5 Minutes of Fame for Yours Truly!

So about a month ago, I was contacted by a freelance journalist with the Vancouver Canucks. After googling him, I decided to go ahead with the story, the target of which was "Canucks fans in strange places," or something of that jist. So 3 weeks and some sporadic e-mailing later, I find myself on the Canucks website, sitting between an article on Prostejov, Czech. and the furor that is the NHL Trade Deadline.

Enjoy!!!

A diamond in the rough

Derek Jory

Feb 22, 2008, 5:05 PM EST

In Cambridge, England, soccer and rugby are the sports of choice and they have been for quite some time. That’s not about to change anytime soon, but if Johan van de Ven had his way, hockey would reign supreme throughout the country.

Vancouver Canucks hockey, that is.

A diamond in the rough if ever there was one, van de Ven is a die-hard Canucks fan who prefers sticks and ice to cleats and mud. This makes him a rarity in his hometown and an easy target at school.

“I do face scorn from classmates who think of hockey as a ‘soft’ sport, despite my attempts to persuade them otherwise,” said the 16-year-old, who is currently in grade 11.

Living in England and liking hockey is a bit uncommon, but certainly not unheard of as the NHL’s two regular season games that were played there this past September were a rousing success. Becoming a fan of the sport and the Canucks during the 2004-05 lockout season is a tad unusual, however.

Originally a fan of the Colorado Avalanche and/or Detroit Red Wings, van de Ven had a Canucks epiphany one morning during the lockout that change his alliance forever.

“I watched a program called Transworld Sport, which had a feature on the lockout, including a segment talking about the three Canucks playing for Modo Hockey, the Sedins and Naslund.

“So for the rest of that season, I was to be found praying that the NHLPA and the owners could reach an agreement, but even though that season was lost, my passion for the Canucks was more alive than ever.”

A fan of everything from the players to the logo, van de Ven became entrenched in the world of the Canucks from that season on, so much so that NHL 2002 became his favourite video-game. His favourite opponent? That would be his twin brother, a fan of the Los Angeles Kings.

“His allegiance to the Kings stems from Los Angeles being our mom's hometown, and he is forever giving me grief over the Canucks miss on Anze Kopitar in the ‘05 draft. All I have to do is remind him of Jeff ‘the Barbarian’ Cowan and he goes quiet pretty quick.”

Despite the 14-hour time difference between England and Vancouver, van de Ven has managed to keep pretty good tabs on the Canucks over the last few years thanks to the Internet. Highlights, stats and stories galore have helped him become enormously educated in all things Canucks, even though he hasn’t watched a game for some time.

“In a way, the past few seasons have been almost like a soap opera, with so many tremendous highs and lows that it almost seems scripted, and this turbulence is again a captivating factor. Of course, I also like the cosmopolitan nature of the team, and the strong European presence on the top few lines is an attraction, considering my status as part-Euro (English, Dutch, and American nationalities).

“Nonis's system of youth cultivation is also impressive, considering the money-hungry nature of most sports, and this is already reaping rewards, in the shape of Kesler, Edler, Raymond, Bourdon, etc.”

When van de Ven isn’t keeping pace with the Canucks, he follows the Peterborough Phantoms, his favourite English Premier Ice Hockey League team. The local squad helps fill his hockey appetite between Vancouver games.

“That league still houses several NHL draftees, and Latvian Olympic goal scorer Maris Ziedins. So whilst fan population is not huge, most are extremely knowledgeable - I once overheard a conversation about Pascal Leclaire after he had just been called up to the Blue Jackets.”

van de Ven now waits on pins and needles with other Canucks fans from around the world to see how strong of a push Vancouver can make towards the playoffs. He hopes Naslund and the Sedins will lead the Canucks to glory, but if not, he’ll make sure they at least beat the Kings in NHL 2002.

http://canucks.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=354459&page=NewsPage&service=page

