For university students, May is the month when our exam anxiety evaporates and we veer off to begin our promising summer plans. However, this summer brought with it a new cause for uneasiness and hope. It was NHL playoff hockey, and it had finally returned to Toronto.
Behind the Bench
Taking pride in those who represent us
When you finish something you were heavily invested in, it’s natural to question whether it was all worth the effort; and if you’re a journalist, it’s natural to write a column like this. In my four years at the Tribune, I’ve had the opportunity to do some incredible things. I’ve[Read More…]
Roaring Back: Tiger’s return to the top
Everything seems to be going well for Tiger Woods these days: he and President Obama enjoyed a game of golf in February, and he recently announced his relationship with Olympic ski champion Lindsey Vonn (ugh). However, it got even better when Woods sank his final putt at the Arnold Palmer[Read More…]
The mathematics of sports
Bill James first pioneered it for baseball in the 1980s, Moneyball made it popular, and now it is playing an increasing role within the dealings of NBA teams. Sports analytics, as it is known, is fuelled by self-described sports-loving stat geeks, and is the go-to metric for professional sports teams[Read More…]
IOC wrong to pin wrestling
As a fan of Mixed Martial Arts, it should be no surprise that I have developed an interest in the sport’s different components. This is why I was so excited to watch Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling during the London 2012 Olympic games. For anyone who tuned in to watch these[Read More…]
Why do we glorify athletes?
George Best was an incredible soccer player, most notably appearing for Manchester United through the ‘60s and early ‘70s. In fact, he was so good, that if the soccer adage, “Maradona good; Péle better; George Best,” is true, then he was the greatest of the day. Best combined a deft[Read More…]
Who says golf is boring?
Golf has a reputation around the sporting world as one of the most boring and serious sports out there. However, the fans at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona beg to differ. There is nothing in golf quite like this tournament, which takes place every year around the[Read More…]
Chris Bosh: the ultimate ‘third-wheel’
My Toronto Raptors fandom was born when Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady first flew through the newly opened Air Canada Centre, leading what was arguably the most exciting young team in the NBA. Admittedly though, my clearest Raptor memories are rooted in the Chris Bosh era, when mediocrity was the[Read More…]
SSMU drops ball, should have dropped puck
“The winters of my childhood were long, long seasons. We lived in three places—the school, the church, and the skating rink—but our real life was on the skating rink.” Last week, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) held a week of events to better inform McGill students about the[Read More…]
Fantasy is my reality
After unloading my backpack stuffed full of books and unzipping my puffy jacket, I settle into my McLennan carrel with a Tim Hortons’ double-double for a long study session. I open up my computer, click on Safari, and type “Yahoo fantasy basketball” into the Google search bar. The results appear,[Read More…]