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Montreal, News

CITY: Pedestrians take over city’s downtown

by Sonya Bell on

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If your back-to-school shopping included a new pair of sneakers, Friday, Sept. 22 is the day to put them to use. For the fourth straight year, the city of Montreal will be participating in International Car Free Day, known locally as “En Ville, Sans Ma Voiture!” or “In Town, Without My Car!” by transforming its downtown core into a pedestrian paradise.

“It’s becoming a tradition,” said Melanie Nadeau of Agence Métropolitaine de Transport. “The first year, we had complaints from some downtown businesses, but now we’re getting more support. People know it’s coming back year after year.”

Nadeau was optimistic about the effect of Montreal’s event among those staged simultaneously in 1,500 cities and towns across Canada and the rest of the world.

“Its large and centralized location makes a real impact,” she said.

Montreal’s car-free perimeter, ranging from De Maisonneuve Blvd in the north to Rene-Levesque Blvd. in the south and from McGill College in the west to St. Urbain in the east, is the largest in North America.

The goal of the annual event is to educate citizens about the negative impact of cars on quality of life and on the environment. But the onus to move to a more sustainable means of transportation does not fall solely on the traveller. Québec Transport Minister Michel Després wants the day to “promote a joint process of reflection concerning the behavioural changes needed to improve urban transportation.”

“‘In Town, Without My Car!’ gives everyone a wonderful opportunity to think about the environmental impacts related to car use, the importance of making responsible choices in terms of sustainable development and more specifically, what we can do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Claude Trudel, chairman of the Montreal Transit Corporation’s Board of Directors. “In this context, the STM is convinced that the use of public transit is undoubtedly an excellent way of contributing to collective efforts in this area.”

This year, “In Town, Without My Car!” will expand and diversify in terms of themes and activities. The downtown perimeter will be divided into three districts: Environment, Health and Sports and Active and Public Transportation. Corresponding activities, such as a children’s ecological and education rally, salsa lessons and an acoustic concert by Les Respectables will be held free of charge.

In past years, pedestrians have enjoyed strolling down a traffic-free Ste-Catherine, but even this will be improved upon in 2006. A section of the street between McGill College and Phillip’s Square will be laid with grass to give Montrealers the unique opportunity of enjoying a park in the middle of a downtown road.

Greening McGill and the McGill Environmental Students’ Society will expand the city’s green perimeter by staging their own set of events on lower campus in the name of Car Free Day and Envirofest, respectively. Encouraged by the Senate Committee on the Environment, the McGill administration approved the transformation of lower campus roads into pedestrian and cycling paths for the day. Lower campus will host a variety of information tables, recreational space, arts and crafts and food and drink stands.

Participants are encouraged to bring bicycles for travel or repair, hockey sticks for organized games of street hockey and mugs for drinks, but Saima Sidik of Greening McGill says that the event is flexible.

“Bring anything you want. The goal is to make it fun and entertaining.”

News, SSMU

CAMPUS: Activites night reaches new heights

by Matt Campbell on

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Adding the Shatner building’s fourth floor to last week’s Activities Night received mixed reviews from clubs and services. According to Students’ Society Vice-President Clubs and Services Floh Herra-Vega, the decision to open the top floor was made because this year SSMU recognized more clubs than ever before.

To help draw traffic, large, popular clubs were assigned to the top floor. However, many of those clubs were unhappy with being placed in the out-of-the-way clubs lounge.

Sabrina Mawani, U2 IDS and Biomedical Sciences of Habitat for Humanity was initially worried.

“A lot of people don’t use the fourth floor,” she said. “Although, I thought it would be a lot worse.”

Habitat wasn’t particularly suffering from reduced traffic. “It’s more spacious [up here], and less crowded. You get a chance to tell more people as opposed to shouting.”

Representatives of the Gamer’s Guild, also on the fourth floor, were more enthusiastic.

“Look at all these names we have,” said Andrew Bernstein, keyholder of the Gamers Guild, pointing to his list. “Plus, all the clubs in this lounge are intellectual clubs. These [board] games are intellectual games.”

Although the smaller clubs didn’t mind the change, the larger clubs were less at ease.

Dan Radmanovic, president of the International Relations Students’ Association of McGill University, was disappointed with the decision.

“SSMU put the prestigious clubs up here,” he said. “Look who else is up here. There’s been no traffic. Last year we were club of the year. We had 550 people sign up [at Activities Night] and this year we’re just under 200.”

Radmanovic stressed that Activities Night is important for recruiting students rather than having a quiet atmosphere to fully explain the mandate of his club.

“People have been asking us ‘Why aren’t you downstairs?’ I don’t know,” he said.

The McGill Debating Union cited similar concerns, and noted dramatically fewer sign-ups than in previous years.

Certain clubs noted advantages to being on the fourth floor, namely groups who currently occupy offices on the top level of Shatner.

Pascale Dequen of le Centre pour les Étudiants Francophones pointed out the benefits.

“It’s less crowded, less loud and there’s less traffic,” she said. “Also, it’s an advantage to be right in front of our office.”

“I think it would be better if we were [also] handing out pamphlets downstairs,” she added.

Meg Atkinson, U2 Anthropology, who was representing the McGill Global AIDS Coalition, summarized the general feeling.

“I was kind of surprised when I found out [our table would be here]. There’s not as much traffic, but it’s not detrimental. I do have mixed feelings but I’m happy to go with the flow.”

