Tag: sports

Edmonton Rush and Swollen Members

Post ImageI went with Tom to the Rush game last night and even though we didn’t win (lost 7-6 in regulation) it was a pretty cool night anyway! The half time entertainment was three members of Swollen Members, and they performed four songs including one from their upcoming album. But that wasn’t the best part.

Our row of seats must have been really lucky last night, because we all kept winning things! Tom was randomly selected to win a Rush prize pack and was chosen as a finalist in the Argyll Motorosports contest to win a quad! He got a couple t-shirts, a hat, wristbands to meet the team and cheerleaders after the game, and two tickets to the final game (so he has four total now). Shortly after that the guys next to us won a prize as it was one of their birthdays. And a little later the people at the end of the row won something too!

At the end of the game, the guys next to us left their t-shirt and wristbands at their seats (don’t ask my why) so we gladly took them! Tom and I each had a Rush t-shirt, so we went down to the field to meet the team and the Crush girls and to get autographs. It was pretty cool, and damn, those Crush girls are really hot!

The attendance at this game wasn’t as high as the first two home games, but it was still a very respectable 8,700 or so. We’re still winless, but at least we’re keeping it close. The first win will come sooner or later!

Read: Edmonton Rush

NHL coming to iTunes?

Post ImageEarlier I mentioned that Apple would be making SNL skits available via iTunes for customers to download to their video iPods – but that’s not the only iTunes news of the day! Apparently the NHL is close to reaching a deal to offer video via Apple as well:

According to Sports Business Journal The NHL is very close to reaching agreements with Apple Computer Inc. for video downloading. “It would be fair to say we are close,” said Doug Perlman, NHL executive vice president of media.

Considering the NHL lost many of its American viewers with last year’s strike, this can only be seen as good news for the league. I wonder if they would offer entire games, or just highlights or something?

Read: Kukla’s Korner

Edmonton Rush Inaugural Game

Post ImageMy brother got season tickets for our brand new lacrosse team, the Edmonton Rush, for Christmas so I was lucky enough to go to the season home opener last night at Rexall Place. We had really great seats, so we got to see everything really well (here’s a picture I took with my camera phone). Unfortunately the Rush didn’t win, but it was an excellent game and a great experience:

Fans at the Edmonton Rush inaugural game were treated to an exciting contest as the San Jose Stealth edged the Rush 10-9 in overtime at Rexall Place. Stealth rookie forward Jeff Zywicki notched the game-winning goal at two minutes 59 seconds into the overtime period to secure the win for San Jose in front of 11,385 fans. The contest was a defensive struggle for the better part of the game until the teams found themselves in a shootout in the final minutes. In the final four minutes of regulation, the two teams combined for five goals, including a game-tying goal by Rush forward Brad Dairon with just seventeen seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, sending the contest into overtime.

Entertainment was name of the game last night, and it was everywhere. Here are some of the highlights:

  • They don’t have an oil derrick, but the Rush players did come onto the field with fireworks, smoke and lights!
  • The Rush also have a dance team, called Edmonton’s Crush. That’s hot, as Paris would say!
  • We are the only lacrosse club to have a live DJ playing music, DJ Rush. If you’ve never been to a lacrosse game, and chances are you haven’t, you won’t know that they play music while the teams are playing! It’s great too because when we have the ball, its always loud, powerful music and when the opposition has the ball, it’s quieter music.
  • The Seattle Supersonic’s famous mascot Squatch was on hand to introduce our official mascot, his long lost cousin, Slush. Tom and I even got to “high five” Squatch.
  • Heard of Orange Country Choppers? Sure you have! And the Rush have their very own chopper, and man is it cool. We’ve also got a monster truck apparently.
  • The game did get violent at times, even though there were no fights. Tom assures me there is usually a fight.

There’s lots of tickets available if you want to check out the next game. And if you’re new to lacrosse, here’s a good introduction to lacrosse, including the rules of the National Lacrosse League.

