I get he bankrolled the league (which he absolutely deserves 100% credit for) and he donated the trophy (like Lord Stanley did) but I feel the name Walter Cup still comes off as "rich people buying to put their names on things for their legacy." I wouldn't have minded the equivalent of the NHL's President's Trophy for finishing first was named in his honour (or even if the championship trophies for the eventually conferences were named for him and his wife). I just think this trophy maybe should have been named after someone who was historically important to women's hockey (like even the Wickenheiser Cup). That would've taken some real humility to do lol

A play-in between the last four teams for the last two wild-card rounds would be good for the game.

(It'll never happen) but I'd love a 5 point system that distinguishes between winning/losing in regulation, overtime (a 3-3 format) and shootout (a skills competition).

Really it's down to people being reluctant to acknowledge the amount to which Caitlin Clark is single-handedly responsible; yes, I said "single-handedly," not "the '24 draft class (although with them the impact is bigger than if it was Clark alone) for what's happening with the WNBA this year. That's because people feel by acknowledging that, you're basically admitting to, and helping the argument, that this league and it's veterans and stars didn't exist before Caitlin came into the league.

Obviously, it's not true, but people (especially pro athletes) have pride and have egos and so they feel it's self-defeating to admit the extent to which Clark has changed the league. They'll say (as I said before) it's all the rookies, or the league was growing before her. The last point is true, but it wasn't growing like this. The back-to-back champs played at T-Mobile Arena not because they won two titles, but because of one player. The W wasn't cross-culturally relevant like this. Had Clark gone back to Iowa (and the rest of the '24 class entered the league) there's probably no charter jets (apart from the back to back games concession and the playoffs).

The only thing is the newer and casual fans (whom any sports league needs to grow and make money) hold Clark's instrumental role over the heads of long time fans and players and vets and commentators, acting (falsely) like this league didn't exist before number 22 on Indiana that people get defensive and in responding to that, feel that it's necessary to also downplay Clark's role because they see that as helping those ignorant arguments.

If they sat her out on the road, fans would freak (as a lot people show up just to see her). People in Vancouver were ticked that Messi didn't fly out for their game in BC last week. I agree minutes should be limited but a full out "she's not playing" is probably out of the question unless she's hurt.

very few basketball players have borne more media pressure and scrutiny than her for the last six months

And I'd argue no female athlete. In the past, female athletes have been in the spotlight but it was usually at most during a mulit-week/month-long tournament or event (like a tennis major, the Olympics, etc.). Having to face the daily, weekly, monthly (will be yearly) grind of a professional sports league (where every day for the next few months you're going to be driving conversation) is something that is def unique to Clark

My hope is that while people may come for Caitlin, they stay for Aja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Alyssa Thomas, Arike Ogunbowale, etc.

The history of sports kind of works against this happening on a large scale (people seemed to come and go with Tiger Woods and even Michael Jordan and don't really transfer their support to other stars on the same level) but (and I think this is why expansion is key) there is a potential (like in post-David Beckham MLS or post-Messi MLS eventually) for people to become attached to their local team. People may not watch (or even know) who the big stars are in MLS outside of Messi but they'll support their city/region's team which works just fine lol

Cheesy but straightforward lol: "Summer" by WILD and "Canadian Summer" by Dean Brody lol

Lived up to the hype. Can't ask for more than that lol

In cricket, some have argued that T20 (the faster paced, more offensively driven three hour version; btw the US is playing Canada today in Long Island in the T20 World Cup in a re-match of the first ever international cricket match in 1844) has led to a decline in interest in test cricket (the five day version) because it's a much better TV product. For anyone who watched some of the low-scoring, low-shot total triple overtime goals in the PWHL, seeing the three-on-three PWHL offered a glimpse at how removing a few players opens up the game and makes it a more dynamic experience. There is a risk (since less players means being more selective of talent, etc.) that people could choose to watch either this league or the WNBA depending on what kind of product is on offer.

The hybrid tough/skilled guy (think a Brad Marchand or Tom Wilson or even Matthew Tkatchuk). Before, if you were a pest, guy who liked to play on the edge, opponents and fans used to chirp you about your stats or skill.

I'll preface this by saying imo MLSE should've bid for the WNBA franchise. However, from a bottom line perspective (especially after Rogers lost a tonne of money on the 12-year/ $5 blllion hockey deal with the NHL and MLSE loses money on the Argos and Toronto FC though they obviously can afford it) I think they didn't want to pay what was allegedly the $50 million expansion fee for a WNBA franchise (Larry T ended up dropping $115 mil).

MLSE paid $10 million for Toronto FC back in '06 and then Beckham arrived and now TFC is worth $690 million. Maybe if MLSE didn't reject the bid last year before the Cailtin Clark effect could really be measured, they buy the team. But I still think they're thinking $115 mil is still too much.

I actually think having a mandatory gap year between high school and uni as an 18 year in lieu of a grade 13 where you're assigned to a different part of the province or country and have to do civic service (not military) is not a half-bad idea at building civic unity and cutting across national, ethnic, religious, and socio-economic barriers. People who go to university away from home benefit from this intrinsically but not everyone goes to uni or goes to uni out of town/province.