News

CITY: Religious talks disappoint

by Josh Stark on

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Organizers had high hopes for last week’s World Religions conference, which aimed to combat the increasingly negative perceptions surrounding religions. However, the event fell far short of expectations according to most attendees.

The event was organized by McGill Professor Arvind Sharman, and brought together speakers of all faiths to discuss the role of religion in today’s world and to promote the adoption of a United Nations-style Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the world’s religions.

Dr. Anis Malik Thoha, an assistant professor from the International Islamic University of Malaysia, agreed in his speech Wednesday that different religions must communicate with each other, but added that he did not see this happening effectively in the near future. He later spoke about the low turnout to the event.

“Unfortunately, the organizer didn’t organize the program properly…. so not enough people showed up,” said Thoha. “When I was in Japan, in Tokyo at a similar event, there [was] a larger number of people, so we [had] more interaction.”

Less than eight people attended Dr. Thoha’s session, which was given in a room built for over 100.

Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, an Islamic studies scholar, also spoke to a sparse audience.

“Considering how famous a scholar he is, it was fairly poorly attended,” said Heather Empey, a fourth year PhD student at the McGill Institute of Islamic Studies. “It was maybe a quarter full.”

Empey added that she thought the conference organizers aimed too high with their goals.

“I think that the objective was too lofty and too comprehensive,” she said. “An intelligent public could handle a more in-depth talk on religion. It was good intentioned, but what was the point? It would be better to have a more honest, more real conversation about these things.”

Empey said that she found the conference was preaching to the converted, as the people who were willing to sit down in dialogue with other religions are not the people who needed to go to a conference to be encouraged to do so.

Professor Arvind Sharman, chair of the organizing committee for the conference, said that although there were problems, many of them were out of his control – particularly the low attendance.

“This is something I naturally regret; that there were not enough people,” he said, “but it is something over which we have very little control – people vote with their feet.”

Amy Wanounou, a Masters student from York University in Toronto, was also critical of the event.

“I’m a little disappointed,” she said. “I thought it would be more of a critical, academic look at the real issues that need to be discussed, as opposed to what I found, which was a lot of great rhetoric about how we all need to interface and dialogue”

Ms. Wanounou, who is studying female suicide bombers, was hoping to find information that might help in her own studies. However, what she found was not so useful.

Echoing Dr. Thoha’s sentiments, Wanounou said that the event suffered from poor organization.

“A lot of people haven’t even shown up for their talks – which was a little disappointing since they were the ones that were planning on talking about the specific studies they’ve done,” Wanounou said.

Sharman regretted that some speakers did not show up, but explained that the problem was unavoidable with such stringent border security and the inevitable complexity of travel.

“A person coming from Egypt,” he said, “flew to America to visit his daughter first, and then came to Canada. But the US authorities would not let him leave [because of] some problem with him landing in USA and not going straight to Canada.”

Sharman took issue with Wanounou’s assertion that the conference lacked critical academic analysis.

“It was not meant to be a purely academic conference. It had a strong academic component, but it was not meant to be a purely academic conference,” Sharman said. “Anyone who heard [a number of the speakers] would realize that it had high intellectual content. I would disagree … that there was no academic treatment of the issues. This was not the sole concern of the conference. But that was by design, and not by accident.”

He went on to explain that the conference did accomplish more than rhetoric.

“The reason why we proposed the draft of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was to provide a basis for these religions to come and work together,” Sharman said. “The draft is a concrete thing, something to work on – how can that be denied?”

Sharman was hopeful that similar conferences could be organized in the future.

“If we don’t have this very conference again, we are sure to have a conference which is very close to it. . . the Parliament of World Religions, which will meet in 2009.”

-additional reporting by Kayvon Afshari

Montreal, News

CITY: Rally marks International Darfur Day

by Fariduddin Rifai on

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Montreal’s rally for International Darfur Day brought attention to the inaction of the international community and common misconceptions about the controversy and violence in the region on Sunday.

Held on the future site of Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business Building, hundreds of Montrealers partook in the rally, pressing for what organizers called “effective [United Nations] intervention” in the war-ravaged region of western Sudan.

“What really strikes us is that the situation in Darfur was going on right around the same time with the anniversary of Rwanda and we were asking ourselves ‘why did we let that happen?'” said Gordon Nelson, U2 Political Science. “Now the same thing is happening in Darfur.”

The rally expressed worries over a possible dramatic escalation of the conflict if the UN does not deploy peacekeepers to Darfur.

“We need to put pressure for the UN to intervene in Sudan,” said rally organizer Tara Tavendar. “Without new peacekeepers, no one would be able to protect the civilians in Darfur.”

The 7,000 African Union peacekeepers that are currently stationed in Darfur are expected to leave the region once their mandate has expired on September 30.

The UN Security Council has assumed the role of peacekeeper and signed a resolution on Aug. 31, 2006, to send a force of 20,000 blue helmets to the region.

The Sudanese government in Khartoum has since refused entry for the international force on grounds that it violates their sovereignty.

The Rally for Darfur is one of several other similar events held in other major cities coinciding with what organizers call Darfur Day.

“The idea is to gather as many people from all kind of backgrounds to tell the people in Darfur that we are in solidarity with them,” said Anne Sainte-Marie of Amnesty International.

Speakers urged action from the Canadian government and people as well.

“As students, we should demand that the Canadian government do something to end the atrocities in Darfur,” said Emily Bennett of McGill Stand Canada.

She went on to remind the crowd that “we already have the capacity here in Canada, we have the ability, what we need is the will to lead.”

