5. In an odd pick; my 5th favorite game/s that I have attended would have to be a tie between Game 3 Western Conference Finals in 2007 when the Red Wings beat the Ducks 5-0 and Oct 5, 2007 when the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Ducks 4-0. Some of my best memories from Ducks games come in these terrible blow-outs, where it is so bad that you give up wanting to win the game, and you are just happy yelling stupid things the whole time. Bustamante anyone?
4. Last nights game against the Canucks. It would be higher if we won; but it was pretty incredible anyways. 2-0 Ducks. 5-2 Canucks. 5-5 Tie. 6-5 Canucks. 6-6 Tie (Last minute goal by my favorite player, Corey Perry to secure the tie).
Corey Perry scored a goal and had 4 assists for a career night. If that wasn't epic enough; the shootout went 13 players deep on each team for a total of 26 shoot out attempts. It was like the night was never going to end. Not to mention the fact that I was able to take in the game with most all of my friends sitting around me in the box that Brian had won in an auction. You can't put a price tag on this sort of memory...unless you are Brian in which case there was a high price to pay.
3. January 2003. Mighty Ducks beat the Kings 6-5. This was before I was into hockey. I was invited to go to this game with Jason Ellis. Jason bet that the Kings would win the game, which added a little drama to the night. The game started with the Mighty Ducks going up 3-0 in the first period. The Kings fought back with 5 straight unanswered goals to go up 5-3. Jason was feeling pretty good until the Mighty Ducks game back with 3 goals of their own to win the game 6-5. Incredible.
2. March 2004. Mighty Ducks beat the Red Wings 8-6. This was when Brian was first starting to invite me to games. Detroit scored 3 goals in the first 10 minutes, and Brian told us that if they scored one more we would leave. Fortunately for us, the Mighty Ducks scored 5 straight goals to go up 5-3. But Detroit was not done, they scored 2 goals at the end of the second period to send the game into the 3rd tied at 5. They scored again at the beginning of the 3rd to take a one goal lead 6-5; but in an incredibly ending, the Mighty Ducks scored 3 more unanswered goals to win 8-6. It was the most goals ever, 14 total, in a game in Mighty Ducks history. And I was there.
1. June 2007. Ducks beat the Senators 6-2. We won the cup that night. It wasn't a roller coaster ride game like the last three, but it was so fun and so loud that I will never forget it. I enjoyed so many playoff games; but this one takes the cake.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Stick-time/pick-up
Brian and I are hockey fiends. We're also going to get in shape if we keep this up. We went to stick time last night which eventually turned into a pick-up four-on-four game with the guys that were there. We had our marathon eighty minute scrimmage on Sunday night until midnight and now we played another long game on Monday. And of course in between these events Brian ran 2.25 miles and I rode my bike for eighteen.
Monday, October 27, 2008
80 Minute Scrimmage
Annihilator vs. District 5
Last night we had a scrimmage against what used to be the other half of our team, which meant that our team was considerably smaller than normal. Playing eighty minutes of non-stop, no-icing hockey is one of the most tiring things I can think of. As a point of reference, we usually play three periods of fifteen minutes with a minute break in between each period. We also usually play with three lines of offense as opposed to the two (Me, Brian, Jon and Joey, Jon, Ethan) we will be having this season.
Some thoughts on the night:
Playing against people we know is great for the fact that we can mix it up a lot more and not have to worry about people taking it personally. (Except of course for those guys on the other team that actually were upset with Brian's Sean Avery impersonation throughout the night.)
I scored a goal off a perfect pass from Jon Ellis between Peter Humphreys' legs.
Brian fought Alex Humphreys in a gloves-dropped match-up at center ice.
Ethan was held scoreless though he did have a couple near misses and probably an assist or two.
District 5 brought in a ringer who actually plays for Cal State Long Beach. This didn't turn out to be as bad as expected because he decided not to score twenty goals but instead just tried to set up his teammates whenever possible.
Penalty shots are pretty fun. I'm not sure how I actually looked when I was taking mine, but I got it past the goalie and hit the crossbar.
Last night we had a scrimmage against what used to be the other half of our team, which meant that our team was considerably smaller than normal. Playing eighty minutes of non-stop, no-icing hockey is one of the most tiring things I can think of. As a point of reference, we usually play three periods of fifteen minutes with a minute break in between each period. We also usually play with three lines of offense as opposed to the two (Me, Brian, Jon and Joey, Jon, Ethan) we will be having this season.
