Too Much for this Colby Fan to Take

I'm a Colby fan. Anyone who has read this Blog in the past knows this. Die-hard. Tried and true.

But last night, Colby disappointed me. In what I figured to be his Heroes vs. Villains swan song, it looked like Colby had already packed it in. No fight and fire. No glorious speeches about how he can still be the best of the best and carry his team on his back. Nothing.

With Tom gone, Colby was on his own on a tribe of Heroes who have proven to be more a bunch of losers than anything. I had high hopes that now that he was down to the bottom of the barrel, we'd see Colby come out swinging like never before and show them what it really means to be a Hero.

And he had every opportunity to. The challenge was for both Reward & Immunity. In a twist, it was individual as well. Each tribe competed separately, against their own teammates, to see who would be safe from the vote at Tribal Council, as Probst announced that both tribes would be voting someone out. The two winners of Immunity would then go head-to-head to see who would win their tribe a hot dog feast, as well as an opportunity to listen in on the other tribe's TC.

The challenge had them each attached to a rope maze, in which they would have to toss themselves up and over fences and barricades to untangle themselves. A quick calculation in my head had me figuring Colby was the favourite to win for the Heroes. James is gimpy. Rupert is not exactly slender. JT is kinda lumpy. And while I figured the girls would have more agility, I didn't figure they'd have the speed or strength to get themselves through the maze as well as Colby could.

Big-time let-down. Not only did Colby lose. He lost bad. By the time Candice had won, Colby was still tangled up in the middle of the rope maze. He was last - even beind James on one leg, and flabby Rupert.

Boston Rob took it for the Villains, and then he also defeated Candice in the showdown for hot dogs and a sit-in on the Heroes' Tribal Council. Thank God for Rob, even though he is a Villain. At least he's entertaining me.

Rob and Russell finally got to get down to business, as they fought for power within their tribe to decide who would be going home. Rob had the numbers, but somehow, the weasly little Russell was able to outwit him. I thought Rob had the perfect plan worked out. Split their votes between Russell and Parvati, so that if Russell played his Hidden Immunity Idol (which they all assumed he had), Parvati would go home, instead of Tyson, who Russell's alliance would be voting for.

What a crazy Tribal Council. Russell finally produced his Idol, but rather than using it himself, he passed it to Parvati. Glee shone in Rob's eyes. What a stupid move, right?

Wrong. Russell had convinced Tyson to vote for Parvati instead of him, so rather than a split vote, Parvati had 4 votes cast against her that did not count. Russell ended up with only two votes against him, and Tyson had three. I didn't even like Tyson, but I completely hated that Russell was able to outsmart Rob! The look of total confusion and bewilderment reflected in Rob's eyes when he saw the 4th vote for Parvati come up...when he realized he didn't quite have the workings of the tribe in the palm of his hand...It was a big moment. And the battle between the two of them will only be heating up more next week. Rob won't be going down without a fight, I can guarantee that! And he's really not going to be happy that Russell outplayed him. It could get pretty interesting!

Meanwhile, the Heroes were weighing their options. Colby or James? James made a good case, even if I didn't like it. Colby just hasn't been in the game. Which is such a piss-off for me. He's generally been disappointing at challenges, and game-wise, he seems to be a shadow of what he used to be. Has the game of Survivor really changed that much since he owned it in the Outback? Is he really that out-classed by the rest of them? What happened to the Colby that threw his entire tribe on his back in Season 2 and carried them to victory, and then bolstered himself, winning individual Immunities left, right, and centre?

Colby didn't help his case much by basically throwing in the towel. He gave them the ol', "Hey guys, it's been a slice, I know I'm going home, let's all just relax." Then he went and floated in the water all day.

But despite Colby's lacklustre attitude, the rest of the Heroes were finally questioning James' bum leg. If the challenges to come were physical at all, would James be able to compete? They also had noticed James was eating more than anyone else, and that he was depleting their banana stock. (Thus, we now have the famous "Banana Etiquette.")

James wanted to prove he could still run, so he set up the Hero Olympics on the beach, with JT volunteering to race him. (This is when I really wanted Colby to jump up and say, "Hell, I'll race you too", and then blow 'em both away. But he was still floating in the water, paying no attention at all...arghhh!) So James and JT raced. If you could call it that. James practically had to hop on one leg, and JT ran backwards, and still beat him.

Even so, it didn't appear that the Heroes were overly-concerned. And who could blame them. Colby had all but given up. I was certain he was the one going home. It made me sad to think that a guy with a wonky knee was going to outlast the perfectly-fit Colby.

As the Villains sat chowing down on their hot dogs, Probst ran one of the most entertaining Tribal Councils ever, which led to a lot of laughter by both the Villains and the Heroes, even though Colby seemed to be at the butt of the jokes. James talked about watching Colby and idolizing him in Season 2. He said to see him now, it was like finding out Superman was wearing a fat suit. Again, Colby disappointed me. He didn't fight back. He shrugged, looked resigned, almost tired and old. His only jab at James was when, after James made it sound like he was an ancient, decrepit warlord from eons ago, Colby finally said, "Hey, I'm not that old."

And that's the thing. Colby's not old! He's still fit and muscular and powerful! Why haven't we seen it? I just don't get it!

I was all ready to say good-bye. And just like that, they surprise me by voting out James instead, unanimously.

Go figure. Colby survives, yet again. I really, really hope he gets a boost of energy from this. I don't think I can take watching this mopey, dopey Colby much longer!!

Now THAT'S What I Like To See!

Another win...and what a win it was!

Heading into the last stretch of games before the playoffs, this is the way I want to see my boys playing.

Tough. Chippy. Taking no crap from nobody.

It was a typical tilt against the Philadelphia Flyers. Dating back to 2004, when a game got completely out of hand and brawls broke out all over the ice (including a goalie tilt between Patrick Lalime and Robert Esche), there has been no love lost between Ottawa and Philly.

I discovered one of my most loathed villains of all-time last night. Daniel Carcillo. Just the mere appearance of the guy made my skin crawl. Couldn't stand him. The way he tried to stare down Anton Volchenkov after the A-Train rode him into the boards? Nice intimidation tactic, Carcillo. Unfortunately, this is the A-Train you're dealing with. I don't think he intimidates easily. Oh, and wanna rough up our young d-man, Erik Karlsson? Weighs about 120 lbs. soaking wet? Here, meet Andy Sutton. You want to dance, you're gonna have to do it with the BIG boys!

Easily, the most fun I've had watching a hockey game since...well, since the Gold Medal game in the Olympics.

The Sens came away with another 2-0 shut-out win, the second in as many nights, and it feels like we're hitting our stride again. Brian Elliott had an amazing game. With a little help from...guess who? Anton Volchenkov. The A-Train had a big game, laying hits out all over the ice (particularly fueling the fire with Carcillo), but possibly his best moment of the game came with time winding down in the third, the Sens hanging on to a 2-0 lead, Elliott down and out, and the Flyers scrambling all around the Sens' net. Volchenkov took the opportunity, as he often does, to play "back-up goalie", sitting in the goal crease and sweeping the puck out of the net before it could fully cross the line. It was a pretty questionable call, but after a lengthy video review, it was determined they could see no white between the line and the puck. A-Train in the perfect place at the perfect time, yet again!

