of CEGEP Saint-Laurent, and is now in his first year at Concordia studying economics but will be switching to business marketing.

“We’re happy to have more games,” Séguin said. “It’s going to give us a better pace between school and hockey, while now it felt more like school, with sometimes one game every two weeks… It can get long.”

He also hopes to see the league get bigger, with more universities joining.

“It would be more fun and I think it deserves to become a strong league,” Séguin said. “There are a lot of good players, if they don’t make it to major junior, and they play college hockey or AAA, and they don’t know what to do, this would allow them to continue their education and keep playing hockey in university.”

The Stingers’ D1 men’s hockey team coach Marc-André Elément started the D2 program in 2021-22 to give more athletes the chance to play hockey at the university level. Elément also assists with the D2 team and is the athletics department liaison.

“Our league has become so good that we only recruit from major junior [CHL],” Elément said about the OUA, the league the Stingers’ D1 team is a part of. “So most [players from] CEGEP don’t really play D1. Some can, but not a lot. There are a lot of teams at that level in CEGEP but not in university. So that’s why we started this program, it gives the opportunity to 25 more players to play hockey and practice almost every day.”

Elément looks forward to seeing more universities join the D2 league and to seeing it grow over the next couple of years, with the possibility of some D2 teams moving up to the D1 league.

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The “B.C. Boys:” Jack Vandenberg and Griffyn Bibbings

Griffyn Bibbings (left) and Jack Vandenberg (right) at the Concordia Gymnasium, 2023. Maria Bouabdo/ The Concordian

The rookies brought their positive vibes from Vancouver to Montreal

On July 27, 2022, Jack Vandenberg flew out from Vancouver to Montreal. The following day, Griffyn Bibbings followed, and the two were probably the only students at Concordia’s campus residence for the next few weeks.

The two British Columbians — Vandenberg, point guard from Central Vancouver, and Bibbings, forward from West Vancouver — bonded and started a friendship that earned them the nickname “B.C. Boys” from their teammates.

“When we got here, he was probably the first person I met,” Bibbings said about Vandenberg. “It was the morning after I landed, and because we’re both from B.C., we’re both on res [residence] as well. So we kind of do everything together. Our teammates just call us ‘B.C. Boys,’ and they just mean me and Jack.”

“Coaches have mentioned a few times, they don’t really see us without each other,” Vandenberg added. “Because we have a similar schedule apart from classes. It’s just practice, and then we go eat, and then we go back to the res [residence].”

Although the two rookies were both only 18 years old at the time, they didn’t feel that moving to a new city on their own was intimidating or particularly difficult to navigate.

“At no point was I just in my room not knowing a single person or not knowing what to do,” said Bibbings. “The morning after I got here, I met him [Vandenberg]. I probably met like 20 people on the first day. So it wasn’t really that hard.”

Vandenberg and Bibbings had the chance to meet the rest of the team at practice before playing exhibition games against NCAA teams in August.

They acknowledged that being part of a team can definitely make moving across the country a lot easier.

The “B.C. Boys” during the national anthem before a game. Kyran Thicke/ Concordia Athletics

“I feel like in our situation, it might be a little different than most,” Vandenberg explained. “Because when we came here we had the support of the coaches, teammates, like we already kind of had a friend group going into it with our teammates.”

Although the pair only met here last summer, they had played against each other in B.C. at some point, so they knew of each other.

Bibbings played high-school basketball at Rockridge Secondary and club basketball with 3D Basketball Academy during the spring and summer time, while Vandenberg played at St. George’s School and DRIVE Basketball.

Like all student-athletes, the two basketball players missed some time due to COVID-19 shutdowns. But according to them, this time off really helped separate the players who had been practicing during the shutdowns from those who hadn’t. They both stayed active with their respective clubs, which held outdoor sessions.

“Before COVID… I wasn’t that recognized [or] that good,” Vandenberg said. “Then I started getting more recognition because I put in more work whenever, I guess, a lot of people were chilling out.”

Stingers’ head coach Rastko Popovic also appreciates how hard his rookie point guard has been working.

