SPORTS IS LIFE AND YOUR CITY IS YOUR TEAM

Sports in many ways is a reflection of society's inequalities, biases, traditions, what have yous. Many people rely on sports as a getaway from real life and its real life problems. To me, not only does sports as an institution subtly yet effectively mirror many of society's ways (good and bad), but I believe that many sports teams in general represent a fairly accurate portrayal of the city in which they call home. Take the OHL's Windsor Spitfires for example. Despite being loaded with talent, and heavily favoured, they've had to dig down extra deep to make it as far as they have thus far. Nothing comes easy for Windsor the city and nothing comes easy for Windsor the city's OHL hockey team --- even when they're better than the competition. It is also fitting that the last few games in Windsor have been decided in hard fought over time periods while Locals 82 and 543 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees strike to no avail outside the arena. Even head coach Bob Boughner and part-owner Warren Rychel, tough hard nosed ex-scrappy NHL'ers exemplify the team/city association. These are the people who have hope for Windsor --- mediocre hockey players with mediocre talent but with plenty of heart, determination and a love for a city that barely loves them back. A recipe for almost success. Both the city and team have been punished repeatedly, and despite umpteen broken noses and a supreme lack of recognition from the rest of the country and world, there still remains an unrivaled passion for something many love but don't know exactly why. On a more obvious note, the whole new arena fiasco, from wanting to keep it downtown (like it should have been) to the Great One wanting to build it in the middle of nowheresville LaSalle --- has been typical Windsor shit. Every decision takes forever, and when it's finally made it wasn't the best choice available, and then when the project is finally done, many wish that nothing had changed in the first place. (eg. Moving from the Madhouse at McDougall as Dom Papa called it to the Factory Graveyard in Forest Glade as I call it). Even the WFCU center itself, though beautiful and new is still too small, too restrictive and too expensive. How is a laid off auto worker supposed to buy an eight dollar beer after they've already forked over twenty bucks for a ticket? Not mention that they already had to piss off their fellow union workers just to get in the parking lot. And why aren't I able to walk around the entire corridor like in every other arena in the world? It seems that the great views and unique character of the Barn were traded up for half-decent too cramped seats and poor engineering decisions. Chances are, the Spits won't win the Memorial Cup, (even though they should) because that's just the way it goes around here, but even an almost championship team is better than what's going on, and everybody can agree that the City of Roses isn't smelling much like roses these days. It smells like garbage. Go Spits Go!