Steelers vs. Patriots - A Profitable Ending

BY: CHRISTIAN HOLMES (@HOLMESYWRITES)

Check out my columns on Last Word On Hockey/Last Word On Sports

Steelers tight end Jesse James had a touchdown against the Patriots taken away due to a controversial ruling. (AP)

" Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony."

Was the ending of Sunday afternoon Patriots-Steelers game pure coincidence or was it a conspiracy to build up an AFC Championship game for the ages?

Sunday afternoon, in the game “everyone has been waiting for”, the New England Patriots controversially beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 after officials ruled a potential game-winning catch by Pittsburgh Steelers’ tight end Jesse James an incomplete pass in the dying seconds of the game. On the next play, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger would throw an interception and the Patriots instantly captured the victory.

This call sparked quite the controversy online. A vast majority of the fans, I’d say a good 85%, thought it was a catch and a touchdown. A minority thought the call was correct and it was incomplete as called.

Nonetheless, wherever fans fall in the debate, the publicity of this event is unmatched by anything else going on in the sports world today. Major publications are writing about the ending to the game and so are the smaller ones too. The #Steelers and #Patriots hashtags still remain in Twitter’s trending section. Videos are being posted on YouTube about the game. Subreddits are being created. Everyone is talking about the ending of this game and it seems like the talk is not going to stop anytime soon. After all, Americans and Canadians love controversy. It fuels our “machine”.

Everyone loves a good football game that can garner some talk during the lunchtime break.

“Susan, I swear to the higher power that they talk about in the AA 12 step recovery program meetings, Jesse James caught that ball!”

“No, Charles, you can see that he CLEARLY dropped it!”

“Susan, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW ABOUT FOOTBALL? Get back in the kitchen!”

“Oh enough to know that sitting on the couch and raging at people on Twitter that it was a catch won’t pay your ex-wife’s child support at the end of the month!”

“Shut up, Susan! You know I’m right and you can’t stand that. You’ll just go back to your social justice warrior friends and your self-proclaimed ‘feminist’ sister and whine about how I make your life miserable and how you’ll leave me the first chance you get. But then you’ll get victim’s remorse and stick with me because you know nobody else will. Then you’ll remember I have a huge stock in the New York Times and everything will go back to normal!”

“Oh go fuck yourself, Charles. You know deep down that wasn’t a catch and for god’s sake, you know that the Patriots are a better team!”

“Okay Susan, I guess we’ll find out when they play in the AFC Championship!”

“I… guess… we’ll… see!”

FOLKS ITS A CONSPIRACY!

Now calm down, conspiracy is a big word for our little brains to comprehend. I’m not Alex Jones and no I’m not going to say that “the government is putting chemicals in the water to turn the friggin’ frogs gay.” I simply want to suggest if you take time to step out of the “He caught it! The Steelers got screwed” mindset and look at the bigger picture - IT ALL MAKES PERFECT SENSE.

Everyone likes a good story. A relatable and lovable underdog triumphs to victory over a hated favorite that most people would like nothing more than to see fail.

What does the ending to the game offer? THE START OF THAT STORYLINE!

 New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady looks to connect with Rob Gronkowski during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on Sunday, December 17, 2017. Staff Photo by Nancy Lane

Hear me out… after winning Sunday’s game, the Patriots prove they are the powerhouse of the AFC. Even with the Steelers at close to full health. Tom Brady had a great game. Rob Gronkowski proved why he’s the best tight end in the league. If the Steelers can’t beat the Patriots, who can? The Pats aren’t unbeatable, but they find a way to win when it counts.

Big Ben after throwing game-ending interception against the Patriots
JUSTIN BERL/GETTY IMAGES

The Steelers, on the other hand, are a charismatic team filled with talent. They got the underlooked, without a doubt first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger. A quarterback that has never got the attention he deserved. Ben never had the style of Tom Brady or the football IQ of Peyton Manning, but he had grit, he had toughness, he had durability, and he has the ability to battle adversity. He wasn’t flashy, he wasn’t on the front page of Sports Illustrated, but he won two Super Bowls and he mentored countless players. He’s the type of quarterback every kid playing football in high school or college wants to be. He's the Matthew McConaughey of the league. He's likable. You know who is. He's a good actor. But you're not as fixated on him as you are Leonardo DiCaprio or Brad Pitt. You'll watch True Detective. You'll watch How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days. But The Great Gatsby and Ocean's Eleven still have your heart.

Some time has passed since his glory days of throwing touchdown passes to Hines Ward and Heath Miller. He’s still got talent, but maybe Ben’s better years are behind him. He’s older and his bones aren’t as strong as they use to be. But the thing that Ben has going for him is the team that GM Kevin Colbert and co have built around him. Ben’s got a receiver in Antonio Brown that very well could be in the MVP discussion. He’s got an all-purpose, Pro Bowl, beast of a running back in Le'Veon Bell. He’s got reliable secondary receivers that he can throw the ball to like JuJu Smith-Schuster and Martavis Bryant. Not to mention, Pittsburgh’s defense is the best it’s been in awhile. Even with the unfortunate loss of Ryan Shazier to a serious back injury.

