Eh, Happy Canada Day

The Roundup would like to wish a happy Canada Day to Booster Vice President Jim Leish and any other hosers out there.

More importantly, we would like to point out that the NFL Network is broadcasting what Jim calls "real football", and no, he's not referring to the Women's World Cup (soccer).

Rather he means the Canadian Football League, which kicked off its season last night with an exciting 30-26 victory by the Montreal Alouettes over the British Columbia Lions.  By the way, did you know that "Alouette" means skylark in french?  It does.  Thus the children's song Alouette, gentille Alouette translates to:

Little skylark, lovely little skylark
Little lark, I'll pluck your feathers off
I’ll pluck the feathers off your head
I’ll pluck the feathers off your head
Off your head - off your head
Little lark, little lark
O-o-o-o-oh

And then subsequent verses of:

Off your beak
Off your neck
Off your back
Off your wings
Off your feet
Off your tail

Anyway, if you'd rather watch football, such as it is, rather than trying to figure out how to pluck feathers off a Skylark's beak, check out the NFL Network's CFL schedule.  (It may be the only pro football we have this year - eh?)

Then you can have an all-American Fourth of July weekend, as will The Roundup, watching soccer from Germany, tennis from England, and football from Canada.

Spring Football

I'm watching the University of Michigan spring football game on the Big 10 Network (439 on Dish Network).  (I might have a problem.)

WHS Class of '10 member Jibreel Black is starting at defensive end.  They're using a first team-second team format - the first team O plays the first team D and then after a change in possession the second team O goes against the second team D - so Jibreel plays every other series.  He's #55.

The announcers are talking about the new coaching staff switching from a 3-4 scheme on defense to a 4-3.  That sounds like good news for Jibreel.

The Big 10 Network is replaying the game overnight tonight at 1 AM and 6 AM if you want to check on Jibreel.

Tomorrow night at 7 the Big Ten Network shows Indiana's spring game.  Jibreel's older brother Larry plays for IU and assuming he's healthy Larry should be playing in that game.

Down Under "Super Bowl" two weeks in a row

Austalian Rules Football (affectionately known as footie) is a very big deal Down Under.

Last week they held the Grand Final, which is basically their version of the Super Bowl.

But it ended in a tie.  Ended.  Not was tied and hence went into overtime.  Ended.

So for just the third time in over 100 years, the other two in 1948 and 1977, they will hold the Grand Final Replay.  That is, they play a complete 2nd game.  Think of all the hype and planning and everything and then doing it all again.  What do you do about weddings scheduled for this weekend? 

Anyway - if you want to watch the Collingwood Magpies vs. the St. Kilda Saints, you can catch the Grand Final Replay on ESPN2 tonight at 1 AM.

Not sure if you have to be a subscriber but here is a Wall Street Journal article about all of this.

Black's appearance in Ohio North-South Classic on SportsTime Ohio

The paper says that the Ohio North-South Classic state all-star football game, which will be played this Friday night at 7 PM at Ohio Stadium, will be televised on SportsTime Ohio.  The main attraction of the game, of course, is Wyoming's own Jibreel Black.

I went online and couldn't find it, nor could I see where SportsTime Ohio is carried locally, but I often can't find the ketchup when it's right there in the refigerator door (poor Mrs. Roundup).

So hopefully you can find it and set it up to tape as you send your kids off to prom.

By the way, I checked with Jibreel and he said he should be back in plenty of time for post prom.

Australian Rules Football

If you want to take a stroll down memory lane to the early days of ESPN, the Australian Rules Football (often referred to as "Footy") Grand Final will be televised this Friday night/Saturday morning.  Things will start Friday night at 11:30 PM on ESPN Classic with the pre-match ceremony.  This typically includes (Aussie) celebrities and the singing of "Waltzing Matilda" and "Advance Australia Fair."

The game telecast begins an hour later (that's my way of avoiding trying to remember if that's 12:30 AM or PM - I think AM) and then there's a half hour Trophy Presentation ceremony at 3:30 AM (got that one).  Worth a Tivo-ing or DVR-ing if you want to broaden your sports horizons. 

The game itself will pit the St. Kilda Saints vs. the Geelong Cats.  I know - who's the marketing genius that came up with that nickname for St. Kilda?

Here's a YouTube video promoting Footy if you aren't familiar with it.

Did you know that Cincinnati has an Aussie Rules team, the Cincinnati Dockers?

Here's a brief explanation of the rules from the Dockers' web site.

Finally, if you tune in and like what you see, the US Footy championships will be held in Mason on October 10th and 11th at Heritage Oak Park.