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Letters to the Editor, Opinion

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Oh Ricky you’re so fine

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Re: “That evaluation you requested” by Ricky Kreitner (19.01.10)

Yes, Ricky, the world is that simple. Professors are desperately hanging on to the words of students so that they can “cater to [your] petty whims.” There’s no way that they might take some advice – “integrate the lectures more with the readings” or “spend more time on the anatomy section of the course and less on the functional part” – while disregarding that kid who never showed up’s advice to “like, slow way down in lecture.” The people looking at tenure applications surely can’t filter the good from the half-cocked advice either. And Professors should obviously treat us like their subordinates. As you rightly pointed out, this involves not giving a rat’s ass about how they teach the course, whether people get anything out of it, or if the information they offer is close to coherent. Being in charge means never having to listen to your subordinates to get a sense that you’re on the right track. That’s how all the best leaders operate, and if there’s anything academia is screaming out for, it’s to further isolate professors from criticism and the outside world. After all, there are so many other methods by which students can make valid criticisms of their experience here that have the possibility of being heard.

Thanks, Ricky, for your contrariness and authoritarianism. What would we do without people defending the rights of professors to act with complete immunity from criticism? And bless the coherence of your message as well. Students should definitely be angry that they’re not being treated as badly as they deserve because of their unwillingness to submit to academic rigor. Or something like that. Whatever your message was, thank you for it.

– Alex SilverU3 Psychology

Letters to the Editor, Opinion

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Gaza Remembrance Week

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Our history books are filled with stained pages that compel us to criticize our predecessors for their inaction and failure to implement changes, in the hope that we will not repeat our errors and allow for the recurrence of human rights violations. From Apartheid South Africa to the massacres of Rwanda, we have time and again failed to learn from history. The most recent and ongoing tragedy is that of the Palestinian people, subject to the longest occupation in modern history.

Last year, from December 27 until January 18, Israel launched “Operation Cast Lead” a brutal military campaign against the Gaza strip and its 1.5 million people. This followed an 18-month siege on Gaza that left its population in dire conditions. The operation created a dramatic humanitarian crisis, leaving 1,417 Gazans dead, and 400,000 without running water, as well as 4,000 destroyed homes. These actions were condemned by the United Nations, along with many human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Moreover, Israeli war crimes as well as numerous human rights violations were carefully documented in the Goldstone report, released as part of the UN fact-finding mission in Gaza in October 2009.

One year after the Israeli incursions into Gaza, its population is still subjected to an inhumane siege which restricts essential supplies such as food and health care. This prompted Gazans to rely on tunnel-smuggled goods from neighbouring Egypt, which has just announced its intention to build a wall which stretches underground with hopes of rendering the tunnels useless and in turn cutting off the invaluable lifeline to Gaza.

In the hope that we learn from this ongoing human tragedy, take steps to end the suffering, and prevent future occurrences, Gaza Remembrance Week will be held at McGill this year, from February 1 to 5. Activities will include a week-long exhibition at Redpath library, as well as a February 5 keynote lecture by Dr. Mads Gilbert, a world-renowned Norwegian doctor who was actively involved in emergency medicine in Gaza during the conflict. Dr. Gilbert was one of the few foreign doctors allowed into Gaza and his correspondences were well documented on CNN, ABC, BBC and Al-Jazeera.

I encourage the McGill community to participate in Gaza Remembrance Week as part of a global effort to raise awareness of the plight of the Palestinian people and the ongoing tragedy that has befallen Gazans.

– Jamal DaoudPhD IV Biomedical Engineering

Sports

Redmen pick up win at tourney

by Matt Chesser on

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In the world of sports – where every team seems to think they have a chance at the playoffs and every player parrots the same lines about winning on “Any given Sunday” – the honest and realistic goals of the McGill Redmen volleyball team are refreshing. The players and coaches talk about single games, not tournaments; about learning from mistakes, not about knocking off powerhouse teams like the Dalhousie Tigers; and about competing, not necessarily about winning.

That’s not to say that the team is content with mediocrity, but rather that the Redmen realize that they can’t suddenly go from losing 85-straight conference games in 2002-09 to being a playoff team in just one year. It’s an attitude that allows them to view their 1-2 record in the AUS-QSSF Interlocking Regular Season Tournament they hosted this weekend as somewhat successful.