“At the point guard position it’s tougher,” Popovic said. “Because we do have two really good point guards on our team, but what I like about Jack a lot is he’s a competitor, he competes, he’s not afraid, and he works really hard.”

Popovic has also been impressed by his two players’ maturity and ability to adapt from a high school setting to university, while juggling basketball and school.

Bibbings is currently enrolled in sociology, while Vandenberg is studying psychology, but they’re both keeping their options open, as they’re not sure if they want to stick to those programs yet.

Another thing that has impressed Popovic is the duo’s work ethic.

“They want to get better everyday, they’re very coachable, they listen, they’re both going to keep improving and hopefully by next year they’ll be able to make bigger contributions to our team,” Popovic said.

But that’s not the only thing that matters. Popovic also looks at the kind of people he’s recruiting and what they’re like off the court, and it was all positive when it came to Bibbings and Vandenberg. 

“They’re very very good kids in general, they’re good people, and that’s important to us when we recruit players.”

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Black Ice: testimonies of discrimination in yet another sport

Former Montreal Canadien Georges Laraque at the Monreal premiere. Photo by Amru Salahuddien

The Montreal premiere of Hubert Davis’ Black History documentary took place in Concordia’s Hall building on the evening of Feb. 13

“Talk to anybody of colour that tried to make it playing hockey up there, listen to the stories they had. It would be like, ‘Dude, were you in Alabama? No, I was in Manitoba,’ said comedian Bill Burr during an interview with Conan O’Brien on TBS. 

The clip kicked off what seemed like an endless series of videos and news reports of soul-crushing acts of racial atrocities: social media posts, videos of fans, and players spewing slurs and pantomiming acts of hate, all without any repercussions. In his new documentary, Hubert Davis underscores that BIPOC have seldom been accepted in the sport dominated by white people. 

Black Ice covers the Black history of hockey, and how Black players’ relationships and experiences with the sport have forever been bitter.

From the immigrants escaping slavery through the underground railroad to young children presently learning how to take their first strides on the ice, Davis covered the wide-spanning history of racial intolerance from the perspective of the harmed. For decades, ignorance and intolerance have been commonplace in locker rooms, from youth house leagues all the way to the NHL.

More importantly, the documentary focuses on current trailblazers who aim to make hockey a more inclusive sport, once and for all. These important members of the community have made waves by spreading awareness and encouraging BIPOC children to pursue their love of the game, all while educating and supporting them through the challenges they face.

Many beloved names from the hockey community spoke on their experiences with hate, such as producer P.K. Subban, Wayne Simmonds, Sarah Nurse, and Matt Dumba. The latter was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2020, which recognizes exemplary leadership qualities and contribution to the community. Dumba is also a member of the Hockey Diversity Alliance. 

Black Ice speaks about many historical figures and events such as the Coloured Hockey League, which was founded in Nova Scotia in 1895, and where the slap shot was pioneered. The greatest Black player to never play in the NHL, Herb Carnegie, was also featured in the documentary. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame a whole 68 years after his retirement, and 10 years posthumously. He turned down the New York Rangers’ low-ball salary offer, only after Toronto Maple Leafs owner Conn Smythe announced that he’ll give $10,000 to anyone who can turn him white.

After the screening, a Q&A panel was held including former Montreal Canadiens Georges Laraque, Frantzi Joseph (father of NHL players Mathieu and Pierre-Oliver Joseph), and thirteen-year-old aspiring hockey player Keisha. The three discussed their own experiences, setting an even more intimate tone to the evening.

Black Ice is available to stream on Crave, and aired on TSN.

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Is the NFL scripted?

Graphic by Madeline Schmidt

Maybe the halftime performance isn’t the only rehearsed event of the Super Bowl

Retired NFL running back Arian Foster mentioned on Barstool Sport’s podcast Macrodosing a few days ago that the NFL gave him a script to memorize on day one of training camp at the beginning of every season. The former Houston Texan and Miami Dolphin stated that it was like the WWE: “You know what’s gonna happen, but you still gotta put on a show.”

