billsportsmaps.com

September 25, 2010

Canadian Hockey League, with all WHL, OHL, and QMJHL teams (60 teams); reigning champions listed; and 2009-10 attendances.

Filed under: Canada,Hockey — admin @ 4:17 pm

Please note: I have made a more “recent” map-and-illustrated-post of the CHL that I am guessing would be more enjoyable to read than this one (seeing as how it shows a more updated map and is chock-full of illustrations on teams and their arenas and hometowns). Click on the following link for that,
Canadian Hockey League: location maps for WHL, OHL, and QMJHL teams (60 teams) and 2011-12 attendance data. Plus the top 3 highest drawing teams, the top 10-highest percent-capacities, and the Shawingan Cataractes – the 2012 CHL Memorial Cup winners.
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canadian-hockey-league_whl_ohl_qmjhl_post_2e.gif

Canadian Hockey League


I made this map because a viewer asked for a map of all 3 CHL leagues on one map, here (40th comment). At first, I didn’t think I would be able to fit in team logos, because there are so many teams in a relatively small area in southern Ontario Province. I solved that problem by including an enlarged map segment of that region at the lower left of the map page.

The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella-organization for the 3 Canadian major junior hockey leagues, the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The leagues are the top echelon of junior hockey on Canada and are for players aged 16 to 20 years old (there can exceptions made for young phenoms being allowed to play, but this has happened just once since the CHL implemented the 16 year old minimum-age rule a few years ago…that player was New York Islander and 2009 #1 draftee John Tavares, who was allowed to play when he was 15). Each team has a European player allotment of 2 players. [see this: {Junior hockey page from en.wikipedia.org}].There are 60 teams in the CHL, with 22 teams in the WHL, 20 teams in the OHL, and 18 teams in the QMJHL.

There are 51 Canadian-based teams in the CHL, and 9 teams in the CHL that are based in the United States. The 5 American-based teams in the WHL are from Everett, Washington; Seattle, Washington; Kennewick/Pasco/Richland, Washington; Spokane, Washington; and Portland, Oregon. The 3 American-based teams in the OHL are from Saginaw, Michigan; Plymouth Township, Michigan; and Erie, Pennsylvania. The one American-based team in the QMJHL is from Lewiston, Maine.

There is no inter-league play between the 3 leagues except for the Memorial Cup competition, which is played each May at a different site, and is a round robin tournament made up of the 3 league champions and a fourth team which is the team from the host city. In 2010, Brandon, Manitoba was the host city, meaning that the Brandon Wheat Kings squared off against the WHL-champion Calgary Hitmen, the OHL-champion Windsor Spitfires, and the QMJHL-champion Moncton Wildcats. In the final, Windsor demolished Brandon 9 to 1, and so the Windsor Spitfires were Memorial Cup winners for the second straight season.

One player on that twice-champion Windsor team was the #1 pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, Kingston, Ontario-born LW Taylor Hall, who was selected by the Edmonton Oilers. [2010 NHL Entry Draft, here (en.wikipedia.org).]

So I know a few of you are asking, “what do CHL players get paid?”. Well, they get paid a per deim, or basically meal money, which amounts to around $70 to $100 a week; and the families that some players are staying at [ie, being billeted at] get a little money. And, significantly, the players get full college scholarships to Canadian universities (players get a year’s tuition paid for each season they play in the CHL). The NCAA considers the CHL a “pro league”, so players have to decide at a pretty young age (14-15 years old) if they are going to play in the NCAA hockey system or the Candadian Hockey League. Because if they play in the CHL and then decide they do want to play in American college hockey, they will not be allowed to get a scholarship, because the NCAA considers that miniscule meal money to be payment as a professional. From this thread at the HF Boards, it is evident that some of the top prospects in the CHL are getting more than that meal money, though, and are being paid under the table {see entries 11 through 16, here, at ‘How much do juniors make in OHL, etc?’ thread from May, 2008 @ hfboards.com}. Entry #13 names names, and of the 5 OHL teams that the poster names, London, Kitchener, Windsor, Brampton, and Ottawa, four of those teams are in the top eight highest-drawing teams in the CHL (Brampton is the exception). So you can see how luring top-shelf players with some under the table payments has become a part of some higher-drawing teams’ business strategy. Why it isn’t being punished might be explained by the following link below.

