Sporting Madness

One of the interesting things that came out of yesterday's media conference call on the filing of the official application to move the Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton was the information about the NHL's application process. The application covers the territory required by NHL By-Law 36.5, and there are some curious inclusions and omissions there. First, the application includes substantial information about the Coyotes' financial picture in Phoenix. Here are four of the key points made in the application, excerpted word-for-word from the media backgrounder I received: "- Since inception the Club has recorded cumulative EBITDA losses in excess of $316 million. - The Club has been unable to generate a significant fan base in Glendale demonstrated by a lack of interest in attending a game live, with the Club ranking 5th in attendance interest in that market behind the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NCAA Football. Historic support is weak, attendance is low, ticket sales continue to dec...

Photo: Ryan Gibb makes a save against RMC forward Josh Fudge Jan. 23. (Joshua Chan photo for the Queen's Journal ) It's been a painful couple of months for some of Queen's varsity teams. Last month, star football running back Mike Giffin and hockey forward Brady Olsen both decided to leave the university level and explore opportunities in the pros, in the CFL and Central Hockey League respectively. Giffin made the CIS first all-star team this year, finished third in the country with 1,157 rushing yards, and shattered school records in rushing, scoring, carries and touchdowns. He was drafted 17th overall by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Olsen put up team-high offensive numbers this year with nineteen goals and 32 points, and signed a pro contract with the Rapid City Rush. Now, another star has left the Gaels. Ryan Gibb, the goalie who was named this year's OUA East MVP and was the 2007 OUA Rookie of the Year, is moving on to the Laredo (Texas) Bucks of the Central Hockey L...