Monday 22 September 2008

Good Bye Yankee Stadium!


Can you believe I rooted for the New York Yankees yesterday?? And usually, I never want to hear Jon Miller and Joe Morgan on a Sunday night, but yesterday was a "once-in-85-year" moment so I naturally had to watch.

There is really only one thing I can say about Yankee Stadium-I AM SO GLAD I GOT TO VISIT IT EARLIER THIS SUMMER!

But I was so disappointed that the tour tickets that day were sold out. I couldn't try to explain to explain how bad I felt when we couldn't get tickets. I'm not a Yankees fan at all, though I rooted for them last night, but that stadium belongs to all baseball fans. It's exactly what people nickname it-the Cathedral of Baseball. Yankee Stadium has a certain grandeur and charm that no other stadium has and I'm happy to have at least had a chance to walk around the perimeter.

What a way to close it out too. The pre-game ceremony was absolutely amazing, Andy Pettitte pitched a decent game and Mariano Rivera closed the book on the storied arena. However, did Jose Molina, of all people, have to hit that last historic home run?? I mean, Jose Molina?? Johnny Damon would've been a better candidate. With all due respect, it was an important home run, but I guess not everything can be perfect.

I'll sure miss the place. I would've loved to have watched a game there, to have had the Yankee Stadium experience. What's mind-boggling is that they managed to draw in 4 000 000 fans for the 4th straight season, even though mediocrity was the keyword of this 08 season for NYY. That's the definition of a true baseball city and to NYC, this is like losing a part of their soul. I don't agree with Derek Jeter when he says: "We've got the greatest fans in the world." but the passion of these Yankee fans can't be undermined. They love baseball. They love the House that Ruth Built.

And to think, all the history that have taken place there, all the popes, singers, boxers, football players, and finally, the great baseball players who have come and gone through that stadium for the past 85 years. It truly is magnificent. If you've never been there, definitely go and see Yankee Stadium before the wrecking ball dawns on the Bronx. It's worth it, trust me!

Thank you, Yankee Stadium for such wonderful moments!

-D

Friday 19 September 2008

The Lockdown Story

*It's been one crazy week at my high school. I had 7 extra curricular meetings in the course of 4 days, including 3 simultaneously in 3 different corners of the school. But the most adventurous thing happened on Wednesday where there was a gun scare at the school. Victoria Park CI was locked down at about 2:15 PM for two and a half hours. I got home at 5:15 PM that day, my dad had left work early to come pick me up and it was overall an exciting experience. Someone reported that they had seen a gun, but it was later concluded to be a false alarm. Two people were taken into custody and there were tons of media and police presence, especially because a student was shot at another Toronto school the day before. The following is something I wrote on the lockdown. Just for those who are curious about the inside tension.*

Deep down, we all knew that it was not IF, but WHEN we would experience a major lockdown during our high school tenure and this Wednesday, we put an end to that question.

So, everybody knows what happened, heard all the rumours and whatnot, but the most exciting part, at least in my opnion, was what everybody did to entertain themselves during those 3 hours. Well, here's my story...

I had a guidance appointment at 2:15 PM that day, and we were in English class with Ms. Burwell in Room 129 (just so you get an idea of my setting). We were listening to a tape of Richard III and just as I was about to get up and go to my appointment, the PA tells us we're in a lockdown mode. To be honest, I was quite disappointed, I really wanted to get my volunteer hours filed in guidance.

And so, the class scrunched into the back corner, sat on the floor, you know the drill...and that's what I initially thought it was. A drill. I was thinking, okay, let's get this thing over with so I can go to freakin' guidance.

5 minutes passed without announcements...

"VP, we're still in a full lockdown mode." our Vice-principal Ms. Wong said over the PA at about 2:25.

Alright, let's get on with the show, people, I thought. Then, 15 more minutes passed, then 20. This "drill" was getting suspiciously long without any explanation. Okay, maybe it'll be like a minor lockdown like last year. And at least we're not doing any work.

So to entertain ourselves, we lay on the floor with a backpack as a pillow, just chit chatting about life. Kevin J was trying to do a crossword in the Metro. Justin was just being...well, Justin. Harry and I lay there, bored, blank-minded, bored.

Shortly afterwards, we heard helicopters overheard...at that point, it was pretty much a given that this was not a drill, nor was it minor at all. This was serious and we needed to come up with better ways to pass time.

