As the winter Olympics gets going, I find myself in the odd position of having to pick and choose which team to root for. As I watched the Canadian go for gold in the moguls I was rooting for her. And I think in all the sports in the Winter Olympics I would be rooting for the Canadian. Even if the UK had a hockey team in the tournament I would still be supporting the Canucks.

Come the World Cup, however, if Canada ever made it into that tournament (an unlikely proposition I grant you) I would definitely be roaring on England. Ditto Rugby, and cricket.

Strange isn’t it? I mean I would be rooting for Canada in soccer if they were playing the US or Mexico or almost anyone else. Probably really rooting if it was Scotland or France. But it is like praying for anyone playing against Arsenal or Man U. In last year’s Champions League final, I wanted Barcelona to win. Big time. That is treason in some people’s mind. But it is Man U.

There is also the “anyone but the yanks” thing going on too.

So it is strange duality. It is also an odd thing this fandom thing. But it is rooted early and doesn’t lend itself to age. I might root for the Canadians, but I don’t have the same level of tension, anxiety, pain and joy as I do supporting those teams I grew up with. So while I might be happy with Canada lifting gold in the Olympic hockey tournament, I will be insane if England won the World Cup.

Thankfully, the UK generally sucks at winter sports so it never is an issue of who to support on slope or ice. Oh, and before you say curling, I only watch women’s curling and then I root for the best looking team. I may be English and Canadian but I am still a guy.

My heart sank when I saw the name Jenas on the team sheet for yesterday’s game against Wolves. Sank with the realization that what would likely unfold would be a gutless, weak and disorganized shower of a game, wherein Spurs would lack any creativity and plod along to a tie or worse yet, another loss at the final whistle.

I am pleased to say I was wrong. We lost to an early goal. Everything else was correct.

I keep saying to myself, look Spurs are down to a dozen games left, within one point of a Champions League spot and the equal of anyone in the league on our day. Spurs have kept five clean sheets since the beginning of the year, and has a better goal difference than any of the rivals for fourth, fifth or sixth place. They are having the best season since the 1960s.

But the niggling thought that keeps me from being all positive and rosy is that for the last month, Spurs have sucked. Spurs have only won once since the beginning of the year, only scored three times, had to take a replay to overcome a third division team in the FA and seem to be going nowhere. Uninspired and lacking any creativity the team look tired and bereft of ideas. They are not hitting their stride, they are hitting a wall.  The only reason why Spurs are not wallowing in sixth or seventh is that Aston Villa, Liverpool and Man City are all sucking somewhat too. What is so frustrating is that Tottenham should have sewn up fourth place a month ago. Now, the team face the very real prospect of finishing out of the Euro spots again.

The reality is that with Aaron Lennon in the side, Tottenham are a Champions League team. Without him, Tottenham have looked like mid-table chumps at best. And when you look at the money spent on this team, it is very disturbing. Redknapp keeps saying it is a great squad, and better than either Liverpool’s or Arsenal’s. If so, why aren’t Spurs third?

Without the speedy winger, Tottenham look ordinary and predictable. Bale, Modric and Bentley have been playing reasonably well on the wings, but there are no goals going in. So based on results –  they are not replacing Lennon. Defoe has dried up. Crouch ditto and Redknapp doesn’t play Pavlyuchenko and we loaned out Keane — so where are the goals coming from? Certainly not midfield or defence any more. The likes of Dawson, Lennon, Bassong and Krancjar scoring was one of the great plusses earlier in the year. Where is Tottenham’s Roy Keane? Where is the guy to step up and drag the team up a notch?

Tottenham need to find a plan B and fast. The loss to Wolves is just the latest in a number of recent sub par performances and Spurs can’t rely on their rivals to continue to sputter. Any team that puts a run of wins together is going the drive off into the distance and sew up fourth. Spurs need to solve the Lennon dilemma as it doesn’t look like he is coming back anytime soon.

The sickening thing is, this year was the best opportunity for anyone to join the top four – Liverpool and Arsenal were there for the taking. But Spurs may have blown their opportunity. Both of those other teams are schooled in working through their problems and now watch for them the step it up and grind something out. Spurs’ fine start may be for nought unless they can find another gear and figure out how to get the goal in the net.

The run in for the last third of the season is a tough one. Next up are Wigan (a) Everton (h) Man City (a) Blackburn (h) Stoke (a) Portsmouth (h) Sunderland (a). The away games are tough. Wigan will be fired up after the 9-0 shellacking, Man City will want revenge and Everton are on a run. Stoke are notoriously difficult to beat at home and have already beaten Spurs once. After this run, Spurs have Arsenal (h) Chelsea (h) and Man Utd (a) back to back to back. Those three games will probably decide where Spurs end up. Three loses and that will be it. Four points might be acceptable. Please let Lennon be back for them at least. Two final games, Bolton at home and Burnley away maybe irrelevant or be two winnable games with which to sew up a CL place.

Redknapp pulled Jenas at half time last night so maybe he has finally seen the light. One can only hope.

Spurs have Notlob in the FA Cup on Sunday. Come on you Spurs, we are due for a FA Cup, albeit a year early.

Museum for Human Rights

If you drive through downtown Winnipeg, you may be excused for thinking it is the berg that development left behind. The same empty buildings, the same tatty graffiti-tagged derelict dumps waiting for some deus ex machina to drop in and solve the core’s woes.

But the funny thing is, Winnipeg led the nation in growth for building permits over the last two years. Now, that is growth rather than value, but it is an odd stat.

It also points to a continuing problem. There isn’t a lack of money in the city, or a lack of confidence in building, but there is a distinct lack of either will or ability to direct that money and willingness to build toward the downtown.

Each morning, I drive by a couple of large and interesting buildings being built at the Smart Park at the University of Manitoba. I know the concept is to have these research facilities close to the teaching and science centre, but imagine if Winnipeg had someone figured a way to get all that development downtown. What an interesting place the downtown could have been. And with all those boffins and egg heads downtown, the sort of housing and support businesses would also have been pretty cool.

But alas no such luck.

It is also pretty clear that the key to more downtown development is residential. So where are the incentives to put reasonably affordable apartments downtown? There are developers and money enough for this, but most incentives haven’t worked. So time to put up the incentives.

The area near my house has condos and seniors’ places going up all over the place. Why isn’t the city leveraging its money to get some of that development into the Exchange and downtown? And not just more expensive condos on the river drive.

A large chunk of the building in Winnipeg is government funded. The University of Winnipeg buildings, the airport, the museum for human rights, the WHRA building. But this isn’t sustainable. The idea is an expensive one —  that if you build these types of buildings the support infrastructure will move in. It has yet to be proven. Winnipeg has a long history of urban renewal projects that have failed. Time to be radical.

The time is here for the city to make some assertive and aggressive efforts to redirect development away from the ‘burbs and back to the downtown. Create communities and development zones that can take the drive, capital and creativity of those who are willing to build in the donut around the core and direct it downtown. Build it and they will come.

It is time for a plan, and a bold vision. For once.