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VIEWPOINT: SCOTT OAKEQ
& A
Each week, Sports Online will turn the tables on Scott Oake,
who's used to peppering others with questions.
Canada has won its first three games at the women's world
hockey championship by a combined score of 35-0, and it seems inevitable
that Canada and the U.S. will meet in the finals for the ninth straight
time. What can be done to make this tournament more competitive?
The competitive imbalance in international women's hockey is striking.
The gap between Canada and the USA and the rest of the world is enormous
and, using this year's world championship as a measurement, it's not
getting any smaller. You would think, with women's hockey now an Olympic
medal sport, countries like Sweden, Russia and Finland would be getting
better. The Swedes say they're targeting gold in Vancouver in 2010.
But, their 10-0 loss to Canada says they're light years, not just
five, from winning gold.
Compared to the rest of the world the women's game is huge in North
America. There are 62,000 registered players in Canada, 200 in Kazakhstan.
Hence, a 13-0 win for Canada over Kazakhstan in the world championship.
It's hard to view it as a legitimate tournament when those kinds of
scores were the norm for both Canada and the USA in the round robin.
Both the world championship and the Olympics will have to become something
more than a dual country meet if the cause of women's hockey is to
be advanced globally.
Perhaps what's happened in the sport of curling needs to happen in
women's hockey. The point has been made this week in Victoria at the
world men's curling championship that Canada can no longer count on
waltzing to the championship. The international field is a lot more
competitive than it used to be in large part because skilled Canadians
have helped teach the game internationally. In women's hockey the
rest of the world needs help from Canada and the USA more than it
needs 15-0 thrashings. Hockey Canada is not short-sighted in this
matter. It's more than willing to lend expertise to the programs of
other countries. Countries that covet world championship and Olympic
success should take advantage so that maybe, in the distant future,
Canada becomes a victim of its own generosity.
What do you think Mike Weir's chances are at this year's Masters?
Based on form he certainly is not one of the favourites. But, perhaps
that's a good thing. Last year, as defending champion, Weir was subject
to endless distractions and he wound up missing the cut. Now two years
removed from his win and no longer in the world top ten, he comes
in almost under the radar. Weir's had an up-and-down season but a
decent finish in the Players Championship (tied for 17th) may have
been a good sign. Like everyone else he'll be contending with the
top four in the world: Singh, Woods, Mickelson, and Els. Weir himself
acknowledges Augusta favours big hitters like those four. I won't
pick him to win but I wouldn't be surprised if Weir is among the leaders.
Becky Zerlentes, a 34-year-old woman, died from a head injury she
sustained in a Golden Gloves competition over the weekend. Does this
do any serious damage to the sport and do you think boxing officials
should tighten its regulations as to who should be allowed to step
inside a ring?
The death of Becky Zerlentes is a tragedy, but I believe it was a
freak accident. According to all reports Zerlentes was a good athlete
who competed in a number of sports. She was a veteran of ten fights
and the winner of a 2002 regional Golden Gloves Tournament. So she
was equipped to be in the ring. I've seen highlights of the fight
and Zerlentes didn't appear to be in trouble. The fatal punch she
took in the third round, above the left eye, looked to be a routine
shot. Amateur boxing isn't perfect but it is highly regulated. Don't
confuse it with those "So You Think Your Tough" contests
run in bars. Pre-fight medicals are a mandatory in amateur boxing
and I take for granted Zerlentes passed hers. She was an experienced
fighter who met the criteria to compete in a sanctioned sport. In
short, there was no regulation that could have kept her out of the
ring.
Lightning-round questions:
Who will win the Masters?
V.J. Singh.
Should the Raptors re-sign free agent Donyell Marshall in the off-season?
No.
Hockey: blue or white ice?
White.
Who is your favourite James Bond of all-time?
Pierce Brosnan (because he's so suave and debonair like me.
Competitiveness in women's hockey will be corrected in a matter of years. Canada was the only real hockey nation from the 1880s until about 1950, when the Soviets took measures to improve their competitiveness.
By staging these tournaments, even if there are only two or three really close games in a tournament, the level of play in the other countries will improve. When I played sports, I always wanted to play against the best, even though I often got trounced.
I think the state of women's hockey has improved tremendously in the last decade and I look forward to better competitions in the future. Besides, what is so wrong with being able to prove to the rest of the world that we are truly the best?
Bill Sanderson
C'mon Scott, women's hockey is a joke. I know it's not politically correct (and will no doubt outrage white females within the CBC politburo) but this abominable farce taking place in Sweden can hardly be called an athletic competition. The Canadian team has outscored their opponents 35-0 and outshot them 145-23 (nearly 7 to 1). All of these teams save one are hopelessly outclassed and they, the fans, the viewers at home, know it full well.
It's comical, really. And the sad thing is that the gap is widening, not narrowing. I think we should have half-a-dozen of our [women] switch sides each contest so that we can at least have the tease of compelling drama, if not the real thing.
Blaine Hislop
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Scott began his career by volunteering at the university radio station during three years of pre-med. studies at Memorial University in St. John's, Nfld. After two summers working at CBC-St. John's in radio and television, he was hired full-time in 1974. Since then, Oake has covered the Olympic Winter and Summer Games and the Commonwealth Games as a commentator for wrestling, hockey, alpine skiing, swimming, rowing, diving, boxing and athletics.
FULL
BIO
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