Some thoughts on the night:
Playing against people we know is great for the fact that we can mix it up a lot more and not have to worry about people taking it personally. (Except of course for those guys on the other team that actually were upset with Brian's Sean Avery impersonation throughout the night.)
I scored a goal off a perfect pass from Jon Ellis between Peter Humphreys' legs.
Brian fought Alex Humphreys in a gloves-dropped match-up at center ice.
Ethan was held scoreless though he did have a couple near misses and probably an assist or two.
District 5 brought in a ringer who actually plays for Cal State Long Beach. This didn't turn out to be as bad as expected because he decided not to score twenty goals but instead just tried to set up his teammates whenever possible.
Penalty shots are pretty fun. I'm not sure how I actually looked when I was taking mine, but I got it past the goalie and hit the crossbar.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Band
But seriously, let's do this.
http://store.theonion.com/i-think-we-should-start-talking-about-starting-a-band-p-207.html
Guys?
http://store.theonion.com/i-think-we-should-start-talking-about-starting-a-band-p-207.html
Guys?
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
In Political News
I mailed in my voter registration today. From now on I officially belong to the No Party, at least that is what I wrote on the registration. Good-bye Republicans hello fellow No's (on a side note: what is the plural of No? nos? noes? noahs? no-ads?)
As a member of the No Party, I thought I would thank all those who made this possible.
George Bush, I don't hate you as much as everyone else, I actually think you're an okay guy. You made some bad decisions, and Iraq kind of screws you, but I wanted to thank you for teaching me what Neo-Conservative means, and why I don't want to be one, and why Republicans have become them.
John McCain, I also have you to thank. While you aren't George Bush, your neo-conservative rhetoric scares me and I won't support it. Thank you for being so clear in your views, it made my decision much easier.
Barack Obama, thank you for being so vague and self-righteous. Your speeches make me feel like I am watching an episode of Heroes, and you are Peter Petrelli out to save the world...only your super power is giving convincing speeches and smoking cigarettes (your lungs know what you did to them).
Joe Biden, thank you for joining John McCain in being the overly judgmental, condescending grandfathers I never had, but always dreamed of. You two make me feel so inadequate in so many ways; especially the ways you tell me about in your sentences starting with "look." Thank you for repeating yourself so often and so clearly...next time you should spell the words you are saying, I bet that will make it even more effective.
Sarah Palin, you hold a special place in my heart. I hope you become the next president so everyone will get really, really angry. I mean really angry, they will be pissed. Thank you for being the next great hope of the Republican voting base. It showed me that I don't want to be part of the Republican voting base.
If you want to know what the No Party stands for...well, nothing, we stand for nothing. That is all.
As a member of the No Party, I thought I would thank all those who made this possible.
George Bush, I don't hate you as much as everyone else, I actually think you're an okay guy. You made some bad decisions, and Iraq kind of screws you, but I wanted to thank you for teaching me what Neo-Conservative means, and why I don't want to be one, and why Republicans have become them.
John McCain, I also have you to thank. While you aren't George Bush, your neo-conservative rhetoric scares me and I won't support it. Thank you for being so clear in your views, it made my decision much easier.
Barack Obama, thank you for being so vague and self-righteous. Your speeches make me feel like I am watching an episode of Heroes, and you are Peter Petrelli out to save the world...only your super power is giving convincing speeches and smoking cigarettes (your lungs know what you did to them).
Joe Biden, thank you for joining John McCain in being the overly judgmental, condescending grandfathers I never had, but always dreamed of. You two make me feel so inadequate in so many ways; especially the ways you tell me about in your sentences starting with "look." Thank you for repeating yourself so often and so clearly...next time you should spell the words you are saying, I bet that will make it even more effective.
Sarah Palin, you hold a special place in my heart. I hope you become the next president so everyone will get really, really angry. I mean really angry, they will be pissed. Thank you for being the next great hope of the Republican voting base. It showed me that I don't want to be part of the Republican voting base.
If you want to know what the No Party stands for...well, nothing, we stand for nothing. That is all.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Busted!!
