The round robin of the 2004 European Championships brought all the thrills, chills, and spills that soccer fans around the world have been waiting for since 2002’s World Cup in South Korea.

The atmosphere of renewal synonymous with spring usually creates a sharp contrast with the tired trend of inequality in the NBA Playoffs. As the buds blossom, the cries of basketball fans for parity have been drowned out by the victory parade of the champion from the Western Conference, while players from the East can only bow their humble heads. Over the past five seasons, a duo of Goliaths, Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs and Shaquille O’Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers, have perpetuated the dominance of the West—garnering five Finals MVPs, en route to outclassing the East by a total of 20 Finals wins to six.

Now that Toronto’s hope for a Stanley Cup has been extinguished for another year, the city’s sports fans must look elsewhere for their entertainment during the summer months. Many will turn their attention down Front Street to where the new look Toronto Blue Jays will try to build on last year’s promising season. The Jays aim to gain ground on perennial powerhouses the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees in the ultra-competitive American League East division.

After weeks of brilliant play-making, heavy hitting, and goaltenders duelling, four teams remain skating in the quest for the Stanley Cup.

Last fall, buoyed by the exciting playoff runs of baseball’s loveable losers, the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, the major leagues made its first real resurgence into the sporting conscience of North America since the 1994 players strike. The labour strife that took place a decade ago decimated attendance and interest, and it took last year’s incredible playoffs to push television ratings to a level competitive with more commercially successful leagues like the NFL or the NBA.

Back due to popular demand, the Journal reviews the performances of the winter term teams.

Jordan Balaban and Ashley Kaufman spent the winter break in Chile as members of the Canadian basketball teams at the Jewish Olympics. Balaban helped lead Canada to a silver medal, vanquishing the United States en route, a Canadian first. Balaban is a member of the Gaels basketball team and Kaufman was a late cut from the women’s squad.

Every year during the month of March, basketball fans gear up for the NCAA tournament, held over three weekends. Famous for buzzer-beating game-winning shots and countless other close games, the tournament generates ridiculous amounts of interest and television viewership.

With school coming to a close and all of our Gaels’ sporting action finished, the avid sports fan must look ahead to see what can whet their palate in the coming months.

For years, the National Hockey League has fought the perception that it is below the level of prestige and importance possessed by the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball. While the off-season has not brought forth a megabucks television contract, the NHL did make major strides to be more like other professional leagues.

While most students are spending the summer relaxing on the dock, seven of Queen’s best varsity rugby players are working hard out on the field.
They are part of a four-month program that has brought the best young prospects from across Canada to the new Centre for Rugby Excellence at Queen’s, known as The Academy. The program is designed to prepare Canada’s most promising players between the ages of 19-23 for national level competition.

When Gaels’ football head coach Pat Sheahan returns from holidays in mid-August, the first thing he should do is send a thank-you card to Hamilton Tiger-Cats Head Coach Ron Lancaster.