There might be a reason all this under-the-table paying of exceptional players is being turned a blind eye by Canadian authorities…and that is the fact that the major junior leagues in Canada are competing with American universities for players. See this article from the PipelineShow.blogspot.com, from December 15, 2009, by Dean Willard, ‘[Executive Director with College Hockey, Inc.'s] Paul Kelly: CHL teams are paying players under the table‘. Kelly accuses CHL teams of targeting American players for the under the table pay arrangements.

I got the 2009-10 attendance figures from this site, http://www.mib.org/~lennier/hockey/ (Han’s Hornstein’s Hockey Attendance, Schedules, and Standings Pages).
Thanks to the contributors to the pages at en.wikipedia.org, Canadian Hockey League.
Official site, http;//www.chl.ca
Western Hockey League, http://www.whl.ca/
Ontario Hockey League, http://www.ontariohockeyleague.com/
Ligue de Hockey Junior Majeur du Québec [Quebec Major Junior Hockey League], http://www.lhjmq.qc.ca/

September 20, 2010

League One, 2010-11 season – Attendance map (2009-10 figures).

Filed under: 2010-11 English Football,Eng-3rd Level/League One — admin @ 4:42 pm

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League One 2010-11 season, with 2009-10 attendances




Note: to see my latest map-&-post of the English 3rd division, click on the following, Eng-3rd Level/League One.

On the map page, the map shows a small club crest for location and a variably-sized club crest to denote 2009-10 average attendance (home league matches). The chart at the top right includes attendance rank in all leagues combined, which I found at (mikeavery.co.uk / 2009-10 Attendance Tables Median, Levels 1-8).
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The first chart below shows the seasons spent in the 3rd Level by club, with each current League One club’s first arrival into the third tier listed.

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At the top left on the map page and also below is a chart I put together that shows the total seasons each current League One club has spent in each of the top 4 levels of English Football. Included, in parenthesis, is the last year the club has spent in the level. The gray vertical bar in the center is 3rd Level/League One; within that bar is a tan bar which shows how many consecutive seasons each club has presently spent in the third tier. Of all clubs currently in League One, AFC Bournemouth has spent the most seasons in the 3rd Level…67 seasons. [I am pretty sure Bournemouth is also the longest-serving member of the 3rd Level overall throughout the English League system, but I guess I will find that out for sure when I make charts like this for the1st Level/Premier league, the 2nd Level/League Championship, and the 4th Level/League Two...which I will do sometime later in this season.] Oldham Athletic has currently spent the most seasons consecutively in the 3rd Level…14 seasons.

The five columns, from left to right, are: A). English titles. B). Seasons spent in the 1st Level. The 1st Level was originally called simply the Football League and had just 12 clubs in it (from 1888-89 to 1891-92). From 1892-93 to 1991-92, the top flight was called the First Division. From 1992-93 to the present, the English top flight has been the Premier League. C). The 2nd Level. Instituted in 1892, and called the Second Division (from 1892-93 to 1992-93). The 2nd tier of English football is now known as the Football League Championship. D). The 3rd Level. Instituted in 1920 (1920-21 season), and called the Third Division. Expanded to two geographical regions the next season, as the Third Division South and the Third Division North (from 1921-22 to 1957-58). With the addition of the 4th Level in 1958-59, the 3rd Level went back to being called the Third Division (1958-59 to 1991-92). The 3rd tier of English football is now known as Football League One. E). The 4th Level. Instituted in 1958 as the Fourth Division (1958-59 to 1991-92). The 4th tier of English football is now known as the Football League Two. This is the lowest level of the Football League. Level 5 and lower are called Non-League football [note: current League One clubs that spent some seasons in Non-League football are denoted with an asterisk at the far right of the chart.]

Thanks to the Footy-Mad sites for League History info on the clubs, Footy-Mad.net/League One
Thanks to Mike Avery, 2009-10 Attendance Table at mikeavery.co.uk .

September 14, 2010

2010-11 UEFA Europa League, Group Stage – Attendance map (with figures from domestic leagues, 2009-10).

