Boom Goes the Dynamite

I play rugby, provincial rugby that is. Most people are surprised to hear this because I’m not built like your “typical” rugby player, and yes sometimes I pay for that on the field. But it is a huge incentive for me to run a lot faster than I normally do when a woman who is twice my size is stalking me down and is fully capable of breaking me into two pieces. I think my most basic survival instincts come into play in that particular situation. But I digress.

The reason I bring this up is because in rugby I have received numerous concussions and with the recent ongoing discussions amongst NHL GMs about a possible proposal to eliminate dangerous hits to the head, this is a matter that has often been ignored in contact sports. Some may argue that it’s just apart of the game in that you know what you’re signing up for when you step on the ice. Others will say that there is no point in putting an athlete’s health at risk, not so much for athletic performance, but when it comes to head injuries they can have life long consequences. But with a game that is struggling with popularity in an American market, sometimes the bigger the hits, the bigger the audience, and that equates to more money. Maybe Bettman is trying to save up for some procedure or miracle drug that will make him taller.

Hockey isn’t just about the physicality of the game. No contact sport is. Yes, it’s apart of the excitement, the competitiveness and a way to get your team fired up with heightened intensity. But I just don’t see how this aspect of the game would be eliminated if they banned dangerous hits that increase the likelihood of head trauma. Accidents happen, athletes are aware of the risks they take when they compete in a sport. We were all harshly reminded of this just under a month ago before the beginning of the Olympic games. But if preventative measures can be put in place that will decrease these devastating injuries than I can only see this as moving in a positive direction.

Is it really over??

Where does one begin?? There is SOOO much to talk about…this may have to be broken down into a number of different posts.

But I’m sad that it's over and I'm definitely experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Not to sound overly dramatic but my life feels a little bit empty now that I don’t have the Olympics to watch every night as well as streaming it on my laptop throughout the day. Maybe I’ll just ask Brian Williams to periodically tell me what the time is in both the pacific and eastern time-zones. I have also developed several new crushes, one of them being Jay Onrait from TSN. He is officially number one on my Geekie Freebie 5 of course amongst the likes of Seth Meyers, James Duthie and Conan O'Brien. Don't judge me.

But it’s not about who’s reporting what. The Olympics are about the athletes. Am I the only one who is incredibly curious and fascinated to know what goes on at the Olympic Village???? I heard rumors of ping pong tournaments taking place between the Canadian athletes and participants included several members of the men's hockey team. What I would give…

The Olympics and what it represents for these athletes is a lifetime worth of dedication and sacrifices being made to reach this goal of dawning their country’s colours. This is all in hopes of hearing their national anthem being played because there is a new piece of golden hardware around their neck, that’s why I love sports. They have reached the pinnacle of their career, the emotions that overcome anyone who watches these intimate moments that happen when an athlete realizes that they did it, that it all was worth it, it is overwhelming. Yes, a lot of it is talent, the mechanics of training, the strength and conditioning, to the nutrition, they have worked to perfect all of these components in order to reach this goal. But there are things that make up these individuals that cannot be taught. It is the motivation, the drive to dig deep when all of your rational senses are telling you to stop, that is something that cannot be taught. There are days in every athlete’s preparation when they question whether or not if this all worth it? From the unfortunate financial stress of poorly funded programs, to the range of sacrifices that one has to make in multiple facets of their life from personal relationships to putting other life aspirations on hold, those are things that you do not see when an athlete is being introduced. The perseverance, the dedication, the unbridled passion that they have for their sport, this is what constitutes what an Olympian is.

