Habs anything but settled...

Tonight, the Montreal Canadiens will attempt to do something that has not been done since May 12. That is, to score a goal. Since their 5-2 dismantling of Pittsburgh in the second round of the NHL playoffs, les Habitants must have not gotten the memo that the conference finals are underway.

Let's not take anything away from Leighton, who has been nothing short of exceptional. However, for a team that was able to knock off the Eastern conference's best team, followed by a victory over the defending Stanley Cup champions, Montreal has been outplayed and most importantly, outscored.

It can be assured that the Bell Centre will be electric tonight as Montreal attempts to avoid falling into a seemingly insurmountable hole, a fight that Philadelphia is all too familiar with. Much will rest on the shoulders of Canadiens goalie Jaroslav Halak. Not only has he given up 9 goals in the last 2 games, there was a seemingly underlying tone of defeat evident among the entire Canadien squad.

Just over an hour away from the puck dropping.

Until next post,

Live.It.Up.

Phiten Technology: LEGAL enhancement.

It seems that every week, companies are developing products that are designed to "enhance" an athlete's performance. From lighter shoes, to sweat-absorbing apparel to mouth guards that are proven to improve agility by aligning your spinal column, one has to wonder where to draw the line with sports technology.

Recently, I noticed many major league baseball players wearing pink, rope-like necklaces on Mother's Day. These necklaces were designed to promote breast cancer awareness along with arm bands and baseball bats painted pink. It wasn't until I looked into buying one of those necklaces that I realized they are anything but an ordinary piece of jewellery.

Phiten technology utilizes the Phild Process in their products. Using this process, it helps to combat fatigue and stabilize the flow of energy within the body, allowing for faster recovery time while keeping the muscles relaxed, preventing stress and injury.

Still not convinced? I wasn't either so I decided to look a little deeper. It turns out there may be more to this product than one may think.

Using the Phild Process, Phiten scientists are able to dissolve titanium in water, a process which was not possible because modern titanium is not soluble. By using Phiten's filed process technology, they are able to dissolve titanium, creating Aqua-Titanium. This helps emit energy and controls the body's bio electric current.

Listen, I'm not a scientist. Do I think this product works? I really can't tell you because I've never tried it. But, after checking out the Phiten website and getting a chance to read and learn about this product, it is amazing that technology allows for such advancement in sports equipment.

However, I do not feel that professional athletes would wear something that hinders their performance. With athletes such as Josh Beckett, Justin Morneau, Sergio Garcia and Jennie Finch wearing this product, one would have to think it works.

For more information, visit Phiten's website.

Until next post,

Live.It.Up.

The Future: Tim Tebow = Mile-High Star!

So the NFL Draft was held on Thursday, and let's be honest, there were really no surprises with Bradford, Suh and McCoy going 1-2-3 respectively. The most talked about draft pick the day after seemed to be the Denver Broncos first choice, taking Florida's Tim Tebow in the very first round.

Tebow has come under much scrutiny and has been the subject of speculation and criticism as to when he would be drafted (predicted 3rd of 4th round at the earliest) and if he would be a success in the NFL. With Kyle Orton and newly added Brady Quinn added to the roster, Tebow is placed third on the depth chart. I do feel, however, that the battle for "second" is very much within Tebow's grasp. Still doubtful? Let's take a look at the statistics.

1) College Statistics. Taking a look at the three seasons they each played all 12 games at QB (Sophomore, Junior and Senior). For Quinn, that is seasons 2004-2006 and for Tebow 2007-2009. As one can see, Tebow outplays Quinn in almost every category including:

• Career Touchdowns (only category that counts all four years): Tebow 88 > Quinn 86
• Completion Percentage: Tebow 66.4% > Quinn 60.3%
• Yards per attempt: Tebow 9.28 yards > Quinn 7.79 yards
• Overall QB rating: Tebow 169.67 > Quinn 143.64 (as provided by ESPN)

2) Tebow knows how to win. Two BCS National Championships, one Heisman Trophy, Tebow is a champion. He commands the attention of the room and people listen when he opens his mouth. A born leader, a winning attitude and an unmatched work ethic are why Tebow will succeed in the NFL.