And man, am I loving Andy Sutton. The dude is a giant. I loved it when he stepped in between Carcillo and Karlsson, standing up for his teammates, not letting the little goonie goo goo take any liberties. I didn't even care that Sutton was tagged with a roughing minor, on top of Karlsson's tripping penalty, handing the Flyers a 2-minute 2-man advantage. It ended up being one of the most awesome moments in the game, when the Sens were able to kill it off, and the fans stood and raised the roof with a rousing ovation.

Our goals came from Chris Kelly and Daniel Alfredsson. Alfie's came early in the third period after Volchenkov lay a questionable hit on Simon Gagne, drawing the attention of two other Flyers, while the Sens went in on the Philly net 4-on-2. Seemed pretty silly for them to just drop out of the play to seek revenge on Volchenkov, and following the goal, the celebration was cut short when a huge melée broke out. The really sweet part? The Sens ended up with a SEVEN MINUTE POWERPLAY out of it! How crazy-awesome is THAT?! They weren't able to capitalize on the lengthy man-advantage, but it effectively ended the game for the Flyers, as they were forced to spend much of the period killing the ensuing penalties.

So that's two wins in a row, and just like that, the panic seems to have subsided. The Sens are in 5th place in the Conference with 83 points, and their hold on a playoff position solidifies with each win.

Keep 'em coming, boys. This Spring is starting to get exciting!

Slump Ends...Phew.

I don't have time to write a full-length feature today, but may I just say:

THANK GOD THE SLUMP IS OVER!!

Okay, so it was only 5 games, but since the Olympic break ended, we'd only won once, against the bottom-feeding Edmonton Oilers. With the playoffs fast-approaching, it's literally been the worst time of year to hit the skids. I was starting to panic.

Then we went and beat the good ol' Habs last night in enemy territory. Brian Elliott earned his 4th shut-out of the season, and Erik Karlsson figured in on both Senator goals in the 2-0 victory after having a horrible game on Saturday in Dallas.

Phew. Feels like the monkey's off our backs. Here's hoping they keep it running tonight at home against Philly.

And here's my favourite photo from the Ottawa Citizen gallery from last night's game:

"Kiss my ass, losaaaaaa!"

St. Paddy's Day Shenanigans 2010

What is it about wearing the colour green that can turn a whole town into party-central?

It was that special time of year once again. On Sunday, March 14, our sleepy little town became a little more populated - with leprechauns - as people from all over the Ottawa Valley descended upon the famous Gavan's Hotel to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

Decked from head to toe in varying shades of green, hundreds of people, young and old, packed into the hotel, ready to dance and drink and laugh, everyone buoyed by the Irish spirit. It's one of the few times that Gavan's is filled to capacity that you can almost guarantee there won't be any brawls. Everyone's too happy.

Nobody cares that they have to stand in lines for half an hour for a drink. Nobody cares that the drunk guy who just walked by sloshed his beer down your back. Nobody cares that they ordered their wings an hour ago and they still haven't been served.

For one day, we're all friends, brought together by fiddle music and stepdancing and shamrocks galore.

Literally, one of my favourite days of the year.

Yesterday was the actual day, but because the Gavan's party is always on Sunday, there's nothing going on there on the 17th. That didn't stop us from heading back down. We pumped the jukebox full of coins, choosing mostly Irish songs to listen to - the heavy favourite seemed to be a song by the Dropkick Murphys called "Kiss Me, I'm Sh*tfaced" - if only I'd known about this song on Sunday, it would have been my pick-up line... We had a few drinks, along with a few other locals who had decided to stay close to home for the big day, rather than heading to the city pubs, or the massive celebration in Douglas. As I put in my Facebook status last night, it's a lot closer to just walk home from Gav's!

All in all, a crazy week of memories...or not so much. Sunday's kind of a fuzzy blur. But St. Paddy's Day 2010 will always make me think of chicken bones and Big Macs, Sarah & I giving the same guy our numbers (which is the same number, so she warned him to be specific if he calls...), finding pictures of myself on stage with Gail Gavan but having no recollection of it at all, the Spandex Leprechaun, the St. Paddy's Day Mod Squad, "Big Mistake. Big. Huge.", and all the warnings I failed to heed.

Can't wait for next year!!

Wishy-Washy JT

At the start of last Thursday's episode of Survivor, Colby declared JT a true hero for saving his neck and voting out Cirie at Tribal Council.

By the end of the episode, he was growling about how nobody knew which way JT would vote because he's so damn wishy-washy.

Amen, brother.

It seemed for the third week in a row, JT was the swing vote. And yes, that does mean the Heroes lost again. Both Luxury and Immunity Challenges. Yikes.

First, they lost an aggressive game of wrestling-slash-basketball and watched the Villains walk away with the big prize: a trip to a beautiful watering hole and a massive feast of chocolate. More important to the Heroes than losing the chocolate, though, was that James was taken out of the game after suffering a blow to his knee. He had to stay behind with the medics after the game was over to have it checked out, leading to speculation back at camp as to whether or not he would return.

James did return, but their relief at seeing one of their strongest players coming back was quickly snuffed out when they realized he was limping badly with a huge brace on his leg. Now what damn good is he going to be in challenges? This was the immediate reaction of Candice, Colby and Tom. However, Rupert and Amanda somehow felt that James on one bum leg was better than Tom on two good legs.

HUH?

I was really hoping they wouldn't have to make a decision this past week, but sure enough, they lost yet another puzzle-building challenge. After the loss, Colby mused over how they couldn't win puzzle challenges. Or basketball challenges. Basically, the only ones they can win are sumo-mud-wrestling challenges.

So off to Tribal Council they went yet again, with JT promising everyone he was voting with them. Seriously. How did this guy ever win his season? He makes promises to everybody, and nobody ever really knows which way he's going to go. One minute he's with Colby, Tom and Candice; the next he's with James, Amanda and Rupert. Soooo frustrating!

Unfortunately for Tom, everyone but Colby had somehow come to the most bizarre conclusion that they'd rather keep the angsty, one-legged James over him. It's logic that I still fail to see. And once again, we've got Colby on the outs. I hate this game...

Could the Villains please lose this week so that we can get a taste of the Russell vs. Boston Rob showdown that they've been teasing us with for the past few weeks? It's time for those two boys to come to blows! And it's time for the Heroes to catch a damn break!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!

How I Came to Love Sid the Kid

I have a confession to make.

Up until February 28, 2010, there were few players in the NHL - in the entire world - that I detested more than our newly-anointed Golden God.

That's right. Up until he shot the overtime winner by USA's goaltender Ryan Miller, causing an entire nation to erupt in a patriotic euphoria that only Olympic Hockey Gold can do, I hated him. I loathed Sidney Crosby.