It would be easy to say that my favourite Olympic moments were the ones that received the most attention, to the men reclaiming Olympic gold in hockey, to Alexandre Bilodeau igniting the nation’s enthusiasm for our games with our first gold medal win. Yes these are all pivotal moments that will be remembered. But it’s the athletes who did not medal, the ones who faltered, even after their years of training, it was those athletes who endured and kept going. Grinding it out until the end, the mental toughness to beat the physical exhaustion your body is experiencing, that is what makes an athlete an Olympian. A true honest moment was seen in Canada’s Devon Kershaw after finishing 5th in the Men’s Cross Country 50 km classic. To say that it’s an excruciatingly difficult race would be an understatement, as it requires endurance of the most optimal level with a focused drive to propel you to the finish line. Kershaw was devastated that he came so close to his Olympic dream of reaching the podium with his 5th place finish. Heart-wrenching and devastating is the more common experience that athletes share amongst each other, as there are only a handful out of the thousands of competitors who will hear their national anthem echoing as their flag is being raised along with a new gold medal draped around their neck. Many do not and will not make it to this point. But this doesn’t stop them from trying. To them, the fight to participate, the opportunity to compete to obtain their dream, that’s enough for them. Why can’t it be enough for everyone?

Yours in sports and stilettos,

Scotty

I'm Canadian eh, and I love it.

It’s day 9 of the Olympics and we’re halfway through, and I know my life is going to feel so empty when they’re over. We have 4 gold medals and counting, making our total altogether 8, and we used to just be a bronze country.

Our Vancouver games has unfortunately been riddled with what many see as numerous problems that question the capability of those who have spent years organizing this monumental event. Yes, there was an unspeakable tragedy that happened even before the Olympic flame was lit. There is nothing that anyone can say to lessen the heart-wrenching circumstances of when a young and vivacious man loses his life from participating in a sport that he loved. There’s nothing that can be said.

But Canadians should not feel embarrassed or have any less sense of pride because of the few shortcomings from the fickle weather in Vancouver to the mal-functioning zamboni. Having a mal-functioning zamboni in Canada? It’s kind of ironic, don’t ya think? Sing it Alannis. But buck up Canada, we’re all super foxes and wave your flags proudly, and wear your red mittens with cheer. Maybe the rest of the world would get a better idea of how Canadians really are from watching our beer commercials as opposed to the Opening Ceremony. But seeing Jon Montgomery win the gold medal and he turned down the suck and turned up the good by chugging a pitcher of beer with a crowd of Canadians cheering with enthusiasm beside him, those are the moments that I love to see. Part of the reason why I’m so friggin proud to be Canadian.

Maelle Ricker doesn’t know it, but I love her first name so much it is now on top of my list to name my future daughter, eventually…whenever that will be…I have to have a boyfriend first…then maybe a husband…minor details. But Plushenko, the quad-throwing Russian, wasn’t able to leave the rink after his short program because he couldn’t fill his cup filled with pee for drug testing…there’s a minimum amount. Along with James Duthie, I find this amusing. And PS, if I ever saw James Duthie, I would totally fan-girl all over him. He’s up there on my Freebie 5 list of funny and smart hotties, along with Conan O’Brien and Seth Meyers. Don’t judge me.

Be proud to be Canadian, it’s cool to wear your Olympic gear around town now. I busted out the old school O’2 Roots sweatshirt. Let us love the fact that our flag has a leaf on it, and that others feel that we are nice and sweet. Times like these don’t come often in our lifetime, so don’t let it pass you by.

Yours in sports and stilettos,

Scotty.

I believe. Do you?

The Olympics is one of those monumental events that happen every four years for both the summer and winter events respectively. Think of it in terms of when H’M announced they would carry an affordable line of Jimmy Choo’s. But for those of you who don’t really see the magnitude of it, or don’t see beyond the person wearing that ugly piece of spandex and “clown-sized” figure skates, mastering the art of turning left around the oval in speed skating, here’s some food for thought. These men and women have dedicated their lives to whatever passion in athletics that have chosen to pursue, to force their bodies to perform to their maximum potential. Each and every one of them has dreamt of the moment of when they would be able to represent their country. The focus, the determination, the drive to pick themselves up after they received a bad result and the sheer will to keep going, knowing that the hard work will inevitably pay off – that’s what it’s about. It’s not easy to get to the top, and it’s even harder to stay there. The Olympics is not just about the particular sport that is being played. It’s about the journey to reach that point, and who will be able to perform at their best on the day of competition. And I am dying to know what is going on in the Olympic Village. My inside sources tell me there’s always an abundant supply of condoms readily available. Jeff Batchelor needs to watch out. Lets hope he remains disease-free.