Co-host of the podcast, Big Tennessee, asked Foster, “What did you think when you got the script in 2016 that said your career was gonna fall off a cliff when you stopped believing in God?” To which he replied, “That was 2015.” Whoever picked up on the ironic tone of the conversation later on made memes out of the whole debacle (i.e. Mike Vick reading the 2007 script finding out he has to get arrested for dog fighting involvements). Either way, the internet talked about it.

So many people believe in Foster’s “claim” about the scripting because, for one, the NFL arguably has the most controversial referee ruling in American sports right now. Moreover, the internet can’t tell when people are messing around as long as they keep a straight face. However, can a multi-billion dollar organization really be exposed by one ex-player in this manner? I’m not sure. There are a few instances that can tempt us to think in the same direction as the rest of the internet, though.

When it comes to bad play ruling, football fans will immediately have nightmarish flashbacks of the 2018 NFC championship game between the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams. With less than two minutes left in the game and a chance for a go-ahead touchdown, Saints wide receiver Tommylee Lewis got blasted near the sideline by Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman while the ball was still a solid two feet behind the defenseman’s back. This was the most obvious a “pass interference call” can get. However, there was no call from the referees.

The Rams won in OT but evidently, people speculated that the game was rigged in their favour. Maybe it was in the script for the Rams to go to the Super Bowl.

Back in 2013, one of the NFL’s biggest controversies occurred during Super Bowl XLVII held at Caesars Superdome, nicknamed the “Blackout Bowl.” The Baltimore Ravens were up 21-6 against the San Francisco 49ers going into the second half when Jacoby Jones scored with the longest kick return in Super Bowl history — taking it from his own endzone all the way to the opposition’s. The field goal stretched the lead to 22 points. A little over a minute later, the entire stadium blacked out, delaying the game for 34 minutes. After the power came back, the 49ers almost completed a comeback, falling short by only three points.

To this day, there are controversial play rulings, like the one-handed DeVonta Smith catch last week. Did the ball hit the ground before Smith had full control of it? Smith’s back was facing the refs, and the timing of everything was close.

The referees in this sport may not be flat-out bad — the sport might just be tough to arbitrate. And the pay isn’t great either.

In 2019, the NFL increased their average salary by 56,000 dollars, making the NFL referee… still the most underpaid official in American sports.

Why would someone continue pursuing their reffing career when they can just become a CBS analyst? When the best get offered better jobs, the less talented step in, and perform worse. They have trouble arbitrating the most fast-paced sport (that has every player doing everything at once on the field), meaning they receive hate from the fans, all while being mistreated by their very own organization. 

Is the NFL scripted? Maybe, but how? If it was, Arian Foster would be “no longer with us” almost as quickly as he ran his 40. Sure, there may have been individual games that were paid off here and there like every other sport, but it must just be that the refs are human, and it’s hard to monitor everything happening on the field at the same time. Even professionals can have a hard time. 

Still not sure about the Blackout Bowl, though.

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The Concordia Stingers’ women’s hockey team shuts out the Carleton Ravens 6-0

Concordia Stingers vs. Carleton Ravens women's hockey on Feb. 17, 2023. Kyran Thicke/ Concordia Athletics

Six goals by six different Stingers end the regular season on a high note

The Concordia Stingers’ women’s hockey team made the most of power plays and dominated the Carleton Ravens 6-0 at the Ed Meagher Arena during their last game of the regular season on Feb. 17.

It was the last regular season game for four Stingers seniors. Defender and captain Olivia Hale, forwards Alexandra Boulanger and Rosalie Bégin-Cyr, as well as goaltender Alice Philbert were honoured after the game alongside their families.

“They are four really important members of this team, we love them and I’m just glad we got a good win to honour their amazing careers,” said Stingers defender Alexandra-Anne Boyer.

Boyer helped the Stingers take the lead in the first period on the power play before Stingers’ forward Chloé Gendreau doubled the lead.

At the start of the second period, Concordia forward Justine Yelle beat the Ravens’ defence while shorthanded and extended the lead to 3-0. Stingers forward Caroline Moquin-Joubert capitalized later on their powerplay.