See, world tournaments, particularly the pinnacle event at the Winter Olympics every four years, are a hard thing for me to wrap my head around. Of course I love my country. Of course Canada comes first. "Maple Leaf Forever", and all that jazz.

But for those of us who are die-hard fans of NHL teams, it's kind of a lot to ask - that we put aside our normal, comfortable, proud allegiances to players around the world to cheer on our country for two weeks.

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sorrow knowing Alfie would not be getting a medal of any kind. A little thrill of happiness knowing Jarkko Rutuu brought back the Bronze.

Even more difficult is throwing support behind a collection of players of which many I have little love for. Chris Pronger? Scott Niedermayer? Bastards played for the Ducks when they beat us in the finals in '07. Joe Thornton? Never liked that guy. Marty Brodeur? One of our greatest foes, playing nets for one of our biggest Eastern Conference rivals.

Don't even get me started on Dany Heatley.

Aside from Jarome Iginla (who I've always thought was sexy as hell, and has the cutest smile everrrrr), I didn't have a whole lot of love for a many of those Canadian players going into the Olympic tournament.

And then there was Sid the Kid. The second-coming of Gretzky. The Chosen One.

The walking epitome of a primadonna if I ever saw one.

My disgust and hatred for Crosby? Probably more intense due to the fact that we've met up several times in the playoffs over the past few years, and if there's ever a way for hatred for the enemy to grow and fester, it's in the playoffs. I've always felt Crosby thinks he deserves special treatment because he is like hockey's new Messiah. He's known to dive, known to whine, known to chase after referees looking for a call...basically just known to be a big damn baby.

If you're a Crosby fan, you overlook these things, and you defend him. "Hey! He's Sid the Friggin' Kid! Of COURSE he should get his way!!"

For the rest of us? His act grows a little tiresome.

If you'd asked me before the Olympics who I would pick in the on-going, much-hyped "Who's Better - Crosby or Ovechkin?" debate, I'd have taken Alexander the Great any day. I love Ovechkin's enthusiasm. I love how he is always trying to be better than Crosby. I even love his show-boating. He's like a kid who can't get enough.

In 2007, the year the Senators went to the Stanley Cup finals, the first opponent we did away with that Spring was young Sidney and his Penguins. Back then, we the fans had our knuckles rapped by a local sports writer who didn't think it was right for us to boo "The Next Big Thing". He scolded us for being childish and petty, and for displaying any sort of negative reaction to His Royal Highness.

We booed louder.

Since then, the rivalry has only grown stronger.

So yes, it was a little difficult to cheer for this guy, even though he was wearing the red Maple Leaf. And even after he scored in the shoot-out to beat Switzerland in the round robin. Even then, I still had a sour taste in my mouth when I was forced to cheer for Sid.

But on February 28th, after the Americans had tied things up with less than 30 seconds to go in regulation time of the Gold medal game, and I - along with the rest of a country gripped with anxiety - had to sit through 7 minutes and 40 seconds of overtime, it was inevitable.

When Sid picked up a pass from Iginla and shot it past Miller to begin the epic Golden celebration and bring to a close the stellar Vancouver Games, I couldn't help it.

I was screaming and cheering and fist-pumping with the best of 'em.

The following day, when I saw a guy wearing a Team Canada jersey with Crosby's name and number on the back...I kinda wished I had one.

So, my opinion on Crosby has been forced to change a little. He's a Canadian hero now. He will go down in the history books as scoring one of the biggest, most important goals in our nation's history. He's right up there with Paul Henderson.

For my generation, he is Paul Henderson.

Now...well, now, I gotta love him.

That being said, I'm pretty sure that could all change if we face them in the playoffs again this year. I could be cursing Cry-Baby Crosby again very, very soon...

But until then...I'll celebrate him. He's the one who brought us the Gold, after all. I don't think I'll ever hate him with the same fervor again.

Colby Survives...Barely

You know what's been missing so far this season on Survivor? I know we're only 4 episodes in to the Heroes vs. Villains showdown, but up until last Thursday night, there hadn't been any Tribal Council surprises.

It took a little maneuvering and scheming by Tom and Colby, but they finally remedied that.

Clearly on the outs at their camp, Tom and Colby were scrambling to save themselves from being voted out at Tribal Council, if they did, in fact, have to go back again. After the Reward Challenge (which they lost), both they and the Villains discovered a clue indicating where they could find the Hidden Immunity Idols on their beaches.

At the Villains' beach, they made a group decision to ignore the Idol, as Boston Rob claimed anyone who went looking for it would have their head on the chopping block. Sneaky little Russell, though, who was apparently the King of finding Hidden Immunity Idols (without even getting clues!) last season, immediately went in search of it. Rob sent Sandra to spy on him, and she brought back the news that yes, indeed, Russell was out there looking for it.
Warning: Major showdown gonna happen between Russell & Rob!! Stay tuned!!

Back at the Hereos' beach, everyone beetled off in different directions instantly after they found the clue. James went one way. JT another. Everyone started picking ends of the beach and took off. Tom found a promising tree to search under, but a crowd had gathered by the time he found the Idol, and Amanda saw him putting it in his sock. Word spread quickly, and Tom knew it was no secret that he had it in his possession.

The Heroes went on to lose yet another Challenge, this time for Immunity, in a close battle that saw Boston Rob direct his blindfolded teammates to a win just a fraction of a second ahead of Tom.

At camp, it appeared everyone on the non-Colby & Tom alliance were going to split their votes between the two men, counting on Tom playing his Idol and Colby going home. Colby and Tom made a strong case that Candice, a less physical threat and more scrambly player, should be ousted instead. It appeared they had JT, James, and Amanda on-board, but that two-faced Amanda went and reported to Cirie right away. Bitch!!

Cirie went crazy, telling them they were all ridiculous to even think about voting out Candice ahead of Colby when they had the chance. And once again, the power appeared to have shifted, and it looked like Colby's time on the Island was almost over. I was worried...seriously worried.

However, the good guys knew the one player to go after - the one player who they felt they could manipulate and convince - and that was JT. Cornering him, Colby and Tom presented a new option. Cirie seemed to have everyone under her control; the one masterminding the game. What about shake things up and get rid of her in a blindside? If the three of them wrote down her name, and everyone else split their votes between Colby and Tom, Cirie would go home. They had given JT something to think about.

At Tribal, I still wasn't convinced that JT was going to follow the plan. However, after Probst put a spotlight on the glaring flaws in their strategies by confronting Rupert about his weak philosophy on sticking to his alliance's wishes rather than going with what he felt would be best for the team to start winning challenges, I had a feeling JT might wake up. And that he did.

Tom played his Idol, so all votes cast against him didn't count. Colby racked up 2 votes against him, and then the Cirie votes started coming up. 1-2...and 3. JT had come through and they had accomplished the very first blindside of Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains! I did some serious fist-pumping!!

So Colby lives to see another day in Samoa. I've got my fingers crossed that this changes the dynamics at their camp and they actually start winning some challenges. I can't take another close call like that anytime soon!