The Steelers and Big Ben have everything it takes to win a Super Bowl. The only they need to do is find a way to beat the Patriots. Find a way to get finally get a number on Tom Brady.

On Sunday, in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter, down by three, the Steelers have the ball in the red zone and Big Ben threw a beautiful, I mean beautiful, pass to Jesse James for the touchdown. The powers that be ruled that pass incomplete because “the receiver did not survive contact when trying to break the plain”. Bummed but not out, the Steelers run a play and get minimal yardage. The clock is still running. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin tells Big Ben to fake the spike and throw the ball into the end zone. The next thing you know, the pass is intercepted, and the game is over. The heel prevailed, well the face failed when they were so close to winning.

And then the media picks up the story and the controversy starts. Ironically, it sounds eerily similar to the start to the plot of a movie or a wrestling feud. The Steelers get screwed and the Patriots ride high. The corporation, the NFL,, reinstates the notion that if you’re not the Patriots, you’re not going to win.

Now I can’t predict the future, but if I had to, this is how I see things playing out:

The media will build the Tom Brady and the Patriots to be this unbeatable team that has the “respect” of the refs and the league. They’ll bill them as unstoppable and unanimous Super Bowl favorites. According to the media, the Patriots have all the tools. To back that up, New England will have a strong and dominating finish to their season and crush whoever they play in the AFC Divisional game.

All the while, the media will say the Steelers have the tools but, “they just aren’t good enough”. They got the talent. The got the leadership. They got the experience. They just don’t have the luck. The Steelers will have a decent finish to their season and they’ll scratch and claw their way to the AFC Championship game. It may not be pretty but they’ll make it there.

Presuming both teams make it to the AFC Championship, which according to my conspiracy - that’s a given, a week before the game, Colin Cowherd will go on The Herd and give you his six reasons why the Patriots will beat the Steelers. Vegas will make the Patriots ten point favorites. All the odds, and I mean, all the odds will be stacked against Pittsburgh.

Then the media and the people will remember the game played on Dec 17. The people will remember the controversy. The NFL PR team will get the media to play in the controversy. Dig it up and get fans debating. And most importantly, insert it back into the storyline to get max attention brought to the game. Much more attention than an AFC Championship game would generate already.

With the attention, this game will garner, Roger Goodell and a couple of his savvy NFL execs will go to major companies and corporations like Coca-Cola, GoDaddy,  Pepsi, and Doritos and say, “He listens, this AFC Championship game is going to be the most watched game ever. This game is going to be very, very big. Millions and millions of people are going to be watching and this would be, hands down, 100% the best time to promote your product. Now listen, if you want to advertise during our game. You’re going to have to pay. And you’re going to have to play well.”

The next thing you will know, the NFL is making Super Bowl profits off of an AFC Championship game.

Of course, the improbable will happen. The Steelers will slay the giant and beat the Patriots. They’ll become the “People's Champs” and millions will root for them in the Super Bowl against, don’t call me crazy, don’t think I’m smoking crack, Nick Foles, and the Philadelphia Eagles.

What the fuck you snorting, you delusional motherfucker? 

Now before you say, “What are you talking about, Willis?” Think about how this all plays into the conspiracy. Think how the NFL could promote this Super Bowl matchup and make max profit off ad revenues and things of that nature. You got a team that lost their MVP quarterback Carson Wentz. In a nutshell, most fans have lost hope for the birds, you feel me? They never in their wildest of dreams would think that they make it to the Super Bowl. Then you got the Steelers and their backstory. That is the perfect way to end the most perfect storyline. The build-up would be something of magic! THE MONEY THAT COULD BE MADE OFF THIS BITCH WOULD BE ATROCIOUS!

Bitch, you’re lying to yourself if you can’t see the correlation here.

Honestly…

DO YOU SEE IT NOW? This is all about money. It’s not about the league favoring the Patriots over everybody else. Although, that’s what they want you to think. It’s all about the almighty dollar. That five letter word that’ll make people do all sorts of things. It’s the thing that keeps the red hot girls dancing through the night. The Steelers got screwed now so the NFL can make max profit off their successes in the future. And if you don’t like that, remember this:

Money isn’t everything, it’s the only thing. And everybody has a price!

Why I Write

BY: CHRISTIAN HOLMES (@HOLMESYWRITES)

Check out my columns on Last Word On Hockey/Last Word On Sports

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." —Dr. Seuss

Why do I write? Well it’s a long story. Let me try to explain.