Fighting between the Sudanese government’s proxy militia and rebels has continued despite the Darfur Peace Agreement signed between the two parties in May 2006.

Estimates of direct and indirect casualties from the conflict that began in February 2003 ranged from 300,000 to as many as 400,000 people with as many as 2.5 million people internally displaced.

Organizers stress that if Darfur can be left unnoticed as Rwanda was a decade ago, we still lack awareness.

“Sometimes Darfur just disappears from the news and people just forget about the situation there,” said Sainte-Marie. “Once we find out that half a million have died, then we’ll ask why we didn’t know much sooner about the conflict.”

In response to the world-wide demonstrations, Khartoum says that the protesters have misunderstood the situation in Darfur. They argue that the reportage of the conflict has been one sided and is “unfortunately moved by political agendas.”

According to McGill professor Khalid Medani, focusing on the conflict in Darfur as simply genocide can obscure the real problems in the region.

Invited to speak at the Rally for Darfur, Professor Medani told the Tribune that the fighting is part of a wider political and economic problem.

“It’s not to say that it’s less bad. But if you just tell people it’s genocide they will focus less on the government and the comprehensive problem and focus very specifically in trying to call one group victims and them the other groups killers.That’s unfair to the people of Darfur.”

He went on to explain the problems with this conception.

“All Darfurians, both from the Africanized and Arabized tribes, demand the Sudanese government in Khartoum open up the political system, give them more representation and more economic services.”

When violence escalated in February 2003, Khartoum was negotiating a deal with the Southern Sudanese, who demanded greater political autonomy and control over their economic resources, a concession they did not grant to the Darfurians.

“This is why the conflict in Darfur is different from genocide,” said Medani. “The conflict is not one where one community wants to, in whole or in part, exterminate another, but it is a problem where a central government is using a proxy militia to pacify a region for their own interest.”

A report by the Human Rights Watch mentions how the division between “Africans” and “Arabs” in the region has “failed to capture the ethnically diverse society of Darfur and the nuanced relationships among ethnic groups.”

Speaking to the crowd at the rally last Sunday, Medani reminded the audience that the majority of Sudanese are opposed to the regime in Khartoum and that the crisis in Darfur is part of a wider problem of political disenfranchisement and excessive economic centralization.

The effort of finding a solution is made more difficult when countries like Russia and especially China (which holds 75 per cent ownership over the oil in Sudan) threaten to veto any resolutions for direct UN intervention in Darfur.

Medani says that the conflict thus broaches another issue, the absence of democracy in the UN, which hampers its ability to mobilize and act as they should in violent crises such as in Sudan.

Student Life

ON CAMPUS: Waiting is the hardest part

by Conor Graham on

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If you take a walk down to the corner of Aylmer and Sherbrooke, near the eastern edge of campus, you will find a McGill building. This is no ordinary building, but a confusing labyrinth of dead-ends and key card-access doors that would make King Minos proud. Left is right, right is left, and half the time, the administrative staff seems just as confused as you are to what’s going on.

Problem number one: If you don’t know exactly where to look for something in the music building, it is very hard to find it. Room numbers mean nothing, and even the floors aren’t numbered correctly. You walk onto the main floor. Floor one? WRONG. It’s floor two.

Even before the new building was constructed, the old building was already divided into two wings: the east wing and the centre wing. The problems occur when we hit floors four and five (or should I say three and four?), where, due to the sadistic wish of the architects, the wings were split up. Want to get from C-504 to E-512? Well you’d have to go down two flights of stairs, run over to the other wing, go up two flights of stairs, and then use your keycard on the door. This whole ballet, which should only take about 20 seconds, can set you back more than three solid minutes if you’re prone to wheezing. This general confusion of all the rooms in the building leads the way for. . . .

Problem number two: Room E-106. This is the only regularly-used main-stream classroom in the basement, and you had better hope you never have to use it. First of all, it is a cave lit with fluorescent lights and dingy low ceilings. Second, it is roasting in there at all times, that is, fry-an-egg-on-the-floor roasting. Finally (and this is a curse in disguise), it always, always smells of cookies. Not only will this make you HATE cookies after about a week in this room, but it will add to the whole warm effect and make you sleepy as hell — valium sleep, not normal sleep. You never feel refreshed afterwards.

Problem number three: Override forms. As a music student, you will need to get these signed every semester. You pick up the pink form outside of the student affairs office. Then you get the professor of the course you want to get into to sign it. Then you need the signatures of the following people: your academic advisor, the head of the department of the course you want to sign up for, your grandmother’s fourth cousin Marie, and your best friend’s uncle’s cousin’s ex-roommate’s dog. Of course, the only time you realize you need a form like this is when class sign-ups start, so… either the summer, the exam period, or the very end of the school year. If you thought music professors were hard to find normally, just wait until the end of the year. The only way to catch one is to construct some sort of booby trap outside their office like a burmese tiger pit or one of those spring-loaded nets hidden with some leaves. Setting these up is a bit of a gamble, but what other choice do you have?

Problem number four: If you need to pee in the music building – good luck. You can either cop a squat in the corner of a practice room or try and fire one out an open window, but anything outside of that, and you are doomed to hold it in. It is fully possible that there are dozens of functioning washrooms in the music building, the problem lies in finding them. In my two years in the building, I have found three sets of washrooms. One set is near the performance hall in the main building, and is only unlocked some of the time. Another set is way at the back of the building and is the only reliable set in the building. The last set that I know of is a phantom pair that exists on floor five some of the time, and disappear when you try and look for them again. I have devised an equation for predicting the appearance of the phantom bathrooms:

[(Max running speed)(How badly you have to go)]2 =(Volume of laughter when you don’t quite make it)/(Length of urine stain on floor) Some words of advice: pee before you enter the building, or bring an empty bottle with you at all times.

