Tonight is the first of two semi-finals of the U-20 FIFA Soccer Cup. The other game is tomorrow night and the final on Sunday at the new Soccer Stadium in Toronto. Great TV, and congratulations to the CBC for carrying so many games on the main network.
The Pan American Games are on in Brasil. And not one minute of TV for Canadian fans. Very unfortunate that Canadians can't see our own amateur athletees competing in a multi-sport environment. Not even the teams/athletes who can qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. That includes the Synchro Team and Duet. Both must win Gold Medals to get to the 2008 Olympics, as the best in the Americas. If they don't win Gold Medals, they will have to participate in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (what is called a "test match" in Olympic lingo, which means "testing" the facility for that particular event). The OQT for synchro is in Beijing April 16, 2008. We wish them well in Rio starting July 25th!!!
The PAG are a big test for Rio's hopes to host the 2016 Olympic Games. Reports to date aren't very encouraging, as there have been snafus at the venues (lighting), in transportation, in village operations. The PAG seldom are a well-oiled multi-sport event. The ONLY exception to this was the 1999 PAG held in Winnipeg. Going back to 1979, host cities don't really put the time, effort, and thought to making these games as good as an Olympic Games. They don't have to have as many bells and whistles as OG, but there is no excuse for not getting athletes to venues, for bad food, for not providing media with the tools they need to do a good job of reporting and/or recording events. Canadians always speak well of PAG organizers, but the reality is that the PAG experience is often one to be endured, not savoured.
It's quiet on the local LVEC front. Construction appears to be at least 2 months behind schedule at this point; the insiders say it is one month, but that's hard to believe, when one looks at the timeline that went to City Council before they even started the thing. Doubtful that ANY Frontenacs games will be held in the LVEC in the 2007-2008 season, even if the Fronts make it into the first round of the play-offs.
We are hopeful that Kingston will be the proud owner of a new aquatic complex in the foreseeable future. That's not tomorrow, but we sure hope it is on the horizon. Our councillors are considering what they hope to accomplish in the next 3.5 years. I hope that they will demonstrate a new approach to the city, one of "Yes, we can do that" rather than "oh, we can't do that." And let's hope that some of them turn into cheerleaders for the city and all it has to offer, and will offer in the future.
Smiles, and speaking well and positively, will go a long way in telling the province and country that Kingston IS a great place. Just look at the Canadian cities that are MOVING, and you'll see some great cheerleaders for their communities at the front of the pack.
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