By James Mirtle
Keep the Rams, not the Wass
Last week in that little section we give him, our venerable leader Joel Wass advised the masses that “beginning a column with a bold statement is often the best way to grab a reader’s attention.” That said, here goes: Fire Joel Wass. I kid, of course, I kid. If we didn’t have him, then that page would be used for sports coverage and not an editorial on cutting teams.
We can’t have that. What I’m trying to say is that I heartily disagree with his desire to see Ryerson hockey go the way of the dodo. First of all, while it may seem like the team costs a lot, it should be noted that Ryerson has had a hockey team, in one form or another, for over 50 years. The team also has an extensive alumni group which contributes its time and donates money every year.
Name another Ryerson team which has a website for their alumni. Part of having sports teams is establishing school traditions and one of the few Ryerson has is that team. Also, having a hockey team at a Canadian university is indicative of a certain status of the school.
See here the list of Ontario universities which have teams: Ottawa, Toronto, Queen’s, Royal Military College, York, Brock, Laurier, Guelph, Western, Lakehead, Waterloo and Windsor. Those without one? Carleton, Laurentian, McMaster and Nippissing. Carleton is actively pursuing getting a team, which leaves McMaster as the only Ryerson-sized Ontario university that is content without a team. Granted, the Ryerson hockey team hasn’t had a winning record lately.
However, if that was the basis for eliminating teams, the men’s volleyball team might be our only club. The only major problem with our hockey team is that there is no feasible downtown location for them to playalthough that’s an issue for an article of its own. No one, aside from perhaps paid staff and the players’ friends and family, saw more Rams hockey last year than myself, and, in terms of enjoyment level, it’s up there with any of our other teams.
The coaching staff and players work hard and are good representatives of Ryerson.
To Roger, the smartest dude I know
On another note, kudos is in order for Rams volleyballer Roger Marszalek, who has been awarded the Ontario Professional Engineering Foundation for Education scholarship, otherwise known as the Scholarship with the Longest Name Ever.
“I want people to know about this, because they think we are dummies,” said men’s volleyball coach Mirek Porosa. “[Roger] is very bright. He puts in 25-30 hours a week in volleyball and still does so well. He’s an example for this whole program.”
The award is given for excellence in academics and other aspects of university life, such as athletics, and also for someone “who shows exceptional role model qualities.”
How does he do it? Roger says it’s all about working hard and having a balance between volleyball and school, but I have a suspicion his mother made him eat his veggies as well.
In any event, congratulations Roger. Roger will accept his award at a ceremony Wednesday, Oct. 13, at 6 p.m. in POD 250.
Heads up, the Top 10 is coming
It was the brain child of former sports editors, Joel Wass and Adam Button, and then it died a horrible death last year. But, now, with Eyeopener Sports under new management, the Top 10 will be revived.
I’ll be talking to coaches and athletes for the next two months, and then I’ll retire to a carefully crafted hovel, where I can analyze and interpret my findings. Or maybe I’ll just go to Zanzibar with Orest.
Either way, the result will be an extensive listing of Ryerson’s top 10 athletes, due out in November. That’s all.
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