Cubbies, Cubbies

The Major League Baseball season is winding down. Today my Cubbies are playing a HUGE doubler header against my least favorite team in baseball, the Florida Marlins. I hated them last year during their Cinderella run to a World Championship (I actually cheered for the Yankees! You made me cheer for the Yankees, Florida Marlins!). I hated them in their improbable World Series victory over my other team, the Cleveland Indians. The Marlins continue to upset my favorite teams and that in itself puts them way down on my love scale.

So far so good today as my Cubbies are currently up 5-1 through 5 1/2 innings in game 1.

This really is one of my favorite times of the year. I have always loved watching the World Series and the playoff series that lead up to it. Even when the Yankees are playing. There are nothing but good memories associated with the MLB postseason.

More then anything, baseball in it's entirety, not just the playoffs, remind me of my Dad. When he passed away a few years ago watching baseball took on a whole new meaning for me. Now, watching the game isn't just about watching overpaid egomaniacs smack a little white ball around a diamond shaped field. It's about reliving my childhood and being taken back to a time when life was a lot simpler.

Baseball has always represented peace to me. Some of my precious memories are of the times spent at a major league ballpark with my Dad and brothers. Cleveland, Cincinnatti, Detroit, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Fenway Park, Cooperstown, NY . . . all great places to go when you're a baseball fan. There's something magical about being in a ballpark. Everything's better at the park. The weather's better, the food's better, the people are better. Life is better when you're in the ballpark.

I can remember watching Jim Thome as a rookie third baseman for the up-and-coming Cleveland Indians in the early 90's. Or watching Wade Boggs play thirdbase for the Boston Red Sox at historic Fenway Park. I can remember seeing my Dad caught in a day-dream while his face was plastered on the jumbotron at old Three Rivers Stadium.

As my son get's older I plan to do everything I can to teach him the love of the great game of baseball. No matter how high salaries get, how pampered and panzied players become, how commercialized and mediatized the game becomes, there will still be a big place in my heart for the game.

There is one magical ball park that has escaped me thus far (well, there are many but there is one that I'd really love to go to), and that is Wrigley Field. As a kid I grew up idolizing Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson and Mark Grace. I cannot wait for the day when I can take my son to Wrigley and sit amongst the greatest baseball fans in the world.

As this season winds down and the Cubbies continue to battle for a spot in the post-season, I am going to make this bold prediction. The Cubs will beat out the Giants for the National League wild-card. They will then defeat the Atlanta Braves in NLCS semi's and move on to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. Then, they will finally bring peace and rest to the millions of Cub fans around the world who have waited for so many years for a World Series championship when they defeat the Boston Red Sox and become the 2004 World Series Champions.

What a magical post-season it will be for Cubs fans! Go Cubbies!

And your Canadian Idol is. . .

18 year old Kalan Porter of Medicine Hat, AB (one of the nicest towns in Canada) was crowned the 2004 Canadian Idol over Saskatchewan's own Theresa (not even going to make an attempt at spelling her last name).

My wife and I definitely got in to this year's Idol competition and, while we were rooting for our SK girl to win it, we felt that the best performer definitely won the competition. I have to agree with the incredibly annoying Zac though that when it comes to who's music I'll listen to, it will probably be Theresa.

3.6 million Canadian's voted on Thursday night and while they didn't say how many votes each person received, my guess is that it was not even close. This year's show, while fielding a much more talented group than last year's inaugural season, didn't really have any surprises. I think everyone knew from the get-go that Kalan would win.

Personally, I thought this year's Canadian Idol competition was far better than last year's and better than any American Idol show that I've watched. I did not watch much of last year's American or Canadian Idol because really, the talent was very, very weak.

Now, if we could just get rid of the ultra-annoying Ben Mulroney and John Dore (one guy looks terrifyingly uncomfortable up there and the other is a moron), replace Sass Jordan with someone who knows what they are talking about (just as long as it's not Jann Arden) and get rid of the Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell wanna-be's (Farley & Zac), you'd have a pretty decent show (because that would leave you with no host, no useless supposed to be funny skits, and only Jake as the judge). We've already shown that we have more talent then our neighbors to the north, we just need to step away from their model of the show and do our own thing.

September is a CRAZY month for TV watching. While trying to catch all the season-premieres of old favorites, you're also trying to find the time to catch all the season finale's from all the summer shows- Amazing Race, Big Brother, Canadian Idol- as well as check out some of the new shows debuting this month. Who's got time for all that?

Thanks to having an Expressvu and being able to watch shows on east and west coast time slots, you can pretty much start watching shows at 4 pm (maritimes channels) and catch the shows you missed on west coast time slots.

The Amazing Race is winding down and this past weeks episode looked to be ending in perfect fashion. The gruesome twosome- Colin & Christie- looked to have finally been brought down after a very smart use of the yield by my favorite couple, Chip & Kim. However, Colin & Christie lucked out and, after finishing dead last, were told that this was the last of the non-elimination pit stops, meaning they were still in the race but would have to start the next leg of the race with no money.

