Getting to Know…IBL Playoffs

Posted: July 3, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Getting to Know..., MB 2013 | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

With the IBL Playoffs beginning on Thursday, it’s time to dole out some random (and completed unrelated to the games themselves) information with another installation of our (imaginary) award-winning Getting to Know series.

#1 Seed – Bellingham Slam

Location: Bellingham, WA (population: 80,885 as of 2010 census)

Nickname: City of Subdued Excitement. This might be the best motto ever – “We enjoy our city just fine, although it does not drive us to outward displays of excitement or joy. One time a guy tipped his hat to Bellingham, but we quickly drove him off to live somewhere where that kind of stuff is acceptable, like Walla Walla or Humptulips.” In case you are wondering (and I know you are), Humptulips is derived from a local Native American language and means either “hard to pole” or “chilly region”. Also, and I quote, “The name is seen as humorous for its sexual innuendos, as in the case of Lake Titicaca and Fucking, Austria.” In your endo.

Incorporated: 1904

Fun Fact #1: The first settlers arrived in 1854, but the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush of 1858 caused thousands of people to flood to area in search of riches. Additionally, coal was mined in the area for around 100 years until the Bellingham Bay Coal Company closed in 1955.

Fun Fact #2: The bay was named Bellingham Bay by George Vancouver (yes, that Vancouver) in the late-1790s, but there was no city of the same name until 1904. The cities of Whatcom and Fairhaven were merging, but could not agree on using either of the old names. Bellingham was proposed as the new name and won in a landslide vote.

Fun Fact #3: Bellingham is home to the Western Washington University Vikings, whose women’s rowing team claimed 7 consecutive Division II national titles from 2005 to 2011. Humboldt State ended the Vikings reign in 2012.

Fun Fact #4: The Bellingham area hosts an annual Ski to Sea race, a team relay race made up of seven legs: cross country skiing, downhill skiing (or snowboarding), running, road biking, canoeing (2 person – aka the Ryan & Doug portion of the race), mountain biking, and kayaking

Notable Bellinghamsters: (I want to move there so I can be a Bellinghamster, but I fear I will not be able to subdue my excitement if I do.) Actor and comedian Ryan Stiles (Whose Line is it Anyway?, Drew Carey Show); NFL QB Jake Locker; former NFL QB Doug Pederson; actress Hillary Swank; radio/television host Glenn Beck; the Hillside strangler Kenneth Bianchi; the Beltway snipers Lee Boyd Malvo and John Allen Muhammad. (I’m honestly not sure which of those last 3 are the worse. Probably Glenn Beck.)

 

(Likely) #2 Seed – Edmonton Energy

Location: Edmonton, Alberta (population: 812,201 as of 2011 census)

Nicknames: The Big E, The Chuck, Festival City

Motto: Industry, Integrity, Progress

Established: Fort Edmonton was established in 1795 as a major trading post for the Hudson’s Bay Company. The fort was named for Edmonton, London, an area in the east London borough on Enfield.

Fun Fact #1: The arrivals of the Canadian Pacific Railway and then Canadian Northern Railway accelerated growth in the area, with Edmonton earning city status in 1904.

Fun Fact #2: Blatchford Field in Edmonton became Canada’s first licensed airfield in 1929. The airfield is now known as Edmonton City Centre Airport and is still open, although the city is in the process of the closing it as all passenger services for more than 10 passengers now fly out of Edmonton International Airport.

Fun Fact #3: Edmonton is also home to largest mall in North America (What? Get your shit together, Mall of America!), West Edmonton Mall, which was the world’s largest mall from 1981 to 2004. In addition, Fort Edmonton Park is Canada’s largest living history museum. For a reference point, Mall of America has an area of 4.2 million square feet, while West Edmonton Mall is well over 6 million square feet.

Fun Fact #4: The University of Alberta, located in Edmonton, has one of the creepiest and most awesome mascots found anywhere.

Notable Edmontonians: Russ Bannock, Canada’s second-highest scoring ace of World War II; actor Tommy Chong; actress Rae Dawn Chong; actor Nathan Fillion (Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place); actor Michael J. Fox; singer and actor Robert Goulet; actor Leslie Nielsen; singer k. d. Lang; author W.P. Kinsella, who wrote Shoeless Joe, which became Field of Dreams; professional wrestler Chris Benoit; and lots of hockey players

 

(Likely) #3 Seed – Portland Chinooks

Location: Portland, OR (population: 583,776 as of 2010 census)

Nicknames: Rose City, Stumptown

Unofficial Nickname: Beervana, owing to the fact Portland has the most brewpubs per capita in the United States. Road trip!

Fun Fact #1: Portland is hailed as one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the world.

Fun Fact #2: In 1845, Asa Lovejoy of Boston and Francis Pettygrove of Portland, Maine, each owned half of the original 640 acres on which the city started. They each wanted to name the new town after their eastern hometown. The dispute was settled via a best-of-3 series of coin tosses, which Pettygrove (obviously) won. The coin used for the decision, now known as the Portland penny, is on display in the headquarters of the Oregon Historical Society.

Fun Fact #3: Portland is one of only three cities in the 48 contiguous states of the U.S. that has extinct volcanoes within its boundaries – Jackson, MS and Bend, OR are the others.

Fun Fact #4: Portland is home to both the largest wilderness park within city limits in the U.S. (Forest Park, more than 5,000 acres) and the world’s smallest park (Mill Ends Park, a two-foot diameter circle).

Fun Fact #5: Major beer and brewing festivals held in Portland each year include the Oregon Brewers Festival in July (the largest outdoor craft beer festival in North America), the Spring Beer and Wine Festival in April, the North American Organic Brewers Festival in June, the Portland International Beerfest in July, and the Holiday Ale Festival in December. In related news, Portland is awesome.

Notable Residents: Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny; Jean M. Auel, author of Clan of the Cave Bear; children’s author Beverly Cleary; actor Sam Elliott; high jumper and inventor of the Fosbury flop, Dick Fosbury; actor Clark Gable; creator of the Simpsons Matt Groening; figure skater Tonya Harding; co-founder of Nike Phil Knight; professional wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper; actress Anne Schedeen (ALF); actress Sally Struthers; and Detroit Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh.

 

The notable people is always one of my favorite parts. In this case, I’m picturing a three-way tag-team WWE match between Jake Locker and Glenn Beck from Bellingham, Chris Benoit and Robert Goulet from Edmonton, and Rowdy Roddy Piper and Sally Struthers from Portland. Advantage Portland.