I’ve always been interested in storytelling. Call me a nerd but I’ve always liked reading. I find how authors use their words to be interesting. I think it’s cool to see someone like Stephen King or George Martin differentiate themselves with their writing styles. You can honestly learn a lot from “book reading”. Being “book learnt” is enlightening. Of course, there’s many ways a person can get “learnt”, and every which way is enlightening. Well maybe not through a crack pipe, but besides that everything is good.

Honestly, it’s freaking interesting to read and learn new things. I always liked to say that you can learn a lot about yourself from others. This is so true when it comes to writing. And when I talk about writing, it’s not just novels or peer reviewed studies. I’m talking about lyrics to songs, poems, blogs, comics and anything where a person can string some words together and make those words mean something.

I’ve always been inspired by writers that can make me laugh. Whether that’s songwriters like Fat Mike from NOFX or Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus from Blink 182 (or Mark from Blink 182 and Tom from Angels & Airwaves. Seems like Tom let his love for ETs spread like fire. Somedays I think his head went “To The Stars”). Anyways, I could probably name some authors but right now I’m at a loss for them. The only one I can think of right now is Don Cherry. I’ve read all his books. I’ve probably watched all the Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Ems. I know with some of his books Ron MacLean helps him put his thoughts into words, but the thing I love about Grapes is that his personality really shines in his writing. I think that is awesome. He’s hard hitting, truth speaking, thought provoking, and downright entertaining! He’s not afraid to go on Coach’s Corner and speak his mind about anything. It takes balls to do what Grapes has been doing on Coach’s Corner for years! Like being an advocate for fighting in a society that is ruled by soccer moms that always ask to speak to your manager over a little technical error, and PC Principals that run off to their safe spaces when they get into a disagreement about the importance of Christopher Columbus in the world's history. The things Grapes says can get him in a lot of hot water with fans, the media, and at times, even his bosses. But he keeps talking and saying what needs to be said. And let me tell ya, that’s why many of us Canadians, like myself, love Grapes! He’s inspiring. In my opinion, yes he’s screwed up in the past saying things, but regardless, Grapes is a true class act and I think we should all aspire to be a little like him.

That’s why back when I was a little guy and people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always use to say, “Whatever Don Cherry is. That’s what I want to be!” I know it sounds cliche, but let me tell you something… it’s not just true… ITS DAMN TRUE that I wanted to be like him! I always wanted to build myself up to the point where I could say whatever the hell I wanted to say, how I wanted to say it, without having to think twice, and by doing so, building an audience that will listen to it. I wanted to have a voice that didn’t blend in with the crowd. I wanted to have a voice that stood out from the crowd. I didn’t want to turn into another Joe Blow that gets his kicks from staying up all night writing songs about the people that he thinks are gay. I couldn’t stand to be that guy. I wanted to be one of the quiet guys that when he does speak, people listen.

For the most part, over the years, I think that has helped form my writing style. I try to keep things “real”. Breaking the fourth wall is one of my specialties. I find more and more, when I read my blogs, that they sound more like me cutting a bomb ass wrestling promo more than me just writing. And I take pride in that, because if the people that read my work can find a way to invest themselves into what I’m writing about on that given day, I did my job right. My job is to entertain. My job is to be thought provoking. My job is to be the silver lining in this thing we call “life”. If that means scrambling some words together to make my readers laugh or to make my readers smile, so be it. After all, I think my writing persona is a lot like conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Okay, well I’m not fear mongering, but I do see my writing as being animated, straight shooting, funny, outrageous, and thought provoking. Although, I’m not screaming, “THE FRIGGIN’ GOVERNMENT IS PUTTING CHEMICALS IN THE WATER TO TURN THE FREAKING FROGS GAY!” I don’t use phrases like “I’m telling you folks”, but I do like to rant and I do think I can do a great job at it. And if ya rant well, in the entertainment business that equals money, laughs, and smiles! All in a day’s work, right? Besides, it’s never too early to spout, “What’s the story morning glory?” Because, after all, everybody wants to spend another sunny afternoon walking to the sounds of their favourite tunes. So, I thought, “Hey why can’t I be the voice of everybody’s favourite news?”

That’s why I’m going to school to become a journalist. And maybe with a little luck, one day become a motivational speaker. Over the past few years, I’ve learned that good writing doesn’t just come from a sound mind that knows how to work their way around a keyboard. It comes from experience. Talking to people. Being put into new situations. Learning more about yourself. Learning more about the world. You have to look outside of your realm of consciousness and breathe in the air of obscurity and the unknown. That is how you become a better writer. Quite frankly, that is one of the main reasons why I write. You never know what’s waiting out beyond your door, because the world is meant to be a place for you to explore. Put it this way, if you already think you’re in Heaven, why not live it up a little? Mingle with the angels. Make a new friend. Sport a new trend. Offend a loose end.