With Vancouver hosting this year’s Olympics, there is a certain sense of pride that people are beginning to show. But, there will now always be a dark cloud hanging over the memory of these games. I don’t even really know how to begin talking about it. Shocking, devastating, heart-wrenching, are all emotions that have a place in the tragedy that took place yesterday. The young and zealous young athlete who was going down a training run on this treacherous track, only to meet his fate before he finished his run. The image will forever haunt me. There are a lot of questions of why did this happen? Can it happen again? Is there someone to blame? Athletes are scared. This is about athletics, not putting your life in danger. Is there a reason why they had to make this track as fast as it is? Are they just trying to get their name on the map? Well they did, that’s for sure, but probably not in the capacity that they were hoping for. Tragic.

I’ll be watching and I’ll be cheering. And hopefully all of you are too.

Yours in sports and stilettos,

Scotty.

I have a confession to make. Well not really a confession, more like a proclamation that I, Becky Scott, wholeheartedly love tabloid reality television. Now, I’m not talking about every single reality show that’s offered. Rock Of Love?? More like house of former patients of every STD imaginable and they’re coming back for more! No, I’m more of a teenage-esque drama lover, such as The Hills which follow the lives of the “me” generation as they meander through their life problems of having bratty playboy girlfriends as well as how am I going to trick my husband into having a baby. That particular episode was a personal favourite. It boosted my confidence a little bit. On the rise is of course the newly emerged and soon-to-be Canadian classic, Peak Season, which is just a beer commercial gone wrong. It has struck a cord with many to see how many fights a person can get into before they pass out. Watching this show could possibly be turned into a drinking game with your buddies, every time a person is slapped, you take a shot. It’s quality programming. What do you want from me? I got kicked out of the Four Seasons when I was 15 for trying to find the Backstreet Boys.

But CTV has picked up it’s A-game and has come forward with a combination that nearly top the lists of best combinations of all time (it’s a race to the top with peanut butter and banana). Over the Bolts is an Olympic pump-me-up miniseries that will leave you feeling like a nerd if you can’t snowboard, but you will be hooked after watching each episode. You are brought into the lives of the Canadian Snowboard team and the monumentous journey they take to pursue their dreams of reaching the podium on their home turf of Whistler in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. For a person who has a passion for sports, the most fascinating thing to me is watching and learning how athletes train. Playing soccer at an extremely high competitive level, a lot of people don’t see how much commitment actually is needed to be able to reach your peak performance levels. They are called sacrifices for a reason, and I can guarantee you each athlete that competes at the Olympics has had to give up at least one aspect of their life to reach that level. Relationships can suffer, your values are tested and these trials and tribulations is what will make you leave with the gold, or go home empty-handed.

The show follows several members of the alpine and half pipe team. The main players are Mike, Kimmi from the Alpine team, and Dom, Mercedes and Jeff from the half pipe.

Mike is a young 20-something from an affluent Toronto upbringing, who’s trying to work out his inner demons so that his mentality doesn’t beat him before he even begins his descent through the gates. He’s talented and he will be the first person to tell you that. But his finishing does not back up his trash talking, as he works to discover what it takes to make it on the world cup circuit as well as shaping himself to be the person he is yet to become.

Kimmi, who is gorgeous and almost made it into my boyfriend’s top 5 list, is a talented and hard working rider. She seems to get a long with everyone and has a good head on your shoulders. And sometimes just being able to make it through the hard days with a smile on your face is what will bring you to the top. But I always have to wonder, she MUST have hooked up with at least someone on the team!

Dom and Mercedes have been struggling on the half-pipe. But Dom has been dealing with her own personal tragedy with losing her mom to cancer. Snowboarding can take a back-seat to that. But the true fight and determination of an athlete is her bringing herself back out to compete and pursue her dreams just like her mother would have wanted. That is what separates you from the pack.

