You've got to be kidding me!

I was going to post about ANZAC day today but 1) I didn't have the time, and 2) I noticed this article online. Now, it's just a normal article reporting on a normal occurance in the NBA.  But what struck me as odd - and no doubt if you read it the same thing happened to you - is the name of the player:

Metta World Peace.  No, you're not reading that wrong.  That's a name.  First name: Metta.  Surname: World Peace.  It took me a quick wikipedia search to figure out who it used to be (Ron Artest, though that name may not mean much to most people) and find out the reason.

Now, I thought Chad Ochocinco changing his name was a bit funny (though also incorrect, as far as I know; he's number eighty five not number eight five), but this is bordering on the ridiculous, especially for a player who was "at the center of an altercation among players and fans during a game," (quote from Wikipedia).

Watch what happened here:

To be fair, it was obvious he was provoked into the whole thing, but as a professional you have to show restraint (I think the commentators even say as much), and his going into the stands pretty much turned that into a riot.  World Peace indeed, but maybe he's changed.

Learning to Run All Over Again

I know I said I would try to keep this from becoming a "today I had toast with jam" blog, but I thought I might as well add this in and if you don't like it... don't read it (but read all the other interesting stuff I'm writing about.

Yesterday I did what I had in my mind for weeks now: I signed up for a Run Clinic. Yes. I did. This is not a joke. For those of you who know me, you're probably wondering why I would join a clinic after training with a University Program for the last 7 years (ok, two different University programs over that time). Well, it all comes down to having people to run with. Since my recent leaving of University (or more importantly, the ending of my eligibility - though that's a controversy and a half on it's own) I have no one to run with. I also got really out of shape during my practicum and thus had to wipe out my outdoor track season.

So, I decided to focus on the Royal Victoria Half Marathon in October. I probably could have trained for this on my own (even though the longest race I have ever done is less than half of a half marathon), but I thought it would be nice to train with people - even if I am fitter than they are (try not to read any cockyness from this - I could be wrong and not be the fastest in the group). If anyone out there wants to challenge me, I'm in the Half Marathon group at Peninsula Runners in Victoria, B.C. (the leaders are much faster than I am, so that makes me think they know their stuff).

Anyway, I have actually gotten excited about this and thought it would be a good idea to have weekly updates to how the clinic is going (to inspire some of you to do the same thing). I also think I can outdo my fellow UVic runner in his blogging about his training. Since it starts this Wednesday I don't have too much to say yet, but rest assured I will next week.

Countdown of My Favourite Sports Movies: #'s 10, 9 & 8

More than a month ago, I suggested that I would do a top 10 countdown of my favourite sports movies. Keeping in mind there are a few sports "Classics" that I have not seen, here is the first three in the countdown:

10. Any Given Sunday. Why is it that some of the best sports movies are about Football? Any Given Sunday tells the story of a fictional football team. An aging quarterback is hurt in a game and is replaced by the second string quaterback who is also hurt. This sets the stage for the third string quaterback (Jamie Foxx) who fills in more than adequately. The story follows many different members of the team (Al Pacino as the head coach, Cameron Diaz as an owner, James Woods as the team doctor, etc.). Directed by Oliver Stone this football movie is definitely worth a watch if you have the time.

9. Chariots of Fire. It's not often that a sports movie will win Best Picture at the Oscars (the only one I was sure of was Rocky - and I haven't even seen it), so I thought Chariots of Fire should be on the list. Set in 1924, the movie tells the story of Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams, two British Sprinters who ran in the Paris Olympics that same year. I won't give away the ending, but I will say that it is a movie that should be seen. This movie has probably the best opening of any movies I've ever seen (and the music lives on forever in my head - especially when we ran through Willow's beach in Victoria as a group on a cloudy Sunday morning).

8. Rudy. Admittedly I have only seen this once, but include it on my list because it is a classic and it has a good message (work hard and your dreams can come true). Starring Sean Astin (funny, I've been compared to two of his characters...) and Charles S. Dutton, this is a great movie to watch if you're in need of some sports inspiration. In it, Rudy (Astin) is always told he is too small to play football. He never stops trying and tries to make the Notre Dame football team as a walk-on. Like Chariots of Fire, this is also based upon a true story (you may notice a trend...)

