We're Movin' On Up!

Hi My Sports Stadium Readers, 


This is my final message to you on this version of the site. 


Over the last few months, we at My Sports Stadium have been working on the development of the central My Entertainment World site where we'll be joining with our current sister sites My Theatre, My TV, My Cinema, My Bookshelf and My Music. The new central hub will feature highlighted articles from across My Entertainment World and a showcase for our biggest exclusive interviews as well as the most recent posts from all 6 existing branches (and our brand new venture My Games). 

But never fear, My Sports Stadium will live on as My Sports with it's own page as a branch under the My Entertainment World umbrella. At www.myentertainmentworld.ca/mysports you'll be able to find all the same content from this site brought to you by myself and contributing authors Chris, Mike, Ann and Jess. 


Thank you all for your dedicated readership of My Sports Stadium in the past few years, we love hearing from each and every one of you. I can't wait to show you our new and improved selves. 

We launch www.myentertainmentworld.ca this week- get excited and I'll see you there!


All My Love, 
Kelly Bedard
Managing Editor, My Sports Stadium

Sports Superstar: Tebow Edition

There was a lot of talk when Tim Tebow entered the NFL about him not being ready for the big leagues, being more about the intangibles (great faith, strong spirit, good guy, all effort) than about solid athletic ability. Those people have since shut up.

The star athlete, A student and 24-year-old memoir author's gameplay is still under attack a bit but his fourth-quarter heroics have led to an incredible winning streak for his Denver Broncos, fueled by unbelievable come-from-behind victories like the one last week in the last seconds of a game against Chicago.

He's barely just gotten here but, from the SI cover to the internet meme in his honour, it's clear Tebow's already a phenomenon.

Sports Superstar of the Week: Sidney Crosby

by Kelly Bedard

The 24-year-old gold-medal-clinching hockey superstar, who was sidelined for more than 10 months after a devastating concussion last January, returned to the game on Monday. The CBC pre-empted their regular programming for the occassion as the entirety of Canada (and, presumably, at the very least, Pittsburgh) waited to see if their hero would be back to his triumphant self. 2 goals and 2 assists in a 5-0 shutout for the team Crosby captains certainly seems like a worthy return for the beloved Halifax native as his Pittsburgh Penguins took out the NY Islanders.

Welcome back Sid, the whole country (and certainly the game of hockey) missed you dearly.

What a Game, What a Series, What a Comeback, What a Year

Congratulations to the St. Louis Cardinals, 
2011 World Series Champions

Sports Superstar of the Week- Game 6 Edition

by Kelly Bedard

The St. Louis Cardinals had to win this game to force a seventh in the race for the 2011 World Series Title. They were down 5-7 going into the ninth.

Lifelong Cardinals fan and homebred Missouri boy David Freese hit a bottom of the 9th, 2-out, 2-RBI triple that tied the game, saving the series for his team and forcing the Texas Rangers into extra innings.

Then a 2-RBI homer from Josh Hamilton put the Rangers back on top. But the Cardinals loaded the bases and drove in another run in the bottom of the 10th. After Scott Feldman intentionally walked Albert Pujols, a single from Lance Berkman scored one more and sent the game to an 11th inning.

The Rangers did nothing in the top of the 11th, so after an incredible game of ups and downs and great play from both teams it came down to the Cardinals with a score of 9-9 in the bottom of the 11th. A centrefield solo homer from Freese won the game just moments ago, making him the unquestioned hero of the game. A triumphant display at home plate capped the enthralling game at 10-9 for the Cardinals.

On to Game 7 tomorrow at 7pm. As Jamie Campbell put it, "if you've got plans, break'em, 'cause this could be fun". 

Sports Superstars of the Week- Wildcard Edition

It's been quite a fight and it all comes down to tonight- the final game of the regular season.
Rays vs. Yankees, Sox vs. Orioles to break the tie for the AL Wildcard, the prize a ticket to the playoffs.
I'm with the Rays in this one but those Sox just won't die.

Carrying the Jays into 2012

by Kelly Bedard

As the Blue Jays bid adieu to the Rogers Centre for the year and Edwin Encarnacion clinches their perfect record in at-home extra innings (11-0) with a homerun to left field, I thought I'd take a moment to share what I'm most excited about for the team moving forward.

A Fond Farewell

by Kelly Bedard

Aaron Hill and John McDonald may not be the best baseball players ever to don Blue Jays uniforms but they are and always have been, without competition, my favourite players to do so. With their recent trade to the National League Arizona Diamondbacks, it's unlikely I'll be seeing my boys play live again for quite some time. It's been said over and over again that Johnny Mac (and possibly Hill) is looking to come back as a free agent next year but, no matter how short term, losing both is a major blow to my love of the team.