So why do I write? I write because I love to. I write to make people’s days better. I write because it’s my gig. I write, because maybe, if writing can help me out in my journey of self-discovery maybe it can help somebody out in theirs. I write because Fuq Boi Fashions can only support so many people. I write because it’s my passion, and it’s something that I plan to dedicate my life to. Life is too short to last long, so why not spend it doing what I love? Why not make people laugh, smile, and feel entertained? After all, no matter what, life's a lesson, why wait to learn it when I'm through?

Chasing Out The Darkness - An Important Talk About Mental Health

BY: CHRISTIAN HOLMES (@HOLMESYWRITES)

“If they say

Who cares if one more light goes out?

In a sky of a million stars

It flickers, flickers

Who cares when someone's time runs out?

If a moment is all we are

We're quicker, quicker

Who cares if one more light goes out?

Well, I do." 

One More Light by Linkin Park 

On Friday, October 27, 2017, at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California, Linkin Park - along with a string of ‘friends’ featuring Blink 182, Deryck Whibley from Sum 41, Matt Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold, and many more - paid tribute to the late and great lead singer of Linkin Park, Chester Bennington. The concert was held to cover Bennington’s songs and raise awareness for mental health.

Throughout the show, Chester’s bandmate and close friend, Mike Shinoda, told stories about Chester and constantly reminded the audience that Chester would have loved what they were doing by putting on a tribute concert in memory of him and gathering the greatest musicians that music has to offer to celebrate Bennington’s life would truly #MakeChesterProud. That hashtag, along with the #FuckDepression, was trending on Twitter throughout the night.

The concert itself was raw, emotional, heartwarming, and heartbreaking. In other aspects, it was beautiful. A great example of that would be when the band put out a microphone stand and started playing “Numb”. The crowd at the Hollywood Bowl all joined in to sing the hit song. It was one of those moments where a person’s race, sexual orientation, creed and all the other things that can separate a person from another, was put on the back burner and for a moment in time, everyone could join together in a common cause, and pay homage to their hero, in many cases, their inspiration to keep on keeping on in this thing we call ‘life’, Chester Bennington.

It is abundantly clear that Chester had a major influence on many of the musicians performing on that very stage. It was uttered throughout the show, on stage, and on social media, that Chester will be missed. It’s hard to deny otherwise. Chester was a true class act. He was somebody that preached unity and gave desperate people a reason to keep trying. Not to give up. Even when life throws you curveballs.

If you are not in the know of what happened to Bennington… On July 20, 2017, Chester Bennington tragically took his own life. Bennington has had a troubled past with addictions to drugs and alcohol. Not to mention, Bennington suffered from depression. Two months before Chester ended his own life, in May his close friend, Chris Cornell, best known for being the lead singer of Soundgarden, Audioslave, and Temple of The Dog, tragically took his own life. Leaving many people shocked and speechless. Much like when Chester passed.

…

I know what you’re thinking, “Oh it’s just another sad rockstar that took his own life.” You see, that very thought is the biggest problem with suicide in our society. I know not everyone thinks that way, but for the vast majority of people that have not been to suicide awareness rallies or that have not been educated about mental health problems, it’s their exact thoughts. The biggest problem with saying “Oh it’s just another sad rockstar that took his own life”, is that not only does it further stigmatize the topic of mental health, but it also makes it so people that aren’t rock stars and just average joes hard to get help with the mental health problems they may be suffering from. It’s hard for someone to come out in today’s society and say that they’re suffering from depression or anxiety or bipolar disorder or suicidal thoughts because if they do, they are afraid of being viewed as weak or mentally unfit. They’re afraid that people will just look at them and prematurely judge them. By saying that, people with mental health problems think that they’re alone.

And it doesn’t help that today’s media, in my opinion, seems to glamorize suicide. It’s sad that for people who are suffering from mental health problems and are contemplating taking their own life, that they can turn on the TV or read something on the internet that glamorizes suicide. That says to them, “Hey, people will understand. Your pain will be gone,” because for realists, like myself, we know that the pain will only be transferred onto the loved ones of the victim.

For anyone that is suffering and thinking about taking their own lives or someone who has contemplated that in the past, look at the media reporting on suicide from this perspective. For the press corps, when a person kills themselves, it’s catchy and it’s trendy to say something like, “The deceased felt like this was the only way out. It was the only way they could escape their problems.” It’s easier for the reader to sympathize and it draws the person more emotionally into the story. It sells paper, gets reads, and get views. Lately, as suicide and mental health awareness campaigns have gained traction and more people have been getting educated on these problems, the less and less you see of these stories. Which don’t get me wrong, that’s good, because more publications are encouraging people to get help and saying that they are not alone. That is all great and in the long run, it’ll go a long way in demystifying mental health issues, but the problem that remains is that many people still feel, because of society’s past messages on mental health problems, that suicide is the only way out. When, in reality, it isn’t.

