- 10:42 AM
- 03/15/10
| Name: | Rod Murray |
|---|---|
| Homepage URL: | http://spitztengle.wordpress.com |
| Location: | Edmonton |
| Gender: | somewhere along the continuum |
| Member since: | January 25, 2006 |
| Last visit: | March 14, 2010 |
Spitztengle has posted 22 links and 377 comments to SportsFilter and 1 link and 292 comments to the Locker Room.
I guess it would only be appropriate to say that my fandom in the sports world is exemplified by my alter-ego "Superfan". It started out as a bit of a gag in high school when I showed up for the season opening pep rally wearing a toga, a fake mustache and sunglasses, and a long, black wig tucked under a modified Trojan/football helmet. A stolen garbage can lid with an "S" spray-painted on it stood for "Superfan". Not a soul in the whole school knew who it really was. Ah, high school ... good times while they lasted. From there, my first road trip to the Grey Cup in 1990 was marked by the purchase of an Edmonton jersey with #1 as the number. No, the name on the back didn't say Moon (as in Warren Moon). The name on the back was (and still is) SUPERFAN. Today, EVERYONE in section U (and a whole bunch of other Double E regulars) know me as Superfan! I do get loud at the games. A proud season ticket holder since Commonwealth Stadium opened, as a sports fan, I identify as a CFL fan first. Of course, I also ref in the neighborhood of 150 basketball games per season. I couldn't do that without being a huge fan of the game. Heck, I'm a huge fan of every game. Some quick highlights and favorite memories (in no particular order): 1. Jimmy Connors in one of his last appearances at the US Open. The guy's grit had me pumpin' my fist in the air so hard I hit my hand on the ceiling! 2. Yes, I have cried witnessing the finishes of several Ironman races on television. So moved by the likes of Paula Newby-Fraser and Mark Allen I took up the darn sport myself. 3. Ben Johnson's win at the '88 Seoul Games. I ran more than a final few metres with my fist raised in the air after that victory! I called the winning time beforehand too! 4. Showtime! The LA Lakers were my favorite team. Magic, Kareem, Worthy, et al ... legends. My fave though? Byron Scott. "Shoot 'em up and sleep in the streets," Pat Riley told him. My motto! 5. Backup QB Cody Ledbetter hits the other Flutie (Darren) with his back to the goalpost in the endzone, right at the final gun, for a win over the Calgary Stampeders in the Labor Day rematch. I yelled so hard at that game I actually passed out on my feet earlier in the game.Streak Spoilers: USA spoils Canada's bid for 6 straight WJHC titles with an overtime win.
posted by Spitztengle to hockey at 12:22 AM on January 06 - 15 comments
When Second Place is Newsworthy: Tyson Gay ran the second fastest 100m time ever at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix meet on Sunday. Considering the dominance of Usain Bolt since Beijing, an American Record at 9.69s (same time as Bolt's WR gold medal win in Beijing) is worth posing the question: Are his competitors as far behind Bolt as we seem to think? Gay's performance on Sunday might suggest otherwise.
posted by Spitztengle to olympics at 11:39 PM on September 21 - 4 comments
Basketball's Bertuzzi? : In an international friendly tune-up match between Canada and Italy, Stefano Mancinelli responds to a little loose-ball contact with a vicious elbow to the back of Aaron Doornekamp's head. Two Toronto Raptors, Andrea Bargnani and Marco Belinelli were forced to play peacekeeper.
posted by Spitztengle to basketball at 12:08 AM on August 03 - 4 comments
Radio Silence Causes Panic!: Team-to-Rider radios are being banned for two stages of this year's Tour. A welcome change for a dwindling number of traditionalists, a harbinger of disaster and controversy to the new generation. Radios or no radios? That is the question.
posted by Spitztengle to general at 12:04 PM on July 14 - 4 comments
Changing of the Guard: Sportswriter Mark Spector laments the loss of "character" as the torch is being passed from old to new when the core of longtime NHL referees retire over the next couple of seasons.
posted by Spitztengle to hockey at 01:45 AM on April 09 - 2 comments
Red Wings are on the outside looking in.