“Our goals are not to beat teams like Dalhousie and Laval [who are both ranked in the top three in the country], they’re to compete against teams like Sherbrooke and Memorial,” said McGill Head Coach Simon Berleur. “Our main goal this weekend was to get revenge on [the Memorial University Sea-Hawks] who beat us last semester, and to build good habits when we play against a very good team like Dalhousie.”

The Redmen accomplished their goal by opening the tournament with a 3-1 victory over Memorial on Friday night. The McGill back row was dominant, registering 55 digs to the Sea-Hawks’ 18, and providing great first balls for setter Jean-Christophe Campbell, who finished with a game-high 40 assists. Third-year right-side hitter Mark Hodge also had a strong game with 19 kills, to lead the Redmen to their second win of the regular season.

“It was a good win for us,” said libero Jeff Porter. “I think we’re still improving, but we’ve got to compete like we did against Memorial every night.”

The outcome on both Saturday and Sunday was less positive for the Redmen, as the University of New Brunswick Reds and the Dalhousie Tigers dominated McGill in a pair of straight-set victories. Both UNB and Dalhousie physically outmatched the diminutive Redmen, and both teams used their size advantage to dominate McGill at the net – overpowering Redmen blocks and gobbling up overpasses.

“It’s always a little intimidating going up against those teams – I guess you could call most of their players ‘monsters,'” said Porter. “They’re big and talented, and they just wore us down over the course of the games.”

McGill’s height disadvantage – they have only one regular player who is over 6-foot-5 – was exacerbated over the break by the departure of 6-foot-6 power hitter Yannick Pirali. Pirali spent the fall semester on exchange from a university in Belgium and his departure has increased McGill’s troubles on the front row.

“Pirali was a key player for us last semester, and it’s difficult to adapt and try to play the same type of game without the guy who was your best player in the first semester,” said Berleur. “We’ve had to try to find someone to play in his place, but obviously we don’t have another 6-foot-6 guy with his skills on the team.”

Despite his teams struggles in the tournament, Berleur made a point of singling out libero Jeff Porter for his play in all three games. Porter had 37 digs on the weekend – at least a couple of which drew admiring murmurs from players scouting the Redmen from the stands.

“Since the beginning of the season Porter has been a guy who shows up and works hard every game,” said Berleur. “Unfortunately he can’t really be our go-to-guy because he’s a libero but defensively he’s so important to us. I thought he was probably our best player this weekend.”

Porter and the rest of the Redmen (2-10) have a near-impossible task ahead of them, however, as they must win all four of their remaining games if they hope to qualify for the playoffs. They resume conference play with a game against the Montreal Carabins (7-7) on January 29.

Behind the Bench, Sports

THIRD MAN IN: Gilbert Arenas’s fall from grace

by Jon Rubenstein on

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Overflowing with confidence, talent, and charisma, Gilbert Arenas was the unofficial darling of the NBA just two seasons ago. A cocky sharpshooter who worked hard to make his way to the top of the basketball world, Arenas captivated the league with his flashy smile and graceful style of play. While he was a cold-blooded killer during crunch time, he was a pure comedian off the court, and was one of the first professional athletes to connect directly with fans through his online blog. Whatever nickname he was going by at the time – Agent Zero, Hibachi, Gil – I once loved and respected everything Arenas stood for.

But that’s all in the past. The strange and startling events of December 24, 2009 led to possibly the quickest fall from grace ever for an NBA superstar. Inside sources from the Washington Wizards’ organization leaked information regarding a gambling-related argument Arenas had with teammate Javaris Crittenton. While the details remain unclear, what we do know is that Arenas had been storing guns in the Wizards’ locker room, and used them to threaten Crittenton in the heat of their argument.

Arenas’s behavior was completely unacceptable for anyone, let alone a professional athlete. But what quickly made the matter worse was Arenas’s refusal to take the whole thing seriously. After the initial report of Arenas’s gun-related issues surfaced, he was seen dancing around in the Wizards’ pre-game warm-ups with his hands in the shape of Glock 9s, metaphorically “shooting” his teammates. The morning after pictures of Arenas toting his “handguns” inevitably found their way to the internet, Agent Zero tweeted the following: “I wake up this morning and seen I was the new JOHN WAYNE. LMAO the media is too funny.”