Alex Anthopoulos: Chess Master, Spin Master

by Michael Bedard

Alex Anthopoulos is one of the best general managers in major league baseball. I've often referred to him in previous articles as a "Chess Master". He is someone who sees the big picture and is always thinking three or four moves ahead. This past week however, Alex has proven himself to be a “Spin Master” as well.

Let me explain.

21: the age of this week's Sports Superstar

It's about time the Jays got themselves a Canadian and BC boy/ potential all star 3rd baseman Brett Lawrie will fit the bill more than perfectly. Now playing his 5th major league game, Lawrie's hitting .455 in the majors so far with 5 hits, 2 RBI and a home run. One of those RBIs came in his very first at bat on August 5th against the Orioles.

His call-up also means Jose Bautista's much-needed return to right field without compromising golden glove-level play in the hot corner.

It's been a while since Jays fans have had something to get excited about, but this 21 year old kid is definitely it.

Sports Superstar of the Week- Roberto Alomar

Tomorrow he'll be an official Hall of Famer so we're celebrating by naming the former Blue Jays second baseman our Superstar of the Week, even though he's been retired for years.

Read more about him HERE in our Hall of Fame announcement.

Sports Superstar of the Week- Derek Jeter

by Jess Couture

It may be the obvious choice, but there is only one right choice for  Sports Superstar of last week, Derek Jeter. Now, as a Red Sox fan the idea of naming a Yankee as the sportsman of the week may seem strange, but Derek Jeter is not just a member of the Yankees. Jeter is one of the most respectful sports players out there. His behavior on and off the field makes him one of the few men in sports that every person can say that they appreciate no matter where there affiliations lie.

After a stint on the DL for a strained calf, Jeter came back to become the 28th player in baseball history to accumulate 3000 hits. Not only did he become Mr. 3000, but he was the first Yankee player to hit this milestone and only the second player to do it with a homerun. He was also the first player to achieve this at Yankee stadium, new or old, and the 4th youngest to do it ever. Jeter hadn't hit a homerun over the fence in Yankee Stadium in over a year and this was only his 3rd home run of the season. But after hitting the long-awaited milestone, Jeter went 5 for 5 in a win over the Tampa Bay Rays. After that amazing game I look forward to seeing what this phenomenal sportsman will do next.

Superstars of the Week- The Wimbledon Winners

Petra Kvitova (Ladies Singles Champion) and Novak Djokovic (Mens Singles Champion) defeated superstars Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal to win tennis' top prizes at Wimbledon this year.

The other winners were:
Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan- Mens Doubles
Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik- Ladies Doubles
Jurgen Melzer and Iveta Benesova- Mixed Doubles

Sports Superstar of the Week- Ricky Romero

I've always argued that the reason baseball is better than all other sports (yes, I said it, it's not an opinion I find easy to hide) is that it's a rare true team effort. No matter how great the single superstar on your team (or even the handful of superstars), one man simply cannot win the game alone. In most team sports, a single high-scorer makes or breaks your team. With baseball, even the best of the best only comes to the plate once out of every nine at-bats. The most solid pitching can't win without run support and the best hitting can't overcome mediocre pitching. Unlike any other sport, baseball teammates truly need each other.

There are very few exceptions to this rule. The most recent is Blue Jays LHP Ricky Romero who came as close to putting on a one-man show last Sunday as a baseball player can get. The pitcher tossed a complete game, giving up only 4 hits and no runs.  Mind you, there was the occasional fielder who had to actually, you know, field those outs, but you get the point. Then, in the rarest of rare fashion, Romero backed himself up by coming to the plate in a National League ball park. On a team not known for clutch production (we do love you though Doc, welcome back to town!), Romero ensured himself the win by providing his own run support with a 2-RBI single in the sixth (his first major league hit). The Jays went on to sweep the Cardinals with a 5-0 victory. No, Romero didn't actually score any of those runs, his hit brought in players who'd already made their own way to 2nd and 3rd, and he certainly didn't play defense all on his own. But in the truest of team sports, his effort on Sunday was notably independent.

Sports Superstar of the Week- Rory McIlroy

In honour of Rory McIlroy's history-making, record-setting, critic-silencing, storybook fodder comeback performance at Sunday's US Open, we're naming him My Sports Stadium's first ever "Sports Superstar of the Week". Sure he's only in his early twenties, a gracious player and consistently in contention (and now a winner) at the majors, but so are a few other up and comers in the current golf landscape (23-year-old Jason Day has placed 2nd in the last 2 majors). There's something that sets Rory apart, something that makes him just a little more superstar-y than the others. It's not his brilliant swing, consistent putting or steadfast determination; it's not the way he seems to love the game, his confident approach or his mature ease with the press- it's not as calculable as that. But you just know even the non-golf lovers of the world are gonna know this kid's name; and that's something golf hasn't seen since a fateful Masters Tournament in 1997.