As the clock neared 3, Harry, Justin, Kevin and I decided to test our geography wits and name countries of the world. After that got boring, we tried to name colleges, food and drink...and by now, I really had to go to the bathroom.

The supposed "dismissal bell" rang, we were told to ignore it and heard more choppers overhead. Our teacher took a peak outside, there was nothing going on. At that point, the few of us began asking questions like "Who was President in 1920...Which Prime Minister came before Louis St. Laurent...". Yea, never thought George Washington's name would be mentioned in a lockdown eh?

After a while, the room started to get really hot. My urgency to urinate was not getting any better. Everybody started to feel antsy. And you know what you should do when you feel frustrated in a lockdown? Do your homework! Seriously, after drawing some "Pyramids of Energy" for science, I felt alot cooler and calmer.

By now, we had probably wiped the floor sparkly clean by lying on the ground, kneeling, sitting, rolling around and being flat on our stomachs. The three of us, Harry, Justin and I decided to arm wrestle eachother (yea, the games were getting lamer and lamer) and can you believe Justin beat both of us? Don't mess with Justin, he's got the guns!

YunLin, Julia and Stephanie came to join our crowd and Kevin brought back a deck of cards from somewhere. What else could we do? First, Harry performed a magic trick with the cards and then we played a chipless version of Texas Hold 'Em. It was past 4 PM, this lockdown was nearing the 2 hour mark!

I suggested we try to learn how to count cards in the game blackjack. But that didn't fall through. And as we were playing 21, Ms. P's voice made a return to the PA. We were told of the incident and informed of how to exit the building. No lockers, lots of police, lots of parents and media, southeast exit only...blah blah blah. Let's just get the hell out!

The third floor was released first, then the math hallway, and then we were told that a police officer would be releasing the rest of the rooms one by one. We pulled up our blinds and were taken aback by the scene outside. There was police tape everywhere. The students exiting the building were herded in a straight line toward the tennis courts. There gathered what seemed to be a chaotic mob.

20 more minutes passed by, the neighbouring room was released, and we were still stuck inside. Did they forget about us?

And finally, just after 5 PM, our saviour, our angel, a police officer finally came to the door and let us out in an orderly fashion of course. The hallways were ghostly empty. There was the Emergency Task Force present. One of them was carrying a really scary gun and he was standing right in front of my locker. It was intimidating just to make eye contact with these people.

We made the short walk to the exit, absorbing what has lasted through much of the afternoon. And as Harry and I stepped outside, we looked around the sun-basked field and took a deep breath.

It's over...

-D

Saturday 13 September 2008

The Improbable

After stringing together an amazing 10 straight victories, the Jays have looked wobbly tonight in Boston. Still, 12 of 15 is a pretty darn good run. I don't think it'll be enough to propel the Jays into playoff contention, but it is baseball and you have to take it day by day. We currenly sit 7.5 back of Boston, having split the double header in Fenway today. We could've had a chance to go into tomorrow 5.5 back, but a lack of offense after the 2nd inning and a bad break for Scott Downs combined to a Red Sox comeback, with the final score being 7-5.

After the 6th inning, it just didn't look like the Blue Jays were "supposed" to win this game. Rather, it was the Red Sox who had the momentum and "destiny" on their side. It is a devastating defeat for us nonetheless and if we miss the playoffs by just 1 game, I think this is the one we'd regret.

Can you believe MLB had 7 or 8 doubleheaders today??!! Hurrican Ike PP'd two crucial Astros-Cubs game. Haven't heard how they're going to make up that. The White Sox were postponed today again. Tomorrow, Ike's remnance will probably postpone more games. Tomorrow night, Ike's supposed to hit Toronto and bring 100 mm of rain...whew...in for a real bad storm!!

Things are quiet on the basketball courts and the Leafts will make their usual attempt for the Cup. I don't care much for football (sorry, Tom Brady)...

-D

Tuesday 9 September 2008

Federer the Champ!

This is more like it!!!

Roger Federer winning Grand Slams in slamming fashion! Last night at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, the former world number one disassembled British boy Andy Murray in straight sets, convincingly 6-2, 7-5, 6-2. This was a huge relief for Roger, who has been under so much pressure to win this Open and did not crack. The year has been filled with emotions, scrutiny and doubt but he rescues it here with a five-peat in New York.

