Who's Up and Who's Down

Who's Up! :)

1. The Canadian Women's Soccer Team, who last week qualified for their first Olympic Games. The team also came very close to winning the Olympic qualifying tournament, eventually losing to the US in a shootout in the final.

2. Trevor Immelman, who became only the second South African to win the Green Jacket at Augusta, following in the footsteps of his idol, Gary Player.

On this subject, just a quick word about Tiger Woods. There has been a lot of negative press about Tiger this week, about his inability to putt when it counted, about the seeming disappearance of the competitive spirit for which he's known, about his failure to dominate in his usual manner. Just a quick thought... HE CAME SECOND. Yes, he putted badly, and he didn't close the gap when he had the chance on Sunday, but he still. came. second. I appreciated so much the commentator who said that this is what makes Tiger special: when he is playing well, there is really a negligible difference between him and other top players who are playing well. But when he's playing poorly, he still grinds out 71s and 72s where other golfers log 75s and 76s (cough cough Phil cough cough). Just sayin'...

3. Frank Thomas and Ken Griffey Jr.: No really special accomplishment this week, but I wanted to draw attention to this article, which details how these two players have been successful big hitters in the major leagues for many years without a hint of drug-related suspicion.

4. Kevin Martin, who's Canadian rink won the Men's World Curling Championships last weekend!

Who's Down! :(

1. The Ottawa Senators: This team is really starting to get on my nerves. On the verge of being swept out of the NHL playoffs with a whimper, this team is full of rich guys with enormous talent, and they play like babies. BIG RICH BABIES.

2. Eating Competitions: Maybe this one is unfair because it's more based on personal dislike than on anything this "sport" or its competitors did, but I figure this is my list, and I can put who/what I want on it. Eating competitions are disgusting. And wasteful. And in a week when grain prices rose, worsening the already-horrid food crisis around the world, this guy put away THIRTY-FIVE DOZEN OYSTERS to win a stupid belt. Gross.

3. Sean Avery, our idiot of the week.