The Best of Sport

Darren Paterson, Sports Editor ife is fine and so am I, and with that in mind I’d like to take some

ks time to explain to you just why I love sports so much.

I love sports because they help us to build our dreams and then vicariously live them out through other people. They pro- vide positive life messages and proof that we can be successful, messages that are often hard to find in other areas of our lives. But why don’t I take some time to break these points down a little bit.

Firstly, sports help us build dreams. They create clear goals and clear prizes, such as winning the game and receiving the trophy, and year after year we are pro- vided with proof that these goals and prizes can be achieved. With the excep- tion of this year’s NHL, we always get to

see a success story in every sports league around the world. There is always visible

proof that it is possible to achieve your goals and defeat all the things in your way to win your prize.

Secondly, if you find that you keep los- ing in life and that you’re not getting the success that you need to stay positive, you can take a little time to watch some sports and attach yourself to the successes of your favourite team. But here’s my favourite part, there are no laws regarding the picking of your favourite team. So do what I do and change your favourite so that you always pick the winner. In last year’s NBA championships the Lakers were my favourites, but then the Pistons won the championship. Now this could have been a disaster if the Pistons weren’t my favourite team. But since they were, I suddenly felt like I was a part of their suc- cess.

Thirdly, sports provide positive life messages like the idea that underdogs can beat the odds to succeed. Oftentimes, I'll be sitting at my desk, trying to think about how the hell I can pass my English course on the strength of my last take-home essay, and just when I start believe that it isn’t possible I think to myself, “wait a Darren. If the Carolina Hurricanes can make it to the Stanley Cup finals, then you can sure as hell ace this essay and pass your course.” And then, with my enthusiasm rejuvenated, I have the confidence to buckle down and write a kick-ass essay.

minute,

And lastly, these are messages that are

Snappin the Funk

Vancouver Giants review

Travis Paterson, OP Contributor

22 |

www.theotherpress.ca

“Keep on playing a simple game, keep taking the body, and we'll be fine.” These were the words of hard-working forward Cam Cunning during the post-game interview after the Giants 2—1 win over the Tri-City Americans on Feb 23. Cunning was sporting the Giants’ hard- hat, a fitting garment, considering the crosscheck he received to his head.

The G-men held tight defensively most of the night, holding the Americans to 18 shots. The undrafted Mitch Bartley of Maple Ridge tallied the winner for his 27th of the year, and the Giants can now shake the sour taste of early February.

The Morning After

When the G-men suffered their 3-0 loss to the Red Deer Rebels on Feb 16, coach Don Hay ran a porno practice (no rub- ber) at the break of dawn to remind the team that he’d won the Memorial Cup

always there for us to turn to. So that no matter how many times you get fired, no matter how many times you fail, no mat- ter how many times she leaves me, you can always turn to sports to see that it is

while they haven’t. They were losing their grip on third spot in the BC Division, with the Kamloops Blazers chasing, and the wake-up call seemed to do the trick, as did a full team recovery from the flu. The Giants came to by blasting the Blazers in both games of a weekend home-at-home series. The scores were 6-2 and 4-0.

Gilbert Brule led the way on Friday with four goals and followed up with two points on Saturday to climb back into 4th spot in WHL scoring. Brule is 13 points back of scoring leader Eric Fehr, and the difference in points is shadowed by Brule’s 144 penalty minutes that put the rugged winger 20th in the list of undisci- plined players.

Canuckle Talks of Hustle Two-time Memorial Cup winner Trevor Linden was back at the Pacific Coliseum,

possible to succeed. And for that I am thankful because it is truly the best of

what sports have to offer.

this time skating with the Giants. Able to offer advice to the young players looking to carve out professional-hockey careers, the presence of a WHL champion and NHL veteran should prove motivational as the Giants enter the home-stretch of the season.

It’s a fine time to peak, since the G- men are hosting four of their last nine regular-season games at home. Be sure to follow the streaking Giants starting with

a weekend home stand March 4—5 versus the Portland Winterhawks and Kelowna Rockets, as the thrilling Giants-Rockets rivalry continues.

March 2/2005