A Pretty Good GT Day

For a day that started with seemingly bad news, today was a pretty good day for St. Louis hockey fans. And I'm not talking about all those phony hockey fans that are going to be coming up to you tomorrow with their fake-ass, regurgitated, "hey, pretty good effort last night" bullshit.

Nah, I mean a good day for the hockey fans like you and me who are still wearing the gear and still going to the games.

It started right around the time I sent the final edition off to my printer at around 2 this morning. Just as everything was finalized, I got the email that any publisher (small or not) hates to see.

"Did you see that Sillinger got traded?"

Great. Well, that part is gonna be wrong. Someone's gonna call me on that.

Then the phone call I got around two in the afternoon.

"Dude, have you been on the internet in the last two minutes?"

So, the Weight thing is all wrong in the paper, too. Plus all the resulting moves from Peoria. Timofei? Sorry, he didn't get in the paper. He was that #20 out there. So, sorry to all you bluebleedin' GT folks. We try, but sometimes....

Anyway, so I wasn't feeling too promising about our potential sales or about the Blues' potential chances in the game tonight as I made my way down to the rink.

But once we got going, a strange thing happened. I noticed that the fans that were pouring in were all basically, well, giddy. It was bizarre. What should be a damn wake was being treated like a field trip to the East Side. Evereyone wanted to stop and talk about the moves and the loss of our two top scorers.

"Hell, someone has to score by default, right?"

"Everyone thinks that if they score tonight they'll get traded too."

"Want a jersey for a former player? Every one I've got is for a guy who is gone."

The last one was from one of the GT regulars wearing a Weight jersey. He also has about four more, all from players who play in other cities now. Such is the way with the personalized gear. In a few years, he'll be fine. Those jerseys will be either 'vintage' or 'ironic'.

But all the same, the fans were upbeat. They knew the team was going to lose, but everyone seemed pretty happy to be heading in.

It wasn't like it has been for the last few games. I don't know what it is, but everyone was, seemingly happy. I decided that it's got to be one of three things.

1. The Happy to Sad continuum is not a straight line, but instead it's a circle. That way, when you hit rock bottom on saddness, you inexplicably appear at the heights of happiness. The fans have simply gotten so sad they're happy now. I had a friend who had a whole tan-to-white theory, but I didn't really believe that you could get so tan you became white, so I don't really believe the circle continuum theory either. Plus, that guy was from Florida, so he could easily be like a meth freak or on 'Cops' or something.

2. Sometimes when you beat the crap out of someone long enough, they start to actually like it. Maybe Blues fans are just starting to like the taste of shit. Or maybe we are just growing a weird sense of pride about our suffering.

"Yeah, they traded the top two scorers today? Pfft. That's nothing. I nailed my dick to a log and threw it out the window of my car out on 40. What else you got?"

It's like a defense mechanism where no matter how hard Bill & Money Laurie and the soon-to-be unemployed Larry Pleau pound on us, we have to smile back at 'em and say, "and?"

We're the Breakfast Club's John Bender to management's Prinipal Vernon. You want another one? Yeah. You got it. You done yet? No. Another....

And so on. We've come this far, we might as well see where the bottom is, right? Keep heaping it on and we'll keep laughing and asking for more. We're like cockroaches in little tiny Blues jerseys you mother f'ers. The more of us you kill off only makes us survivors that much tougher. And sooner or later, we're gonna move into your house and shit in your bread.

How you like me now?

3. We're just so starved for any good signs, we'll convince ourselves that ANY sign of management activity is a sign that good things are on the horizon. The rumors are that Checketts (and by extension, John Davidson) is back in the mix as an owner and that we're days away from an announcement. The rumor is that Doug Weight wants to re-sign here this summer after being rented in Carolina. The rumor is that The Visor could be moved soon.

And so, we assume that if one rumor comes true (Sillinger getting traded) and then another one comes true (Weight waives his no-trade and gets moved), well then all the other rumors must be true too! Huzzah! Larry Pleau even managed to get pretty good return for a rental player like Weight (even though that first rounder is going to be a virtual second round pick). So, we can start to look forward to something good happening, right?


Hell, I don't know. But I do know that the giddiness is fun. I really had a great time at the game tonight, mainly because of the buzz in the building once the kids tied it at two. We were waiting for some bad Blues luck to take over, but it didn't happen.

Flames v Blues

The game itself was a blast. I got in thanks to a Dead Penguin League guy, Lonnie Smith, to whom I'm grateful. He told me that Section 314 was "the best section here" and based on the many copies of GT I saw up there, I have to agree with him.

Anyway, Lonnie and I had a good time, mainly because his smart assy comments also rang true. Plus, he's not afraid to jump up and down and slap hands with strangers when a kid I like to call Dutchie scores a couple big goals.

GT Official Rookie

This year, on a whim, I selected Lee Stempniak as the Game Time Official Rookie. There was no real reason, but it's turned into a pretty fun excursion. Along the way, we've self-applied a weird nickname (Dutchie) and we've had plenty of staff discussion about whether he really is any better or worse than other rookies that I gave no praise to (Gamache). I started a manhunt for the first personalized "Stempniak" jersey spotted at the rink (we found it). I've also tried to create a buzz for the Blues and the Rook by trying to draw a parallel between him and his Ivy League pedigree and the Rams and their Ivy League rookie, Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Rams' kid from Harvard and the Blues' kid from Dartmouth were both late round picks and guys who had shown flashes of talent and... well, I'll leave it there for now.

But despite our efforts, he was sent to Peoria.

When the Blues recalled Dutchie late yesterday, I got several emails about it. The kid is the GT rookie, and people are watching him.

After tonight, he got some more fans.

In fact, as he closed in on the shootout with the potential to win the game, I actually said aloud, "come on, kid."

Then, when he scored, I thought, "the guys on the GT message board are gonna love this!"

And here's the thing about the Official GT Rookie; we're going to do it again next year, and it'll be subjective again. And the best thing about the GT Rook? I don't even care if he is the best rookie on the team (he's not this year, Wideman is, by a long shot), I just want a kid that brings us something interesting. And Dutchie has done that. He's scored some nice goals and he's played hard. That's all I care about.

But I do like it when my guy scores a game winner, too.

Up Next

The Peoria Rivermen and The Visor are headed to Detroit to take on the Wings on Wednesday. I wouldn't recomend setting the TiVo on that one. But the next night is home against the Hawks, who currently suck. While I'm sort of enjoying the perverse pleasure of having the Lauries order their servants to kick in my teeth day in and day out, I think the boys in Blue could get a win against those goddamn Hawks. So, let's go Blues.

