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?)