Think about it this way. If you make the choice to escape your problems, to free yourself of your burdens - you may be freeing yourself of these problems, but you’re just passing the burden onto someone else. You’re passing it onto the people that care for and love you. Whether it’s  your friends, family, co-workers, peers or acquaintances. That’s why, in my opinion, you owe it not only to yourself but to all the people that care about you and love you, to get help with whatever problems you are facing. I can understand that it is hard to speak about these problems. That it’s hard to come out and say that you’re suffering these problems. I get that but remember that talking about your mental health problems is the best way to relieve them. That is the first step to getting help is opening up to someone, whoever that may be.

If you’re afraid of people viewing you as being weak or unstable because you came out and asked for help, look at it this way: if I broke my arm playing football, what would my first reaction be? Probably to get help, because duh I broke my freaking arm. Would people view me as being weak for asking for help and getting treatment for my broken arm? Hell no, because it’s just common sense that if you break a bone, you go to the hospital and put your Ontario health card to use. If you tried to neglect your broken arm and not go to the hospital, what would your family and friends be doing? They’d be saying, “Bro, what the heck are you waiting for? Get your ass to the hospital!” They wouldn’t stigmatize your injury. And this is the way we have to start treating mental health. We have to create an environment where somebody can come out and talk about their mental health like they talk about their physical health. Until that day comes people will still keep these things to themselves and suffer alone. Which is sad because no one should ever, I say this sincerely, ever have to suffer alone. In a way, we’re all in this together.

I think the biggest thing people who are suffering should know is that they are not alone. There are many resources available to them. Suicide is not the answer. It sucks that many people have ended their lives because they thought that it was, but I think we owe it to those people that are one step from the edge, to show them that we’re there for them and that there are plenty of people who are there to talk to them. They shouldn’t have to suffer alone, nor should they have to project this idea to themselves that they are weak because they suffer from these issues. I think a good way to look at it is you are #SickNotWeak.

Speaking of #SickNotWeak, it is a great resource for people who are suffering. They have people that you can talk to for free on their website, and they are there for you 24/7. It was started by for host of Off The Record on TSN, Michael Landsberg, who suffers from depression. By no means is this a medical institution, but it’s a great resource nonetheless. If you are suffering please check this website out.

To conclude, for the people who are not suffering from any mental health problems, but want to end the stigma to mental health. Just don’t stigmatize it. Make yourself available to the ones that need help. Let them know that they are not alone. Go to the mental health rallies. Raise awareness. Be the bringer of change. For those who are suffering, get help. Talk to someone. Do not suffer alone. You are not weak because you are suffering. You are strong because it takes strength to get help. It takes strength to keep fighting the fight. But in the end, it worth the while to stay the course and fight the fight because life is truly beautiful. Life is worth living. Don’t ever think differently.

Why Georges "Rush" St-Pierre is The G.O.A.T.

BY: CHRISTIAN HOLMES (@HOLMESYWRITES)

Check out my columns on Last Word On Hockey/Last Word On Sports

GSP's post fight interview with Joe Rogan, after he beat Michael Bisping for the Middleweight title during the main event of the evening at UFC 217

“The road to athletic greatness is not marked by perfection, but by the ability to constantly overcome adversity and failure.” - Nike

What does it mean to be the greatest? Does it mean that one has to be the biggest, fastest, and strongest person in their respective sport? Does it mean that an athlete has to have all the best stats, beat all the unbeatable records, and remain in their prime physique forever? ‘Actions speak louder than words’, they say. In the sporting industry, actions do not necessarily speak louder than words. With the emergence of the use of analytics in many of the major sports today, a player or an athlete doesn’t have to be perfect, but as long as the athlete can do the little things right and can slightly distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack, the athlete will make themselves valuable to their employers. It’s very seldom is sports today that you see a “complete player or athlete” that can do it all, and then do some more. That’s what makes players and athletes like Sidney Crosby, Bryce Harper, and Mike Trout, (as much as I hate to say it) Tom Brady, LeBron James, Usain Bolt, and Lionel Messi, so special. They do not only excel at their sport, but they’re the best players in their sport today. They’re the players that every kid watching them play wants to be like. They’re the ones the bring intrigue to their respective sports. They make names for themselves. Maybe they’re not the greatest of all time just yet, but they’re sure as hell on track to sporting the label.

If one takes the time to look at the legends of the sports they love, that person will notice that the “GOATs” of those sports all share three common traits: heart, determination, and resiliency. Wayne Gretzky was not the biggest guy on the ice, but he played with heart and determination. If the opponent gave Gretzky an opportunity to set someone up or score a goal, he sure as hell did it. Look at Wayne now, “Gretz” is considered by many to be the best hockey player to ever lace up the skates. Skill can only get a player so far. Heart, determination, and resiliency are what it truly takes for a player to reach the pinnacle of their sport. That’s what it takes for a player to be put on the Mount Rushmore of the greatest of all-time. Bring in Canadian mixed martial artist and two-time UFC Welterweight Champion and current UFC Middleweight Champion, Georges “Rush” St. Pierre.