The minimum punishment that Arenas should receive is a suspension for the remainder of the season. But even that would not be strict enough. While the Wizards will attempt to void the rest of Arenas’s contract (four years and $78 million remaining), the NBA players’ union will probably use its extensive power to prevent the team from terminating their relationship with their star point guard. NBA Commissioner David Stern needs to set a precedent and overrule the decision of the union, terminating Arenas’s contract himself. He needs to teach Arenas a lesson – that the price for immaturity and nonchalance towards gun violence costs about $80 million.

It was Arenas’s light-hearted reaction to the issue that really put me over the edge. Gun violence results in thousands upon thousands of deaths every year, and part of the problem is that many of today’s youth think it’s “cool” to own a gun. In the past, I’ve argued that it is important to forgive athletes for many of their errors, because they are human and will make mistakes. But Arenas’s reaction has caused me to lose all respect for him. If he had apologized sincerely immediately after the incident, perhaps I would have forgiven him. But the fact that he showed no remorse and instead made light of a topic as dangerous as gun violence is pathetic.

When Arenas entered the 2001 NBA draft, he expected to be picked somewhere in the first round, ideally by his childhood favorites, the New York Knicks. But come draft night, Arenas watched every team in the NBA pass on him in the first round. Arenas chose to wear the number zero, because he felt that no one believed in him when he entered the league. Fans looked at his uniform number, and recognized it as a sign of motivation. But now, things are a lot less symbolic. Far from being a role model, entertainer, and sports star, Arenas has become the definition of his jersey number: nothing.

Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

Players’ Eurydice puts a modern twist on a classic myth

by Alex Knoll on

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Eurydice, written by Sarah Ruhl and directed by Rachel Paul, modernizes Greek mythology by setting the story of Eurydice in contemporary times. As risky as it sounds, Paul manages to pull it off.

According to Greek mythology, Orpheus (played by Marko Djurdjic) has a great musical gift and is known as the “chief among poets and musicians.” He struggles between his love for music and his love for Eurydice (played by Megan Stewart), a fondness that Eurydice recognizes but ignores. However, unlike in the classical myth, Eurydice is presented from Eurydice’s point of view.

“[It’s] a beautiful exploration of the connection between our experiences of love and loss,” says Paul, whose past McGill directorial experience includes Hair and Miss Julie. “At it’s simplest, Eurydice is about the depth of human connection.”

The audience steps into Players’ Theatre shoeless and is instantly transported into the Underworld. The theatre’s dim lighting and beautiful floor¬ – which took 10 days to paint – create a wonderous effect.

The first scene of the play is reminiscent of the first scene in Grease: two young lovers frolic together, oblivious to the world around them. This opening scene ties the audience emotionally to the two characters on stage – their raw affection is convincing and touching. This connection between actors and audience carries on throughout the entire play.

As the myth goes, Eurydice dies and ends up in the Underworld, an afterlife ruled by a crazy evil little boy (played by Cory Lipman) and inhabited by whimsical stones (played by Amelia May Haskell, Ayla Lefkowitz, and Fiona Penny), who tell Eurydice that love and memories are forbidden among the dead. Despite these rules, Eurydice reunites with her father (Francois Macdonald), and is slowly reminded of the relationship they once had. This father-daughter love is beautifully acted – for instance, when he creates for Eurydice a room out of string, even though rooms are not allowed in the Underworld.

Meanwhile, Orpheus grieves over his lost love. He learns that the only way to reconnect with his lost Eurydice is to retrieve her from the Underworld. He descends into it by playing heartbreaking music, and meets the Lord of the Underworld, who – as in the original myth – tells Orpheus the only way to be reunited with Eurydice is for him to walk away and not look back. Yet in this new version, interesting questions and a deeper understanding of the characters arise from one final twist on the classic ending.

“The play itself is really well-written,” says Paul. “It’s quirky and weird and poignant and poetic. It’s a good play. [Ruhl is] an excellent playwright.”

The most engaging aspect of the play is not the whimsical tone, but the deeper meaning within the characters’ intricate relationships; each character is so interesting that it’s truly hard to take your eyes off of any one actor throughout the play. Additionally, Djurdjic and Stewart have an undeniable chemistry that is only intensified by the script. For example, Orpheus plays a song and asks Eurydice if she will remember it, to which she replies, “I will always remember your melody; it will be imprinted on my heart like wax.” Best of all, there is depth to each character and the actors seem to have imbued their characters with a sense of authenticity.

