NFL 2012 Season Preview

It's almost time for the 2012 NFL season to get under way and what a better way to get yourself in the loop than having Bik Nizzar explain how the season will break down. He gives us his opinion on how each division will shape up in our two part podcast.

But You Are Still An Employee

We sometimes forget that, like most of us, athletes are employees to a business. Like us they have salaries, bosses, and a work schedule. I'm sure this gets away from a few athletes as they tend to hold their own fate in their own hands....despite having a boss.

Not many of us get to haggle over how much we earn and how we earn it, and when we do it's not very often we can get what we demand. Maybe we get a dollar or two raise and we feel accomplished. Maybe it's some more vacation time so we can work less. Or maybe it's as simple as more accommodating working conditions. But it's not likely you will walk into your bosses office and say "You know what, I don't want to do that job. It looks a little tough and I just don't think it's worth the extra money I am being paid". For most of us that would be the last thing we would say to our boss.

There is an exception though. You get to make these demands if you are a UFC Champion.

What If?

                Following a game, the last thing you want to do as a player or coach is ask yourself the question, What If? What if I tried a bit harder? What if I made this pass instead of that pass? What if I made a substitution earlier or later in the match? Through 76 minutes of the Soccer Semi-Final match between Canadian players were able to hold their head up proudly and say they gave EVERYTHING they had to pull off an iconic upset and buck a trend of losing versus Team USA.

A Night at the Fights: UFC on FOX 4 edition

UFC on FOX 4 was a smash success on nearly all levels.

It dazzled the casual fan with a thoroughly enjoyable card from start-to-finish; it thrust several fighters back into contender status; it may even have restored consumer confidence following a dreary spectacle in Calgary in the UFC's last major pay-per-view. (Check out TJ Molland's rundown on UFC 149, if you need a refresher.)

It did miss the mark in one regard, though.

Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua and Lyoto Machida took very different paths to victory on Saturday night, and only one would leave with what they truly sought-- another shot at the light-heavyweight championship.

The problem is UFC boss Dana White gave it to the wrong man.

Olympic Running Diary - Fencing

So with Bik giving his take on olympic handball, I though I would step things up a notch by taking a stab (making easy puns first) at fencing. I did cheat a bit by watching one match before I did this, but that was so I at least had some clue about what I was talking about.

Bik's Olympic Handball Running Diary

One of the coolest things about the Olympics is watching a random sport for about an hour and becoming a self-proclaimed expert on it, and then trying to break down matches with your friends. So having never watched a handball game in my life before, I’m now gonna watch the Womens Montenegro vs. Great Britain match and provide a running diary. Here’s how it transpired from this novice handball watcher.

The (not-so) Throw-Down in Cowtown

The UFC made it's debut in Calgary last night and it was....well....forgettable to say the least. The main card was lack-lustre, had no excitement, and really was a disappointment. One of the worst cards I have watched in a long time.

I want to preface this by saying the card was decimated by injuries. How bad? Of the 10 original fighters slated to appear on the main card....3 of them actually fought. The fights that were lost (Jose Aldo v Erik Koch [featherweight championship], Thiago Silva v Shogun Rua, Yoshihiro Akiyama v Thiago Alves) tended to have a little more "wow" factor and star power to them. So the UFC had to make due with what they could scrounge together. After watching the pre fight press conferences, and all the hype surrounding the card, it still looked like some exciting fights that may actually deliver.

The Hero We Deserve

If 26 years of being a Canucks fan has taught me anything, it’s that at the completion of an NHL season I have 2 things to look forward to during the summer: Off-season planning of how to get the Canucks their 1st Stanley Cup, and summer blockbuster movies. So 2012 is no different. After a disappointing playoff run and with the release of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ hours away, why not merge the two events. And I gotta look back before I can look ahead.

Sport vs. Story

At the end of June, NCAA football fans finally got what they've been clamouring to see for so many years. An end to the question, “Is this the best team in the nation this season?” as the NCAA has adapted to a 4 team playoff system and a move away from the BCS ranking system that aroused more questions than answers. Less politics and second guessing – more football. The season also sees the return of The USC Trojans back into Bowl Contention following a prolonged suspension. It’s another season for Alabama Coach Nick Saban to add to his already full trophy case as we begin to ask if he’s in the running for the greatest college football coach of all time. And of course another year to debate which player will rise to the top for the coveted Heisman Trophy. Yet in the lead-up to kickoff for the season, discussion about the aforementioned stories is muted. Hype and hope going into the season is on a back-burner, as we’re left to talk about the villainous actions of a university protecting their image and protecting a predator.

A Forgotten Canadian Treasure

I had the opportunity to take in some X-Games action today. I try every year to at least catch little bits and pieces of both the Summer and Winter X-Games. Today on the menu I was treated to the Skateboard Vert finals, one of the more historic and traditioned events, dating back to the very first event in 1995.

Now for those who don't know what the X-games are....it's essentially the Olympics for extreme athletes. This is THE yearly event they look forward too. There are other competitions and yearly standings but the be-all-end-all competition is the X-Games.