How Times have Changed

I remember sitting in the school library in Nanjing, China, hurriedly checking the Canucks score before the teacher came peaking over my shoulder. I dreaded the days we faced the Minnesota Wild, for more often than not, Wes Walz would steal a win for the mind-numbingly dull Wild whilst the last days of the Crawford run-and-gun era petered out in front of the GM Place faithful. I remember thinking how unfair it was that such a boring team (Wild) could beat such an exciting team (Canucks.)
Oh, how times have changed. Minnesota has added players such as Brian Rolston and Pavol Demitra. The paradoxically stagnant, passive hockey played at the XCEL Energy Center is a distant memory. The Northwest-leading Wild is still strong defensively, but they still sit at a respectable 19th in the NHL for goalscoring, with 162 so far this year.
As is key in the sport of hockey, the Wild are solid right through the line-up with potential All-Stars right through the line-up. However, the success of the Wild is perhaps not entirely their own doing. I don't like to make excuses, but the injury bug seems to have skipped over the Wild this year and instead given Colorado, Edmonton and Vancouver double doses. Still, it's all very close in the Northwest, as 11 points separate top from bottom and 6 points from top and 4th. Bearing mind that the last 9 games of the season are intra-divisional, the stretch drive really could come down to the wire this season. Unlike in the Southeast Division, where likely only the divisional champs will make the post-season, there is a healthy possibilty that 4 out of the 5 Northwestern teams will advance to the playoffs, with Edmonton Oilers likely being the odd ones out. All thats certain, is that times have changed.

The Future Looks Bright

It is the consensus amongst the NHL that the Los Angeles Kings are the only team in the league with no hope of making the playoffs. I, for one, am surprised. This team, that sits last in the NHL on a meager 53 points, couldn't have started the season more brightly, with a 4-1 win over reigning Stanley Cup Champs, the Anaheim Ducks. Highly touted prospect, Jonathan Bernier was displaying the kind of skill, even guile, that had not been seen on Figueroa Street since the days of Felix "The Cat" Potvin.
So why Dean Lombardi returned Bernier to the Lewiston MAINEiacs, I don't know, but I am pretty sure it sparked the Kings' ugly fall to the bottom of the standings. Considering that the Kings had 8 forwards who would make the top six on most teams, a future Hall of Famer in Rob Blake on defense with his housemate, blue-chip prospect Jack Johnson, it simply doesn't make sense that the Kings' season has gone so cataclysmically wrong.
However, this failure has given promising youngsters such as 1st Rounder, Brian Boyle and AHL All-Star Ted Purcell a chance to show their worth to the Kings hierarchy. The Kings also have one of the best PR teams in the league, headed by model-turned-spokeswoman Heidi Androl. The style epitomizes the Kings' youth movement, with a happy-go-lucky ambiance in the dressing room.
Whilst luck appears to have forgotten SoCal's "other" team, a return to the limelight appears to be in order. Unloading the inflated salaries of Rob Blake, Ladislav Nagy and the recently departed Brad Stuart will give the Kings cap room to play with. The key priority must be to upgrade the defense, building around a core of Tom Preissing and Jack Johnson. As previously stated, the Kings are strong upfront, and will still have a strong top six even if all FAs walk away, and Jonathan Bernier should be ready to have another go as the Kings' starting netminder.
Whatever happens, the Kings look to have set the foundations of a bright future.

Give it a rest!

