A difficult loss to handle; and watch out for the Black Stars

Yes, it’s Friday, we have all kinds of NBA stuff in the paper thanks to Nothin’ But Net so we’ll branch out a little bit here, if you don’t mind.

If you do, scroll down; way down.

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I didn’t know Sarah Burke, never spoke to her, never saw her compete.

Yet why do I feel a sense of loss now with news of her tragic passing from the injuries sustained in a freestyle skiing training accident?

Why?

Because, like you, it is gut-wrenching to hear such news about athletes who push themselves to the limits of their skills in sports that too many of us don’t fully understand or appreciate.

They train and compete harder than any of us can possibly imagine and for what? Mostly for a sense of personal accomplishment; it certainly isn’t for great riches or incredible adulation or anything other than the true love of their sport.

Those of us who are closely associated with professional athletes know the mercenary side of them, they are richly rewarded for their skills and that all too often brings a skewed sense of entitlement that is off-putting in a large measure. Not all of them are like that, of course, but too many are.

But women like Burke, and the hundreds and hundreds of virtually anonymous but brilliantly skilled so-called amateur athletes who push themselves for little more than the love of competition and their sport are what the games should be about.

The world needs women and athletes like Burke to remind us of people who play games and compete in individual sports simply because they love them. Those are the ones we should know more about, ones we should hold up as shining examples of dedication to a craft that goes beyond personal gain.

The world of sports – and the world in general by all accounts – is a darker place now with her death.

I didn’t know her but I admire her.

And all others like her.

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So, did you watch Lakers-Heat at all last night?

Only saw highlights here – life got in the way – but I guess the age-old debate would be raging in a few locales:

Kobe or Lebron?

Tough one, no doubt. Kobe’s got the rings, LeBron’s won about five in a row of the head-to-head duels that really don’t mean anything.

Without getting into specifics too much, I’m just going to throw this out there and see what you think:

Both are brilliant players and great athletes and incredible competitors but there just seems to be a more nuanced game to Bryant than there is to James.

He’s just better and more fun to watch; more fluid, less bullish, his jump shot is as consistent as any I’ve ever seen. He plays the game more in the way I would like to see it played and I guess that’s the reason I’d rather sit and watch a Laker game than a Heat game.

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Mail? Last shot. Busy day when we land in L.A. tomorrow (the HOTH are practicing out there after an overnight flight so it’s LAX to UCLA) so today might be the lone day to get tomorrow’s done and set up Sunday’s to finish on the plane.

Go here, let me know what you’re thinking.

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It’s what we’ve done here each week to usurp my friend Magic 8-ball and there’s no sense stopping now, is there?

So …

AFC

Baltimore at New England

Remember early in the season – especially after that loss in Buffalo – when the people were writing off the Pats?

Seems kind of silly now, doesn’t it?

They’ve kind of figured out the defensive issues that plagued them, Tom Brady is playing at such a crazily-high level that I’m surprised no one’s comparing him to Tebow and Bill Belichik may be a hoodie-wearing-fun-sapping-sourpus-extraordinaire but the guy seems to come up with plans to maximize the talent available.

The Ravens? They can look like world-beaters one week and rank amateurs the next; Ray Lewis is waaaaaaaaaay to zany intense for me and if Joe Flacco is a starting quarterback in the Super Bowl something is terribly wrong with the world.

Pats, by a mile.

NFC

NY Giants at San Francisco

Here’s the thing: Last Saturday, with about six minutes left in the Niners-Saints game, I had to go courtside at the United Centre and missed all the San Fran histrionics. Too bad, looked like a rather wild finish in hindsight. And there is no disputing how good that defence is, how effectively they can run the ball and if pours rain at Kezar Stadium (yeah, I’m dating myself a bit) that has to be good for the home side, no?

But …

And here’s the big butt.

Last Sunday, I did get to sit around and watch Eli Manning and his team dismantle a not bad Packers squad and if you had to pick a quarterback of these four left to handle elements and win a big game, you’d go with Manning, I would think. The guy is just good.