The sport of mixed martial arts has seen many great fighters take the rails over the years. MMA has many legends and heroes like Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell, Fedor Emelianenko, Royce Gracie, Wanderlei Silva, Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson, Matt Hughes and even the loveable and confident fighting Irishman Conor ‘fooking’ McGregor, just to name a few. Since, in the grand scheme of things, MMA is relatively a younger sport, one of the fastest growing sports in the world, the sport doesn’t have many true GOATs, at least that’s up until now.

In my honest and somewhat humble opinion, after Georges ‘Rush’ St. Pierre’s UFC Middleweight title-winning submission victory over Michael Bisping at UFC 217 in Madison Square Garden, GSP solidified his spot as the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time. No questions asked.

St. Pierre has a resumé that little to no one can touch. GSP has beaten some of the best welterweights of all time. Get this, not only did Georges St. Pierre beat greats like “The Prodigy” BJ Penn, Matt Hughes, and Carlos Condit, he has also beaten the lights of Nick Diaz, Johny Hendricks, and Josh Koscheck. That’s an impressive resumé. Not to mention, GSP successfully defended his welterweight title nine times before taking a four-year hiatus from the sport to rest and train. What did GSP do when he got back into the sport? He moved up to the 185ib Middleweight division and beat Michael Bisping for the Middleweight title. All in a day’s work.

And, yes, GSP’s record is 26-2. That means he lost twice. Those losses coming to Matt Hughes at UFC 50 and Matt Serra at UFC 69. The first time GSP lost was to Matt Hughes. At the time, GSP was an up and coming fighter. Matt Hughes was somewhat of a gritty and successful veteran at that time. No excuses, Matt Hughes simply beat GSP. Hughes was the better fighter. Now most fighters after suffering their first loss of their career would lower their expectations for what’s to come in the future. They get brought back down to Earth. They know they’re not invincible and they fight like that for the rest of their career. Not GSP. He trained hard, he went the extra mile, won a couple fights, and got another crack at Matt Hughes. What does GSP do? He beats Matt Hughes and becomes the new Undisputed UFC Welterweight Champion of the World.

When Welterweight Champion GSP got knocked out by Matt Serra at UFC 69 for his second career loss, which was considered to be the biggest upset in MMA history, what did Georges do after the loss? No, he didn’t go off into isolation and give himself pitty. He went back to the gym and trained. He focused on his weaknesses and he improved himself to the point where he earned himself another title shot. When he got another shot at Matt Serra at UFC 83, he proved that his loss was a kick in the fanny pack, knocked out Serra in the second round, and he went on to successfully defend his title nine consecutive times.

The thing that makes GSP so great is his outstanding heart, determination, and resiliency. Georges won’t go into press conferences saying that he’s going to do this and do that, he always said that he was going to let his talking be done in the octagon. Yeah, as Michael Bisping said in the buildup leading up to UFC 217, GSP is predictable; left jab, right jab, and then a takedown, but what makes GSP a true GOAT is the fact that his opponents know what’s coming for them, but they can’t stop it, because GSP’s skill and technique is that damn great. It’s just like the pitcher Walter “The Big Train” Johnson’s fastball, the hitter knew when the count was 3-2 that the fastball was coming middle in, yet there was nothing they could do to hit it, because “The Big Train’s” fastball was that damn good. Simply put, simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.

Everyone likes to talk about what Georges has done in the sport and the impact he has had on the sport, but no one really seems to take about his cultural significance. Georges brought a whole new demographic to come and watch the sport. He put Canadian MMA on the map. Georges St. Pierre is hands down by far the biggest reason why Canada is one of the UFC’s most profitable markets. And that is proven when UFC 217’s pay-per-view buys topped one of the biggest pay-per-view events in all of combat sports history, that being Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor. That stat alone proves how important GSP is in the Canadian market. Not only has Georges influenced many Canadians to watch the sport, he also influenced many past, present, and future Canadian mixed martial artists to partake in the sport. Who can only do that? The GOAT, the greatest of all-time!

Who is the GOAT? Who is the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time? There’s only one answer and that answer is .. GEORGES “RUSH” ST. PIERRE!

A Silver-Lining To The Ontario College Strike

BY: CHRISTIAN HOLMES (@HolmesyWrites)

Tick tock. Tick tock. The shit clock is ticking! 

As you may already know (if you don’t live under a rock and don’t know who Kurt Cobain is), all colleges in Ontario will be going on strike as of Monday, October 16, if a deal is not reached by 11:59pm on Sunday, October 15. That means all classes will NOT be operating and faculty will begin marching in the beloved picket lines. Leaving many students, like myself, shit out of luck for class instruction. Of course, this strike may not even happen, but I wouldn’t be that optimistic about believing that. Both sides are far apart and from what I’ve been gathering, the two sides are not talking at the moment. So, to be blunt, don’t expect to be at school this week unless you’re planning on blasting Rage Against The Machine’s Take The Power Back and protesting the faculty strike.

