I watched the NHL Awards Wednesday night with bittersweet memories.

It was just a year ago that I helped finish two landmark deals for our clients at Canadian Tire . The first, with the NHL, provided the “Tire” with a major relationship in the hockey equipment retailing and hardware sectors. The second, with Jonathan Toews, who became the face and voice of the Canadian Tire Hockey School, the proprietary activation/ownable property we created.

Through these negotiations came some plum invitations to attend both the Awards in Vegas and the next night’s CAA Draft Party in Los Angeles. Harbouring false hopes of meeting Denzel Washington (he is one of their clients), I couldn’t wait for my trip West.

Well, ironically on the same day I returned home from Winnipeg after spending lunch with JT’s Mom and agent to cement the deal, I blew my knee out playing squash. If you read my blog with any consistency, this is old news.

That blown knee scuttled my trip. I’m still waiting for my new invitations by the way, Keith and Pat…but I have stopped checking my inbox! (-:

I bring all this up only as a segue into the real reason for my blog today. No it’s not to celebrate the Bruins victory once again. By the way, I pick goalies to cheer for once the Leafs are eliminated…so it starts pretty early, obviously! I liked Thomas and Roloson this year for their Johnny Bower-like ascension to the pros. Flashback: Bower was MY goalie coach at hockey camp some thirty-five years ago!

My blog today also isn’t about the Dallas Mavericks either. Although the fact they throttled King James, D-Wade, and Chrissy Bosh…without one word from Mark Cuban, also makes them a viable topic.

It’s also not about the upcoming CFL season and the endless favourable reviews of the Argonauts’ prospects. I mean really, do you actually think that Boatmen can make Lemonade out of Cleo Lemon? Guess I’m still a skeptic! Oh I can’t wait for my beloved Rough Riders’ return. Ottawa style, of course. Although my ten year old was sporting his Darien Durant Regina Roughrider jersey tonight! Sorry for the branding liberty!

My blog isn’t even about the NFL and the current lockout. I try not to think about it actually. It makes me shudder. I need the sound of that first crack of Steeler contact to help me forget the debacle in Dallas I paid $3,300 to attend. That doesn’t include travel or my $1,300/night closet of a hotel room…filled with Mary Jane smoke from the next room.

Funny I don’t feel the same about the impending NBA labour paralysis! I mean those guys are so overpaid, they can survive a few months off!

So at 460 words, what the heck is the topic of this blog? Well, isn’t it obvious?

 

I, like you, love sports. I mean I was watching an Awards Show, and so were you! I can’t believe hockey is over. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be a Vancouverite. They had the most glorious month! But let’s face it, you watched the Awards Show too. Despite the B level actors, C level bands and blondes that don’t know the difference between Saint LOU-IS the city and St. Lou-EE the player – unreal!

Monday I was doing a presentation to the OUA. It was my 11 for 11 Sports Marketing Trends. I’ve given this deck a few times and selfishly, I really like it. But I like university sport even more. It was a huge part of my university days at Guelph. It’s an aspect of our sports culture that doesn’t get it’s due.

Last Friday I was doing a presentation to the Speed Skating Canada AGM. Pretty cool having a triple Olympic medalist like Susan Auch in the audience. When I met with the 120 coaches, administrators, volunteers, and officials who power this amazing sport, it became clear to me that while we celebrate the Auchs and Le May Doans, we need to ever increasingly celebrate the equally hard working people who make it all possible.

These people love sport. They love their sport. They know that sport builds people, communities, nations.

I don’t know if you know this. I know you love sport. I know you love pro sport. I know you watched an awards show. I want you to watch OUA sport. I want you to watch Speed Skating. I want you to play sport. I want you to enroll your kids in sport.

I want you to make every day a Sports Day. Not just the day the awards are handed out.