The Stingers continued to excel in power plays in the final frame, with forwards Megan Bureau-Gagnon and Jessymaude Drapeau making the final score 6-0.

The team was happy to get a big victory for the four seniors.

“I think we were just making sure we got that shut out for [Phibert] at the end of the day,” said Hale.

Stingers’ head coach Julie Chu noted that, with all the excitement surrounding the game, their biggest challenge was to stay focused and eliminate distractions.

Nonetheless, Chu praised her team’s dominance on the power play, their ability to build confidence and to make adjustments where needed in between periods.

“I was really happy with the full effort,” said Chu. “Obviously, what better way to honour our graduating players than with a win.”

With the regular season over, the Stingers will face the Bishop’s Gaiters on Feb. 23 at the Ed Meagher Arena for the first game of the best-of-three series.

“We told our team to enjoy this, enjoy what they’ve accomplished, and enjoy celebrating as a team,” said Chu. “But, when we wake up tomorrow, our focus shifts to preparing and doing everything we can physically and mentally to get ready.”

She acknowledged that there will be challenges ahead as they prepare to face the Gaiters.

“We worked all year for this,” said Boyer. “We’re going to come ready and Thursday is going to be a great game.”

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The UFC has produced another classic, this time down under

Graphic by Amelia Hart / @ameliaohart

UFC 284 had everything for the casual or hardcore MMA fan: highlight reel knockouts, crafty submissions, and a crowd primed for violence

Islam Makhachev prevails and takes over as the #1 P4P fighter in the world

To the dismay of the Australian fans in attendance, UFC 284 did not disappoint as defending lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (24-1) put an end to Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski’s 22-fight win streak in controversial fashion. Notching the win by unanimous decision, Mahkachev defended his lightweight belt in enemy territory.

Many thought Makhachev’s superior wrestling would wear Volkanovski (25-2) down, but that wasn’t the case, as the latter’s ability to scramble and avoid compromising positions made for a very compelling fight.

As early as the first round, Volkanovski’s takedown defence was tested, but he passed with flying colours. He was also able to impressively defend his neck with the much bigger Makhachev on his back. With time, the fight slowly became a high-level kickboxing match with both fighters scoring knockdowns. Makhachev was able to show off his underrated striking, whereas Volkanovski displayed his elite takedown defence. 

The fight ended with Volkanovski on top, wreaking havoc on Makhachev’s face after he dropped him for the second time. Despite this, the judges gave Makhachev the victory. The scorecards read 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46, leading to a debate on whether or not the right call was made.

I can see a world where Makhachev won, but a 49-46 card is ridiculous. Either way, both the first and second-ranked P4P fighters in the world put on an absolute masterclass, easily surpassing Glover Teixeira vs. Jamahal Hill for fight of the year.

I don’t think Volkanovski’s stock dropped, and would even argue that he still deserves to be the number one P4P fighter in the world.

Hear me out. He went up the UFC’s hardest weight class, stood his ground, and put Makhachev in positions he’s never been in before. A lot of people doubted him, but I have a feeling that’s over. I’m not a huge fan of immediate rematches (especially with Yair Rodríguez looming in the wind), but I’d love to see them run it back this summer.

Yair Rodríguez becomes Mexico’s second UFC champion

As underrated as this fight was, the interim featherweight title fight didn’t disappoint. Rodríguez (16-3) and Josh Emmett (18-3) put on a show, resulting in Rodríguez submitting Emmett at 4:19 of the second round via triangle choke. Rodríguez became Mexico’s second-ever UFC champion and set up a highly anticipated fight against Volkanovski.

Rodríguez’s dynamic taekwondo and the sheer power Emmett brought to the octagon led to a modern-day gladiator fight. It was a kill-or-be-killed situation, leading to multi-knockdowns for both challengers. Rodríguez used his kicks like a boxer uses jabs, stabbing away at Emmett before finally submitting him in the second round.

Given that the featherweight division now has an interim champion, when do we get to see Rodríguez vs. Volkanovski for the title unification fight? If I had to guess, I’d say in June or July, at UFC 289 or 290. My way-too-early pick is Volkanovski via decision. I honestly can’t see anyone beating him at featherweight after his performance at UFC 284.