Jeff Batchelor. He’s a guy I would have had a huge crush on in high school but would be too intimidated to talk to so I would go on admiring him from a-far for 4 years. Too much? I was so awkward. I digress. He’s an amazing talent and is not afraid to risk going for the big tricks and big points to win the competition. Most of the time, that’s all it takes. Sean White may see some competition from him in Whistler.

SO check this out. Lordie knows CTV will be replaying it, as well as MTV. Support our athletes! Olympics is a time when it brings nations together, and right now, at this point, I think it’s what many people need.

Figure Skating: Make-up, and spinning, and sequins - OH MY!

So as I said before, I am going to be talking about the sports that don’t receive a lot of recognition and figure skating is definitely one of them. I don’t know about you, but having grown up in Canada, I was thrown into figure skating at the ripe old age of 3 in an attempt to learn how to skate. Skating down at the local pond with my brothers and having the wind push me across the ice was my real teacher but I quickly mastered the basic skills of grabbing on to the boards if I was going too fast or making the pile of snow with my pink figure skates in learning how to stop. However, the twirling, the jumping, the elegant gliding across the ice as my Mom captured the Kodak moments from the confines of the bleachers, that whole thing just didn’t do it for me. I often complained that my feet hurt and they would take me home where I would continue to play mini-stick hockey with my brothers in the foyer. You can put me in a frilly skirt but you can’t make me spin on ice. But of course, during certain times of the year and especially during the Olympics, when we are bombarded with the dragqueen make-up and the sequined costumes (I have a secret obsession with all things that are sequined) I often can’t help but think what my song choice would be for my long program if I was a figure skater. Watching the movies The Mighty Ducks or The Sandlot, has a similar effect on me with baseball and hockey as I long to become a master of each sport. But then I remembered that baseball sucks. Ya, I said it, but I digress.

You have to give it up for the figure skaters. They are bad-ass bitches and real athletes who throw themselves into the air on ice doing the most outrageous things that I wouldn’t even attempt doing on solid ground and that is a feat that must be commended. The skill, the elegance, the strength and agility is just the tip of the ice berg of the athletic prowess that they possess which transcends into a beautiful dance on ice. They use their skills to perform jumps like the triple salchow (pronounced sow-cow) that sounds more like Chinese food, or a double lutz combination which could potentially be a drink that one would order at Starbucks. But as glamorous and showy as figure skating may be, these athletes have the wear and tear, broken bones and bruises that any athlete would have training at a top level. And you have to have a little bit of crazy in you to do what they do.

This past weekend was the figure skating world championships that took place in Los Angeles. Our very own Joannie Rochette finished second in an incredible showing while Kim Ya-Na of South Korea finished first. This of course sets a promising stage for Rochette in hopes of being a medal contender for the 2010 Olympics. Now here is where my smutty sense is tingling and it is a talent taught none other by Lainey from Laineygossip.com. Kim Ya-Na, is from South Korea but her coach and mentor is none other than THE Canadian Olympic medalist himself, Brian Orser. Brian freaking Orser. Am I the only one who sees something wrong with that? Yes, I know there are several situations in sports where the coach of an athlete or team is not from the country of which the athlete represents. But having just got a taste of what the skating culture is like, and I’m talking think of your worse hockey/soccer mom experience and multiply that by 10 and maybe you will be closer to a skating mentality, but it is fierce competition in the skating world. The gossip that goes on behind the scenes makes Britney Spears smut seem like sandbox talk for toddlers. But as if Canada has enough problems in amateur sports in seeking funding, sponsorships or recognition for that matter, you would think that Brian Orser would assist in the Canadian amateur sport landscape as much as he can. *Snaps the finger* Oh no he didn’t!

I have since decided that I would only become a figure skater if the music for my programs could include lyrics. Currently you are unable to have music that contains lyrics. I couldn’t imagine doing a routine that wasn’t to the tune of a Backstreet Boys song. I do keep the Backstreet pride alive. Always.

Yours in sports and stilettos,

Scotty