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Posted on 10 July 2022 by admin

WNBA commissioner blames gun violence for lack of outdoor fan events during All-Star weekend

All weekend, the WNBA’s All-Stars talked about how the 18th annual game felt different. They described a higher level of attention surrounding the event, better player-thrown parties and an overall feeling of being treated like All-Stars.

Severely lacking, though, were planned fan activities and even the ability to purchase tickets to events such as the skills competition and three-point contest, which were held at McCormick Place, not Wintrust Arena. One event specifically, a concert thrown by Chance the Rapper, seemed like a great opportunity to engage Chicago fans.

But WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert didn’t see it that way.

“We would have loved to have opened that up to the public,” she said Sunday. “Because of security concerns dating way back to Mandalay Bay, dating back to other things that have happened here in Chicago, Uvalde and Buffalo, there’s a lot of concern about outdoor events right now unfortunately in our country. So we were just trying to do the best we could.”

Meanwhile, the Taste of Chicago was taking place less than two miles from McCormick Place, where the WNBA’s limited outdoor events were being held.

The general public was unable to attend most major All-Star events outside of the game Sunday. Nike Nationals participants, their families, All-Star players’ families and friends and select Sky season-ticket holders were able to secure tickets to the skills and three-point competitions Saturday. Youth players, corporate partners and players were admitted into the Chance the Rapper concert.

Despite Engelbert expressing concerns about outdoor events, the league’s lone event open to the public, WNBA Live, was held outdoors. The league had been planning the All-Star Game in Chicago since last fall. Engelbert said consultations with security experts, including the Chicago Police Department, led to the league’s decision to limit fan attendance.

Wintrust Arena wasn’t available to the WNBA on Saturday because of a Pampered Chef event, which is a better explanation as to why there were so few fan activities.

“Cobbling together everything that’s going on, coming off two tough COVID years and not having Wintrust available yesterday, it just wasn’t possible to have a fan event,” Engelbert said. “We didn’t have an arena to have it in here in the city of Chicago.”

Championship feelings

The All-Star Game at Wintrust Arena was played in front of a near sold-out crowd of 9,572. Last year during the WNBA Finals, the arena was at maximum capacity with 10,897.

Sky players weren’t on the same team in the game. Kahleah Copper and Emma Meesseman played for Team Stewart, coached by the Sky’s, James Wade, and Candace Parker and Courtney Vandersloot played for the victorious Team Wilson, coached by the Aces’ Becky Hammon.

“Just had Finals feels all over again,” Copper said. “I think the atmosphere was incredible. Especially when Chicago Sky players were being announced. It just felt so amazing to be a part of something so special.”

Copper added that the only thing that will help ease the pain of losing to her teammates is winning another championship.

Changes coming

Engelbert opened her news conference announcing changes on the horizon for the WNBA, beginning with chartered flights for both teams in the WNBA Finals this year and a 50% increase to the postseason bonus pool.

Also, the regular-season schedule will expand from 36 games to 40 next year, and two teams will be added by 2025.

“I’d say probably 10 or 15 cities are very interested in hosting a WNBA team,” Engelbert said. “We’re meeting here and there, I’ll call it with interested ownership groups. We’re looking for the right ownership groups with the right commitment, the right arena situation, the right city to support a WNBA franchise.”

Posted on 9 May 2022 by admin

The Games Viewers disappointed at lack of sporting events and too much filler

The Games returned to its new home on ITV (Picture: REX/ITV)

The female stars were seen competing in a 100m hurdles event, which was won by Chelcee Grimes, with Phoenix Gulzar-Brown coming a very close second.

The male celebs then competed in a pre-recorded hammer throw event, which was won by Wes Nelson.

All of the contestants were then paired in a mixed-doubles diving competition, with the first of two disciplines being shown on Monday, with the rest to come, before the men competed in a sprint race, which Wes Nelson won with a large gap between him and the others.