So …

Giants, but it’ll be close.

And that gives us Pats-Giants in the Super Bowl and it’ll be a contest who see who’s the most disagreeable in the week leading up to the game, Coughlin or Belichik. Coach Hoodie will win.

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Pucks 4, Wilds 1

World’s a safer place today.

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Right, the Raptors.

Hardly anything of substance yesterday; Bayless may play, it’s a work in progress, they’re getting better but not there yet.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

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All eyes – well, maybe not all eyes but some – will be focused on Equatorial Guinea and Gabon starting Saturday when the African Cup of Nations soccer thingy starts.

As you know, I have an affinity, borne of simply knowing an old friend in Ghana, for the Black Stars, who have made it to the final eight times but haven’t won one in a while.

I’m worried about the dastardly Ivory Coasts, they’re probably the favourites going in but I need to find my Black Stars cap around here and carry it with me on the road.

Who you got?

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Comments

[Mike "Nothin' But Backboard" D.]

Nothin' But Net says Nash had 26-11 at the age of 37? Clearly it must be time to trade Jose for him....and maybe throw in Valanciunas to balance the salaries.

[Chris]

I have to go with Ghana. They're well prepared for large tournaments and play more like a team than a lot of other national programs. I do have to wonder about corruption/match-fixing on that squad. Whatever the case, I look forward to seeing Asamoah Gyan play.

[john]

Until Lebron shows up in a finals I dont see how he can even be in the same conversation as Kobe. Good player with good stats. End of discussion. Didn't have the confidence in his game to lead his own team so had to team up with two others and still didn't win. If he doesnt win 3 rings in the next five years I dont see how anyone can consider him great.

[Lorie]

Good Morning, Doug.
Thank you for your stirring tribute in the blog today - specifically with respect to the sad passing of Sarah Burke, and generally about the inspiring people who are our amateur athletes. They live, train and compete in relative obscurity (and with such embarrassingly meagre financial support) and it's only when the Olympics roll around most people give them some attention. My condolences to Sarah Burke's family and friends. She, and so many other amateur athletes live these words of the Olympic creed every day: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

[FPB]

Black Stars baby! Hello Suarez!

[Sam]

Well said about the sad passing of Sarah Burke. I wish the Raptors can have a moment of silence tonight before the game to pay tribute to this great Canadian. They also should pound the rock twice or more - they may lose again but they need keep fighting.

[doug]

I found myself to be quite impacted when I found out about the passing of Sarah Burke and this about a person I knew little about, or next to nothing....but you summed it up well, she lived her life to follow her dream, her passion for all the right reasons...not many can say that we did that, so she is to be applauded for how she lived her too short a life, and that's what amateur athletes and the people that in participate in them do every day of their life...they live their dreams and whether they win gold or finish 33rd, the point is lost if we evaluate them on that, their all to be applauded.....kudos to them all, and especially on this day Sarah Burke as she achieved in life what not many do, she lived her life as she saw fit...R.I.P...

[Tim H.]

Thanks to the tribute to amateur athletes today Doug. You expressed your feelings (and mine and others) very well. Watching amateur athletes compete was the reason why I used to look forward to the Olympics. Now, not so much.

And, on a lighter note, what were you looking at when you wrote this:

"And here’s the big butt." :o)

[SEAN]

Kobe all the way...

[Lorie]

@Sam
A moment of silence before the Raptors' game tonight sounds, to me as well, entirely appropriate.

[Cluck Kent]

The biggest difference I've seen in Kobe's game vs. Lebron's game is the fact that Kobi has always worked hard to be the best, vs Lebron who has believed since before his first NBA game that he is the greatest of all time. And you know what? If Lebron approached the game with the same desire and work effort that Kobe has, he might very well be. As it sits now, he's just a very talented spoiled brat.

Very sad news regarding Sarah. I can't imagine what her parents must be going through.

[David in Oakville]

Kobe or Lebron... great question.
I think Lebron has superior genetics but Kobe wins in every other department because of it. I believe Kobe has had to work harder to be the ball player and athlete he is. As a result, Kobe has a better sense of the value of what he has achieved and understands the cost.

