Olympics 2014

Do you have Olympic fever? Or has all the controversy surrounding Russia's hosting of the Games dimmed your enthusiasm? Regardless of where along that spectrum you find yourself, watching the events and celebrating our athletes in the company of others can't help but raise your cheer level.

As official Olympic broadcasters, CBC is taking steps to raise everyone's interest in these Games. Out on the snowy streets this morning, CBC reps were handing out print copies of the broadcast schedule. On the back is a list of events taking place at the Broadcast Centre on Front Street. The atrium has been turned into a viewing area and they are officially inviting everyone to come out between 10 am and 5 pm daily to join the fun and cheer on the athletes.

Feb 7 - Opening Ceremony
Feb 8 - Taste of Russia
Feb 15 - Pin Day (a pin swap day for pin collectors and sports enthusiasts)
Feb 17 - Family Day Sign Day (bring your best sign)
Feb 20 - Women's Gold Medal Hockey Game
Feb 22 - Taste of Russia
Feb 23 - Men's Gold Medal Hockey Game & Closing Ceremony ** this is at 7 am and includes a pancake breakfast

Plus try out some of these additional fun activities:

• Hoist the Flag on the CBC Podium, just like our athletes 
• Curling: Try your hand at Canada's other national sport 
• Get your picture taken as an athlete with our life-sized cut outs 
• Tattoo Station: Show your pride in (temporary) ink 
• Enjoy Sochi-themed kids' crafts with your youngest CBC fans

Visit the CBC website for full schedule and all the Olympic details you crave.

Euro 2012

Toronto is in the middle of football fever. No, not the Argos - I'm talking soccer. Whether you follow the sport or not, it's hard not to get sucked in when there is this much collective excitement around the city. It's also a great time if you're a fan of a pint - bars all over the city are taking advantage of fans' collective desire to drink and cheer together, offering deals on pints, sometimes all day, but more often, during the game. You can check out the schedule on TSN's site to best optimize your drinking and viewing pleasure.

Long-time official European Football Championships sponsor Carlsberg is also making it easier for fans to enjoy some of the games. On various dates and in various locations around the city, they are setting up Fan Parks, which include viewing trucks which will air the games on 15 x 8 foot double-sided screens. There are also contests, prizes and in some locations, Carlsberg beer tents. Check out their news release for more information, but here's a quick list of dates and locations:

June 22 - Quarter Finals
Commerce Court, Bay & King St. W
11 am to 5 pm

June 24 - Quarter Finals
Yonge & Dundas Square
Noon to 6 pm
Fully licensed!

July 1 - Finals!
College and Crawford Streets in Little Italy
11 am - 7:30 pm
Fully licensed, plus DJ for pre and post game celebrations.

Carlsberg will also be hosting weekly soccer-related give-aways on their Facebook page throughout June.

The Toronto Raptors

Are you a sports fan? Tired of watching the Leafs at a bar? Want to get out and actually see a game live? Then consider switching sports. Toronto is a fabulous sports town, offering a host of other professional teams when you’re tired of the Leafs. My recommendation: basketball.

Seeing the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre makes for a great night out, and can be surprisingly affordable. While it’s not been made clear on their ticket site, this year the Raptors organization has divided their games into 4 tiers based on who the Raptors are playing, and on what night. Tickets for games on nights other than Friday or Saturday, and against teams which aren’t top tier, can be had for as little as $12.50 per seat. And the games are lots of fun to watch. (For clarity, I’ll be adding the Best Value and Value games – both available for $12.50 – on the What’s On page.) If you’ve never given basketball a chance, here are some of my favourite things about it:

•  It’s fast. The players and the ball are always moving, the ball changes hands constantly, and leads can change in no time.
• Every game there are at least a few incredible plays. They might be dunks or alley oops, or maybe a great block, but they’ll get you cheering! (I even cheer the opposing team sometimes – when the play is that good, I can’t help it!) 
• There’s no fighting. The game is about the game, and good sportsmanship, for the most part, is what you’ll see on the court.  
• Jose Calderon. 

Don’t let sports nuts in your life convince you the Raptors are a write-off. True, they haven't made the play-offs in years, and last year they lost a lot more games than they won. But this year is a different year. They’re still not winning a lot, but the losses are usually pretty close and the games entertaining. They’ve suddenly learned how to play defense (go Amir Johnson!) and they’re a young team with a lot of potential (James Johnson is pretty interesting). And again, they have Jose.

Even if the action on the court doesn’t grab you, there’s tons of other stuff to amuse you. There are give-aways and the half-time show, the Dance Pack and the Raptor. Plus lots of other crazy fans to watch (the last game I was at, the Gingerbread Man sat in the section next to me with his pal Gumby). And you can always drink. While prices are pretty steep, my recommendation if you want beer: don’t order draft. The tall cans, which are the same size as a medium draught (the largest they sell at NBA games), are cheaper for some reason. Strongbow Cider is even cheaper than beer. I don’t get it, but I’m happy about it!

So convince your friends, or take your kids, and check them out. If they score 100 points, your ticket is even worth a slice of Pizza Pizza the next day. And by the way, from most seats in the ACC, you can’t hear their shoes squeak.