With rumors of Marv Levy's impending resignation, let me just take this opportunity to offer my fellow bloggers a friendly reminder that "resign" and "re-sign" are not the same thing. They mean pretty much the opposite really and are therefore not interchangeable.
Well, our Ice Bowl tickets have officially changed hands. Today Kate dropped by to snatch them up and it was a picture of agony. Initially I refused to let go and she finally had to pry my fingers away one by one while the sound of my sobbing echoed across the Southtowns. Unfortunately there is no medication that can heal this particular brand of pain. Okay, I'm kidding. We whined and moaned about how the Sabres have been playing, said a prayer that Soupy doesn't end up overpaid, giggled over the big story in the paper about the musical career of Drew Stafford (complete with awesome photos), and assured each other that Ryan Miller loves playing in Buffalo and will be here forever and ever and ever. And then the tickets were happily and proudly passed on to what I'm sure will be a loving and appreciative home. Plus she brought delicious cookies!
And now, the very first Top Shelf Book Review! Rayzor's Edge: Rob Ray's Tough Life on the Ice by Rob Ray and Budd Bailey
I received Rayzor's Edge for Christmas which turned out to be very helpful since reading is, thankfully, not a weight-bearing activity. I read this during my first couple of days home from the hospital. I didn't really expect much of out of it which is probably a good thing because I would've been disappointed. It's not bad, there's just not much to it. I ended up a little sorry that I read all the excerpts featured in the Buffalo News at the time of the book's release because they were some of the most interesting parts of the book. Again, what's here isn't boring but it just feels incomplete, like huge chunks of Rob Ray's career were skipped over. I give Rob credit for being completely upfront about how he feels about people - if he likes them he says so, if he doesn't he says that too. I was disappointed that we didn't get more on the whole John Muckler/Ted Nolan/Dominik Hasek dynamic. Rob says the players were being told different things from different sides and none of them really knew what was going on and while that's probably true, it didn't make for very exciting reading.
Still, despite what may sound like a lukewarm review, it was a good, quick read and I think anyone who was a fan of Rob or the team during his playing years will find something to enjoy. If nothing else, the book definitely gives you the feeling that Rob is sincere in his love for Buffalo and the people here and that's worth something. I might have gotten a little teary-eyed while reading the last page. Then again, that could've been the wooziness from the pain killers.
My favorite story from the book:
After a particularly lackluster game, Ted Nolan canceled the scheduled day off and told the players to show up for practice the next day. He had everyone skate in circles for twenty minutes and then shoot on the goalies for ten minutes. They went through that rotation a few times, skating, shooting, skating, shooting, no one quite sure what was going on. Then Ted stopped them all, screamed, "You wasted everyone's time last night and today I wasted yours!" and turned around and left. Wonder if the fellas had a similar practice this morning...
A few Rob Ray YouTube moments (Pay attention, Andrew Peters. This is how you fight in the NHL):
Monday, December 31, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Hey, Look, Ma! A Title!
So remember what I said yesterday about enjoying Brian Campbell's candid remarks in Bucky's last column? Turns out I totally misread myself. Those comments have wormed into my brain and my mind has decided, without me even realizing it, that Soupy's a whiner. (I came to this realization last night when I found myself yelling, "Shut up, Soupy!" at all his commercials and pointing out every single tiny mistake he made on the ice.) But seriously, zip it, Soupy. Negotiations taking too long? Then lower your price and sign on the dotted line. What's that? A player shouldn't sign a stupid deal just to make everyone else happy? Yeah, well neither should a team. And if Soupy gets to add to his price tag with every goal and assist, shouldn't the Sabres be able to subtract from his price with every mistake? I'm thinking something like $1,000 for every shot that misses the net? $1,000 for every turnover? Double that if it's a turnover in the defensive zone. I think we should definitely deduct $5,000 every time Soupy forgets he's a defenseman and lets an opponent get behind him.
Okay, moving on...
Today is my 30th birthday! My mom called to chat and my brothers sang to me (a bit half-heartedly) over the phone. Mark ordered me food from Outback and also brought home a Carvel ice-cream cake. But the Sabres? They totally didn't care that it was my birthday. What was that game? If that was a preview of the Ice Bowl, I might be glad I'll be watching it from the couch in my warm apartment.
- I hate to be one of those people who yells, "Shoot the puck!" but seriously, SHOOOOOOOOOT THEEEEEEEEEE PUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK! Tough to beat even the most average goalie if you flatly refuse to put the puck on the net. Thomas Vanek! When you are IN THE SLOT, don't pass the puck!
- Every Sabre should give Ryan Miller $100 out of his next paycheck. With the exception of a couple of softies against Ottawa, he's playing his ass off. At this rate, he's going to have to score his own goals if he wants a win. It's okay for the WHOLE TEAM to play well ON THE SAME NIGHT. Really, it is.
- Can we please let Nolan Pratt play? Please?
Dear Sabres,
While tonight was my birthday, I will accept presents on New Year's Day instead. Here's what I want:
- A game filled with offense and goals. Let's have some good old-fashioned pond hockey with a final score of 10-7.
- A Henrik Tallinder goal.
- Jim Lorentz on the microphone.
- Aww, heck let's give Toni Lydman a goal too.
Love,
Heather
Friday, December 28, 2007
Kevin already made part of my point over at Bfloblog but I promise I didn't realize that until just now. I wrote this entry on paper first since it's kind of tedious to sit at the computer for too long so I'm going to pretend we had the same thought at the same time. Okay, here goes...
I read Bucky Gleason's column today about the Brian Campbell contract negotiations with some interest. Don't worry, I'm not going to attack Bucky too hard. He makes some good points and it's nice to hear a player be somewhat candid about what he wants. But lost in the "Brian Campbell wants to be a Sabre for life!" rah-rah-rah is this: Maybe the Sabres don't feel like Brian Campbell is worth the numbers currently being discussed.
One of the tough parts of having a young team is that the players aren't going to stay as inexpensive as they are right now forever, particularly with the way the market has exploded in terms of money and years. At some point some hard choices are going to have to be made. Maybe the Sabres looked around at upcoming contracts and RFAs and decided Campbell was the one they could cut, the one they could replace. Maybe they're not being lazy and stupid but careful and thoughtful.
I'm not saying that's what's happening and I'm not even saying I'd agree with it if that is what's happening although overpaying Campbell for five plus years does make me a little nervous. But it's a possibility, one that's not particularly far-fetched, and it's not even mentioned. I find the Buffalo News stance on management vs. players and agents - management is dumb, unfeeling, and probably deceitful, players are agents are upfront, fair, and honest - bizarre. If I'm not going to take what Darcy Regier says at face value, why am I going to take what everyone on the other side of the negotiations says at face value? If I'm going to assume that Regier and Larry Quinn are twisting what they're saying to make themselves look as good as possible, why wouldn't I assume that players and agents - particularly agents for cryin' out loud! - are presenting rose-colored versions of events too?
While we're here, let's lose the idea that Campbell and Jaroslav Spacek have become the number one pairing on the defensive side. Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman have struggled and I have no problem with Lindy Ruff and the Buffalo News calling them out. They could be and should be playing much better. But while Campbell and Spacek are playing increased ice-time, they're still not pulling a lot of time against top lines. According to Behind the Net (the very best hockey stat site on the internet), Tallinder and Lydman are still pretty far ahead of Campbell and Spacek in quality of competition. Despite their inconsistency, they're still on the ice against the opposition's most talented players more often than not. I think Brian Campbell is a little less of a mess than some fans say, but let's not get crazy. He's not going to be stopping Ovechkin, Crosby, or Heatley any time soon. Also, leading the entire team in Goals Against while on the ice? Brian Campbell.
Update: I was having a bit of a break-down during my last entry but I've been in better spirits the last couple of days. We jimmy-rigged something that kind of sort of lets me take a shower and wash my hair and it's amazing how much that helped my spirits. Also, a laptop has been ordered. We were talking about that before you guys suggested it in the comments but post-holidays isn't the best time to make a high-end purchase like that. But I think you all guilted Mark into throwing caution to the wind. So thanks!
I read Bucky Gleason's column today about the Brian Campbell contract negotiations with some interest. Don't worry, I'm not going to attack Bucky too hard. He makes some good points and it's nice to hear a player be somewhat candid about what he wants. But lost in the "Brian Campbell wants to be a Sabre for life!" rah-rah-rah is this: Maybe the Sabres don't feel like Brian Campbell is worth the numbers currently being discussed.
One of the tough parts of having a young team is that the players aren't going to stay as inexpensive as they are right now forever, particularly with the way the market has exploded in terms of money and years. At some point some hard choices are going to have to be made. Maybe the Sabres looked around at upcoming contracts and RFAs and decided Campbell was the one they could cut, the one they could replace. Maybe they're not being lazy and stupid but careful and thoughtful.
I'm not saying that's what's happening and I'm not even saying I'd agree with it if that is what's happening although overpaying Campbell for five plus years does make me a little nervous. But it's a possibility, one that's not particularly far-fetched, and it's not even mentioned. I find the Buffalo News stance on management vs. players and agents - management is dumb, unfeeling, and probably deceitful, players are agents are upfront, fair, and honest - bizarre. If I'm not going to take what Darcy Regier says at face value, why am I going to take what everyone on the other side of the negotiations says at face value? If I'm going to assume that Regier and Larry Quinn are twisting what they're saying to make themselves look as good as possible, why wouldn't I assume that players and agents - particularly agents for cryin' out loud! - are presenting rose-colored versions of events too?
While we're here, let's lose the idea that Campbell and Jaroslav Spacek have become the number one pairing on the defensive side. Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman have struggled and I have no problem with Lindy Ruff and the Buffalo News calling them out. They could be and should be playing much better. But while Campbell and Spacek are playing increased ice-time, they're still not pulling a lot of time against top lines. According to Behind the Net (the very best hockey stat site on the internet), Tallinder and Lydman are still pretty far ahead of Campbell and Spacek in quality of competition. Despite their inconsistency, they're still on the ice against the opposition's most talented players more often than not. I think Brian Campbell is a little less of a mess than some fans say, but let's not get crazy. He's not going to be stopping Ovechkin, Crosby, or Heatley any time soon. Also, leading the entire team in Goals Against while on the ice? Brian Campbell.
Update: I was having a bit of a break-down during my last entry but I've been in better spirits the last couple of days. We jimmy-rigged something that kind of sort of lets me take a shower and wash my hair and it's amazing how much that helped my spirits. Also, a laptop has been ordered. We were talking about that before you guys suggested it in the comments but post-holidays isn't the best time to make a high-end purchase like that. But I think you all guilted Mark into throwing caution to the wind. So thanks!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
No one looked particularly great tonight - on either team, really - but Ryan Miller was a little soft in spots and that was the difference.
And that's about all I got.
I have to say, I'm not sure how this whole blogging thing is going to work over the next couple of months. It's such a pain in the ass to get to the computer due to the arrangement of the furniture - I have to kind of shimmy in, leading with my casted foot (which is both awkward and nerve-wracking) and once I'm in the only way I can actually sit down puts me at a weird twisted angle that is terribly uncomfortable not that anything about this is comfortable. I will admit that I missed huge chunks of the game because I could not get situated. I was hot and cranky and emotional and god, this blows so bad. What am I supposed to do for three months if I can't even get on the #!!$%@! internet? I was doing okay earlier - I read for a long time, I managed to microwave myself lunch, I wrote some Christmas cards, I played Guitar Hero (and passed Mark which was really my primary goal). It seemed like a fine day... Until I realized I'm going to be living this day every day for three months.
See?! This has nothing to do with hockey! So I don't know, we'll see what happens. Maybe as this becomes more "normal" I'll deal with it better. Right now I'm just a big frikkin' miserable baby and I know you're all tired of listening to me complain already. (It's okay, you don't have to deny it.)
Uhhh... Go Sabres!
And that's about all I got.
I have to say, I'm not sure how this whole blogging thing is going to work over the next couple of months. It's such a pain in the ass to get to the computer due to the arrangement of the furniture - I have to kind of shimmy in, leading with my casted foot (which is both awkward and nerve-wracking) and once I'm in the only way I can actually sit down puts me at a weird twisted angle that is terribly uncomfortable not that anything about this is comfortable. I will admit that I missed huge chunks of the game because I could not get situated. I was hot and cranky and emotional and god, this blows so bad. What am I supposed to do for three months if I can't even get on the #!!$%@! internet? I was doing okay earlier - I read for a long time, I managed to microwave myself lunch, I wrote some Christmas cards, I played Guitar Hero (and passed Mark which was really my primary goal). It seemed like a fine day... Until I realized I'm going to be living this day every day for three months.
