Monday, August 07, 2006

Congrats to the Home Team, and Corner Brook

No, not Aliant, but NL's rugby team, the Rock. They won the ninth Rugby Canada Super League by beating out the Sasketchewan Prairie Fire, over the weekend. I've never been a fan of the sport, but perhaps a bit now, not just because it is the second such win in a row for the guys, but because it seemed to go unnoticed in national papers sports sections, that is, online anyway. It was not listed on the CBC, CTV, the Globe, National Post, or Sask. papers, unless I missed it. No big deal, but I thought that a province with a small population, who could manage to be tops over other Canadian teams, might be sports newsworthy. Then again, that's no surprise.

For example, in another field of entertainment last fall, the rock group Nickelback did their 24 hour cross Canada tour, that's right, all the way from Halifax to BC. I guess they forgot about attending the Junos in St. John's several years earlier. These and other entertainment, or sports snubs are not life threatening concerns, but it does provide a glimple into an attitude of unimportance toward Newfoundland & Labrador, from others in Canada. I've only seem two sites that mentioned the win, VOCM, and Rugby Canada's official site.

Also, congrats to the city of Corner Brook for putting of what appears to be another successful Triathlon World Cup event, last week. Last night, Olympic tri-athlete gold medal winner, Simon Whitfield of BC, was asked by the CBC sportscaster why he liked competing at Corner Brook. He quickly answered because of the crowds around Glynmill Inn Pond cheering the athletes on, the city, the beauty of the region, and the warmth of the people. He also said that Corner Brook is one of the places he returns to after a competition just to visit and tour the area. This is the 25th year this event has been held there, so it was a proud feeling to hear kind words like that about one of the province's major centres.

With all the dismal fisheries news, outmigration, seal hunt protest slanders, it is good to hear something positive that is nationally newsworthy.