Everybody has something they’re overly attached to. Whether it’s that old stuffed tiger you had as a kid, or the ever-growing jungle of houseplants taking up your entire living room, we often develop emotional attachments to the inanimate objects that colour our lives. A select few, however, take this a[Read More…]
Articles by Adam Burton
Fall 2021 McGill varsity report cards
MEN’S RUGBY: A, until the final Men’s rugby had a strong season all around, boasting a 5-1 regular season record and leading the RSEQ rankings with bonus points, awarded when a team scores more than four tries in a game. Unfortunately, the impressive season culminated in a soul-crushing finale, with[Read More…]
Exposing the history of streaking in sports
Streaking, despite its taboo status, is a popular idea in our collective cultural memory. It’s a common high school and college movie trope to force the loser of a bet to “streak across the quad” or “do a naked lap.” This idea, however, didn’t come from nowhere: The art of[Read More…]
From the gym to the studio: Athletes who gave music a go
Whether it be a washed-up child actor or a TikTok star on the come-up, many celebrities try to break into the music industry at some point in their career. Given the historical connection between music and the world of sports, it is unsurprising that several star athletes are also taking[Read More…]
Concordia overwhelms McGill to capture RSEQ men’s rugby title
The beautiful autumn afternoon seemed a good omen as any to the sold-out crowd of McGill (6–2) and Concordia (7–1) fans who gathered at Percival Molson Stadium on Nov. 6 for what they hoped would be a competitive bout of RSEQ rugby. But despite the turnout, the Redbirds fell 33-0[Read More…]
Martlets fall in Gee-Gee 61-38 shoot-out
On Oct. 23, the McGill Martlets (0–1) faced off against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees (2–1) in their second game of the pre-season. Emerging from a loss to the University of Windsor Lancers, the Martlets failed to end their losing streak coming out of the long COVID-19-induced pause of the[Read More…]
The future of sports broadcasting is at our fingertips
It’s a Friday night, and all you want to do is order pizza and watch an NFL game live with some close friends. As a student on a tight budget, however, finding access to the games you want to watch can prove difficult—and sometimes even impossible—without a cable plan. Some[Read More…]
Shaughnessy Cup showdown ends in overtime loss for McGill
On Sept. 17, the McGill Redbirds (1–2) were defeated in heartbreaking fashion by their long-time rivals, the Concordia Stingers (2–1) at the 52nd annual Shaughnessy Cup. The event sold out quickly, with 3,500 McGill and Concordia students clamouring to get a seat for what turned out to be a high-scoring,[Read More…]
Redbirds clinch win in home opener against Sherbrooke Vert et Or
On Sept. 4, the McGill Redbirds (1–1) defeated the Sherbrooke University Vert et Or (1–1) in their first home game of the season. For the first time in 693 days, over one thousand spectators—1,628, to be exact—filled Percival Molson Memorial Stadium to witness an exciting return to varsity football. Both[Read More…]
Nine best Olympic logos
Every two years, like clockwork, millions of people collectively spend two weeks with their eyes glued to a screen, rooting for their countries’ athletes and watching thrilling sports until our hearts, and our eyes, bleed. The Olympics have been a celebration of athletic excellence since their founding on a global[Read More…]
Outdoor activities to beat the end-of-semester blues
Winter is never an easy time for students in Montreal. With indoor gatherings banned and limited outdoor activities, these past few months have been especially challenging. Yet, the start of daylight savings, the extension of curfew, and the improvement of the weather are excellent reasons to leave the house, be[Read More…]
In conversation with Dick Pound
Richard Pound is by far one of McGill’s most notable student-athlete alumni. During his time at McGill, Pound earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce and graduated on the Dean’s list, won the Canadian swimming freestyle championship four times, placed sixth representing team Canada at the 1960 Rome Olympics, and took[Read More…]
Rediscovering the value of practice
One of my earliest memories is of my mother handing me a cardboard violin and stick and having me bow along to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. As the child of two classical musicians, I started learning music very early—at the age of two. Every day when I came home from[Read More…]
The many exclamations of professional sports commentators
Any sport can have its defining moments, be it a buzzer-beating shot or a record-breaking win. While some moments are more awe-inspiring than others, many of the most popular are defined by the sports commentators that bring them to life. The McGill Tribune highlights its favourite sports commentator moments to celebrate[Read More…]
Point-counterpoint: Are eSports really sports?