Also, after that, the Note plays a 1pm game against the Stars on Saturday and then they are gone until March.

If you want to see a Shishkanivovivoc and a Dutchie and a Wideman sometime before Spring, now is the time.

Tomorrow: my John Davidson rant and a list of safe jerseys to buy.

Calgary In On Monday

So, in anticipation of the Flamers arrival, check out this hilarious clip of them, 80's style.

It's the Canadian version of the 'Super Bowl Shuffle', but a million times more embarassing.

It's Red Hot!

Coyotes, Blues and More Crap

First of all, let me just say that blogs suck. I know this. You know this. Hell, even MSNBC is starting to notice. So, the backlash is coming. Eventually, everyone is going to distance themselves from these free-form crapalanches of wasted words and innane inner thoughts.

And yet, I remain undeterred.

I really wanted to have a forum on the stlouisgametime.com site that was constantly updated and had some fresh info. If you're a regular GT reader, you probably want new info and whatnot all the time. That was the one thing I wished that Jeffio's Game Night Revue had capitalized on. We have super hardcore readers. We have knowledgeable readers. We have opinionated readers. Let's give them a place to go to see new content and to react. And hence, our blogs and our message board.

I'm not a programmer of internet websites. I have a guy who is trading his services for advertising to do this simple site for us (visit darwinsweb.com for a truly responsive and customer-oriented hosting service, by the way. Kevin at darwinsweb is flat-out outstanding). So a blog is the only way for me to vent this crap. And hence, I plan to try to fight through the impending blog backlash.

Yes, I'll be the one guy proudly burning the rubber off his Firebird tires out in front of the internet house with his virtual mullet flowing. Skynyrd Rulez, baby!

And CHANGE!

Which brings me to another subject. I mentioned in an article a few months back that I hate talking hockey. Most of the time. Because most of the time, I end up talking to half-way fans and other phonies who are just regurgitating what they heard Mike Claiborne say on KFNS or read in Jeremy Rutherford's column online.

Blah.

Those two gents have views. They have info. They have original thoughts. They're good. Spinning off them is obvious and tired.

But you GT people. I like talking to you. You actually know what the hell you're saying. You're not afraid to go against the grain and say that the Blues are terrible shooters, not that the Dallas goalie is fantastic (which is true, but a Blues fan also recognizes that the Blues refuse to deke on the breakaway). I had a regular GT reader talking to me before the game and he was saying, "let's just hope it doesn't come down to a shootout, because all our guys do is take a quick wrister."

Holy shit. THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!

And that's just one example. The GT fans can talk knowledgeably about why the Blues always lose in the third period (more on that below). They can talk about the frustration knowingly ("you still have to come out. They're still our team. That's fans." This is an actual quote I overheard). They can tell you how long Gamache has been scratched (he of the offensive jump who would ignite the team). GT people know their shit.

And that is why we have the message board. I wanted to put one up, but was afraid that it wouldn't get enough action and end up being a shriveled little disappointment. Like Eric Weinrich.

But it's up after I was coerced by Chris Moresi. And we are there. As GT staffer Chris Reed said on WGNU's Sports Overdrive show tonight, "we're there every day."

So, go there and let us hear you. I'm way too positive. Childhood Trauma is way too realistic. Which one are you?

And CHANGE!

Which reminds me. Chris Reed, who is on the official GT masthead as a "Creative Consultant" appeared on the WGNU (920AM) Sports Overdrive show Thursday before the game. I thought he did an amazing job for the paper, proving again that we have fanatical and passionate folks on staff. He and the host, Brian Stull, got along great and seemed to click well. As I was out selling on the street, I listened in with one earbud to the show. I laughed a lot and, while Reedo and I don't always agree about hockey or the Blues, I thought the show was super-entertaining. [As an aside, I don't always agree with the staff and their views. I don't think that's important, either. We're all crazies. We all have our own opinions. We won't always agree. I don't want sycophants on staff. I want us to disagree. I want YOU to disagree. We're all fans and none of this is objective.]

And if you're wondering what a "Creative Consultant" does for a fan-based hockey paper, well, he provides occasional comedy bits and provides the editor/publisher with great ideas and inspiration for his columns. Chris doesn't write for me, but many of our hockey conversations end up morphing into my writings on this blog and in the paper.

If you heard the show, you know why.

By the way, be sure to check out the Sports Overdrive show every night. Brian Stull does a great job there and I always hear a different take from him than you'll hear on the other stations. Plus, tonight they had on a girl who persoanlly partied across the land to determine the Top 10 Party Schools. Look yourself in the mirror and try to convince yourself that you wouldn't support that as a sport.

Every night, from 6-7 pm on WGNU 920 AM. You can also stream the show from your computer at www.wgnu.net.

Do it.

And CHANGE!

So, you can tell that I've been putting off the whole Coyotes v Blues thing, right? Well, it's because it's far too frustrating. How many times do you have to get caught with the guy with the stupid goddamn YELLOW VISOR on the ice to realize that The Visor has to go? Check the boxscore on NHL.com. Eric "The Visor" Weinrich was on for all three goals that occurred with five Blues on the ice (with a goalie in net). Both of the big goals in the third were scored with The Visor out there.

How does this happen? Sillinger has two goals and is clearly looking for the Hat on home ice against the latest team to trade him. Going into the third with a one-goal lead against a CuJo who seems surprised that shit keeps going in over his shoulder.

And they lose.

Know how? Aside from Weinrich playing wayyy too much, the problem is this: the Blues are a team full of third and fourth liners, and that only goes so far.

Here's the theory.

I don't remember if it was a coach (not NHL, don't get excited) who told me, or a scout whose words I read, or what, but this I remember: what I heard/read sounded dead-on.

The difference between a prospect who can play on the top two lines in the NHL and a guy who will play on the bottom two lines is the player's skills away from the puck. While it seems like the really gifted players are always on the puck, it's just not true. Next game, watch the good guys and see how often they are really touching the puck. It's not as often as you think. Ilya Kovulchuk and Rick Nash and Jarome Iginla, the three guys who shared the Rocket Richard Trophy for scoring last season, are never lagging that thing all over the ice. They appear, get the puck, and quickly get rid of it. Think of Brett Hull. Everyone always said that he "disappeared" and then showed up between the circles, shooting.

The same applies to playmakers. Brad Richards and Peter Forsberg and Ron Francis and Adam Oates don't/didn't carry the puck as much as you think either. They almost never go end-to-end with it.

