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Posts Tagged ‘Football’
Warrior Football Fundraising Golf Tournament
Be sure to check out the Warrior Football Summer 2013 Newsletter.
As mentioned in the newsletter, I will be hosting a special fundraising Golf Tournament to support the Waterloo Warrior Football program. This will be held at Markland Woods on Tuesday, September 17.
For more information, contact Marshall Bingeman at mbingema@uwaterloo.ca. Shotgun start, limited to 18 foursomes, dinner and first class treatment!
- Marc Kealey
Waterloo Warriors Football Team – the renaissance of a program
Earlier this month I was honoured to be part of a wonderful team of alumni, coaching and university staff who hosted the first annual Waterloo Warriors Football Gala.
The event was a huge success and the money raised places the team well on its way to achieving the Renaissance of the Football program and its fundraising goal. The funds raised from the close to 600 people in attendance will go to scholarships, leadership programs and enhanced training tools – all vital elements of a successful football program.
As with all good things, this wasn’t an overnight success. The journey started over a year ago when a core group of supporters, athletes, faculty and alumni committed their time, energy, support and money to bring the football program at the U of Waterloo back to life after having suffered some major blows in the past.
One element of the plan was a call to action of all former football players, alumni, staff and other interested parties to join together to kick off the Renaissance of the program. After much hard work and planning, this was accomplished with resounding success culminating with the First Annual Waterloo Warriors Football Gala raising over $50,000.00.
Guests were enthralled by the evening’s headliner, former CFL and NFL offensive tackle, Chris Schultz whose message was clear – it’s going to be ok! Guest speakers included legendary Coach Tuffy Knight and newly minted UW coach and CFL great Joe Paoapao. Guests were visibly moved by current Warrior Receiver and top 40 under 40 Award Winner, Brandon Eaket whose emotional and motivational talk was a highlight of the evening. Another highlight was the first annual Ring of Honour inductees – outstanding football athletes at Waterloo who exemplify the spirit of the University of Waterloo’s football program. Four former football players from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 00’s decades were inducted to the Ring of Honour.
I am proud of my association with the University of Waterloo and the Warrior football program, my days there in the early 80’s have netted me many friends and a core group of stalwart Warrior fans and former players alike. Even more so I am proud and honoured to be part of the “team” to bring today’s Waterloo Warriors back to glory.
- Marc KealeyBuffalo Bills – Worst Team in Sports? Hardly!
As a season’s tickets holder for this storied franchise, I have to take exception to Toronto Star Sports Editor Chris Zelkovich’s early November piece asking the question of the Bills as – “The Worst Team in Pro Sports?”
I say hardly!
This is an NFL season of many, many stories about previously good teams having dreadful outings. Look at Dallas! Look at Minnesota! Look at Cincinnati! My goodness, look at Detroit!
The east division of the American Conference of the NFL is a tough one. New England and Indianapolis are two of the best teams in the NFL and Miami is surely a contender. They have stable and well known rosters. Buffalo is a young team with some veterans who make plays on the field as well as any of the teams above. Ryan Fitzpatrick is the 4th leading passer in the NFL. Roscoe Parrish has come into his own after former coaches for the Bills used him improperly in the past. C.J. Spiller is exciting, young and has a winning spirit. George Wilson is as effective as any defenseman in the league. ‘The Pos’ is equally as effective a linebacker as any NFLer and both offensive and defensive lines are good.
So what’s the problem? Nothing! We’re conditioned as fans to have winners and when winners don’t win – fans react!
I think Zelkovich is a bit of a dramatist!
Buffalo is a great sports town and every game at Ralph Wilson stadium is an event unparalleled in the NFL. The team had a rocky start and we’ll characterize 2010 as a growth period.
But they are not the worst team in sports. The experiment in Toronto at Rogers Centre is an apparent failure because the fan base for the NFL in Toronto is NOT attracted to Buffalo – they are Dolphins, Raiders, Eagles, Cowboys and Jets fans more so. There are many bad, bad teams in the NFL – year over year. Just ask any Lion’s fan! The NFL has cult like following from its fan base. I’m one of them and having long emotional discussions about what goes wrong comes with the territory.
I’m also a huge Leafs fan and having suffered through season after season suggesting that we shine up Stanley only to have our hearts broken – again – might make Zelkovich consider re-asking the question.
- Marc KealeyMiami and Pittsburg – hurts so bad!!
I was in Miami last weekend with a couple of my pals.
We went to see the Miami Dolphins / Pittsburgh Steelers Game. The start of the weekend could not have been more perfect. Met at the airport in Fort Lauderdale with a stretch limo and a police escort to one of Miami’s best restaurants, we planned the next day perfectly. Ending the evening at Mango’s near Gianni Versace’s home was the quintessential Miami experience.
The next day, we headed to Sun Life Stadium in Miami, a perfect day was ordered and we had some of the best seats in the stadium. I love football – especially the NFL. I’m a Buffalo Bills season’s ticket holder and am possibly the most forgiving fan they have – in fact my season’s ticket partner and I have the only hand knitted Bills sweaters at Ralph Wilson Stadium – but I digress.
The Dolphins and the Steelers are two of the best teams in the NFL. The game was a good seesaw affair until the 4th quarter when behemoth QB Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers called his own number and rushed into the end zone only to be smacked by a Dolphin linebacker causing him to cough up the ball. THAT was the start! What happened next makes this particular play and, in effect, this game one of the more controversial ones in NFL history.
Getting a win in the NFL is a tough thing these days (unless you’re playing against Buffalo). Parity among teams is at an all time high. And the talent spreads to all positions on the field – including officials and electronics. The pressure to call a game by officials has made the video replay a very important component of the game. Help me understand this though, why would a referee make a call so blunderous as to earmark it as one of the more controversial calls in NFL history? You’d have to be blind not to see that big Ben fumbled before the ball crossed the plane of the end zone and that a Dolphin recovered it. What’s even worse is that the referee ruled it inconclusive that Miami recovered the ball and gave the ball back to Pittsburg and they promptly scored a field goal that, in the end, gave them the game and the 2 points.
The end result was that Miami lost.
The weekend wasn’t lost though. Miami is still an exciting town, the weather phenomenal and the scene a cut above, but boy, did I miss my Bills that weekend!
- Marc Kealey