Mark Norman

OPINION | Media needs to be better when it comes to covering the difficult issues in hockey | CBC Sports The SNL appearance by U.S. hockey players provided an opportunity to focus on hockey again, and offered audiences and fans some closure. But has anything really changed? As a journalist, I often ask: ...

It's time to talk about hockey media in Canada. Actually, it has been time for awhile. My thoughts on comments from Insiders, hockey media approaches, using language correctly, and accountability - or the lack of it.
www.cbc.ca/sports/hocke...

Huge congrats to the three of you!!!

Poster Text: Antigonish Rally for Arts & Culture 4:00-5:30 Wednesday March 4th, 325 Main St. MLA Office For those of us who cannot make it to Halifax, Join this satellite rally in solidarity of speaking out against the proposed budget cuts that will devastate arts & culture programs that bring inclusion, community, & quality of life to so many Image: line drawings of two protesting people on the right, one holding a sign that says "act now" and the other holding a megaphone

How do you feel about Premier Houston's budgetary cuts? Come to the Antigonish Rally for Arts and Culture outside Minister Thompson's office to have your voice be heard!

4-5:30 Weds 4 March, 325 Main Street

Today I had a meeting about funding I received for a November 2025 (!) presentation. Part of the agreement requires me to present the talk at a university-wide event in March 2026. I was told today I could either censor/change my talk’s title and receive the funding, or withdraw.

I withdrew.

A government that claims to supports healthcare and then cuts research funding does not support healthcare #nspoli

As NHL players return to their teams, and as Team USA heads to meet with the President, remember that they've all had plenty of time to speak out, to apologize for laughing, to condemn that type of misogyny, and to tout the achievement of USA's women's team.

They haven't.

The USA men's hockey team won an incredible game. No doubt. But they went on to participate in insulting their women counterparts with Trump in a manner that was cheap and vulgar. A blasted shame and wasted opportunity that could have inspired and sparked joy.

A vibrant, wide-angle photo of a colorful outdoor mural promoting the "Super Bowl LX Apple Music Halftime Show." The mural is painted on a long blue wall in a sunlit, tropical setting with real palm trees and bright pink bougainvillea flowers cascading over the top. The artwork features a playful, surreal collage of cultural and football-themed elements: Central Text: The Apple Music logo in bold yellow and red 3D lettering is flanked by "SUPER BOWL LX" above and "HALFTIME SHOW" below. Iconic Imagery: Large illustrations of a golden trumpet, pink sunglasses, maracas, dominoes, and a cup of coffee with a musical note in the foam. Football Elements: Brown footballs are depicted growing on palm trees like coconuts and resting on the ground. Foreground: A young girl in a yellow dress walks along the sidewalk in front of the mural, passing a small goalpost illustration where a green parrot is perched. The overall aesthetic is warm, festive, and celebrates a fusion of Latin-inspired culture and American football.

I'm going to do a thread of all the references and context behind Bad Bunny's performance and what it means for Puerto Ricans to see this on the biggest stage.

The opening title screen is a street mural in Puerto Rico that comes to life with footballs as coconuts.

Follow along!

Professional athletes are being advised not to leave the hotel or go anywhere without their passports while visiting Minnesota.

This is not a country that can safely host international events like the World Cup.

Boycotting is not even a political question anymore. It is a basic issue of safety.

YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Audio)

I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

Stay free

‘Fascism is here now’: the US athletes pushing back on Trump’s America World Series winner Sean Doolittle, Super Bowl champion Doug Baldwin and college star McKenzie Forbes have strong opinions on a troubled era

“I’m really mad so thank you for letting me vent.

Abolish ICE.

We keep us safe.”

@seandoolittle.bsky.social and other athletes opened up to us about the DHS murders and the campaign of state terror being waged in Minneapolis and beyond.

www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/j...

USA Hockey: "USA Hockey is committed to fostering a welcoming environment for all by building a diverse, equitable and inclusive game." (actual quote from their website)

Also USA Hockey: "But not if your a trans person!"

Hundreds of clergy descend on Minneapolis and go on lookout for ICE MINNEAPOLIS (RNS) — The faith leaders, who hail from across the country and represent a range of religious traditions, deployed to neighborhoods with significant immigrant populations, where DHS agent...

“As she was speaking, a car with tinted windows drove by…
“What did we learn from the Holocaust? We have to act and we have to resist,” Tracht said, running out of breath as the car turned... “If I’m not going to act and resist now, then I shouldn’t call myself a rabbi and I can’t be a proud Jew.”

