Reasons We Love Hockey Part 1
June 10, 2007 by Pookie
Years ago we got a little buzzed after splitting a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which we only realized afterwards had an alcohol content of about 76%) and found ourselves enumerating all the reasons we love hockey. Facing the seemingly endless off-season it seemed a good idea to recreate the experience here on IPB, only trading one drunken evening for a whole summer, and one bottle of wine for months of cocktails (today’s selection is the Fernandito: spiced rum, Chambord, orange juice and lime juice) and with a ton of desperation tossed in for good measure. Since we are too lazy to count the days before the season starts, we’re adopting 118 as our target reason number in honor of Section 118, home of the original IPB season tickets at Continental Airlines Arena. Our reasons will likely range from the sublime (playoff overtime marathons) to the ridiculous (Sid Crosby’s Timbits commercial); today’s reason is an obvious, but good one.
The first in our 118-part series: Reasons We Love Hockey:
The Devils
Never has a team been better matched to its fans than the Devils with us. A winning tradition, an emphasis on team play rather than star power, players more interested in hoisting Cups than hefty wallets, and an organization dedicated to hockey and not entertainment all adds up to a team we can get behind. In the twelve years that we’ve been fans, we’ve seen the Devils win it twice (to add to the one we missed while living empty hockey-less lives) and go to Game 7 of a fourth Final, we’ve seen two Hall-of-Famers and one Devil great sign for less money to stay with the team long-term, we’ve seen players of all skill levels excel within the system, we’ve seen management eschew the temptations of high profile rental players (we’ll just ignore that unfortunate Gilmour Era), and, perhaps most importantly, we’ve seen games in person and on TV presented in such a way, both by the team and the broadcast affiliated with it, that never underestimates our knowledge, passion and dedication to the game. The Devils are, in short, everything we want in a team.
Hrmph. Well, only 118 to go!
I hate to ruin the suspense for you, Earl, but I don’t think the Ducks are going to be anywhere on our list.
P&S Amen to that.
Earl, I’ll deal with you once I’ve finished watching my NHL 02-03 highlights DVD.
Mags, thanks for having our backs here!
We are, of course, leaving this comment thread open to anyone who wants to enumerate the reasons why their team contributes to their love of hockey. While we love the good-natured ribbing here, and we’re happy to expound at length about why the Devils are our favorites, we want IPB to be a safe and happy place for all hockey fans. As we’ve mentioned before, we’re Quakers — we’re lovers, not fighters! Except for Flyers and Rangers. Them we hate.
Remember that movie a few years ago when Jack Nicholson told somebody or another, “You make me want to be a better man”? Well, that is how the Sabres made me feel this spring about Buffalo. Hockey helped me love Buffalo, and for that, I love hockey.
Sabres, you make me want to be a better town.
That’s from “As Good As It Gets”. Jack got and Oscar for that part…
Why Heather B. Loves the Buffalo Sabres (The Stripped Down Comment Thread Version)
- fun to watch
- bunch o’ good guys, not a primadonna among them
- largely drafted and homegrown by Buffao, no random, pointless free agent signings here… for now
- best ownership in the NHL (owner, GM, coach) - team and players are really promoted, the fanbase is appreciated and understood (despite the fact that the Sabres are the hot thing in town right now, the tickets are the cheapest in the league because someone in power gets that Buffalo is extremely blue collar and not in the greatest of economic shape - even after the price “hike” next season, we’re at the bottom - best damn bang for your buck anywhere
- amazing community bonding right now
- Crunchy, Hank, and Timmy
Earl, I’ll deal with you once I’ve finished watching my NHL 02-03 highlights DVD.
No fair! My DVD won’t be ready for a month! ;P
Why Amy Loves the Sabres
- everything Heather B. said
- our GM could be the long lost brother of David Hyde Pierce
- the mascot repels from the rafters to “Eye of the Tiger,” which is totally cheesy, but still fun to watch (until the day he gets stuck, and Sabretooth is called for a delay-of-game penalty)
- they’re amazingly active in the community. Whether its hosting a radio show, reading to school kids, or talking about their visits to local restaurants, these guys have made Buffalo their home.
- many of them stick around Buffalo after their careers are over.
- they employ Rick Jeanneret
- Gaustad, Crunchy and Drury
Heather already covered some of the best points (yeah Golisano & co.!), so I’m going to get long-winded (sorry) about my favorite reason (which Kate also touched on): community, or “when you cheer for the Sabres, you cheer for Buffalo.”