Behind the Bench, Sports

THIRD MAN IN: No style points for soccer

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Soccer, football, the beautiful game; whatever you want to call it, it’s a sport suffering from a debilitating illness. One symptom of this illness is players flying through the air whenever they are so much as grazed by an opposing player in a pathetic, yet all too often fruitful, attempt to draw the referee’s attention. I call it…dive-arosis.

Most recently the disease transformed this summer’s World Cup from what should have been a beautiful and entertaining event into an at times almost laughable display of acting and poor sportsmanship.

In all, the 2006 World Cup produced 345 yellow and 28 red cards, smashing the previous records. It should also be noted that both those previous records were also set in the diving era which has taken off in the last decade.

In that short time, diving has already changed the game. A significant portion of soccer’s appeal is based on flow. At its best, it is a game of continuous and suspenseful action. But increasingly it has become a slow and choppy affair, punctuated by a surplus of stops and starts.

Brazil, the most successful nation in the history of world soccer, has always built their game around a slow building attack based on short passes and continuous movement of players off the ball. Not surprisingly, this is why they are one of the teams least likely to be seen diving. When a foul is committed against the Brazilians it is not uncommon to see them simply put the ball back in play rather then kill their momentum by preparing a set piece.

This is also the reason they are the only remaining team who is consistently entertaining to watch. Most teams at this past World Cup relied on long ball tactics or brisk runs up the wings in hopes of being able to set up a free kick from a dangerous area or a penalty shot. One need look no further then the champion Italians. The Azzuri continually played as many as ten players behind the ball while only creating offence by drawing penalty shots (see win over Australia) and set pieces (see win over France).

So what’s to be done? How do we cure the beautiful game from its malady? FIFA is currently looking into possible rule changes such as bringing on a second referee or allowing for 3 yellow cards before a red is produced. But this sounds like reasoning so foolish it would make the NHL’s competition committee proud.

Instead I propose a simple solution: exorbitant punishment. If a player is found guilty of diving, assess him with a minimum three match suspension. If the referee initially misses it, review the call after the fact and punish the offender accordingly. Essentially, give the diver a penalty that would surely make a player think twice before diving; in a tournament like the World Cup, three matches is an eternity.

In addition, each team should be allowed two video challenges per game-à la NFL-so that the referee may review the play and decide if his initial decision was appropriate. If a player is guilty of diving he would receive an automatic yellow card plus the aforementioned three match suspension.

It’s tough, but quite frankly, it’s necessary. We can not let the beautiful game die on the operating table. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and anyone who saw the round-of-sixteen match between Portugal and the Netherlands in which twenty cards were issued, will tell you that the times, they are a desperate.

Sports

FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Redmen ready to rebound

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Coming off what can only be described as the worst year in the football program’s history, there’s really nowhere for the Redmen to go but up. On the field the team finished a dismal 1-7, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. Instead it was the black eye the franchise suffered as a result of the team’s hazing scandal which will be remembered as the legacy of the ’05 edition of Redmen Football.

But with a fresh start comes renewed optimism and Head Coach Chuck McMann, for one, would rather leave the past behind. “It’s behind us, it’s gone” McMann said. “Our expectations are to be in the playoffs and win a playoff game. That’s our goal for this year.”

Veterans will lead the wayThis year’s squad boasts a good mix of youth and experience, returning all but three of last year’s starters on offense. Among the big names back are 2004 all-conference quarterback Matt Connell and running back Michael Samman as well as guard Ben Walsh and slotback Greg Heatherington-both of whom were selected to the 2006 CIS East-West Bowl game.

With the offensive nucleus intact, much more will be expected. Last year, Connell, Heatherington and Samman all missed time, resulting in an offense that performed well yet at times seemed out of sync.

“Matt Connell should have a great year and Greg Heatherington is in his final year, that’s usually your good year as a receiver,” McMann said. “I think our strength again would be offence. We should be potentially even better than we were last year.”

Aside from all the veteran leadership the group could also feature as many as six freshmen, including a pair of highly touted recruits in receiver Patrick Dodd and offensive lineman Paul Reinlein. Also, look for young receivers Tim Kraemer and Erik Galas to take on a bigger responsibility with the team. Both showed their worth in limited roles last season and should be relied on more this year.

Lots of fresh facesA team is only as strong as its weakest link, and last year it was McGill’s inability to stop the opposition. They struggled all year to get stops at key moments but more to the point, they failed to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks and were abysmal against the run.

“As far as last year, it’s just like football. If you make a mistake on one play, you have to forget about it so you can get back and make a big play to redeem yourself,” said linebacker Jean-Nicholas Carrière.

That being said, maybe it’s a blessing that only four of last year’s starters have returned. Better still is the news that among last year’s starters it would be hard to pick out anyone who performed better then the four who have returned.

Carrière and David Riendeau are back to lead a talented linebacking corps which could turn out to be the defence’s strength. Both showed play making ability last season notching a combined 51.5 tackles, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one sack, one interception and a blocked field goal, and all this in just six games.

“As a defence, the main thing is just aggressiveness,” Carrière said. “We’re going to be a faster defence then anything else, not the biggest but definitely fast.”

