Anyone who really knows me realizes I have the attention span of a pre-school child. As a result if something catches me, more often than not it’s not necessarily the material containing the most substance but something that’s odd or quirky in some way. Simply put: I’m drawn to shiny things, amuse easily and tend to make random connections between topics.
I know I’m not unique in this, that there are others out there who operate the same way, and figured why not share my randomness! Something to fill the hockey-lacking days of summer at any rate. The aforementioned folks may draw some amusement from it, while others will at least have some fodder to direct their daily frustration at! So here are a few random thoughts from an attentionally-challenged hockey blogger/hack coming your way…
So members of the Spanish Olympic team took to twitter last week to partake in some self-deprecating displays of the official garb they’ll be marching out to for the opening ceremonies on July 27th. Two things to note: 1) I can find no reason to dispute them;
(Credit AP)
and 2) How great would Twitter have been for the 1969-70 LA Kings and the 1996-97 Phoenix Coyotes players?
So far this offseason: 10 years, $58-million for Jonathan Quick; 10 years $60-million for Jordan Staal; 12 years $104.4-million for Sidney Crosby; 13-year $98-million for both Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, and 14 years $110 million for Shea Weber. At the same time, according to Larry Brooks of the NY Post, the NHL has reportedly submitted a proposal to the NHLPA in the latest round of bargaining that would have seen the following effects this past season: 1) a 24% reduction in player compensation; and 2) a $50.8 million cap with a $38.8 million floor (a drop of $13.5 million and $9.5 million, respectively). Nevermind speculation that the league is also attempting to limit long-term contracts to a maximum of five-year terms.
My first instinct was to make a “save us from ourselves” comment, but couldn’t shake this somewhat applicable George Carlin bit from my head:
“Or ice-cream throat…you know when you eat it too fast and you get that little numb spot in the back your throat. But you can’t do anything about it because you can’t reach it to rub it. So you just have to wait for it to go away. And then it does. Then what do we do? EAT MORE ICE-CREAM! WHAT ARE WE &@#!%&@ STUPID????
NHL clubs, the issues you have regarding money are your ice cream throat. If eating the ice cream is hurting you, stop eating it. If you want to keep eating it regardless, that’s fine, but don’t blame Ben & Jerry’s for the headache…
Just found out courtesy of a Joffrey Lupul interview of Gary Bettman (via Yahoo!) that Mr. Commissioner is a fan of, among other artists, Jimi Hendrix, even having been lucky enough to have seen the man in concert before his untimely death. Kind of odd as when I think of how the Coyotes situation has been handled, the songs “Are You Experienced?”, “Castles Made of Sand”, “House Burning Down” and “Still Raining, Still Dreaming” come to mind…
Speaking of Mr. Lupul, I would be remiss if I didn’t take the folks at People magazine to task in regard to their journalistic integrity. In this article detailing the development of a relationship between Joffrey and “Dancing With The Stars” dancer Cheryl Burke, People magazine blatantly bows to public pressure and modified the original article, which stated that Lupul played for the Montreal Maple Leafs, to a newer version which erroneously states he plays for the TORONTO Maple Leafs. Way to stick to your original research People magazine staff writer!!! At least you haven’t let anyone sway you away from identifying TSN as the “Toronto Sports Network”. And by the way: Someone’s probably going to say they clicked on that “Toronto Sports Network” link and say it took them to a video that in no way gives any indication that it is related to said network, or this hypothetical “The Sports Network/TSN” that people have peppered your comments with. I just hope you can muster the intestinal fortitude to stand tall and fight the man on that. Haters gonna hate…
Have you seen a better announcement of a contract signing than this job on the part of Teemu Selanne and the Anaheim Ducks? Preceeding anything resembling a press release was this gem on the team’s website:
Short, sweet and entertaining. How more announcements should be handled…
People overwhelmingly approved of the use of the Philadelphia Flyers ice girl as a photo for my last post. As a result of this response her appearance will be held over onto subsequent blogs unless directed at a team other than the Flyers should necessitate otherwise. I mean, the customer is always right, right?
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