Big Things in Bomberland

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are getting a new stadium. This is not a surprise but is official. There are several reasons this is a good thing.

The old stadium is not in good shape. It's 2010 and a level floor should not be a luxury.

It's difficult to be a 1st class organization when you go to works in 4th class facilities.

The U of M will benefit significantly both through the constant publicity and economic spin-offs.

It is the right thing to do.

I am a huge Bomber fan and a University of Manitoba Alumni. I see great things for the future of this facility. It will create a new era of expecting the best for both organizations. No organization should settle for less than the best.

There will be criticism and detractors but those people often do nothing for their community so I'm not too concerned. I will be there when games are played and I can't wait.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are getting a new home and are moving to a great part of town.

Magical Madness

This week-end marked the beginning of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament, aka the Road to the Final Four. These guys have it figured out. Let's get 64 deserving teams together for a single elimination tournament. It produces drama, excitement, and anything can happen. It makes people watch. It is fun.

For three week-ends at the end of March and the start of April we can be transported to a world where all that matters is heart. Where you have to play every second of every game with such effort and determination. It's moments like this that turn boys into men.

For all the pageantry and excitement the tournament can also be cruel. Half the teams will not win a game each year. Three quarters are done by the end of the first week-end. Failure is not rewarded in any way. The only way to keep playing is to keep winning. I think that finality is part of what makes this even so special.

This year there have been a lot of upsets. I have been watching a lot of basketball. There is such an energy to games in the tournament. There has to be. One loss and you have no chance to come back. With the nature of basketball, you just have to stay close and you have a real chance to win at the end.

The folks at the NCAA have got it right for this one. I like the tournament just the way it is and I hope they never change a thing.

Tiger is Coming Back

Well its no secret that Tiger Woods is returning to golf at the Masters. It has been talked about and debated since he released a statement though his webpage. I for one am pleased that he is coming back. Not because I want to see him play, but because he owes golf a debt.

The man is extremely rich. He is rich because he can play golf very, very well. If it were not for his golfing abilities, Tiger Woods would never have received all the endorsements. In these times of economic challenges, which happens to coincide with several sponsorship renewals on the PGA Tour. Currently the only consistent draw on the tour is Tiger.

No Tiger, no money.

I realize he is a bit of a sideshow act but, if he isn't drawing people the tour could be in real trouble. There is no heir apparent. There is no one to look to today in golf that could pick up the torch and carry the tour. Tiger is it.

He has a responsibility to leave the sport in better condition than when he arrived. Golf has treated him well and he must do the same. Not returning to golf would be the most selfish act he could have done. It is good to see that Tiger is coming back. I know he is going to make a dump truck load of money and he will continue to benefit from golf but it is the only way that he can keep it going until the next one comes along.

Where Were You?

I was upstairs in the lounge of the Fort Garry Curling Club in Winnipeg MB. My weekly Sunday curling game ended a mere 30 minutes before the puck was dropped. That's ok though, its where I spend most of my Sundays in the winter.

The Men's Hockey Gold Medal Game of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games was one of those moments. Not just because it was hockey, there was a lot more to it.

There is the obvious point. Canada won. They beat the USA after the result was reversed in the Preliminary round. The Americans were the toughest test for Team Canada and they were overcome.

The game was won in overtime. There is something to be said for the old street hockey line, 'Next goal wins!' It was true yesterday afternoon. The puck goes in the net and the game is over. There is no count down, there is no singing, only tension followed by jubilation.

Sidney Crosby scored the goal. He has been anointed by Canadian hockey to carry this country's hopes and dreams. He is expected to be one of those guys like Gretzky, Lemieux, Howe, or Orr. He is it. By scoring that goal he has reached a place in hockey lore. No trophy can surpass the game winning goal, in overtime, of the gold medal game of the Olympics in your own country.

This was the 14th Gold Medal for Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Not only is that the most Golds ever for a host nation in the Winter Games it is the most Golds ever by any nation in the Winter Games. It capped off a fine showing by a great nation while the world watched. It moved Canada up not only in hockey prowess but in overall sporting prowess. It made a difference.

There will be comparisons to the '72 Summit Series. I was not alive yet to see that historic match-up. I have heard from those who were around when it happened that nothing will ever top it. That may be true and I don't want to dispute it. That is, has, and always will be a moment in time. But for a generation of Canadians, February 28, 2010 will live on as one of the greatest moments in Canadiana. It is a national coming together, a shared experience of tension and exuberance. Many years from now when I'm sitting around at the Legion, I will still remember that moment and where I was when that goal was scored, and you will too.