The secondary, meanwhile, will be young and inexperienced. The group is anchored by safeties Dan St. Michael and Anthony Lucka who combined for five picks last season. But the loss of corners Addley Dufour-Monice and Frederik Martin will hurt the most as both were solid last season.

“We’re going to be young” McMann said. “But that’s ok; it means we’ll get better as the year goes on. It’s hard to tell now but we could have two or three freshmen starting on defence.”

Playoffs within reach of RedmenA favourable schedule could certainly help as the team will play lowly Bishop’s twice as well as St. Francis Xavier–against whom the Redmen earned their only ’05 victory-and a dismal Mt. Allison side that finished last season 0-8. In addition, the two biggest games of the year, against Concordia and Sherbrooke don’t come until October which should give the young defence a chance to get it’s footing. If they don’t, it could be another long year for the Redmen.

Sports

NFL PREVIEW: I like it, I love it, I want some more of it

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National Football Conference

NorthChicago Bears (10-6): If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Last year’s division champion will return all its starters from last season. While that’s good news for the defence-finished second in total yards and first in points allowed-it’s less so for the offence. To that end, the Bears acquired QB Brian Griese to put pressure on the underachieving Rex Grossman. Regardless of who starts, he will be anchoring an offence which remains almost entirely devoid of any playmakers. A weak schedule and an even weaker division are the Bears only saving graces.

Minnesota Vikings (7-9): With the Mike Tice era now regarded as a disaster, Brad Childress takes over a team thin at many positions. Brad Johnson filled in admirably at QB last year, but at 38, health must be a concern. WR Troy Williamson will be expected to produce, but beyond him the offence lacks weapons. Meanwhile, the defence has some solid elements but the linebacker corps must improve. The Vikings must regain their form of late last year to challenge for the division

Green Bay Packers (4-12): The Packers quietly made some impressive off-season moves on defence. LB A.J. Hawk was selected in the first round to be the rock on D for the Pack while CB Charles Woodson is another addition with playmaking ability. On offence though, question marks are abundant. QB Brett Favre can’t seem to figure out who he’s supposed to be throwing the ball to. Meanwhile, the running back situation hasn’t been solved. The defence will be good but it will be on the field far too much.

Detroit Lions (3-13): The selection of Mike Martz to fill the offensive coordinator’s seat creates an inevitable power struggle with new head coach Rod Marinelli. But this is just the beginning of the problems for the Lions, who also signed QB Jon Kitna, ending the Joey Harrington saga. Kitna will have tools to work with as WR Roy Williams is back to lead an extremely talented receiving core. But with a defence which is lacking everywhere, the Lions will need to put up some serious points through the air. It’s time to see what kind of offensive genius Mike Martz really is. -Charlie Blore

EastDallas Cowboys (12-4): For the Cowboys, the focus this season centres on the relationship between head coach Bill Parcells and WR Terrell Owens. Both men have plenty of ego, but don’t expect any major blowups this year. Owens is good for at least one season of cooperation. The addition of Owens, as well as K Mike Vanderjagt, means this solid offence could be one of the NFL’s best. In addition, an impressive defence and acclaimed special teams means the Cowboys have no particular weakness on paper and look poised to make some noise.

Philadelphia Eagles (11-5): The flip side of the T.O. ordeal lies in Philadelphia, where a messy divorce with the wide receiver left the Eagles in tatters. However, this year things will be different. QB Donovan McNabb has looked sharp this preseason. The rest of the team is good, but not great with some major questions at receiver. The Eagles are average on defence, but have a talented secondary which should minimize big plays.

Washington Redskins (10-6): Expectations are high after the Skins improved to 10-6. Offensively the team improved its depth, adding RB T.J. Duckett, and WR Antwaan Randle El to Pro Bowlers Clinton Portis and Santana Moss. Their problem, however, lies at QB. Mark Brunell is streaky and injury-prone but beyond him, no one has enough experience. Despite a good offence and a great defence, the Redskins will remain a team on the bubble.

New York Giants (6-10): While the Giants are decent relative to the rest of the NFC East, the fact is they are above average on both sides of the ball. LB LaVar Arrington will improve their linebacking corps, and CB Sam Madison leads a secondary which has been cobbled together by free agency. On offense, the G-men will need RB Tiki Barber to duplicate last year’s MVP-caliber season and for the receivers to remain strong. QB Eli Manning will be entrusted to run the offence which should concern Giants fans as he played awfully in the second half of last season. -David Campana

SouthAtlanta Falcons (13-3): QB Michael Vick has been hit or miss since exploding into the league in 2002. But surrounded by talents like TE Alge Crumpler and RB Warrick Dunn, the time to win is at hand. The addition of DE John Abraham gives the Falcons the league’s top D-line. Abraham and Patrick Kerney should wreak havoc around the edge, while DTs Rod Coleman and Grady Jackson bring plenty of push up the middle. The secondary will also be dangerous with playmakers CB DeAngelo Hall and FS Chris Crocker lurking in the weeds.

Carolina Panthers (11-5): Carolina’s big move was picking up WR Keyshawn Johnson. He will fill the void opposite Steve Smith since the departure of Mushin Muhammed. The defence, which remains largely intact, is once again anchored by the line. In addition to the dominant DE Julius Peppers, DT Kris Jenkins will be returning from injury. The secondary should give quarterbacks nightmares with CBs Ken Lucas and Chris Gamble having combined for 13 picks in ’05. Look for the Panthers to battle the Falcons for the division crown.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9): The Chris Simms era in Tampa has kicked off in earnest. Simms showed last season he has the tools to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. Nonetheless he failed to shake the reputation he earned in college for being unable to win big games. Otherwise, the offense is young but talented, featuring rising stars RB Carnell Williams and WR Mark Clayton. While the defence should be up to the Bucs’ standard, the onus remains on Simms to demonstrate that he’s matured.