So what’s the point of this post, you may ask? Good question! The point of this post is to find a silver-lining in this shit storm of a situation.

I know what you’re thinking… “Lard blue thunder jumping b’jesus b’y, this is absolute horseshit being served to us on a tin plater! They already make six figures a year! Why in the hell do they need to strike to get more money? Like a strike? C’mon man, really? It makes no sense! Stay together for the children! ” Believe me, I’m thinking the same way as most of you are. As the Newfie saying goes, “It sucks the big kaboonas!” I'm not thrilled that this strike is happening, especially in my first year, but it is what it is. What can you do? It’s the way she goes! Sometimes she goes. Sometimes she doesn’t. It’s the fucking way she goes! It’s out of my circle of control. So I just got to live with it. In a way, we all do.

Let’s be real, no matter how much we whine, cry, and bitch, nothing is going to change. Both sides are worried about that five letter word that keeps the read hot girls dancing on through the night, money. The union could care less about how this strike affects us, students, because at the of the day, most of us NEED this education, so it’s not like we’re going to leave and go elsewhere. Where else can we go? These colleges got the monopoly on post-secondary education. We can make petitions asking to get our money back and protest the strike, but why stress over something we can’t control as students? I doubt the colleges will actually give us back $30 a day per each day the strike lingers on. It would be nice, but I doubt it’ll actually happen.

Is it true that it’s hard to find a sunset in the eye of a storm? No! Really, it isn’t. Don’t get me wrong, this strike sucks for the students that are buried in debt to the point where they can’t cast a shadow. This strike sucks for everyone. All parties involved, But we, as students, still have a lot to be thankful for in our lives. And that’s a fact, Jack! A cliche as it sounds, the truth couldn’t be clearer.

For starters, we’re freaking lucky to live in a first world country like Canada where education is actually encouraged. There are some children in third world countries that are slaves to factory owners for most of their lives. They never get to go to school. We’re lucky we actually can attain an education. We’re lucky to live in a country where we don’t have to worry about rebels invading our cities. We’re lucky to live in a country where ninety percent of its citizens don’t have to worry where their next meal is coming from. We’re lucky to live in a country where we can practice free speech. We’re lucky to live in a country where we can practice our religious beliefs freely. We’re lucky to be in a situation where we don’t have to worry about what our government is going to do next to depopulate us. We’re lucky to live in a country that celebrates our differences rather than punishes them.  

You see, we got a lot to be happy about. Yes, we all have our own individual struggles. We all have things that bring us down, but we also have things that bring us up. Everyone has something to be happy for. Everyone has something to latch onto, even if they think they don’t. The fact that we can wake up with a roof over our heads, have food on the table, and drink clean drinking water, is a blessing all in its own.

Over the past few days, I’ve have had some time to have a little self-reflection. Over the past month or so, I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of new people and learn about their backgrounds. Let me say some are better than others. Some had a good life. Some had a bad life. I find most stories of people overcoming their bad backgrounds to get to where they are today to be truly inspiring. The reason why I say that is because sometimes I have a habit of dwelling on all the cons in my life and in my past. In a way, I think we all have this problem. But when I hear of these background stories, I really learn to appreciate how good I have had (and still have) it in my life today.

I have the tendency to complain about this and about that. I complain about my disability and the ‘hardships’ in my life. But then I hear these stories of these kids having trouble growing up in abusive households and living with neglective parents. I hear these stories and think to myself how lucky I really was to come home after a long day of school to see my parents happy that I was home. I was lucky my weeknights consisted of watching sports and hanging out with my friends. Some kids weren’t as lucky. Some kids didn’t get the experience I got. And I think, each day, I learn how lucky I truly am.

So, when we all fret about this strike on Monday, I think instead of fretting, we should start thinking about all the things we have to be thankful for in our lives. That may differ for each person, but the nonetheless, we all have something to be thankful for.

After all, this strike is going to happen whether we like it or not. Of course, it sucks that it’s before mid-terms, but eh, what can you do?

And to be fair, in the end, it’s hard to be mad at the faculty for wanting to get as much money as they can. If we were in the same position, we’d probably do the same thing, and let’s not bullshit ourselves on that. In no way am I saying I agree with the strike, but why be angry over someone trying to do better for themselves?

So to finish this off. I know I may sound like a junkie preaching to the choir. A lot of kids are pissed off about this strike. College isn’t cheap and it’s not fair that us students have to suffer just because our faculty wants more change in their pockets. As easy as it is to get mad and cranky about this situation, I encourage you to take a look on the bright side. We all have lives worth living. We are blessed with so many things that we take for granted each day. So why should we let a strike be the end of the world for us? You gotta love what you got.

Sometimes we have to learn not to look back in anger. Yes, there may be no sanctuary. Maybe there’s no grace as well, but we must learn to look back in awe for all the blessing in our lives.

So Sally can wait. She knows it’s too late as she’s walking on by. Her soul slides away, but don’t look back in anger, but don’t look back in anger… I encourage you to say.

College So Far: Stories From Da Lake

BY: CHRISTIAN HOLMES (@HOLMESYWRITES)

Well friends, it's been awhile. I'm upset at myself for not posting more to this blog in the last month or so. I had a good thing going here! I've more or les have just sat on this bucket of gold. My workload has not really given me the opportunity to keep up with this endeavour. I guess I can't turn tin cans into gold every day? Yeah, yeah, I know… I'm full of myself. Or am I not? That's for you to decide - not me. But as I have quickly learned in the past few weeks… confidence is key! At least, that's what my professors say, and they're journalists working for the top news outlets in the business!

So where do I start? Fuck it, let's start with move-in day. It's only logical, right? Move-in day was more or less a shit show. There was a lot of stuff being moved in and out of my room. Not to mention, it was an early wake up call for my family and I. We literally had to leave at 7:00 am on the Sunday morning after the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor boxing match. I had a really hard time making it out of my bed. I think I had tea bags. Luckily, I had energy to get stuff going! Getting moved-in wasn't totally hard. It was actually pretty easy. It was mostly because I wasn't doing much work. My parents wanted to make sure things were done ‘right’. After that was all done, it was time for the goodbyes. The goodbyes weren't too hard. They sucked but all parties involved knew I would be coming home sooner rather than later.

After my family left, I went out on the prowl and started mingling with people on my floor. I made a lot of friends doing that. Everyone on my floor seems to be pretty cool. We all have similar interests. So it made things easier for us to connect and build friendships. Then I took a leap of faith and started making friends with people on different floors. The next thing I know, I have 40 some odd new numbers on my phone and countless new friends/followers on social media. That was pretty awesome. I wasn't expecting that. At that moment, I knew I made the right choice by going to college at Humber and moving into residence. The RAs reaffirmed that thought with their positive attitudes and helpfulness. The parties were nice too. The parties were very nice actually. But for the sake of my sanity, I'll keep the partying stories for another day.

Anyways, boy do I have a good story (which ends with a good piece of advice) to tell you all before I get into how my first few weeks of classes went. For specific purposes, I'm not going to mention any names. Anyhow, you know how you always got that one college kid that comes back to his old high school for a couple hours and always ends up saying something like, “There are some pretty crazy women in college,” to his minor niner friends? Well, children, that guy is not lying. I can testify to that. There's always that one chick that seems really nice and innocent and shy, but once you start talking to her more, she starts telling you her life story and how she hates everyone that has a penis, a soul and a life to spare. The next thing ya know, she's talking about her fetishes and how she thinks that The Butterfly Effect is an accurate reflection of her life. But than the next day she wants to go to karaoke and sing a song about a rapper talking about his penis. Gentlemen, that's when you know she be cray cray. At that moment, there are two things you can do: 1) Stop listening to your pecker and distance yourself from her for a few days or 2) go to her house the next day and watch Step Brothers. Choose wisely. Choose very, very wisely. There's only so much crazy you can take. Oh ya, if you go to her house and watch Step Brothers, make sure she is not bi-polar, and hope that the next day you won't have to get a no contact order. That's just a piece of advice. ;)

All joking aside, it never hurts to have a crazy person in your life. Just for the love of all things good, if they display signs that they need help, make sure they seek out that help. You can always lend an ear to them and listen to their problems, but just remember motherfuckers, EVEN DR. PHIL SENDS THEM TO THE PROS! Crazy people can make your life a hell of a lot more interesting! And they can also scare the shit out of you too! I guess if you're constipated, it all works out in the end.

Getting back on track, my first few weeks of classes were awesome! Journalism school (aka j-school) is something else! All my professors work in the field. They know what they're doing! Hell, most of them could be my boss one day! They're all really nice and they're great teachers! The unfortunate thing is that they make ya step outside of your comfort zone. Pretty soon, I'm going to have to interview some very intellectual journalists. That is kind of scary, because it's an interview and it's a whole new ballgame. I sometimes feel that I can't have a conversation worthwhile with them, but fuck it, I'm going to try anyway. I guess another thing about j-school is that there is a lot of work involved. I'm either in class or working. This is the first day that I've actually gotten time to myself to do something I want to do. So I thought I may as well take advantage of it!

To finish this off, I just want to say I'm really enjoying college. I love living by the lake. I love being able to fend for myself. It's a new feeling of independence. I miss home, although I went back for a weekend to watch week one of NFL football on my dad's 65 inch TV. I'm looking forward to my future classes. I love the friends I've made, even the crazy one. I miss everyone at home. I live the fact that my roommate is from Guelph and we know a lot of the same people. That's pretty dope.

Anyways this is where I say goodbye.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice!

;)