Empty Seats?

Last night I was sitting in bed in my hotel room in Minot watching ESPN (jealous?). All that was plastered on the top sports network south of the 49th was college basketball, both men's and women's. The seats at th games were packed, unlike here in Canada. It got me wondering, why do we not follow our collegiate athletes with such vigor north of the border? You rarely catch a CIS game of any kind outside of the National Championship games on either of the big networks in Canada. Why? Not only that, but the attendance at the actual games is sparse at best. I realize that this is the Great White North and that hockey rules, but there is some fantastic amateur sport right under our noses and most people don't even have a sniff. There is something cool about going to a Pats game and watching the likes of Jordan Eberle and knowing that one Saturday night in a few years you'll be watching him on the Mother Network (CBC) and I will never take anything away from that. But consider names like Schmidt or Williams or Urban or Ross or Jule or Knoop.... Then consider a Tuesday morning in the future when you are getting physio or meeting with your accountant or financial planner and realizing that the person who is helping shape your future or helping with your health is that same kid you saw on the court just a few years ago. Kinda cool!

So next Saturday night when you are sitting at home staring at the 'boob tube' watching guys who once played here...Get up, shuffle on down to the University gym and pick a seat close to the court and take in the action from some kids that you may need to see in a few years.

Catch Cougar Tracks tonight at 11pm on Global Regina (ch. 5)