In Canada, the histories of residential school survivors are being challenged by a surge of denialism. Dismantling Denialism confronts those attempts to rewrite history and explores what it will take to defend truth and reconciliation.

Dismantling Denialism | By Christopher Read - Airing December 6

If anyone is still wondering about the many reasons to be incredibly concerned about generative AI...

Spotify has laid off thousands in recent years, while reportedly paying artists $0.003 per stream.

Spotify profits rose 28% in Q3. Its CEO is worth $9.8 billion. It's making money off ICE recruitment ads.

Don't you think it's time put a wrap on corporate greed and exploitation?

“The family’s lawyer, Jay Edelson, called OpenAI’s response “disturbing” and said the company “tries to find fault in everyone else, including, amazingly, by arguing that Adam himself violated its terms and conditions by engaging with ChatGPT in the very way it was programmed to act”

Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore "Strongly Believes" In City's PWHL Potential Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore spoke to The Hockey News about his excitement to see the PWHL Takeover Tour make a pair of stops in Halifax, and his strong believe in the city's viability as a permanent h...

Halifax mayor Andy Fillmore strongly believes in his city's PWHL potential, not simply as a top on the Takeover Tour, but as the home for a future PWHL franchise:

thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/... #PWHL #Halifax

The rise of the ‘performative male:’ How young men are experimenting with masculinity online Gen Z’s ‘performative male’ trend is both mocked and embraced because it exposes deep cultural contradictions around what we expect of masculinity today.

The rise of the ‘performative male:’ How young men are experimenting with masculinity online

Hamilton Mayor Thrilled For Arrival Of PWHL Takeover Tour, And Potential Expansion Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath is thrilled to welcome the PWHL to the city for a January Takeover Tour game. She also believes Hamilton is well positioned to potentially welcome a PWHL expansion team t...

Hamilton’s mayor is excited to welcome the PWHL Takeover Tour to town, and for the possibility of a pro women’s hockey team to expand to the city

thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/... #PWHL

Hey Antigonish! There's a blood donor clinic at St Ninian's! It's on this afternoon, tomorrow, and Thursday and there are still lots of open spots.

Pssst, students: free snacks

Make an appointment here www.blood.ca/en/blood/don...

This is very disturbing and something all Canadians should be aware of. Further, for critical scholars of sport, I think there's a great need to understand the important role of (certain types of) physical culture in the rise of white nationalism/neo-fascism.

Sharing a new article in Crime, Media, Culture on how newspapers represent yoga in prisons and why this matters for perceptions of punishment. Especially proud of my three awesome co-authors - all of whom were undergrads when we started this study! journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10....

AI-Powered Stuffed Animal Pulled From Market After Disturbing Interactions With Children FoloToy says it's suspended sales of its AI-powered teddy bear after researchers found it gave wildly inappropriate and dangerous answers.

"Powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4o model by default...tests repeatedly showed that the AI toy dropped its guardrails the longer a conversation went on, until hitting rock bottom on incredibly disturbing topics."

A thought: What if the Carney government abandoned its obsession with “A.I.” and instead tried to “accelerate” Canadian arts and culture? With more visual and financial literacy in schools, media preparedness on the air, dance classes for seniors, and funding for CAF’s civilian artists program?

Had a wonderful, if exhausting, time at @nasssbsky.bsky.social Annual Conference last week. It was also bittersweet: so wonderful to see Canada-based colleagues, but sad that we had to be separate from US-based colleagues. Thanks to the organizers and contributors for making it a fantastic event!

This is very disturbing and something all Canadians should be aware of. Further, for critical scholars of sport, I think there's a great need to understand the important role of (certain types of) physical culture in the rise of white nationalism/neo-fascism.

Join us for an after-show talk about Zomblet!

With
Dan Bray, playwright
Prof. @wrightkailin.bsky.social , Canadian Theatre specialist
Prof. @crushton.bsky.social , zombie specialist
and Prof. @lauraestill.bsky.social , Shakespeare scholar

Weds 29 Oct
Show starts at 7:30 and runs ~90 mins

Rink fries, chips, and Coke: food marketing in Canadian rec centres - Halifax Examiner "You're trying to keep people healthy, but, you know, the rink fries are a good seller."

Interesting read about the ubiquity of junk food in Canadian sport and rec centres. "Rink fries, chips, and Coke: food marketing in Canadian rec centres" www.halifaxexaminer.ca/health/rink-...

Today is the end of my first year working at @stfx-university.bsky.social. It's been so great teaching students, getting to know colleagues, and integrating myself into university life. And my family and I have enjoyed settling into the Antigonish community. Excited for what's to come in Year 2!