New Orleans Saints (4-12): Plain and simple, New Orleans hit the jackpot when Houston passed on RB Reggie Bush. The Heisman trophy winner showed his worth countless times last season, punctuated by a massive game against Fresno State. The signing of QB Drew Brees should give the team its first bona fide star at the position since Archie Manning. But that’s where the good news ends. The rest of the team is made up of no-names and will be led by new head coach Sean Payton.-CB

WestSeattle Seahawks (12-4): The Seahawks are the safest pick to succeed this year. Coming off a 13-3 season, they look to make up for the Superbowl loss. QB Matt Hasselbeck has matured nicely and is aided by a stellar offensive line which will excel again, especially against the poor defenses of the NFC West. RB Shaun Alexander will likely put up huge numbers, more than atoning for receivers that drop too many balls. They will certainly win this weak division.

Arizona Cardinals (10-6): For the last ten years Arizona has been expected to break through. This year, they just might. With a new stadium, a future star in QB Matt Leinart and All-Pro RB Edgerrin James, the Cardinals have a chance to start fresh. The improved running game will open up the passing game for WRs Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. The Cards’ success depends on a weak o-line and an average defence. But, if everything goes right, they could contend.

St. Louis Rams (6-10): With Mike Martz gone, rookie coach Scott Linehan takes the helm. Offensively, the Rams remain strong. QB Mark Bulger is solid and benefits from first-rate wide receivers. RB Steven Jackson is a talent, but the Rams will miss RB Marshall Faulk. The problems will again be on defence. After finishing 30th in total yards and 31st in points against, new defensive coordinator Jim Haslett will not be enough to right the ship in St. Louis.

San Francisco 49ers (3-13): In a poor division, the 49ers will once again finish at the bottom. San Francisco isn’t ready to push sophomore QB Alex Smith. Poor receivers and an ineffective running game means Smith will put up pitiful numbers and could be replaced mid-season. On defence, things have gone from bad to worse. A
bad line, average linebackers, and an atrocious secondary will be ineffective guarding against big plays. -DC

American Football Conference

NorthPittsburgh Steelers (12-4): QB Ben Roethlisberger may have a bruised body and ego but his arm is fine. Big Ben’s motorcycle accident was the only bad news that emanated from Heinz Field this off-season. The Super Bowl champs’ roster is essentially identical, save for FS Chris Hope and RB Jerome Bettis. Versatile WR Antwaan Randle El has been replaced by speedy first round pick Santonio Holmes. With few stars, the Steelers understand the tenets of team defence and seem to do just enough on offence. Look for another run at the Lombardi Trophy.

Baltimore Ravens (10-6): For years, the strength of the Ravens has been their defence, buoyed by stalwarts LB Ray Lewis and FS Ed Reed. Therefore, any subscriber to the mantra “defence-wins-championships” must have been flummoxed by the offence, having done next to nothing to help keep the ship afloat. Incoming QB Steve McNair is a former MVP who simply cannot stay healthy. Consequently, the Ravens are again likely to rely on Kyle Boller. While the Ravens have the talent to propel them to a winning record, they have too many holes on both lines to advance far.

Cincinnati Bengals (9-7): “Coming back to earth” is what experts will be calling Cincinnati’s inability to repeat last year’s success. The reasons are myriad, starting with star QB Carson Palmer’s miraculously fast recovery from a devastating knee injury. In addtion, last year’s defence permitted a staggering average of 338.7 yards allowed per game, ranking them twenty-eighth in the NFL. Cincy has a tougher schedule and no opponent will take them lightly this year. If Palmer is indeed healed, coupled with exhilarating WR Chad Johnson, expect the 2006 squad to challenge for a wild card berth.

Cleveland Browns (6-10): The Browns spent their off-season spending aggressively in free agency after a fruitless 2005. They upgraded their defensive front, signing DT Ted Washington and LB Willie McGinest. The Brownies have chosen a more organic approach with their skill positions, allowing their young players to blossom into their roles. QB Charlie Frye is now the starter, but has done little to earn it. Many names are way too high on the depth chart in this organization. As long as Cleveland keeps employing people who could be mowing the field rather than playing on it, they will struggle.-Matthew Segal

EastNew England Patriots (10-6): It’s quickly becoming routine for the Patriots. Key losses in the off-season and turmoil in the dressing room lead pundits to salivate over the Pats’ demise, yet when the season has ended New England is always on top. Though the reigning AFC East champs may seem infallible, questions still abound. How much will they miss clutch K Adam Vinatieri? Will WR Deion Branch resolve his contract hold-out? But as long as head coach Bill Belichick is at the helm and star QB Tom Brady is healthy, the Pats seem playoff locks.