Despite the apparent simplicity of the play’s themes, the core of the story still revolves around the struggle between life’s purest pleasure and its related hardship: love and loss. Paul does an amazing job capturing these raw emotions in her characters.

Eurydice is an inspiring play that captures the most mysterious yet beautiful parts of life, shown through the imagination and creativity of the extremely talented actors and director.

Eurydice is playing January 27-30 at 8 p.m. at Players’ Theatre. Tickets are $6 for students and seniors, and $8 for adults. For reservations email [email protected].

Arts & Entertainment

POP RHETORIC: The late wars

by Sam Jessula on

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I’ve never liked Conan O’Brien. I always thought his jokes were mediocre and even though he made me smile on occasion, I thought his humour was more reliant on monkey-esque moves than on actual comedy. However, this past week I’ve been hurting myself laughing as his role as The Tonight Show host seems to be nearing its end. More importantly, like many people, I’ve actually been watching the show, which I sure hadn’t been doing since he took over. In this last week as he’s packing his bags, the ratings have been through the roof.

Why are the crowds suddenly tuning in? Conan didn’t get any funnier just because he may be leaving the show. Celebrity wars have become the modern day equivalents of dog fights. Apart from curiosity, the debacle also brought out unprecedented sympathy for Conan, who is staring up with puppy eyes begging for the vote of the people. As emails, supportive articles, and rallies multiply, you can’t help but think that if half the people that claim “I’m with Coco” had simply watched his show in the first place, he wouldn’t be in desperate need of public approval. If you don’t believe me, just look at how many people’s Facebook profile picture is now a shiny redhead.

It’s time American audiences stopped rooting for the underdog and started appreciating people for their talent – or lack thereof. We can’t feel too sorry for Conan. Rumour has it that he will be walking away with a $45 million settlement and the near guarantee of returning to the air with a new show in September. Perhaps they’ll call it, “Leave this one alone, Jay.”

Leno, on the other side of the ring, is much more like the alpha dog. Who knew that late-night wars, just like the Gulf wars, were bound to repeat themselves every decade? The only difference between this scenario and the Letterman vs. Leno fight is that is that Leno has no sympathy this time around. The issue is not that he lied to Conan, but more that he teased him like a cat plays with its prey. You can’t pass on the torch, realize you’re in the dark and try to steal it back. Viewers have moved on from Leno, and his ratings show it.

Hard times tend to yield good comedy, and this affair has provided virtually all the other late night shows with enough material to end the season. Letterman, happy to distract the public from his affair and probably celebrating the fact he is no longer the biggest jerk on late-night, joked about big-chin Leno’s big attitude. Kimmel insulted Leno so much during an interview that Leno skipped half of his questions. Even The Tonight Show has become more amusing to watch as the guests, rather than promote their own projects, prefer interviewing Conan about his own future – Tarantino even offered to film his revenge movie.

As late night shows begin to mimic soap operas that ran out of plot lines, we should stop provoking them and instead watch the shows with the best writers and guests, not the best catfights.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

Bridges strikes sweet chords

by Brittany Rappaport on

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Crazy Heart mixes country charm with a feel-good storyline that stands out from many of Jeff Bridges’ other performances (yes, even in the Coen brothers’ The Big Lebowski). As an unlikely and enchanting anti-hero, there is no doubt that Bridges is deserving of his recent Golden Globe win for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama. As an actor and musician himself, newbie director Scott Cooper has placed himself into “the one to watch” category, after writing and directing Crazy Heart with lush Southern storytelling.

While sipping cheap whiskey to ease his lonely journey on the road, Bridges portrays Bad Blake, a has-been country star with a fleeting gig lineup. After four divorces, ongoing alcoholism, and too many one-nighters, Blake has “never missed a show in his whole fucking life” and continues to howl his anguish at the world through his music. At a performance in a Santa Fe bar he meets Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a local newspaper reporter and eventual heart-mender. Although the relationship between Blake and Jean feels slightly awkward due to their age difference, Jean’s soft-spoken and alluring individuality supports Blake’s search for redemption and fittingly reveals his true, compassionate self. Gyllenhaal delivers a stellar performance as a single mother who’s had her fair share of hard times. Although some clichés are subtly slipped into the story, Gyllenhaal adds integrity despite Jean’s predictable ability to see through Blake’s rugged beard, open fly, and unruly appearance into his weary but crazy heart.