Anybody who says there are no true hockey towns in America, or outside of Detroit (blech), has clearly never been to Buffalo. To say the Sabres have a rabid fanbase is an understatement. They have a city-sized religious following. This is a city whose passion for their sports teams (both the Sabres and the Bills) stems from the fans yearning fiercely for their teams to shake off the label of “Losers,” a label which has stuck to Buffalo for decades. The Stanley Cup and the Super Bowl Trophy are two things on the long list of “Things the City of Buffalo Hasn’t Got Going for it,” and at times like this playoff season, there’s a sense in the air that if we could just finally win that Championship, all of our problems would be solved. I’ve lived in Western New York my whole life, and even though I was really little, I remember the depression that overtook my parents and the region as a whole after “Wide Right” in ‘91 (not to mention the three years after that) and then again in ‘99 with the “No Goal” fiasco. So knowing all the heartbreak this city’s fans have had to endure at the hands of their countless close-but-no-cigar teams and seasons, the way we can still come together and pour our hearts and souls into supporting them year after year is both truly phenomenal, and—dare I say—unique.
When this Sabres season ended I was with upwards of 12,000 other fans clogging the plaza outside the packed HSBC arena (section 400, we called ourselves). We had shown up to cheer on a team in a 1-3 series hole. And even though my heart broke into millions of pieces when I realized that Alfredsson’s shot had landed in the back of the net and not in Crunchy’s glove like I’d thought, looking around me at the rest of my community I could honestly say there was no place I would have rather been. Not if it meant chanting something other than “Let’s Go Buffalo!”
Amy, good call on Jeanneret! I can’t believe I forgot him since there’s no doubt he and Jim are partly responsible for sucking me into hockey in the first place.
And BMG made me think of this: As silly as it sounds, I love chanting “Let’s Go Buff-a-lo!” It rolls right off your tongue. And it rhymes for cryin’ out loud! You can’t beat that.
We don’t rhyme in Anaheim. A cute chorus is not for us.
Then again, “Let’s go Ducks!” and “Refs you suck!” are a near-rhyme, but I think that’s coincidence.
We don’t rhyme in An-a-heim!
….almost works.
Devils fans like to keep the chants as simple as the Devils keep things on the ice; you get your “Let’s go Devils”, the occasional “Mar-TIN! Mar-TIN!” when Brodeur makes a good save (this chant, sadly, happens less and less frequently, but through no fault of Brodeur’s), and, most often, the hearty whistle-and-response “Rangers suck!” That warms the cockles of my heart.
By the way, do other teams’ fans sing when the arena plays “If You’re Happy And You Know It”, “If you know the Rangers suck then clap your hands…”? Or whomever their rival may be? Because they should.
Our reasons will likely range from the sublime (playoff overtime marathons) to the ridiculous (Sid Crosby’s Timbits commercial); today’s reason is an obvious, but good one.
I think Timbits in and of themselves are a reason to love hockey. After all, we can indirectly thank hockey for the mere existence of Timbits. And they’re something I love. Mmm…
I don’t suppose a “Reasons why We Love the Ottawa Senators” will be around the corner anytime soon?
Guess I’ll start working on my own list then. In the interest of equal representation, of course.
My personal favorite at the Silvertips game is when the opposing team comes out of the sin bin and the announcer says “and _____ is at full strength” we like to add (the crowd) “AND THEY STILL SUCK”……but that is just me.
Er…I would like to clarify that I wasn’t talking above about the timbits in the commercial but the timbits you actually eat. Seeing the word timbits just made me think of that. Which is not to say that the little child sort of timbit is not very cute. Just that I’m generally fonder of the doughnut hole sort.
American Oil, that is a fantastic chant! In a similar vein, we add a hearty “sucks!” after every player announced in the opponent’s starting line-up. Strangely, none of the fanbases in the cities we’ve visited seem to do this; it’s so obvious!
Meg, to clarify the Timbits kids/donuts confusion, we prefer to refer to the donuts as sidbits. Of course, that leads to confusion between donuts and… well… what Crosby gets speared in. Not that that’s a regular conversation topic at IPB Manor, but after the whole Blake thing, it came up a bit. Plus, you can usually tell from context which sidbits you’re talking about. :)
Amy: nice list! If David Hyde Pierce and William H. Macy somehow had a love child, Darcy would be it. Also, no other team can compete with either Sabretooth or Jeanneret. I will not be convinced otherwise.
