2017 Year In Sports

Every year at the end of the year I find myself thinking back to the moments that made my heart stop. The moments that left me speechless, the moments that will never leave my memory. Every year at the end of the year, I write about the year in sports, and the moments that really took my breath away. That moment of pure awe at an unexpected win, or the feeling that my heart was going to fall out of my chest as my team was seconds away from winning it all.

Every year I like to look back and smile at the greatness the world actually has to offer, and every year at the end of the year I try to push all the bad things out of my brain and focus on the greatness that lies ahead of us. 2017 was a year that did not lack the headlines. From natural disasters to racism and standing up for what you believe in, 2017 had it all. If I could only say one thing about 2017 as a whole, I would say more than anything, that we seized the day.

As a die-hard fan of everything involving Toronto sports, I would say it was a pretty fantastic year for us. First and foremost, I do not even know where to begin to explain how it felt watching TFC progress through this year. A historic season is an understatement for what the team accomplished, and to be able to say that I was fortunate enough to witness it first hand, I feel incredibly lucky. It’s funny to think that only a couple of years ago everyone in Toronto believed that Jermaine DeFoe was going to be the savior for us all, and somehow that ship slowly sailed and we were graced with a tiny little man from Italy who took our breath away every time he stepped on the pitch. Not to mention the leadership coming from our captain, and the perseverance and strength coming from the heart of Jozy. Watching that final game was like something I had never experienced before. And to think that just two weeks prior to TFC winning it all, the Argo’s did the exact same thing. Pretty successful eh?

Now, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t include something about my beloved leafs in here. In 2017, the leafs proved to the league that there are big things coming. In Matthew’s first season, they made the playoffs, and they put up a fight. I know you’re all thinking, Ok Alessia relax, they lost in the first round, but that really isn’t the point here. They did as well as they did with a bunch of rookies, who are only going to grow and get better as time goes on. I think that sooner than everyone thinks, the Leafs are going to be the team to beat.

The main event of the entire year came late in the summer, when everyone gathered around with all of their friends to watch two men battle it out in the most expensive fight of all time. Late August, McGregor vs. Mayweather. If you didn’t hear about it, you were definitely living under a rock. I think we can all remember how it went that night, trying to wrap our brains around the fight, and the fact that Mayweather proved that he was the best in the world at what he does.

It’s always a difficult thing to deal with when tragedy strikes and there is no way for anyone to stop what’s going on or make it better. When natural disaster hits a city, the most important thing to do is stick together as a community. When Hurricane Harvey struck Houston, there wasn’t much to do, but to wait it out and rebuild. But there is always that light at the end of the tunnel that reminds us that things do get better. What better way to shine light into a city than for a team to win their first ever World Series. Quite honestly, 2017’s fall classic was nothing short of brilliance, and I do not think there was one person in the world that wanted it to end. A 7-game battle that ended just the way it was supposed too.

Year after year I wonder how we can ever top the previous Super Bowl. In the coming months, I don’t know how it’s going to be possible for a team to shock the world like the Patriots did in 2017. Yes, everyone knows the Patriots are a powerhouse, but after erasing a 25-point deficit this past year, no one is ever going to think twice about doubting them again. I’m putting my distaste for Brady on hold for a second, and I’m going to say that he’s pretty damn incredible.

I know that Golf is a sport that usually flies under the radar for most people. For me personally, The Masters is my absolute favorite event on the tour, and this year, watching Sergio Garcia win his first ever major in a sudden death playoff against Justin Rose was something worth watching for everyone.

Another thing worth watching in 2017, was Roger Federer proving that he is seemingly ageless, that he will just keep winning and winning, and no one is going to stop him. The man really did prove he is one of the greatest of all time this year.

The NHL playoffs are always something I look forward too. In 2017, when the Nashville Predators had been seemingly perfect before reaching the finals, I was even more intrigued to see the outcome at the end of it all. Incidentally, we know that the Pens took home the hardware for the second year in a row, beating the Preds in 6 games. In the NBA playoffs of 2017, it was another team looking to repeat, but instead the Warriors were able to break the Cavs and win it all.