Gettin' Down & Dirty

Once again, my Survivor re-cap falls on the day of the next episode. Way late, but better late than never, right? I was truly so caught up in Olympic fever that my ideas for that Blog were running through my head, and I couldn't put anything else down until I got that big spiel out!

Last week's Survivor was a bit of a relief for me. Finally - finally - the Heroes won the combined Immunity/Reward Challenge. For the first time, they did not have to go to Tribal Council, and they received their luxury items that they brought with them as reward. They also somewhat cleared the air around camp, with James and Tom talking civilly. Tom explained to James why he and Colby felt so threatened by him, and told him of a few of his "bully" techniques that weren't going to win him any popularity points. James listened quietly for a change. While I'm not sure we've seen the last of James' brute temper, it was nice to see some of the tension being eased within their tribe. It hasn't been that peaceful & cohesive in the Heroes Camp since Day 1!

At the Challenge, the Heroes finally got to compete in a purely physical challenge - "Sumo in Mud". Two competitors faced off on a platform surrounded by thick, icky goop. Holding big bags, they were to try and force their opponent off the platform and into the mud, using nothing but the bag to push them. The first team to 8 points would be declared the winner.

The Heroes wasted no time throwing their weight around, knocking the Villains off with ease. The only taste of victory they had was when Coach knocked Rupert off, but as he celebrated wildly, Jeff tried interrupting to tell him he had used his arm to push Rupert off. Once Coach stopped celebrating long enough to listen, he was furious to hear they had to battle again. This time, it was no contest - Rupert got rid of him quickly.

Probably the most evenly-fought battle - and the one I was most worried about - was Colby vs. Boston Rob. After Colby suffered that humiliating loss in the first challenge when Coach dragged him to the wrong mat, I was worried he would be the only Hero beaten again. Not that Rob isn't a worthy competitor, and losing to him wouldn't be anything to be ashamed of, but after so many of his teammates before him had won, it would have sucked if Colby had lost.

Thankfully, I had nothing to worry about. It was a tough and dirty battle, but Colby eventually pushed Rob off the platform and into the mud. And looked quite sexy doing so, I might add. Heroes 8 - Villains 0.

So the Villains headed off to TC for the first time, with lots of chatter in camp leading up to it as to who they should vote out. Take out one of the surliest players in history who has nothing in common with the tribe, like Randy? Or target one of the biggest female competitors who somehow manages to trick her teammates with her sweet, flirty smile - as in, Parvati?

I was really rooting for them to send Parvati home. Not that I like Randy. And not that I really dislike Parvati that much (at least, not anymore...I hated her the first season she played, but she kind of won me over the second time). I just hoped the Villains would be a little smarter and go after someone who is a real threat to win the game. And Parvati is, indeed, that: a genuine, bonafide threat.

But instead, they went with Randy, who spent much of his time floating alone in the water and struggling to even communicate with his tribe. (It was painful to watch him try to coax them into eating the giant clam he caught. When Rob brought one back on week one, they toasted him as if he was a hunting & fishing genius. Randy brings one back, and they all act as if he offered them a dose of the chicken pox.)

The good news? Randy won't care. Randy hates everybody. When he threw his buff in the fire before departing, it was as if he was declaring, "Good riddance - never felt like I was one of you anyways".

It was a perfect farewell to a Survivor Villain.

Who will go home tonight? Be sure to tune in and find out!!

GOLD RUSH 2010: Olympic Memories

There will be seventeen days in February of 2010 that I will always remember: The 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Maybe it was because it was in Canada. Maybe it was because Mom & Dad got a new flat screen just in time to watch the Games. Maybe it was because there were so many HOT Canadian men competing. I'm not sure what the main drawing card was. But this is the first time I remember being so in love with the Olympics. Enjoying them so much - immersing myself in them so completely - that it was truly a bittersweet, tearful moment when the torch was snuffed out Sunday night while Neil Young played "Long May You Run".

Seventeen days of watching the best in the world compete. Seventeen days of watching the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Seventeen days of watching our country unite and display wild and thrilling patriotism like never before.

But at the beginning, there were doubts that this Olympics would go down as a success. In fact, early reports were that it was destined to be a complete failure.

On Day 1, even before the Opening Ceremonies began, the tragic news broke of a horrific accident on the luge track which claimed the life of Georgian Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili. The Opening Ceremonies were tarnished by a "hydraulic malfunction" when one arm of the Olympic Torch failed to rise from the floor, leaving Catriona Le May Doan, as one of the torch lighters, hanging with nothing to do. And then the rain began - not usually helpful at an event requiring lots of snow - causing delays and terrible conditions on the ski hills of Whistler.

Initial reviews of the Vancouver Games were not good. It was embarassing.

But as Canadians, we found the Silver lining...and then the Gold. Jen Heil kicked things off with our first medal, a silver, in the women's freestyle moguls. The following day, Alexandre Bilodeau did her one better in the men's event and catapaulted himself into superstardom in this country by being the first Canadian athlete to ever win Gold on home soil. The whole country cheered right along with his older brother and biggest fan Fredric, who suffers from cerebral palsy. I'll never forget seeing the images of Fredric leaping to his feet when Alex's golden score was revealed. It was a beautiful moment.

However, as the first week continued, there were more let-downs than victories. Canadians that were expected to medal in their events were failing to do so, and the much-hyped Own the Podium campaign was gradually being declared a bust. The Americans were the ones owning the medal standings, and Canada had dropped to 5th place.

Perhaps one of the most devestating moments to watch during Week 1 was Melissa Hollingsworth, one of the favourites to hit the podium in Women's Skeleton racing, following her unsuccessful final run. She had been in 2nd place after her 3rd run, but then a few mistakes in her final heat dropped to 5th place, clearly a huge disappointment for her. When they interviewed her live afterwards, tears running down her cheeks, she apologized to her country for failing them. I have never wanted so badly to reach into the TV and hug someone. If I could have said anything to Melissa at that moment, I would've told her this: You did not fail us. You jump on a sled and fly down an icy track - head-first - for your country. You are brave, you are amazing, and you are a hero.

That same night, devestation was transformed to joy, and Canada found itself another icon: Men's Skeleton racer Jon Montgomery. Running second going into his final heat, Jon burnt up the track of ice and brought home another Gold medal for Canada. After his win, he famously strolled the streets of Whistler Village, celebrating with his fans, chugging a pitcher of beer, and winning the hearts of Canadians with his goofy charm and good looks. An indication of Jon Montgomery's popularity? He even made it to Oprah! (And he also became the first member of my Hall of Hot Olympic Men.)

Then came Super Sunday. A full week into the games, Canada had taken the opportunity to cheer whenever possible, but still we seemed bogged down by negativity from around the world. And Super Sunday didn't help build our morale. That night, the Canadian Men's Hockey team faced their biggest adversary to date in the round-robin: Team USA. Bolstered by the hot play of goaltender Ryan Miller, the American Men trounced the Canadians 5-3, and our already-fragile psyche took a beating with them. Highly anticipated to win gold, suddenly the men were facing a long, uphill battle - it would take 4 straight wins to earn them that coveted prize. Not impossible...but difficult to do.