Yeah, but none of the top seeds are too pleased about it.
posted by Spitztengle at 02:10 PM on March 12
grum, I'm still ofer in Roll Up The Rim right now (0 for 8, although I could say I was 0/9 since I didn't even get a game cup on Tuesday???). What are my odds of hitting a prize tomorrow when I roll again for the ninth time?
posted by Spitztengle at 03:04 PM on March 11
The grass is going going ... it's gone. The 30-year-old grass, the last grass pro field in Canada, is being replaced with field turf.
What I'm most surprised by with this story are the almost unanimous comments about how this is a travesty. I don't know many, if any, who have a more nostalgic attachment to Commonwealth Stadium (and its grass field) than I do ... but even I can celebrate this move. Well, I guess Bryn Griffiths does too.
posted by Spitztengle at 11:59 PM on March 10
If you get the opportunity to see Samir Nasri's goal for Arsenal against Porto tonight, you should do so.
That was some goal. Now all we need is Abraham Zapruder footage to breakdown in slow motion and we'll figure out how it all happened.
What? It's a trend.
posted by Spitztengle at 08:42 PM on March 09
Something tells me that Stuart Mackenzie would be all for this bout. He wouldn't buy it on pay-per-view, but he'd be all for it.
posted by Spitztengle at 02:58 PM on March 05
Barncastle deserved to be called for a foul, but Griner's reaction was more than over the top.
Barncastle deserved to be called for a hard foul! But yeah, the punch was, and always is, over the top in this game.
posted by Spitztengle at 10:01 PM on March 04
The season you are thinking of is 89-90.
Doh! It was UNLV ... I kinda thought my memory was ragged around the details.
posted by Spitztengle at 09:55 PM on March 04
My memory banks can only go back to the late '80s (basically, as long as it's been a 64 team tournament), so can someone help me lift the fog? I'm trying to remember when Loyola Marymount had that run-and-gun offense that scored a ridiculous number of points per game. Early '90s, no? And for some reason I thought it was a tournament game, but Michigan, instead of trying to slow the pace like other teams did, they went hard at 'em and just outscored them. For something that is supposed to be so memorable, I sure don't have a clear memory of it, but that's the gist of it anyway.
posted by Spitztengle at 11:53 AM on March 04
Yeah, this is pretty sweet.
posted by Spitztengle at 10:53 PM on March 03
So I Married an Axe Murderer, Smartass?
posted by Spitztengle at 12:27 AM on March 03
They add an addictive chemical to their coffee that makes you crave it fortnightly, smartass...
That's why I don't call it coffee, but rather "coffee-flavoured beverage"
posted by Spitztengle at 02:21 PM on March 02
grum, thanks for the stats on that! You have no idea how much mileage I'll get out of 'em while drinking coffee over the next month ;)
posted by Spitztengle at 12:08 PM on March 02
Tim Horton's had the foresight to start Roll Up The Rim To Win on the day after the Olympics ended.
Wanna talk about one of the longest shutout streaks ever? I went 0-54 against Tim Horton's Roll Up The Rim over the course of two full seasons. And how did I break that streak you ask? With a muffin. With a freakin' muffin!?!?
This year, I'm telling ya ... the results are going to be much different. A Rav4 or $10G in cash would definitely do it for me this time around.
And yes, I am geeky enough to keep stats on my RUTR record
posted by Spitztengle at 10:07 AM on March 02
I'm still not positive how that got in, but Crosby's quick hands were the difference.
In the post-game interview with Miller, he said that he'd been playing aggressive all tournament and was going to challenge/poke-check Crosby, "I guess he looked up before I thought he would" ... or something like that. Crosby himself said he didn't see it go in ... "I think it went 5-hole" ... my favorite part of the final play was the assist from Iginla though.
btw, GREAT pics, grum!
posted by Spitztengle at 08:57 PM on February 28
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
Lockout Looming for CFL?
All I know is this: this league, despite its recent upswing in popularity, cannot afford a work stoppage. Cohon has been having a pretty good run as commish so far, I'd hate to see his reign soiled by this kind of thing under his watch. Moreso, I'd simply hate to see a truncated season ... I LOVE THIS LEAGUE!!! And I don't care who knows.