We simply can’t start this week’s proceedings without mentioning the Pictou County figure skaters who will compete at the Canada Games this coming February. Brooke Pennington, Cameron Boulter and Jailyn Elliott are the latest in a long line of Pictou County skaters who have achieved success in their sport.
You could probably fill an ice skating rink with all the trophies and medals that figure skaters from this area have won over the years.
Some people might make fun of the sport, but that’s just out of plain ignorance, an example of people not knowing that they don’t know (to borrow a phrase from Pictou County boxing coach Jim Worthen). When you learn to recognize the incredible athletic ability that top-flight figure skaters possess and the hard work they put in, you gain a greater understanding and appreciation for their effort.
I’ve mentioned this before, but Kaetlyn Osmond, the reigning Canadian and world champion, made an appearance in 2016 at the Pictou County Wellness Centre and put on quite a display. I don’t even know if she emptied the chamber that night, or just showed us a little bit of what she can do. Either way, it doesn’t matter, because it was dazzling to watch one of the world’s best do her thing, right here in Pictou County.
That’s right, dazzling.
Non-Sports Thought of the Week:
• There’s been some excitement this week about the handing out of X rings at St.FX University, as the graduates receive their coveted rings and get geared up for that one final pub crawl.
Whenever I see someone wearing an X ring, I think to myself: those look quite ostentatious and could be (should be) smaller and less grandiose.
Really, it’s not like you went to Harvard, Princeton or Holland College.
Still though, let’s keep this positive: congratulations to all the X grads on getting that ring: you belong to an exclusive club that only has thousands and thousands upon tens of thousands of members.
And I’ll tell ’ya, if you want a real education, spend a few months living on some dormant farm on Vancouver Island, miles and miles from anything interesting, or in a downtown rooming house in Hamilton, Ont., where the stabbings and random beatdowns await, just outside the front door.
That’ll smarten you up, in no time.
Other Sports Thoughts:
• I'm one of those Leafs fans who didn't care if they signed William Nylander and I almost wish they hadn’t, although it’s a very tradeable contract should the Leafs decide to go that route.
The Leafs have enough guys who can score and set up goals, so it's not like they are desperate for offence, but the real problem is that some of them will be getting huge contracts very soon.
If we didn’t live in a salary cap world, I'd be like, ‘welcome back, Willie! The more the merrier!”
But we no longer live in that world.
• I’m starting to think the Ottawa Senators will someday move to Quebec City.
• The National Hockey League just awarded an expansion team to the City of Seattle, meaning there will be 32 teams in the NHL by the year 2021 (about eight teams too many). Also, the NHL will get an expansion fee of $650 million (me thinks it’s about the money, Mr. Bettman), just for letting Seattle in to its already bloated party.
Kevin Adshade is a writer with The News. His column appears each week.