No fair! My DVD won’t be ready for a month!
Oh jeeze…poor Earl…a whole month….however will you handle that while basking in the glow of the Stanley Cup.
Oh jeeze…poor Earl…a whole month….however will you handle that while basking in the glow of the Stanley Cup.
I’ll have to ask the guy at the liquor store how to cope.
So Pookie, what you are saying is that at IPB Manor, the word “sidbits” is used interchangeably for both delicious donuts and Sidney Crosby’s, um, bits?
Interesting. And also, heh.
Pics of SC rally here, if the Governator makes the list, by some miracle of Environmental Preservation…
I’ll have to ask the guy at the liquor store how to cope.
I am sure his suggestion will be liquor, more liquor. You being the responsible patron will of course follow his advice.
So I just have to add this. Oddly enough we were discussing the other day the putridness of the Flyers Orange. So tonight we played against an adult team that CHOSE to use the Flyers jerseys for their team. WHY? WHY? Did they figure the horrid colour would distract the opposing team? It was sooo painful, my eyes hurt. Which then lead me to the opinion that someone on that team must be a flyers fan, which again leads me to the question “A Flyers fan, really?”
Ahaha one of my friends in class is a Flyers fan, I’m constantly correcting him about how not great his team is. Though they do now have Marty… Excuse me for a while…
Why Jordi likes the Buffalo Sabres:
Hah! Got you there!
“Mar-TIN! Mar-TIN!” when Brodeur makes a good save (this chant, sadly, happens less and less frequently, but through no fault of Brodeur’s)
What, we got used to the excellence or we just don’t love Marty anymore?
Oil, see this. I coach that kid twice a week, he’s really quite good and I have no idea where I went wrong.
Kate, regarding “sidbits”, the more frequent usage (donuts) is with a lower-case “S”. The less frequent usage (for, say, spearing situations) is with a capital “S”. Again, the context really explains the difference. Although seriously, the word “sidbits” on its own merit is almost always guaranteed to bring a smile to the speaker’s face whenever they say it, so the more usages this better.
Ahaha one of my friends in class is a Flyers fan, I’m constantly correcting him about how not great his team is.
Jordi, I would love to hear you “reminding” someone how not great their team is! (And could you offer, like, adult school classes in “How Not Great The Flyers Are” in our area?)
a.oil, people who choose Flyer orange for anything are just wrong. I don’t understand. Unless they were born in Philly, in which case they probably suffer some genetic miscoding that makes it impossible to discern heinousness. But if they’re not from Philly, there’s no excuse.
Mags, the disappearance of the “Mar-TIN” chant is one of the few things that makes me sad about my Devils fandom. I think we all just take him so for granted at this point… (Strangely, after 2003 there was a brief period where, in place of “Mar-TIN!” the crowd would chant “Marty’s better!” Hrmph.)
What amazes me the most is that the Jersey plan was probably proposed by some idiot who is a Flyers Fan, but yet the entire team went along with it!! Have they no self respect?
No, a.oil, they clearly do NOT have any self respect. It would be sad, if it wasn’t so horrible.
There’s no better way to get self-respect than to be able to tell your teammates honestly “We are the best team in the continent to wear Flyer orange–including the Flyers.”
Earl, they weren’t. We won.
Yeah, but I bet you’d beat the Flyers too.
I see your point, Earl (and laughed out loud), but I’m still not sure being better than the Flyers is really a good source of self-respect.
I’m still not sure being better than the Flyers is really a good source of self-respect.
Ssh! A Kings fan might be reading!
Earl that is like Paris Hilton saying she isn’t as nasty as the hooker on the street corner. -Fact of which is debatable- However, is that really something that the person/team better or just not as horrific as?
Ssh! A Kings fan might be reading!
Oh, those poor, poor kids. You’re right. I’ll try to be more positive…
Honestly you gotta give most Kings fans credit….they fully admit their team sucks and resolve themselves to that fact. Unlike a Flyers fan who seems to live in a deslusional world that their team is actually a competitior in the NHL.
Philly Flyers Slogan for ‘07-’08:
“Yes, 30th place sucks. But we got a sure-fire plan to ensure that we won’t be finishing 30th for the next three years–thanks to expansion, we’ll find a way to get 32nd! A new league record!”
