Nothing But Class

After 17 days of training camp and the first week of the season under our belts the 2009 edition of the Concordia Stingers football team finally got a chance to hit something other than the football field, their opponents, or themselves… Of course I am talking about the classroom and for a few unlucky ones the books. I say unlucky because nobody likes homework on the first day of class but it happens.

Yes the start of the school year marks the main component in the life of the Student-Athlete, for as much fun as it is to be a varsity athlete most of us will go on to be professionals in something other than sports.

But with school comes a whole new set of stresses like what to wear to class, who will I sit beside, I hope the other kids like me, projects, assignments, papers, tests, and exams.

No one said balancing school and sports would be easy, but for this years crop of Stingers both new and old it is a challenge we all embrace with open arms and an open mind.

Best of luck to everyone and have a great school year.

Twas the night before training camp!

Twas the night before training camp, and throughout Montreal
The ’09 Stingers were gathering for a new season this fall.
The equipment was hung in their lockers with care,
In just one more day football, again, would be there.

Rookies and veterans all snug in their beds,
While visions of touchdowns and sacks danced in their heads.
And Craney in his PJ’s, and McGrath in his cap,
Still racking their brains on what to do on each snap.

With a new season comes hope and a whole bunch of chatter,
But at the end of the day only one trophy will matter.
Away is the off-season, gone like a flash.
Faster than Ferdinand in the forty yard dash.

The moon will set and the sun will rise,
And this years Stingers will appear before our eyes.
Ready to work as hard as it takes,
Blood, sweat and tears and complete body aches.

MacKay will quarterback and offense, so lively and quick,
Protected by linemen who promise to be as strong as they are thick.
The bird gang will ‘call’ and this season will fly,
But running backs with bird names, I still don’t know why?

Receivers will flank to the left and the right,
But it will be Coach Brad’s signal calling that is sure to excite.
Once the play is in, defenses will moan.
Because on any given play a number of Stingers can find the end zone.

A touch of Donnelly here and a splash of Mitchell Jr. there
Numerous spins by Watson promise to scare.
Mahoney with the ball is always a sight
And if that’s not enough Concordia’s ‘Black D’ is sure to spoil your night.

Fifth year man Mark Deslauriers is once again back,
Bringing with him a ferocious, a potent defensive attack.
On the line stand JP, Turp, Forbes and a bear,
If you get through still standing, Greenwood will be there.

Those caught crossing the middle will have their heads simply Hum.
If you are unclear what I mean, Nick, will kindly demonstrate where the expression comes from.
So keep the ball to the outside if you think that is best,
And quickly find out new Stinger Taylor is ‘Prime’ for the test.

If the defense should falter or the offense should stall,
Then their special teams units will answer the call.
Regimbald is their general in this game of chess
Just don’t ask him to spell Rene Paredes.

No matter the name being displayed on their back,
There is only one name to describe the whole pack.
C-O-N-C-O-R-D-I-A
And for all those who wear it there is no other way.

So bring on the Redmen and the Gaiters too,
The green and gold foxes and the Carabin blue.
And in Quebec City the Laval Rouge et Or,
Lest we forget last years Coupe Dunsmore.

But the past is the past and now a new season begins
I won’t spoil the ending; you’ll have to tune in to see who wins.
You don’t have to wait long, for tomorrow the Stingers unite,
And embark once again on the Quebec conference fight.

The start will be simple, McGrath, to his team give a whistle,
And together they will run like the down of a thistle.
But you’ll hear them exclaim as they run out of sight
“Football is back at Concordia, to all comers good-night!”

Welcome to Dan Rodrigues

The Concordia Stingers are pleased to announce Dan Rodrigues will take over the Stingers Update, a student-athlete blog covering the football team's season. A native of Oakville, Ont., Dan is in his fourth year as a wide receiver with the Stingers. He switched majors in 2008 and is now in his second year studying in Concordia University's prestigious Journalism program.

Dan will share his opinions and experiences with the Stingers football program and offer some insight on life around the Concordia athletic complex. A gifted writer, his wit and keen intelligence will surely keep Stinger fans entertained.

Check back regularly to get an insider’s view of Concordia football and life in a Stinger uniform.

Final Post

We brought some closure to our season last week when gathered for a Christmas party. The Dunsmore Cup is now far enough behind us, to the point where we can actually discuss the game without too many emotions surfacing. Generally, the consensus seemed to be that we had a really good season, and a really great team. Before seeing how the rest of the CIS play-offs unfolded, I think that only a few of us realized how well we stacked up against the competition from the rest of the country. 

Now that football's been removed from my schedule for about a month, I've had some opportunities to reflect on the season that was. The most significant realization that I've made is that coming back to play in my fifth and final year at Concordia was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Playing alongside teammates whom I've forged great relationships with, and playing for coaches who've contributed a great deal to my development as a person and a player was a privilege. Working towards a collective goal is something that unites a group of people, and experiencing the good times and bad times together will strengthen relationships that will persevere for many years to come. I do feel that I'm leaving Concordia without having accomplished all that I wanted, namely, winning a Vanier Cup. Next year's team should be strong once again though, and if there's one thing that I'm confident in, it's that Concordia will always field competitive teams. I'm already looking forward to watching my teammates compete next fall, and I will carry many great memories of being a Stinger with me for the rest of my life.