See?! This has nothing to do with hockey! So I don't know, we'll see what happens. Maybe as this becomes more "normal" I'll deal with it better. Right now I'm just a big frikkin' miserable baby and I know you're all tired of listening to me complain already. (It's okay, you don't have to deny it.)
Uhhh... Go Sabres!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Injury Update, A Little Hockey (Very Little)
Some hockey coming up but first! a quick injury update since there are all kinds of rumors floating around out there including one that the ankle is a cover for the real reason behind the visit to IR: post-concussion syndrome. (Nothing like a little Tim Connolly humor, eh? Thanks for the much needed laugh, Mike.)
Long story short, I didn't pussy foot around with some piddling little injury. I blew that mother up and good. It was immediately apparent that I'd done some real damage - the waves of nausea, the feeling that my entire body was on fire, and the fact that I barely recognized the thing attached to my leg as a foot were all major clues. I won't go into gruesome descriptions but when the ambulance attendant who brought me in ducked in my room later to check on me, the first thing he said was, "Oh, look! All your toes are pointing in the right direction again! That's good!" In addition to complete and total dislocation, I fractured something on both sides of the foot which was causing the whole ankle to come apart. Via surgery that same evening, the doctor pushed everything back together, inserted a steel plate, and screwed it all in place so it would heal correctly. Because of the severity of the injury and the fragility of the bones involved, I have to stay off it completely for "2-3 months, most likely 3." No weight-bearing activities at all in the meantime and no walking cast.
All of this adds up to no work, no play, and most importantly no Ice Bowl. I know. It took Mark a while to get to the hospital - he leaves for work before I do, I couldn't remember his work number (I couldn't remember my home number) and had to look it up in the phone book once I arrived at ECMC, and he takes the bus to work and had to scramble to find a ride) - and even then it was a while before they would let him back to see me. By the time he was standing in front of me I had moved past "Well, isn't this a jolly good adventure!" and was full-force into "Please just cut it off, feed me, and let me go home!" and greeted him with something along the lines of, "It hurts, I'm starving and dying of thirst, I'm tired of being here, and they're probably not going to let me go to the Ice Bowl!" We talked over some options, the best choice being hunting up a wheelchair and seeing if the Sabres could hook us up with some kind of wheelchair accessible seats, but between the hordes of (possibly tipsy, surely boisterous) people, the unknown weather, the delicacy of the injury, and the freshness of the surgery - I won't have even been in for my first post-op check-up/x-rays by then - it just seems like kind of a stupid risk to take. I want to see Ryan Miller playing in his favorite Sabres toque but I'd also like to walk without limping for the rest of my life. Basically, I've made the responsible, adult decision... And I don't like it one bit, dammit. Mark's still going to use his ticket - it's okay, I insisted - but he's not sure yet who he's taking. Hook me up with a laptop so I don't have to drag this ridiculous cast over here and sit all uncomfortably for the next 3 months (I've been working on this entry off and on for two days) and it's all yours, first come, first serve. If you're going and you stop by here afterwards, I'd appreciate a "It really blew and you're lucky you got to watch it alone from the warmth of your living room" comment. In other words: lie to me, baby.
(Also, to any Sabres reading this, evidently I was out of the hospital too quickly for any visits. But never fear! I totally accept house calls! Email me for my address!)
Anyway... I was pretty devastated the first few days afterwards. I was nauseous, wanting to eat but unable to actually do so, light-headed, and exhausted, all of which made standing up and moving around pretty difficult which made any thought of the next three months pretty dreary. But now that I've shaken off all the anesthesia (two doses of general, one dose of local in a very short period of time) and started weaning myself off of the pain medication - no Vicodin addiction for me, thanks - I'm feeling more clear-headed. I have a few books to read, some movies to watch, and Guitar Hero to conquer. I'll be fine. I won't even miss the Ice Bowl. I won't. :::sniff:::
A quick word about the recent home and home with the Flyers. (I was home but delirious for the first game but mostly conscious for the second one.) That's the team I expected to be cheering for this season. Not flawless hockey but hard-fought and emotional hockey played by a team that looked like it had something to prove. I don't know if they truly needed time to get settled into new roles or if they needed to get that close to being back in the playoff hunt or if they just needed to see one of the former Sabres live and in-person, but the team that played the Flyers? I love that team. I hope that team sticks around.
Long story short, I didn't pussy foot around with some piddling little injury. I blew that mother up and good. It was immediately apparent that I'd done some real damage - the waves of nausea, the feeling that my entire body was on fire, and the fact that I barely recognized the thing attached to my leg as a foot were all major clues. I won't go into gruesome descriptions but when the ambulance attendant who brought me in ducked in my room later to check on me, the first thing he said was, "Oh, look! All your toes are pointing in the right direction again! That's good!" In addition to complete and total dislocation, I fractured something on both sides of the foot which was causing the whole ankle to come apart. Via surgery that same evening, the doctor pushed everything back together, inserted a steel plate, and screwed it all in place so it would heal correctly. Because of the severity of the injury and the fragility of the bones involved, I have to stay off it completely for "2-3 months, most likely 3." No weight-bearing activities at all in the meantime and no walking cast.
All of this adds up to no work, no play, and most importantly no Ice Bowl. I know. It took Mark a while to get to the hospital - he leaves for work before I do, I couldn't remember his work number (I couldn't remember my home number) and had to look it up in the phone book once I arrived at ECMC, and he takes the bus to work and had to scramble to find a ride) - and even then it was a while before they would let him back to see me. By the time he was standing in front of me I had moved past "Well, isn't this a jolly good adventure!" and was full-force into "Please just cut it off, feed me, and let me go home!" and greeted him with something along the lines of, "It hurts, I'm starving and dying of thirst, I'm tired of being here, and they're probably not going to let me go to the Ice Bowl!" We talked over some options, the best choice being hunting up a wheelchair and seeing if the Sabres could hook us up with some kind of wheelchair accessible seats, but between the hordes of (possibly tipsy, surely boisterous) people, the unknown weather, the delicacy of the injury, and the freshness of the surgery - I won't have even been in for my first post-op check-up/x-rays by then - it just seems like kind of a stupid risk to take. I want to see Ryan Miller playing in his favorite Sabres toque but I'd also like to walk without limping for the rest of my life. Basically, I've made the responsible, adult decision... And I don't like it one bit, dammit. Mark's still going to use his ticket - it's okay, I insisted - but he's not sure yet who he's taking. Hook me up with a laptop so I don't have to drag this ridiculous cast over here and sit all uncomfortably for the next 3 months (I've been working on this entry off and on for two days) and it's all yours, first come, first serve. If you're going and you stop by here afterwards, I'd appreciate a "It really blew and you're lucky you got to watch it alone from the warmth of your living room" comment. In other words: lie to me, baby.
(Also, to any Sabres reading this, evidently I was out of the hospital too quickly for any visits. But never fear! I totally accept house calls! Email me for my address!)
Anyway... I was pretty devastated the first few days afterwards. I was nauseous, wanting to eat but unable to actually do so, light-headed, and exhausted, all of which made standing up and moving around pretty difficult which made any thought of the next three months pretty dreary. But now that I've shaken off all the anesthesia (two doses of general, one dose of local in a very short period of time) and started weaning myself off of the pain medication - no Vicodin addiction for me, thanks - I'm feeling more clear-headed. I have a few books to read, some movies to watch, and Guitar Hero to conquer. I'll be fine. I won't even miss the Ice Bowl. I won't. :::sniff:::
A quick word about the recent home and home with the Flyers. (I was home but delirious for the first game but mostly conscious for the second one.) That's the team I expected to be cheering for this season. Not flawless hockey but hard-fought and emotional hockey played by a team that looked like it had something to prove. I don't know if they truly needed time to get settled into new roles or if they needed to get that close to being back in the playoff hunt or if they just needed to see one of the former Sabres live and in-person, but the team that played the Flyers? I love that team. I hope that team sticks around.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
Urgent Press Release
Top Shelf creator & writer Heather B. was placed on long-term IR today with a lower body injury. She dislocated & fractured her left ankle in an incident Thursday morning with black ice. Full-recovery time is expected to be 8-12 weeks although Heather B. hopes to being light blogging workouts after the New Year.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Ryan Miller - Stars 1-3
A few quick hits on the Islanders game since I'll admit, I was in and out all night. I was really in the mood to watch a game last night - I ended up watching the Sharks/Ducks games on Yahoo (I'm nursing a little bit of a thing for Joe Thornton) - but tonight? Eh, I wasn't feeling it. Probably didn't help that the Sabres were... not really good.
- The Sabres were noticeably more sluggish after Derek Roy went out. He's been really buzzing lately and they missed his zip.
- Jochen Hecht had probably his worst game of the season. I'll cut him some slack though since he's been so solid.
- Dmitri Kalinin looked pretty good considering this was his first game back after such a long absence - calm, dependable, and even a little bit physical. I don't know what happens when Teppo Numminen comes back and I'm not going to hazard a guess right now. We'll just have to see how Tri plays and how Teppo looks after his return. Although I thought Nolan Pratt had earned a spot over Nathan Paetsch so what do I know?
- Ryan Miller won this game. He could've been all three stars. He's really put together a nice string of games. But geez, could he get a little help? Out shot 43-17? Pretty sad. That's expecting an awful lot of your goalie. I'm glad we're winning close games, but like Rob Ray said during the postgame show, that's playing a dangerous game. Some of the opponents we have coming up aren't going to be as easy as the Islanders.
- Speaking of Rob Ray, he was full of crazy little asides tonight. I think my favorite was the following exchange:
Kevin (doing highlights): There's Denis Savard, coach of the Blackhawks -
Rob: He spit on me one night.
Kevin: Did you deserve it?
Rob: No!
ETA: I knew I was forgetting something! I just wanted to say my piece on Chris Simon's suspension. As someone who works with emotionally disturbed kids (I hate when people say "as someone who..." - sorry), Simon looks very much like one of them all grown-up. He appears to need help that's far beyond what the NHL can offer him. I have some sympathy for him, but I feel pretty good in saying that it's not safe for him to be working a job that involves high levels of emotion and adrenaline and hard physical contact with others. Most of my kids would be powder kegs waiting to blow in that kind of situation and Simon doesn't appear to be much better off. He should've been gone for the season at the very least.
E(again!)TA: This is what I really forgot. This exchange during the postgame interview with Jason Pominville cracked us up at our house.
Rob: Jason, how does a team with so much offensive talent only manage to create 17 shots on goal?
Jason (tapping headphones and looking around): What? I didn't hear that question.
I'm sure Pommers was being sincere but it totally had that, "You're breaking up! I'm losing you, Rob!" feel about it.
- The Sabres were noticeably more sluggish after Derek Roy went out. He's been really buzzing lately and they missed his zip.
- Jochen Hecht had probably his worst game of the season. I'll cut him some slack though since he's been so solid.
- Dmitri Kalinin looked pretty good considering this was his first game back after such a long absence - calm, dependable, and even a little bit physical. I don't know what happens when Teppo Numminen comes back and I'm not going to hazard a guess right now. We'll just have to see how Tri plays and how Teppo looks after his return. Although I thought Nolan Pratt had earned a spot over Nathan Paetsch so what do I know?
- Ryan Miller won this game. He could've been all three stars. He's really put together a nice string of games. But geez, could he get a little help? Out shot 43-17? Pretty sad. That's expecting an awful lot of your goalie. I'm glad we're winning close games, but like Rob Ray said during the postgame show, that's playing a dangerous game. Some of the opponents we have coming up aren't going to be as easy as the Islanders.
- Speaking of Rob Ray, he was full of crazy little asides tonight. I think my favorite was the following exchange:
Kevin (doing highlights): There's Denis Savard, coach of the Blackhawks -
Rob: He spit on me one night.
Kevin: Did you deserve it?
Rob: No!
ETA: I knew I was forgetting something! I just wanted to say my piece on Chris Simon's suspension. As someone who works with emotionally disturbed kids (I hate when people say "as someone who..." - sorry), Simon looks very much like one of them all grown-up. He appears to need help that's far beyond what the NHL can offer him. I have some sympathy for him, but I feel pretty good in saying that it's not safe for him to be working a job that involves high levels of emotion and adrenaline and hard physical contact with others. Most of my kids would be powder kegs waiting to blow in that kind of situation and Simon doesn't appear to be much better off. He should've been gone for the season at the very least.
