The Canadian Sportsman
Archive for January, 2010
January 15, 2010
The latest installment from my weekly Guelph Mercury column…
Considering all the remarkable things that happened in 1870, the fact a man named E. King Dodds started a sports publication in Toronto was hardly big news.
That same year, just five years after the end of the U.S. Civil War, the 15th Amendment to the Constitution was passed guaranteeing the right to vote to all men regardless of race.
Construction began on the Brooklyn Bridge (just try to imagine the New York skyline without it) and the first New York subway line opened.
Manitoba officially became just Canada’s fifth province, joining Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
In Philadelphia, the first motion picture was shown to a theatre audience.
The Chicago Base Ball Club, later to become the Chicago Cubs, played its first game.
It is believed 1870 was also the year some McGill University student drew up the first formal ice hockey rules, four years before McGill played Harvard in the first game of modern American football.
Less well known is the fact a little publication called The Canadian Sportsman was born. Today, as it begins the celebration of its 140th year, The Canadian Sportsman is the oldest continuously-published magazine in Canada.
Click on the words “Guelph Mercury” to read the article in its entirety.
Comments (0)
Print
January 15, 2010
It’s been an encouraging start for a few promising ideas at Western Fair.
Recently, the track began to offer the opportunity to watch and wager on the races from Coyote Jack’s, the restaurant/bar situated inside the adjacent sportsplex — home to four ice pads and many hockey leagues and tournaments.
A live teller is stationed at Coyote Jack’s for Western Fair’s live race cards and a self-service machine is available at other times, when the simulcast for other Ontario tracks is set up for the patrons.
So far, the racing action has grabbed the attention of captive hockey moms and dads putting in time before and after the games and in between periods.
“We are quite pleased so far,” said Brett Revington, Western Fair's assistant raceway manager.
“During the week, it’s a bit slower, but on the weekends — when the sportsplex is filled with tournaments — it’s actually quite busy. You’ll see a handful of them gathered around and they’ll throw in a few bucks each and pick out a tri or a 20-cent superfecta. The atmosphere has been pretty crazy. They start hooting and hollering. That’s cool to see.
“They aren’t wagering large dollars, by any means, but that wasn’t the goal of it. The goal was to introduce a handful of new fans to the game.”
In addition to the positive exposure and response of the patrons, the restaurant itself has seen a small boost in its business since the racing has been offered.
“That’s what it’s all about — the exposure factor. Everyone I’ve talked to seems to really enjoy it and enjoy watching the races. Even people who have just come in (to the bar) for a meal, they’ve been watching the races as well.”
Revington was also pleased with the response to the opening round of the ROMP (Racetracks Of Ontario Marketing & Promotions) handicapping contest, which began on Jan. 7 at participating racetracks — Clinton, Flamboro, Hanover, Georgian, Grand River, and Western Fair. Hiawatha Horse Park is also part of the competition and will commence play once its simulcast racing operation resumes.
The contest is a handicapping league offered on Thursday nights for eight weeks until Feb. 25.
League teams consist of three members who compete against teams at their home track, and the other participating facilities. There is a $10 cost per team, per week, with entry fees added to the $10,000 grand prize.
Each team’s weekly cumulative (hypothetical) bankrolls will determine which two teams from each track will advance to the finals on March 4.
On its first night of competition, Western Fair patrons assembled into 17 teams for the contest, much more than had been anticipated.
“We were thrilled with the response that we received. Going into the event, we were optimistic and our goal was to try to get 10 teams. That first night, we actually had to make up more information packages because we ran out,” said Revington.
In all, more than 50 teams competed in the opening round at the participating tracks. For more information on the contest and ROMP visit, www.raceromp.com.
Again, another good idea results in another small victory.
January 13, 2010
It’s been a great week for The Canadian Sportsman. Apart from beginning its 140th year of publication, the magazine is proud to announce its writers and photographers have received a number of awards and honours for work in 2009.
Photographer Claus Andersen is the winner of not one, but two U.S. Harness Writers’ (USHWA) George Smallsreed Awards for both the best race photo and the best feature photo published in 2009.
Andersen won the best race photo contest with his shot of Jody Jamieson and John Campbell battling in Delaware, OH (above) that was published in the April 16, 2009 edition. That same photograph is also a finalist for Standardbred Canada’s inaugural photography award.
Andersen also won the Smallsreed feature photo category for his shot of racing action seen through the trees at The Meadows published in a photo feature in our Aug. 20 edition.
Sportsman columnist Karen Briggs has been awarded Equine Canada’s Susan Jane Anstey Media Award for her feature on Equi-Challenge, “Jamieson Jumps for Charity” which appeared in our Sept. 10, 2009 issue. Her award will be presented at Equine Canada’s national awards banquet in Montreal.
Meanwhile, Sportsman editor Dave Briggs won the 2009 USHWA John Hervey Award for feature writing for his story on Canadian trainer Greg Peck winning the Hambletonian with Muscle Hill entitled “From the Mines to the Hill Top” published in the Aug. 20, 2009 edition. It is the fourth Hervey Award for Briggs, who also won in 1996, 1997 and 1998.
The Sportsman’s exclusive blogger, Alan Kirschenbaum, received honourable mention in the Hervey news / opinion writing category for his blog “The Cold Slap: We have never been more irrelevant” posted on Sept. 1, 2009.
Stanley Gutkowski also received honourable mention in the Hervey news / opinion division for his piece, “Pilfering the Pot in Pennsylvania” which appeared in the Aug. 20, 2009 issue.
Evan Pattak won the news / opinion Hervey for his Hoof Beats story about the use of the whip in racing entitled “Cracking the Whip.”
Finally, Sportsman assistant editor Lauren Lee is a finalist for Standardbred Canada’s media excellence awards for best written work for her piece about her father’s last trip to the North America Cup. Andrew Cohen is the other finalist for a piece that appeared in Trot Magazine.
Standardbred Canada’s awards winners will be announced Jan. 30 at the O’Brien Awards.
Dave Briggs and Andersen will receive their Hervey / Smallsreed Awards at USHWA’s Night of Champions banquet Feb. 28 at Yonkers Raceway.
Blog Archives