Thank you to those who expressed their complements in regards to my blog; I hope I was able to give some interesting insights into the 'goings-on' that the team experienced from a perspective that you wouldn't otherwise have been able to know. 

 

Losing the Dunsmore Cup will be a tough memory to recall, I'm sure for a long time to come. After seeing the results of the Uteck Bowl this past weekend though, the pain of that loss has been compounded by the realization that had we managed to pull out a win in Laval, our chances of advancing to the Vanier Cup would have been great.

Without taking anything away from Calgary, as they emerged as the champions from another tough conference, it's still hard to accept that they would have been nearly as tough an opponent as Laval was after they lost by a margin of 49 points on Saturday. Now I know just as well as anyone how tough it is to play in Peps Stadium, especially how tough it is to respond once Laval gets rolling, and the crowd is pumped, and Calgary was not prepared to play in that environment, and wasn't able to adjust to the difficult circumstances that they faced early on in the game.

We love our fans, and all those that come out to support us; Calgary wouldn't have been facing the same disadvantages though, had they been playing on our field. Still, after seeing the effort that they put forth, I think our team would have been well prepared to succeed against them. I realize that certain teams match up differently against each other and it is possible that Calgary is much better suited to play our team than they are to play Laval. Maybe it's arrogance then that makes me think this way, and the best team doesn't win on every occasion, but I really believe that we would have beaten Calgary. So the same scenario has repeated itself three years in a row now, and I would be lying if I said it wasn't frustrating; we have always felt that advancing past the Dunsmore Cup is the greatest obstacle to overcome in our quest to advance to a Vanier Cup final, and it seems true again this year. Good luck to Laval and Western this coming Saturday, I will watch and enjoy the game regardless of which team wins. The only thing that will upset me will be if Western gets trounced as easily as Calgary was. This would only add to the disappointment of knowing that 2008 could have been Concordia's year-- it was there for the taking. 

Dunsmore Cup

With under 2 minutes left in the game, I couldn't help but feel that the game was ours.  We had battled back in the fourth quarter from being down 20-3, and closed the score to 20-17. We had all of the momentum; while I was on the sideline watching our offense make plays, I could sense the crowd getting nervous. Though it wasn't the biggest Laval crowd we've played in front of, it definitely seemed like the loudest, as they were doing their best to force us to take offsides and delay-of-game penalties, trying desperately to give an advantage to Laval's defense.

After Mike Donnelly caught a short pass and ran for another 40 yards down to the Laval 15 yard line, I remember thinking to myself that we had to go for the touchdown. Yes, we were in field goal range, and could have played to go to overtime, but we had them on the ropes, and I felt like we needed to go for the knockout punch. We had to capitalize on our opportunity while we had the chance, and that's exactly what our coaches decided to do. Unfortunately, things didn't turn out the way we had hoped, and Laval's defense came up with a big turn-over in the endzone. The crowd roared; a demoralizing sound that I've heard many times before, except this time, it was as much an expression of relief as it was exuberance.  

This is the closest I've ever come to winning the Dunsmore Cup. It's unfortunate, because as a team we knew we had an opportunity to do something special, and it was not for lack of effort that we came up short. Afterwards, some of my teammates apologized for not getting myself and the other fifth-year guys to the Vanier Cup. I have to say that no one person could be held accountable for the way things turned out, and that we lost as a team. Instead of dwelling on the loss, I would prefer to thank my teammates and coaches for contributing to one of greatest experiences of my life: representing the University as a Concordia Stinger. 

After a convincing win over Sherbrooke this past weekend, we are all eagerly anticipating our next opportunity to compete for the Dunsmore Cup. This will be our third straight Quebec-final appearance, and those of us on the team that have experienced the past 2 defeats are especially motivated to prevail this year. Though we've lost twice already to Laval this season, our team feels that we played well enough to win at Laval in week 4, and that losing the turnover battle was the factor that made the difference. This is encouraging though because it is a correctable factor, and it is an aspect that we will focus on throughout the week.

If I were to compare this year's edition of the Concordia Stingers to those of the past 2 years, our current team is the one that has faced the most adversity throughout the season. We underperformed in a few games this season, and had to win a couple of them on the last possession of the fourth quarter twice. We were upset by Bishops, and we struggled through the turmoil that such inconsistency brings. We've matured as a team throughout the season though, and I think that it has been evident in our last two wins. We are not a perfect team, but we are now constantly improving, and have been able to overcome the mistakes that had really set us back earlier in the season. Our entire team is excited and ready to take the next step, and prove that we are a Vanier Cup calibre competitor, and perhaps better prepared, mentally, to compete for the Dunsmore Cup.