Filed under: UEFA Cup / Europa League — admin @ 5:34 pm


2010-11 UEFA Europa League Group Stage


1st matchday of the Group Stage of the second annual UEFA Europa League is on Thursday, 16th September. You can see the 12 groups, here (en.wikipedia.org/2010-11 UEFA Europa League Group Stage).
Two of the clubs I root for are in the 2010-11 Europa League Group Stage…Karpaty Lviv of western Ukraine, and Getafe CF of Greater Madrid, Spain . I root for Karpatry Lviv because both sides of my family are from western Ukraine. I root for Getafe because I am drawn to runt-of-the-litter type clubs like Getafe, who often can be found punching above their weight and crashing the party, like when the plucky Spaniards bested Tottenham, then Benfica in the 2007-08 UEFA Cup.

Here is how Karpaty Lviv made it into the 2010-11 Europa League group stage…click here…(YouTube/Artem Fedetskyi goal in 93rd minute of Karpaty Lviv 1-1 Galatasaray, [3-3 aggregate], on 28th August, 2010).
Here is the goal that clinched a Europa League spot for Getafe CF last May…click here (Dirty Tackle site/Roberto Soldado goal of 4th May, 2010).

Thanks to the contributors to the pages at en.wikipedia.org, 2010-11 UEFA Europa League group stage.
Thanks to the indispensable E-F-S site, for attendance figures.

September 8, 2010

2010-11 UEFA Champions League, Group Stage – Attendance map (figures from 2009-10 domestic leagues).

Filed under: UEFA Champions League — admin @ 4:28 pm

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1st matchday for 2010-11 UEFA Champions League is 14th and 15th September. Here is an article from the UEFA site, ‘Fresh Look to Elite‘.
Thanks to the contributors to the pages at en.wikipedia.org, 2010-11 UEFA Champions League/Group Stage.

September 2, 2010

NCAA Division I FBS: Big Ten Conference, 2010 season – attendance map (2009 figures), and modern era helmet history chart. Plus maps of the two Big Ten Divisions starting in 2011.

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Big Ten reveals divisional breakdown (article from September 2, 2010, from ESPN/College, {here}).
Below are two maps I assembled today, that show the two unnamed divisions in Big Ten football which will be instituted in 2011, when Nebraska makes the Big Ten football conference a 12 team organization. Included are the permanent rivalries [ie, match-ups that will have a game played each season].

Click on each image below to see full map of each future division set-up…

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Here is a list from the standpoint of who filled their stadium the best last season… the accumulated percentage capacities of Big Ten teams from 2009 [with 100% being a sell-out/team played to capacity; and a figure above 100% meaning the team played to capacity plus standing-room-only. (Ranking then listed in context of all 120 teams in FBS - I ; {then average attendance listed; then percent increase or decrease versus 2008 average attendance}).]…
Ohio State – 102.87% capacity (and the 3rd highest average attendance in FBS-I, at 105,261 per game {+0.3% vs. 2008 avg. attendance}).
Michigan – 102.57% capacity (and the highest average attendance in FBS-I, at 108,933 per game {+0.3% vs. 2008 avg. attendance}).
Minnesota – 101.61% capacity (and the 42nd highest average attendance in FBS-I, at 50,805 per game {+1.7% vs. 2008 average attendance}).
Penn State – 99.74% capacity (and the 2nd highest average attendance in FBS-I, at 107,008 per game {-1.1% vs. 2008 average attendance}).
Wisconsin – 99.74% capacity (and the 15th highest average attendance in FBS-I, at 80,109 per game {+1.7 % vs. 2008 average attendance]).
Michigan State – 99.65% capacity (and the 18th highest average attendance in FBS-I, at 74,741 per game {-0.1% vs. 2008 average attendance}).
Iowa – 99.47% capacity (and the 21st highest average attendance in FBS-I, at 70,214 per game {+0.1% vs. 2008 average attendance}).
Illinois – 94.71% capacity (and the 29th highest average attendance in FBS-I, at 59,545 per game {-3.5% vs. 2008 average attendance}).
Indiana – 84.98% capacity (and the 56th highest average attendance in FBS-I, at 41,833 per game {+31.6% vs. 2008 average attendance}).
Purdue – 80.73% capacity (and the 44th highest average attendance in FBS-I, at 50,457 per game {-11.1% vs. 2008 average attendance}).
Northwestern – 51.33% capacity (and the 83rd highest average attendance in FBS-I, at 24,190 per game {-15.4% vs. 2008 average attendance}).