Compounding the sadness of that loss was another one, much greater, as news broke that Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette's mother had passed away from a heart attack, only hours after arriving in Vancouver to cheer on her daughter. She was only 55 years old. No one could expect Joannie to go on after such devestation, and no one would have forced her.

However, Joannie became one of the greatest inspirations of these games, making the choice to continue on and perform in honour of her mom. The medal was no longer important. She was doing this for herself and for her family, in memory of her biggest supporter.

Two days after losing her mother, Joannie performed her short program with the love from her country pouring out, and she remarkably placed third in a flawless skate. When she broke into tears as the music stopped, there was not a dry eye in the place - not a dry eye in Canada. Then, two days later, she capped off her incredible story with another strong skate, earning her a place on the podium and a Bronze medal. Is it any wonder this amazing girl was chosen as a joint recipient of the Terry Fox Award, as well as being appointed Canada's flag bearer at the Closing Ceremonies? Truly remarkable. Simply amazing.

On the wings of Joannie's courageous performance, our country finally began to flourish. With the Own the Podium campaign already declared a failure, the pressure was off...and suddenly, it appeared Canada was, indeed, "owning the podium" - on the most important step. GOLD. We took Gold in Women's 2-person Bobsled (and Silver as well), Gold in Women's Hockey, Gold for Ashley McIvor in Women's Ski-Cross, Gold for Maelle Ricker in Women's Snowboard Cross, Gold for Christine Nesbitt in Speedskating, Gold for Scott Moir & Tessa Virtue in Ice Dance, Gold in Men's Team Pursuit Speedskating, Gold in Men's Relay Speedskating.

The Gold Rush was on!

Amidst the Gold, though, came another little disappointment which my family are still teasing me about. I had seen several features on CTV for Chris Del Bosco, a top contender for Gold in the Men's Ski-Cross, and I had fallen in love with Chris. Here was a guy who had already overcome so much, battling addictions to drugs and alcohol, beating those addictions, and now poised to become the first-ever winner of the Ski-Cross, a new event at the Olympics. Del Bosco had made it to the final run; however, closing in on the finish line in third place, he tried to push it to improve his position, and ended up crashing instead. No medal in Ski-Cross.

I was severely disappointed, as I had already made room for him in my Hall of Hot Olympic Men, alongside Jon Montgomery and my favourite from the Men's Hockey team, Jarome Iginla...

Now, what would the Games be without a little romance (aside from my Olympic crushes)? Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast absolutely adored the love shown between speedskaters Charles Hamelin and Marianne St-Gelais. When Marianne won silver, Charles was shown behind the scenes cheering loudly. When he won Gold a few days later, she was in the stands screaming her head off, and then she jumped down to ice-level and he leaped into her arms for a passionate embrace. They became Canada's favourite lovebirds!

Another great story was Clara Hughes, now Canada's most decorated Olympian and the flag bearer in the Opening Ceremonies, after she took Bronze in longtrack speedskating as her Olympic swan song. Hughes can claim victories in both Winter and Summer Olympics, as she also competed in cycling, and her name will go down in our country's history books as one of our best athletes ever.

I got caught up in yet another "swan song" story on Saturday, as the Olympics were winding down, when I heard that Snowboarder Jasey Jay Anderson, competing for the last time on the Olympic stage at age 34, was hoping to take home an Olympic medal for the first time. Jasey Jay is one of the most decorated snowboarders in history, but that Olympic medal had eluded him. I started watching the Snowboard Slalom early in the afternoon, and it lasted hours, with the pouring rain making it difficult to watch. I watched him move on, heat after heat, out-lasting his other Canadian competitors, until it was just down to him and Austria's Benjamin Karl. Karl got the jump in the first heat of the Gold medal run, taking a seven-tenths of a second lead on Anderson, but in the final heat, it was all Jasey Jay. With his wife and two young daughters watching on, the blueberry farmer from Mont Tremblant claimed his Gold, I found a new member for my Hall of Hot Olympic Men, and Jasey Jay wrote the perfect final chapter to his Olympic story! Awesome!

That very night, there was a bit of an Olympic battle going on in my parents' living room, as my mom was insisting we were watching the Men's Curling, with Canada hoping for Gold. However, since Curling is my least favourite sport to watch, I was arguing that we should watch the Men's 4-person Bobsled. I lost that fight. And I was so happy that I did, as I discovered yet another member for my Hall of Hot Olympic Men...Canadian curler, the absolutely dreamy John Morris!

(I was also happy that our competitors were the Norwegians, and I finally got to see their famous Curling pants in action!)

So I watched Kevin Martin's rink bring us home yet another Gold medal, a day after the ladies won Silver, which brought us to 13 Gold medals, tying the Winter Olympics record for most Gold medals won.

That left us with one more chance at a Gold medal, a chance to break the Gold record, in the Crown Jewel event of the Winter Olympics.

Is there a single, living, breathing soul in this country who didn't want to be in Vancouver Sunday afternoon to watch our Men's hockey team, who had made it past the Germans, Russians, and Slovaks to end up in the Gold medal game in a re-match with Team USA?!

Canada took a 2-0 lead on goals from Jonathan Toews and Corey Perry, and we could taste it...the Gold...it was ours for the taking. But the Americans were not an opponent to take lightly, and they battled back. When they tied the game with less than 30 seconds left in the third period, I'm pretty sure our entire country was about to go into heart failure. (Or, as I liked to say that day, "I'm going into renal failure. I can feel it. It's renal failure." I had no idea I was talking about my kidneys.)

Overtime. And we all know anything can happen in Overtime. But I'm not sure anyone could have penned a better finale to the 2010 Winter Olympics than this:

Canada's biggest hockey icon since Wayne Gretzky, the young and formidable Sidney Crosby, scored in Overtime to win the Gold.

And with that goal, an entire nation rejoiced and celebrations broke out in the streets of our country, in our own home... everywhere...chanting Crosby's name and the now-infamous cries of "Louuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

At our house, that celebration was so loud, it caused the 4-year-old to cry. But he composed himself to go outside and honk car horns with the neighbours, while the chant from someone's nearby home drifted over: "CAN-A-DA! CAN-A-DA! CAN-A-DA!" And after the Gold medals had been awarded and the flag rose, my family gathered in the living room again to sing O Canada. Even Caden sang along - his favourite song.

It didn't seem fair that just a few short hours later, it was time to bid farewell to the Vancouver Olympic Games. But they did it in the Canadian way, poking fun at ourselves by having a repairman "fix" that broken hydraulic arm so that Catriona Le May Doan could finally have her moment to light the flame, just moments before it was extinguished again. There were giant hockey players and mounties and beavers and moose, a few big-name appearances by William Shatner, Catherine O'Hara, and Michael J. Fox, along with that bittersweet performance by Neil Young. Then the party broke out, with the athletes running down to the floor to enjoy some of Canada's greatest talents in Nickelback, Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morisette, Simple Plan, and Hedley.