E(again!)TA: This is what I really forgot. This exchange during the postgame interview with Jason Pominville cracked us up at our house.
Rob: Jason, how does a team with so much offensive talent only manage to create 17 shots on goal?
Jason (tapping headphones and looking around): What? I didn't hear that question.
I'm sure Pommers was being sincere but it totally had that, "You're breaking up! I'm losing you, Rob!" feel about it.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Uncluttering My Mind (Keep Reading, There is Hockey Eventually)
A few non-hockey complaints:
- I cannot believe how much Christmas cards cost. I found these awesome Where the Wild Things Are cards but it was $16.95 for ten cards! That's highway robbery! I bought some dinkier cards and they still cost me $17 but atleast I got a lot more of them for my money. Also, they were a pain in the butt to open! What's wrong with a regular ol' box, card manufacturing people?
- I was unpleasantly surprised to discover that the lowest denomination gift card McKinley Mall offers is $20. I'm only supposed to spend $10 on my Secret Santa! I'm a fabulous Secret Santa because I ended up just spending the $20. I was too lazy to even think of somewhere else to go much less actually get in my car and go there. (Enjoy, Ralph!)
- Hollywood, can we please get on with this whole strike thing? Pay the writers already. YOU NEED THEM and I'm not going to be happy if Lost gets pushed back for your crap. I'm enjoying the plethora of pro-writer websites and videos out there. Let's face it, in a P.R. battle between producers and writers, writers definitely have the advantage. Here's my favorite video, "A World Without Writers," which takes a look at how some of our best movies might have fared without real writers. The lines from Gone With the Wind and Citizen Kane are my favorites. Although the Blade Runner one is good too.
- Not shocked about Roger Clemens and not buying his denials, disappointed that Andy Pettitte didn't come clean when his name first came up a year or so ago, relieved that Jeff Bagwell is still clean as far as we know. His name is the only one that would really devastate me. Also, someone please make John Kruk shut up.
And now a little hockey:
- I'm not down with this whole Scott Niedermayer thing. I think Scott is a great player and he's wonderful to watch and I understand that Brian Burke told him to take his time and think about what he wanted to do... but just because Burke gave him that option, it didn't mean Niedermayer had to use it. If he wanted to retire, he should have said, "Thanks, but I really want to move on." If he didn't want to retire, he should have been ready to go when the season started. No one player - no matter how talented he is - should be more important than the other guys on the roster. I suppose his teammates might all be fine with him only playing part of the season and with the team having to shuffle everything around and move players to make room for Niedermayer's return, but I don't know, it strikes me as unfair in a pretty severe way. I hope this doesn't lead to older players regularly playing partial seasons.
Oh, who am I kidding? I drafted Scott Niedermayer in my fantasy draft and he totally screwed me. Unlike his real-life management, I'm not forgiving him any time soon.
- I'm going to the Flyers game Friday night. I have very mixed feelings about this. At first I totally wanted to go because I wanted to be there for Marty Biron's first game back but then Daniel Briere went and muddied everything up by signing with Philly. The family is going though so I got roped into it. I'm not entirely sure how Danny will be greeted and I'm not entirely sure how I want him to be greeted. I don't think I want him to be cheered like a conquering hero. He left and really he wasn't even here that long. I kind of want to feel like everyone's (finally!) moved on. But he did give us a couple of really special years and he was, by all accounts, wonderful in the community so I'm not sure I want him to be booed mercilessly either. If you see a confused looking woman in the 300s who looks like she can't quite decide whether to boo or cheer, that'd be me. I am clear on one thing though: No video tributes. Seriously, can we just stop talking about that?
- Mike Harrington totally stole my Patrick Kane headline! Okay, he beat me by 15 minutes or so. But still! Speaking of Mike Harrington...
- ...Since I'm usually complaining about the Buffalo News, I will throw them a little praise and say that I've been really enjoying Mike Harrington's work. He comes across as both knowledgeable and fair which is a nice change of pace. His Sabres Edge blog is good stuff and he seems to really get blogging more than some old school journalists do. The quality of the conversation in the comments is touch and go since it sometimes brings out the crazies (although it's calmed down considerably since the free agency days), but the writing itself is top-notch and he often includes some interesting links to other sites and papers. I found his link to a recent Rochester Democrat and Chronicle bit about an AHL team ganging up on Patrick Kaleta cool since we don't hear much about the Rochester guys. I may be the only person in Buffalo who doesn't really want to see Kaleta in Buffalo any time soon so I thought it was a particularly good read. (ETA: It was actually John Vogl who linked to the Kaleta piece. My bad! The spirit of the above remains the same however.)
- Thanks to everyone who played along with me on the last post. While I hope it goes without saying, I'll state for the record that I love when fans of other teams pop up over here. I think one of the coolest things about the blogging world is getting to know other fans and teams more. I like knowing how other people are feeling about their teams and I like occasionally seeing that hockey exists beyond the Sabres.
I also love how loyal WNY transplants are to their hometown despite where life may take them. All the stuff I said about Buffalo being the kind of city that grabs you by the heart and never lets go was absolutely sincere. It's not a perfect city and it's certainly a place with its share of problems, but it's my home and I love it. Here's a glove tap to all you Sabres fans spread across the country. Wear that blue and gold with pride! LET'S GO BUFF-A-LO!
- I cannot believe how much Christmas cards cost. I found these awesome Where the Wild Things Are cards but it was $16.95 for ten cards! That's highway robbery! I bought some dinkier cards and they still cost me $17 but atleast I got a lot more of them for my money. Also, they were a pain in the butt to open! What's wrong with a regular ol' box, card manufacturing people?
- I was unpleasantly surprised to discover that the lowest denomination gift card McKinley Mall offers is $20. I'm only supposed to spend $10 on my Secret Santa! I'm a fabulous Secret Santa because I ended up just spending the $20. I was too lazy to even think of somewhere else to go much less actually get in my car and go there. (Enjoy, Ralph!)
- Hollywood, can we please get on with this whole strike thing? Pay the writers already. YOU NEED THEM and I'm not going to be happy if Lost gets pushed back for your crap. I'm enjoying the plethora of pro-writer websites and videos out there. Let's face it, in a P.R. battle between producers and writers, writers definitely have the advantage. Here's my favorite video, "A World Without Writers," which takes a look at how some of our best movies might have fared without real writers. The lines from Gone With the Wind and Citizen Kane are my favorites. Although the Blade Runner one is good too.
- Not shocked about Roger Clemens and not buying his denials, disappointed that Andy Pettitte didn't come clean when his name first came up a year or so ago, relieved that Jeff Bagwell is still clean as far as we know. His name is the only one that would really devastate me. Also, someone please make John Kruk shut up.
And now a little hockey:
- I'm not down with this whole Scott Niedermayer thing. I think Scott is a great player and he's wonderful to watch and I understand that Brian Burke told him to take his time and think about what he wanted to do... but just because Burke gave him that option, it didn't mean Niedermayer had to use it. If he wanted to retire, he should have said, "Thanks, but I really want to move on." If he didn't want to retire, he should have been ready to go when the season started. No one player - no matter how talented he is - should be more important than the other guys on the roster. I suppose his teammates might all be fine with him only playing part of the season and with the team having to shuffle everything around and move players to make room for Niedermayer's return, but I don't know, it strikes me as unfair in a pretty severe way. I hope this doesn't lead to older players regularly playing partial seasons.
Oh, who am I kidding? I drafted Scott Niedermayer in my fantasy draft and he totally screwed me. Unlike his real-life management, I'm not forgiving him any time soon.
- I'm going to the Flyers game Friday night. I have very mixed feelings about this. At first I totally wanted to go because I wanted to be there for Marty Biron's first game back but then Daniel Briere went and muddied everything up by signing with Philly. The family is going though so I got roped into it. I'm not entirely sure how Danny will be greeted and I'm not entirely sure how I want him to be greeted. I don't think I want him to be cheered like a conquering hero. He left and really he wasn't even here that long. I kind of want to feel like everyone's (finally!) moved on. But he did give us a couple of really special years and he was, by all accounts, wonderful in the community so I'm not sure I want him to be booed mercilessly either. If you see a confused looking woman in the 300s who looks like she can't quite decide whether to boo or cheer, that'd be me. I am clear on one thing though: No video tributes. Seriously, can we just stop talking about that?
- Mike Harrington totally stole my Patrick Kane headline! Okay, he beat me by 15 minutes or so. But still! Speaking of Mike Harrington...
- ...Since I'm usually complaining about the Buffalo News, I will throw them a little praise and say that I've been really enjoying Mike Harrington's work. He comes across as both knowledgeable and fair which is a nice change of pace. His Sabres Edge blog is good stuff and he seems to really get blogging more than some old school journalists do. The quality of the conversation in the comments is touch and go since it sometimes brings out the crazies (although it's calmed down considerably since the free agency days), but the writing itself is top-notch and he often includes some interesting links to other sites and papers. I found his link to a recent Rochester Democrat and Chronicle bit about an AHL team ganging up on Patrick Kaleta cool since we don't hear much about the Rochester guys. I may be the only person in Buffalo who doesn't really want to see Kaleta in Buffalo any time soon so I thought it was a particularly good read. (ETA: It was actually John Vogl who linked to the Kaleta piece. My bad! The spirit of the above remains the same however.)
- Thanks to everyone who played along with me on the last post. While I hope it goes without saying, I'll state for the record that I love when fans of other teams pop up over here. I think one of the coolest things about the blogging world is getting to know other fans and teams more. I like knowing how other people are feeling about their teams and I like occasionally seeing that hockey exists beyond the Sabres.
I also love how loyal WNY transplants are to their hometown despite where life may take them. All the stuff I said about Buffalo being the kind of city that grabs you by the heart and never lets go was absolutely sincere. It's not a perfect city and it's certainly a place with its share of problems, but it's my home and I love it. Here's a glove tap to all you Sabres fans spread across the country. Wear that blue and gold with pride! LET'S GO BUFF-A-LO!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
PLEASE NOTE: SARCASM AND IMMATURITY AHEAD!
Dear Sabres Nation,
It's recently come to my attention that some of you are invading other team's arenas and quite frankly, acting like jerks. Stepping on posters? Wearing t-shirts that cleverly use the word "puck" in place of another word? Booing the home team? My god, people, what are you, animals? (Warning: There is a link included but for the love of all that is holy, don't follow it! You shouldn't be reading non-Sabres blogs! And if you're here and you're not a Sabres fan, get lost already!)
After some input from outside sources, I've put together the following list of rules for behavior when watching the Sabres outside of Buffalo. Please read and follow.
1. Do not wear any clothing that suggests you're rooting for the Sabres. Certainly do not wear anything that is directly anti-home team. Seriously, you're in someone else's building. Use your manners.
2. Do not make any vocalizations of excitement, happiness, joy etc. when the Sabres do something positive. Goals should not be cheered, great plays should not be admired, and for the love of all that's good and right in the hockey world, do not chant "Let's go Buff-a-lo!" Honestly, trying to drown out the locals? That is so uncouth. Polite applause is acceptable as long as you remain seated and stare straight ahead the entire time. Do not ever cheer louder than the home team's fans. If that requires total silence, so be it.
3. Do not direct any negative vocalizations toward the home team. It's not hard, folks. Home team = always good and right. Does it matter that you're not actually cheering for the home team? Are you slow? Because we've clearly established that no, it does not.
3b. As an addendum to rule number 3, do not, under any circumstances, boo the home team's star player. What, were you raised in a barn? It does not matter that getting booed is part and parcel of being a professional athlete. It does not matter that said athlete is, in this year alone, making what I'll make in 55.79 years. It does not matter that this player is not actually playing for your team and it certainly does not matter whether or not this player was not that long ago involved in a questionable play involving one of your star players.
In fact, Buffalo, star players really shouldn't be booed at all. I know, I know... You're scratching your head right now and thinking, "Well, golly, Heather B, I sometimes criticize my own star players, what do I care if other fans do it? I mean, did you see Thomas Vanek play the first few months of the season?" I know, and yes, I did see him play. I think it's very amusing that you're constantly re-calculating how much he's being paid for every point scored. It turns out however that some people don't like that. And can you blame them? God, show a little respect. Thomas Vanek has feelings too. I'm sure he's cut to the bone every time you call him the "Seven Million Dollar Man" with that biting and sarcastic tone in your voice.
