Pause on the sport for a second. Last month I had the chance to interview Juno nominee Dan Mangan. Four nominations! Songwriter of the Year, New Artist of the Year, Alternative Album of the Year and Video of the Year. Oh so good for the Vancity product. (The Junos are April 1 in Ottawa BTW) We were both hobbling around the ball hockey court for a damn good cause, Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer. While Dan definitely has some actual … →
Day 3 at Trials had probably the most dramatic ups and downs of any night so far. There was the ecstasy of adding four girls in the 200 Fr, a first Olympic Team for Tera Van Beilen. Of course, there was also a stunning and quieting result in the men’s 200 Br. The media mixed zone at an event like this is usually positive, with the winners and qualifiers all coming through. But that doesn’t mean that you don’t feel the … →
Imagine one of your best friends. A person you spend an immense amount of time with. Imagine you’re both working towards something special, a dream you both have. You help each other, every day, but in the end it doesn’t work out, for just one of you. It’s hard to imagine that an Olympic berth could be bitter sweet. But last night, this was truly the case for Stephanie Horner. It was written all over her face. Embracing her Island … →
Doing the post-race coverage for Swimming Canada is an awesome gig. I get to interview the freshly minted Olympians as they exit the pool. Sometimes, those interviews are actually pretty emotional, even for me. Last night was a good example. My buddy Scott Dickens swam himself onto the team, after missing 4 years ago. Since 2008, I’ve watched Scott from the pool, and now the deck, adopt an almost super-human persona when it comes to training. Scotty’s a beast. He … →
There’s a giant double decker bus on deck in Montreal and for the moment, it’s empty. With less than 24 hours before the start of the meet the imagery is certainly not lost on any of the Olympic hopefuls. Earn a spot on the bus. Go to London. The tone on deck is understandably mellow. Today is Monday, and there’s no hiding it, Olympic dreams will live on or die in the following days. Not to be overly dramatic, there … →
Originally published, The Hockey Writers March 23, 2012 As the regular season wanes for the Calgary Flames, and a four game win-less streak makes the playoff picture slightly faded, Flames fans have something to consider. If their Flaming C doesn’t see post-season play, who else do they cheer for? What kind of fan do they want to be April to June, sans squad? For Canadian hockey fans, this is question that isn’t easily answered. They are really passionate about hockey, and … →
It’s gonna’ get real in Montreal. 12 days from now. I’m very excited to be a part of the communications team for Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Swimming Trials. March 27 – April 1, 2012. Trials are special because the Olympics are special. The meet in Montreal will be where so many Olympic dreams will become REAL, and often in dramatic fashion. (Who remembers backstroke standout Jake Tapp qualifying for the Beijing team in a swim off?) I’ll be on deck, in … →
Originally published, The Hockey Writers March 1, 2012 The Calgary Flames open up the month of March with a mini road trip on back-to-back nights. First up tonight it will be the Phoenix Coyotes, followed by the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. These are important games. Yes, that gets said a whole lot this time of year, but it’s pretty obvious when you’re talking about a Flames team that went winless, (0-2-2), in their previous four games, all at home. I’m not … →
Originally published, The Hockey Writers Feb 27, 2012 Al MacInnis will be honoured on February 27, prior to puck drop between the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues. The Hall of Fame defenceman, notorious for his booming shot, will receive a banner in the rafters of the Scotiabank Saddledome as part of the “Forever A Flame” program. MacInnis will be the first ever to receive such an honour. A native of Inverness, Nova Scotia, MacInnis wore #2 for the length … →
Behind the Scenes at Olympic Trials
From the ready room, to the march out, to standing in front of thousands of fans plus a live television audience. Here’s a behind the scenes look from Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Swimming Trials: