Lancer Football: Standouts and Sleepers!

Good afternoon everyone!

It is the end of August and everyone knows what that means....football!!!! Not just any kind of football but that rather whacky style of football we Canadians love and adore. That's right I am talking the CIS and OUA brand where this week's featured team looks to build on a season which saw them fall in the semi-finals. The Windsor Lancers, led by their fiery coach Joe D'Amore, return to the turf this Labour Day Monday to begin a new chapter in Lancer football lore. Without further adieu here is my football preview for the 2012 edition of the Windsor Lancers. 

Offence

No worries bro, I got this

Austin Kennedy, QB- The third year quarterback jumped onto the scene after an injury to senior QB Sam Malian sidelined him for the season. Kennedy finished 5^th in the CIS with 263.5 yards per game and quickly displayed why anytime Kennedy touches the ball a play can be made, even when it looks like it is over. Kennedy’s calm and collected attitude provided a Lancer offense with the confidence that most other teams need hundreds of reps to develop. The 205lb Business major has displayed a clear understanding of Coach D’Amore’s high tempo offence and with another weapon to add to his already lethal arsenal, look for Kennedy to improve upon his impressive totals from last season. Kennedy led the nation with 20 touchdown passes and a 65 %completion rate.

Just put it in the air,
I'll come down with it!

Jordan Brescacin, WR- With a playmaking QB  on one end the raw athleticism shone thru last year for Brescacin. The 4^th year Concurrent Math major was quick with his calculations on the field that saw him haul in 50 receptions for 773 yards, good for 96.6 yards per game placing him third in the CIS in receiving.  Of all people chomping at the bit to get the 2012 season underway Brescacin would rank at the top of that list. As some might recall the 6’4’’, 180lb receiver was knocked out of the Yates Cup semifinal in London last year on a late and vicious hit by Western linebacker Pawel Kruba. Without Brescascin the Lancers fell short and were eliminated from the playoffs. During the off-season, the Tecumseh native signed on with the Hamilton Ti-Cats and brings a plethora of knowledge into camp that will positively rub off on the rest of the receiving core. With Coach D’Amore stressing the importance of limiting mistakes while cranking up the pace of his offence, Brescacin will prove to be a difference maker anytime he is on the field.

Sexy and I know it

Nick Corrado, C- Having a talented QB and a standout WR is important but not having any time to make a play can stop an offence in its tracks. Fortunately for the Lancers they welcome back the 4^th year Environmental Studies major to their offensive line. Voted the sweatiest athlete in football last season, the 6’1’’, 275lbs athletic specimen has a humble attitude off the field but his tenacious instincts allow him to adjust to any play developing with Kennedy under center. Corrado is considered by many to be the leader of the offensive line and there "all for one, one for all" mentality displays the commitment to success that D’Amore has preached since his first day on campus. With only 5 interceptions on the year, Corrado and company can be looked upon to provide the pocket protection Kennedy enjoyed last season.  

Defence

Quarterbacks beware!

Andrew Bakos, DL- At 5’11’’, 282lbs Bakos provides a defensive attack that is unmatched among the OUA. The Grizzly Adams/Wolverine bearded Human Kinetics major comes off the end with more energy than former Bills lineman Bruce Smith after consuming a case of Pixy Stixs, and is a handful for any offensive lineman. Staying committed to off-season training, which included a daily regiment of badminton, has Bakos in top form and ready for the grind of another long season. Bakos has shown incredible footwork and a wide variety of maneuvers that keep the offence guessing. Whether it be dropping a running back in the backfield or tracking down a scrambling quarterback, Bakos finds nothing more rewarding than making the big play. With Seamus Potsuma graduating, Bakos will need to elevate his game to next level if he wishes to continue to rein terror on opposing QB’s.

Here comes the boom!

Brad Adams, LB- Whenever the oft time a running back squeezes through the defensive line or a receiver attempts to go over the middle, Adams will be the first to welcome said opponent to Windsor with a hit that would make your bones rattle standing on the sideline. Adams, along with CB Shea Pierre and Matt McGarva provide a smash mouth type defense in Windsor that hasn’t been seen in a long time. Last season Adams had 37.5 total tackles while throwing in 2 sacks. Adams will be looked upon to lead a defense that is widely considered in the elite of the OUA. Adams’ commitment to strength and condition has Coach D’Amore salivating at the mouth as to what offenses will have to get through to generate any sort of offensive attack. If the offence ever does arrive, Adams will greet them with a warm Windsor defense welcome. Ka Boom!

Plays just as mean as he looks!

"Coach, this is the third helmet this week!"

Matt McGarva(L), Shea Pierre (R), CB- If the offense cannot successfully advance the ball on the ground, McGarva and Pierre will make airing it out an absolute nightmare. The final two pieces of the smash mouth defense make receivers cringe at the line of scrimmage. No matter how many jukes and jives a receiver can attempt, Pierre and McGarva are all over them like a fat kid on a bag of Skittles. Last season Pierre and McGarva both had an interception while McGarva brought his back 109 yards for a TD. The OUA All-Start McGarva had 49 tackles on the year while Pierre racked up 23 of his own. These two will be a dynamic duo in the backfield that will gladly let their opponents know how great they are, because who can blame them for the amount of confidence they have. Pierre and McGarva along with the remainder of the defense will keep the Windsor offense on the field longer and help win the time of possession which Coach D’Amore will be quick to tell you how important that is.

For Coach D’Amore and his staff, they should be proud of what they accomplished thus far but they all know how talk only goes so far and actions must take over. With this group of Lancers I do not see that being a problem. It is all part of the new expectations in Windsor. 



With that folks I bid you a farewell and hope the new season starts off on the right foot. I'll be back soon but until then follow me, I am right behind you!

Cheers knuckleheads! 

- The Irate Italian

I'm Back!

Hello Ladies and Gents,

The Irate Italian is back and is excited to get back at it.

Since my last post, I have graduated from University, travelled to Arizona and watched the 2012 Summer Olympics open in London, England and all I can say to this point is Go Canada! Proud of what Canadian athletes have accomplished thus far and cannot wait to see where local long distance runner Melissa Bishop ends up in her preliminary heat of the 800m on Wednesday (6:50 EST just in case you want to catch it live).

A few stories that have caught my eye over the first couple weeks of the Games is Michael Phelps and his record 20 medals in the pool, Usain Bolt, the Canadian Women's Soccer team and Mary Spencer. Congratulations is order as athletes like Phelps come along once in a generation. The fact that he went to the University of Michigan makes me even more proud. After bursting onto the swimming scene as a 15 year old, Phelps has done nothing but live up to the massive expectations placed upon his wide shoulders at every competition and every event where he represents the USA. Some people find it offensive that a Canadian congratulates a rival nation like the USA and even though I know how ludicrous it is, I still feel like I have to defend myself. Michael Phelps is an incredible athlete who deserves everything that he receives, including every one of those 20 medals. So, congratulations Mr. Phelps and Go Blue!

Nothing better than the taste of Gold!

While Phelps was making splashes in the pool, Jamaican track start Usain Bolt did the insane and blew away the field in the 100m final running an Olympic record time of 9.59s. Now as hardcore track fans will tell you, Bolt is not the quickest man out of the starting blocks, in fact he was the slowest in the 100m in terms of reaction time. (How they even calculate that is beyond me) What makes Bolt's feat so impressive is the amount of power one stride can generate. After looking at the video you can see Bolt start slow but then come on strong and pass the field which included fellow Jamaican sprinter Johan Blake, and Americans Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin. Bolt looks so determine that there is no show boating but rather pure exclamation. Bolt is the fastest man alive and no one can can even come close.

At this point I do want to give a shout out to Justin Gatlin for a very impressive bronze medal as the 30 year old was not even considered a strong medal contender. Atta boy Gatlin!

Christine Sinclair acknowledges fans after a heartbreaking
4-3 loss to the Americans

Now from a great story to one of absolute heartbreak. Yesterday on August 6th, the Canadian and American Women's Soccer teams did battle at Old Trafford in England. The Canadians took a one goal advantage three times in the match only to see the number one ranked USA tie it each time. Christine Sinclair scored all three goals for the Canadians in matched that will forever be overshadowed by the absolutely disgraceful officiating for Norwegian referee Christiana Pedersen. With Canada leading 3-2, Pedersen awarded the Americans an indirect free kick right outside the Canadian box after penalizing goaltender Erin McLeod for holding the ball for more than six seconds. On the ensuing kick, Pedersen charged Marie-Eve Nault with a handball in the penalty area, and Abby Wambach converted the penalty to tie the game 3-3 with about 10 minutes left. Just when you think that its over it gets better. In the final 10 seconds of the match the USA scored to advance to the gold medal game by a final score of 4-3. Heartbreak city if I have ever seen one. I could not help but feel for these ladies. It is an absolute shame that a referee takes over a match like this instead of letting the girl figure it out for themselves. If I were a betting man I would definitely take a wager that if this game is officiated by even a half decent official, the towering presence of Hope Solo and the Americans as perennial favourites goes down quicker than free beer at a frat party. I am outraged that Canada was robbed at a chance to play for gold but I am also the first to say how proud I am of these girls and especially Christine Sinclair for putting the team and a nation on her back and bringing prominence to Women's soccer to an even greater extent then Brandi Chastine. Canada will take on France in the Bronze medal game the US will battle Japan for Gold but the true winners here are young ladies across Canada who are participate in soccer at any level can now dream bigger dreams. This includes your 5 year old girl running around with an oversized soccer jersey to CIS players like the ladies at the University of Windsor who I bet have more fuel to add to the engine that they call motivation when prepping for the 2012 soccer season.

How long do you hold on to a dream?

The final topic I want to touch upon is Mary Spencer. Many of you who are close to me or even have me on Facebook know my feelings about Mary Spencer and well lets just say they are not the most positive. Before I totally blow up let me just say that I have nothing against Mary Spencer and her abilities to compete as a boxer but strictly the way she got to the Olympics. Lets go back about six weeks where everywhere I looked, articles on Mary Spencer were popping up as she was defeated in qualifying and the only way she could get into the Olympics was via a wildcard. The wildcard was created for athletes who do not have a Olympic committee to represent them so they fight as an independent under the Olympic Flag. The idea of the wildcard is to develop competition in parts of the world where boxing is not a prominent sport. The sheer fact Spencer was being considered for the wildcard let alone receiving it is an absolute disgrace. She is a three time world champion that did not "earn her keep", as my former English teacher Mrs. C would say, when qualifying. Win and you are in, lose and you find yourself a job like everyone else in the real world. Now the fact she received the wildcard in my opinion is strictly made from a political stand point. The COC has already invested money in her in terms of training, CTV already had taped and promoted her in their Olympic commercials leading up to the Games, and Covergirl just signed on as her sponsor. How awful would it look if she did not even go to the Olympics. Well the answer is apparently not as bad as getting played like a piano at christmas in her opening round match up. The COC should be ashamed of themselves for doing what they did. What really makes my irate is the fact that she puts he hometown of Wiarton, Omtario as her hometown even though she has lived almost her entire life in Windsor, Ontario. Represent the people who care for you, the city that is proud of you and the one who proudly flies your flag on Ouellette Avenue. I criticized the COC for giving Spencer the wildcard and stated that I believe Spencer did not belong at the Olympics. She proved that she did not belong while also placing a large cloud of doubt over her own head about if she can continue to be an elite athlete. Three straight losses and a blown opportunity tells me she isn't. My final question to Spencer and to all the readers out there is how long do you hold onto a dream before it becomes irrational? 

To my critics who ripped me openly and via social media, you can all go grab a paper towel and wipe your mouths after stuffing your face with a solid slice of humble pie. 

One cheer goes out to former Windsor Lancer and Canadian 800m runner Melissa Bishop as she begins her Olympic journey tomorrow. Everyone in Windsor is so proud of you, now time to bring the house on the Olympics! Boom!

Former Lancer and Olympian Melissa Bishop

Congratulations goes out to the IOC for giving people another reason why they do not want to watch this crap called the Olympics as the adjectives "controversy" and "joke" come to mind when you ask me what the 2012 Olympic Games have been so far.  

This is the Irate Italian saying Go Canada!!!