Category: Sports

The sports beat

Andrew Seymour

Every sports fan has seen replays of Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire slamming his 62nd home run, breaking the record for home runs in a single season.

While most fans have celebrated the tremendous record, some sports critics suggest McGwire’s accomplishment is tarnished because he uses androstenedione, a performance-enhancing supplement that raises testosterone. Critics say McGwire didn’t play fair by using the substance, which is illegal to buy in Canada and banned by the NFL, the International Olympic Committee, and American college sports.
McGwire did play fair though. Androstenedione, or andro, is not a banned substance in Major League Baseball. It is available over-the-counter in the United States. McGwire hasn’t broken a single rule by using the supplement. Even if he had, it’s debatable whether andro would help him hit any home runs at all. read more

By Rachelle Diprose

There’s not that big of a difference between basketball teams and drama clubs after all, Ottawa’s education officials have determined.

Ottawa-Carleton’s District School Board told parents Oct. 15 that volunteers will be allowed to supervise all extracurricular activities, including sports teams, in the place of teachers. The move was a reversal of a decision made earlier this month that kept volunteers from supervising sports. read more

By Alison Martin

The pen is mightier than the sword.

And that is what is motivating Canadian Football League fans to petition the changes to Lansdowne Park and to resurrect the defunct Ottawa Rough Riders.

The major debate over the future of Lansdowne Park is complicating the revival of the CFL in Ottawa.
The committee is made up of more than a dozen members. It officially launched its campaign on March 28. read more

By Lauren McNabb

Canadian kids really know how to rock … or at least how to throw one. The Canadian Junior Men’s Team won a gold medal at the World Curling Championships on March 29 in Thunder Bay, Ont.

The 5-2 victory over Scotland was history in the making for 19-year-old John Morris and his Ottawa Curling Club, consisting of third Craig Savill, 18, second Andy Ormsby, 20, and 18-year old lead Brent Laing. The win marked the first undefeated sweep for a Canadian team at the world level and was the eighth time Canada’s Junior Men have captured gold at the annual event. read more