Check back next week when I'll go through #'s 7, 6 and 5.

Photo Feature: Blue Jay Fans

Proof that I've been a Blue Jays fan for a long time. Me and my cousins in our Blue Jay uniforms sometime back when they were actually good. Taken by Sharon Davidson.

If you have any photos you think are good, send them in to pieceofdust@gmail.com and they will get posted in this space.

Photo Feature: Pickup Basketball

Pickup basketball on Caye Caulker, Belize (taken by Alexandra Gillett)

If you have any pictures you would like to submit, please email them to pieceofdust@gmail.com.

The Best Sports Movies...

It was rough trying to come up with something to write about for Sports on Saturday. I have stopped watching sports on TV (for two reasons: 1. I don't have the time and 2. They're just not that exciting to watch right now). I recently counted down my top ten favourite children's books, so I thought I could do the same with sports movies. I just came up with this idea so I will take some time so that I think through my top 10 (I'm going to go with criteria for this I think and give points!). Until I get this done, I'll leave you with a couple of lists of top sports movies from:

IMDb

Rotten Tomatoes

Perhaps you can send me in suggestions of what I COULD include in my list. I'll do what I can, as I may or may not remember all the sports movies I've seen.

Enjoy!

The Federal Government Ought To Pick It's Battles

I'm sure I'm not the only person baffled by the Shane Doan controversy that has heated up in the last week. For those of you who have managed to avoid this waste of government and media time, Shane Doan is a hockey player who has been appointed captain of Canada's team at the World Hockey Championships in Russia. The controversy stems from alleged racials slurs (directed towards our Francophone countrymen) in a game in 2005. Doan was cleared by the NHL and the issue was dead... until recently when some politicians decided to make a big fuss over it and bring Hockey Canada members before the government to explain their choice of Doan as captain of this years team.

Besides the obvious waste of time (I think the issue of Afghanistan and the new information about the Air India incident might be a more pressing need right now), this makes absolutely no sense. Did the politicians make this much stink when they named Doan to the 2006 Olympic team? And what about Todd Bertuzzi (there, I did it, I mentioned the name of two people who shouldn't get attention today) being named to the Olympic squad? Did he not maliciously attack someone on the ice, in front of cameras? Surely the government would not want 'Bert' to represent our country...

I'm at a loss at this point. I, like many others, think that this whole dialogue has been an exercise just to get votes. I'm not sure if anything has been accomplished...

Inclusively Coaching Children

This has been something that has been on my mind the last few weeks and days and I thought I would share my musings on the subject of coaching children.

It is my opinion that coaching of children should be as inclusive as possible. Everyone should be given chances, no matter how good they are at a sport or any athletic skill. I have often seen otherwise and it saddens me. I have never been that athletically talented (though I will admit I do have some talent), and I often lose opportunities because I am not as good as others. I feel that a focus on working hard would be good for children whether they intend to continue in a sport or not. I think the lessons they can learn from working hard (that hard work = results) can be transferred to anything a child does in life.

There will be those who say to this: "Well, competition is part of life, they will have to deal with it sooner or later." A valid point, and one that is not easy to argue. But I still will. I am not saying give children everything without working. I am saying that you should allow them to try. I'm in track and often I see coaches picking track teams based on how fast a child runs 100m. My issue with this is that many of these children have never been given a chance to work on their speed or may just be missing the genes they need to be fast. By picking a team based on this inherent ability you are basically saying to a child they are not good enough based on something that they have little control over. I say you give them that chance. Let them practice with the team, give them opportunities to improve, and THEN pick the team. This way students are faced with the reality of the world, but they are given a chance to earn something. Nothing is free.

Following this point, I have also noticed that the children who need to be active the most are the ones who will be left unpicked for teams. This makes absolutely no sense, and any way I can think of. For starters, the goal of children's sports (at least in my mind) is to help encourage children to lead an active lifestyle. The ones who are good to begin with are likely already leading an active lifestyle.

This also makes no sense if you are concerned about the quality of the team you have. The biggest moment for many children is just to make the team. If the athletically giften children make a team right away with no worry of being cut, then why should they train hard?