In the midst of a future champion?

Jack Della Maddalena improved to 14-2 with a flawless performance against veteran Randy Brown (16-5) in the welterweight fight. He knocked him down with ease, mounted him, and choked him out two minutes and 13 seconds into the first round, ending the debate on whether or not he’s ready for a step-up in competition.

Della Maddalena’s now riding a 14-fight win streak, making it hard to argue against him fighting a ranked opponent next. His excellent boxing, quick footwork, underrated grappling, and fantastic head movements make him a very tough opponent for anybody in the top 15.

Are we witnessing a future champion? I’m not sure just yet, but the 26-year-old definitely has a lot of potential.

Australia Shines

All in all, Perth was an excellent place to hold a UFC event. Australia-natives like Della Maddalena, Joshua Culibao, and Justin Tafa were greeted with open arms and had amazing showings. The crowd was ferocious and even though the beloved Volkanovski didn’t win, the fans were still graceful in defeat.

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Concordia Stingers Defeat Queen’s Gaels 5-0 in Final Playoff Tune-Up

Stingers' forward Tyler Hylland scoring vs. the Queen's Gaels on Feb. 10, 2023. Maria Bouabdo/ The Concordian

The Stingers’ men’s hockey team has won their final six regular season games, finishing with a 19-7-0 record

It was a meaningless game for the Stingers, who were locked into second place in the OUA East Division and guaranteed a first-round bye. Other than keeping their winning streak alive, they had nothing to play for. Stingers’ head coach Marc-André Elément said he healthy scratched several key players in order to avoid injuries before the playoffs.

“I’m happy that one is done,” he said. “I’m happy there were no injuries and we’re ready for the playoffs.”

Elément was not worried about the result of this game going in, but he wanted his team to play the right way and hone its game for the postseason. The Stingers certainly accomplished that.

“We did the little details. We did enough to win that game,” he said.

The night started on an emotional note for the Stingers. Forward Alexander Katerinakis and defenceman Marcus Tesink were honoured by the Stingers’ coaching staff before Concordia’s last regular season game. They are both scheduled to graduate in the spring.

The Stingers started the game slowly, putting up just two shots on goal in the opening period. But goaltender Jonathan Lemieux stood tall, making several tough saves, and the Stingers escaped the first period tied 0-0.

Concordia dominated the rest of the way, outshooting the Gaels 28-13 in the final two periods. Stingers’ forwards Julien Anctil, Charles Tremblay, and Tyler Hylland all scored in the second half of the middle frame to give the Stingers a 3-0 lead with 20 minutes to play. Stingers’ forward Émile Hegarty-Aubin and defenceman Samuel Desgroseilliers added insurance markers in the third period to clinch the 5-0 win.

Lemieux ended his spectacular rookie season on a positive note, making 21 saves for his third shutout of the season. In his 21 appearances between the posts this season, Lemieux allowed more than two goals only five times. He finished the season with a 16-4-0 record and a 0.933 save percentage. But he had high praise for his team.

“The guys blocked a lot of shots tonight,” he said. “We wanted to finish strong. On my part, it was really about keeping it simple and playing my game.”

He emphasized that the team’s character is just as important as the team’s talent.

“We have a lot of talent, but when we don’t work as hard, it doesn’t go so well,” he explained. “We have certain older guys, Katerinakis, [Phélix] Martineau, Hylland…they are going to lead by example in the playoffs.”

Anctil was named the first star of the game after registering a goal and two assists, bringing his totals to three goals and 13 points in 22 regular season games.

“I think it’s an important win at the end of season before starting the playoffs,” he said. “We’re starting the playoffs on the right foot.”

But Anctil said that the Stingers, despite winning six straight games, still have aspects of the game to work on during their bye week.

“We have two weeks to work on small details,” he explained. “We were lacking a bit of execution in zone exits and things like that,” he added.

Elément said the coaching staff will “make sure we keep the guys sharp in practices” so the long layoff does not make the team rusty. He also noted that the bye week will help his injured players recuperate in time for their second-round matchup.

The OUA playoffs consist of three rounds of best-of-three series followed by one final game to decide the Queen’s Cup champion on March 11.

The Stingers now await the winner of the first-round series between Ontario Tech and Carleton University, who sit in fourth and fifth place in the OUA East Division respectively. The Stingers’ second-round series will begin no earlier than Feb. 22.

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Super Bowl LVII preview

Graphic by Carleen Loney/ @shloneys

The Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles matchup doesn’t lack storylines

The NFL season has gone by way too quickly, but this also means that we’re in for a treat for this Sunday’s Super Bowl.

This year, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs will be facing off at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where the Eagles will have home-field advantage.

After finishing the regular season with a league-wide best 14-3 record each, the Eagles and the Chiefs will go through the ultimate test to determine who truly is the best.

While the Chiefs would normally have the advantage with quarterback Patrick Mahomes against the Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts, this won’t necessarily be the case this time around as Mahomes is still dealing with a high ankle sprain.

The Eagles will have the advantage on the defensive side of the ball in this game. They finished the regular season ranked second in the league, compared to the Chiefs’ defence ranked 11th.

Although everything points to the Eagles winning, I wouldn’t count Mahomes and the Chiefs out. After all, they surprised everyone with their win against the Cincinnati Bengals and could very well do it again.

But this Super Bowl is about more than just that.

With Mahomes and Hurts starting at the quarterback position, this is the first time in NFL history that two Black quarterbacks are starters in the Super Bowl.

So not only will this be a great matchup between two skilled players, but it will also be an opportunity for Black representation at the highest level in football.

Only eight black quarterbacks have made it to the Super Bowl and three have won it: Doug Williams in 1988, Russell Wilson in 2014, and Mahomes in 2020.

So either Hurts will become the fourth to lift the Lombardi Trophy, or Mahomes will be the first Black quarterback to win two Super Bowls. Either way, history will be made.

This will also be the first time we see brothers competing against each other in the Super Bowl: Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce and Eagles’ centre Jason Kelce. So it will be a big day for the Kelce family.

This game won’t be lacking in talent, storylines, and entertainment — we also can’t forget about Rihanna performing at the halftime show!

In the end, both the Chiefs and the Eagles have shown that they’re worthy of being Super Bowl champs, but my unwarranted prediction is that the Chiefs will win. It will probably be a close game, and it won’t be pretty. But I think if anyone can bring their team to victory, even if injured, it’s Mahomes.

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The age-old issue of pay discrepancies in MMA

Graphic by Lewis Badun @toadmule

When you fight the best you’d expect to be paid the best, right?

Pay discrepancies for fighters in different MMA organizations are now larger than ever. UFC fighters want better pay and insurance.

The UFC is valued at $9-10 billion, whereas Bellator (seen by many as being the second-best MMA organization) is valued at roughly $17 million.

Given those numbers, you’d expect UFC fighters to be paid much higher, but that’s not the case.

Bellator’s fighter pay percentage was estimated at 44.7 per cent of their total revenue between 2010-16, whereas the UFC pays their fighters an average of 16-20 per cent. 

UFC prelim fighters in the lowest contract tier can make anywhere between $10,000 to $30,000 per fight, whereas ranked contenders can make up to $100,000. Champions qualify for a pay upgrade and can earn between $500,000 and $3 million.

On the other hand, Bellator’s top fighters make between $100,000 and $300,000 but given the size of the promotion, it makes sense. They also get the chance to compete in a divisional “Grand Prix” which can net the winner an additional $1 million payout. When a fighter leaves the UFC to go to Bellator (or another promotion), they get a substantial raise as these smaller promotions need elite talent to draw viewers.

Therefore, many high-profile free agents are now choosing to sign with promotions like Bellator and PFL due to the higher compensation. UFC vet turned Bellator fighter Corey Anderson mentioned on Twitter that “In 2 fights 6 months with Bellator, I’ve made double of what I did in 15 fights (11 wins 2 bonuses) 7 years with UFC.”

Pay discrepancy is becoming more of an issue for the UFC as more fighters are beginning to hold out for better pay.