3c. The above rule applies to photographs and written descriptions of said star player as well. Stepping on said player's face? Outrageous! Making fun of his physical appearance? Immature! And also reprehensible! And don't even thinking about busting out a black marker for doodling purposes. That's a one-way ticket to fan hell. You'll spend the rest of your life in a small empty room with Sean Avery and Chris Simon.
Seriously, though, the above rules aside... What the hell are you people doing still cheering for the Sabres anyway? I mean, you left Buffalo! I know the economy here is struggling and the job market is tough, but good lord, man up already. If you want to work in book publishing or entertainment so badly, pool your resources and start up a publishing company or a movie studio right here. It can't be that hard. Not making enough to support your family? Hey, kids are resilient creatures, they can survive on pork and beans. Or even better, make the little brats work for their keep. It builds character. It's about sacrifices, people. If you can't make it work here, get out and don't come back.
Listen, I know that Buffalo is a city that gets under you skin and worms its way into your heart. I know that no matter where you are, chances are you're dreaming about crisp autumn evenings and soft, fluttery snow. I know you'd much rather be knocking back beers in the parking lot at Ralph Wilson on a blustery Sunday morning than watching the Bills in your living room across the country and I know you'd prefer to be walking out of HSBC Arena, surrounded by thousands of honking cars than watching the Sabres in a bar with a small crowd of fellow transplants. I know you're staring at your Christmas tree and thinking the season just isn't complete without sponge candy and fresh snow. I know you wish your kids were growing up in the same neighborhood you did and I know that you're sad that things didn't work out that way. I know that Buffalo is exactly the kind of hard-working, humble, friendly city that grabs your heart and, despite years and miles, never really lets go. I know you'll always tell people you're from Buffalo and you'll always say it proudly. And I know you'll be back here in a heartbeat if you ever get the chance.
Which is why you're an asshole for leaving. God! New plan: When you turn in your New York license plate, you also hand over all your Sabres and Bills memorabilia, Benedict Arnold.
(Don't bother commenting on this post. If you're not a Sabres fan, you shouldn't even be reading this. If you insist on commenting - even if it's thoughtful and reasonable - I'm just going to gather up all my Buffalo homies - those of us who still live here, that is - and say, "Hey, look at the little ENTER TEAM HERE fan. He shouldn't even be here. Am I right or am I right?")
Heather B, breaking all the rules.
(Programming note: I'll try to be back to my usual insightful and mature self later. My deepest apologies to anyone who can't make any sense of this post. Just please come back tomorrow.)
It's recently come to my attention that some of you are invading other team's arenas and quite frankly, acting like jerks. Stepping on posters? Wearing t-shirts that cleverly use the word "puck" in place of another word? Booing the home team? My god, people, what are you, animals? (Warning: There is a link included but for the love of all that is holy, don't follow it! You shouldn't be reading non-Sabres blogs! And if you're here and you're not a Sabres fan, get lost already!)
After some input from outside sources, I've put together the following list of rules for behavior when watching the Sabres outside of Buffalo. Please read and follow.
1. Do not wear any clothing that suggests you're rooting for the Sabres. Certainly do not wear anything that is directly anti-home team. Seriously, you're in someone else's building. Use your manners.
2. Do not make any vocalizations of excitement, happiness, joy etc. when the Sabres do something positive. Goals should not be cheered, great plays should not be admired, and for the love of all that's good and right in the hockey world, do not chant "Let's go Buff-a-lo!" Honestly, trying to drown out the locals? That is so uncouth. Polite applause is acceptable as long as you remain seated and stare straight ahead the entire time. Do not ever cheer louder than the home team's fans. If that requires total silence, so be it.
3. Do not direct any negative vocalizations toward the home team. It's not hard, folks. Home team = always good and right. Does it matter that you're not actually cheering for the home team? Are you slow? Because we've clearly established that no, it does not.
3b. As an addendum to rule number 3, do not, under any circumstances, boo the home team's star player. What, were you raised in a barn? It does not matter that getting booed is part and parcel of being a professional athlete. It does not matter that said athlete is, in this year alone, making what I'll make in 55.79 years. It does not matter that this player is not actually playing for your team and it certainly does not matter whether or not this player was not that long ago involved in a questionable play involving one of your star players.
In fact, Buffalo, star players really shouldn't be booed at all. I know, I know... You're scratching your head right now and thinking, "Well, golly, Heather B, I sometimes criticize my own star players, what do I care if other fans do it? I mean, did you see Thomas Vanek play the first few months of the season?" I know, and yes, I did see him play. I think it's very amusing that you're constantly re-calculating how much he's being paid for every point scored. It turns out however that some people don't like that. And can you blame them? God, show a little respect. Thomas Vanek has feelings too. I'm sure he's cut to the bone every time you call him the "Seven Million Dollar Man" with that biting and sarcastic tone in your voice.
3c. The above rule applies to photographs and written descriptions of said star player as well. Stepping on said player's face? Outrageous! Making fun of his physical appearance? Immature! And also reprehensible! And don't even thinking about busting out a black marker for doodling purposes. That's a one-way ticket to fan hell. You'll spend the rest of your life in a small empty room with Sean Avery and Chris Simon.
Seriously, though, the above rules aside... What the hell are you people doing still cheering for the Sabres anyway? I mean, you left Buffalo! I know the economy here is struggling and the job market is tough, but good lord, man up already. If you want to work in book publishing or entertainment so badly, pool your resources and start up a publishing company or a movie studio right here. It can't be that hard. Not making enough to support your family? Hey, kids are resilient creatures, they can survive on pork and beans. Or even better, make the little brats work for their keep. It builds character. It's about sacrifices, people. If you can't make it work here, get out and don't come back.
Listen, I know that Buffalo is a city that gets under you skin and worms its way into your heart. I know that no matter where you are, chances are you're dreaming about crisp autumn evenings and soft, fluttery snow. I know you'd much rather be knocking back beers in the parking lot at Ralph Wilson on a blustery Sunday morning than watching the Bills in your living room across the country and I know you'd prefer to be walking out of HSBC Arena, surrounded by thousands of honking cars than watching the Sabres in a bar with a small crowd of fellow transplants. I know you're staring at your Christmas tree and thinking the season just isn't complete without sponge candy and fresh snow. I know you wish your kids were growing up in the same neighborhood you did and I know that you're sad that things didn't work out that way. I know that Buffalo is exactly the kind of hard-working, humble, friendly city that grabs your heart and, despite years and miles, never really lets go. I know you'll always tell people you're from Buffalo and you'll always say it proudly. And I know you'll be back here in a heartbeat if you ever get the chance.
Which is why you're an asshole for leaving. God! New plan: When you turn in your New York license plate, you also hand over all your Sabres and Bills memorabilia, Benedict Arnold.
(Don't bother commenting on this post. If you're not a Sabres fan, you shouldn't even be reading this. If you insist on commenting - even if it's thoughtful and reasonable - I'm just going to gather up all my Buffalo homies - those of us who still live here, that is - and say, "Hey, look at the little ENTER TEAM HERE fan. He shouldn't even be here. Am I right or am I right?")
Heather B, breaking all the rules.(Programming note: I'll try to be back to my usual insightful and mature self later. My deepest apologies to anyone who can't make any sense of this post. Just please come back tomorrow.)
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Kane is Able
Hey, who told the little Kane brat he could score?
Okay, seriously, Mark and I decided before the game that the perfect night would be Patrick Kane scoring and the Sabres winning so merry Christmas to us! I was a little unsure of the Sabres going out of their way to make a big deal about Kane's homecoming - he's not one of their players after all - but I did get a little choked up during the introduction of his dad and granddad (what's up with the mom's not being allowed on the ice though?) and I enjoyed seeing the various photos of little Patrick throughout the broadcast. Ultimately, I decided it was nice of the organization to recognize how special Kane's homecoming was to the community because it is a pretty big deal. Not only is a Buffalo kid in the NHL, he's doing very well for himself and helping to revive an Original Six franchise. He deserved the chance to take a bow in front of the people who helped get him there.
How uncomfortable did that intermission interview with Mr. and Mrs. Kane look though? Was it really necessary to cram them in between Kevin and Roby? We couldn't move Kevin and Roby apart a little more? I was laughing like a loon at the close-up of Mrs. Kane and Roby because she was within inches of his face. Poor Mrs. Kane.
Also, who has Rob Ray been fighting with? That's quite the cut he's been sporting across his nose the last couple of nights.
And finally, could someone make sure Jochen Hecht takes the little shiny sticker off the bill of his cap before the next game? Because that sticker bothered me all the way through his pregame interview.
Okay, on to the game!
Overall a good game. There was (still) some sloppiness but it's so good to see the Sabres gut out another tight game. Up until now they haven't really been doing much of that - they either win big or lose big - and I think it goes without saying that every good team has to be able to buckle down and fight. They looked like they wanted to win more than Chicago tonight and any sloppiness was tempered by plain hard work. Thomas Vanek fought for his goal. Drew Stafford battled and hustled to keep the puck in the offensive zone during the shift that led to his goal. The whole Roy line looked really great tonight actually.
Ryan Miller stood on his head when it mattered and is a huge reason why the Sabres came away with a win. But Ryan, I am begging you. Stay in the crease! You are not, as Roby described Rick DiPietro tonight, a "river boat gambler." You're a nice little goalie who does not want to stress out his fans too terribly much. Right?
This is going back to last night, but I really missed Jim Lorentz during the too many men on the ice penalties. It's stupid but I loved him pausing the film, counting the players, and circling them on the telestrator. I really feel like Jim should have weaned us all off of him, maybe 40 games this season and ten less every season after that? Is it too late to make this happen?
The dumbest conversation Mark and I had tonight:
Drew Stafford scores.
MARK: Yes! That's three games in a row!
HEATHER (thinking)
MARK: I'm counting the disallowed goal, by the way. That was crap.
HEATHER: You're counting it forever?
MARK: Yeah.
HEATHER: So years from now, when we're all celebrating Drew Stafford's 500th goal -
MARK: 501
HEATHER: Okaaaay. Hey, if you die unexpectedly, do you mind if I marry Paul Posluszny?
MARK: Nah, Poz is cool.
HEATHER: If he's married by then, Joe Thornton's my back-up.
MARK: It's good you have plans.
I loved Jason Pominville passing off the empty netter to Jochen last night saying simply, "Jochen would've given it to me in the same situation," and then hustling to get his own empty netter tonight. Pommers hasn't been scoring many goals lately, but he's playing some good hockey and doing all the little things right. I've said this before, but the kid is really, really growing on me this season. Unlike some of the other younger guys I think he's managed to avoid putting too much pressure on himself. He stays within in himself and focuses on playing his game.
In closing, I refuse to believe there wasn't a single Tragically Hip song on Brian Campbell's playlist. I refuse. I'm so disappointed! Also, Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts? Really, HSBC?
Paging Tim Connolly
Yeah, so I slept through all of the game against the Capitals last night. Hank, I was really excited to see you again, I promise, but what can I say? It was a long and difficult week at work. I was wiped out.
The only thing I remember past the first period is this exchange:
HEATHER (mumbling into the back of the couch and a pile of blankets): Xpewdllw bwemllwl aweiadly.
MARK: What'd you say?
HEATHER (picking up head and yelling): I said, "Wear a !#!@&!# visor already!" (head falls back down)... ZZZZzzzzzz...
I think I've mentioned before that it drives me crazy when players repeatedly take pucks off their face but refuse to wear a visor, but Timmy drives me especially mad. He's unfortunately at a point where, due to his concussion history, every knock to the head, no matter where it comes from, is potentially dangerous. The Sabres have been very good to him. They brought him over from the Islanders and were patient with his development. After the 2005-2006 season they signed him to a multi-year deal for what was at the time very good money even though he was out with post-concussion symptoms and even though no one was clear on when he'd be on the ice again. I think the Sabres organization has shown a lot of faith in Tim's talent and his long-term health. I also think Tim, more than any other player, owes it to the Sabres to do whatever it takes to protect himself on the ice. That means tightening his chinstrap, putting in a mouth guard, and wearing a !#!@&!# visor.
The only thing I remember past the first period is this exchange:
HEATHER (mumbling into the back of the couch and a pile of blankets): Xpewdllw bwemllwl aweiadly.
MARK: What'd you say?