I once had a cross country coach in highschool that followed this philosophy. It was no coincidence that I am still running. When I first showed up in grade 9 I was a nobody. I had never tried running before but had been convinced by a friend to try out. Well I stuck with it and all these years later I am still in the sport while many of my peers (who were better than me at the time) have long since stopped running. I am not the fastest runner in the world, but I have done quite well for myself. For those of you who know me, imagine me had I not been encouraged to try and to make a team in the future, being given opportunities to better myself. I took the challenge and in the end I rose to the occasion. I worked hard and earned my way on every team I have made.

For those of you coaching children I encourage you to do the same. Give those kids who don't seem the best athletes a chance. Who knows, you might be featured on TV when that child grows up and competes for their country...

End of the Season

Last night the Toronto Raptors lost a heartbreaker to the New Jersey Nets to end their season. The game was hard fought until the dying seconds when a pass was intercepted to prevent Toronto a chance to win the game. They lost their first round playoff series 4-2. This was certainly the most entertaining basketball game I have seen in a long while, and the only thing that could have made it better was to see Toronto win. Certainly both teams played hard enough to win, but unfortunately only one could have.

Still, the game suggests that next year will be a much better season, after already making huge strides this year. For starters, the Raptors fought hard when it mattered. They went out scratching and clawing right to the end. They must be commended for that. A second sign of hope is the young age of their stars. All of them are still improving and none of them are leaving at the end of the season. Certainly what they went through last night can only help them in future playoff series next year.

So, thanks to the Raptors for giving us all something to cheer for and to look forward to next year. I know I'll be watching.

A Little Poem

At my school I am teaching my class poetry. This week I introduced Limericks and wrote some examples for them. Here is one that got a rise out of the class (remember, I teach in Victoria, BC):

There's a team that we call the Canucks
Who just happen to be playing the Ducks
They struggle to score
Their games are a bore
Soon they'll be golfing and saying “Aw shucks!”

I told them they could write responses to this, so I may post any if they write good ones.

Do you have any responses to this? Please post your responses in a comment.

Pro Sports Roundup

"So what's with all this talk of pro sports on this blog?" you're probably asking yourself. "Isn't this guy not a fan of all things corporate?" Well yes and no. I do follow pro sports but sometimes I loathe myself for doing so. As I tell my students cheering for a team (in their case the Canucks) is like cheering for a company. Why should we be loyal to these companies? What do they do for us?

Well, I'm trying to distance myself from the loyalty to company idea, though I am not really doing a great job of it lately. So I thought I would try to do my best to give an unbiased (hahaha!) report of what is going on in the world of pro sports this week.

NHL
Living where I do I am exposed to many biased opinions about a certain hockey team which I am not such a big fan of (mostly due to it's fans). This week saw the beginning of the second round of playoffs, and already I think we've seen some things that we did not expect. Detroit is down 2 games to none and Ottawa beat the Devils. Vancouver actually managed to win a game in their series (so I was wrong in my predictions of a sweep - if they win game three I'll never hear the end of it on Monday from my students). I'm going to make a bold prediction and say San Jose wins the cup. Either that or Buffalo, but many people have picked them already.

NBA
It's hard to be a Toronto Raptor fan right now. They didn't really look good in their three games against New Jersey. The bright side is that they actually have one win in those games, so they are not facing an insurmountable lead at this point. All year they dealt with stretches like this and then came back with a long win streak. Maybe that streak starts tomorrow night. I have also been following Phoenix a bit (Steve Nash is the only reason really) and I was surprised they lost that third game. I'm no fan of Kobe Bryant's (due to his recent past), but the guy is a good basketball player.... Nash is better though.

MLB
What is up with the Blue Jays? They lose 5 games straight against, then win three straight and then start another losing streak. Today's game was rather dissapointing. Their offence kept getting them back in the game and their pitching kept taking them out of it. I can't really blame them since their closer is injured (along with a lot of their offensive stars). Right now they just need to hang in there and hopefully they will not be too far back when they get everyone back (whenever that happens).

MLS
Apparently Toronto has a soccer team now, Toronto FC. They have yet to win (I think they haven't even scored a goal yet) in four games this season, the latest setback coming
today to Kansas. Today was their first home game and I heard on TV that the crowd was over 20 000. Not too shabby. I wonder what it will be like when David Beckham comes to town.