The game is officially on as Colin & Christie are now out to get Chip & Kim. 4 teams are left- Colin & Christie, Chip & Kim, Brandon & Nicole (the Christian models) and the bowling Moms (Linda & Karen).

My guess would be that Brandon & Nicole will be the next two eliminated. The Bowling Mom's have dodged so many bullets already that you just get the sense that they'll keep getting lucky. Colin & Christie will definitely be out to get Chip & Kim but I think Chip could take Colin pretty easily and Kim would mop the floor with Christie if needs be.

It's going to be a great end to what is without a doubt the best reality show on TV.

Speaking of which, Survivor 9000 (or whatever number it is) debuted last night from the island of Vanuatu. They have their usual recipe of competitor's with a lot of eye-candy mixed in with some red-neck spice. Even though I think the show is getting really old I still watched the debut episode last night. It's women vs. men and once again, the women defeated the men for reward and immunity. A nice twist to this year is that the old guys appear to hold the power over the studly young fellas and ended up voting out one of the cocky young bucks. Hey, if you want to shut your brain off and just be entertained for an hour, Survivor can still do that.

I also checked out "Joey" last night. Still not sure if I'm a fan or not. Joey's character was by far my favorite on Friends (except for the whole Joey & Rachel disaster) so I was glad to see the character continue on. I'm not sure if Joey will have the same success spinning off Friends that Fraser had spinning off Cheers, but I think the show provides enough laugh's and enough memories of Friends to have a decent run.

I'm realizing I could probably write a book on all the TV shows going on right now. You know you have a couple kids and no life when you can spend an entire lunch hour writing about your TV watching habits. Oh well, it helps speed up the winter season which, in Saskatchewan especially, is something to definitely be excited about.

I'll save my thoughts on the NHL lockout, the upcoming MLB playoffs (GO CUBBIES) and various other random thoughts, for next weeks Blog. Have a good weekend to all those in Blog-land.

The Birthday Boy

Yesterday was my big brother's 37th birthday. He has had the joy of having me around for 27 of those year's.

Having one older brother is a blessing. I have been fortunate enough to grow up with two.

Today's blog is dedicated to the birthday boy who, whether he knows it or not, has had a huge impact on my life.

So brother, thanks for taking your role as a big brother seriously. I know that Aidan will learn to do the same for his little brother/sister as the years go by because he's got an awesome role model in his Dad.

As a big brother you never made me feel like a burden. In spite of the fact that there are 10 years between us you always made time for me.

Whether it was taking me around Dad & Patti's room to teach me the fine art of snooping for Christmas gifts (which, by the way, was how I found out there was no Santa Claus!) or allowing yourself to be humiliated in countless numbers of driveway basketball games, you made time with me a priority.

I have a love for movies because of you. Your passion for the flicks rubbed off on me.

I love sour gum balls because of you. The first time you brought home one of those giant containers of Tear Jerkers was one of the best days of my life! My taste buds have never been the same since.

I have a head full of useless knowledge because you showed me how much more fun life is when you don't fill your head full of "useful" things. I can't remember my wedding anniversary but I can pretty much recite every line from Major League-You may run like Mays but you hit like . . . anyways, moving on.

Speaking of baseball, it's true that baseball is a universal language. It's like the scene in City Slickers when they're talking about how baseball was the one thing they could always talk about. It's one of those things that you either love it or you hate it. You and I have always been on the extreme end of the love it scale. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if in 20 years we're a couple of fat guys attending a fantasy baseball camp in an attempt to recapture our glory years. "I'd run to first but I just pulled a fat swinging at that 30mph fastball." If we're not at a fantasy camp in 20 years, we'll still definitely be a couple of fat guys.

I have seen you grow and mature as a man, as a follower of Christ, and as a father. You challenge, encourage and inspire me constantly, even though there are 3000 km's between us.

I am so thankful to know that while we may not get to spend as much time together as we'd like in this life, we have the rest of eternity to look forward to.

I am proud of you. I am proud of the values and morals that you live by. I am proud of the passion and commitment with which you serve Christ with each and every day. I'm proud of the way you intentionally sit back on lazy fly balls so that you can sprint under them at the last second and make a spectacular sliding catch (H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D).

I am proud to call you my brother.

You are a good man and I pray that this year brings you incredible amounts of joy, success, growth and fulfillment.

Thank you for all that you have done for me and all that you continue to do.

Happy Birthday young man.

2-0

2 games are in the books and Canada sits at a perfect 2-0. Last night's decisive win over the Slovaks should show that Canada is definitely the team to beat in this year's tournament.

I didn't get to see the whole game unfortunately but I did see enough to know that this is a very deep Canadian squad that should be crowned as champions in another week or two.

I think the insertion of Kris Draper for Brendan Morrow was a good move by Pat Quinn. Morrow is a solid player but Draper's speed, penalty killing skills, and big game experience make him a more valuable commodity. With the way the other Canadian forwards are playing I think the only way Maltby & Marleau are going to see the ice is if another injury occurs.

