Russia’s lack of defensive depth will be their undoing against Canada; the Canadian offence is too well-balanced and aggressive for the sub-par Russian blueline corps.
Behind the Bench
Playing out of pride: The story of the McGill Fight Band
On a late night in 2006, Ted Smith and a few of his friends went out for drinks. The night led them to Bar des Pins, where they entered as buddies and emerged as a band—more specifically, the Fight Band—McGill Athletics’ leading pep squad. The Fight Band is a staple[Read More…]
Behind the Bench: More than the franchise: The soft power of the sports business
The political agency of sports is often downplayed in popular conversation, if not totally ruled out. While scoring a goal from centre ice doesn’t exactly warrant a parliamentary medal, sport culture is fostering a growing liberalism. Furthermore, a desire from sporting entities to maintain a wide audience has the potential[Read More…]
Training for Super Smash Bros
Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. has been a staple of many a childhood since the ’90s and beyond. Created by the legendary Masahiro Sakurai, “Smash” presents itself as a cuddly, kid-friendly fighting game wherein a greatest hits of Nintendo characters duke it out for supremacy by attempting to knock each other[Read More…]
Behind the Bench: How fans shape ticket prices
The essence of fandom is hard to capture in words; fans tend to have a more familial connection to their favourite team than to other organizations or businesses. The emotions they invest into sports transcend those of any other service that is provided to the common person. Yet, the reality is[Read More…]
Behind the Bench: Rooney Rule Ramifications for Female Representation
Diversity and minority visibility in professional athletics has recently made international headlines, with the inauguration of new professional women’s sport leagues, such as the WNHL, the MLB implementing programs to increase female and minority job candidates, and new awards like the British Ethnic Diversity Sports Awards recognizing the diversity of[Read More…]
Simplicity in concept, duplicity in design: The precarious state of daily fantasy sports
I have never purchased a lottery ticket, gone to a casino, or joined any online poker site. I can count on my fingers the amount of times I have made serious wagers with friends, and raffle tickets have always revolved around the spirit of charity rather than the thrill of[Read More…]
Discouraged and overlooked, but still competing: A club athlete’s experience at McGill
It’s 6:30 a.m. on a Monday, the November sun is just rising over Percival-Molson Stadium, and I’ve already been up for an hour so I can practice Lacrosse with my teammates. Based on the inconvenient timing, you wouldn’t know that my team represents McGill across North America. Some of the[Read More…]
Behind the Bench: Athletes as activists
Following weeks of protests over racial tensions at the University of Missouri, dozens of members of the school’s football team announced that they would not practice or play in any games until members of the university administration resigned. Within days, the president of the multi-campus university system stepped down, and[Read More…]
The NHL has a character crisis
“Character” and “leadership” are terms thrown around a lot in professional hockey. Hockey culture expects players to fit into a specific mold of physical and mental toughness, applauding those who play through pain and injuries. Unfortunately, these expectations can condone violent, harmful behaviour while castigating players for things outside of[Read More…]