I sat euphoric as Eduardo Da Silva and Croatia romped past England and into the European Championships. Yet for me the key difference was the sportsmanship between the two teams. All you have to do to understand the epitomization of this is to watch the player's reactions whenever an England player is allegedly fouled. The Croats take the referee's decision, usually with little reluctance. It appears however, that England forgot not only to take notes when learning how to beat the offside trap, but also passed a blind eye over the finer points of footballing etiquette.
A typical scenario: the whistle blows. The poor referee faces a charge not disimilar to a Panzer division. The expletive-spewing Wayne Rooney is backed up by his trusty steed, the horse-snouted Rio Ferdinand. Similary, Fat Frank and John Terry berate the referee whenever a decision goes against them.
It was this lack of sportsmanship that made it feel very hard for me to feel sorry for the Three Lions when they lay, destitute on the muddy pasture that is Wembley. I wrote this seeing my Gunners being hammered by the Devilish Reds, so take that for what you will.
Ironically, I am a former Man Utd in hiding, disillusioned by the arrogance that was, and unfortunately, still is, a ever-present feature of the Arena of Nightmares - no, sorry - Theatre of Dreams. So you can imagine my sense of deja-vu when Nani went waltzing down the pitch playing keep-up. And a big thank you to Mathieu Flamini for restoring normalcy with what can only be described as a "heavy" -but legal- challenge. If only the midfield terrier had started the game, then Manchester Utd would not have been able to take such liberties with the Gunners and the result would have, perhaps been a little different.

When the smoke clears...

With over half the primary elections and caucuses already out the way, political analysts were predicting a clear picture of the Democratic presidential nominee. However, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have enjoyed waves of momentum, and each so far have taken around 1000 delegates thus far. Recently, however, this momentum has flowed like a pre-tsunami tide towards the Obama camp, taking all 5 votes this weekend. It seems the press loves him, the students love him and in this day where the internet is so powerful, those are two very important demographics for any candidate. Time Magazine ran a feature on the elections this past weekend, detailing the endeavours of a New York 5-year old, rallying support among his classmates.
Yet Obama has also struck deep into the predominantly Clinton areas - the white working class. For instance, he took Maine, one of the poorest states in the North East, despite early polls suggesting that Hillary was to relieve Obama of some of his massive weekend momentum.
This is what makes Obama special - he has at least a degree of fanatical popularity amongst every demographic, and not since Bill Clinton has America seen a potential President with such common charisma, rallying people from all walks of life. The only potential roadblock stopping this surge of momentum is the primaries in Texas and Ohio, where Hillary is expected to take the majority. Hopefully, though, this will be more a pothole than roadblock.
Whilst its commonly accepted that Obama casts a better public image than his rival, his cult popularity is harder to define. All I can do is talk about my views on him.
Simple as it may sound, Obama's skin tone may get him into the Oval Office. America is desperate for wholesale change after 8 years of stagnant Texan conservatism, and the newly eligible vote looks to be in the hands of Obama for this very reason. His skin tone is different, his voice is different, his background is different. At this moment, there are only two similarities between Obama and Dubya - both attended Top 20 colleges, and both are guilty of substance abuse, one more openly than the other. Its this honesty that is a breath of fresh air, in a country that was suffocating from sordid foreign policy, tense union relations and draining public support for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
2000 was the 1st election I watched closely and we all know how that ended, but 2008 has what is for me a foreign element. Something resembling reasonable confidence in progressive change.

Care to Explain?

Earlier this week, the Canadian foreign ministry issued a list detailing countries that it believed used torture in the process of interrogation. The usual suspects - Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, etc were out in force. But in a ground-breaking move, Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier also included the US and Israel in the club. And surprise, surprise, Ambassador David Wilkins came out with this quote:

"We find it to be offensive for us to be on the same list with countries like Iran and China. Quite frankly it's absurd,"

My advice to the US Government: If you don't want to be on the list, don't torture. Simple as that. It has become so widely known that Hollywood has even made a movie on the subject, Rendition. Its hardly a secret. Indeed, last a week a story broke denouncing the policy of water-boarding (simulated drowning), used by the CIA, as torture. Many of the countries on Bernier's list are at least reasonably upfront about their usage of torture, but it appears the Bush Administration doesn't like the idea of a developed country that finds it within itself to torture. So again, don't torture if you don't want to have it known.

When in Rome...