HEATHER (picking up head and yelling): I said, "Wear a !#!@&!# visor already!" (head falls back down)... ZZZZzzzzzz...
I think I've mentioned before that it drives me crazy when players repeatedly take pucks off their face but refuse to wear a visor, but Timmy drives me especially mad. He's unfortunately at a point where, due to his concussion history, every knock to the head, no matter where it comes from, is potentially dangerous. The Sabres have been very good to him. They brought him over from the Islanders and were patient with his development. After the 2005-2006 season they signed him to a multi-year deal for what was at the time very good money even though he was out with post-concussion symptoms and even though no one was clear on when he'd be on the ice again. I think the Sabres organization has shown a lot of faith in Tim's talent and his long-term health. I also think Tim, more than any other player, owes it to the Sabres to do whatever it takes to protect himself on the ice. That means tightening his chinstrap, putting in a mouth guard, and wearing a !#!@&!# visor.
I'd like to be watching you do this for a long time, Timmy.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Mike Comrie Had No Points and Was a -3 Tonight
Not a ton to say about tonight's game. While the Sabres went into a lull after jumping out to a lead, the overall effort was much better than most of the California trip. Still, I'm at the point now where I have to see that a few games in a row before getting too excited and things were still a little sloppy. Some hit and run observations before I go to bed:
- One of the funniest things I've ever heard at the arena took place after Toni Lydman scored his goal.
P.A. Announcer: Scoring Buffalo's SECOND goal of the night, his FIRST of the season, NUMBER... ... ... (silence)
CROWD: Fiiiiiive!
P.A. ANNOUNCER: ... NUMBER FIIIIIIVE! TONI LYYYYYDMAAAAAN
- On the way home we listened to a few minutes of the post-game show on WGR and caught a classic Toni Lydman interview. "Yeah, I just closed my eyes and shot the puck. I really just wanted to keep my goal scoring streak alive, one per season and now I've taken care of that." And he, of course, said it in that laid-back, deadpan way he has of talking. I love it when he and Henrik Tallinder score because they always seem just a touch tickled with themselves.
- Tonight was one of those nights where extending Brian Campbell makes me a little nervous. He couldn't stay on his feet, he couldn't hold onto the puck, and I think he hit the net once. He wasn't glaringly bad, but he sure wasn't five million plus a year good.
- With rumors that Tallinder and Dmitri Kalinin will be back in the line-up this weekend, there's a lot of discussion going on about who should sit. I vote Nathan Paetsch and Andrej Sekera. While Paetsch has been better lately, I haven't been impressed with him overall. I think Sekera is doing pretty well playing with Toni against the top lines but he's not ready to replace Hank or Dmitri. Nolan Pratt has totally earned his spot. He'll throw his body around, he's very good at clearing pucks from the crease and most importantly, he takes care of his goaltender. I think he and Tri could make a very good pairing.
- I thought the Islanders were crazy for making such a huge commitment to Rick DiPietro but he's maturing into a very good goalie. I don't know how good he'll be 10 years from now when he's still under contract, but for now he's very solid. Speaking of Rick DiPietro...
- It drives me batty that any time we play a team with a good puck-handling goalie, Ryan Miller decides, "Hey, I can do that too!" Ryan... No, you can't. DiPietro is an excellent puck-handling goalie. You are not. You're just not! Ignore that trapezoid behind the net because it does not apply to you. You have your own personal trapezoid. You're more than welcome to play the puck anywhere in it.
- Kudos to the girls with the "Jochen Is Smokin'" and "Mair-y Me, Adam" signs. First of all, they're both pretty cute. Second of all, it's nice to see some love being spread to some non-Pominville/Roy/Miller guys. Seriously, Jochen is - puckbunny alert! - totally smokin' for sure and Mairsy reminds me of my high school crush.
- And hey, I think this could be the year Jochen finally gets twenty goals. I didn't realize he was at ten already!
- One of the funniest things I've ever heard at the arena took place after Toni Lydman scored his goal.
P.A. Announcer: Scoring Buffalo's SECOND goal of the night, his FIRST of the season, NUMBER... ... ... (silence)
CROWD: Fiiiiiive!
P.A. ANNOUNCER: ... NUMBER FIIIIIIVE! TONI LYYYYYDMAAAAAN
- On the way home we listened to a few minutes of the post-game show on WGR and caught a classic Toni Lydman interview. "Yeah, I just closed my eyes and shot the puck. I really just wanted to keep my goal scoring streak alive, one per season and now I've taken care of that." And he, of course, said it in that laid-back, deadpan way he has of talking. I love it when he and Henrik Tallinder score because they always seem just a touch tickled with themselves.
- Tonight was one of those nights where extending Brian Campbell makes me a little nervous. He couldn't stay on his feet, he couldn't hold onto the puck, and I think he hit the net once. He wasn't glaringly bad, but he sure wasn't five million plus a year good.
- With rumors that Tallinder and Dmitri Kalinin will be back in the line-up this weekend, there's a lot of discussion going on about who should sit. I vote Nathan Paetsch and Andrej Sekera. While Paetsch has been better lately, I haven't been impressed with him overall. I think Sekera is doing pretty well playing with Toni against the top lines but he's not ready to replace Hank or Dmitri. Nolan Pratt has totally earned his spot. He'll throw his body around, he's very good at clearing pucks from the crease and most importantly, he takes care of his goaltender. I think he and Tri could make a very good pairing.
- I thought the Islanders were crazy for making such a huge commitment to Rick DiPietro but he's maturing into a very good goalie. I don't know how good he'll be 10 years from now when he's still under contract, but for now he's very solid. Speaking of Rick DiPietro...
- It drives me batty that any time we play a team with a good puck-handling goalie, Ryan Miller decides, "Hey, I can do that too!" Ryan... No, you can't. DiPietro is an excellent puck-handling goalie. You are not. You're just not! Ignore that trapezoid behind the net because it does not apply to you. You have your own personal trapezoid. You're more than welcome to play the puck anywhere in it.
- Kudos to the girls with the "Jochen Is Smokin'" and "Mair-y Me, Adam" signs. First of all, they're both pretty cute. Second of all, it's nice to see some love being spread to some non-Pominville/Roy/Miller guys. Seriously, Jochen is - puckbunny alert! - totally smokin' for sure and Mairsy reminds me of my high school crush.
- And hey, I think this could be the year Jochen finally gets twenty goals. I didn't realize he was at ten already!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
And Now For Something Completely Different...
After I posted this morning, I decided I wasn't going to think about the Sabres the rest of the day. They're bugging me and I don't like it. Instead I thought about the Bills. They're kind of a charming little team, aren't they? Isn't it nice to have a team that makes up for a lack of talent by working really, really hard every week? I like that. It's fun.
This has been posted on various Buffalo websites before, but I'm throwing it up here because whenever I need to lighten the mood, I cue this baby up:
Marshawn came through my line late one night at the grocery store and he was exactly like he is on TV - funny, friendly, and just a tad loopy. He is truly, to quote Robert Royal, "a fresh of breath air."
I've also been ogling this tackle by Paul Posluszny (the replay from behind him is the best angle, I think):
That is, fierce, y'all. I think that deserves a "Rrrrawwwr!" for sure.
This has been posted on various Buffalo websites before, but I'm throwing it up here because whenever I need to lighten the mood, I cue this baby up:
Marshawn came through my line late one night at the grocery store and he was exactly like he is on TV - funny, friendly, and just a tad loopy. He is truly, to quote Robert Royal, "a fresh of breath air."
I've also been ogling this tackle by Paul Posluszny (the replay from behind him is the best angle, I think):
That is, fierce, y'all. I think that deserves a "Rrrrawwwr!" for sure.
Danny Paille
This is really just an add-on to the previous post, but I've edited it 18 times already and I figure people will stop reading it at some point.
Lindy Ruff said he sat Danny Paille last night because he didn't want to mess with the line-up that won on Saturday night. Right. Because it totally doesn't make sense to take an already winning line-up, subtract the useless hockey player who only had 1:50 of ice-time, and add a player who busts his hump every night. Okey dokey!
Lindy, I love you, but no, I don't think so.
Lindy Ruff said he sat Danny Paille last night because he didn't want to mess with the line-up that won on Saturday night. Right. Because it totally doesn't make sense to take an already winning line-up, subtract the useless hockey player who only had 1:50 of ice-time, and add a player who busts his hump every night. Okey dokey!
Lindy, I love you, but no, I don't think so.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Tired Legs? Tired Legs?!
You guys barely played any hockey on your west coast road trip! When exactly did your legs get tired? And how do tired legs create stupid turnovers and shots that barely stay in the building?
Gah!
If I have to sit through a game like this on Wednesday night you might see Dippin' Dots raining down from section 323.
ETA:
If any fans from opposing teams wander by, I'm currently fielding offers for Ales Kotalik and Maxim Afinogenov. They're not without skill, they're both signed to reasonable contracts, and I need them both out of my sight ASAP. Let me know what you've got. We'll work it out with Lindy and Darcy later.
I've decided I'm kind of pissed at Lindy for scratching Danny Paille. This team's work ethic is terrible and at the very least, Paille always, always plays hard. Everyone plays like garbage in L.A. and Lindy responds by benching one of the hardest workers on the team? Am I missing something?
Mark hit on a great idea. We need to find a way to put the heart and fight of the Bills into the talented bodies of the Sabres. Then Buffalo would have one great team.
Gah!
If I have to sit through a game like this on Wednesday night you might see Dippin' Dots raining down from section 323.
ETA:
If any fans from opposing teams wander by, I'm currently fielding offers for Ales Kotalik and Maxim Afinogenov. They're not without skill, they're both signed to reasonable contracts, and I need them both out of my sight ASAP. Let me know what you've got. We'll work it out with Lindy and Darcy later.
I've decided I'm kind of pissed at Lindy for scratching Danny Paille. This team's work ethic is terrible and at the very least, Paille always, always plays hard. Everyone plays like garbage in L.A. and Lindy responds by benching one of the hardest workers on the team? Am I missing something?
Mark hit on a great idea. We need to find a way to put the heart and fight of the Bills into the talented bodies of the Sabres. Then Buffalo would have one great team.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
I Can't Think of a Good Title
The Sabres are seriously driving me crazy right now. Listen, I'm glad they finally woke up and beat San Jose and I'm glad it was a fairly convincing win. It was nice to see Max and Derek and Al and Vanek on the score sheet. It was nice to see Ryan playing a very solid game (I'm agreeing with Gambler and giving you a moral shutout, Ryan since San Jose's goal was totally ridiculous). But this back and forth thing is giving me a headache. The team works pretty hard for six games and they win them all. They slack off against St. Louis and lose. They put in a better effort against Carolina and they win. Now... I'm seeing a pattern here. You're probably seeing a pattern here. The Sabres? Not so much. They decide the second period of the Anaheim game is optional and that's enough for the Ducks. And then they decide the entire L.A. game is optional and they get embarrassed. And finally they decide hey, maybe we should, you know, try and what happens? They win! Guys, do you need some mood stabilizers? Because this up and down, back and forth isn't healthy for any of us.
I think the Sabres have established that they have enough talent to compete with many - if not all - of the teams in the league on most nights. But they have to be playing hard, forechecking, fighting for the puck, and they're still not doing that on a consistent basis. I thought maybe they'd finally broken through during the six game winning streak but the L.A. game was so bad - and I didn't even watch half of it. Maybe it was just a blip. We'll see, I guess.
- The games under Brian Campbell's captaincy have been from one extreme to the other. An 8-1 victory, a 4-1 loss, an 8-2 loss, and a 7-1 victory. We're either all in or barely there which is very reminiscent (to me and Meg who actually pointed it out to me) of Brian's play. That's... a little disturbing.
- Just give Goose a letter already. Seriously, Lindy. I could understand some reluctance when Goose wasn't getting much ice-time but it seems like he's always out there now. And speaking of Goose...
- ... Tell me again why Andrew Peters is on the team? I'm assuming he was in last night in case the game was physical but even with that he barely touched the ice. Goose did all the fighting and defending that Andrew is allegedly there for and he can actually play hockey. Seriously, this is beyond funny now. The only thing I noticed Andrew doing last night was holding the door open so his teammates could get on and off the ice. We're sitting Danny Paille for that?