I, like many others, get little news updates on my Facebook feed when people add stuff. Well, this morning, I was minding my own business; looking at my facebook, when I saw this picture pop up as newly added. I thought I would take a look and see what it was all about. The caption said it all, "Taste of Newport."
Why busted? Well, just a day prior Brian told me what a single man who does whatever he wants he is...there is no way he is going to taste of Newport. In our many discussions over the next several days he failed to mention this at all. Hoping that it would pass without any of his friends knowing what a little girl he is. Gotcha bitch!!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Beer League Personas
Saw this posted somewhere else and thought it was perfect as the book closed on our complete 2nd season of hockey. This was written, I believe, by a Canadian and you can see by the definitions even their beer leagues are at a higher level. Regardless it was a funny read.
*The Ringer - Some teams wait until the playoffs to unveil this option. Others go with it right from the opening face-off. Either way, without a ringer, your team is done. The challenge for managers is convincing a good player to suit up for a bad side. This can be accomplished a number of ways, including promises of goal-scoring glory and awe-inspired teammates. Most effective, however, is let him play for free. It’s simple math, really. Everyone else pays an extra $50 and everyone else gets a shot at the “DD” Division title.
*The Young Guy - At first glance, he can easily be mistaken for a ringer, since the young guy still wears the shorts and socks of his junior or college team. But it’s time for the next phase of life now, and that means an office job. The young guy stays in shape for the first half of the year. Sadly, an increasingly sedentary existence and late night partying catches up to him by Christmas. 15 to 20 pounds later, he’s just another player, huffing and puffing with the rest. Welcome aboard, kid.
*The Old Guy - Forget the 50-and-over league; that’s not for him…even though his gloves reach up to his armpits, and he still uses a wood stick. To be fair, the old guy can be an effective player, especially if he’s a wily old guy — a hook here and a chop there, because that’s how they did it when professional athletes were real men. “Eddie Shore — now there was a hockey player! Lost an ear against the Maroons. Sewed it back on himself. Never missed a shift.”
*The Tardy Goalie - Hey, thanks for showing up. Only five minutes gone in the first. Not like you play a crucial position or anything. Take your time, dickhead.
*The Beginner - Required only for cheap laughs. On the one hand, you have to admire the beginner. It takes a lot of courage to buy all brand new equipment, and take up hockey in your 40’s. On the other hand, learn to take a pass, man. It’s right on your stick, for Christ’s sake. How does that knock you over? And now you’re friggin offside! Not to mention the Beginner shows up at every game, no matter what time or what day. Sunday night playoff game at 11PM - no worries, Mr Beginner will be there.
*The Complete Psycho - Also good for a few giggles . . . from afar. Most likely a cop or fireman. The complete psycho is capable of anything: running the goalie, challenging an entire bench, a tomahawk chop — all in the repertoire. Do not feed the complete psycho. He doesn’t want to be fed. He wants to hunt. And, look to him to carry on his act in the bar after the game.
*The Naked Guy - Bane of the dressing room. Most players have the courtesy to stretch their hamstrings while sporting, at the very least, a bit of underwear. Not the naked guy. He’ll carry on full conversations, and you had better maintain eye contact like your life depended on it….or come face to face with the swinging sausage.
*The Guy with the New Girlfriend - An excellent way to lower everyone else’s fees is to load up on a few of these. The guy with the new girlfriend will show up to three games, tops, so his payment will contribute to everyone else’s and it’s not like you’ll lose ice time by putting him on the roster. That said, beware that the guy with the new girlfriend might very well turn into the guy with the new wife…at which point he’ll never miss another game.
*The Organizer - This guy is absolutely brutal but since nobody else could be bothered to do all the paperwork and collect the money he gets to play. Is frustrating to play with because they can barely skate let alone take a pass but nobody gets mad at him cuz he’s a really nice guy. Is often heard in the dressing room saying ‘Sorry guys, that one was my fault’ and if he’s lucky somebody will chip in something like ‘No worries Donny, it’s a team effort.’ What everybody is really thinking is ‘Hey Donny, my grandmother is a better player than you and yes you are right, that was your fault.’ If you are lucky the Organizer is usually smart enough to take himself off the ice in critical situations.
