My first-ever diving lesson ended with a 20-minute cry on the three-metre springboard and then a tearful drive home where I begged my dad not to make me go back. I have three main defences of myself here: I was eight years old, terrified of heights, and there against my[Read More…]
Behind the Bench
Mitchell Miller and hockey culture’s continued failure
Content warning: Racism, ableism, physical assault, bullying What comes to mind when you think of hockey culture? Sexual assault? Hazing? Racism? There is no doubt that the culture of Canada’s game is a travesty to all those it touches. The recent Hockey Canada scandal has provoked an unprecedented level of[Read More…]
The NBA: Notoriously Bad (at) Accountability
From its inception, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has not only been an arena for high-flying hoopers, but also for advocates for equitable sport. The league began as an all-white initiative following the commercialization of the sport in 1946. Black athletes began to be integrated in 1950, but did not[Read More…]
Running should produce feelings of freedom, not fear
CW: Mention of physical and sexual assault On Sept. 2, Eliza Fletcher was abducted during her morning run in Memphis, Tennessee. Three days later, Fletcher’s body was found in a vacant lot roughly seven miles from where she was taken. The tragedy of Fletcher’s death reaffirms the constant dangers of[Read More…]
McGill must stop resisting before Athletics ceases existing
As another school year draws to a close, it offers an opportunity to reflect on the areas of the McGill community that have evolved—as well as those that have stayed tragically stagnant. A year marked by the return to in-person classes, sports games, social events, and cycles of relaxed restrictions[Read More…]
When money trumps morals: Do human rights have a place in the professional sports world?
On Feb. 25, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the governing agency of Formula 1, announced its decision to cancel the Russian Grand Prix. The decision came after concern from both stakeholders and drivers following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The FIA also announced that Russian and Belarusian drivers would[Read More…]
All we need are some private jets: The untapped potential of women’s professional sports
Imagine if Lebron James, Auston Matthews, or Mookie Betts had to work a day job. Imagine if they were not paid unfathomable sums of money or built up to be some of the biggest celebrities in North America. Would they still be held in such high regard? When you ask[Read More…]
It’s high time for change: Athletics organizations must relax marijuana testing rules
On Feb. 25, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced that it would be relaxing the rules surrounding positive marijuana tests for its athletes. Effective immediately and extending retroactively to drug tests conducted as early as fall 2021, the threshold levels for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of marijuana, are[Read More…]
Growing the game: The importance of the Olympics to women’s hockey
On Sunday, Feb. 6, an article titled “Why women’s hockey doesn’t belong in the Olympics” was published—and no, it was not by the Onion. A columnist at the Toronto Star berated women’s hockey, arguing that because Canada and the United States dominate the sport at the Olympic level, the women’s[Read More…]
An axe to grind: It’s time for Atlanta’s ‘chop’ to go
The transition away from dehumanizing caricatures of Indigenous peoples within the sports world has been marked by many teams dropping their blatantly racist names. After years of activism, McGill changed the moniker of their men’s varsity teams to the “Redbirds” in 2019. The Washington Football Team eliminated their degrading nickname[Read More…]