Now it's unfair for me to not give ANY credit to Brady Quinn. The man went to Notre Dame and has managed to survive his beginning years in the NFL, but the odds do not seem to be in his favour. In terms of work ethic, leadership and locker room presence, Tim Tebow will surely command the respect of his teammates.

Look, I also get the point that a QB needs a good offensive line and needs receivers to catch the ball, but if a QB cannot adapt to his players to some extent, that's like me saying I could win 22 games in a major league baseball season except I don't have the New York Yankees behind me to make plays and score runs for me. Tebow had nine fewer career interceptions and was sacked 20 fewer times than Quinn during their time in the NCAA.

If Quinn cannot lead the Browns to better than a 5-11 season, do you really think that moving him into a backup position on a team that went 8-8 last year is an answer to Broncos' fans prayers?

Get ready Denver, you've got a third string answer to your prayers.

Until next post

Live.It.Up.

Tigah Tigah Tiger Woods Ya'll

Okay, so Tiger Woods made his return to the golf world at the Masters this weekend in Augusta. Despite showing obvious signs of rust, he still managed a top 5 finish.

With his return, the question arises "Will Tiger Woods' be able to restore his image?" From what I saw this weekend with the support he received from fans, he is already well on his way.

Why do I sound so nonchalant? Its not because I condone his actions in any way, but, it's the life of an athlete and continually being in the public eye.

There's no denying this scandal provided a FIELD DAY for media outlets. In saying that, soon enough, there will be another story in the news involving a celebrity, Tiger will win a major in the near future, and all will be forgotten. Will his image be restored by those of us who were around when this happened? Probably not, BUT, for future generations, this scandal will mean nothing to them.

Look at the Kobe Bryant alleged rape case in Denver, the Michael Vick dog fighting, the Ray Lewis murder accusation. I know that each case has its own points, but my point is that with the way that the media jumps all over anything that potentially has a story, this story will fade out just as fast as the next one will come and go. And yes, Tiger Woods is a role model, but so is my dad. Granted my dad is not of the same public stature as Woods, BUT, Tiger's ONLY obligation as a golfer is to provide the fans with the feeling that they got their money's worth. If he wants to hurt his family, that's his decision.

And for those people who say "well he's a role model and if young children see that they get the wrong message". Sorry, but if Tiger Woods has that much of an impact on an 11 year old child, what does that say about the parents? In addition, at 11 or 12 years old, sex wasn't exactly the first thing on my mind. In fact, it wasn't even the second or third thing. I was more worried about running laps at baseball practice or passing my Kumon math tests rather than future thoughts of adultery with 15+ women.

I don't agree with Tiger Woods' life decisions in any way, and maybe I'm just a stubborn S.O.B., I just don't really care enough to hate Tiger Woods. He's not coming over for dinner any time soon and I haven't yet booked a tee time with him at Pebble Beach.

Everyone just needs to chill out and realize that soon enough, there will be another story for people to read about and complain about celebrities.

Until next post,

Live.It.Up.

"Student-athlete...STUDENT comes FIRST"

Greetings Everyone! Welcome to Bridging the Gap! This blog is the start of what I hope to be a long career in Public Relations industry. For a long time I have wondered why our culture in sports seem to lack the support, both morally and financially, that it deserves.

I believe it is because many feel that a higher emphasis on sports will jeopardize educational standards. It is my hope to alleviate this feeling and convince people that there IS a way to find a healthy balance between athletics and academics.

This blog contains multiple components:

1) It will serve as a platform for the latest sports news, as well as my opinions regarding issues in sports.

2) It will highlight one effective study tip for students to experiment with if they are having trouble focusing while studying.

Since I am aiming to work in the areas of corporate responsibility and event management, I hope that my ideas on how to bridge the gap between athletics and academics will be seen by organizations such as Right to Play Canada, sports PR agencies, athletic companies and financial and scholarship companies such as Studentawards.

Throughout my career in public relations, it is my goal to make people realize that the value of sports does not mean a compromise in one's education. It is about instilling values in young men and women that will translate over into their academic lives. It is about bringing communities together through a sense of pride and achievement and empowering these young athletes to succeed both in sport and in the classroom.

Check out my personal brand below to get a better idea of who I am and what I am all about!

Neil's Personal Brand Plan

Until next post. Live.It.Up.