eSports: Competitive, coordinated, and strategic true sports When video games became popular in the 1970s, games like Pong and Atari swept the nation by storm. Players everywhere gathered at local arcades to compete on consoles the size of refrigerators that could do little more than render a cluster of bouncing[Read More…]
Movie night: Five exceptional basketball movies
Sports have a long history on screen, and while there has been a long list of unfortunate misrepresentations of various sports, there has also been an abundance of fantastic movies that remind us of what we love about competition and the blood, sweat and tears that go into being the[Read More…]
The McGill Tribune’s comprehensive guide to winter sports in a pandemic
In many cities, winter is a time to stay indoors and wait until the snow begins to melt. In Montreal, however, the colder months offer a slew of activities for everyone. Even in the ongoing pandemic, many outdoor sports remain available with set restrictions, letting anyone take a break from[Read More…]
The McGill Tribune’s look into a unique 2021 NBA Season
Predictions heading into a tumultuous new season
Finding solace in sports
Skiing Sarah Farnand, Sports Editor Since I was a kid, skiing has been a great source of comfort. I began waterskiing when I was five years old, and started downhill skiing shortly after. After a few laps around the lake and a few trips down the bunny hill in the[Read More…]
Redbird name fails to bring unity to McGill Athletics
On Nov. 17 McGill announced a new name for the men’s varsity teams: Redbirds. The long-overdue announcement came more than a year after an initial email from the office of Principal Suzanne Fortier, sent in April 2019, which stated that McGill would be dropping the slur formerly used as the[Read More…]
Strings and other things
Growing up, my favourite movie scene was the wand-shop sequence from Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone. The scene opens with Harry entering Olivander’s wand shop, surrounded by towering shelves of wands and surfaces cluttered with tools and scraps of parchment. After trying an array of wands, he settles on[Read More…]
2020 NBA free agency predictions
With the NBA restarting its season on Dec. 22, this will be the shortest NBA off-season of all time. Because of the compressed free agency period, teams are likely to make bold roster changes in the coming weeks in an effort to become championship contenders in 2021. Here are The[Read More…]
Behind the mask: Marty the Martlet
As McGill University’s mascot, Marty the Martlet holds a prominent position in the eyes of the school’s student body. Not only is Marty seen around campus and at sports games in its kilt, it is also prominently featured in numerous McGill-centric meme pages and accounts. With all its notoriety, it[Read More…]
The seven spookiest curses in sports
Superstition and sports go together like tricking and treating. Over the years, various fan bases and players have had luck bad enough to make them look beyond the grave in search of the source of their sports woes. With Halloween right around the corner, The McGill Tribune lists seven of the[Read More…]
Point-counterpoint: The greatest Formula 1 driver
The greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time come in pairs: Schumacher and Ferrari, Hamilton and Mercedes, and Senna and McLaren. To understand the magnitude of their greatness, one has to consider not just the stats but also the context behind each driver’s success. Looking at all of Formula 1[Read More…]
2020 NBA Bubble superlatives
With the NBA Finals finished, it’s time to reflect on an exceptional and unique season of basketball. While the talking heads of basketball media will be dissecting the winners and losers of the Bubble for months to come, The McGill Tribune pays homage to some of the more unique accomplishments of[Read More…]
Documentaries for staying in the sports mood
Although most sports are currently on hold, staying engaged with the world of sports has never been easier. Here are some of The McGill Tribune’s favourite sports documentaries that will tide you over to the next season. Athlete A Content warning: Graphic descriptions of sexual violence Athlete A is a[Read More…]
A love letter to Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve
Formula One weekend dominates Montreal in June, with groups of tourists wearing team-branded caps meandering around the city, and taking in the sights. This year, Formula One weekend was cancelled, along with all the events that surround it. Roaring engines, cheering crowds, and screeching tires have been replaced by the[Read More…]
Style Seminar: Russell Westbrook
While the Houston Rockets’ Russell Westbrook was incredibly inconsistent in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, his pre-game outfits have never failed to impress. When it comes to bold and flavourful ensembles, nobody else in the league can compare. As many mourn the Rockets’ second round playoff exit to the Los Angeles[Read More…]