And none of the players on the top lines in the NHL are constantly pressuring the puck in the offensive zone and the neutral zone. They are elsewhere.

The guys who end up playing on the bottom two lines? They are the swift skating guys who are all over the puck. In every zone, they are there. They want it in the offensive zone, they're crashing it in the defensive zone. In fact, it's this attitude that gets many of them noticed by scouts when they are in junior leagues.

"He's always around the puck." Not necessarily a compliment. In junior, lots and lots of guys can score. The guys who know where to go when they don't have it end up on the top lines. The guys who chase it when they don't have it end up scoring less, but are always around it.

The current Blues team is FULL of third and fourth liners. The Blues are always around the puck. They fly to it in every zone. They want nothing but to crash guys, steal it and carry it up ice. They expend their seemingly boundless energy chasing it.

And that works great for the first two periods. But by the time the crashing, banging, team chock full o' fourth liner Blues get to the third period, they are pursuing a little less (as are the other teams' bottom two lines). But there aren't any elite top line guys around to take over.

And that's when the third period lead evaporates.

It makes for exciting hockey, having 10 third and fourth liners out there for a whole game. The guys never quit. They never say die. They just don't have the skill to stay with teams that have legitimate talent on the top two lines. Eventually, those guys are going to get their chances for the other teams. And we don't have those guys.

Can you imagine how good this team would be if 22 goal Mike Sillinger was playing on our second line?

Someday, folks. Someday we'll be back there.

O My Vechkin

The real Kid that the NHL should be pumping up lives in DC. I've seen Ovechkin play a few games on the ol' Center Ice package, but the Kid showed some stuff tonight. Everyone has been talking about his 'amazing' goal the other night against Phoenix, and while it was freakin' great, it was still lucky. I know it was lucky because the Kid had to watch it on the jumbo to see how it went in. He didn't need the jumbo tonight.

Speed through the neutral zone, cross up The Visor like Allen Iverson playing your wife on the driveway court and then flat out fire a rope into the top right corner. No need to check the jumbo to see how it went in, maybe just check to see where The Visor ended up when it was all over (hint: in the corner, picking up his jock).

Since in my dreams I'm a voter for the Rookie of the Year, Ovechkin has my dreamed vote.

If the Blues get lucky enough to draft a Kid like that this summer, it might just make this horrible year worth it. Well, not worth it, but at least someday we'll be able to look back at it and say, "it was worse than shitting a razor blade/tobasco sauce combo, but at least we got (name here)."

I hope that Kessel is the guy and that he can be like the physical, driven, hungry guy I saw wearing no. 8 for the Caps tonight, but if he's more like Sidney Crosby, I'm less excited. The more I see of that kid, the less impressed I am. Yes, he is the best player on his team right now, at age 18. But he seems like he's just... I don't know. He's just not IT. Yes, a great player. Yes, he'll score.

But he seems so... what? Pissy? Like an angry little girl. I don't get the impression that his teammates are all that interested in defending him. And that means a LOT in hockey. I guarantee that if someone ran Ovechkin tonight, that guy would get ganged by Caps. When Crosby gets pummelled over and over (and over), no one really jumps to his aid all that hard. And that sends a message to a fan like me.

Guys who are loved (or even just liked or respected) by their teammates will be defended at the cost of personal safety. And that occurs at every level. Even in my beer league hockey you see it. Someone runs our guy, he'll get crushed.

But no one does that for Crosby. That's why they went and got Eric Cairns to protect him, just like in "My Bodyguard". But what if Cairns doesn't like the kid? Then what happens?

Ovechkin is clearly liked by his teammates. He is leading the rookie race in goals and points. He is the best player on his team. Ovechkin is the Rookie of the Year.

I only hope that the Blues, who are nothing if not character, can draft a Kid like Ovechkin and don't end up with a kid like Crosby.

Devils Get By and More On The Leather Jacket Thing

I hate Grant Marshall.

The guy scores a crappy goal, which he barely got enough of to go in, and he celebrates like he just won the Cup in OT of Game 7. Jackass.

My editorial tonight made the point that even if this is the worst team in the league, the're still better (from a fan's perspective) than the Penguins because they are at least trying to win every game. The Pens, meanwhile, look listless and uninterested. That Crosby kid is the only one who looks like he cares, but he's getting pretty bitter-looking, too. Maybe that's why the rest of the team doesn't care. Maybe they're sick of The Kid and his show. I don't know, and I'm drifting from my point.

The Blues tried to win tonight. They were doing everything they could to beat a clearly more-talented team. And they were close. They had the Devils back on their heels, outshooting them 13-3 at one point. And then Grant Marshall scored the Cup-winning knock-in and went bonkers. What a jackass. You got lucky, you didn't just score an Ovechkin-style goal.

Now, as the Note goes back on the road for two before coming home for Vancouver, it looks like they might be in line for another one of those monster losing streaks. So, stock up the fridge, because these next games might not be pretty either. But at least they'll be working their asses off on every shift and trying to win.

The Leather Jacket Thing

OK, I need to clear up a couple things. For one, I don't have a full-blown Leather Jacket Theory. Yet. I also don't think that everyone wearing a leather jacket is a dick.

I merely wonder if it's true.

I'll start at the start and try to explain. After one game this year, I mentioned on this site that I was starting to profile the fans as to who were potential GT people and who was not. Some of the NOT categories are obvious:

~20-somethings. Of course. They are spending every dollar they have on beers and buying a program is just asking to come up short at the end of the night. This I can understand.
~Any girl not wearing a jersey. This isn't iron-clad, but it doesn't happen much. If they are wearing high-heels, well, then it's a lock they aren't buying. But the girls in jerseys sometimes come up and grab a copy. No jersey, no copy. Girls in jerseys are possible GameTimers.
~Obvious newbies. The guys who don't know where the ticket office is. The guys who aren't sure who's playing. The guys who don't know what the scalpers are saying and ask them to repeat themselves (pretty simple, actually: "yo, you need tickets, you got any extra? Later it becomes just, yo, you need tickets? I got center ice!). The guys who are all wearing suits, carrying note-taking gear and clearly 'entertaining' a client. These people wouldn't know what the hell we're talking about anyway. (As an aside, I saw four people walking in tonight who were wearing matching Notre Dame hats. What the hell? Notre Dame isn't playing. Why were they matching? What message were those four trying to send? All of 'em wearing suits/business dress. I have no idea what the hell that was about.)

