For those of you who don’t keep TSN as your home page or Sports Illustrated as your bedtime reading, we know the sports world can be hard to understand. This section is for you.
France overjoyed as Lance’s reputation is destroyed
LANCE ARMSTONG: Lance Armstrong is widely considered the best cyclist of all time and is an inspirational figure for his battle with cancer. His reputation took a serious hit this week, however, as Sports Illustrated published new information alleging that Lance Armstrong took performance enhancing drugs during his cycling career. The report states that there is evidence that Armstrong took HemAssist (a drug that boosts the blood’s ability to carry oxygen) and smuggled performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) and equipment onto private planes. The report also linked him to a doctor known to administer PEDs and alleges that blood tests have, in the past, shown an increased level of testosterone in his body. Armstrong denies all allegations.
If these reports turn out to be true, the credibility of a sport that has already been severely compromised due to cheating may be irreparably damaged. As for Armstrong, it would be disappointing to see another heroic figure soil his legacy with PEDs.
Na-bad year-kov
EVGENI NABOKOV: 2011 is set to be an even worse year than 2010 for former superstar goalie Evgeni Nabokov. Coming off a 44-win season with the Sharks, Nabokov wasn’t offered an NHL contract in the off-season and decided to take his talents to St. Petersburg of the KHL. There, Nabby slumped … hard. In December he was cut from the team’s roster, but finally, on Thursday, salvation arrived in the form of a contract with the NHL’s perennial powerhouse, the Detroit Red Wings. The only problem is that, because he played in Europe earlier this year, he had to clear waivers, meaning other teams had a chance to jump in and steal him from the Wings.
The perennially awful New York Islanders did just that. Now, Nabokov is refusing to report and the Islanders are refusing to trade him. It looks like Nabokov’s triumphant return to the NHL may be over before it even starts.
What to watch for between the commercials
NFL: The Super Bowl has finally arrived, with two of the most storied franchises in NFL history, the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, playing for the championship. In the semifinals both the Packers and Steelers led for the entirety of their respective games. Green Bay jumped out to a 14-0 lead and cruised to a 21-14 victory over the Chicago Bears, while the Steelers dominated early against the New York Jets, building a 24-0 lead, essentially winning their matchup by halftime. This Super Bowl is going to be very exciting as both the Packers and Steelers have shut-down defences and all-star quarterbacks. The only downside is the ridiculous, intrusive, and annoying 24/7, two-week hype fest that precedes the championship game.
Marathon match in OZ
TENNIS: In the fourth round of the Australian Open, Francesca Schiavone and Svetlana Kuznetsova just kept playing, and playing, and playing. Their marathon match went four hours and forty-four minutes, which sets the record for longest women’s tennis match at a major. Schiavone finally won the third set 16-14 over an exhausted Kuznetsova. It’s only January, but 2011’s match of the year may have already occurred.
Quote of the week
“Too many people in the world right now allow the youth to not be as good as they can be, allow them to be lazy. Here, I’m giving them an opportunity to live up to the best of their abilities and be proud of what they’re able to accomplish. If that’s what I’m being blamed for, then OK, I accept it.”
—Christian Heritage High women’s basketball Head Coach Rob McGill on why he allowed his team to run up the score and beat their opponents (some might say in unsportsmanlike fashion) 108-3.