Once again the best line last night was Lecavalier, Heatley and former Moose Jaw Warrior (and alumnus of our high school here) Ryan Smyth. Props also go to Jarome Iginla who, in spite of his lack of goal production thus far (he's been robbed a few times already) continues to be an impact player; and Martin St. Louis who continues to prove that big things can happen to little people. His Brett Hull-like goal last night was a true goal-scorer's goal, set-up by a great feed from Brad Richards (another Canadian who's playing great hockey right now).

Last night my wife and I took our two kids to the Civic Centre to take in the Moose Jaw Warriors annual Black & White intrasquad game. As the exhibition season nears in the WHL last night was a good chance for some of these young players to show what they can do in front of a fairly decent crowd.

All I have to say is thank goodness for Junior Hockey. It maintain's it's purity with the absence of big-money contracts, unions, and money hungry owners. Junior hockey is all about playing hard, winning championships, and taking steps towards achieving a dream.

Junior hockey in western Canada is the best hockey around. Having grown up in Southern Ontario where junior hockey is virtually invisible, it was like a whole other world was unveiled to me the first night my wife (then my girlfriend) took me to a Moose Jaw Warriors game. It didn't take long for me to get hooked on the team and the league.

There's an energy at Junior hockey games that I've yet to experience at an NHL game (although I'm sure some of the games during the Flames improbably run in last year's Stanley Cup playoffs would compare).

At the Civic Centre in Moose Jaw you can only seat about 3000 fans. The rink has been nicknamed the Crushed Can because the centre of it is sloped and makes it look like a pop can does after you step on the middle of it. It is an awesome atmosphere in there.

Moose Jaw fans are passionate people. We love our hockey and we are fanatically devoted to our team. Games against the hated rivals, the Regina Pats, make for some of the best hockey games (playoffs or not) that you will ever see. Hard hitting, fast paced, highly intense contests.

My advice is this, if you're ever in a western Canadian city that is home to a Western Hockey League franchise, take the time to get yourself a ticket and take in a game. Moose Jaw is a great place to watch a game but there are many other great western league cities that boast great fans- Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Kamloops are a few that come to mind.

For those of you out there who are interested in hearing about the trials and triumph's of the Moose Jaw Warriors for the 2004-05 season, I have started another blog titled "From the Cheap Seats" that will give regular recaps and opinions on the Warriors season. Check it out at www.moosejawwarriors.blogspot.com. Posts will be infrequent for the next couple weeks but will become much more regular in early October.

One win in the books

Canada vs. USA did not disappoint last night in each team's opening bout in the World Cup of Hockey.

I fully expected Canada to win the game by 3 or 4 goals but was actually relieved to have the game be much closer then that.

I will give the Americans credit, they played a gritty, playoff style game and they had lots of opportunities to tie the game up after Guerin scored to make it 2-1. Thankfully we have the best goalie in the world between the pipes for us and Brodeur shut the door after Guerin's goal.

I thought for sure the best line of the night for Canada was the line of Ryan Smyth, Vinny Lecavalier and Dany Heatley. They cycled the puck well, they had sustained pressure in the offensive zone, they were grinding it out in the corners, and they weren't staying on the ice longer then they should be. That line deserved a goal or two.

Of course Canadians everywhere will be complaining about the chippiness of the American squad as Brodeur was bumped and run a couple of times. Having watched the game though I don't think Marty is totally innocent in this case as we threw a few blocker shots and tugged on a few red, white and blue jersey's himself.

Speaking of jersey's, was Wayne Gretzky on acid or something when he signed off on the jersey's Team Canada was wearing last night? I didn't see the first half of the first period so perhaps they explained the reasoning behind the disaster they call a jersey. What was the deal with the Winnipeg Falcons crest on the left shoulder? It looked like Gretz and co. went in to an American Eagle store and bought 25 jerseys and sowed a red maple leaf on them. Go back to the red and white boys, this is a hockey tournament, not a fashion show.

So, outside of the fact that our boys looked like they were covered in mustard, I was pretty pleased with their first game (better then the drubbing they took at the hands of the Swedes in the last Olympics).

There wasn't really anyone that stood out as not being effective in last nights game. Pat Quinn will have a difficult time getting the Marleau-Draper-Maltby line into any games, although if any line is going to sit, I would guess it will be Joe Thornton's line. It looks like Jovanovski is out with one of those pesky "lower body injuries" so I would expect to see the speedy Jay Bouwmeester in the lineup tonight as they take on the high flying Slovaks.

Our junior team here in Moose Jaw (the beloved Warriors) are playing their annual intrasquad game tonight as training camp continues on. So, yours truly will be taking that game in instead of watching the Canada/Slovakia game.

All in all a great start for Canada. I would much rather see them pushed in these round robin games instead of seeing them blow everyone out by 5 or 6 goals. Kicking off against the USA was the best thing that could have happened to this team.

Go Canada!