Tips to Stay Motivated to Exercise or Train

Those of you who know me, know I run competitively. Lately I've had some big problems finding motivation to run, but the last few days I have gotten it back. I thought I would share some tips with my readers that helped me get focused once again. So here are my tips:

Stay Hydrated: Make sure you drink enough water during the day. Your energy levels will be much higher if you are drinking enough water. Carry around a reusable water bottle during the day to make this easier.

Sleep Well: If you're tired, it is much harder to exercise, especially if you are not getting enough sleep day after day. Get into a rhythm with your sleep by going to bed around the same time each day and getting up at the same time.

Eat Well: If you're going to eat junk, eat it after you run or walk or whatever you do. Not only will it be good motivation, but apparently your body processes the bad food much better after strenuous activity. If you're confused about what to eat, stick to a balanced diet with whole foods. See The World's Healthiest Foods for more info on healthy foods.

Rest: Make sure you give yourself time to recover. If you tire yourself out every day, you're not going to want to keep on doing it. I personally take one day off a week, but many people might want to take 2 or 3 (see below for related tips!)

Variety: If you do the same thing day after day, you're going to get bored. For example, if you want to average 40mins a day, don't run 40 mins each day. Perhaps you could do 35 min one day, 45 min the next. If you're running outdoors, change your route frequently (try not to do the same route more than 2 or 3 times a week). Do fun stuff too; some days go faster and shorter, while other days go longer and shorter. Though I'm talking mostly about running, I'm sure you can put variety into any other activity.

Make a Plan: Get into a weekly rhythm. Do the same thing every Tuesday for example. It's probably easiest to go with a weekyly schedule, because the rest of your life is likely structured that way. Also, pick a time each day to do your exercise. If you get into a habit of this, it makes it much easier to get out there.

Be Adaptable: If you find you're doing too much or too little, change your plan. Don't be afraid to take a day off if you need it. Sometimes you get stressed or have a tiring day. You'll be better off if you don't force yourself to exercise (if you're training competitively it MAY have a negative effect to take a day off, but use your judgement - if you work too hard now instead of taking a day off, you might find yourself taking a whole week of a month later!).

Exercise with Someone Else: Having someone there and knowing that they expect you to show up makes it harder to not do something. Plus it makes running less boring (though sometimes it's nice to exercise alone).

Have Fun: If exercising is constantly not fun, why would you want to do it?

Make a Goal: If you have something you are aiming for, it makes it easier to get out there. The goal could be as simple as lifting more weights, going on a longer run or just running 6 days in a week. Just having a goal gives you direction.

I hope these tips are helpful to you. If you have any other tips you'd like to share, please post them. I always welcome feedback.

Also, if you know of anyone who might find this post (or any other post in this blog) interesting, please send them the link. I'm trying to increase my readership so I can have some good contests in the future!

Games Kids Like

Since I'm getting lots of experience teaching these days, I thought I'd share some games that kids (and adults) enjoy quite a bit in the gym (or outside, etc.)

Everybody It Tag. Just like the name would suggest, everyone is "it." If you get tagged, you sit down. If two of you tag each other at the same time, both of you sit down. The game ends when only one person is left. A better variation of this game (and a more inclusive one at that) is to have people stand with both hands in the air when they get tagged. If someone comes up and gives them a high ten, then they can rejoin the game. This usually doesn't end and can be quite fun.

Battleship. The object of this game is to get across the gym (or a similar sized area) without getting tagged. There are two ways you can get tagged. The first is by the three battleships in the playing area. These consist of children (or adults), who have foam balls. To tag someone, they must hit them below the shoulders with their foam ball. The only catch is that they can only throw their balls from hula hoops laid out on the floor. Once thrown, the battleships can retrieve their balls and throw again (if there is time). If someone is tagged they become seaweed and are stuck in place. The second way to get tagged is if one of the seaweed tags you as you run by. The game is played until one person is left and then a new round begins. I've seen some classes who can play this game for a 45min Phys Ed period and not want to change to a new game. A great way to keep kids active.