- I don't like Harry Neale. He says one thing a night that totally cracks me up but is otherwise totally useless. At this point in the season he should really be able to differentiate between Vanek, Pominville, and Gaustad. They don't look alike, they don't play alike. Harry, let me help you out. If you're looking at a large man throwing his body at other large men, it's probably not Jason Pominville. If you're watching a fairly small man carry the puck up the ice and through two defenders, it's probably not Paul Gaustad. And Harry is even worse on the radio. It doesn't translate at all. I miss Jim Lorentz breaking down plays and showing me how goals developed. I miss Jim chiding the team when they play badly and I miss him occasionally taking a moment to genuinely "oooooh!" over a great play. Jim, what do you want to come back? Because whatever it is, I'll give it to you.
- I'm glad Jaroslav Spacek wasn't seriously hurt and yes, someone probably should have stepped in and helped him out, but Joe Thornton's flip-out was hilarious. Man! I was totally giggling. That was an inappropriate response, wasn't it? Sorry, Jaro! Also funny? The second intermission interview with Tim Connolly that took place right after he stepped off the ice. He was totally gasping by the time he got to the end of each sentence. Hee!
- I can't believe that we got an interview with Mother Goose (also funny!) but we didn't get an interview with the Millers during the Anaheim game. That seems like a no-brainer to me. According to IPB, the Millers were interviewed on the Anaheim broadcast and asked who they'd cheer for in a Drew vs. Ryan shoot-out. Mr. Miller waffled and said he'd be happy and sad with either outcome but Mrs. Miller unhesitatingly said she'd cheer for a goal. No wonder Ryan has struggled with his mental fragility over the years. He grew up with a woman who loves goals!
- I've heard an awful lot of fans saying they don't know if there's room for Dmitri Kalinin once he's healthy. Now I know I like Tri and I have a weird affection for him, but am I really the only person who would much rather see him playing than Nathan Paetsch? Really?
I think the Sabres have established that they have enough talent to compete with many - if not all - of the teams in the league on most nights. But they have to be playing hard, forechecking, fighting for the puck, and they're still not doing that on a consistent basis. I thought maybe they'd finally broken through during the six game winning streak but the L.A. game was so bad - and I didn't even watch half of it. Maybe it was just a blip. We'll see, I guess.
- The games under Brian Campbell's captaincy have been from one extreme to the other. An 8-1 victory, a 4-1 loss, an 8-2 loss, and a 7-1 victory. We're either all in or barely there which is very reminiscent (to me and Meg who actually pointed it out to me) of Brian's play. That's... a little disturbing.
- Just give Goose a letter already. Seriously, Lindy. I could understand some reluctance when Goose wasn't getting much ice-time but it seems like he's always out there now. And speaking of Goose...
- ... Tell me again why Andrew Peters is on the team? I'm assuming he was in last night in case the game was physical but even with that he barely touched the ice. Goose did all the fighting and defending that Andrew is allegedly there for and he can actually play hockey. Seriously, this is beyond funny now. The only thing I noticed Andrew doing last night was holding the door open so his teammates could get on and off the ice. We're sitting Danny Paille for that?
- I don't like Harry Neale. He says one thing a night that totally cracks me up but is otherwise totally useless. At this point in the season he should really be able to differentiate between Vanek, Pominville, and Gaustad. They don't look alike, they don't play alike. Harry, let me help you out. If you're looking at a large man throwing his body at other large men, it's probably not Jason Pominville. If you're watching a fairly small man carry the puck up the ice and through two defenders, it's probably not Paul Gaustad. And Harry is even worse on the radio. It doesn't translate at all. I miss Jim Lorentz breaking down plays and showing me how goals developed. I miss Jim chiding the team when they play badly and I miss him occasionally taking a moment to genuinely "oooooh!" over a great play. Jim, what do you want to come back? Because whatever it is, I'll give it to you.
- I'm glad Jaroslav Spacek wasn't seriously hurt and yes, someone probably should have stepped in and helped him out, but Joe Thornton's flip-out was hilarious. Man! I was totally giggling. That was an inappropriate response, wasn't it? Sorry, Jaro! Also funny? The second intermission interview with Tim Connolly that took place right after he stepped off the ice. He was totally gasping by the time he got to the end of each sentence. Hee!
- I can't believe that we got an interview with Mother Goose (also funny!) but we didn't get an interview with the Millers during the Anaheim game. That seems like a no-brainer to me. According to IPB, the Millers were interviewed on the Anaheim broadcast and asked who they'd cheer for in a Drew vs. Ryan shoot-out. Mr. Miller waffled and said he'd be happy and sad with either outcome but Mrs. Miller unhesitatingly said she'd cheer for a goal. No wonder Ryan has struggled with his mental fragility over the years. He grew up with a woman who loves goals!
- I've heard an awful lot of fans saying they don't know if there's room for Dmitri Kalinin once he's healthy. Now I know I like Tri and I have a weird affection for him, but am I really the only person who would much rather see him playing than Nathan Paetsch? Really?
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Santa's Little Helpers
I have to say, I'm feeling much better about the Sabres after doing this to them. Really most of these guys have been okay (or injured - come back, Hank) but they were the ones who I found to be the funniest. This is so stupid, but what can I say, I'm totally cracking up here. Watch and enjoy!
ETA: I take it back. This one's pretty funny too.
(Would it shock you to learn that it's 3:08 a.m. right now?)
ETA: I take it back. This one's pretty funny too.
(Would it shock you to learn that it's 3:08 a.m. right now?)
Friday, December 7, 2007
A Little Good News
A few days ago I shared a little about why I blog and what I love about it. I think it's fair to say that overall I have pretty humble aspirations. I want a place to vent and remember and a few people to interact with. But even the humblest of bloggers has dreams, and I'm proud to say that one of my deepest dreams has now come true. That's right, I am November's Featured Fangirl over at SportSquee. (Yes, I know November is over. Take it up with, Margee.) SportSquee is quite simply one of my favorite websites on the internet and if you're not a regular visitor, you're really missing out. For the males in the audience, it's okay... I assure you that my personal sports squees are totally based on things like talent and character. Dimples and playoff beards mean nothing to me. Nothing. So go check me out, y'all!
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Dear Buffalo Sabres...
Dear Buffalo Sabres Not Named Ryan Miller,
This is Ryan Miller. Maybe you recognize him?
He's your goalie. He's pretty important. It's his job to keep the puck - that little black piece of rubber - out of your net. The closer the guys on the other team get to the net, the harder that is for him to do. Now, this may be hard to follow since some nights you wear blue and other nights you wear white, but see if you can stay with me here. There shouldn't be a guy wearing a color that doesn't match Ryan right in front of him. Here, take a look at this. Maybe you're visual learners:
Do you see how Ryan is so busy dealing with the guy in front of him that he's not really looking at the puck? That's bad, okay? If the puck goes in your net more than it goes in the other net, you lose. That's why it's really important that your goalie be able to focus on the puck. You know who should be taking care of the guy in white (or a dark color - remember, the opposite of what you and Ryan are wearing)? You! I know! Here's what the picture above should have looked like:
I'm using a picture from a Montreal game because that's what I had handy. Please understand that this applies to every game against every opponent.
Sincerely,
Heather B.
This is Ryan Miller. Maybe you recognize him?
He's your goalie. He's pretty important. It's his job to keep the puck - that little black piece of rubber - out of your net. The closer the guys on the other team get to the net, the harder that is for him to do. Now, this may be hard to follow since some nights you wear blue and other nights you wear white, but see if you can stay with me here. There shouldn't be a guy wearing a color that doesn't match Ryan right in front of him. Here, take a look at this. Maybe you're visual learners:
Do you see how Ryan is so busy dealing with the guy in front of him that he's not really looking at the puck? That's bad, okay? If the puck goes in your net more than it goes in the other net, you lose. That's why it's really important that your goalie be able to focus on the puck. You know who should be taking care of the guy in white (or a dark color - remember, the opposite of what you and Ryan are wearing)? You! I know! Here's what the picture above should have looked like:
I'm using a picture from a Montreal game because that's what I had handy. Please understand that this applies to every game against every opponent.
Sincerely,
Heather B.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
On Blogs and Blogging
In response to the response to the Hockey Night in Canada piece on hockey bloggers, Pookie and Schnookie of Interchangeable Parts created this questionnaire. It's already inspired a lot of really interesting discussion over there about hockey blogs and all the various things we look for in them and love about them. I've decided to tackle it myself because truly, there is nothing more stimulating than bloggers blogging about blogging.
1. WHAT WAS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR STARTING BLOGGING? HAS THAT CHANGED AT ALL IN THE TIME YOU'VE BEEN BLOGGING?
There a few reasons I started blogging.
One, I really enjoyed reading blogs and that naturally led to thoughts about writing one of my own. The bad ones made me think, "I could totally do that better." The good ones made me think, "I don't know if I could to that as well, but it sure looks like fun."
Two, it turned out I had a lot to say. When I first joined Hockey's Ladies of Greatness I really didn't think I'd write that much. Outside of posting on a few message boards here and there, I'd never put my thoughts about hockey down anywhere. Instead I wrote all the time. I had something to say about every topic that was presented. If you look at the HLoG archives around the time I joined, you'll find a plethora of posts and comments from me, most very long and detailed. I'm sure there were members who were thinking, "Her again?" and to this day I'm convinced the first "Should we impose a word limit?" email was sent around in response to me. Once I realized I had so much to say, it seemed natural to start a blog of my own.
And three, I've always loved to write. I have journals going back to the third grade. Every important moment of my life, everything that's happened in the world around me during those years, it's all documented somewhere. Last season part of me really felt like the Sabres might win the Stanley Cup and I wanted to be able to look back years from now and remember exactly where I was and what I was feeling when it happened. I wanted to remember all the little details about games and players that start to drift from your memory as time goes by and events get further away.
I don't think any of that has really changed. I still enjoy the blogging community, I still find myself with plenty to say, and I still want to remember everything when the Sabres win it all. (Shut up.)
2. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR BLOG CONTRIBUTES TO THE HOCKEY CONVERSATION?
Eek, I don't know. I think I'm in kind of good middle ground - I've been watching hockey long enough that I have a pretty decent understanding of what's going on on the ice, but it's new enough to me that I still see the wonder and the magic of the game. I haven't been beaten down by years of watching Buffalo teams lose and I don't take having local pro sports teams for granted. Certainly, not every long-time fan is like that but I do think that for a lot of people, a little bit of cynicism starts to creep in as the years go by. That hasn't happened for me yet.
3. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF THE BLOGS YOU READ?
Something different. I tend to avoid blogs written in an informative, newspaper-y style because, well if I wanted that I'd read the newspaper. I want strong opinions - doesn't matter to me if I agree or disagree. I want to be entertained and amused. A little fun never hurt anybody. I want interaction with other fans. I want facts and stats broken down and presented in different ways. My favorite hockey blogs all provide one or more of those things.
4. WHAT DETERMINES WHICH BLOGS YOU READ AND WHICH ONES YOU DON'T?
In addition to the above, I want good writing and decent grammar and spelling. I know most people are writing their blogs for fun but if any part of you is writing to be read, take the time to read over your work, run spell check, and fix any glaring mistakes. Seriously, it's not that hard.
5. HOW IMPORTANT IS THE ISSUE OF GAINING PRESS ACCESS TO YOU AS A BLOGGER?
Generally speaking, I'd love to see bloggers who want access be given some way to receive it. Journalists can squawk all they want about having degrees and experience but good journalism comes down to one thing: Can you write? Sitting in four years of classes doesn't make you a better writer. Writing makes you a better writer and you can do that anywhere. I can name numerous bloggers whose work is as interesting, insightful, and entertaining as any professionals'.
Do I personally want press access? I don't know. I don't think so. I'd love to see all the behind-the-scenes stuff. I want to see how Lindy interacts with the players off the ice, I want to see how the players interact with each other, I want to know what Darcy Regier does in a typical day. I'd like to follow the team on a road trip just to see what they do when they're not playing. I'd love to stand back and observe all the stupid little details that I find interesting - what kind of music is playing in the dressing room (if any), who has photos and knick-knacks up in his stall, who carries a book or magazine with him, who does the talking, who does the screaming, who sits back and takes everything in. The life of a professional athlete is so different from the mine and I'm fascinated by that.
But I don't know if I really want to interact with the players on a regular basis. I like having a bit of a wall between me and them. If someone's a massive jerkwad to the people around him, I don't want to know. If one player is sleeping with another player's wife or girlfriend, I don't want to hear whispers about it. I need to like the players I'm cheering for a little bit and I'd hate to wake up one day and realize I don't like my team anymore.