Cooper’s ability to round up a talented and genuine group of people to play refreshing roles sets this film apart. Special mention goes out to Colin Farrell as Tommy Sweet, the up-and-coming young country hunk who owes Blake everything for influencing him and guiding him to stardom. It’s interesting to see Farrell smoothly execute a role that seems, at least at first, beyond his capability. Robert Duvall is commendable as well, playing Blake’s best friend and confidant, as he provides both wisdom (in terms of smoking, drinking, and women, of course) and an extra Southern spice to the scene.

Parallel to Bridges’ acting performance is the late Stephen Bruton and T Bone Burnett’s solid line up of heart-filled songs representing the chords of Blake’s rocky road life. A few classic country songs are included in the film for those devoted country music fans, mixed in with original ballads. It is the memorable soundtrack of Crazy Heart that not only creates the foundation for Blake’s unforgettable character, but also stands alone from the plot, offering remarkable country tunes. “The Weary Kind,” the song that Blake eventually writes for Sweet (after a long hiatus from song-writing) is both original and passionate, and plays a momentous role in the story. Bridges adds an undeniably romantic element in his singing, leaving the viewer with a need to understand how a man so beaten up can be so brilliant. It must be the crazy heart.

Sports

Martlets dispatch Carabins in physical, rough-and-tumble affair

by John Hui on

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Typically a match-up between two nationally ranked hockey teams would all but ensure an exciting and hard-fought match. Nevertheless, the McGill women’s hockey team is far from ordinary. And on Friday, the Martlets further cemented their reputation as Canada’s best women’s hockey team, defeating 10th-ranked Montreal 3-0 at McConnell Arena.

Defenceman Stacie Tardif kicked off the scoring in the first period, firing home her second goal of the season. (Interestingly, Tardif’s first goal of the season – against the Carleton Ravens on October 31 – was scored in a similar fashion.)

“I was at the point, and the puck came back out,” said Tardif. “I took the puck across because I knew the goalie was going to have a tough time following me and I just fired the puck far post.”

Senior forward Amy Soberano and blueliner Jasmine Sheehan scored in the second period, rounding out the scoring in McGill’s record-setting 74th-straight win against CIS opponents.

Still, the Carabins fought hard, frustrating the high-powered Martlet offence all game long.

“I thought they did a really good job of containing us early, clogging up the middle and blocking a lot of our shots,” said Head Coach Amey Doyle. “We struggled to get some of our shots through as a result.”

Friday’s contest was also a physical affair – referee Melanie Bordeleau handed out seven penalties in the opening period. Four of those penalties, including one for body-checking, were issued to the visitors, who came out of the gates looking to send a strong message.

“It was a very physical affair, but that was to be expected,” said Tardif. “However, we have been getting mentally stronger and we responded well. We wanted it more. Right now it isn’t a matter of talent – it’s a matter of passion and the heart, and we have a lot of that.”

Despite the rough play, the Martlets still exhibited the skill and finesse that have made them the consensus number-one team in the country.

“I thought that the pace of the game was really good,” said Doyle. “The speed was there. Anytime it’s a speed game, I think it works to our advantage.”

Speed, skill, and scoring weren’t the only factors that played a part in McGill’s victory on Friday. The Martlets’ defence stymied the Montreal attack for 60 minutes, helping goaltender Andrea Weckman record her second shutout in three career starts. Tardif acknowledged that defending against the country’s best offence – in practice, day in and day out – is, in large part, why the Martlets’ blueline is so solid.

“We are always ready for [what] any offence throws against us,” she said.

Montreal came into the match with two of the top three scorers in the Quebec League: Kim Deschene and Marie-Andree Leclerc-Auger. Fellow winger Amanda Lalande was also on a four-game points streak – racking up 11 points in total. But these statistics had no bearing on what happened on the ice.

The Martlets will get some well-deserved rest as they take the next four days off before hitting the road for a two-game series away from home against the Carleton Ravens on January 30 and February 6.

Sports

SPORTS IN BRIEF: Redmen vanquish Lakers, reclaiming first place in OUA East

by Earl Zukerman on

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The McGill men’s hockey team scored four special-team markers on Sunday in a 5-3 win over Nipissing University at McConnell Arena.