The next day, this entire country had one giant hangover. But it was well worth it.

As Jasey Jay said earlier in the day, could we all take a vote and keep this thing going for another two weeks??

14 Gold. 7 Silver. 5 Bronze. 3rd Place in the Medal Standings.

Seventeen days of memories. And one hell of a celebration to bring it to a close.

It was absoultely...Golden.

Rob Collapses, James Rampages, Steph Goes Home

You know how they always say Survivor is a lot harder than it looks?

This past week - well, it looked hard. Really rough. So rough that I don't think I'd wish that upon anyone.

For one thing, it's been raining a lot, and they're complaining about it. A lot.

Then we had poor Boston Rob, trying so hard to be nice to his tribemates, trying so hard to bite his tongue and not rip their heads off. He's stuck with a bunch of bozos who don't seem to care that they're getting soaked every night, so he's basically been trying to rebuild their shelter, every day, by himself. You could see his morale withering. This is a tough guy who's done this twice before, who knows what struggles, both physical and mental, are involved with Survivor. Never once had we seen Rob crack under the pressure.

Until now. Mumbling something about needing more water, Rob stumbled off into the bushes and collapsed. While the cameraman filmed on, Jerri came across him and tried to revive him. He croaked out feebly, "Get help." Jerri ran to get the medical team while the cameraman filmed on. (Seriously - what would it take for one of them to put down the camera?!)


It was one of the scarier moments I've witnessed on Survivor. Boston Rob's eyes kind of had this glazed look. He struggled to sit up, and was having trouble responding to Probst and the medical staff. They offered him a bottle of water, and he couldn't even get it to his mouth, water spilling everywhere. Probst looked seriously concerned, but the doctors assured him it looked worse than it was; that Rob likely had a flu and just needed rest and water.


In the aftermath, Rob - big, strong, tough Rob - broke down and shed a few tears, commenting on how the game was getting the best of him. But in true Boston Rob fashion, he got to his feet, cracked his famous mischievious grin, and claimed he wasn't quitting.

May I just say...PHEW!!! If he'd been med-evac'd out, this season would have lost one of its biggest characters. I mean, a day after he collapsed, he was leading the Villains to another win over the dysfunctional Heroes, even holding up one of those massive blocks for their puzzle staircase on his back, pretty much all on his own. You might love Rob, you might hate Rob - but in that moment, you had to admire Rob.

So the Villains carry on their victorious ways while the Heroes continue to flounder. It got really bad this week in their camp, as alliance lines were becoming clear and people were scrambling to get the last few stragglers - Cirie and Candice - on their side.

At the challenge - a combined luxury and immunity competition - they agreed to allow JT to lead them and listen to him, as he had competed in this event in his season of Survivor. However, their egos got the best of them, and a few people tried to speak up during the competition. Once again, their big lead in the physical portion dwindled as the mental side of putting the puzzle together got them all bogged down and confused. James began accusing Stephenie of not listening, and several times angrily told her to shut up and listen.


Steph knew this was bad news, as she already had Rupert against her. Following their failure at the challenge, James blew up at camp, ordering them that they had to listen at challenges and forget about talking. "One voice, y'all! One voice!" But his "y'all" was clearly directed at Steph, and she, along with her alliance of Colby and Tom, felt severely threatened.

Tribal council was an all-out brawl, with James and Steph going toe-to-toe, and eventually both Colby and Tom jumped in to defend their alliance member. At the end of the day, though, their efforts to sway Cirie and Candice to their side were fruitless, and Steph was voted out, leaving the two 'good guys' of the tribe in a rather precarious position.

Tensions are high. Attitudes are outta control. Alliance lines have been drawn. And as far as I can tell, war has been declared.

If you'd told me that was what would happen to the Heroes after a week in Samoa, I would've laughed.

Should make for yet another interesting episode this week!

The Blog Hits the Big-Time

Survivor re-cap is coming folks, but in the meantime...check out something pretty cool in my world...

My blog was quoted on Dustin Bentall's website! Wicked awesome! Check it out at www.dustinbentall.com

I still have my Dustin Bentall Outfit CDs in steady rotation in the Rav; in fact, I've listened more to them and Kendel Carson's album than my Blue Rodeo stuff since the concert. What a great night that was...

Special thanks to Meagan and Sarah for giving me the heads-up that my blog had made it to Dustin's webpage. I love it!! :)

The Way-Late Survivor Recap

I had big plans for my Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains Episode 1 recap. I was going to take notes and everything. It was going to be the best blog ever.

But then, I ended up watching it in bed at 10 PM last Thursday night, after the Sens game was over, so I decided to forgo the note-taking and just lock all the details I wanted to talk about in my steel-trap of a mind, then blog about it on Friday.

Friday came and went, and I completely forgot. I remembered on Monday, but by then Blue Rodeo happened, and I've kind of been caught up in them and Dustin Bentall and Kendel Carson ever since.

So Episode 2 goes tonight, and you're just getting my recap today. And it's like swiss cheese - full of holes, 'cause I forget half of what I wanted to talk about!

One thing I do remember clearly: Colby's hotness. The boy's still got it. He's ideal. He's perfect. He's everything I've ever dreamed about it a man. He's amazing.

That being said, in the first luxury challenge, which they sprang on the Heroes and Villains moments after being marooned on the beach by army choppers, Colby was owned. By Coach, no less. It was a tough pill to swallow. The challenge saw two members of each tribe going against each other in one of the most physically demanding games Survivor contestants have ever played. They had to scour a section of sand to find a buried bag, then race back to their mat with it. There were no rules. The other team could do anything to stop you once you had that bag in your possession.

There were some intense battles. Steph dislocated her shoulder and had to have it popped back in by medical staff. Rupert broke his toe. Villain Sandra (who I detest) even un-hooked Sugar's bathing suit top during their melee in an attempt to stop her. She should've known that Sugar wouldn't be stopped by such a petty trick - she grabbed the bag, raced to the mat, everything hanging out, then turned and flipped Sandra the bird - with both hands. I'm not a Sugar fan, but I loved that moment.

But my poor Colby. He managed to get his hands on the bag, but no help from his teammate Tom was available, as Russell had Tom literally turned into a pretzel. That left Colby and Coach to duke it out over the bag. Colby never let it go, but somehow, Coach managed to drag him all the way to his mat. I have to admit, even if Colby won't - it was a little embarassing.

Now, I missed Tyson's season so I was unfamiliar with him going into the game, but after hearing his comments about Colby and Coach's battle, I now know why he's a Villain. And I developed an instant hate for the man. He said he could imagine how Colby felt after Coach rode him to the wrong mat - that he had lost all his masculinity, and that he should just become a woman. God, I hate Tyson. Making his comments even more ridiculous was the fact that the guy strutted around in a skin-tight leopard-print bathing suit. EW. And he's calling Colby a woman???