It will all workout: Exercising in a cramped student apartment
As gyms around the world closed in March to limit the spread of the COVID-19, bodybuilders and casual gym-goers alike were forced to recreate fitness centres in their homes. Though some Montreal gyms reopened in June, many people still do not feel safe returning. For some, this means adapting their[Read More…]
2019-20 ‘Tribune’ end-of-year athletics awards
Team of the year: Men’s swimming McGill Swimming excelled this year, with both the men’s and women’s teams finishing in first place at the RSEQ Championships. At the National Championships, the men’s side placed fourth overall and earned four medals for the first time since 2009. Second-year Clement Secchi stood[Read More…]
Podcasts to fill the sports void
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus has resulted in the mass shutdown of professional and collegiate sports, leaving fans scrambling to adjust to the disruption in the annual sports cycle. While leagues are doing the right thing to minimize the spread of the virus, the suspensions have left fans with[Read More…]
Winter 2020 season recaps
Artistic Swimming The McGill Women’s Artistic Swim team started their season off strong, finishing first out of 11 teams at the McGill Invitational in November. Strong performances from sisters third-year Ioana Gheta and second-year Maria Gheta earned them first place in the duet/trio category. First-year Katherine Demond also performed well,[Read More…]
A guide to becoming a cold-weather athlete
The sky is dark when you leave your lecture at 5:30 pm, you have seen more MTL Blog headlines about the cold than you can count, and you might even have had your eyelids freeze shut on the way to school. It is February in Montreal, and constantly fending off the[Read More…]
Fournier scores brace at home against Ridgebacks
The McGill Men’s Hockey team (16–11–1) lost on Feb. 9 to the Ontario Tech University Ridgebacks (13–15) by a final score of 5–3 in a nail-biting home game filled with highs and lows. Despite strong efforts from McGill in the first and third period, the home side could not overcome[Read More…]
2020 NBA All-Star mock draft
The 2020 NBA All-Star Game draft may have come and gone, but The McGill Tribune thinks that things could and should have gone differently. Here’s a look at two alternate teams from the Tribune sports section. Team LeBron Alec Regino Bearing in mind the dynamic new format for the All-Star Game[Read More…]
2020 NBA trade deadline predictions
With the NBA trade deadline quickly approaching on Feb. 6, the window for teams to make last-minute moves is closing. While most executives and analysts predict a fairly uneventful buildup to the deadline, The McGill Tribune sees the potential for things to get spicy this season, like they did two years[Read More…]
10 things: The best animals in sports
Sports are known for many things: Upset victories, legendary players, and championship glory. But what really matters are the cute, loveable animals behind some of the greatest moments in sports history. Here are The McGill Tribune’s picks for the top 10 best animals in sports. Atom and Humber Chilean footballer[Read More…]
McGill Men’s Basketball loses nailbiter to Citadins
The McGill Men’s Basketball team (8–2) lost in heartbreaking fashion on Jan. 18 in an electrifying home game against the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM) Citadins with a final score of 81–75. This loss did not reflect the heart-wrenching efforts from both sides that led to a thrilling eight[Read More…]
Inside Montreal’s ultimate scene
We’ve all spent a warm summer day lazily throwing a frisbee around with our friends. But if one were to go to Parc Jeanne-Mance on a sunny Sunday afternoon, they would find a group of adults throwing a disc in ways you would not think were possible. With full uniforms,[Read More…]
NBA midseason awards
With the 2019-20 NBA season halfway done, The McGill Tribune presents its midseason awards, highlighting some of the most notable individual and team performances so far. Unexpected Breakout Team: The Miami Heat Since the end of the reign of the “Three Kings” in 2014, the Miami Heat have endured a[Read More…]
10 things: Impactful sports moments this decade
As the decade comes to a close, The McGill Tribune looks back in chronological order on 10 of the most impactful moments in sports that helped shape athletics and the world. From incredible upset victories to social movements, the 2010s will go down as a decade to be remembered. LeBron[Read More…]
Fall Season Recaps
Men’s Varsity Lacrosse: The Men’s varsity lacrosse team had a bittersweet season that ended just shy of a championship. This season also served as a farewell to the team’s head coach of 17 seasons, Tim Murdoch. The team started the year strong with a commanding 13–9 victory over Nipissing University[Read More…]
Supporting a team that never fails to disappoint