Embargoed Picture: For publication on Tuesday 3rd May 2022 Embargoed Picture: For publication on Tuesday 3rd May 2022 From Initial productions THE GAMES Starts Monday 9th May 2022 on ITV Pictured: (l-r) Lucrezia Millarini, Wes Nelson, Josh Herdman, Phoenix Gulzar-Brown, Max George, Christine McGuinness, Kevin Clifton, Rebecca Sarker, Ryan Thomas, Chelcee Grimes, Colson Smith, and Olivia Attwood, Hosted live by Holly Willoughby and Freddie Flintoff, The Games will also see former professional footballer and presenter as trackside reporter and former professional football player and presenter Chris Kamara as commentator. Photographer Nicky Johnston For further information please contact Peter Gray Mob 07831460662 / peter.gray@itv.com This photograph is (C) ITV and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes directly in connection with the programme PAUL O'GRADY FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS or ITV. Once made available by the ITV Picture Desk, this photograph can be reproduced once only up until the Transmission date and no reproduction fee will be charged. Any subsequent usage may incur a fee. This photograph must not be syndicated to any other publication or website, or permanently archived, without the express written permission of ITV Picture Desk. Full Terms and conditions are available on the website www.itvpictures.com — Viewers wanted to see more of the stars competing and less filler (Picture: ITV)

A bit disappointed with #TheGames on @ITV. Lots of hype in the run up and 1 hour in, we’ve only seen the ladies hurdle 100m and the mens hammer throw.
Can’t help but think there is a lot more filler here than actual content… ð¬ pic.twitter.com/dgVwKZ0SDp

— ðð¶ð¶ðª ð (@emma1883) May 9, 2022

Posted on 17 March 2022 by admin

A lack of events for creatives leads Guelph woman creates her own to help showcase others

‘I saw that there was a need for everyone to showcase their own talent,’ said Lilia Mohamed, event coordinator of Backyard Fest and Indie Art Fest

Dissatisfied by the lack of events for artists, one Guelph woman is behind a series of events ‘unlike anything seen in Guelph,’ aimed at providing a platform for creatives and their work.

“I want them to showcase their talents, their art and I also want them to make profits and sell,” said Lilia Mohamed, the coordinator of Backyard Fest and the upcoming Indie Art Fest, the first of which happens Friday, March 18.

An abstract artist herself, Mohamed wanted a space for creatives and the general public to interact and build relationships. That idea expanded to include small business ventures that started during the pandemic and performances, resulting in Backyard Fest.

“It was just an event I wanted to put together,” said Mohamed about Backyard Fest, which took place September 2021.

For that event, Mohamed said she and a friend constructed a stage using wood they sourced from Kijiji and a neighbour, who helped them build the stage. There were some challenges along the way, including finding vendors and a ticket from bylaw, but Mohamed said she was proud of the turnout.

“Last Summer when I did Backyard Fest, I was so stressed out, but then the amount of love I got for it afterwards it made my whole day,” said Mohamed. “I was pretty happy with that.”

After Backyard Fest, Mohamed said the student group, Curtain Call Productions, hired her to be their event coordinator. Now, she has organized another upcoming festival called Indie Art Fest, where door ticket proceeds will support the group and its production of Freaky Friday Musical.

“I saw that there was a need for everyone to showcase their own talent, and I was like, ‘Okay, maybe I should put on another event,'” said Mohamed.

“I’m getting absolutely nothing, which I’m okay with, because I would love to see this myself. I would pay to go to events like this myself.”

Happening March 18 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., Indie Art Fest will have performances from students at the University of Guelph, a local artist and different vendors. Door tickets cost $15 and $10 for students with student ID. Mohamed said the event will take place at Grassroots restaurant, located at 17 Gordon St., just south of downtown.

For Grassroots, Mohamed said this event will be their last.

“They’re closing down on Friday, which is very sad, but they have exhausted all of their options,” said Mohamed, who had previously worked at Grassroots. “I hope to send them out with a bang at least.”

The experience of putting together events has been a learning curve for Mohamed, from learning how to develop a floor plan, building connections and promoting events online. As an artist, she said the events have also been an opportunity to showcase her own art and build her confidence as an artist.

“It’s definitely improved my confidence,” said Mohamed. “I would like to sell, but there’s no time. I’ve put all my efforts into organizing and I don’t have the time to create my own art right now, but, the next show that I do, I want to do something in the summer and I want to do something on a bigger scale, like in a park, and I would do my best to get my art out, but right now I like the way I’m exposing my art.”

In the future, Mohamed would like to see these events become profitable.

“My hopes is that when I do another event, I can make it profitable, and that I can share some of those profits with the artists.”

For future events, Mohamed has created an Instagram account called WeLoveFests to share upcoming events. To see the Instagram page, click here.

Posted on 11 March 2022 by admin

Cities hosting major sporting events lack communications strategy, survey finds

Burson Cohn & Wolfe has revealed the results of its latest survey that looked into the significance of gaining international recognition for host cities ©BCW

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