Next time I'm having difficulties thinking of something to post, I'll share more games that are fun.

Green Tea: The Miracle Drink?

Ok, so the title of this post is pushing it a little bit. I still think that Green Tea has some great benefits. Last week I shared the World's Healthiest Foods link in a post, and this week I want to use some information from that site for this post.

Since I first tried it, I have been a fan of the health benefits of green tea. I've felt much better after I've had some and I've noticed a huge impact in another area. Most people who know me probably don't know that I take my resting heart rate in the morning as it is a good indication of how my body is doing on that particular day - a slower rate generally means that my body is fitter and more able to do hard aerobic work. Though I have done no study to isolate the effects of green tea, I have noticed that if I have green tea for a few days in a row, my heart rate gets slower and if I forget to have green tea for a few days my heart rate goes up. There are several other factors at play with a resting heart rate (and it could be the caffeine in the green tea and not necessarily the green tea itself), so I have not drawn too many large conclusions from my basic observations.

Until now, that is. When doing research for the above mentioned post, I looked at the research on green tea and found that it had been updated since the last time I had checked it. Here is one part that I thought was particularly interesting (and you will finally figure out how this post relates to sports):

Green tea extract given to lab rats over a 10-week span increased the amount of time the animals could swim before becoming exhausted by as much as 24%.

Green tea's catechins appear to stimulate the use of fatty acids by liver and muscle cells. In muscle cells, the ability to burn more fat translates into a reduction in the rate at which glycogen, the form in which carbohydrates are stored for ready access in muscle, is used up, thus allowing for longer exercise times. Green tea's effect on muscle cells' ability to take in and burn fatty acids, speeding up fat breakdown, is also thought to be the reason why it helps weight loss.

The idea for the experiment came from the fact that skeletal muscles utilize carbohydrates, lipids (fats) and amino acids (protein) as energy sources, but the ratio in which they are used varies with the intensity and type of the exercise, and the level of the individual's fitness. During endurance exercise, the use of too much carbohydrate is undesirable because it triggers insulin secretion, which, in turn, both inhibits the burning of fatty acids and stimulates lactic acid production. (Lactic acid buildup is what causes that sore achy feeling in your muscles when you exercise.) Conversely, enhanced availability and utilization of free fatty acids reduces carbohydrate utilization, which in turn spares glycogen (the form in which carbohydrates are stored in muscle for quick use) and suppresses lactic acid production, resulting in an increase in endurance.

Drinking a single cup of green tea before exercise, however, will not be effective. One single, higher "dose" of green tea did nothing to improve lab rats' performance. The animals had to receive green tea daily, and endurance increased gradually over the 10 weeks of the study. To match the beneficial effect on test animals' endurance capacity seen in the experiments, the researchers estimate a 165-pound athlete would need to drink about 4 cups of green tea daily.

This information could be interesting to anyone trying to get in shape for that half marathon or marathon. Or even someone who wants to play pickup hockey. Either way, green tea has many other benefits as seen in the rest of the page where the above quote came from. Check it out and perhaps you will start enjoying the many flavours of green tea that are out there.

Just a word of caution though, check labels thoroughly and make conscious decisions when buying tea.

Toronto Sports Update

A week ago I posted about the Toronto Sports Teams and the events of the last week have necessitated an update.

1. The Toronto Raptors have officially won the Atlantic division and are currently looking at a Gilbert Arenas-less Washington Wizards in the first round of the playoffs. I'm starting to like their chances now.

2. The Blue Jays are off to a 1-2 start. There have been some not-so-good games in those first three, but I'm going to keep in mind that there are 159 games left for them

3. The Leafs are about 25mins away from their last chance at a playoff spot. They must win tonight and hope that the Islanders lose tomorrow for them to make the playoffs. Right now I am currently haunted by my prediction (right after the Hurricanes won the cup) that the Islanders would win it all this year. Making the playoffs on the last day could certainly start a run to the final... who knows... if you're reading this before 4pm, I urge you to watch the Montreal-Toronto game. If the game is already over, I hope it was a good one....

UPDATE (7:30pm PST): The Leafs won 6-5 so Toronto fans will be watching the Islanders-Devils game tomorrow. If the Devils win, Toronto makes the playoffs.

