I’ve never done this before, but for some reason I decided to take a screenshot of the Winter Olympics medal count on Monday. Canada was on top of the standings, and something told me I should have some proof of that.
As it turns out, I had unknowingly snapped a shot of history. Continue reading
If you live in North America and have been following the news at all in the last month, you’ll be well aware that the National Hockey League (NHL) is in the midst of a lockout. The labour dispute has left hockey fans scrambling to find alternative forms of entertainment while the NHL’s players and team owners squabble over how to divide more than $3 billion in revenue between themselves.
As the 2012-2013 season slips away, many fans who miss watching their beloved hockey team while sipping heroin beer have turned to video games to help ease their pain. Lucky for them, Burnaby-based EA Sports released NHL ’13 last month to help fill those hockeyless nights.
Normally, I would never ever take the time and energy to write a post about a video game. Don’t worry, this is sure to be a one-off topic. No need to stop following me now.
But here’s the thing: NHL ’13 is kind of a big deal when it comes to gender equality. Continue reading
Every time I check Canada’s Olympic medal count, I feel a little more inept at math. And that’s quite the feat, considering I was forced had to endure summer school for high school math not once, but twice.
As of 11:30 MST on August 4, CTV’s Olympic app listed Canada at 11th place in the overall medal standings. That’s a damn fine showing for us at the Summer Games considering our seasons consist of almost winter, winter, spring(ish), and road construction. Plus, we just earned our first gold in women’s trampoline so suck on that USA! (that comment isn’t really relevant here, but you have to give your country props when you can)
But all that joy is diminished if you check out Canada’s medal count via Google. In a cruel twist of unfortunate math, we somehow slip 10 spots in the standings and settle way down low at 21st place. Cue the sad violin music.
So what’s going on here? Is Canada relatively low in the overall ranking, are we doing fairly well, or is the Olympic medal count ridiculously arbitrary because there isn’t global agreement on the best measure?
As it turns out, all three of those options may be true. Here’s why.
When it comes to the Olympic Games, there’s no shortage of things to celebrate. Of course everyone loves to keep close tabs on their homeland’s medal count, and it’s hard not to be in awe of a global event that peacefully brings together a world full of not-always-harmonious nations. Plus, when else can you spend an afternoon feeling patriotic merely by watching random sports like javelin, synchronized diving and fencing?
But if you ask me, the most significant achievement realized at the 2012 Olympic Games happened before any competition even took place. It has to do with equality. And it’s about damn time. Allow me to explain.
When you get yourself tangled up with an Irishman, you unknowingly expose yourself to a whole host of new sports. Some of them (such as hurling) are nothing short of crazy, and you find yourself wondering how long it will be until you get to attend another All-Ireland Final (Up Tipp!). Others (like Gaelic) seem to make no sense to at all, and watching them just leaves you confused and experiencing sympathy pain for the players.
And then there’s football. Continue reading
Cultural Quirks 