the 4th star

I’ll be mentioning this once a day for the rest of the week as I like skating and many of the people associated with this event. One day I hope they can teach me the simple trick of ollie. So, straight from the press release and into your calendars, here we go…

The good people at the Skateboard Coalition of Manitoba will be playing host to what is intended to be the largest girls-only skate contest in North America. This event features clinics for local girls to learn how to skate or simply to be able to skate in a girl-friendly environment. Beginning on Saturday with a skate clinic, the contest takes place with an intermediate and advanced category in the afternoon and closes later that day with a best trick contest, and bowl contest.

Oh yeah. It’s at The Plaza at The Forks. Probably should mention that.

The Rugged Rider’s Chicks Flip Out event is now into it’s (ed note — BOB!) 5th year, and second in Winnipeg where it has grown to be Canada’s largest all female skateboard event. This year’s competition is gearing up to be bigger and more international then ever before with the West Coast American team Skate Like a Girl putting together a “Winnipeg or Bust” tour. Sponsored female skaters from Australia, Sweden, California, Oregon, Washington, BC, Alberta, and Quebec will be skating alongside the increasing amount of female skaters in Winnipeg.

Here’s the schedule of events. Make it out or don’t ever show your face around here again.

10am – Registration
11am – Learn to Skate Clinic
noon – Warm-up for competitors
1pm – Intermediate Skate Competition
2pm – Advanced Skate Competition
3:30pm – Best Trick Contest
4:15pm – Bowl Contest
5:30pm – Open Skate with live music provided by the beautiful music of Manitoba Music.

The rain date is on Sunday, but we don’t want to talk about that.

Is it too early to be thinking about the National Football League? No way, Jose. The season is ready for take-off, and my tray table is in its secure and upright position. So, in the spirit of looking ahead to things that really don’t matter in a big picture sense, let’s take some time this week, away from the patio and laughing at those with green Bud Lights on their table, to consider each of the NFL divisions — what happened last year and what will (probably) shake down once the snaps are for real and the volume of the television analysis increases:

AFC EAST

2008 regular season standings:

Miami Dolphins (11-5)
New England Patriots (11-5)
New York Jets (9-7)
Buffalo Bills (7-9)

Tom Brady gets hurt and the whole world goes to hell in a hand basket. The Pats miss the playoffs. The Dolphins win the division. The Jets sign an ancient quarterback (Favre). And the Bills, well, they wait until the season is over to make their strange play.

Outlook for 2009:

New England Patriots (12-4)
Buffalo Bills (10-6)
New York Jets (9-7)
Miami Dolphins (8-8)

Let the gambling commence! Speaking of strange plays, I like Buffalo as the surprise team this year. Signing Terrell Owens should make the Bills better, but I can’t see them making the post season. Just short. In fact, Buffalo’s resurgence won’t have so much to do with their underrated defence, strong special team play, and newly found vertical game as it will with other clubs slipping a bit. The Dolphins have no business being a reigning division champ and the Jets will have a hard time living up to the hype that a Vincent Chase look-alike brings to the Big Apple.

After ignoring a 25 year layoff, with three of those spent begging to play, I have decided to make a triumphant return to the beautiful game. In a stunning act of charity, the Crescentwood Saturday Soccer Club has done the unthinkable and allowed me to play with them in the Winnipeg Soccer Division this summer. If I can score one goal this year, I’d be pretty happy. Judging from my inconsistent play, my teammates would be equally ecstatic, too. Here’s the weekly update:

When we last visited the CSSC, things were looking up. Sure, we struggled with a 2-2 tie against a under-manned South End squad, but that was followed up with an impressive 3-1 win over the Red Devils in Presidents Cup play. A tie and a loss later, the Big Red Machine based out of Crescentwood heads into tonight’s action in Transcona with a 4-3-4 record and a sixth-place standing in the division.

Unfortunately, the injury bug has hit CSSC hard.

From all accounts, eight players are down with various ailments. Two players went down in Sunday’s PC match with the Wolves, and with no spares at the ready we were forced to play two down for most of the game. A 3-2 loss was the CSSC’s fate, but no mind. It was a heroic effort from those who gutted it out against the fresher legs of the team in gold. The squad deserved better.

Along those lines, a big ‘FUCK YOU’ to that big defender who stuck his knee out on me in the first half. Knowing he was beat clean on a quick give and go out on the left side, he gave me the Bryan Marchment/Ulf Samuelsson treatment as I was headed up to open field to receive an expecting ball. Pure gutless, shown guilty by his lack of apology or acknowledgment of wrongdoing. That’s how it’s going to be, eh? See you next Tuesday, buddy. Now I’m hobbled something terrible — right when I was just starting to feel good about my play and my chances to actually score a goal before the snow flies.

Perhaps the light is fading on my soccer career…

Back to the ice pack.

Is it too early to be thinking about the National Football League? No way, Jose. The season is ready for take-off, and my tray table is in its secure and upright position. So, in the spirit of looking ahead to things that really don’t matter in a big picture sense, let’s take some time this week, away from the patio and laughing at those with green Bud Lights on their table, to consider each of the NFL divisions — what happened last year and what will (probably) shake down once the snaps are for real and the volume of the television analysis increases:

AFC NORTH

2008 regular season standings:

Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
Cincinnati Bengals (4-11-1)
Cleveland Browns (4-12)

There seems to be a real disparity between the top two clubs and the bottom two clubs. I think Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl. Let me check on that, though.

Outlook for 2009:

Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
Cleveland Browns (5-11)
Cincinnati Bengals (2-14)

Two things: One, the Baltimore-Pittsburgh rivalry is turning into one of my favourites. The level of intensity on defence for both sides is something I really enjoy watching. Would you look at that — I almost said something nice about the Steelers. NFL parity reaches a new market! Having said that, Cleveland and Cincinnati should be playing in the CFL. Eric Mangini will be able to coax a couple more wins out of the Browns but Marvin Lewis is dead man walking. The race to the unemployment line in the AFC is set: Josh McDaniels, Jack Del Rio, and Lewis. Who ya got?