The Champions League is when the best in the world face off against the best in the world. It is something that every sports fan can appreciate and divulge in, watching as the greatest clubs in the world battle to see who really is the best of them all. To put it lightly, 2017’s final was a heartbreaking one for me, being a Juventus fan in a sea of Real Madrid fans. It is what it is and I will just have to swallow my pride and say that in 2017, Real Madrid proved to be the best.

2017 was one of those years that I will forever be thankful to be apart of. With sports, comes that feeling of being able to achieve anything. That is exactly what I hope to bring with me into 2018. The feeling of knowing that nothing is impossible, and that we are living day to day creating moments that will last a lifetime, because like I always say, there is no greater feeling in the world than being a sports fan.  

2016-2017 Leafs Season Wrap

Here we are my fellow leaf fans, a day that we all knew would sooner or later come, but kept hoping for the best. First of all, I just want to put it out there how incredible it has been to watch the leafs play over the past year. Hockey that I didn’t know could even exist in the city of Toronto was played right in front of my eyes and I have never been so thankful.

            For the first time in a really long time, it wasn’t a dread to watch a leaf game. All throughout the season, and that playoff run, I was glued to my TV, watching those young kids become something of themselves, and make something of our city, that we all have been longing for, for a very long time.

            As I watched as that last goal sneak past Anderson tonight, I immediately thought of all the great things this team is going to accomplish in the next couple of years. No one even believed the leafs would be able to keep up with the Caps in this series, but somehow they did and I feel so lucky to have witnessed it. Despite the minor (and major) anxiety attacks I’ve had the past two weeks from the leafs, I would never trade in that feeling of excitement for the world. This is what being a sports fan is all about. Going through the crappy seasons with your team (and in Toronto there have been many of them) to getting to the good part like this. The part that you know great things are going to happen soon.

            I know that in a couple years when the Leafs do win the cup (because they will), I’ll remember this day… how I cried for a good 15 minutes after the game ended, and thought to the future for better days to come for the leafs. As for now, the season is a wrap and the leafs can be proud of themselves for what they accomplished this season. The maple leafs gained a lot of confidence from everyone in the city this year. This is just the beginning on what is going to be a team that Toronto has never ever seen before.

Toronto Sports - April 2017

            Being a Toronto sports fan the past couple years has been a roller coaster ride to say the least. There have been so many things to be happy about, so many things to take away from the past couple of seasons from our favorite sports teams. I don’t remember a time in my life where I’ve been able to be excited about so many actually DECENT teams from the city that I live in.

            I guess we should start with the leafs. I mean, I don’t want to get ahead of myself, because after all they are the LEAFS. Anything can happen in the last couple games of the season, and until the leafs are actually clinched in the playoffs, I don’t want to jinx anything. BUT COME ON… The leafs are actually good. I can’t even believe I’m saying that, but it’s true. It’s been quite a while since the leafs have actually been a good team. I mean, yes of course in 2013 they made the playoffs in the shortened season, but this time if they do make it, its going to feel a little bit more real. Matthews, Marner and Nylander are making history and we are all privileged to watch it. That’s the best part of it for me. Not only are they sitting in a playoff spot, but it’s THEIR FIRST YEAR. And you know that means? It means years of GREAT hockey to be played in the city of Toronto. Whether or not the leafs make the playoffs, or make it deep into the playoffs, it’s only the beginning of the beautiful journey these young guys are about to take us all on.

            The Raptors have been making us in the north a very happy fan base for the past couple of years. This has a lot to do with the work of Masai Ujiri and of course the brilliant play of  Lowry and Derozan. I’m not going to lie, my heart was quite broken when they lost to the Cavs, but it was a learning experience and that’s the most important thing that we can take away from last years playoffs. Considering the fact that the Raps are clinched, we can all anticipate a great first round. Picking up Serge Ibaka and PJ Tucker was HUGE for the team, and those are two players that can really have a big impact come playoff time.