Thanks to the NCAA site, for 2009 attendance figures, ‘NCAA Accumulated Attendances, FBS’ (pdf).

New Michigan State helmet, here (at Motown Lowdown, a SB Nation blog), featuring a tapered grey stripe at top of helmet, and a slightly darker green helmet color.

You will notice I placed a small rectangle for the Nebraska Cornhuskers on the main map page. Of course, Nebraska will be joining the Big Ten next season, in 2011, but I figured people would like to see geographically where the Cornhuskers’ home, Lincoln, Nebraska, is located in relation to the other 11 Big Ten teams’ locations.

On the main map page, the modern-era helmet history of each team is not completely comprehensive, but shown are all major helmet design changes of each Big 10 team from the post-World War II era to the present time (approximately 56 to 64 years). That includes face mask color changes. As usual on these maps and charts, all modern, plastic composite helmet designs of each team in the Conference are shown, and they are arranged chronologically from left to right.

The plastic composite helmets replaced the old leather ones in the years following the end of World War II. By 1949, most NFL teams, and many college teams, had started using the new type of helmets, which had come out of technological innovations made during the WW II era. By the early 1950s, every college team was using the new helmets. Each teams’ helmet history on the chart thus starts when that school started using the safer and shinier new headgear. I made exceptions with Penn State and Michigan, because there was room for a leather helmet there, and I was able to find images of their final leather-helmet era designs. Believe me, if I could, I would have included the leather-helmet histories of all the teams, but sadly that visual history is very hard to unearth and there is no source out there for even incomplete depictions of what teams’ helmets looked like circa, say, 1900, or even 1940 {like the Michigan Wolverines helmets included in this photo from University of Michigan’s Bentley Historical Library site, here. Full article (‘Michigan’s Winged Helmet’, here}. The following link has (and sells) leather helmets of college teams, but some of them are probably not accurate, like the Michigan State helmet. And back then, with some manufacturers, leather helmet colors only came in black or tan, and sometimes if a school wanted their football team to wear helmets in the school colors, they had to paint them themselves. So anyway, at the Past Time Sports site, you can see the old , circa 1930 to 1940s, leather helmet designs of Michigan (top of page); and further down the page teams such as Michigan State, Penn State, Wisconsin, and Ohio State, {click here}. And you can go to MG’s Helmets site for a nice set of pages that shows, year-by-year, the helmet design of the popularly recognized National Champion, here …Note: go to the 11th category on the left-hand sidebar called ‘NCAA National Champs [1936 to present]‘. There you can see the 1936, 1940, and 1941 AP #1 Minnesota Golden Gophers’ maroon leather helmet and the 1942 AP #1 Ohio State Buckeyes’ silver leather helmet with top red stripe.

Thanks to Elite Deals site, where I got most of the current Big Ten helmet photos. I also got a couple photos from Score Here.com.

Special thanks to the two sites that were instrumental in making this helmet history chart…the brilliant site Helmet Hut. Helmet Hut/College.
And the singular Helmet Project page, which is the only site I can find that has attempted to tackle helmet histories of college football teams (even if it is only from 1960 to the present day)… http://www.nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project/

One more thing…the Ohio State buckeye-leaf decals were green in the 1970s, were black around 20 years ago or so, and now are a very dark green (I think). My last post on Big Ten football, in November, 2008 {here} linked to a now-infamous thread on BuckeyePlanet.com {here}, which featured an ex-Buckeye player who showed photos of his helmet (this ex-player is early 1990s Ohio State punter Scott Tema), and provided vociferous arguments for the fact that the buckeye decals have always been black, but some outlets sell fake ones that are green. Well, 25 pages on, and a Slate.com mention later {here…(‘Lunatics Guide to College Football’, by Justin Peters on Aug. 29, 2007 @ Slate.com…see Ohio State/Bizarre fixation)}, the jury was still out but leaning towards dark hunter green, and certainly leaning towards the fact that during the 1970s, at least, the buckeye decals were definitely green. So I decided to use the Ohio State University.edu ‘s entry on the subject {here}. I did find out one thing for certain, though…the leaf decals were being awarded starting in 1967, not 1968, like is popularly believed. 1967 was the last year that Ohio State wore a red helmet. On page 17 of the thread, you can see a photo that proves this {here (halfway down the page)}.

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