You know, alot of people have been saying how this is the end for the Fed Express. I've never believed so. I started calling him the best tennis player ever lived at the start of this year. Not once did I waver on that call, not when he lost in Melbourne, not when he was thrashed in Paris, not when he epically lost in London. In fact, I think those experiences made him a better player, if not, then a better person. No body could win all the time, and this year has tested the character of Federer. I think it's safe to say that the guy is one of the mentally toughest players ever to live, not to mention the most sportsmanlike. Look out for him next year, he is far from over! Sampras' record will be snatched away, you can bet on it!!

And how bout those Toronto Blue Jays??!! NINE IN A ROW!!! NINE STRAIGHT WINS FOR TORONTO! That's never been done in close to 10 years!! Wow, now this is how a long winning streak feels!! Darn good, I tell ya. They've been on fire at the plate, solid on the mound and coming up big in the clutch. Say, just 20 minutes ago, the Jays were down 2-1 in the 4th inning to the White Sox, but now, they've tacked on 4 runs to lead it 5-2. This is how teams win games. This is the Jays team we've been missing for 15 years. Now the question is, just how long can this streak last? And will they, maybe, just maybe, repeat what the Rockies did in 2007??!!

Now go watch some baseball!!

-D

PS: Thank you to all those who frequent this site! We now have over 10 000 amazing hits! Keep 'em coming folks! And feel free to make any comments and suggestions, criticisms accepted! Thank you all so much!

Sunday 7 September 2008

The Story of Arthur Ashe

As a Manhattan-bound “7 Train” pulled out of Willets Point-Shea Stadium, a teenager, about 15, was bored and crept up against the subway window staring out at the green patches that dotted the site of the annual Grand Slam tournee, the US Open. He suddenly turned to his neatly dressed father and asked: “Dad, what's that white bowl thing for again?”

His father, who knows everything surrounding the sport of tennis and more, smiled and said: “That's where all the great tennis players of the world come and play every summer. The white bowl over there is called Arthur Ashe Stadium.”

The boy seemed confused: “Who the heck is Arthur Ashe?”

The father, patient, drew another smile and began his story: “Well, let me tell you about Arthur Ashe, son.”

“Once regarded as one of the best players in the tennis world, Arthur Ashe was equally famous off court as he was on court. Having been an African-American born in the South, Virginia to be exact, Ashe didn't have many opportunities. The South was still extremely segregated back then, in the 40's and 50's when Arthur Ashe growing up. Black folks and white folks could not sit in the same cafĂ© together, could not use the same bathrooms, and couldn't even drink from the same water fountains. They simply did not get along. D’you learn all this stuff in school?”

The teen responded: “Yea, wasn't until the 70’s until things started to get better, right?”

The father continued: “Good. Yes, yes, things were bad back then for black people. Though his chances were limited, when Ashe picked up a tennis racket, there was something about him that made him stand above the rest. He was horribly skinny but so talented that anyone who saw him play knew he was destined for great success in the sport.”

“It was with that great promise, UCLA offered Arthur a tennis scholarship. Ashe did not disappoint, bringing back two NCAA titles before graduating in 1965.”

“Get to the good part, dad. Why did they name this stadium after him?” The boy hurried along.

“Alright, Arthur Ashe turned professional in 1969 after winning the US Open in '68. By then, he was already 26. Now remember, Roger Federer is only 27, and he's got 12 Slams under his belt. So, tennis was a very different sport back in those days too. But something else happened in 1969. Ashe, along with a few others, formed sort of a player's union. Now, we call it the ATP...”

The boy interrupted, “I know the ATP, don't they decide the rankings and whatnot?”

“Exactly,” the father began again, “See how important a thing Arthur Ashe co-founded? At the time, he was tops in the world. Widely respected as a tennis player, but of course, his skin colour was still a bit of an issue. He was denied entry into South Africa for a tennis tournament...”

“Oh yes!”, the teenager excitedly interjected, “we learned about that in civics, about how apartheid totally segregated South Africa. So, what did Ashe do about it?”

“Precisely, son! Apartheid was wrong and Ashe was a victim of it. So, he stood up tall and strong against the South African government, denouncing the egregious racial segregation. Whilst all that was going on, he kept playing top-form tennis. In 1970, Ashe was champion at the Australian Open in Melbourne and in 1975, Arthur Ashe displaced the great Jimmy Connors at Wimbledon, once again establishing himself as World #1.”

“Did he win anything else, dad?”

“Unfortunately, no. However, he was still a spirited person in fighting for the right causes. Ashe was a great guy all the time. He got married, adopted a kid. Things were going well for him, but then he was struck by a devastating heart attack. Ashe went through a really complicated heart surgery, something like quadruple bypass...anyhow, he had a remarkable recovery, and really wanted to get back to playing again. But the heart is something not to be messed around with, you know. That wasn’t the worst of it for Arthur though...”

