Eskimos fumble on record 50/50 draw

From where I sit it looks like the Eskimos managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory...

via globalnews.ca

 

No, I don't mean their performance on the field. In fact, the Edmonton-Calgary game ended up being quite engaging, the deluge only adding to the festivities. No, it wasn't the game that came up short on Thursday night. It was the Eskimos as an organization that failed miserably. A staggering 50/50 pot had people flocking to Commonwealth Stadium just to get a shot at the biggest total in league history. At $350,000 it was impossible not to get excited. Where's the failure? Simple, the team was so overwhelmed by ticket demand they couldn't actually make the draw during the game. They spent the last few days trumpeting about the huge pot, then can't actually deliver on the promise. Some people stood in line for over an hour. Rumour has it others never did get to buy tickets. Then to top it all off they decide not to announce the winning ticket during the game, but post it on their webpage. Pathetic. They weren't ready. No matter what story is brought forward, the Eskimos dropped the ball. It should have been made clear from the start that the prize would be awarded after the game. There should have been 2 to 3 times the normal number of 50/50 sellers. And even if there was, clearly more were needed. Finally, just to add insult to injury, the Eskimos lost.

At least that's how I see it, and I sit in the cheap seats.

Jason Whitlock resorts to racial profiling

From where I sit it looks like there's a new villain for Canadians to despise...

via awfulannouncing.com

Jason Whitlock's comments are so stupid as to be comical. I'm not insulted; I'm amused. It's hardly original to be insulting to Canadians. In fact, go for it Mr Whitlock. Be as ridiculous as you would like. But wait, maybe he's right. Perhaps Canadians just don't want to win at basketball as much as Americans and some Europeans do. Just like Americans aren't as good at baseball as players from other nations. Let's face it in 5 Olympic tournaments the US only won once and they've never finished higher than 4^th at the World Baseball Classic. Of the past 10 World Series, only 4 MVPs have been American, one in the past 5 years. Clearly, there's something missing from American kids when it comes to baseball, they just don't have the drive they need to be the best. Basketball has the smallest roster of all the professional sports, 12. Yet, somehow Whitlock thinks Canadians are simply too lazy to be the top players. On the other hand is it possible Canadians aren't the best because it's not a major sport in Canada. Outside of Toronto, the NBA has a toe hold at best. It's a secondary game and with idiots like Whitlock running their mouths, there's not going to be much change.

At least that's how I see it, and I sit in the cheap seats.

Howard shows quality of US Soccer

From where I sit it looks like the US has a new folk hero...

via abcnews.go.com

The long term results of Tim Howard's performance against Belgium won't be felt for years. Just as players like Mike Modano and Brian Leetch were inspired by the Miracle on Ice, it's hard to say how many future stars will be inspired by Howard's heroics. But it's safe to say the US has announced it's presence on the international scene. Yes, the Americans have been here before. Knockout games and never advanced. On the surface this looks just like any other World Cup exit. But there's much more at work here. This game was special. 16 saves, only about 12 of them tough. Howard was the only reason the US had any sort of chance at winning. Even when the Americans were down 2-0 after the first half of extra time it never seemed like they were beaten. The pressure from the US in the second 15 minutes was sustained and substantial. It wound up being difficult not to cheer for the Americans. Not because they were a rag-tag bunch of underdogs looking for a Hollywood ending. No, this was because they were playing good football. Attractive football. Even during their moments of attack during the 90 minutes it was fun to watch the way the worked the ball and looked for openings. It wasn't about the US trying to create their own way of playing, it was an understanding of the style used by the top international teams. And best of all it was entertaining.

At least that's how I see it, and I sit in the cheap seats.