But the one subset that emerged that I didn't understand was the Leather Jacket Guy. For some reason, I have never sold a copy to a guy wearing a leather jacket. Bomber, black leather, shiny, dull, whatever. Never sold one to a guy in a leather jacket. And I have NO idea why. I see a Leather Coat Guy coming and I know he's not going to buy a paper. Hell, I saw a guy tonight wearing a full-length shiny black jacket with a leather belt around it. That particular model belongs on some guy holding up a stagecoach. Apparently they didn't stop making them in the 1880's though, because this one was very black and shiny, so it must be fairly new. I did know, however, that he wasn't going to buy a copy.

Part of the confusion I've created is that in the initial post, I postulated that maybe there is some sort of leather coat/dick corrolary that I'd never noticed before. Now, I didn't say there WAS a leather coat/dick corrolary, I'm just leaving the door open for the possibility.

I was thinking about this tonight as wave after wave of Leather Coat Guys crushed past me. It was horribly cold and windy tonight and I'm guessing that's what brought Leather Coat Guy out in force. Maybe cowhide cuts the wind. I don't know, but I assume it must, because they were everywhere. In fact, there were so many that I was starting to wonder if there was some sort of Leather Coat Convention over at the Dome this week or a new "Leather Coats Must Enter At Clark Street Entrance" rule or something. It got to such a ridiculous point that I actually heard a Leather Coat Guy telling a story to two other LC Guys that included the phrase, "and there were three huge piles of leather coats...."

I swear this is true. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't heard it myself, but what the fizzuck is that? Three huge piles of leather coats? Where? When? Why? What is this story? Where could it possibly be going? How is it that this is happening right in front of me?

So, basically, my Leather Coat Corrolary and/or Leather Coat Theory is under construction. There is something going on here, and I have no idea what it is. I don't know if I'll ever get to the bottom of it, but if I do, I hope to figure out what this giant piles of leather coats thing is all about.

I do know one thing: when I do sell a copy to a guy in a leather coat, I'm going to be studying that guy like he's from another planet.

Scattered Thoughts

I haven't posted lately for two reasons:

1. I wanted to bring some focus to my big ol' Nine Reasons To Be Positive piece.
2. Laziness.

Probably about equal parts of 1 and 2. In the meantime, I've had all kinds of junk floating through my head and I have no great use for them.

The Blues are so freakin' bad, that I can't even believe it. If you check my early, early post on the Blues' chances and my prediction for the Division standings, I'm clearly on the record that I thought the Blues were in big trouble this year.

But, I never thought that it'd be like this.

I watched the Jackets v Panthers game tonight, mainly because I think those teams are going in the right direction. But, both of those teams are terrible; teams that I thought the Blues could beat. But, watching them play, I thought, "there is no way the Blues finish anywhere above dead last."

As craptacular as those two teams are, they are both way better than the Blues at this point. The Blues are basically Doug Weight, Keith Tkacuk (whenever available), a couple of young (hopefully improving) goalies, and not much else.

From time to time, Barret Jackman, Eric Brewer and Dennis Wideman look like they'll be solid. And other times they look like they'll be better when the Blues add one or two more really good defensemen and take some of the heat off of them.

And, bottom line, that's not enough. Not enought to beat a few teams to finish anywhere other than last. How many games will this team win this month? Another two? Maybe?

How many ghosts are on this team? I saw Mark Rycroft in a play the other day and thought, "Rycroft is having the quietest season ever."

Then I saw Jay McClement. Is Jay McClement going to score some points? Ever? He's gotten some time with prime-time players. He has a good number (9), and he was drafted in a decent position (2nd round). Why isn't he doing more? He seems to have some speed and some hands. Why isn't he EVER around the puck?

Simon Gamache was supposed to be a big junior scorer who could flourish if given the right situation. After playing with Tkachuk and Weight, he found himself in the pressbox. Hard to score goals up there.

Peter Cajanek? Holy crap, he's actually playing! I see that guy every now and then, and he's usually shaking his head after another pass is broken up. Cajanek has the ability to be great if he's a second liner who has two better-than-him wingers. He's the Jan Hrdina of St. Louis.

Dean McAmmond does not play for Calgary anymore. That's right, he's here in the STL. He's the guy wearing number 37, who causes you to always say, "who the hell is number 37?" As Sports Overdrive host Brian Stull (WGNU 920 AM) asked me before the last home game, "are those the quietest 12 goals ever?"

Absolutely. He's scored ONE in the last 11 games and the others have been spread out in insignificant ways. I see the Blues stats all the time doing this job, so I get the idea that 35 points (Weight) and 14 goals (Sillinger) are good totals. Then I see that guys like Ales Hemsky (Edmonton) has 34 assists. Who? There are teams that have three or four guys who have more goals than our top guy. We suck worse than I can even start to comprehend.

And what about Scott Young? No one expected 40 goals from him, but I thought he still had a wrister. Not so. back in the '98-'00 years, Young had a crazy whippy wrister. Now, that thing is crazy whippy if you play in a rec league. He's never open, but even when he is, he never seems to get a good shot off anymore. It's just another ghost in the Note.

No and No.

John Buccigross of ESPN has suggested that after the team gets sold and they get the first draft pick and they move on from this trainwreck of a season that they change the uniforms (keeping the Note). I have to disagree. I like Buccigross' stuff and agree with him on plenty of the issues, but changing the uni is wrong. The Note is a great logo (which he admits), but these togs are great, too. I've always liked the whites better than the blues, so I didn't like the switch to "home wears dark", but the dark ones have grown on me. Plus, they have classic lines and simplicity.

Of course, compared to the slanty numbers and trumpets on the shoulders version of the 90's, almost anything would look better. But these uniforms are nice. And when the team is good again, I want to see those uniforms with the nice lines and solid colors leading the way.

Blues Go To Carolina

The boys in blue are in NASCAR country today, and will probably lose. I'm guessing that they start their bachup netminder and that Cory "Stanley Cup Ring" Stillman sticks it to his former team. But I'll be thinking about a fan in the stands.

I ran into a guy during some game here in St. Louis who was a transplant living in the Technology Triangle of Raleigh-Durham. He was saying that he was going to wear his Blues jersey to the game in Carolina. So I gave him my copy of GT that I had with me. I told him that he'd probably like it, since he's the type of guy to wear blue in enemy territory. Especially when the Blues will probably get beaten. And he might get beaten by a bunch of guys who are just waiting around until cras start racing or NC plays Duke. Good luck, brother. I hope we get a win so you can talk some trash.

Be Back Soon.