We originally saw it with former champions like Demetrious Johnson, Jon Jones, Henry Cejudo, and now more recently, heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. The issue lies with the fact that UFC fighters are not unionized and are essentially independent contractors. This puts the fighters at a severe disadvantage when it comes to negotiating. Along with having little to no leverage, they’re just one wrong kick or punch away from a career-ending injury.

UFC president Dana White has always been very opinionated when it comes to fighter pay. He mentioned in an interview with GQ that it “will never change” while he’s in charge, effectively enraging a lot of people.

The UFC’s upper-echelon fighters do very well for themselves as they are compensated with pay-per-view points and lucrative brand deals, but it’s more difficult for prospects and veterans to have any financial stability.

“I think any professional would like to get paid more but it’s a running business,” said 13-year UFC veteran John Makdessi. “It’s very hard because of the unpredictability when you get hit. Fighting is not like any other sports that have security, like hockey players or football players. As a fighter, you don’t have any insurance or any pension.”

Although many fighters want to be paid more, they are still glad to be able to fight in MMA’s premier promotion.

“The UFC might not pay the most but they’re the most established and recognizable MMA company,” Makdessi said. “It’s a privilege for me to be associated with the UFC since 2010.”

Even with the traction gained through various MMA outlets like Bleacher Report, MMA Junkie, and Bloody Elbow, it seems unlikely that fighter pay will be on the rise in the UFC. Younger promotions such as the PFL, Bellator, ONE, and KSW are more likely to recruit fighters.

One thing is for sure though, you need to have an acute mind for business and seize opportunities whenever you can when it comes to MMA.

“We have to be responsible with our earnings and how we spend our money because you can’t fight forever,” said Makdessi. “Everyone knows that we live in a high-paced world, you need to have multiple sources of income.”

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Sports

LGBTQ+ sports leagues exist and are here to stay

Graphic by James Fay // @JamesFayDraws

Volley Boréal is one of the many LGBTQ+ leagues aiming to provide a discrimination-free space

Every Monday, the players at Volley Boréal gather at Collège de Maisonneuve for their weekly game night, a tradition that has been alive since its foundation in 2004.

Volley Boréal is a not-for-profit mixed-gender LGBTQ+ volleyball club. It was created following the fusion of two gay volleyball clubs that existed in the ’80s and served different purposes: competition and socialization. It encompasses 12 recreational teams and 12 semi-competitive teams with a total of around 200 members.

“A lot of players have a need to come socialize in a safe place, to play without any fear of discrimination, and to be themselves,” said Karl Côté, president of Volley Boréal.

Côté joined the league in 2008 when he was looking to connect with the LGBTQ+ community while staying physically active. He found the league through a friend — like most players do — and was immediately welcomed, even though he had never played volleyball before.

Warm welcomes and inclusivity are what Volley Boréal thrives on, according to Côté. Their website emphasizes that “any form of discrimination based on sex, age, ethnicity or sexual orientation is prohibited.”

Volley Boréal is an extremely diverse club, which is immediately noticeable during their weekly games.

“We meet people of all types of backgrounds,” said Mia Beaudoin-Dion, a transwoman who has played with them for two years now. “It isn’t reserved at all to queer people, we have a lot of heterosexual people, allies, that join us.”

When Beaudoin-Dion joined the league, she had just started her transition.

“I was looking for safe spaces in my life that would accept me for who I was,” she said. “I felt no judgment from the other players, unlike with family and friends, where it was more difficult. The volleyball club made me feel better because it wasn’t a big deal. My transition was just accepted and normalized.”

Jean Gilbert, another member, has been with the club for 16 years, as long as he’s been in Montréal. He saw the recreational league grow from six to 12 teams and he witnessed more women starting to participate. It was important for him to be a part of an LGBTQ+ group, but as a 66-year-old man working from home, there was more to it.

“I don’t necessarily see a lot of people,” he said. “By coming here, I can meet people, I’ve made friends. It’s important for me to have a space that can break my isolation and make a change from being at home.”

The need to socialize is also the main reason Sébastien Shah, now vice-president of Volley Boréal, first joined as a member back in 2019.