I think the Flyers are also offering Lindros-style concussions to their season ticketholders to help dull the pain.
Earl, the more I think about it…the Kings are only one disolution of the salary cap and bill gates’ money away from being in the run for the SC (ie: playoffs) where as even with the disolution of the salary cap and all of Gates’ money the Flyers would still be out.
they still have season ticket holders?
Sorry, IPB, if this is stealing thunder from your 118 reasons–I gotta think “loving Flyer pain” is somewhere soon on that list :)
Kings fans really do seem to have at least enough of a clue to recognize their team’s limitations. But wow, do Philadelphia sports fans in general suffer from severe delusions of grandeur, coupled, bizarrely, with a sort of soul-crushing pessimism. I just can’t figure them out. I mean, how is it that not being contenders to win various championships doesn’t emotionally wound countless other pro sports cities, yet the entire sports fanbase in Philly is on collective suicide watch? They have just the strangest, strangest psyche.
Okay even this makes me feel sorry for the Flyers. I’m ready to ask everyone to hold hands and say that what we need is a little understanding and love. I think I’m developing a heart. I spent the day out with my family so I guess that’s it.
Oh and my thumbs friggin hurt from Katamari Damacy. Thanks for reminding me that game existed Earl, now I can’t stop playing it. Again.
Schnookie, with my friend it was the total delusions of granduer. After I corrected him about his team being teh suck he went quiet for a moment and said “Well I guess what my friend told me was wrong”.
Heh, I’m using a sick day to accomplish nothing today, Katamari might be in my future as well.
I did switch the album in my car back to the original Katamari soundtrack. Very refreshing–makes me want to roll up all the cars in front of me.
Schnookie, possilby they live better through chemistry??? Have we looked at the rates of anti-depression medicne there? It has got to be sky high.
Good morning, all!
I’m using a vacation day today, too. But instead of doing nothing, I get to take the LSAT in a few hours.
Aw man a sick day? I’ve got to wake up in 6 hours for work. I guess I can’t complain since it was a public holiday today. Katamari is the perfect day waster. That or Halo.
Okay I need to sleep now or else I’ll never wake up. And I don’t want to hide and sleep in the back again this time.
After I corrected him about his team being teh suck he went quiet for a moment and said “Well I guess what my friend told me was wrong”.
See, that’s their problem — they’re sheep. They let one doofusy person (Al Morganti, anyone? Or perhaps Ed Snyder?) start telling them how there’s no way their team can’t win the Cup this year, and they all just go, “Well, if that guy said it, it must be right!” What Philly needs more of isn’t anti-depressants, it’s analytical thought!
It’s, like, pre-dawn on the West Coast. Why, Earl, are you even awake and in front of a computer if you’re taking a sick day today?
Good luck Grace! While I have no knowledge of the LSAT, I’m sure you’re a very smart and intelligent person and can achieve a perfect score without breaking a sweat.
And good night all!
‘night, Jordi!
I had to call in sick east-coast time. Besides, I’m up early most every day, 5 times a week for work and another time for choir.
Sleeping in isn’t impossible, but it does involve getting up first before attempting it.
Oh yeah, and kick ass on that LSAT, grace! Just think to yourself, “What would Brian Burke answer?”
(he’s a lawyer or something, isn’t he?)
Good night, Jordi!
Thanks for the good wishes, but this exam will be more of a practice round. I signed up for it in March, and I was supposed to study for it in the evenings after work. But then the playoffs happened and I got zero studying done. So I plan to take it for fun and cancel my score right after I get back. I’ll try again in September.
LSATs for fun?! Now I’ve heard everything!
Taking it for fun doesn’t mean I’ll do well. I’m actually thinking of playing with the other exam-takers. Maybe I’ll run out of the room crying half-way through the exam. Or I’ll rock back and forth in my seat, moaning softly…
Grace, I’m sure the LSAT will be a piece of cake! I mean, look at some of the people who’ve passed it (like Earl points out — Brian Burke???)! I like the “I’ll cancel it and try again in September” approach, though. I took that approach to my Calculus AP in high school, forgot to cancel it, and ended up getting a passing grade on it. So if there’s a lesson there… I guess it’s just that I’m almost impossibly lazy.