“Oh no, what happened to him? Another heart attack?” the teenager seemed engrossed.

“Well, you know about HIV and AIDS right? Arthur Ashe was infected with it in 1988 from a blood transfusion. They knew very little about the disease back then. So, he kept it a secret for several years. Really, here was an amicable person who made history as the first black man to win the Aussie Open, Wimbledon and US Open and still to this day, is the only black man to do so. And here was this monstrous disease that tortures whomever bears its virus. It was just tragic, simply tragic.”

The train reached Hunter's Point by now. The rush hour subway was packed, elbows and boots were poking into their personal bubbles. The father and son did not seem to care.

“So, after coming out publicly about his infection, Ashe did so much to be an avid advocate for the disease. Talked about prevention, told the world's AIDS victims to be strong about it, and truly never complained about it. You know what he said when someone asked him ‘Why does God
have to select you for such a bad disease?’”

“What?”

“Arthur Ashe said: ‘In the world over — 50,000,000 children start playing tennis, 5,000,000 learn to play tennis, 500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5,000 reach the Grand Slam, 50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to the semifinals, 2 to the finals. When I was holding a cup, I never asked God 'Why me?' And today in pain I should not be asking God, 'Why me?’’”

The teen, somewhat taken aback: “Wow, what a classy guy. Is he still alive today?”

“Nope, unfortunately not. The disease took his life in 1993, but not before he finished writing a memoir of his up and down life. Too bad, he was only 40 something when he died. But hey, he made his mark in the world-and that's why that stadium was named after him.” the dad sat back, signaling that he had finished the story.

The father and son remained silent for a few minute, as if to comprehend the life that Arthur Ashe lived. As they slowly snapped back to reality, the train pulled into Grand Central Station. The dad said good bye to his son and got off to work. The teenager, meanwhile, rode to Times Square to meet his friends.

When the boy passed by Arthur Ashe Stadium again on his way back, he thought of what his father told him in the morning.

And that's the day he decided to start learning tennis.

-D

Wednesday 3 September 2008

Back to School

I am BURNING!!! Don't worry, I'm not on fire, just sweating a hell lot today with the hot weather we haven't seen in a while. It is hot here in Toronto!

Of course, we're back to school, sitting in stuffy classrooms, productively learning (or somewhat). I was really excited to go back to school this year. Usual not, but I just wanted to get back to chitchatting with friends and getting involved in the extra curriculars I do. For those who don't know, I am the sports editor of our high school's official newspaper-the Panther Press. Overall, it's just great to be back. Can't wait until our Panther sports teams get rolling-always a pleasure watching them play!

Though they've faded out of playoff contention, or at least needing a Rockiesque run to make a comeback, the Toronto Blue Jays are always a pleasure to watch! AJ Burnett, who has 16 wins under his belt for 08, is throwing heat and nothing but heat at the Twins tonight. That, along with a picture perfect home run from Joe Inglett, the Blue Jays lead 2-0 in the 5th inning. Once AJ gets locked in after 3, 4 innings, it's tough to touch him. Fourth straight win, here we come!! And how bout this kid Travis Snider?! Double at Yankee Stadium, a single to opposite field earlier this evening on a nasty sinker down and away...wow, very impressive guy!! Looking forward to more of Snider!!
Federer and Djokovic were both given a scare yesterday under the hot, glaring New York sun, pushed to 5 sets against Igor Andreev and Tommy Robredo, respectively. Luxembourg must be proud this week, as one of their own, Gilles Muller has pounded 112 aces going into the QFs. Speaking of the QFs, Andy Murray, the emotional Brit defeated del Potro today, earning his spot in his first career Grand Slam semi. Should things go as *expected* (not saying that it will), Rafa Nadal will take on Murray on Friday at Ashe Stadium. Mardy Fish, an Olympic silver medallist from Athens with a less interesting career will face Rafa later tonight. Otherwise, Djokovic/Roddick should be one to watch!

The Williams sisters are going at it as I blog. It is Serena with a very premature 1-0 lead in the opening set. Turn your tvs on right now for that one!! Dementieva and Jankovic will face eachother in the semis and Dinara Safina is awaiting her next opponent (Serena or Venus). Could be an all Russian final...boy are they dominating the female side right now!

-D