I also don't want to turn in my fan card. I love pulling on my jersey before a game. I love sitting with the rowdies in the 300s. I want to be able to cheer for goals or amazing plays and I want to be able to boo certain opponents and bad calls. That stuff is what hockey is to me and I love it too much to give it up.
6. TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU FEEL ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE CONTENT OF YOUR BLOG? HOW CONCERNED DO YOU THINK READERS SHOULD FEEL ABOUT THE AUTHORITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF YOUR BLOG?
It's my writing so I feel accountable in the sense that I want everything here to be of a certain quality and clear and easy to read. I don't pretend to be bringing anyone the inside dope - I don't quote players or coaches unless I'm taking the quote from somewhere else and when I do that, I always mention the source - so I don't think anyone out there should be concerned about me making stuff up. Pretty much everything here is presented as my opinion and in some ways I think I'm more reliable than the mainstream media because I'm upfront about my biases. Mark and I have a running joke that Maxim Afinogenov must've beat up Bucky Gleason's kid and stolen his lunch money because for a while Bucky's criticism of Max was ridiculous. Way beyond what he deserved and moving awfully close to personally insulting. Journalists are human beings and regardless of what they say about being impartial observers, you can't tell me that there aren't coaches and players that they like and coaches and players they don't like and you can't tell me that doesn't sometimes affect the way they judge those people's performances and report on them, even if it's very subtle. Anyone who's read my blog for some period of time knows how I feel about different players. If I'm particularly hard on Afinogenov and Ales Kotalik you can take it with a grain of salt because I don't hide the fact that I find their inconsistency to be a little infuriating. If I let Derek Roy or Dmitri Kalinin slide on poor play you can take that with a grain of salt too because I've mentioned numerous times that I love both guys and I've admitted that I overlook mistakes from them that I would never overlook if other players were making them.
7. HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU ABOUT THE AUTHORITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE BLOGS YOU READ? DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO JUDGE THE AUTHORITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE BLOGS YOU READ?
Honestly, I'm not very concerned at all. If bloggers were throwing out quotes from players with no source I'd be suspicious, but I think most hockey bloggers are pretty responsible about that kind of thing. Most of the blogs I read regularly are opinion based so that gives the author a lot of leeway. As long as the opinions are reasonably presented and argued, I'm okay with it. And you know what, sometimes opinions have no basis in reality at all. I can't think of a single reason why I want to punch Mike Comrie in the face but I do. Having irrational loves and hates is part of being a fan and as long as a blogger is upfront about writing as a fan, I have no problem with that at all.
8. WHAT VALUE, IF ANY, DO YOU THINK BLOGGING BRINGS TO THE NHL?
I think it gives fans in non-traditional markets a way to connect with other fans. I think it gives fans who are unhappy with their local coverage - for whatever reason - another way to find information. I think, if they're willing, it gives the league a way to tap into the opinions of large groups of fans on various issues (we think the jersey re-designs are ugly, we don't like the shoot-out, female fans don't necessarily want pink apparel, we hate the way you keep changing things just to change things, we think your suspensions are lame and toothless and we're concerned about the physical well-being of our players etc.). Considering how much we hear about "what the fans want" that should be of value to the powers that be.
If you made it through all that, congratulaions! Here's a photo I doctored up a while ago and never got around to posting. Please accept it along with my eternal gratitude for muddling through. (I totally stole the idea of using a funny picture to make the dryness go down easier from The Willful Caboose.)
1. WHAT WAS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR STARTING BLOGGING? HAS THAT CHANGED AT ALL IN THE TIME YOU'VE BEEN BLOGGING?
There a few reasons I started blogging.
One, I really enjoyed reading blogs and that naturally led to thoughts about writing one of my own. The bad ones made me think, "I could totally do that better." The good ones made me think, "I don't know if I could to that as well, but it sure looks like fun."
Two, it turned out I had a lot to say. When I first joined Hockey's Ladies of Greatness I really didn't think I'd write that much. Outside of posting on a few message boards here and there, I'd never put my thoughts about hockey down anywhere. Instead I wrote all the time. I had something to say about every topic that was presented. If you look at the HLoG archives around the time I joined, you'll find a plethora of posts and comments from me, most very long and detailed. I'm sure there were members who were thinking, "Her again?" and to this day I'm convinced the first "Should we impose a word limit?" email was sent around in response to me. Once I realized I had so much to say, it seemed natural to start a blog of my own.
And three, I've always loved to write. I have journals going back to the third grade. Every important moment of my life, everything that's happened in the world around me during those years, it's all documented somewhere. Last season part of me really felt like the Sabres might win the Stanley Cup and I wanted to be able to look back years from now and remember exactly where I was and what I was feeling when it happened. I wanted to remember all the little details about games and players that start to drift from your memory as time goes by and events get further away.
I don't think any of that has really changed. I still enjoy the blogging community, I still find myself with plenty to say, and I still want to remember everything when the Sabres win it all. (Shut up.)
2. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR BLOG CONTRIBUTES TO THE HOCKEY CONVERSATION?
Eek, I don't know. I think I'm in kind of good middle ground - I've been watching hockey long enough that I have a pretty decent understanding of what's going on on the ice, but it's new enough to me that I still see the wonder and the magic of the game. I haven't been beaten down by years of watching Buffalo teams lose and I don't take having local pro sports teams for granted. Certainly, not every long-time fan is like that but I do think that for a lot of people, a little bit of cynicism starts to creep in as the years go by. That hasn't happened for me yet.
3. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF THE BLOGS YOU READ?
Something different. I tend to avoid blogs written in an informative, newspaper-y style because, well if I wanted that I'd read the newspaper. I want strong opinions - doesn't matter to me if I agree or disagree. I want to be entertained and amused. A little fun never hurt anybody. I want interaction with other fans. I want facts and stats broken down and presented in different ways. My favorite hockey blogs all provide one or more of those things.
4. WHAT DETERMINES WHICH BLOGS YOU READ AND WHICH ONES YOU DON'T?
In addition to the above, I want good writing and decent grammar and spelling. I know most people are writing their blogs for fun but if any part of you is writing to be read, take the time to read over your work, run spell check, and fix any glaring mistakes. Seriously, it's not that hard.
5. HOW IMPORTANT IS THE ISSUE OF GAINING PRESS ACCESS TO YOU AS A BLOGGER?
Generally speaking, I'd love to see bloggers who want access be given some way to receive it. Journalists can squawk all they want about having degrees and experience but good journalism comes down to one thing: Can you write? Sitting in four years of classes doesn't make you a better writer. Writing makes you a better writer and you can do that anywhere. I can name numerous bloggers whose work is as interesting, insightful, and entertaining as any professionals'.
Do I personally want press access? I don't know. I don't think so. I'd love to see all the behind-the-scenes stuff. I want to see how Lindy interacts with the players off the ice, I want to see how the players interact with each other, I want to know what Darcy Regier does in a typical day. I'd like to follow the team on a road trip just to see what they do when they're not playing. I'd love to stand back and observe all the stupid little details that I find interesting - what kind of music is playing in the dressing room (if any), who has photos and knick-knacks up in his stall, who carries a book or magazine with him, who does the talking, who does the screaming, who sits back and takes everything in. The life of a professional athlete is so different from the mine and I'm fascinated by that.
But I don't know if I really want to interact with the players on a regular basis. I like having a bit of a wall between me and them. If someone's a massive jerkwad to the people around him, I don't want to know. If one player is sleeping with another player's wife or girlfriend, I don't want to hear whispers about it. I need to like the players I'm cheering for a little bit and I'd hate to wake up one day and realize I don't like my team anymore.
I also don't want to turn in my fan card. I love pulling on my jersey before a game. I love sitting with the rowdies in the 300s. I want to be able to cheer for goals or amazing plays and I want to be able to boo certain opponents and bad calls. That stuff is what hockey is to me and I love it too much to give it up.
6. TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU FEEL ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE CONTENT OF YOUR BLOG? HOW CONCERNED DO YOU THINK READERS SHOULD FEEL ABOUT THE AUTHORITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF YOUR BLOG?
It's my writing so I feel accountable in the sense that I want everything here to be of a certain quality and clear and easy to read. I don't pretend to be bringing anyone the inside dope - I don't quote players or coaches unless I'm taking the quote from somewhere else and when I do that, I always mention the source - so I don't think anyone out there should be concerned about me making stuff up. Pretty much everything here is presented as my opinion and in some ways I think I'm more reliable than the mainstream media because I'm upfront about my biases. Mark and I have a running joke that Maxim Afinogenov must've beat up Bucky Gleason's kid and stolen his lunch money because for a while Bucky's criticism of Max was ridiculous. Way beyond what he deserved and moving awfully close to personally insulting. Journalists are human beings and regardless of what they say about being impartial observers, you can't tell me that there aren't coaches and players that they like and coaches and players they don't like and you can't tell me that doesn't sometimes affect the way they judge those people's performances and report on them, even if it's very subtle. Anyone who's read my blog for some period of time knows how I feel about different players. If I'm particularly hard on Afinogenov and Ales Kotalik you can take it with a grain of salt because I don't hide the fact that I find their inconsistency to be a little infuriating. If I let Derek Roy or Dmitri Kalinin slide on poor play you can take that with a grain of salt too because I've mentioned numerous times that I love both guys and I've admitted that I overlook mistakes from them that I would never overlook if other players were making them.
7. HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU ABOUT THE AUTHORITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE BLOGS YOU READ? DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO JUDGE THE AUTHORITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE BLOGS YOU READ?
Honestly, I'm not very concerned at all. If bloggers were throwing out quotes from players with no source I'd be suspicious, but I think most hockey bloggers are pretty responsible about that kind of thing. Most of the blogs I read regularly are opinion based so that gives the author a lot of leeway. As long as the opinions are reasonably presented and argued, I'm okay with it. And you know what, sometimes opinions have no basis in reality at all. I can't think of a single reason why I want to punch Mike Comrie in the face but I do. Having irrational loves and hates is part of being a fan and as long as a blogger is upfront about writing as a fan, I have no problem with that at all.
8. WHAT VALUE, IF ANY, DO YOU THINK BLOGGING BRINGS TO THE NHL?
I think it gives fans in non-traditional markets a way to connect with other fans. I think it gives fans who are unhappy with their local coverage - for whatever reason - another way to find information. I think, if they're willing, it gives the league a way to tap into the opinions of large groups of fans on various issues (we think the jersey re-designs are ugly, we don't like the shoot-out, female fans don't necessarily want pink apparel, we hate the way you keep changing things just to change things, we think your suspensions are lame and toothless and we're concerned about the physical well-being of our players etc.). Considering how much we hear about "what the fans want" that should be of value to the powers that be.
If you made it through all that, congratulaions! Here's a photo I doctored up a while ago and never got around to posting. Please accept it along with my eternal gratitude for muddling through. (I totally stole the idea of using a funny picture to make the dryness go down easier from The Willful Caboose.)
Monday, December 3, 2007
Odds and Ends
What the title says...
- It bothers me that more of the Sabres don't have special reasons for wearing the number they do. Honestly, "It's the number the equipment guy gave me"? What's that about? If this were Timbits I could understand making due with what you're given but to me one of the best things about being a professional would be having some choice in what number I wear. So many things and people you could pay tribute to, little inside things you could do. I'm always let down when I hear there's no meaning behind somebody's number. I also feel very strongly that every interview should include the question, "Why do you wear number X?" All this time I've assumed Ryan Miller wears 30 because of Marty Brodeur but for all I know it could've been his great-uncle's number. Bucky, make yourself useful and write a column listing every Sabre, his jersey number, and his reason for wearing it.
(For the record, in all my years of travel fast-pitch softball I wore 18 in honor of Andy Van Slyke, my childhood hero and still one of my favorite people in the world.)
- As I mentioned earlier, Mark and I went to the game on Saturday. When they started playing Thank God I'm a Country Boy on the P.A. I said to Mark, "Ooh, maybe this is a Nolan Pratt selection!" He said, "No, they play this song all the time." "They do?" "Yeah, and we have this conversation every time. The only thing that changes is the player's name." After I thought about it I realized he might be right. I guess I just really, really want someone to like John Denver.