Earl, you have my heart-felt sympathy at having to call in sick on East Coast hours. I feel personally affronted if I have to be awake before 11:30. It being only 10:50 right now, I can’t decide if I’m simmering in vague outrage at my state of awakedness, or if I’m actually still asleep right now.
That would be great, Grace! I’m not sure what the format is, but here’s some other things you could try, in the spirit of lawyerism:
- Publicly object to every question. Use “leading the witness” as your most common complaint.
- Try to plea bargain with the test administrator. Always use the phrase “may I approach the bench?” before you start.
- Nothing scores higher on an LSAT than a surprise witness. I’ll leave that one up to you.
- I don’t know if you can round them up, but a thousand letters to Santa Claus usually wins a case.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Schnookie. I love the AP Calc story.
Both of you should go back to bed. (S, are you at work?)
Kate, regarding “sidbits”, the more frequent usage (donuts) is with a lower-case “S”. The less frequent usage (for, say, spearing situations) is with a capital “S”.
I have been amusing myself this morning imagining scenarios in which the two definitions of S/sidbits could cause genuine confusion. I can highly recommend this activity.
…most of these imaginary scenarios involve hanging out out with Sid the Kid in a donut shop, so the whole exercise has a very good foundation for hilarity.
Good luck on your LSATs, Grace!
Jeez, I go to the store to buy dinner and suddenly everyone is hanging out at IPB.
Good morning all! Good luck on the test Grace! I know noooothing of law short of what I had to learn so I don’t get sued, so I can’t help you there.
I like your style, Earl. After all, what’s the worst they could do to me? Kick me out and cancel my score?
The competition is now closed for the “Comment That Made Schnookie Laugh Out Loud The Hardest” award — congrats, Earl!
Oh, and yes, Grace I am at work. Isn’t it obvious? I mean, I’m clearly working ever so hard!
Kate, the best part about imagining Sid in a donut shop is the thought of the panicked look on his face as he tries to mentally calculate what just being near so many donuts is doing to his highly regulated diet.
Schnookie, my keyboard and diet coke hate you.
I think when I went to the store you guys were in my brain, because I brought donuts home with me. I can’t look at them without laughing now.
After all, what’s the worst they could do to me? Kick me out and cancel my score?
That would save you a phone call (which, judging by Schnookie’s comment, can be huge).
And the best thing that could happen is they pass you on the spot for remembering what lawyering is all about–Hollywood scripts!
Pookie/Schnookie, I think I’m stealing your “Reasons I Love Hockey” bit for the off-season. (I’m not coming up with 323 however which is the section I sit in.) What the heck do hockey bloggers blog about in the summer?
I actually don’t really like donuts. I can’t really figure out why… But we did make a special point of buying a box of sidbits at Tim Hortons while roadtripping this past year, and I did try them. They were unexpectedly nasty, and not just because of the possible confusing connotations of their name.
Heather, we were really hoping this might catch on with the HLOG crowd. I mean, it fills the summer, it’s a ton of fun to think about (our preliminary list only goes up to 42 reasons right now, so it’s going to be quite the challenge), and I’d love to hear more about what makes other fans tick, you know? Plus, it’s a great interactive thing to be building blog posts around. So I know what IPB is doing this off-season, but I’m already sweating the next one!
And the best thing that could happen is they pass you on the spot for remembering what lawyering is all about–Hollywood scripts!
If only my life was like Legally Blonde.
Earl, never underestimate how difficult it is to call to cancel your test scores. That’s the kind of onerous task that can crush a person.
I like donuts, but they don’t fit into my highly regulated diet (I cheat though, pass on the pasta and have donuts instead). Can’t imagine Sid cheating, that little goody two shoes.
I’m not writing out all the reasons I love hockey. They’d come out too sadistic.
I am still stuck on the donut thing…
I’m unwillingly conjuring up scenarios in which both Sid’s donuts and his virginity are being threatened. For some reason, the mental image of Sid nervously stuffing donuts into his mouth is pretty much hilarious to me today.
As for offseason posting, I dunno. In some ways it’s easier to post in the summer, I think. There’s certainly a lot more leisurely freedom to it.
I looked over my post titles from last offseason–some cartoons, poems, oh yeah, and a big effing Pronger trade. I suppose blockbusters also help.
Have a wonderful day, everyone! See you in 7 or 8 hours…
Earl–more Garage Wall photos! Did you not read my comment on your rally post?