I'll try to post again before the Devild show on Tuesday. In the meantime, let's go Bears. As my homeown football team trys to win a playoff game for the first time since the SuperBowl Shuffle was cool, I think some of the St. Louis football fans could get on board, too. I mean, Lovie Smith did everything he could for the Rams while he was here. Plus, former Bear player and Smith defense disciple and possible future Ram head coach Ron Rivera is the d-coordinator there. So bear down, Chicago Bears!

And someday soon I'll explain how I can be such a St. Louis fan, despite being a Chicago kid. I swear.

New Post Below!

Due to some formatting goof, my newest article (which was in draft mode for a bit) is below other stuff. Check it out here. Or just scroll down to the 'Positive' piece.

Thankya.

New Stuff Coming. And Whatnot.

I've been working on a new post for two days. With no new paper for another week +, I wanted to knock this out, but it's grown beyond my control now. It'll be up tomorrow.

In the meantime, I'll just give you a couple of points.

Godfather Update

Jeffio is still in the hospital, but the outlook is much better. Thanks to all who sent along their care and concern. I'll be sure to let him know when I get to talk to him. The lovely Bethio is very upbeat about his prognosis, so that's a good thing.

It looks like some medical procedures still need to occur and the hospital's cafeteria will not deliver Wild Turkey up to the rooms, so it's not all sunshine and roses for our godfather, but what the hell. At least he's getting out of some work, eh?

It Is Still Coming

The GT gear is moving along. The prototypes should be in front of me very soon, and when I see it, you'll see it. I'm pretty excited about it because I tend to like punk rock art and our artist is strictly punk rock.


Other Than That

I really don't have much. I spent most of the day watching Hockey Day In Canda and NFL playoff games. Damn those canucks love hockey. Can you imagine if a third of Americans played hockey? Christ. They're crazy for it up there. The icetime starts about 4:30 and ends after midnight and it is always full. Plus, they all play ball hockey, floor hockey, pond hockey, shinny and then go watch hockey. Remind me never to go to Canada. I might never come back.

Oh, and they all apparently like to drink beer. Especially after playing, or while watching, hockey.

My Nine Reasons To Be Positive.

I hate Detroit. I just watched them crush the Blues again. But I don't care too much. That place is a hellhole. Really. If you've never been there, it looks like it's completely bombed out. And the self-dubbed "Hockeytown" is a load, too. How many times have you ever let a buddy self-assign a nickname? Never? Of course never. And yet the NHL and the national media have allowed Detroit to self-apply "Hockeytown". You know what, I'm calling bullshit on that. Hockeytown is as ridiculous as the St. Louis-based Sporting News annointing St. Louis as the best sports town in America a few years. It was a crock then and it's a crock now. The teams in St. Louis were all great (or had a possibly steroid using superstar on the roster), so they were easy to support.

Same as Detroit. When that team sucks, and someday it will, that obnoxious "Hockeytown" that they have painted at center ice will become a full-blown joke. How stupid will it look when the Joe Louis Arena of Pizza Pizza is half-empty?

The Blues sit the youngsters and get shut out for the second time this year. Great. You and I and and everyone else who is a hockey fan in this town are hoping for something to go right with this franchise, and the ownership and leadership seem bound and determined to keep that from us. We're losing. A lot. I get it. So give us some damn thing to be positive about. Show us the youngsters. Nope, they're in the pressbox or sent back to Peopria (like Sejna who gets two games to be great or he's gone. Again).

Tell us that negotiations on the sale are going well. Nope. Mums the word on that. This franchise is the zebra that the lions are eyeing. Slower, weaker and clearly the easiest target. The team is just a reflection of the entire franchise; they've become prey. It's a disgrace. Bill Laurie and his wife, Money...err, Nancy should be ashamed of themselves for what they've created here. But I guess they're too busy worrying about who is going to be the next coach down at Mizzou to care. Not that I want to get on this topic right now, but the Lauries and all their money have completely screwed over the Missouri basketball program and the Blues hockey club. How can they convince themselves that they could have actually run an NBA team? What a joke. And yeah, I think their money is pulling a lot of strings down there. Can't prove it, it's just my opinion.

And since the Lauries and their money and the franchise and their GM can't figure out how to give us any good news about our team. I'll do it. I'm tired of management not doing their marketing job.

So, I'll do it. Here are a few reasons to be hopeful as a Blues fan.

1. It's going to get better than this. Not this year, but next year will be better than this year. The team WILL be sold eventually, and the last part of this year will be spent cleaning the freakin' house. New ownership will get rid of deadwood and bring in new, excited personnel. Trades will be made. Based on recommendations from the former Ottawa Scout, Jarmo Kekalaininen ianen (I think that's the right spelling), the Blues will pick up some new young talent. And we'll start to see the team turn the corner.

But this year is lost. So forget about it. I have had a few folks tell me that if the Blues start winning two of every three that they can still make the playoffs. So, someone must have printed that somewhere. Forget that shit, because it is not going to happen. In fact, I find it fairly irresponsible to even print something as crazy as that. Two of three? Every three? They have won two in a row just ONCE. They have won two of three ONCE. So, let's not get any crazy ideas.

Instead, let's take solice in the small things this year. When our team plays hard for 60 minutes and gets into OT or a shootout, that's gonna have to count like a win. When we see a guy like Dennis Wideman come in and play solid and earn a regular spot on the defense, that's gonna have to be a win. When you go to 14th & Clark and can walk around and not bump into people constantly, call it a tie.

When the team is sold, other little things will become wins. New marketing push? Win. Sejna gets more than two games to get used to the NHL? Win. New General Manager? Win. And that brings us to the next point.

2. This team is getting a new GM. When the new owner comes in he will have to clear out everyone associated with the apathy that is going on now. And the first step will be to let Waiver Wire Larry pack his shit and leave to go wreck another team.

And this is good news, because the new GM will be motivated. Let me explain the difference.

Almost everyone has had to quit a job before. Assuming it wasn't a summer job, you had to have a new job in place before you quit. So, you know how it is when you're in the waning days, weeks or months of your job. You hate it there and you know that it is time to go. You're bored and you're killing time every way you can. You're justifying full-blown jack-around time with statements like, "I don't smoke, so playing internet mini-golf is my smoke break."

Larry Pleau is probably playing the shit out of some internet mini-golf right now. Since I'm sure he's already got a killer Minesweeper score and Solitaire is just too boring and cheaty and the Windows Pinball is too hard to pause when the secretary comes in. Really, the guy can't wait to be gone. It's a forgone conclusion anyway, plus he has no ability to make any trades at this point, so he is just biding his time and checking Monster.com at home after work under "Sports Management".

