In the past month, the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Ottawa Senators have made headlines for a slew of undesirable reasons. One of the sources of controversy involving the club was forward Shane Pinto’s 41-game suspension for sports wagering activities, announced on Oct. 26. This came as a surprise[Read More…]
Behind the Bench
Voided races, national desertion, and the mess that was the 2023 Pan American Games
From Oct. 20 to Nov. 5, Chile hosted the 2023 Pan American Games (PAG) in Santiago. The competition included a total of 33 sports, with 28 being part of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. The PAG are held every four years among athletes from North, Central, and South[Read More…]
FIFA dropped the ball with the 2023 Ballon d’Or
Each year, professional soccer players’ achievements culminate in the Ballon d’Or ceremony. At the event, invitees witness the presentation of the Ballon d’Or––the most prestigious award in soccer. Considering both national team and club accomplishments, the best player from the past year receives the Ballon d’Or. This year’s celebration took[Read More…]
The NHL needs to stop embarrassing itself
On Oct. 24, the National Hockey League (NHL) reversed its draconian decision to ban Pride tape after months of public outcry from fans and players alike, concluding one of the most embarrassing months of public relations for a professional sports league to date. The entire endeavour was a lost cause[Read More…]
An ode to Dusty Baker
The creator of the high five. The winner of a Gold Glove, World Series, and two Silver Sluggers. The first African American manager with 2000 victories and the first manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) history to lead five different teams to division titles. On Oct. 26, following their elimination[Read More…]
Let’s reel in the disappointment surrounding Kim Ng’s departure from the Marlins
On Oct. 16, Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins announced that they would be parting ways with Kim Ng, the first woman to hold the position of general manager (GM) in any of North America’s four major men’s sports. In a statement, Marlins’ chairman and principal owner Bruce Sherman announced that[Read More…]
McGill’s lack of varsity sports culture needs to change
McGill has a long history of pioneering innovation within the sports world: James Naismith, the creator of basketball, studied at McGill, the university’s annual carnival hockey game first took place in 1883, and McGill participated in the first American football game of all time. In April 1874, McGill played Harvard[Read More…]
The unstoppable growth of sports betting must be met with education
In February 2023, Loto-Québec and Groupe CH––the parent company of the Montreal Canadiens––announced their intent to build a mini-casino adjacent to the Bell Centre. The mini-casino was set to include 350 video lottery terminals and a dedicated sportsbook area. However, Loto-Québec promptly abandoned their proposal after the office of Montreal’s[Read More…]
More than gold: The psychological impact of winning a UFC championship belt
In one of the most remarkable upsets in the promotion’s history, Sean Strickland, a controversial figure in mixed martial arts, shocked the world on Sept. 9 by beating Israel Adesanya, arguably the face of the promotion, to capture the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight title. The looks of astonishment from[Read More…]
No more settling for mediocre soccer
Canada and the United States are often criticized for their lack of soccer culture. Though some cities’ enthusiasm shows that the two countries’ soccer culture is alive and well, the city-concentrated support for Major League Soccer (MLS) and National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) teams is not as pervasive as it[Read More…]
