Fringe Sports
Posted by jtbourne on July 12, 2009 · 7 Comments
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At last, the CFL season has started. Time for some serious coverage.
Aaaaaaaahhh, just kidding!
You lucked out this time readers. It’s one of the very few sports I can’t quite get into (see also: any league that starts in “W”). When I do follow, I claim to be a fan of the Lions and Roughriders, which means that every year I have a 25% chance of a favourite team winning the Grey Cup (which, I believe, is slightly better than the Jets chances most years).
The league was way better when it was a nine team league and two of them had the same name (Roughriders). That wasn’t embarrassing at all. Nope. I see no problem there.
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Everyone who can look graceful playing Andy Roddick is in this picture.
While I’m on sports that I’m a fringe follower of, let me touch on tennis quick:
As per a recent message I got from a reader: are we all taking the greatness of Roger Federer for granted? It may not be the case worldwide, but I know in North America Federer isn’t held in nearly as high esteem as Tiger Woods, despite the fact that his showing at this years Wimbledon (especially the final) was simply breathtaking.
I still don’t care to watch every point of a quarter-final match against Madeup Randomguy (where I would watch Tiger Woods mini golf against his kids), but it’s probably time I at least mention the greatest tennis player of all time. So ya… Roger Federer - congrats on that.
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By the way, my first contribution to Hockey Primetime’s temporary site (www.hockeyprimetime.com) is up - a little analysis of who I thought gained and who lost in this years free agent flurry (aren’t you sick of the word “frenzy” after “free agent”?). Check it out (or I’ll kill you. Seriously.)
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Last but not least… I inverted a small bird. Clunked ‘em with my car.
I dunno. You google "bird car drugs" and find a better image.
Can we please have an open discussion about that stupid game birds play, where they fly out in front of your car, at car height, from ditch to ditch, at the last second?
I’m convinced that the fly-by game is like doing drugs for birds. I bet its such an adrenalin rush. And you know they aren’t just trying to get to the other side. They can fly. Height is a non-issue.
The first bird won the game, got his fix, and scared me. The second bird was clearly trying to impress his friends by taking a big hit (getting especially close) and didn’t even make it to the far side of my car. A big hit, indeed.
Clunk.
Overdose.
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*Footnote: If you want your time chewed to pieces like mine, check out www.textsfromlastnight.com (heavy parental advisory on the content, it’s offensive in every way possible, and hilarious).
I'm a hockey player turned writer. After playing for Alaska Anchorage in the WCHA (NCAA), I carried on with an NHL tryout (New York Islanders in 2007) before spending a couple seasons in the AHL/ECHL (last year was 2008-09). My father, Bob Bourne, won four Stanley Cups with the Islanders in the '80's, as did my fiancee's dad, Clark Gillies. I'm now the web editor for theScore's hockey blog "Backhand Shelf."
I gotta agree with you about Federer Justin…It’s absolutely awe inspiring the level of dominance that he’s shown. I’d be willing to say that he’s the best ever. And, as far as textsfromlastnight.com is concerned…I wasted waaaaaay too much time of mine on there this last weekend, thank you very much. Very, very funny.
Totally with you on the bird thing! My car seems to attract them. I bounced one off my windshield last week, the grill the week before. Birds are crack addicts as far as I’m concerned…
Man, I once hit a seagull doing around 50. I stopped and watched it, it landed, waddled around a little, and then tried to take off. It must have been in shock because it quickly fluttered down and dropped dead. That’s the price you pay for playing the game.
I agree about the birds! I was backing out of my driveway to come to work one morning last week and I heard this THUD. One flew into my passenger side window; I know this because there was blood and little feathers on my window. I’m not sure but I think it was either TRYING to kill itself or it was blind. It was gross. It’s funny, but if a squirrel or some other furry animal runs in front of my car, I’ll brake to avoid it, but I don’t do the same for birds.
BTW – the site looks great, Justin!
My sister once had a TURKEY hit her windshield. She had to stop and call AAA and get an emergency window replacement because it was totally shattered. She said there was blood and feathers everywhere. And then her husband, when she called to tell him what happened, got annoyed at her because she didn’t go track down the dead/dying turkey and bring it home. Apparently he said “That’s free food, honey!”
If we’re going to talk about birds, then we need to talk about the squirrels that dart in front of you. They’ll come out and stop, maybe go halfway back, then decide they’ve got enough time and continue in the quest for nuts. I think squirrels are nuttier than squirrel poop.
birds do that ’cause they still think they’re dinosaurs…