A Couch Potato's Dream

This week marks the one time of the year when the three major sports teams that I follow are all playing. Yes, that's right, the baseball season is about to begin and the hockey and basketball seasons are coming to a close. Could this be the first year that all three of Toronto's sports teams make the playoffs in their repsective leagues?

For starters, the Raptors seem to have a playoff spot locked up, with the only question being: will they be seeded fourth, third, or – less likely – second. After taking care of Washington and Miami (the two teams they are fighting with for that third spot) this week, it looks good that Toronto will have a fairly high seeding come playoff time. They have 10 games left and are 3 games behind 2^nd place Cleveland and 6 games back of 1^st place Detroit (who they play twice). I am particularly impressed with Anthony Parker. The Raptors did not fare so well when he was out with an ankle sprain. He's not a big scoring guy, but he's a team player (as are most of the Raptors) and he is one of the major reasons for the team's successes this year.

The Leafs are not so much a lock. They are right in the think of the playoff hunt. As of this writing, they are one point out of eighth with one more game to play than the eigth place Monteal Canadiens. As my friend Rich tells me, it will likely come down to the final game of the season when Toronto and Montreal face off in Toronto. No doubt that game will be well watched throughout the 401 corridor. It would be nice for them to get in as I will no doubt hear it from all the Canuck bandwagon jumpers out here in B.C. who are all have all become born again hockey fans after a season in which the Canucks failed to make the playoffs.

The third team - the Blue Jays - hasn't played a single game yet this year, but they look to have a good chance. After last year's 2^nd place finish in their division (albeit 10 games back of the Yankees and 8 games back of the wildcard winner.), they have made some upgrades (Frank Thomas) and gotten rid of some problems (Ted Lilly – incidentally I was at the game when he and Manager John Gibbons allegedly exchanged fisticuffs in the tunnel to the dugout). Last year started bringing back feelings of '92 and '93, so I hope they can build from that.

I check all of my sports scores at Yahoo Sports. There are many other sites including the NHL site, the NBA site and the MLB site.

NCAA March Madness (or how I'm near the top of almost every pool I'm in)

It's always around this time of year when I have at least one friend who invites me to join a March Madness pool based on the 64 (well, 65 if you want to be accurate) team NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament. Usually I join the free pool and lose horribly. So when I was invited to a facebook pool this year, I decided this year that I would try something different. Something that would hopefully bring me from a basement dweller to the top of the pools.

What has happened this year? How am I doing? Well, through the first three rounds (56 of the 64 games), I have picked the correct winner 80.4% of the time, and earned 77 of a possible 96 points (according to Facebook). This score has me #1 among my friends; #1 in one pool I am in and #3 in the other; #15 in the University of Victoria Network; and #51 in the Hamilton, ON Network (all on Facebook). Now granted I am #52,293 in all of Facebook, but within my close circle of friends and people who live near me, I'm doing quite well.

So what is this great strategy I have been using this year? How many hours did I spend going through stats and records and obsessing over each matchup?

The answer is so simple it makes me laugh. I know absolutely nothing about NCAA basketball (except I do somewhat remember when Gonzaga used to be talked about a lot for pulling off a few upsets in years past), so I just listened to what the experts said. And by experts, I mean the smart people who rank the teams. That's right, in every game, I picked the higher ranked team to win. Every time.

I sometimes wish I had put money on this, but due to my past lack of successes I didn't think that would be a wise move. And perhaps I will not pick another game right from here on in. I would still finish pretty high in the pools and my percentage can only get as low as 71% and I'd say that's not too bad considering my lack of knowledge. I will make a note here though. Today when Oregon beat UNLV, I didn't get a point because I had picked both teams to exit earlier. Using my system I would have correctly picked the winner had I known the teams in the game ahead of time.

So that's how I'm doing it. I just took the advice of the experts and left my fate in the hands of the rankings. Perhaps this year I got lucky in that there have been no major upsets (though some close calls by top ranked teams). I wonder if there are any stats about this sort of thing. I guess I could go and look back to see how many I would have had right last year with this strategy.

Well, here's hoping Ohio (that's Greg Oden in the picture) can win the big prize.... it certainly will make me look smart!