A significant accomplishment for a group of young women

Remember when we last saw the women’s basketball team at the London Olympics and they were hoping their run to the quarter-finals would serve as some sort of impetus to the next group of young Canadian girls?

Seems it worked even before, or more quickly, than they could have imagined.

It was a bit under-reported on the weekend – sorry about that, things got in the way – but the Canadian Under-17 girls finished a tremendous world championship with a bronze medal after beating Japan 84-77.

That’s a rather significant accomplishment – as far as I can tell it’s the first age-group world championship medal a Canadian women’s team has ever won – and should serve notice that the next era could be as good as the one we’re experiencing right now.

The Canadians finished between the powerful and unbeaten Americans and silver medallists Spain in the tournament, which caps the international season for Canada Basketball.

We cannot be sure how many of these girls will eventually play for the senior team (there’s still a junior career to think about for many of them) but there is one thing we can be sure of:

Canada Basketball is putting in place some wildly important and well devised grass roots programs – especially on the female side – that can only help keep the country among the top teams in the world in the years to come.

Unlike the boys, who have AAU and club teams that offer top notch competition, a lot of these girls are truly homegrown and what Canada Basketball is apparently doing is providing them with the right amount of training and coaching to allow them to succeed.

We’ll get more into the big picture of the game in Canada over the next couple of days – there’s still a stop to be made this afternoon to wrap up the senior men’s camp – but suffice it say a world championships medal for the Under-17 girls is the most significant accomplishment of many for an organization that has turned itself around incredibly over the last five years.

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Saw something Friday that I’d only seen one other time in my life and, man, it just seems so weird.

While waiting for the gang to show up before Springsteen epic, was sitting on a stool passing time.

And the guy two over from me was sipping his beer and in between sips he’d drop one or two olives into his drink.

Yeah, olives. Regular old green olives.

Had seen that one time before, in a saloon in, I believe, Sioux Falls or some other outpost when we were there with the lads for a pre-season game.

I didn’t get it then, I just don’t get it. Maybe it has to with my basic aversion to olives but, really, olives in beer?

Someone explain it to me.

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So, Bruce.

No, I don’t get to an awful lot of concerts – just doesn’t seem to be enough time – but it wouldn’t matter because they would all pale in comparison.

Incredible.

Three hours, 40 minutes – according to Springsteen-ologists I trust it was among it’s in the top 10 all time in terms of time on stage – and it was like nothing I’d seen before.

Wide-ranging set list with old classics and new stuff from the current release and more energy, start to finish, than you could possibly imagine.

Oh, and the six- or seven-song encore was almost too much to take.

Personal favourites:

I heard him do The Rising and felt chills.

Thunder Road in the encore was spine-tingling.

My City of Ruins, another classic.

Oh, and I have no idea why but this is among the all-time favourites.

And I’m glad I got to hear it. Can’t really explain the feeling except to say that it’s rather incredible.

But here’s one for you.

I’m sure there are musicians out there who connect with their audiences like Springsteen does – there has to be, I presume – but I don’t think there’s another guy, and his band, who pour more energy into every single performance, every single song than the E Street Band does.

It’s like they feel they owe the audience their very, very best each night and there’s a palpable feeling.

It’s something else indeed.

And, yes, Super Family already has tickets for Copps in October, I’m going to try to rejig a travel schedule so I can get there, too.

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Another basketball note – and, no, there is likely to be no Raptors news this week, either; still holiday time – and one we’ve been a tad remiss about of late.

Remember the NBL Canada? Well, it’s draft night, they’ve just come off their second combine to take a look at the talent and everything would seem to be on track for another solid season.

There’s a new team in Windsor, I see former NBAer Cliff Levingston is taking over the coaching gig in Halifax and the Quebec team is moving into a more suitable facility in Laval.

The league has done just what it had to, it didn’t try to grow too fast off a good first season, hoping instead to capitalize on the inroads it made last year to make the second year better.

We’ll get into it more as the 2012-13 season gets closer but if you’ve got a chance to help ‘em out in any of the league’s cities, I’d say do it; it’s a worthwhile endeavour and they are going about things the right way.

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Oh yeah, one more left over from Friday.

Remember how I used to think Yannick Noah was the coolest guy in the world?

Well, he’s now tied atop the list, I believe, with Little Steven Van Zandt.

Dude’s an incredible musician, a pretty good actor and I’m driving around Saturday and, after playing nearly four hours on Friday night, I hear him in hosting a live afternoon version of Little Steven’s Underground Garage on Q107.

That’s one cool dude.