Even though Shah didn’t join the team with no intention to find a partner, he ended up meeting his current boyfriend of three years. Since then, he’s had the club engraved in his heart and that’s why he decided to join the board of directors: to give back to them like they had given to him. It isn’t even conceivable for him to leave the club.

“I have four classes at university, I’m preparing for internships, my head is barely above the water and everyone around tells me to cut somewhere, to cut in volleyball,” Shah said.

But for him, the volleyball club is a way to decompress from his busy life and to cope with mental health. Being on the board of directors might be demanding for Shah, but it’s fun and gratifying. It gives him his energy for the week, and he counts the days before each Monday.

Shah emulates the feeling of most — if not all — of Volley Boréal’s players. There is an unequivocal and contagious joie de vivre in the gym when they play. Volley Boréal is the proof that inclusivity and sports make for a match made in heaven.

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Sports

Concordia Stingers’ men’s hockey team dominates Ottawa Gee-Gees 4-1

Concordia Stingers vs. Ottawa Gee-Gees at the Ed Meagher Arena on Feb. 3, 2023. Maria Bouabdo/ The Concordian

Stingers’ forward Maxim Trépanier’s hat trick helps Concordia get an important win for the upcoming playoffs

Last Friday night, the Concordia Stingers’ men’s hockey team stunned the Ottawa Gee-Gees by scoring four unanswered goals in the third period at the Ed Meagher Arena, thereby securing the second spot in the OUA East.

The Stingers and the Gee-Gees followed each other closely during the first period. The tension was high, but neither team could capitalize on their respective power plays. The first period ended with 11 unsuccessful shots for Concordia and eight for Ottawa.

Only in the second period was Gee-Gees’ forward Anthony Poulin able to score the first goal of the game against Stingers’ goaltender Jonathan Lemieux. Concordia, however, still couldn’t get on the board by the end of the period, with a total of 26 shots over 40 minutes.

The Stingers made crucial changes to their gameplay in the third period, allowing them to take the lead over the Gee-Gees.

“I told the guys to be honest with their performance and to step up their game and they did it,” said Stingers’ head coach Marc-André Elément. “We looked at some videos and the guys were playing on the outside, they weren’t staying in front of the goaltender. In the third period we went in there and that’s how we scored some goals.”

And score goals, they did.

Four minutes into the third period, Stingers’ forward Maxim Trépanier scored a first goal and tied the game after receiving a pass from Stinger’s defender Simon Lavigne and sliding it past Gee-Gees’ goaltender Christian Sbaraglia. He scored again three minutes later, giving Concordia the lead. This time centre Tyler Hylland and defender Sean Larochelle got the assists.

A few minutes later, Stingers’ centre and captain Phélix Martineau scored and furthered Concordia’s lead with help from Stingers’ right-winger Charles Tremblay and left-winger Isiah Campbell.

Two minutes before the end of the game, Trépanier received valuable passes from Lemieux and Stingers’ defender Kyle Havlena and took one final shot at an empty Gee-Gees’ net, setting the final mark of 4-1. It marked Trépanier’s second hat trick in two consecutive games and Lemieux’s second assist as a goaltender.

“It’s teamwork, it’s my job to start the game and the guys take care of the rest,” said Lemieux. “In an empty net situation, we have more chances to [score], but to do it for the hat trick of a teammate is really fun.”

Trépanier mentioned that the positive attitude in the locker room during the second intermission helped the team get the win.

“We knew after the first two periods that we weren’t playing our best game, but I think that we really stepped it up in the third period,” said Lemieux.

The goaltender also added that his teammates made his job much easier, allowing him to face only six shots in the last period.  

Despite the big win, the team remains focused on the important games ahead.

“We still have work to do this week for the playoffs, but we are getting close to where we want [our performance] to be,” said Trépanier.

Friday’s win guaranteed a first-round playoff bye for the Stingers, and their Saturday 3-2 victory against the Carleton Ravens marked their fifth consecutive win.

The Stingers’ last regular season game will be disputed at home on Feb. 10 against the Queen’s Gaels.

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