It’s a fact of life for all sports fans: At some point, your team will be bad. Some fans’ teams will be worse than others’, and the most unlucky of us all are the fans of teams that have been terrible for our entire lives. Regardless of how much you[Read More…]
10 Things: Creative sports Halloween costumes
Halloween is an exciting time for everyone, but finding a costume that is affordable and unique can be challenging. This year, The McGill Tribune’s sports writers put together a list of costumes for fans looking to do something more interesting than just wear their favourite athlete’s jersey. These ideas turned[Read More…]
Martlets win with electrifying late-game heroics
The Martlet basketball team (4–4) defeated the visiting Acadia University Axewomen (1–2) on Nov. 22 by a resounding final score of 79–67. Despite strong defensive efforts from Acadia in the second half, the Martlets rallied to secure the win for a boisterous crowd. The first quarter saw McGill take a[Read More…]
NBA Preview: The new fan’s guide to 2019-20
Let’s face it: Montreal isn’t the best city for basketball fans. However, the Raptors’ Championship win may have spurred the genesis of basketball-fandom across the country. Thousands of first-time fans packed into the Jurassic Park on Peel Street to watch the improbable dark-horse squad headed by Kawhi Leonard thrash the[Read More…]
10 Things: Sports misrepresented on-screen
Stranger Things – Basketball Indiana is renowned for its Hoosier basketball; however, the battle of Steve “the Hair” Harrington and Billy Hargrove wildly misses this mark. Rather than a 1980s callback to the likes of Larry Bird, this poorly executed game inexplicably features multiple beyond-the-three-point-line postups and a ridiculous through-the-legs[Read More…]
2019 IAAF World Championships preview
Women’s Distance Running Canadian Gabriela DeBues-Stafford is ranked fourth in the world in the women’s 1,500m. Having medalled in four of her last five events, Debues-Stafford has a good shot at ending her season on top of the podium. Since 1997, only Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes have won the Women’s[Read More…]
Growth of international basketball on display at FIBA World Cup
The 2019 FIBA World Cup concluded on Sept. 15, sending a traditionally dominant American team home with a lowly seventh-place finish. This loss came as a shock to USA Basketball and ended a 58-game winning streak dating back to 2006, leaving many fans wondering what has happened to Team USA.[Read More…]
Playground pickup with NBA stars
Basketball can take on many forms: Professional play, at the playground, five-on-five, two-on-two, and even one-on-one. But one thing basketball players cannot do is play themselves. The McGill Tribune sportswriters wondered, if it were possible, which NBA players would be the most fun to watch challenge themselves in a one-on-one matchup.[Read More…]
McGill hosts RSEQ Track and Field Championship
On Feb. 22 and 23, McGill Athletics hosted the RSEQ track and field championships in the Tomlinson Fieldhouse. The meet crowned provincial champions and determined which athletes will advance to Nationals in Winnipeg in March. With over 50 events, the two-day competition provided plenty of thrilling moments. Out of the[Read More…]
Point-Counterpoint: The G.O.A.T in men’s tennis
With 52 major titles between the three of them, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal have cemented their places in tennis history while creating one of the most exciting sets of rivalries in sports. But, only one can be the greatest of all time. Rafael Nadal: More than just[Read More…]
Igloofest is still cold in its 13th iteration
Most people spend January and February huddled up indoors trying to avoid any contact with the frigid, brutal elements. Not Montrealers, though—for three weekends every year, hordes of ravers dressed in 90s ski-jackets and spacesuits brave the winter, fill up Quai Jacques-Cartier, and dance the night away. This year was[Read More…]
2019 NBA All-Star mock draft
Team LeBron Alec Regino LeBron James is quick to show fans that he’s more than just a basketball player—he’s a businessman, the Lakers’ secret general manager, and an entertainer. This draft is a balancing act of all these roles. While I’m obviously here to win, I also plan to recruit[Read More…]
10 things: Powerful sports moments of 2018
North and South Korea enter Pyeongchang under a united flag For the first time since the Korean War, athletes from North and South Korea entered the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Games together under the Korean Unification flag. Despite its purely symbolic value, the act was a strong gesture of[Read More…]
Carmelo Anthony: From star to slouch
The 2018-19 NBA season’s opening weeks have been exhilarating after blockbuster off-season moves and progress from the league’s youngest stars have brought in a wave of new title contenders like the Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks. But, with the rise of the new guard comes the fall of Carmelo[Read More…]