Copy that, B.P.

now if they would only bring back tabacco advertising in sports....

Nothing makes me want to have a smoke like some serious exertion...lol

I can understand the gov't view that tobacco companies should not sponsor sporting events.....but....it is ****ed that they will say companies X, Y, and Z, who have long supported certain sports, cannot give you any $$ for sponsorship but don't ask us either. If only someone is Govt would look at the Australian level of commitment to sport and do something similar.

yeah, it's no wonder that Canadian skier that was in the olympics was competing for .au and not .ca.

i thought that was because he was a millionaire who didn't want to train as much as the canadian team told him to...

canadian governments put lots of money into sports, but only hockey and curling.

BTW, OT - did anyone hear anything more about mike barry's horrible crash in flanders?

Nothing goes together better than beer and motorsports though....the irony is never lost on me and it always makes me laugh.

[QUOTE=jeremywhitehorn]i thought that was because he was a millionaire who didn't want to train as much as the canadian team told him to...

canadian governments put lots of money into sports, but only hockey and curling.
QUOTE]
If you look at the amount of money each gov't puts directly into sport it isn't even close. The 2 countries have similar populations. For the years preceding the Sydney olympics the Australian Government starting putting much bigger dollars into sport federations. The result....Australians are kicking ass all over the place.... not just in Kangaroo riding and Koala Bear chucking.

Our fabulous results at the last Winter Games is a direct result to the "Own the Podium" program of the past few years. If you invest nothing, you get nothing. I can't remember what the dollar amount was but it wasn't a lot in the grand scheme of nationalist pride during world competition. Spend a few bucks and we tie(?) for our best medal haul ever.

[QUOTE=cavernmech]yeah, i guess the did win a medal in skiing. Skiiing! i can see that we don't spend as much as the aussies on sports, my point is that what we do spend is proabably too concentrated. actually, come to think of it, look at some of the cyclists they are producing. green jersey anyone?

i wonder if it's because they have better weather?

It's because of the junior programs they have nation wide. It serves a double purpose. It gets kids into sports of some/any sort so they mightn't grow into bloody obese monsters, as well it helps the higher level programs identify talent at a young age, unlike here were a fabulously talented athlete can go from cradle to grave and never be noticed. Once a shining young star is identified, they are groomed and taken care of by the state sports associations so that said young star can shine brightly for their country, if they wish. Here in Canada, we expect our athletes to become world class while holding a day job, paying for coaches and gear out of pocket, and then do us proud after we ignored you your entire life. Not surprising some jump ship. Imagine if that grassroots level of interest was shown in our athletes. We would seriously kick ass.

*cough* The newfies managed to bring home a medal *cough* :D

oh, and I totally forgot to post up my slow-sync madness from Critical Vvaaccuumm last week. They looked a little too raver in colour, so I did a quick 'n dirty b&w version to post. :P Only posted because they were requested, really. :)

http://static.flickr.com/1/126077648_cafc09df0f_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/28/126077523_b61c703c0a_m.jpg http://static.flickr.com/52/126077400_5306ff0f8d_m.jpg http://static.flickr.com/53/126077288_199bdb1ee6_m.jpg

Bigger versions in my Velo! set on flickr.

My apologies on the lateness eyefloater.
Nice, pictures!

Cool pics. I love the way low light photos turn out.

[QUOTE=somnambulant]*cough* The newfies managed to bring home a medal *cough*[QUOTE]

*cough* curling is barely a sport *cough* go team newfoundland!

oh yeah, nice pics.

Curling..... I wanna see ice biking in 2010, and apparently MTL wants to try and make a demo sport of it.
funky shots Somnambulant

Somna, remember the last photo from this set when it comes time for us to put our little fundraising effort together - I really like that one. How big is the original file?

Anyone good with teh php + mysql? I am alas, teh sux0r. Please shout me a holla if you can be of assistance.

[QUOTE=jeremywhitehorn][QUOTE=somnambulant]*cough* The newfies managed to bring home a medal *cough*True dat. But the fact that most people do it while drinking and it's still an olympic sport isn't a negative thing, is it? But either way, I was born 'n raised in St. John's, so I had to get that in there. :D

I wasn't born in 1980 :D

Word to The Rock (not the person)

Double Word to the Toronto Bike Police that let me off with a smile and a 'be careful' after totally burning me torching 2 consecutive red lights. (Yonge and Victoria on Queen) 150 buckos per and 3 points each.

Technical difficulties. Let me try this again.


The guys at Midweek Cycling Club were talking with the Hershey Centre in Missisausage last year about putting in a velodrome. This was before Peter moved. At the same time they made a pitch to the Peel Board of Ed. to get grass track racing into the schools. No word on any updates. Grass track would be cool. I remember seeing pics somewhere. I think it's part of the Highland games. I'd be down.

Whassup?

Word to that. Infrastructure is what's missing. As a member of a Provincial Sport Organization, we get money based on what we spent in the past year (ie. deficit financing). If you want to try to grow, you have to increase your numbers and cross your fingers the funding formula will pay you off they year *after* you fork out $ for infrastructure. Even initiatives like Active 2010 are weak ass, IMO. Each sport looks out after themselves (no surprise) and there's little incentive to work together instead of competing for $. New sports getting funded (eg. ultimate) is exceptionally difficult. As well, these are volunteer organizations. Some have the capacity for paid staffers etc., but there's little enough of that. Volunteering wears pretty thin, pretty quick.

keith, what was the impetus for dunhill to hook up with the alleycat scramble in the first place? there's got to be more private sector sponsors that share the same marketing visions that they had.. and it doesn't have to be alcohol or tabacco. ..athletic shoe companies??? if anything ss/fixed gear is more popular now than it was in the early 90s. kinda off topic: for some reason, i've always remembered joe dias' pic in the "my style" section of now magazine way back when.