leading the Lions in four wins that month. The four wins were the latter part of six-game winning streak that ties the Leos record for consecutive wins in a seaso And in soccer, team Canada came up with two disappointing losses that all bu eliminated them from a chance at the World Cup. Oh well... I can’t say I expecte more. But it seems like my hopes have always been too high after that one Gold Cup win. Sigh, at least I have hockey. ARON T Ren Tit Darren Paterson, Sports Editor In case you’ve been branding cows in Calgary during the exact two weeks between my sub- mission deadlines (Aug 28 to Sept 9), here’s an update on what you’ve missed in the world of sports. In hockey, team Sweden bombed big time in their Wo tld Cup quarterfinal match against the Czech Republic. But Canada should provide much stiffer competition for the hot and cold Czechs. In the NHL, Ryan Suter has signed with the Nashville Predators. Now, I know you’re thinking “who cares?,” but take it from me, this kid’s going to be a great player. And on a happy note, the NHL labour talks have success- fully progressed from ground zero to square one. Uh... yay? In basketball, the Kobe Bryant rape case was dismissed. I’m sort of saddened by this, however, as Kobe seemed to play extra well every time he had a game on the same day as a court appearance. In golf, I was interested for the first time in a while as Tiger Woods lost his num- ber-one ranking to Vijay Singh. Finally. I mean c’mon people; this one’s been a long time coming. In football, Casey Printers won the offensive player of the month for August by Back in the Swing of Things Darren Paterson, Sports Editor Welcome back! Well, it’s Fall again, and in case you’ve missed it, the Douglas College sports pro- gram is in full swing already. As I write this, I look forward to shoehorning in some DC soccer action this weekend as our teams get the year kicked off. Expectations are high, and especially so for the men’s team. After winning silver at the provincials and bronze at nationals in 2003, head coach Joe Ormerod has said that this year’s goal is gold. The volleyball and basketball tryouts have already been held and I look forward to some good action there too. Especially with the men’s basketball team slated to play NCAA’s University of Georgia on October 30. For more information on this and other events, check out . But for now, this is just a little reminder to get out there and support your team. It’s okay if you show up drunk, just as long as you cheer loud during the appropriate times. Darren Paterson, Sports Editor With the combination of the World Cup of Hockey being in full swing and my inability to function with my girlfriend, Pd just like to take this opportunity to blow off some steam and reflect on the down side of sports. Well, we'll start with the World Cup. First off, what the heck happened to team Sweden? They were a favorite to make the finals and then they bomb against a team that has been incredibly inconsistent this entire tournament. They just choked. But what upsets me even more about this tournament is the way the finals are set up. In five of the six previous Canada and World Cups the format has been a three-game final. And that format has produced some of the most exciting hockey ever played. Does anyone remember the 1987 Canada Cup? If that final had been a one- game affair then nobody would be talking about the magic that Gretzky and Lemieux wove in games two and three to narrowly defeat the Soviets. Heck, the greatest hockey ever played was the eight-game Summit Series. Multiple game finals adds a level of intensity that doesn’t exist in a single game and [| think that the organizers of this World Cup have made a very poor decision on this front. But enough about that, what about Tiger Woods? He lost another tournament and along with it he lost the number-one ranking that he’s held since 1999. Honestly, I don’t know how he held onto that number-one rank- ing for the last two years anyway. He’s been on the decline for a long time and is no longer the best golfer around. He had a few years there where he was winning everything, but somewhere along the way he changed something and he has since shown that he does not have the consistency to be the greatest golfer of all time. But who am I to criticize him? I can’t even get it up for my girlfriend on a regular basis. But don’t worry about me. By some sort of magical coincidence I just happened to receive seven e-mails yesterday promising to help me fix my problem. And now that I’ve let off some steam I think I’ll go apply right now. “Please her gently,” here I come.