Overall, I found the entire episode very entertaining. It's such an awesome mixture of past contestants - so many big personalities, so many strategies - and it's only just begun!

And the first showmance brewing? Would you believe - Jerri and Coach? My, how the girl has changed directions from her first season in the Outback, when she hunted Colby, clearly desperate for him. Now, 10 years later, she's got sparks flying with Coach - who, in my opinion, is the complete opposite of Colby, in both looks and attitude. Strangely enough, I think Jerri and Coach might be just perfect for each other. And maybe he'll distract her away from her vendetta against Colby, which apparently she's still got on her mind.

Someone else wanted to get some lovin' in Samoa, and that was Sugar, who set her sights on the ever-goregeous Colbster. Could I blame the girl? Absolutely not. However, after a night of chasing Colby around their shelter, Sugar didn't take the hint. Colby was avoiding her at all costs. She'd snuggle up against him, and he'd move. She'd find him, and cuddle up again. He'd move. Colby eventually ended up leaving the shelter to sit by the fire, and guess who joined him? Seriously, though, no matter how pathetic and desperate it looked, I had to smile - Lord knows if I was out there, I'd be doing the same damn thing. ;)

The Heroes came strong out of the gate and won that first challenge, receiving flint to start a fire. They hit their beach confident and ready to work - they all pitched in, getting their shelter built, a fire started, and they even caught a bunch of chickens. As expected, the Heroes were off to a great start.

But as it turns out, it wasn't so terrible to be a Villain. Sure, they spent more time scheming and plotting instead of working on shelter, but they managed to get fire going thanks to Boston Rob's persistence, and after losing the luxury challenge, they went into the immunity challenge with something to prove.

The Heroes jumped out to a big early lead, paddling their boat together as if they'd been doing it their whole lives. They got out to their flame and brought it back to the beach long before the Villains. However, then they had to complete a puzzle, in which they got completely bogged down. The Villains caught up, and thanks, once again, to Boston Rob's calm under pressure, he and Sandra were able to get the puzzle done and the Villains blew by the Heroes to win immunity.

Are the Villains right? Are there too many big egos on the Heroes' side for them to do any damage as a team? They could be right, but I think there are some pretty big egos on the bad guys' side as well. Boston Rob? Russell? Coach? Sandra? Jerri? Tyson? These people are pure evil and I think it's only a matter of time before they self-destruct.

It will also be intersting to see how much of a role past relationships will play in the game. They're already starting to touch on it a bit - Stephenie and Tom have played together before, Cirie and Amanda have played together before, James and Parvati have played together before, Jerri and Colby have played together before... these past relationships are bound to have an affect on the game.

At the end of the day, it was Sugar who was the first to go. She annoyed Colby, she cried when they lost the challenge, and several members of her tribe felt she wasn't mentally prepared for this go-round, so they said good-bye...and as Colby said, with all the different personalities out there, she won't be missed.

Looking forward to tonight - in previews, they show Boston Rob collapsing and the medical team being brought it. I don't think this has any bearing on Rob staying in the game at this point. I think he'll be fine, and that someone else will be going home tonight. If I had my wish, someone like Tyson would go. Or Russell. Or...oh, hell, there's too many bad guys out there. I want them all to go! Please, let it be a Villain tonight!!

A Magical Canadian Night

I hate Valentine's Day...loathe it, detest it, want to abolish it.

For that reason, I always try to plan something for that day to take my mind off the fact that all the happy couples of the world are all making googly eyes at each other and being all lovey-dovey.

This year, when news broke that Blue Rodeo was playing Scotiabank Place on V-day, I quickly rallied the troops and snapped up floor seats in the pre-sale. I've been a fan of BR for a long time, but had never seen them live, and I thought, what better time to check them out?

Turns out, it was a very, VERY good plan! I didn't even care that the place was filled with hand-holding couples (and many of them middle-aged). I completely blocked them out; totally ignored them.

One of the best parts of the whole night happened before Blue Rodeo even took the stage. Their opening band, The Dustin Bentall Outfit, a folky-rock-country group from Vancouver, were amazing. I was so completely impressed - it is one of my greatest joys to discover new music, and it's even better when it's Canadian. Dustin is the son of legendary Canadian singer/songwriter Barney Bentall (didn't know that til I Googled him this morning!), and as far as I can tell, it won't be long before he's taking the Canadian music scene by storm himself. Their set was such a pleasant surprise, with my personal favourites being "Emmy-Lou" and "Such a Shame". We made sure to stop by Gate 1 to pick up their CDs (Street With No Lights and Six Shooter), as well as the CD of their guest fiddle player and vocalist, Kendle Carson (Alright Dynamite), who's song "Baby Lie Down" was beautiful.

(PS - Yeah. Dustin's hot.)

Already, the night was going well, so there was no way Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor could let me down. Thankfully, I had studied up on their new 2-disc album, All the Things We Left Behind, so I was prepared for the new material, of which much of their set was made up. Highlights for me were "Never Look Back", "One More Night", "One Light Left in Heaven", "All the Things We Left Behind", "Candice", and the hauntingly beautiful "Gossip". Surrounded by people who looked like they were old enough to be our parents, you would expect that it would be a fairly tame, polite crowd - which, for the most part, it was - however, it was after "Gossip" that this tall man with greying hair in the row in front of us shouted, "Play something more lively!" Had he not just heard the beauty of the music; the sad and bittersweet lyrics? I literally wanted to slap him (but I refrained from doing so...)

I heard several people on the way out grumbling that they didn't play enough older songs, but as far as I was concerned, they played almost all of the fan favourites, including "Cynthia", "Heart Like Mine", "Head Over Heels", "Rain On Me", "Rose-Coloured Glasses" and "Trust Yourself". Of course, it wouldn't be a Blue Rodeo show without "5 Days in May", and it was absolutely epic .

It wasn't until they played "Hasn't Hit Me Yet" (right near the end of their set) that the crowd finally came to their feet, singing loudly when Greg Keelor turned the mic out to the fans and let us sing the first verse and chorus entirely on our own. They closed things out with another fan favourite (but certainly not my favourite), "Diamond Mine".

The encore was unbelievable. "Til I'm Myself Again" kicked it off, keeping the crowd on its feet and dancing in our seats. I was positively thrilled when Cuddy swung into "Try" next - the very first BR song I fell in love with, and still my favourite to this day.

And what better way to end the show than with "Lost Together"? BR invited Dustin Bentall and his Outfit back on-stage to join them, and it was amazing. So many voices, so many guitars... Keelor began the song, as usual, but then gave way to Dustin for the second verse, and band member and vocalist Wayne Petti performed the third. It was then that I realized I wished the song could go on forever.

What an awesome live band; what an awesome show. I've always been a Cuddy fan - (that seems to be a game BR fans play - which camp are you in? Cuddy or Keelor?) - but I came away from the show with a deeper appreciation for Greg Keelor as well, especially when the two unique voices harmonize. It's enough to send shivers up and down your spine, it's so perfect.