If you've never seen a lame-duck before, get a picture of Larry Pleau and commit it to memory. Because that guy has had his GM balls cut off by Bill and Money Laurie as they try to sell their pet project down in St. Louis.

Wonder why we've had no trades aside from guys like Steve "thank god teams need a 7th defensemen" Poapst and no other moves than freebie pick-ups like Simon "I was good in junior" Gamache? Because Money has Bill "I married in" Lauries' balls in a little jar on her nightstand. In turn, Bill "I really just wanted to get a basketball team" Laurie has Pleau's balls in a little jar on his nightstand. Guess where Mike Kitchen's balls are. Close, but Larry "might as well collect this paycheck until they tell me to go" Pleau actually traded them to Bill Laurie for a free paycheck for a few more months.

The new guy, on the other hand, will be on fire.

The new guy isn't going to play Minesweeper and Solitaire and mini-golf on the internet. No, the new guy is going to storm into his new office, tear down the posters of Pascal Rheaume and Terry Yake and get to work. The new guy is going to call every GM in the league and find out who is available. He is going to find out who other GMs want to get. He's going to make news. He's going to make noise. He's going to give us something to talk about and be excited about.

This team has assets that will be of use to other teams. The new GM will be charged up to make the best deals possible. It sucks to lose the guys we'll lose, but he'll have to make good deals because he's trying to make a good impression. He'll do deals that help the team and give it promise.

And promise is something that we haven't had much of lately.

3. Our vets are going to new teams. Not normally a good thing, this year, it'll give hockey fans in St. Louis someone to root for during the playoffs. Notice that I didn't mention Blues fans, just hockey fans. If you're a Blue-only type of fan, you'll watch the playoffs with an academic perspective. I, on the other hand, could find a way to get all fired up about a random Ducks/ Flames game. OK, that's a pretty extreme example, but still, it makes the point. When the playoffs come around, I'll watch damn near every game. And I'll determine friend and foe on very subjective terms.

With Blues like Doug Weight, Dallas Drake, Mike Sillinger and even lesser lights like Scott Young and Dean McAmmond getting dispersed before the deadline, I'll have a reason to root for certain teams. Suddenly, I have a reason to want Ottawa, with Dally Drake gutting the puck out of the corner, to win. Suddenly the Flyers, with Weight anchoring the line behind Peter Forsberg, become watchable. Now I can watch Atlanta, with Sillinger and Scott Mellanby providing all the grit and leadership, and cheer.

And that's a reason to be positive. The playoffs won't have the Blues, but some Blues will have playoffs, and I'll be rooting for them.

4. We can be positive about the youth movement. Because we don't have a choice. And neither will the new management. Keeping guys like Weight and Sillinger and Drake, hard as it is to admit, doesn't make sense for a team that is starting over. When they go, the Blues will add youngsters. Either in the form of draft picks or guys who have promise but need to start over somewhere else, or holes in the lineup filled from Peoria.

But the youth movement is coming. With that comes a couple things. One, lots of mistakes. Lots and lots. Two, exuberance. The youngsters are completely fired up to be living their dream. They are in the N F'n HL, which is all they've thought about for years and years. Every shift is a blast. Every goal is a rush. Every hit is energizing. And that comes through to the crowd. Remember Tyson Nash's first year here? The guy was electric. And the crowd felt it. He played every shift like it was his last, even if he didn't have the scoring skills to play on a top line. How many Nash jerseys do you see in the crowd still? There's a reason. The guy made people excited to watch the team.

Imagine eight kids that are that excited. I'm not suggesting that the Blues play eight rookies, but I think we'll see eight rookies/second year guys on the roster at the same time next year. And that should be fun to watch.

The other benefit that comes out of that is that the Blues build a base. A base of players who earn their stripes together. Just like a boot camp platoon or a pledge class, they learn together as they suffer together. After a few years, that group is dangerous.

So, it's a positive thing. Plus, it's more fun than what we're watching now. And, I'm willing to bet it's more successful than what we're watching now.

5. We're going to get a new coach. And the new guy is going to be an exciting, AHL guy who knows how to exploit youth, speeed and the new rules. Mike Kitchen seems like a good guy. He seems like he would have done well with the old team. But this is not a good place for him now. Hopefully he'll get a chance to show what he can do elsewhere. But he's tainted goods in St. Louis. It's going to take a couple years to get this team back to competetive, and all the while, Kitch would be here with the stink of the old regime on him. And that just won't happen. Every failure will compound the "we hate Laurie" feel around him. So, he has to go.

In his place, the new owners will have the new GM hire a new coach who can grow with the team, reach out and touch the youngsters and exploit the new NHL. The Blues would be wise to hire a guy who they can deal with. Someone who fits the new perspective. Because the new guy needs to be around for five years, minimum. I'd love to see blackballed Ted Nolan come in, just to say that we helped break the cycle on that guy, but he's not the right fit. He'll be looking to prove he's a good coach by having immediate success.

No, the answer lies down in the minors.

6. Keith Tkacuk will still be here. I know some people think that'd be a bad thing, but you'll never convince me of that. Tkachuk has a no-trade, but if the Blues play hardball, they can get rid of him. They can waive him. They can scratch him. They can play him in 4th line minutes. They can do these things to wound his pride and force him to accept a trade. But I don't think that will happen. I think he'll stay. And I think this season and the subsequent rebuild will be good for him.

Tkachuk has been known for being petulant and self-serving and a whiner. He seems to me like he's getting past that. He's getting a perspective for the game. Being suspended for fattiness to start the year and then losing a lot this year has given him perspective, I believe. He wants to stay here to finish his career. He has proved that he can still dominate on ice, especially with the new rules preventing defensemen from raping him as he charges the net. He's becoming more vocal.

People may not believe any of this, or even that he'll still be here next year, but I do. And I believe that a veteran Tkachuk who has perspective and who sees a base of youngsters built up on this team can become our own version of Dave Andreychuk. Andreychuk, a Hall of Famer and captain of a young Tampa team, refused to be traded to a Cup contender for a couple years. He brought new accountability to a young crew. He taught the youngsters. And in the end, he captained a Stanley Cup team.

The same could happen here. You don't believe it. But I do.

7. The games can still be fun. You gotta work harder now, but it's possible. You have to drink more beer before going in that you used to have to do, but the possibilities are there.