(okay, I’m really leaving now)
kick ass grace.
Yeah, I read the comments. I’ll try to get on that, but it means actually putting more material up on the garage wall and then photographing it. You’ve seen mostly all the good stuff.
Here’s Part 1 and Part 2 of that 2-part series.
*crosses fingers for Grace*
Grace — good luck on the LSAT! My advice is don’t do what I did while taking the GRE. A random message popped up asking if I’d mind taking an extra verbal section for some strange non-counting-against-me experiment. Trying to be helpful to Mr. GRE, I said yes; I figured it would be tacked onto the end. It wasn’t. It was in the middle. So I drained myself taking this stupid extra part before I got to the Math and Logic. And yet I still scored the same as on my SAT (which was bad enough my college guidence counsellor said I needed to retake it until she found out where I was applying; then she just rolled her eyes and walked away).
Heather — I can’t wait to read your Reasons You Love Hockey!
Thinking about Grace’s LSAT also reminded me that I overslept by an hour the day I took the SAT. I remember walking over to the school wondering why there weren’t more parents parked out front. Then I walked in and realized everyone else was already sitting down and about to take the test. Oops!
I’m not writing out all the reasons I love hockey. They’d come out too sadistic.
Well, we’ve racked our brains and come up with 42 reasons, so the remaining 76 reasons are all either going to have to be totally off-the-wall or a lot meaner than we really expected this list to get!
Earl, you’re a lucky blogger. You have the creative ken for poems and cartoons. And a team willing to pull off blockbuster deals. The Devils? Not so much. Devils “blockbusters” tend to involve a third-line-caliber guy, or a fifth defenseman, and then Lou saying, “I think the fans are going to be pleasantly surprised.”
Kate, we like to posit that Sid is a robot (in fact, a little wooden robot boy, but more on that some point during our 118); if confronted with a donut he would probably make his robot attempt at looking human, and say awkwardly and unconvincingly, “I like donuts. Bleep bloop.”
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Oh, and good luck, Grace! And have fun!
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Earl, the spam filter caught your comment because it had 2 links in it. Sorry. It’s been restored to it’s rightful spot at #83. Everyone go back and check it out!
But before, the spam filter wasn’t so friendly as to alert me.
Why are you trying to mess with our spam filter’s mind? You know how confused and befuddled it is without you deliberately screwing with it!
Those murals are breathtakingly gorgeous. See, some people write a fake hockey season, others create beautiful visual art… But the lockout really brought out the artistic geniuses in all of us, didn’t it?
I remember my final exams far too well, I sat them 3 years early. Being a 15 year old in a crowd of 18-20 year olds is not a happy place.
Pookie, you’re a genius. Late for your SAT’s. I wish I’d thought of that.
Earl, wow. just… wow.
Schnookie, I might not let on here, but I’m a horrifically mean person. Well, I’m mostly nice, but not so much when I’m playing sports. My reasons would consist mostly of “I love hockey because I get to bowl people over and the referees are helpless as long as I make it look like I was going for the ball/puck”.
“I love hockey because I get to bowl people over and the referees are helpless as long as I make it look like I was going for the ball/puck”.
That’s a good a reason as any. I heartily approve.
Oh, Mags! You might be a ferocious hockey player but I simply cannot buy that you are a “horrifically mean person”. Nope, nuh-uh. Yer nice (except for on the ice when you’ll spear anyone in the sidbits who gets in your way) .
I’m a horrifically mean person.
The more the merrier! (As you’ve probably noticed, Pookie and I are very close with our older sister as well, and I recall once discussing with a friend of hers the differences between the three of us. This friend kept insisting that Pookie, Kate The Great and I were all exactly alike, and I finally punched a hole in her theory by saying, “they’re both nice and I’m not.” She had no argument for that.)
(except for on the ice when you’ll spear anyone in the sidbits who gets in your way)
Fantastic, by the way. This made me glad I wasn’t sipping anything.
I taken a real fancy to sidbits.
I taken a real fancy to sidbits.
Well, naturally!
I taken a real fancy to sidbits.
it is rather addicting isn’t it.
Your older sister’s name is Kate? But, that’s my name! I would have thought she’d be named Crzookie or something.
Kate, we can tell. Spearing would work if I were playing men. Alas, I am not. As for the mean, I have a lot of love, I’m just very choosy about who gets it. So to you I might be nice but to the next person I might be a complete bitch.
