AS I SEE IT COLUMN: Opening gifts from under the sporting tree

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/12/2023 (488 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

At this special time of the year, many of us look forward to receiving gifts.

In no particular order, here are some sporting gifts for which sports fans can be grateful.

Christine Sinclair

She is not just one of the greatest athletes in Canadian history. In scoring more international soccer goals than any male or female in the beautiful game’s illustrious history, Sinclair is one of the greatest athletes the world has ever produced. Put her on stamps and on our currency. By single-handedly making Canada a global powerhouse in soccer, she is a national gift for the ages.

Our national basketball teams

It wasn’t that long ago that Canada simply could not compete with the best nations on earth. We were an after-thought, an easy opponent. Those days are over. Canada – in both men’s and women’s basketball – are no longer laughable pushovers. We are a force to be reckoned with. When our men’s national team beat Team USA for a bronze medal at the World Cup of Basketball, we cemented our place among the elite basketball nations.

The SRSS Sabres varsity girls’ volleyball team

In a province as rich in volleyball as Manitoba, it is an astonishing achievement to be crowned the best team in the province. The Sabres girls went five games in the quarterfinals, five games in the semi-finals and another five games in the final against Selkirk, showing not just their skill but their unflappable belief in each other. Led by the remarkable Sienna Driedger, the marathon final was a match that will not soon be forgotten.

A Canadian finally wins the Canadian Open

No Canadian had won our national golf championship since 1954, until Nick Taylor sank an improbable 72-foot-long putt on the fourth playoff hole to win a Canadian Open that will be remembered for decades. The agonizing 69-year drought was over, and what a glorious moment it was.

Better than Babe

As one of baseball’s best pitchers and hitters – something not seen since the days of Babe Ruth – Japan’s Shohei Ohtani, now of the Los Angeles Dodgers, could well be the best baseball that has ever lived. The dual threat is something else to watch. We are lucky to be witnesses to something so special and rare. (His salary may be obscene – more on that in a future column – but his talent is unmatched.)

Our new arena

Hollywood could not write a better script. The last game played in the old barn saw our beloved Pistons capture the MJHL title. It was a storybook ending and soon we will have a brand-new arena and recreational facility. There are countless wonderful memories that were made in the old rink and now it is time to create new ones in the new rink. A gift to our community that will be enjoyed for generations.

I would like to thank sports editor, Cassidy Dankochik and editor Greg Vandermeulen. I am grateful for all their help this past year.

Whatever jingles your bells at this most special time of year – Christmas, Solstice, Hanukah, Kwanzaa (or whatever your family tradition is) – the staff at As I See It wishes everyone a time of joy, peace, health and much laughter.