Try to find the most non-sensical jersey possible. The Blues jersey with the number 69 and no name plate? Pretty good, but there are better. The two little asian ladies in matching purple Ducks' personalized "Rucchin" sweaters? Better. Much better. Rucchin doesn't play there anymore, the Ducks jersey is horribly gay, the purple is nightmarish and the Ducks aren't even in town. Neither is Rucchin. That's gotta be a front-runner. The Detroit personalized with the guy's name and the number 00? Yeah, you're a double zero alright. The guy in the shorts with the referee jersey? Bizarre, but he commits and wears it like 20 games a year, so maybe that's better. Maybe it's worse. You decide. You and your steamed-up buddies could argue for days about it. But it'd make the game more fun.

Similar game, same idea; try to compete with your buddies on dumbest comment heard. No, that's not Brett Hullie. No, it's not the third quarter. Yes, the ushers do carry handguns.

Try to convince the non-hockey goofballs near you of something ridiculous. Seriously, many of them are here just as a precourser to going out. Does any hockey fan wear high-heels to a game? Of course not. Does any hockey fan wear his business suit with the tie removed to a game? Barely ever. Time to screw with them. See if you can convince the girls in front of you that you're going to be one of the bicycle racers during the second intermission. Convince them that you're a scout for Vancouver. Convince them that points can be awarded for winning a fight. The more outrageous the better.

8. Know that when the team is finally sold, you won't have to work this hard to have fun again. remember two years ago and before? Just going to the game a drinking a couple breers was fun enough. Those days will be back. Hell, once the team gets sold, I'd bet attendance (actual attendance, not the numbers that get reported, which include all season ticket sales) jumps by two grand per game. Not enough to make everything better, but it'll help. Next year, it'll be even better. And when the team starts to surprise a few folks every now and then, we'll get back to the way it was. And when that happens....

9. You can say you were here when no one was here. You'll recognize the bfair-weather fans when they come back. All the games from number 7 will work even better. They'll be the ones who are mentioning the 'new guys' and talk about Bacashihua and Wideman. They'll be the suckers. And you can call them all 'bandwagon'.

"Hey, bandwagon, Wideman has been here for two years."

"Bandwagon, the beer has been $8 for two years now."

"No, Bandwagon, Lalime has been gone for over a year."

It'll be fun. And it'll feel good. I know I'll do it.

And more importantly, the crowd will be full again. I won't be able to sneak down low on an $8 ticket, because every seat will be full. And it'll be fun again.

Remember when it was like that every night?

Blues Lose To Preds

So we lost to the Predators. Ehh.

I have some notes, but I can't really fire up the wagon tonight.

I don't know many details, but do me a favor and put the GT Godfather, Jeffio, in your thoughts. He was admitted to the hospital late on Tuesday night and I didn't hear about it until late Wednesday. I don't know what's going on, and I don't want to speculate, but it couldn't hurt the original small-time hockey publisher to have a few folks thinking about him.

WGNU

Brian Stull was good enough to have me on tonight, and he didn't even mention all of my unprofessional 'ummms' and uuuhhhhs'. The wifeditor, on the other hand, not afraid to mention it.

Anyway, give Stully your support. He loves the Blues and loves to talk about our team. I had hoped to pimp my boys on the staff a little more, but all I managed to get out was a mention of our outstanding Trivia guy, Childhood Trauma (clearly the most disturbing moniker on the staff) and the vendors who were out freezing their... well, freezing out there.

My apologies to the other guys, but you know I love you all anyway.

My Boy, #8

8 showed tonight and took a couple GTs up into the boxes. So, we're movin' up like George and Weezie. I even got to sign one, by request. Skynyrd Rulez!

And Anyway

Sorry I don't have anything comedic tonight, but the Jeffio thing has me feeling a little less than humorous. We have a couple weeks before the Devils show up here and I'll be posting regularly.

Later, skaters.

New Affiliate

I have a bunch of stuff to post, but I think I'll save most of it and just bring you the most exciting news.

We have affiliated ourselves previously with bluesnet.net, and their link has been on the front page for some time. If you haven't checked them out before, you definitely should, because they are a great companion to what we do. As the unofficial program for the home games, we try to set you up for what you'll see during the game. Bluesnet is a great place to check after the game for recaps and other Blues news. Due to my schedule lately, our logo is not a link on their site, but it will be soon.

Tonight we finalized yet another affiliation. This time with WGNU and, more specifically, the Sports Overdrive program that airs every weeknight from 6-7 pm. WGNU, also known as "Radio Free St. Louis" is located at AM 920. The Sports Overdrive host, Brian Stull, is a great sports fan who runs a show that tells it like it is. Every show starts with a "Good, Bad and Ugly" segment that highlights everything right and wrong with sports today. He then kicks into the pressing issues of the day. Never one to take the easy way, Sports Overdrive is also informative and fun. Brian's theory is that sports are fun, so why shouldn't a sports show also be fun?

Agreed.

So, starting Wednesday, yours truly will make sporadic appearances on Sports Overdrive, usually when the Blues are making news, and Brian wants to get the fan's perspective. Game Time, in return, will also be making sure that you hardcore fans of hockey are aware of the show and supporting Brian as much as possible.

So, do yourself a favor and dial in AM 920 on your way home or on your way to the game and catch Sports Overdrive. The show for fans by a fan (who isn't jaded like so many of the other local sports hosts have gotten).

As Long As I'm Plugging...

Check out Andy Strickland's show on 1380 ESPN Tuesdays from 10-11 am. Andy also has a solid Blues blog located here. I'm not a huge fan of the home site that he's on, but I do like Andy's work. He seems to be really chasing Blues news, which is pretty rare these days.

And no, I have no affiliation with Andy, I just like what he's doing and thought I'd try to turn you guys on to him. He also falls into the non-jaded media guy category, so that makes him stand out, too.

And So...

As I sign off and get to work on Nashville, I just want to ask you to check out the folks I've mentioned one last time. I think one of the things that makes our publication different is that we are your voice. We are, first and foremost, rabid hockey fans. We all also tend to think that we can write well enough to be printed and are funny enough to crack a few jokes along the way. But, boil it all down, and we are you.

So, we'll never have the same access that the P-D and the radio and TV stations have. Honestly, I think we're better off for it. Honestly, if I met and interviewed Eric "The Visor" Weinrich, I'd have a much harder time taking him to task for his crazy-ass hunter/vanity gear and his step-too-slow play. On the other hand, we'll also never fall out of love with our favorites. If we love a guy on the ice, it's because he plays hard, does the things we like to see and never lets us down. If we were to meet that guy because of this publication and he turned out to be a dick, it would affect our feeling about the guy as a fan.