*The Minor Hockey Allstar - Looks promising at a glance as they fool you with reasonably good skills but after you get zero passes you’ll get the picture. This guy topped out at ‘AA’ Midget and can be spotted by the huge blinders attached to his helmet. Play is characterized by energetic rushes down the wing, (no passing), then into the corner (still no pass), behind the net (hey dickhead I’ve been open for the past 5 minutes),then into the next corner (everybody has gone back to the bench to watch) followed by a blind give away pass to the high slot / break out pass for the other team. Cut this guy.
*The Johnny Try Hard - Great to have on your team but they suck to play against because they have somehow managed to keep themselves in ridiculously good shape. They were probably the star on their high school hockey team and won athlete of the year because they played hockey, volleyball and track all in the same year. Guaranteed they have a membership at the ‘Running Room’. Play is characterized by constant hustle which if caught off guard can embarrass the more talented yet fatter player.
*The Stanley Cup Champion - This player will raise their hands and cheer when they score. If this is an opposing player you must nip this behaviour in the bud by catching him off guard with a sickening open ice hit that causes him to blow snot bubbles. If this player is on your team quickly chastise him in front of the other team to let them know that this is not how the rest of your team rolls. Remind him how much of a loser he is by retrieving the puck from the net the next time he scores and presenting it to him in front of the other team.
*The Tough Guy - This guy maxed out at the house-league level, has never been in a fight and is characterized by antagonizing behaviour on the ice. In extreme cases he will ‘cheap shot’ another player. The fact that your beer league does not allow fighting has given this guy a false sense of courage. What this guy does not realize is that this will not prevent someone from knocking his teeth out if he cheap shots the wrong guy. There is a number of fun ways to handle this player which all end with him lying on the ice bleeding, looking for his teeth and crying.
*The Wrong Guy - Not to be confused with ‘The Complete Psycho’. This guy shows up, doesn’t say much and pretty much flies under the radar screen. The kid that gave him the cheap shot him will eventually look his name up on Hockey DB after his facial surgery and realize he had 355 PIMs in the East Coast 3 years ago.
*The Gary Roberts - Can be described as being way too intense. This guy is one of your better players but is unable to adjust to the lower level of play. At the best of times he will try to coach players on the fly and at the worst of times he will snap and call his entire team a bunch of house-leaguers. He believes the game should be played a certain way and despises ‘pond hockey’ style play with no back checking or positional assignments. Most likely is suffering from a complex of ‘unfinished business’ from his previous hockey career and is looking to capture some shred of glory via the rec-league championship. This guy is probably better off playing with his own kind in a senior-A league.
*The Ringer - Some teams wait until the playoffs to unveil this option. Others go with it right from the opening face-off. Either way, without a ringer, your team is done. The challenge for managers is convincing a good player to suit up for a bad side. This can be accomplished a number of ways, including promises of goal-scoring glory and awe-inspired teammates. Most effective, however, is let him play for free. It’s simple math, really. Everyone else pays an extra $50 and everyone else gets a shot at the “DD” Division title.
*The Young Guy - At first glance, he can easily be mistaken for a ringer, since the young guy still wears the shorts and socks of his junior or college team. But it’s time for the next phase of life now, and that means an office job. The young guy stays in shape for the first half of the year. Sadly, an increasingly sedentary existence and late night partying catches up to him by Christmas. 15 to 20 pounds later, he’s just another player, huffing and puffing with the rest. Welcome aboard, kid.
*The Old Guy - Forget the 50-and-over league; that’s not for him…even though his gloves reach up to his armpits, and he still uses a wood stick. To be fair, the old guy can be an effective player, especially if he’s a wily old guy — a hook here and a chop there, because that’s how they did it when professional athletes were real men. “Eddie Shore — now there was a hockey player! Lost an ear against the Maroons. Sewed it back on himself. Never missed a shift.”
*The Tardy Goalie - Hey, thanks for showing up. Only five minutes gone in the first. Not like you play a crucial position or anything. Take your time, dickhead.
*The Beginner - Required only for cheap laughs. On the one hand, you have to admire the beginner. It takes a lot of courage to buy all brand new equipment, and take up hockey in your 40’s. On the other hand, learn to take a pass, man. It’s right on your stick, for Christ’s sake. How does that knock you over? And now you’re friggin offside! Not to mention the Beginner shows up at every game, no matter what time or what day. Sunday night playoff game at 11PM - no worries, Mr Beginner will be there.