Read: Edmonton Rush

Edmonton Eskimos Win Grey Cup 2005!

Post ImageI went over to my brother’s today to watch the Edmonton Eskimos take on the Montreal Alouettes in the 93rd Grey Cup. I was really hoping we’d see Jason Maas for the Eskimos at some point during the game, but it turned out that Ricky Ray put on a good show to lead the Eskimos to victory! It was definitely close though, and even went to OT:

Sean Fleming booted the winning field goal in overtime to lift the Edmonton Eskimos to a thrilling 38-35 win over the Montreal Alouettes in the 93rd Grey Cup Sunday in what will go down as one of the greatest contests in the history of the CFL’s championship game.

It really was a great game. Here are some other highlights:

  • Ricky Ray was named game MVP after completing 34-of-44 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns. His first of the game was also his first in eight games (sometime late September).
  • Danny Maciocia becomes just the seventh head coach since 1950 to win the Grey Cup in his first season.
  • Edmonton is just the fourth team in CFL history to finish third in its division during the regular season and win the Grey Cup.
  • Tony Tompkins returned an Alouettes kickoff 96 yards to give Edmonton a 20-18 advantage going into halftime and set a Grey Cup record in the process.
  • This is Edmonton’s second Grey Cup title in three years and 13th overall.

Let the celebrations begin!

Read: CBC Sports

The Return of Hockey

Post ImageToday is the start of the 2005-2006 NHL regular season, which means that finally, hockey is back. Tonight also marks the NHL debut of Sidney Crosby, and the coaching debut of “The Great One” himself. Gretzky’s Coyotes take on the Canucks tonight whose lineup will feature Todd Bertuzzi. Another “first” tonight will be the Philadelphia and NYR game, which will be the first ever NHL game telecast by OLN. Then there are the new rule changes which for many will be seen for the first time tonight. Lots of excitement!

There’s still a lot of questions surrounding the NHL though too. Are fans going to come back? Is hockey going to be able to recover from the lockout? Will the NHL ever become more popular than poker in the US? Is the game going to be exciting and fresh? Are the teams going to be more evenly matched now? Will Canadians be able to cope with no Hockey Night in Canada? Probably lots more too, most of which can’t be answered just yet. Make no mistake about it, this season is make or break for the NHL.

Here’s the NHL.com preview for tonight’s Oilers versus Avalanche game. I’m going to watch the game with some friends tonight at Boston Pizza on Calgary Trail, so feel free to stop by if you’d like to join us!

Read: NHL is Back

Agassi makes major comeback

Post ImageI’m not really all that into tennis. I like Maria Sharapova, but probably not just because she’s a great player. I also find it interesting when the Williams sisters play each other. As far as the men are concerned, I don’t really pay attention, but I do like Andre Agassi. I only saw two sets of last night’s US Open match between Blake and Agassi (one he lost, one he won), but I did catch the highlights later on. And what a match it was! From the official site:

Champions like Agassi specialize in finding a way back into seemingly impossible matches, and once into the fourth, he seemed to gain confidence and move a lot better against a flagging Blake. Agassi came through to go up an early break. It seemed that the ball had moved, quite literally, into Agassi’s court. The previously stoic Blake let loose a roar of frustration as he lost his serve and the rejuvenated veteran went on to break to send the match into a fifth set that would have seemed improbable just half an hour before.

Pretty amazing stuff, especially for Agassi who is the oldest player in the tournament. It’s also interesting to note that this is his 20th consecutive US Open.

It seems I wasn’t the only one who missed part of the match though, as JD Lasica explains:

In the fifth set of the hugely anticipated Andre Agassi-James Blake tennis match at the U.S. Open, with Agassi leading Blake 2 games to 1, USA Network announced it would be cutting away to regular programming “due to contractual obligations.” What was so important? A rerun of “Law & Order: SVU.”

I have to say, I completely agree with JD:

Whoever made this decision, or whoever negotiated that no-exceptions contract, needs to be fired. Seriously.

For more on the match, check out the recap on ESPN.