I don't want my fans' perspective wrecked by too much exposure to the players and management. I'm sure Larry Pleau and Mike Kitchen are great guys. Well, almost certain. Maybe. But if I find it out for certain, I'm less likely to bash them when they deserve to be bashed. And that's not fair to you, the rabid fan.

I'm losing my point, so I'll summarize. When you come across a member of the mainstream media who deals with the players and the management on a personal level and still manages to stay as passionate as the average upper-bowl-sittin', Gretzky-Blues-wearing, "Not For Hire" truck drivin' season ticket holder, well, you latch on to that guy.

Support Brian Stull's Sports Overdrive and Andy Strickland's Blues Brunch (check the bottom of the page for info). And be sure to run by Bluesnet.net, too. They're just as fanatical as you. Plus, none of these places I'm sending you are as obnoxious or eye-rolling as the horrible message boards at the Blues site or even the P-D site. If you want a non-eye-rolling message board, check out ours.

A Couple of GT Notes...

OK, I can't help myself, so a couple shout-outs.

Thanks to the Blues nuts who came out to get a GT, then had to go get some cash and brought back a ton of change. I ain't here to complain, I'm just glad you came back. Thanks a ton. I love the Blues fans wearing jerseys, the hoodies underneath, hands full of beer cups and paying in change. I am home.

Tonight was turbo-crappy out. The wind was whipping us all, the rain was coming down, and we all thought we were headed towards another loss. But all my regulars came by with frozen hands. The young guy who is usually with his mom and sister. The guy with the jersey, hat and glasses, who always stops and laughs every time I ask him if we're going to win. The guy who bought for the Flyers and now comes back. Andy, who I know from summer hockey. I just wanted to get you all on the site. Thanks for your support.

Enough for now. Nashville next. Time to work.

Prepping for the Canucks; Post-Duck Comments

For those of you who check this out regularly, sorry about the delay. I know that when I go to a site every day or so, I hate to see no new content. This 3 games in 5 days is rough, but I'll do my best to get on here. Thanks for sticking with me.

I had a bunch of notes from Saturdays' game, but I figured most of you were out getting twisted and weren't sitting around for me.

Anyway, some notes from Saturday. First, it was weird selling during daylight. But the one thing I really was not prepared for was how many kids were in the crowd. That didn't really concern me much (except that 8-year-olds don't buy my paper, the unknowledgeable little bastards), until I heard a kid behindme who sounded like he was almost in tears. See, for the Ducks, Jeffio always used a Mickey Mouse with a giant circle/slash through him as the Anaheim logo. Being owned by Disney and basically a super-expensive marketing machine for their trio of crappy Mighty Ducks movies, Jeffio (and most of the rest of us) were sickened by the existance of the franchise.

Well, as a nod to our GNR heritage, I put circle/slash Mickey right on the cover. Big, too. I didn't really think of the effect it'd happen to have on a young kid. Then I heard him.

"Why that man has a big 'Mickey, No' picture? Why that man has 'Mickey, No'?"

Does it make me a bad person that I thought that was funny? Of course, you don't think so. You read GT, so you're all distorted, too. Anyway, that happened a second time, with some little girl clearly transfixed by Mickey No. Oh, well, kiddo, that's how I feel when I watch this hockey team sometimes. Shocked, confused and a little frightened.

Dutchie Is In The Building (In Spirit Anyway)

The timing is funny, since the Game Time Rookie just got sent to Peoria last week, but I spotted my first Stempniak jersey on Saturday. I was pretty surprised, but wanted a witness, so I yelled at Gift and made him leave his selling post to confirm what I was seeing.

It was a blonde girl wearing the signed (!) number 12 Stempniak. Gutsy call on getting that thing made. Of course, I started to wonder what the ramifications are that the GT Rookie is being repped by a girl. I've never really checked out his photo and don't want to have the GTR be like the new Tyson Nash. Nash, a fan favorite, had a lot of personalized jerseys sold, but like 90% are worn by females. I swear that we picked him because of the first ever GT contest to "Pick The Rookies' Nickname", which came after he scored a big GW goal. Not for any other brokeback reason.

What Does This Say About Me?

A completely non-hockey comment, that I'll end up turning into a hockey comment. Where I was standing on Saturday, on Clark, near the garage, I get to see everyone pulling in for their reserved parking, or paying the $10 to get in. I found myself staring at a total piece of shite pick-up truck that was all banged up, had no tailgate and about 8 pallets stacked in the back. The passenger side door was painted (with a paintbrush, sloppily) "Not For Hire". No kidding? Your pick-up truck is not for hire? Damn. Because I'd love to ride in that hunk o' crappe on my way to the pallet store.

But then I realized, I really liked it. It's a hunk, for sure, but I thought it'd be pretty sweet to drive that thing around. It's like driving a hilarious joke around. Then I realized that a like super-expensive BMW with all the bells and whistles was right in front of Not For Hire and I hadn't even noticed it. Do I just like crappy things? Why am I drawn to garbage?

I'm going to pretend that that is not the same reason I like this team. I like crappy things, yes. I'll buy/wear/say damn near anything for a joke. But I really do want to have a favorite team that's good. Right?

The Blues Game

I didn't see much of the game, due to selling, not having a ticket, driving home and whatnot. But I saw the end and I have seen all the high(low)lights. But, amazingly, I still have some opinions.

One, yes, that was a crappy own-goal that we got from McAmmond. But that happens. It's a bad, bad break, but it happens every year and it happens to good teams and bad teams. It doesn't say anything further about this team other than, 'hey, that probably won't happen to us for another 10 years or so." Just be happy that it happened against us in a lost year anyway. If it happens again this year or happens two more times in the next year, then I'll start to worry about who/what cursed us.

Secondly, I still love the shootout. I know some of you traditionalists hate it, but I will never agree with you. The game, whether you want to admit it or not, is about entertainment above all else. It's more about the fans in the seats and their enjoyment-per-dollar than it is about a pure win in a team sport. And let's be honest, the vast majority of NHL dollars spent are spent here in the US. And Americans hate ties. That's why soccer has never caught on here, despite being the most popular sport in the world.

And on Saturday night, the fans in attendance were all in their seats or standing up, cheering for the shootout. It is entertaining. It is not a pure way to end a game, I agree, but who cares? It's fun and it'll never decide a playoff game, so I'm down with it. When people start protesting it and walking out before it starts, then I'll reconsider my stance. The Blues lost, got a point and everyone got to see someting exciting. I'll take it.

Updating Soon.

I'll have the main page up-to-date soon. Maybe after Wednesday, but hopefully before that.


See you all tomorrow.