There was only one thing that could make this magical Canadian night even more wonderful - and that was news out of Vancouver where the 2010 Winter Olympics are currently underway that Canadian Alexandre Bilodeau had won us our first gold medal on home soil in the Men's moguls.

It was a golden night, indeed.

Kick-Off to Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

I haven't been this excited about Survivor in a really long time.

In fact, I haven't even really watched the show for the past two or three seasons. But tonight, it's the special 20th edition kicking off with past Survivor contestants being split into two camps - the Heroes vs. the Villains.

It's going to be an interesting season, for sure!

But before I go any further, I'd like to give special thanks to Survivor creator Mark Burnett for bringing back my beloved Colby once again. This season will be Colby's third. Imagine, it's been ten years since I first adored the man, when he outwitted, outplayed, and almost outlasted in the second season, Survivor: The Outback. He made what's now known as the classic good-guy move, after winning 5 straight individual immunity challenges, by choosing to take Tina with him to the finals instead of the unpopular Keith. It was a choice that cost Colby the $1 Million prize.

He returned for the All-Stars season, but he was the 5th sent packing, not even making the jury. Colby recently stated that his head wasn't in the game that time; that he was coerced into going by Jeff Probst, and went reluctantly. This time, though, he's there to see if he can still play with the big boys.

And let me tell you, with the familiar faces coming back, he's going to have his hands full.

The Heroes are:

Colby Donaldson

Rupert Boneham

Jessica "Sugar" Kiper

James "JT" Thomas Jr.

Tom Westman

Stephenie LaGrossa

Cirie Fields

Amanda Kimmel

James Clement

Candice Woodcock

The Villains are:

Rob Mariano

Russell Hantz

Courtney Yates

Randy Bailey

Tyson Apostol

Benjamin "Coach" Wade

Sandra Diaz-Twine

Parvati Shallow

Danielle DiLorenzo

Jerri Manthey

So many strong players from past seasons - how would one even approach this game? What strategy is the best to take? There are professed liars, deviants, some of the most cunning players to ever take on Survivor. Four of them are past winners - JT, Sandra, Tom, and Parvati. Many others made it to the finals. Most of them had strategies that took them far in the game - sometimes, more than once, as for a few of them, this is their third kick at the can.

Who am I looking forward to seeing (aside from Colby, of course)?

Boston Rob is a former favourite of mine; he's leaving behind his wife (and former All-Stars winner, who he came runner-up to) Amber and their new baby to take on the game again. Rob keeps saying if their smart, they'll get rid of him quick - rumours on Survivor sites are that they do just that.

James Clement, the big, soft-spoken, sexy gravedigger is also making his third attempt at Survivor. The first time around, he was the man behind one of the biggest gaffes in show history when he was voted out while holding not one, but two unused hidden immunity idols. In the Fans vs. Favourites season, he was forced to leave early due to injury. James is just so hot, he's gotta stick around for awhile...

Rupert Boneham, of course, is a huge favourite for Survivor fans. Everybody loves Rupert. It will be interesting to see how he fares out against some of the heavyweights of the game.

Stephenie LaGrossa is another one back for her third attempt. Steph is heralded as the only Survivor who ever had to live alone. Her pathetic tribe couldn't win a challenge to save their souls, and it was whittled down until it was just her and Bobby Jon left. Meeting face-to-face in a fire-building challenge, Stephenie overcame the odds and beat out Bobby Jon. She spent a whole night alone in Palau before being merged in with the other tribe. She's one of the strongest females to ever play the game, and I'm looking forward to seeing how she does this time around.

And of course, Jerri Manthey...One of the first Survivor Villains to ever emerge. She is Colby's biggest nemesis. Jilted by him in the Outback, she came back in the All-Stars round with revenge on her mind. She was one of the main factors in his early departure. I'm hoping this time she will leave Colby alone - surely the girl must have bigger fish to fry by now? Interstingly enough, Jerri is one that I didn't think would return. She was so hurt by the boos and jeers at the All-Stars Reunion that she stomped off the set in tears. Has she grown thicker skin since then? 'Cause sweetie, you're still no fan favourite!!

Ironically enough, in the pool Stacy set up for a group of us, Jerri was randomly chosen as my player. MINE. How unfair is that?! I've hated Jerri Manthey from Day 1. I prayed that I would get Colby, but I end up with his arch-enemy. Agh!!!

Regardless of the fact that I'm supposed to cheer for Jerri, I know that won't be how it goes. I'll be rooting for Colby, no matter what.

I just can't wait for this thing to get rolling!!!

The Red-Hot Sens Roll On...

Before Saturday night, the Ottawa Senators were on an 11-game winning streak. As the wins accumulated, I debated blogging about them, but I was afraid I would jinx the streak.

Turns out, I didn't need to worry. The only ones capable of jinxing the team-record win streak were their provincial enemies in blue & white.

That 5-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs literally left me feeling ill. How could we have defeated the likes of New Jersey, Pittsburgh, and Vancouver during that formidable run of W's, then go so soft against the basement dwelling Blue team?

In any case - I refuse to dwell on that loss.

Because last night, the Sens shook it off, and got right back to business. They took on the Calgary Flames on home ice, and came from behind twice to eventually win it 3-2. They looked more like the streaking, amazing Sens that held that 11-game winning streak, instead of the floundering, bumbling idiots that failed to even get a goal against the lowly Leafs. It was almost like that sorry excuse for a game never happened.

They restored my faith in them. Under Cory Clouston's guidance, they have come together and returned to the upper ranks of the NHL's standings, after several seasons of failure and terrible luck.

Last night, goals came from Alex Kovalev, Jarkko Ruutu, and Jason Spezza (with the winner), and if Jonathan Cheechoo had scored on any of his 20-odd amazing chances in his 500th career game, the score could have been higher. Also, the Sens received the big stops once again from Brian Elliott, who, despite a blip on Saturday night, has really stepped into the role of #1 netminder in the nation's capital.

If there's one thing I've noticed about this team during this streak (Saturday night's game notwithstanding), is their ability to stay calm when things go wrong, and go right back to work on the next shift. They battle hard, and when they're down a goal or two, it's not the end of the world. With this Senators team, that doesn't mean things are over. (Five was a little much to come back from, but honestly, up until the third period, I wasn't ruling them out...)

Many wonderful little stories have developed since Christmas. Captain Daniel Alfredsson, returning from injury, sparked the team to life and made his presence felt as the streak began. Spezza, also returning from injury, has had eight goals and 2 assists in eight games (the only game he was held pointless since his return was vs. the Leafs). As it turns out, the healthy Ottawa Senators are a force to be reckoned with.

The only team currently better than the Sens? The Washington Capitals, who currently hold a 14-game winning streak. And guess who the Sens face tomorrow night?

It should make for an interesting battle, and it's always fun to watch Alexander Ovechkin. And I have high hopes that the new winning streak will continue, and that the Caps' streak will end.

GO SENS GO!!