*The Complete Psycho - Also good for a few giggles . . . from afar. Most likely a cop or fireman. The complete psycho is capable of anything: running the goalie, challenging an entire bench, a tomahawk chop — all in the repertoire. Do not feed the complete psycho. He doesn’t want to be fed. He wants to hunt. And, look to him to carry on his act in the bar after the game.
*The Naked Guy - Bane of the dressing room. Most players have the courtesy to stretch their hamstrings while sporting, at the very least, a bit of underwear. Not the naked guy. He’ll carry on full conversations, and you had better maintain eye contact like your life depended on it….or come face to face with the swinging sausage.
*The Guy with the New Girlfriend - An excellent way to lower everyone else’s fees is to load up on a few of these. The guy with the new girlfriend will show up to three games, tops, so his payment will contribute to everyone else’s and it’s not like you’ll lose ice time by putting him on the roster. That said, beware that the guy with the new girlfriend might very well turn into the guy with the new wife…at which point he’ll never miss another game.
*The Organizer - This guy is absolutely brutal but since nobody else could be bothered to do all the paperwork and collect the money he gets to play. Is frustrating to play with because they can barely skate let alone take a pass but nobody gets mad at him cuz he’s a really nice guy. Is often heard in the dressing room saying ‘Sorry guys, that one was my fault’ and if he’s lucky somebody will chip in something like ‘No worries Donny, it’s a team effort.’ What everybody is really thinking is ‘Hey Donny, my grandmother is a better player than you and yes you are right, that was your fault.’ If you are lucky the Organizer is usually smart enough to take himself off the ice in critical situations.
*The Minor Hockey Allstar - Looks promising at a glance as they fool you with reasonably good skills but after you get zero passes you’ll get the picture. This guy topped out at ‘AA’ Midget and can be spotted by the huge blinders attached to his helmet. Play is characterized by energetic rushes down the wing, (no passing), then into the corner (still no pass), behind the net (hey dickhead I’ve been open for the past 5 minutes),then into the next corner (everybody has gone back to the bench to watch) followed by a blind give away pass to the high slot / break out pass for the other team. Cut this guy.
*The Johnny Try Hard - Great to have on your team but they suck to play against because they have somehow managed to keep themselves in ridiculously good shape. They were probably the star on their high school hockey team and won athlete of the year because they played hockey, volleyball and track all in the same year. Guaranteed they have a membership at the ‘Running Room’. Play is characterized by constant hustle which if caught off guard can embarrass the more talented yet fatter player.
*The Stanley Cup Champion - This player will raise their hands and cheer when they score. If this is an opposing player you must nip this behaviour in the bud by catching him off guard with a sickening open ice hit that causes him to blow snot bubbles. If this player is on your team quickly chastise him in front of the other team to let them know that this is not how the rest of your team rolls. Remind him how much of a loser he is by retrieving the puck from the net the next time he scores and presenting it to him in front of the other team.
*The Tough Guy - This guy maxed out at the house-league level, has never been in a fight and is characterized by antagonizing behaviour on the ice. In extreme cases he will ‘cheap shot’ another player. The fact that your beer league does not allow fighting has given this guy a false sense of courage. What this guy does not realize is that this will not prevent someone from knocking his teeth out if he cheap shots the wrong guy. There is a number of fun ways to handle this player which all end with him lying on the ice bleeding, looking for his teeth and crying.
*The Wrong Guy - Not to be confused with ‘The Complete Psycho’. This guy shows up, doesn’t say much and pretty much flies under the radar screen. The kid that gave him the cheap shot him will eventually look his name up on Hockey DB after his facial surgery and realize he had 355 PIMs in the East Coast 3 years ago.
*The Gary Roberts - Can be described as being way too intense. This guy is one of your better players but is unable to adjust to the lower level of play. At the best of times he will try to coach players on the fly and at the worst of times he will snap and call his entire team a bunch of house-leaguers. He believes the game should be played a certain way and despises ‘pond hockey’ style play with no back checking or positional assignments. Most likely is suffering from a complex of ‘unfinished business’ from his previous hockey career and is looking to capture some shred of glory via the rec-league championship. This guy is probably better off playing with his own kind in a senior-A league.
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