Do as the Romans do..., and so goes the old adage. But in the world of international relations and intercultural understanding, it really is just that, an old, overused adage. But it really does ring true. Too often, the combined might of NATO has gone and attempted to instate democracy in places which have fared well enough under admittedly archaic but still perfectly functional governments. For example, Kenya, usually regarded as a pillar of stability in oft-wobbling East Africa, was beset by civil unrest recently. Political commentators blame dust-covered, creaking tribal government for the violence, but until recently had maintained a clean sheet as far as internal conflict goes. Yet now with the rise of Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement, tensions have reached a head, with protests and killings erupting after a disputed election. The incumbent, Mwai Kibaki was accused of electoral fraud, the spark that set off raging anger towards his party.
True, the LSE-educated Kibaki may well have rigged the vote. But countries like Kenya, who have been independent only since 1963 lack the established political hierarchy, and thus stability that allows democracy to work. America, which also has used democracy since its independence, has been more successful, but for two primary reasons: strong national unity was required to gain independence. People had fought for independence and were determined to keep it. Secondly, the US also has almost 250 years of experience. Kenya, as a sovereign state is still relatively unestablished, and whats more, independence was more or less defaulted to them. Whereas all of America trusted George Washington, Jomo Kenyatta, whilst a leader in his own right, he lacked the single-mindedness to set down roots for his newborn nation. Whereas Washington fought the British to the coast, Kenyatta was content to reconciliate with British settlers who had previously sent him death threats. Narrow-minded ambition was required, but instead an unhealthy reliance on British aid surfaced. True, stability is necessary at all times in East Africa, but Kenya has found it desperately hard to effectively cut the umbilical chord leading back to London. 2 of 3 Kenyan Presidents are LSE-educated. British troops helped defend against Somalian attack, etc.
For a nation to succeed, it has to go it alone and be able to subsist independently. Amongst former colonies that gained post-war independency, only 1 springs to mind that has really accomplished this, and that is India. It is hard to blame either Kenya or Britain for the country's current state, because the manner in which Kenya gained independence didn't properly unite the country. Instead, fractious divides lay just below the social surface, and now, due to this voting scandal, these divides, particularly between the Luos and Kikuyus have come apart in spectacular fashion. In a chilling reminder of just how quickly things can get bad in this corner of the globe, 30 people lay dead after a mob razed a church to the ground, not dissimilar from the killing of 5000 Tutsis at Ntarama church during the Rwandan Genocide.
So far, we are lucky that atrocities of this scale haven't occurred so far. Because if they had, I would feel mighty uncomfortable knowing that democracy was more or less forced upon them, leaving Kenya without powerful ruler, something that in my view is more important than democratic government. I guess what I'm trying to say, is that when in Kenya, do as the Kenyans do, not at the English do.

Wanderlust, or Lack Thereof

The two years after my experience in China were a little frustrating. After more travel than I could possibly have dreamt of, I was confined to Western Europe pretty much from late June 2006 to December 2007, discounting a short jaunt to Egypt over the Christmas break 2006. Whilst this frustration may sound extravagant, remember the context. I feel like Tom Hanks in The Terminal – a stateless person. Therefore, a sense of foreignness sets upon me, wherever the world I may be. On a subconscious level, I am eternally trying to escape this foreignness. Therefore, I yearn for travel...oh...about every 3 months, as I try to get the proverbial devil off my shoulder. So for me to sit around in every one place for more than a quarter of a year feels slightly Luciferan, and whilst I'm no god-fearer, it only makes sense to hedge my bets and stay out of the devil's bewitching grasp.

So fast-forward to December 2007, and fulfilment, a dangerous word though it is, bears down upon me. Just between New Year's and Easter, I will spend time in the US, the UK, Finland and China. Furthermore, I will only spend two complete months in the UK through next summer, and those two months (May and June) are GCSE months. In other words, although not my doing, I will only spend mandatory months in the UK. So despite wanderlust being my signature emotion, it appears to have lost me in the run-up to 2008. I suspect, however, we will rejoin at some point down the line.