            The Jays season is days away and I can’t believe how fast it’s come. It feels like a couple weeks ago that Edwin hit that grand slam sending the jays to the ALDS. Since then, we’ve lost Edwin, but gained a lot of key players that can potentially make this season a great one for the Jays. A lot of people I talk to are critical of the way they think the Jays are going to do this year, but the only thing we can do is hope for the best. The past couple of season the Jays brought me pieces of history that I will remember for the rest of my life and for that I’ll be forever thankful.

            TFC plays there home opener tonight at BMO Field. If you thought baseball season came back quickly, I think the MLS season came faster. I feel like that cold day in December was just a little while ago. That game messed with my head in more ways than one, and I will go over those penalty shots again and again and wonder why it had to end that way. But let’s not dwell. Giovinco and TFC brought excitement and passion into the city with their playoff run last year. I can only imagine that there will be more in store for us this year.

            Overall, it’s an exciting time in the sports world everywhere, but the excitement feels so real right now in the city. There is so much going on I can hardly keep track. No matter how many times Toronto sports teams have broken your heart, you keep going back for more. We are all under a spell that pulls us back in after every season that our hearts have been broken. We are captivated by the passion that these teams unite in us all. All there is to do now is watch in excitement and cheer as loud as we can, because like I always say, there is no better feeling in the world than being a sports fan.

Spring Time Sports

There are always those times in the sports calendar year that are extra exciting. Times like October or April where seasons begin or begin to heat up, and the eyes of everyone in the world are set to any match they want. It is all at their disposal.

I smell spring in the air, but I also smell the fresh (artificial) grass from the Rogers Centre. I smell the anticipation in the air for Masters to begin. I smell heated rivalry’s coming together to form great series, but most importantly, I smell sports fans getting ready for a multitude of incredible sport moments.  

Ahhhhhhh April, oh how I’ve missed you. Baseball’s regular season is 3 days away, and I cannot extract my excitement, but I can say that this Jay’s season is going to be one that we will never forget. I mean, I don’t want to place my bets yet, but I smell another AL Division title…. Or maybe that could just be the smell of artificial grass getting to my head…. Or better yet, maybe I could be smelling some rain???? Eh JD? There is nothing more exhilarating then knowing that baseball is back after what has seemed like an incredibly long winter.

Just a couple days after the baseball season is back into full swing, we get to tune into none other than The Masters – my absolute favorite tournament ever. Who will be graced with the beautiful green jacket this year…. And for whoever does win, do you think they’ll let me take a selfie in it for my instagram profile?

(Sad) fun fact of the day: It seems as if there are absolutely no Canadian teams that are able to make the NHL playoffs this year… ouch. You know what that means? The Raptors have to bring some pride into the nation, and especially the 6ix (haha did I do that right?) and bring home that NBA Championship. Not quite sure how far we will get right now, but lets keep our hopes high and try to at least make it past the first round this time. Maybe after that we can think about trying to defeat Golden State in the Finals.

I can’t say that TFC is playing at home anytime soon, BUT what I can say is that Sebastian Giovinco is an absolute magician with the ball at his feet, and bringing him to Toronto was one of the best things MLSE has ever done. So good news for you soccer fans, TFC doesn’t make you want to cry after every single game anymore. We are getting somewhere people!!

April has arrived; so friends, get ready. Greatness awaits.

#BellLetsTalk - 2016

Everyone has his or her own story. The person you sat next too on the subway this morning could have been a person who contemplated taking his or her own life. The person who you thought was rude in class may have been a person who suffers from social anxiety. The person who you saw walking down the street with a smile on their face could be a person who is in a deep depression. You can never truly understand what is going on in a person’s head, but there are always ways for you to help.

This year, think about these things as you’re walking down the street and look to the person to the left of you. Remember that having a mental illness is not something to be ashamed of, or something you feel like you need to hide. Remember that no matter what, someone will be there – someone who you would least expect.

Today, January 27^th 2016 is #BellLetsTalk day. So today, let’s talk to end the stigma, and make a difference.

#BellLetsTalk, because you’re never alone.