Miami Dolphins (8-8): After last year’s strong finish, Dolphin fans are brimming with confidence. Management did not rest during the off-season, importing gifted but enigmatic QB Daunte Culpepper from Minnesota. However, the quarterback has never taken a team deep into January, has a penchant for turnovers and is coming off a very serious knee injury. Even when healthy in 2005, Culpepper struggled; the Vikings won six in a row after the injury. This and expectations of playoff-calibre performances from an aging defence should prevent the Dolphins from exceeding their current state of mediocrity.Buffalo Bills ( 7-9): After a dismal 2005, owner Ralph Wilson turfed the GM for fellow octogenarian and former Bills coach Marv Levy. The pair will attempt to resuscitate the franchise from a 6-season playoff drought. Levy hired former Chicago Bears head coach Dick Jauron and made a host of less flashy moves, including trading star WR Eric Moulds. The biggest issue in Buffalo is young QB J.P. Losman, who struggled last year. If Losman can show more poise, the Bills will improve.

New York Jets (3-13): Fans of the J-E-T-S may want to cover their eyes, because pessimism prevails here. The problems that plagued last year’s team have only been compounded. Veteran head coach Herm Edwards has been replaced by newbie Eric Mangini. Any pass longer than 10 yards is still an adventure for QB Chad Pennington, whose arm troubles still linger. RB Curtis Martin has been beset by injuries and is succumbing to old age. His replacement Kevan Barlow scares no one.-MS

SouthIndianapolis Colts (13-3): Last season was nearly perfect for QB Peyton Manning and the Colts. However the playoffs were the same old story, as Indy just couldn’t win the big game. The only major addition was replacing K Mike Vanderjagt with ex-Pat Adam Vinatieri. All-pro RB Edgerrin James, however, was allowed to bolt for the Arizona desert. Last year’s defence, led by DE Dwight Freeney, should hold up again, so look for the Colts to continue their regular season dominance. Despite the lack of meaningful changes to team chemistry, this may be Indy’s year.

Jacksonville Jaguars (11-5): The Jags feasted on a soft schedule last year and was able to return to the playoffs. The hope for the Jaguars in 2006 is that they keep maturing. WR Jimmy Smith retired, leaving a serious void at receiver, but watch for freakishly athletic WR Matt Jones to excel in his second year catching passes from steady QB Byron Leftwich. The Jags are built on their staunch team defence and merely competent, yet clutch, offence. Jacksonville will not blindside anyone this year, but they will reach the postseason again.

Tennessee Titans (7-9): Quarterback represents the Titans’ biggest problem as has-been Kerry Collins, career backup Billy Volek or green Vince Young will not frighten opposing defences. The running back jumble is similar: Chris Brown, Travis Henry and LenDale White could all be starters if healthy, but figure to split carries. The team does have some talent on defence, including CB Pacman Jones, a remarkable athlete who was disappointing in his rookie season, both on and off the field. Tennessee will struggle to get past the .500 mark.

Houston Texans (4-12): The reward for finishing dead last in the NFL is the first overall pick. With it, the Texans selected DE Mario Williams, instead of Heisman Trophy winner RB Reggie Bush. The better pick will be judged over time, but this season, Williams’s impact will not change the Texans’ fortunes. The team has journeyman at some positions and slow developing youngsters at others–QB David Carr and WR Andre Johnson. Neophyte head coach Gary Kubiak has been charged with rebuilding. Hopefully, with some stability and new blood, the Texans will begin to improve.-MS

WestKansas City Chiefs (10-6): KC is built from the offensive line out. If the O-line is humming along, fans will have their eyes on RB Larry Johnson. In Priest Holmes’s stead, he casually gained 1,351 yards in nine games as the featured ‘back. A tougher approach to defence under new head coach Herm Edwards is not likely to keep points off the board, but it hasn’t mattered much in past. As long as the big guys keep opening holes, the Chiefs will find themselves back in the postseason.

Denver Broncos (9-7): Head coach Mike Shanahan can make a 1,000-yard rusher out of anyone, and this year that player will be named Bell, Mike or Tatum. Jake Plummer at the pivot may not sound too imposing, but Plummer is 32-11 as Denver’s starter. Even so, their confidence in Jake the Snake must be waning as he will be shadowed by slick rookie QB Jay Cutler. Every year the Broncos enter the season with questions. While it seems they always rise slightly above the pack, this year they will finally fall short.

San Diego Chargers (7-9): The Chargers were arguably the best team that did not qualify for the postseason last year. However, they eschewed two-
time Pro Bowl QB Drew Brees and elected to go with third-year pro, Philip Rivers, who has yet to start an NFL game. Antonio Gates is the best tight end in football, but can Rivers deliver the ball to him and prevent defences from stacking the line against the otherworldly RB LaDainian Tomlinson? And is the secondary any better than last year?

Oakland Raiders (3-13): Oakland reached into its past by hiring former head coach Art Shell. However, he may have trouble adapting to the 21st century NFL. They jettisoned QB Kerry Collins and replaced him with chronic underachiever Aaron Brooks. The weapons are there on offence–RB LaMont Jordan, WR Randy Moss– f Brooks can be consistent, but there’s no reason to believe this. Oakland’s defence still stinks, especially with CB Charles Woodson and DT Ted Washington gone. The only thing the Raiders will be playing for in 2006 is moral victories.-MS

*all records are predictions for the upcoming season. Teams are listed in order of projected finish within division.

Sports

UPON FURTHER REVIEW: Is Terrell Owens a valuable asset?

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There can really be no doubt about Terrell Owens’ dominance, because while other players may put up bigger numbers, no other receiver is tougher to defend. Get the ball anywhere near Owens and he will make a play.

I doubt anyone can honestly question Owens’ value on the field after he has racked up over 1,000 yards a year six times and over 100 career touchdowns. Rather, it’s his off-field antics that have garnered him a reputation as being more trouble then he’s worth.