Lebron, like Shaq, does not really know how unique their gifts are.

Also, I think Kobe strives to be a ball player only. Lebron (& Shaq) see themselves as entertainers and personalities. This hurts them in their primary job.

I think it would be easier to be Lebron's teammate but Kobe is the guy I would most want on my team and the guy I would fear most if I made a mistake on the court.

[Mike kovacs]

Doug have you seen this? http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/1118587--sarah-burke-s-family-sets-up-website-to-help-pay-for-her-medical-bill I guess unfortunately Sarah Burke did not have (enough) health insurance? If she is on a Canadian team I would hope that the team would have insurance or was she there as an individual? I would presume that Mother Star covers you for out of country health emergencies.

Blogger's note: I don't know enough about Olympic athletes but, yes, I am covered when I travel

[Chris Rivers]

Hey Doug;

While I'm a fan of Ghana, I think that I like Senegal this year. I still remember when they beat France at the World Cup in 2002 - it was enough to graft a bit of Lions pride onto me for life. I used to live in Tanzania, and had a chance to Rwanda and Burkina Faso play in Kigali, Rwanda ... but unfortunately, none of the East Africa teams that I would normally be pulling for made it this year.

So, to that end, Senegal and Mamadou Niang!

Yours;
Rivers

[D]

Thanks Doug,

Sarah was a light, a beacon for others. She was an incredible person, a wonderful friend to those that knew her, an insipration to those young and old, an innovator, risk taker, and a woman that is gone far too soon.

I lived in the town(Squamish) she called home, and she was the most unassuming "celebrity" you could ever think of. She was a woman of the people and an inspiration to so many kids on the Whistler Blackcomb hills.

The world lost a one of a kind yesterday, however her legacy will inspire so many others, and Sarah will never be forgotten.

We might disagree daily on hoops and the Raptors, but your tribute is fantastic and I have nothing but the utmost respect for you as both a grunt, and a man.

Peace

D

[GM]

So teams on the back end of a back-to-back-to-back are 9-3 this season? Just as I suspected when I watched the Raptors-Kings. Raptors were playing their third game in as many nights yet were in it right to the end. And I was shocked at the bogus calls the refs were calling against the Kings. I couldn't understand it. Then conspiracies started whirling around in my head. Could it be the league wants to cut those teams a break, or try to show the fans and players that it's not such a big deal to play three games in three nights? Probably not, but with the NBA you never really know. The Raps ended up losing that game but only because they just couldn't take advantage of the numerous breaks they got.

[sportschick]

@Mike Kovacs - I think she was not insured by the Canadian Olympic team because this was an event set up by her sponsor and not an official Canadian team event. Lovely tribute, Doug.

African Cup of Nations: Have to go with Ghana.

Is it a game day again already? My eyes have barely recovered from the last game. Bargs can't come back soon enough.

BTW, Grace leaves the building on January 22. (TIFF, that is)

[Will]

@ GM

"The Raps ended up losing that game but only because they just couldn't take advantage of the numerous breaks they got. "

THe only break that the Raps could take advantage of is if one happened to James Johnson's ankle.

[kazbid]

hey doug, can derozan buy a foul? what's with the no calls on him?
I don't like that he looks to the refs all the time but there's no doubt he's not getting any respect from them.

[m]

Hey D, great post on Sarah Burke and Doug, nice tribute. You missed the passing of the inimitable Etta James today, a great, great singer.

[doug]

the Sarah Burke passing should be a reminder of our health system and fight back when Harper and his gang are trying to make changes to it....@sportschick is exactly right it was a corporate sponsor event...as her expenses have been covered I was hospitalized in a Alabama hospital years ago and the first question they asked and wanted cleared up was how i was paying, a eye opener,,,,so don't ever take our health system for granted even with long wait times etc....

That eases the impact of the hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt the family faced. A source said that athletes and coaches are covered by an insurance policy of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association when they are taking part in events as a representative of the national team. But they are independent contractors when appearing in private events for sponsors.