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Comments

[Peter Gilchrist]

Thanks as always for your support of the NBL of Canada. I know it's probably not a big deal to most of the irregulars, but to us who live in small market cities, it is indeed a thrill to be able to see live basketball played at a high level without travelling to Toronto, Boston, or NYC like we used to. That being said, I am certainly looking forward to the Raptors' season. I saw some of Jonas during the Olympics, and was very impressed with his hustle, his heart, and his tenacity in the paint.

[coachd]

Hi Doug,
Great news regarding the Under-17 team. Success breeds success. Canada Basketball is on the right path. It would be nice for us to host some of these World Championships. Give our young players a little more home exposure. By the way, who coached the team?

Blogger's note: Carly Clarke of Ryerson was the head coach

[sam]

Little Steven is indeed cool - He recently filmed a Netflix TV series that see's him as a character not unlike his Soprano's persona in witness protection in Norway. Part Comedy, part Silvio Dante -

With NBL Canada expanding to Windsor this year - do you know if there are plans to add franchises in the coming years in communities like Kitchener, Ottawa, Western Canada, or perhaps North of Toronto - I'm sure it would be welcomed. Could there be a tie in with the HOTH - an endorsement, or sponsorship of some sort. It would add some promotional power in the different communities - Could be a good job for someone like MoPete, or JYD type of player.

Blogger's note: Know of no plans now

[Lorie]

Hi Doug!
Great performance by the U17 Women at the FIBA Championships indeed! And welcome to the NBL Windsor - look forward to the start of a great rivalry between the Express and my London Lightning. And as far as those olives in beer (and I agree with you - not my cuppa either) there seems to be both a subtle change to the flavour and some entertainment possibilities that are apparently enjoyed by some. The following is from an online beer blog:
"Whether you place olives in martinis or beer, the flavor profile of the liquid will be slightly altered due to the natural salts and oils in the fruit. English Pale Ale draws its characteristic complexities from burtonized water Ewater with ions similar to that found at Burton-on-Trent. This water is rich in calcium, sulfates, magnesium, sodium, and chloride. With the addition of olives, the chemical profile may be enhanced by the brine that has percolated into the olives during common processing. A small amount of olive oil is often used by brewers to give yeast unsaturated fatty acids to feed on, rather than introducing oxygen into beer that can cause flavors of wet cardboard or old sherry. With that in mind, it almost seems normal to throw a few olives into the finished beer.

In addition to the slight flavor enhancement, olives add an entertainment value. Olives may seem heavy, but because beer is carbonated, bubbles adhere to the surface of the olives as they lay in the bottom of the glass. When a sufficient army of air accumulates on the olives, they act like mini-helium balloons and carry the olive to the surface of the beer. As the olives come in contact with your upper lip, the bubbles are interrupted, and the olives tumble to the bottom of the glass until they have attracted yet another swarm of airy bubbles."

So, I guess if you are the sort that gets tickled by tiny bubbles coming into contact with your upper lip, viva the olive. And speaking of "tiny bubbles", that dude sitting at the bar next to you wasn't this guy, was he? :) Cheers! Bubbly ones!

http://youtu.be/mlCiDEXuxxA

[Mat]

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art61860.asp

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Yeah, those olives are kind of a Midwestern thing. As was 'red beer' – beer and tomato juice – breakfast of champions! Had more than my share of red beers; never took a cotton to the olives, though...
Hey, awesome job, Doug, on the write-ups of all the goings-on in the Canadian Hardcourt landscape! Exciting, timely stuff! It won't be easy, though – the same kind of groundswell is happening around the globe. A few home boys in the NBA does wonders to stir the local juices. A dose of Yao and a touch of Linsanity and – look out, world, Asia's playing hoops big time.
I've said for 20 years now that basketball will be king on this planet one of these not too far-off days. In spite of the guffaws, I still think I'm right about that (unless they take me up on that other blasphemous peccadillo I like to toss out there – which is to shrink the footie pitch to something approaching offensively sensible).
So, just where the heck does "take a cotton to" come from anyway? And "Bob's yer uncle"... and "and how"... ?
Cheers. Here's to olives in your beer, beer in your burgers, and Harry Nilsson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz884EUAqi4&feature=related

[doug]

yea i was also driving and heard Little Steven on the radio I was blown away...here he is after a 3 hour show night before on the airwaves doing his thing..it was impressive...olives in beer I don't get it also , another thing i don't get it this iced tea beer, if I want ice tea i have ice tea if I want a beer I want a beer...I tried one not impressed..it was like years ago when they decided to combine peanut butter and jam in one jar....absurd and I don't believe it lasted as iced tea beer won't....and congrats to the young ladies, Toronto sports team may leave a little to be (ok a lot) desired but our national b-ball programs have made a lot of right moves and steps forward lately, something to look forward to....ok cheers...