- I haven't watched a ton of football this season - I worked at the grocery store most Sundays and I lost a touch of my fervor when Paul Posluszny got hurt - but holy crap, I don't think I can take another second of Patriots talk. I don't know how you people who watch football all the time handle this. Granted, the game on right now actually involves the Patriots but seriously, can someone take care of this? As Mark said a few minutes ago, "I don't think I ever cheered this hard for Willis even when he was in Buffalo." Sidenote: It bothers me that "Poz" is spelled with a "z" when there's no "z" in the first part of Posluszny. I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before, but I was also really disappointed when I realized it was "Poz" and not "Paws" which is how I'd always heard it in my head. Now I have no real reason to throw up my hands and yell, "Rrrrawr!" after a big tackle. Not that that will stop me, of course.
- Two games for Scott Hartnell is ridiculous, especially considering his, "I don't care if I get suspended, I'd hit him the same way again" comments. How difficult is it to understand that sometimes finishing your check isn't a good idea? I love that Colin Campbell's reasoning was more or less, "Well, he did hit him in the head, but really he could've hit him so much harder!" I said before that the league isn't going to start taking hits like this serious until someone is crippled or dead, but I don't know, I'm beginning to think not even that will do the trick. And how sad is that in the couple of days it took me to get back to this story, another Flyer laid another dangerous hit on somebody's head? Glad to see the powers that be have moved up to three games. That'll learn 'em for sure! Danny Briere, I hope you're watching your back because it's just a matter of time before some team decides they've had enough. (And watch, that guy will get a double digit suspension.)
- I'm mad at Heroes right now. You hurt me, Heroes! You hurt me bad!
- Thanks to the beauty of the interwebs, I'm currently listening to Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album. Folks, your life is not complete if you've never rocked out to What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb?)
- It bothers me that more of the Sabres don't have special reasons for wearing the number they do. Honestly, "It's the number the equipment guy gave me"? What's that about? If this were Timbits I could understand making due with what you're given but to me one of the best things about being a professional would be having some choice in what number I wear. So many things and people you could pay tribute to, little inside things you could do. I'm always let down when I hear there's no meaning behind somebody's number. I also feel very strongly that every interview should include the question, "Why do you wear number X?" All this time I've assumed Ryan Miller wears 30 because of Marty Brodeur but for all I know it could've been his great-uncle's number. Bucky, make yourself useful and write a column listing every Sabre, his jersey number, and his reason for wearing it.
(For the record, in all my years of travel fast-pitch softball I wore 18 in honor of Andy Van Slyke, my childhood hero and still one of my favorite people in the world.)
- As I mentioned earlier, Mark and I went to the game on Saturday. When they started playing Thank God I'm a Country Boy on the P.A. I said to Mark, "Ooh, maybe this is a Nolan Pratt selection!" He said, "No, they play this song all the time." "They do?" "Yeah, and we have this conversation every time. The only thing that changes is the player's name." After I thought about it I realized he might be right. I guess I just really, really want someone to like John Denver.
- I haven't watched a ton of football this season - I worked at the grocery store most Sundays and I lost a touch of my fervor when Paul Posluszny got hurt - but holy crap, I don't think I can take another second of Patriots talk. I don't know how you people who watch football all the time handle this. Granted, the game on right now actually involves the Patriots but seriously, can someone take care of this? As Mark said a few minutes ago, "I don't think I ever cheered this hard for Willis even when he was in Buffalo." Sidenote: It bothers me that "Poz" is spelled with a "z" when there's no "z" in the first part of Posluszny. I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before, but I was also really disappointed when I realized it was "Poz" and not "Paws" which is how I'd always heard it in my head. Now I have no real reason to throw up my hands and yell, "Rrrrawr!" after a big tackle. Not that that will stop me, of course.
- Two games for Scott Hartnell is ridiculous, especially considering his, "I don't care if I get suspended, I'd hit him the same way again" comments. How difficult is it to understand that sometimes finishing your check isn't a good idea? I love that Colin Campbell's reasoning was more or less, "Well, he did hit him in the head, but really he could've hit him so much harder!" I said before that the league isn't going to start taking hits like this serious until someone is crippled or dead, but I don't know, I'm beginning to think not even that will do the trick. And how sad is that in the couple of days it took me to get back to this story, another Flyer laid another dangerous hit on somebody's head? Glad to see the powers that be have moved up to three games. That'll learn 'em for sure! Danny Briere, I hope you're watching your back because it's just a matter of time before some team decides they've had enough. (And watch, that guy will get a double digit suspension.)
- I'm mad at Heroes right now. You hurt me, Heroes! You hurt me bad!
- Thanks to the beauty of the interwebs, I'm currently listening to Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album. Folks, your life is not complete if you've never rocked out to What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb?)
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Sweet Caroline
I had a post in mind about the relationship between Sabres fans and Canes fans - never fear, Canes fans, there was going to be some criticism directed at both sides - but it was pretty negative in tone so I'm going to save it for another day. Because really, who wants to be negative after an 8-1 victory?
This game was supposed to be a girls' night out with some of my buddies but every single one of them bailed on me. Can you believe it? Kathy couldn't find a babysitter/had a broom ball conflict, Monica was feeling under the weather, and Sue took a spill last weekend and fractured her knee cap and a couple of vertebrae. (Okay, that last one is a pretty good excuse.) One of the girls was kind enough to give us her ticket however and Mark and I spread out across four seats and enjoyed the game. Some observations:
- I'm sorry Sue missed out because she's a big fan of Maxim Afinogenov and I think this was hands down Max's best game this season. He was wreaking havoc on an obviously tired Canes squad while being far more responsible with the puck than he has been. He was either getting it on net, finding teammates, or carrying it to open ice. I don't remember a single bad turnover. Nice to see Lindy reward his effort with the highest amount of ice-time for any forward, pretty impressive since it felt like we were short-handed for the entire second period. For all my griping about Max, it has been tough watching him struggle so I was pretty happy to see him playing so well. Maybe he's turning a corner?
- I thought the Afinogenov-Gaustad-Kotalik line seemed like a weird mish-mash of playing styles and I was pretty critical of it before the game but it worked. The whole line really had a good game. Al also had one of his better games of the season.
- Derek Roy continues to look much better. He was really buzzing and it was nice to see him bury that breakaway. What a beautiful pass by Tim Connolly. That said, Timmy needs to shoot more often because good things often happen when he does. He has such a nice little shot. It's not overwhelmingly powerful but he places it so well.
- Thomas Vanek was not overwhelming. I don't remember him looking terrible outside of the two bad penalties he took but he wasn't the Vanek who was dominating play in the couple of games before the St. Louis game. On one hand it's nice that we can win games without him chipping in a lot - for all the crying about Drury and Briere leaving, the Sabres still have the potential for very balanced scoring as seen tonight - it would be nice to see him playing a little more consistently. Just lighten up and shoot the puck, Thomas. It'll happen.
- Before the season I thought Brian Campbell had a good shot at wearing a letter, but he seemed like an unusual choice for December, since he's been a little bit of a mess in the last couple of games, his performance against Washington being particularly bad. But I thought Toni Lydman was an odd choice for November and that worked out pretty darn well with Toni playing like a friggin' beast all month. I wonder if Lindy is using the letters as a little bit of a "Show me what you got, kid" encouragement tool. Brian did lead the team in ice-time tonight and even more surprisingly to me, he led the team in short-handed time (according the NHL.com summary). I didn't notice any glaring mistakes so maybe the letter will look good on him.
- Jochen Hecht gets an A to make him a letter-wearer every month so far with Jaroslav Spacek getting the other A. I got no beef with either of those choices - Jochen has continued to play very solid hockey and I find myself being very pleased for Jaro. He now has more goals this season than he did all of last season. Good for you, Jaro. Let's see how many crazy interviews we can cram in this month, shall we?
- Nolan Pratt was in a foul mood tonight and I love it. I love the way this guy takes care of his teammates, especially Ryan Miller. When Dmitri Kalin and Henrik Tallinder are both back in the line-up I really hope it's Paetsch sitting and not Pratt. I think we need that little bit of edge, especially on the blue line.
Hockey Night in Canada did a really interesting feature on hockey blogs this evening. One of the things it discussed was how some teams like Washington are using bloggers as alternative media sources. Buffalo wasn't mentioned as one of the teams considering opening the press box to bloggers but someone in the organization really needs to take a look at it, I think. Buffalo isn't in the same situation as Washington - they get pretty much no coverage from local papers and TV - but Buffalo is a one newspaper town and as I've said before, I find much of the Buffalo News coverage to be negative and one-sided. The Sabres wouldn't be able to control what bloggers say but it might be to their advantage to help get some new and different voices out there.
Anyway, I thought the piece was well-done and pretty positive. If you missed it, scoot on over to Mirtle's and check it out. He has a video posted.
This game was supposed to be a girls' night out with some of my buddies but every single one of them bailed on me. Can you believe it? Kathy couldn't find a babysitter/had a broom ball conflict, Monica was feeling under the weather, and Sue took a spill last weekend and fractured her knee cap and a couple of vertebrae. (Okay, that last one is a pretty good excuse.) One of the girls was kind enough to give us her ticket however and Mark and I spread out across four seats and enjoyed the game. Some observations:
- I'm sorry Sue missed out because she's a big fan of Maxim Afinogenov and I think this was hands down Max's best game this season. He was wreaking havoc on an obviously tired Canes squad while being far more responsible with the puck than he has been. He was either getting it on net, finding teammates, or carrying it to open ice. I don't remember a single bad turnover. Nice to see Lindy reward his effort with the highest amount of ice-time for any forward, pretty impressive since it felt like we were short-handed for the entire second period. For all my griping about Max, it has been tough watching him struggle so I was pretty happy to see him playing so well. Maybe he's turning a corner?
- I thought the Afinogenov-Gaustad-Kotalik line seemed like a weird mish-mash of playing styles and I was pretty critical of it before the game but it worked. The whole line really had a good game. Al also had one of his better games of the season.
- Derek Roy continues to look much better. He was really buzzing and it was nice to see him bury that breakaway. What a beautiful pass by Tim Connolly. That said, Timmy needs to shoot more often because good things often happen when he does. He has such a nice little shot. It's not overwhelmingly powerful but he places it so well.
- Thomas Vanek was not overwhelming. I don't remember him looking terrible outside of the two bad penalties he took but he wasn't the Vanek who was dominating play in the couple of games before the St. Louis game. On one hand it's nice that we can win games without him chipping in a lot - for all the crying about Drury and Briere leaving, the Sabres still have the potential for very balanced scoring as seen tonight - it would be nice to see him playing a little more consistently. Just lighten up and shoot the puck, Thomas. It'll happen.
- Before the season I thought Brian Campbell had a good shot at wearing a letter, but he seemed like an unusual choice for December, since he's been a little bit of a mess in the last couple of games, his performance against Washington being particularly bad. But I thought Toni Lydman was an odd choice for November and that worked out pretty darn well with Toni playing like a friggin' beast all month. I wonder if Lindy is using the letters as a little bit of a "Show me what you got, kid" encouragement tool. Brian did lead the team in ice-time tonight and even more surprisingly to me, he led the team in short-handed time (according the NHL.com summary). I didn't notice any glaring mistakes so maybe the letter will look good on him.
- Jochen Hecht gets an A to make him a letter-wearer every month so far with Jaroslav Spacek getting the other A. I got no beef with either of those choices - Jochen has continued to play very solid hockey and I find myself being very pleased for Jaro. He now has more goals this season than he did all of last season. Good for you, Jaro. Let's see how many crazy interviews we can cram in this month, shall we?
- Nolan Pratt was in a foul mood tonight and I love it. I love the way this guy takes care of his teammates, especially Ryan Miller. When Dmitri Kalin and Henrik Tallinder are both back in the line-up I really hope it's Paetsch sitting and not Pratt. I think we need that little bit of edge, especially on the blue line.
Hockey Night in Canada did a really interesting feature on hockey blogs this evening. One of the things it discussed was how some teams like Washington are using bloggers as alternative media sources. Buffalo wasn't mentioned as one of the teams considering opening the press box to bloggers but someone in the organization really needs to take a look at it, I think. Buffalo isn't in the same situation as Washington - they get pretty much no coverage from local papers and TV - but Buffalo is a one newspaper town and as I've said before, I find much of the Buffalo News coverage to be negative and one-sided. The Sabres wouldn't be able to control what bloggers say but it might be to their advantage to help get some new and different voices out there.
Anyway, I thought the piece was well-done and pretty positive. If you missed it, scoot on over to Mirtle's and check it out. He has a video posted.
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