There were stirrings in San Francisco after the Dallas incident, after he spoke to the media about his quarterback Jeff Garcia and especially after he backed out of a deal with Baltimore. But T.O. didn’t really become the world’s favourite whipping boy until he landed in Philadelphia. There, he took the Eagles to within a touchdown of a Lombardi Trophy. When they lost and he questioned quarterback Donovan McNabb’s toughness, things turned sour and led to Owens’ exit.

But I still don’t see him as selfish or money hungry. A more accurate criticism would be to say he’s a ruthless competitor. Like others who have held that title before him, Owens wants the ball. He wants to catch the pass that wins the Superbowl and damned if McNabb wasn’t able to deliver.

Had McNabb completed that pass to Owens, and the Eagles won that Superbowl, I have no doubt his reputation would be different. Is T.O. selfish? Sure, but all great competitors are. Ask yourself this: what would Michael Jordan have said if Tony Kukoc had taken and missed the winning shot in game six of the 1998 Finals? Oh and in case you don’t remember that play, MJ took the ball up court and never even looked to make a pass.-Charlie Blore

Terrell Owens is toxic. While he is unquestionably a fantastic athlete, the guy is poison. And in football, character counts. To be a successful squad, all fifty-three men have to respect and trust the next player in the huddle. In recent years, Super Bowl winners have been the likes of the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers. While these teams lacked NFL royalty, they were built on the bedrock of team-play and self-sacrifice. Call me naive, but I have always seen pro sports as, ultimately, the pursuit of championships.

However, business considerations have infected the sporting world, and signing a player like Terrell Owens is potentially a sound fiscal move. Sure, the Dallas Cowboys will be a freak show but at least casual fans will watch every game and ESPN will lead Sportscenter with America’s Team. Everyone watches Owens because he is a celebrity.

But mark my words: T.O. will never win a Super Bowl, and really, isn’t that what an NFL franchise should fundamentally be about? Owens is certainly not the worst person produced by pro sports; he is the microcosm for one of the most significant problems in major athletics: teams don’t focus on character anymore, and they suffer for it. They give talented players chance after chance and time and time again character problems arise and infect. Franchises must cease bypassing disposition and personality and search for team players instead of prima donnas.-Aaron Sigal

Sports

WOMEN’S SOCCER PREVIEW: Martlets aiming for championship

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Sports teams are notoriously tight lipped and cautious when making preseason predictions about success. Such is the case with the Martlets soccer team. While they didn’t engage in any interviews touting dominance over the rest of the field, the Martlets soccer team clearly has only one target for the season: a national championship. These girls are good, and despite the extremely respectful and modest tone, they know it.

Coming off a year in which the team drove to a third-place finish in the country, a Quebec championship and an 18-3-4 overall record-in which they went 11-1-2 in the Quebec conference-the Martlets have nothing left to prove except that they are the top women’s collegiate club in Canada.

“The goals are quite simple for the team this year,” maintains Head Coach Marc Mounicot. “We want to go all the way to the end. We want to win nationals. That’s the goal for the team this year.”

To make matters worse for their competition, this is still a very solid team that has not suffered the loss of its impact and more experienced players. The core as well as the periphery has returned, resulting in a veteran-laden team, one which knows the sacrifices and hard work needed to capture the coveted championship. The Martlets have lost only one starter from last year’s squad-midfielder Nina Gupta-and they boast six conference all-stars as well as several All-Canadians.

“We all realize that the team is strong this year-stronger than last year. We really don’t have any weak positions,” Mounicot said. “However, we have to keep everyone together, and maybe more importantly, we have to have the girls realize that nothing will be easy. I don’t want the team to become overconfident.”

All-star lineupThe Martlets’ run begins in net where goaltender Victoria Villalba returns after a season that saw her post 13 clean sheets in 25 games. The defence is exceptionally strong, anchored by All-Canadian Shari Fraser, team captain and last year’s McGill Female Athlete of the Year as well as co-Quebec University Soccer League Player of the Year. The midfield, the backbone of any contending soccer team, is very experienced as four of five starters have returned, led by All-Canadian Eloise Vandal. Finally, there is significant firepower in the striker positions led by sniper Magalie Kolker, who last season finished third in league scoring.

“I know my job is to put the ball in the net,” Kolker said. “But I also have to take more of a leadership role and get the team to work cohesively together.”

But it doesn’t seem like cohesion will be a problem for this group. The focus on training is palpable and the desire to bring a championship to McGill was expressed by all. The team is clearly united in their quest for the trophy. Even the recruits-an extremely impressive cast led by fullback Hannah Rishworth, a member of Team New Zealand at the 2006 Under-20 World Cup in Moscow -are on board for the ride, despite their lack of experience in CIS soccer.

“As a freshman, I’m a little intimidated by everything, even the culture here,” Rishworth said. “But McGill has a strong program and a great team this season.”

Strong out of the gateThe Martlets have already begun to assert their dominance this year. In the preseason Old Four tournament, McGill destroyed Western 6-2 in the final game to capture the title. But Coach Mounicot warns that the regular season road to the championship will be a bit tougher. “I think all the teams in the league will be good. Laval, Concordia and Sherbrooke all have good recruits,” he said. “The level of the league is better every year and there will certainly be lots of parity this year. We’re going to have to play 14 playoff games because everyone will be raising their game to try to beat us.”

The talent of this group is unquestionable. Now all that’s left is to bring home a championship; anything less will simply be a disappointment for this exceedingly strong group of Martlets.

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