“I humbly stand on stage for those who were stung by racism or sexism or any other insidious bias and persevered. You are unbreakable. You make me proud.” -Claire Smith Congratulations to Claire Smith on being the FIRST female sportswriter to be inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame! You are an inspiration to us all!
"What is something I can do to contribute to the future of space exploration? I'm a human being, they can learn from me." -Carmel Johnston The Dodgers have made July their month by going 18-3, a fantastic .857 winning percentage, and hold the best record in baseball at 72-31. This month has been historic for the already historic franchise so let's go over some stats: On Wednesday they reached the earliest time in franchise history where they were 40 games over .500. Even when they are not dominating in a game, they are an MLB-best 29-31 when trailing. Their win on Monday rank them fourth in most wins in 100 games in the Expansion Era that dates back to 1961 (all from ESPN Stats and Info). So, it's time for us to put their month to the test and see if they were streaky in July or not. Let's go over the rules again... What qualifies as streaky? Well, since there are less than 50 games, we will see how many times a streak of 3 or more occurred. We will do this with a simulation that counts how many times a streak of 3+ happens and if a majority of the dots are 3+, then they are not streaky. SO, the magic number to be streaky is to have 5% or less of dots to be 3+ because that means that what they are doing is truly special. If it is above, then they are not streaky and their game results are independent from each other. So that means that every game is new chance to win and to not build off from the day before. Results from all of July up until last night's win are used for the simulation below that consisted of 200 trials. Longest Streak= 11 wins Streaks of 3+= 2 P-Value= 46.5% They may not be classified as 'streaky' here but they still have all those wins in July and you cannot take those away from them. Let's see if they can continue their winning ways as the month fades out into August.
"That's how I grew up [in liberty City], you go into this certain place, you have to know something may happen, so keep your eyes open at all times... I think that's where my court vision comes from, always having my eyes up." -Erica Wheeler "If you want to do it, just go after it. You're going to hear comments all the time, and you can't let that bother you. It's fun to prove people wrong." -Natalie Nakase Happy Throwback Thursday to all! I just want to take today to finally share about my recent trip to Calgary this summer. I had a great time and I hope that you will be persuaded to go there when I am done talking about it, unless you have already been there or live there. Let me start with by showing pictures and commenting on them, because that is easier to visualize. Must Do: Calgary TowerIt's not the tallest building in the city but it sure livens up the skyline. It really is a pretty addition to the city and I myself am a big fan of tall buildings, so I had to go here. Plus, I first saw it during a broadcast of a Flames game and I fell in love right then and there. A big reason to visit is due to the unique views you get up there. You can see all the city's points and even the mountains in the distance. Also, the history in the top deck will go over the 1988 Winter Olympics and how the tower served as a torch. So, if you're an Olympic geek like me, Calgary is your place (more on that later). Views from inside: Olympic VenuesCalgary was the host for the Winter Olympics and some of the venues are still there, 29 years later. I definitely saw some venues still being used which is positive because a lot of venues become abandoned and terrifying soon after the torch is passed. Below is the Olympic Plaza, or the place where medals were handed out during the Games. Today this is a public park where kids can run into the fountain/pool or just have a nice picnic. What I did not get a picture of though is that the platform here had plaques dedicated to the medal winners in each event. That was cool and was a good nod to the history of this park. Located in the park used for ski jump, bobsled, and other events is the Olympic Training Centre for Canadian athletes. This area is very fun to visit because there are several attractions here to keep you busy, like bobsledding (if you are willing to spend a lot), dirt biking for the summer, or just taking a quick ski lift to see the views of the city and the Rockies. One of my favourite parts of the centre was this artifact from one of my favourite sports movies, Cool Runnings. Even before we went to Calgary, I was excited because all I could think about was how the Jamaicans came to this same town to compete in the bobsledding event back then. Well, that lovely sign there said that this was the sled used in the movie, so yes, this is Tallulah. Also, scenes were filmed at the track here, so it was a very accurate depiction of the event and I could not be happier to see it there! Another movie that I recently saw and enjoyed was Eddie the Eagle. Both those awesome movies took place at the same Olympics and if you haven't seen either/or, I highly recommend having a movie day when you can. At the entire Olympic Park was Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. I had to go in because I was told that there would be lots of hockey in there and it did not back down from that. The entire museum was separated from summer sports to winter sports and each sport had its own collection. Pictured below is the uniform worn by one of my favourite sprinters, Andre De Grasse, in the Rio Games. You can find objects from almost all games scattered around since many of the members donated their medals after they passed away. It was definitely fun for all ages because adults could learn more about these athletes and the historical context of their careers while younger people could participate in interactive games in almost every sport. One of my favourites was shadow boxing with Lennox Lewis because it was hilarious to watch my shadow trying to keep up with him. I also tried out wheelchair racing and it gives you a new perspective on paralympians. They really need to have incredible strenghth just to move down 100 metres on a track and that really shows how determined and powerful they are. The hockey area was great because all the jerseys of most of the game's greats were displayed while videos played of the best moments in Hockey Canada history, like Paul Henderson's goal vs. the Soviet Union and Sidney Crosby's goal in the Vancouver games. I definitely recommend going through this great Hall of Fame and learning about some great Canadians. Last but not least is one of the more popular Olympic venues that is still in good use today. You may recall it being used during the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs? Or maybe you are a WHL fan and know the Calgary Hitmen? Well, this wonderfully Calgarian building is known for many things. As you walk in through the entrance that would be normally taken by the light rail system or by the street, you will see plaques dedicated to the Olympics. No one can ever forget this great event around here because it really put this place on the map. You are allowed to walk through only a small area of the arena itself. You cannot look inside to see where the ice would be, but hey, it was cheaper to walk in during the summer than to walk in for a game during the season. What I learned there is that it's cheaper for fans to fly out to a different city in the Pacific Division (excluding Edmonton and Vancouver) and get a ticket there than to see a game in their home arena. I understood that a lot because I see many Canadian fans in different Pacific Division cities when they are playing those teams. Also, I learned that when the Original Six or another Canadian team comes to town, the support for the home team actually dwindles since some of the older fans in Calgary most likely supported one of those teams before (Flames came in 1980). While in the building, I did catch a sale and I want to thank the Flames and Reebok for giving us an additional 50% off. Thank you for the updated jerseys only because the now older jerseys are affordable for us. I appreciate a good sale and it was nice to see that there. On that note, Calgary was an overall beautiful city with an atmosphere that allows a good time in the downtown. I'm sure the place is even better during hockey season and maybe someday I can experience that. Until then, have a great day and consider Calgary when thinking of your next getaway! Coming Soon: Edmonton!
"I remember being in an inpatient rehabilitation unit and being like the joke of the floor -- people, nurses, physical therapists, they were betting that if I ever walked again they would do a triathlon or if I ever did this they would do a triathlon. So being me, it was kind of disappointing. But then I was like, You know what, I'm going to do this. So I just set out to prove them wrong and get back to my life." -Allysa Seely "I'm going to find a race that I can do -- and I'll finish it; It may be the last one I can do." -Andrea Peet "When you present to a horse a child that has a lot of chaos or anger within them, that horse has the ability to pick up on that and does not want to be anywhere near them... But they can't mask it from the horse because the horse can't understand language, but they do understand and can pick up when there's that anger or despair or depression." -Patricia Kelly |
AuthorHi, I'm Jenna and I'm a sports fan! I've been avidly watching sports since 2011 because I found that by watching sports, I would be able to communicate with my dad and brother better. Ever since I got into sports, I've been able to enjoy myself more when I go to sporting events with my family. Archives
December 2017
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