Just Desserts

Former Gunner Ashley Cole revealed in his show-all autobiography that, in his opinion, Cesc Fabregas was an "unproven featherweight," publicly acknowledging disagreement with Arsenal management. So good riddance came around and boy oh boy was karma evident this afternoon at the Emirates Stadium. In a 1-0 Arsenal - Chelsea fixture, William Gallas (whomst Cole was exchanged for) poked home the eventual winner late in the 1st half. Then, with the clock running out, Fabregas was booked for a meaty challenge on "Cashley Cole," who decided that the £150,000 offered to him to stay on at Arsenal was not enough.
Needless to say, but there was bad blood a plenty in a game that had 10 bookings and 2 injuries. Despite the magnitude of the event on the field, turfside relations were apparently calmer.

"The Israeli has been close to Wenger for more than a decade and, while admitting their friendship will be on hold during tomorrow's meeting at the Emirates, Grant wants to treat the Frenchman as a source of inspiration.

"He is a good friend of mine," Grant said. "He is a great coach, a great person and he has a great vision of football. He thinks about the game in the right way and he works not just for the short term but for the long term, right from the base of the club. I like to take good things from any coach I respect and he is one of them."

Despite these pleasantries, the atmosphere was very heated as push came to shove several times throughout the match. However, Arsenal will be happy: they emerged with 3 points and their position atop the Premiership intact. Chelsea however have dropped their 1st league match under Grant and in doing so have lost both their skipper in John Terry and their position in the Champions League spots. In all senses of the word, Arsenal are victorious.

And let's not forget:

- That unproven featherweight we all know and love as Cesc Fabregas is one of the most highly regarded young players in the game today.
-William Gallas, who Arsenal gained in addition to cash for Ashley Cole is captaining the Gunners and has come up with several clutch goals this year.
-Arsenal claimed their first victory against the Blues since the sacking of Claudio Ranieri. They never managed it under the reign of the Special One, Jose Mourinho, but succeeded on their first try with Avram Grant at the helm.

It seems the Battle of London is complete, so quit crying and go home, Cashley.

Collective Strength

Growing up on that piece of land known affectionately by Anglophile Bill Bryson as "the small island," I am well aware of the so-called "Island Mentality" that surrounds its inhabitants. Due to some sort of primal reflex, Britain seems to try and push away foreign elements. Despite suffering greatly over the course of World War II, Britain was not a founding member of the European Union. Considering that it took the military might of the United States and Soviet Union to really take an upper hand in the war, it was perhaps naive of then Prime Minister Harold MacMillan to not join the European Economic Community upon its foundation. This was high noon of the Cold War, and if war had broken out, a fragmented Western Europe would have been knocked aside by the considerably stronger Soviet forces. Of course, certain countries have actual reasons for not joining the EU. For instance, Switzerland is hell-bent on pristine neutrality, and Norway's whaling industry is key to its economy, but Britain simply does not have a case to stand on. In the two World Wars, the UK required the US Army to fend off the Axis forces...
50 years after the EEC came into being, and Britain is an established member of what has developed into the European Union. There has been almost no bad blood amongst Western Europe since 1945, and despite the noise-making of the UK Independence Party a few years back, Britain is still part of the EU. Not that its citizens like it that way.
But still, people do not see the practical advantages of the Euro, seeing it more as a voucher for cheap booze than a pan-European currency. That is what really irks me, that Britons feel the right to flaunt their membership, without fulfilling one of the most basic commitments. The point I'm trying to get across it that whilst there has been no conflict in Western Europe for half a century, that is largely down to the EEC and the EU, and if member states do not abide by their rules, fractures may develop and the strong collective strength built up by the EU could subside, and with the regional economy struggling to keep up with the likes of India and China, the future would not look bright. So I urge you, people of Britain, to take up that Euro. It may not seem like a difference-maker, but believe me, it is.