The result snapped the Redmen’s two-game win streak and improved their record to 17-4-0, reclaiming first place in the OUA East, one point ahead of idle UQTR (16-3-1).

McGill freshman Christophe Longpre-Poirier of Longueuil, QC, scored the Redmen’s first goal, netting his fifth of the season – a shorthanded effort at 19:10 of the first period. It was the third time in OUA play that Longpre-Poirier had scored while killing off a penalty.

The Redmen penalty-killing unit registered a clean slate, erasing all six Lakers’ power play chances. McGill has snuffed out 110 of 124 shorthanded situations in regular-season play this season.

McGill now embarks on a four-game road trip, with games at Carleton, Concordia, and Ottawa.

Sports

Where do sports come from? McGill University, it seems

by Morgan Abraham on

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In a little less than two weeks from now, football fans around the world will be glued to their television sets as Superbowl XLIV kicks off in south Florida. Before the football hangover has time to wear off completely, we’ll be turning our sights to the Canadian west coast, as the Olympic torch arrives in Vancouver to tip off the Winter Olympic games. Fast forward a week into March, and we’re smack dab in the middle of the NCAA basketball tournament. And as soon as the Madness comes to a halt, it’s time for the NHL and NBA playoffs! February, March, and April are without a doubt the most important and exciting months in the sporting year, and as all these momentous events approach, now is a good time to reflect on the extent to which McGill has helped shape three of the major sports we enjoy playing and watching today.

Gridiron genesis

The game of football is a relatively new sport that only developed its contemporary set of rules in the last 150 years. Football originated from the game of rugby, which was developed in England during the 19th century. The game was introduced to North America by British soldiers stationed in Canada, and it caught on quickly at Canadian universities.

In its earliest days, the rules of football were incredibly fluid, and varied from school to school. As each school practiced different versions of football, disagreements about how the game was played inevitably arose. In the United States, the few Northeastern schools that played football attempted to establish a universal set of rules for the game. Harvard, though, refused to play by the proposed set of rules, which disallowed carrying the ball. Unable to find competition in the United States, America’s top school looked north of the border for a suitable opponent.

The 1874 game between McGill and Harvard is considered the first game of modern football. The two teams were able to compromise on a set of rules which were soon adopted by other universities in the United States, and the game – which lasted a full two days – led to the birth of modern American football.

History on ice

In the early 1800’s, another sport was developed in Canada and came to fruition at McGill. The origins of this game came from an early version of lacrosse called dehuntshigwa’es, first played by the indigenous peoples of Nova Scotia. European settlers took a liking to the game, decided to play it on ice, and Canada’s national sport was born.

As ice hockey gained popularity, Montreal became the sport’s epicentre. On March 13, 1875, the first indoor hockey game was played in Montreal between two nine-player teams. Several of the participants were McGill students, who eventually teamed up to draft a set of rules for the sport and introduce the use of a puck rather than a ball. In 1877, the McGill University Hockey Club became the first organized ice hockey club in history.

The first hockey world championship tournament took place at the Montreal Winter Carnival in 1883, and the McGill squad came away victorious. Following the rise of hockey in Canada, the States and Europe soon adopted the game of hockey as well. Hockey was soon developed into a professional sport in the early 1900s, with the NHL appearing in 1917.

The real Dr. J

Perhaps McGill’s greatest claim to sporting invention, however, is the story of Dr. James Naismith. Naismith entered McGill in 1887, and lettered on the school’s football, soccer, and gymnastics teams. After graduation, Naismith returned to McGill as the school’s athletics director. In 1890, he moved to Springfield, Massachusetts to teach at the local YMCA. Due to the long winters in Springfield, Naismith worked to develop a game that could be played indoors year-round, yet necessitated the athletic aptitude and skill of outdoor sports such as football and lacrosse. One large ball and two elevated peach-baskets later, and Springfield was introduced to the game of basketball.

The first game of basketball was played in 1891 at Springfield College. Naismith later modified his original rules, incorporating backboards and allowing the use of a dribble to move the ball down the court.

Naismith would go on to coach basketball at the University of Kansas, and later became the school’s athletic director. Today, his name prefaces the basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, and is inscribed by the NCAA on the award given annually to the top player in college basketball.

So as we prepare for the best the sports year has to offer – by stocking up on beer and paying our cable bills in advance – let’s all take a moment to recognize and celebrate the part McGill has played in the development of modern sports.

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