We’ve all heard of them before. Names for military, secret service missions, and police investigations that are catchy, patriotic and motivating. Case in point, the United States’ Government’s name for the war in Afghanistan: Operation Enduring Freedom.

This and these names are created from the perspectives of one side of the mission – in the case of Operation Enduring Freedom, from the side of the United States – and would likely raise ire on the other side, such as Afghanistan, where many people may claim that they were perfectly free before the way.

That paradox is almost inevitable.

You can’t please everyone. But when the name offends people in the country it originates, there may something wrong.

Recently, the RCMP arrested three men with alleged links to international terrorism, after an investigation they dubbed “Project Samosa.” To me, whether this name was meant to become public or not, is very alarming. It borders on associating a cultural South Asian food with terrorism, and thus South Asian people with terrorism. Does the RCMP and the government of Canada want every average Joe – in Canada, I might add – thinking terrorist when they walk by an Indian cuisine? I wouldn’t think so, but this is a potential ramification of the name.

I expressed my disgust with this name on Twitter and one of my Twitter followers, who also happens to be a friend of mine and of South Asian decent, responded to my tweet, which demonstrated my shock and disgust with the RCMP’s choice of name by saying “Would “Project Yankee” or “Project Burger” bother you at all if they were investigating Americans?”

It’s a fair argument but one which I don’t think holds much weight. What I told him is that I would be bothered, if not offended if I was American and the C.I.A associated an investigation on in-country terrorists with the word “Yankee,” which is commonly refers to Americans or to a beloved American baseball team (situated in New York nonetheless).

And how could you not be in the case of “Project Samosa”?

A samosa is harmless and so, in general, are South Asian people. Canada is supposed to be a tolerant, pluralist place that fosters acceptance and diversity but with this name, the stereotype that South Asian im/migrants are terrorists is perpetuated, whether intentional or not.

I understand it’s a code name and is not supposed to refer specifically to what or who is being investigated, but that’s all the more reason to name is something that is obviously not linked. It’s an oversight by the RCMP, which has recently been known for its irresponsibility. But that is a whole different story.

Whether you agree with him or not, Keith Olbermann always makes a convincing case in his special comment. In this particular installment (below), the commentator puts many a naysayer to shame regarding the proposed Islamic Centre in Manhattan. It’s hard to deny some of the facts he puts forth and embarrassing to see some of the arguments he rebuts.

This is the type of thorough inspection that many issues these days require for one to take an educated stance on a topic.

You be the judge:

The Vancouver Whitecaps FC organization has the best of both worlds: professional and developmental sports.

I think I have been watching major professional sports for too long.

For all my life I have been a sports fan. But I have had this nagging feeling over the last couple years that my passion for sports has been waning and I couldn’t exactly pinpoint why. I know my immersion in journalism and news over the last 20-ish months has opened my eyes to a whole new world of people and stories, but that shouldn’t be at the expense of the sporting world. I just couldn’t understand why I had this feeling. Routinely, I was asking myself the same question: does this mean I am no longer a sports fan?

I didn’t have an answer for two reason: 1) Because I didn’t know how to find that answer and 2) I didn’t want the answer to be “yes,” I’m no longer a true sports fan.

Playing sports has always been ingrained in my lifestyle. I can’t go very long without being active and nothing tickles my fancy more than playing pick-up, recreational, or competitive sports. This continues to be true, but watching and following the major professional sports the way I used to has been quite difficult. Even hockey, for which I thought this could never happen.

But over the last few weeks I have realized why I have had this lingering sentiment.

Although I have continued to play sports and have tried to follow professional sports, there is one aspect of the games that I have been lacking. I have not been following/watching amateur athletes or lower levels of pro sports. Playing sports recreationally wasn’t enough because I didn’t have that connection to the raw passion of competitive sports.

The 2010 Canadian National Oldtimers Federation Championships at Queen's Park.

In the past couple summer months I have been getting out to the soccer fields, baseball diamonds and basketball courts taking in sports at amateur, grass roots and local levels. The passion and skill levels and dedication I see demonstrated at these levels of competitive sports has reminded me of why I became a sports fan in the first place. I’ve found after watching major pro sports on television and in person for so long without taking in the other levels, I had become a little jaded and possibly disconnected with the roots of the sports. But my eyes have been re-opened.

Not only do I appreciate each sport more than I have in the recent past, I am in awe of what all these athletes can do and their stories.

While my desire to tell news stories has not disappeared, my lifelong dream of sports broadcasting has been rekindled because now I remember why it existed all along.