Lean Into Me by Milow

Stranger Things Have Happened by Clare Maguire

I Predict a Graceful Expulsion by Cold Specks

Camp Echo by Highasakite

how i'm feeling now by Charli XCX

"If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." - J.K. Rowling's Sirius Black

(Allegedly) a kiss up, kick down kind of guy.

It's nostalgia lol Sometimes if I'm playing a Jays franchise on MLB The Show I'll wear the black jerseys for Friday home games. Given the success of the NHL's Reverse Retros, I can totally see them bringing this back and people buying it as a special jersey.

Half a second I thought why is a Member of Provincial Parliament from Ontario writing a public letter after Minnesota won the Walter Cup? lol

Another reason in addition to the other ones listed here is that because Indigenous people comprise a relatively small part of the population of a Canada or US, no one will check you on claiming Indigenous identity (e.g. the so-called "Pretendians") like they would for other groups. If you're Ronda Rousey (black great grandfather) or Isaiah Hartenstein of the New York Knights (bi-racial father) or even retired hockey player Paul Bissonette (bi-racial mother) and you walk into a room and say "I'm black" or "as an African-American/Canadian" people right away are going to ask "Really?" or "How?" and you'd have to explain it (even though these people are much closer ,and more directly related, to family members from that group.

On the other hand, if the last Indigenous ancestor you had was five to eight generations ago (or none at all) and you say you identify as Indigenous, people will largely take you at your word. I mean, the top song in the world a few weeks ago was an African-American rapper telling a half-Jewish, half-black Canadian dude (who's dad and his dad's entire side of the family are African-Americans from Tennessee) "[he's] not like us" (in terms of being a "real" African American lol). People know that kind of stuff doesn't happen (at least overtly) if you claim Indigenous identity (as opposed to ancestry; e.g. I'm Asian-American with Indigenous ancestry) and so people take advantage of that and the opportunities and platforms reserved for Indigenous people.

Personally (arbitrary I know) but if you're less than 12.5% or 1/8th of something or two generations fully removed from one ancestor who is something, it changes from "I am [said identity]" to "I am [whatever you main identity is] with [that ancestor's identity] ancestry."

I think there's (and should be) a distinct difference between "identity" (i.e. claiming you identify as a member of a group; e.g. I am First Nations) as opposed to "ancestry" (e.g. I'm Irish-Canadian with First Nations ancestry). Because indigenous people comprise such a small percentage relative to other groups in Canada and the United States people who are less than say 1/8 (i.e. having one Indigenous great grandparent) can get away with identifying as Indigenous (instead of whatever group they are with Indigenous ancestry) because there's so few when in other groups even being 1/4 or half something else can get people saying you're not a member of that group (the number one song on the Billboard charts a couple of weeks ago was literally an African-American rapper telling a half-black, half-Jewish dude from Canada, who's dad and entire dad's side of his family are African-Americans from Tennessee "[he's] not like us"; "real" African Americans; and no one is saying Ronda Rousey is black even though her great-grandfather was).

So, again, what happens is you have people with virtually not tangible connection to that Indigenous identity who then use it to occupy spaces and take opportunities that are reserved for Indigenous groups (the so-called "Pretendians"). Again (it's completely arbitrary I know), but if you're less than 12.5% something or are two generations removed from one individual from a certain group, I think you count that as having that ancestry as opposed to being able to identify as a member of that group.

I think Nashville team would be a higher priority than going back to Detroit (given it's proximity to the University of Tennessee and I think Detroit is also hurt by its proximity to Chicago, Indianapolis, and Toronto.

Actually MLS shows how to successfully work as a non-big four North American sports leagues particularly in the last 15 years prioritizing the right markets (like an Austin) over simply going to big markets.

We're in a different era of non-big four sports. Prior lack of success is something that is almost discounted lol Markets are judged on their feasibility now

Bo Callahan. He had Diddy as his agent.

100%. Like I like the idealism of not including the word "Women's" or "Canada" in the league name or not partnering with the CPL or Canada Soccer Business but all those things seem like practical compromises you make at least initially.

To be fair the contexts are a bit different. The PWHL worked because hockey is the most popular sport in Canada, it's the best women's hockey league in the world (something that doomed previous attempts was having two separate leagues), and it was bankrolled by a billionaire with years of experience in pro sports management (by contrast, the NSL is run by ex-athletes with relatively little experience people on the management side; debatable moves range from not including "Canada" or "Women's" in the name of the league; refusing to partner with the CPL and Canada Soccer Business whatever their flaws, etc.).

I can see this league working like the CPL does for the men; offering Canadian women from the NCAA and USports an opportunity to extend their careers and develop young prospects in or out of high school for bigger leagues. But the apparent ambition to compete against the top leagues in the world (including the NWSL) for talent is going to be tough especially (as I predict) with the centre of the sport shifting away from North America towards Europe (where both soccer and women's soccer have less competition from other sports and other women's sports). Like the WNBA team coming to Toronto expansion team(s) in the NWSL might've been a better pathway with an established league attached to a bigger market (with many franchises geographically closer to Canada's major cities than some teams in the NSL).