No one mention sidbits for a minute please. I’m trying to eat a donut without choking here.
Wait, that was probably a really dumb thing to request…
Grace….good luck on the LSAT. My sister scored in the 99th percentile…..yeah…she is clearly the smart one in the family.
it is rather addicting isn’t it.
Oh, from now on I intend to pepper my speech with all sorts of sidbits.
Your older sister’s name is Kate? But, that’s my name!
You should see how confused Boomer gets when Pookie and I are discussing the comment threads on IPB. She always perks up, “Our Kate left you a comment?” (Full disclosure: she was commenting as KKM during Game 5 of the SCF. I’m not sure if she was deferring to the pre-existing Kate in the comment thread, or if she was just having fun with anonymity…) We keep trying to get her to think of a nickname, but she just hasn’t taken to any yet.
I would be happy to go by Sidbits in the comments if that would draw a third sister out of the IPB Manor woodwork!
…sidbits, sidbits, sidbits, sidbits….
Sister Kate! Reveal yourself! Show us your sidbits!
Alright. I’m sorry. I’m done.
Too late kate, donut has been finished :P
But would you go by Sidbits of sidbits. Nevermind, my brain is doing bad things.
As for KKM/KTG… I can’t believe I didn’t catch that one. I’m a bad IPB fangirl.
Hi, guys. Awesome blog.
Kate, don’t every apologize for loving sidbits. EVER!
Oh, and we have you to thank, by the way — ever since you shared that your blog gets hit daily for “my boyfriend wears tights” type searches, we’ve also been hit almost every day for the same thing. Seriously, wow. Who knew?
Question answered. I have to go rinse out my brain now.
Ha! Everytime I meet a cute boy now I assume he is wearing tights under his jeans.
As for KKM/KTG… I can’t believe I didn’t catch that one. I’m a bad IPB fangirl.
I know, you totally failed the test! You win the “Worst IPB Fangirl” award of the day! :P (Because there are so tests to see how much obsessive information about our thoroughly boring family you all can retain.)
Oh, and hi, Sidbits!
Kate — er, Sidbits, all the good ones do end up being tights-wearers. Sad but true.
Schnookie, don’t challenge me. I have to work the graveyard shift tonight, I can stuff a lot into my brain in that time and I’m very competitive.
Helloooooooooooo Sidbits. Welcome to IPB ;)
Mags, all you need to know about the IPB clan (the –ookies?) is that I’m the awesome one.
But we did make a special point of buying a box of sidbits at Tim Hortons while roadtripping this past year, and I did try them. They were unexpectedly nasty, and not just because of the possible confusing connotations of their name.
Ooh, my parents’ dog would take great issue with that statement! She adores sidbits (the donut not the piece of anatomy or the poster) so much that she actually recognizes Tim Hortons and gets excited about driving past. While not actually fond of eating donuts this has lead me to a great fondness of the idea of sidbits (again, the donut).
We keep trying to get her to think of a nickname, but she just hasn’t taken to any yet.
You’re probably better off if you don’t give her a name that rhymes with Pookie/Schnookie, or people will mistake you for the Power Puff Girls.
Well that’s good to know. Now I can waste my shift bullying my super into letting me on the internet after we’re done with the rounds :D
I disagree Earl. I think she should go by Crzookie. Or Fjookie. (It’s a silent F)
Meg, we have a cat who is crazy about the cider donuts from our local orchard! He flips out when he sees a bag from the orchard, so I can totally see a dog freaking out whenever she sees a Tim Hortons. (And I can also attest that the quality of sidbits hovers right there around dog food.)
Earl, you make a good point about the nicknames. Henceforth we’ll try to limit the ookieness, because we already get mixed up a lot with the Power Puff Girls, and we wouldn’t want to give people even more ammunition.
Earl — I just got a chance to check out the garage art. It is so freakin’ cool! I think my favorite was the Lindros thing, but Honest Abe riding an AT-AT Walker was pretty amazing, too.
And Welcome “Sidbits”… if that really is your name! (Seriously, I’m so glad to spread the joy that is the word “sidbits”! If IPB has any impact on the blogosphere, I want it to be that.)
I rather like Fjookie, but only if it’s pronounced the Scandinavian way… Like Fjord, or Björk.
If IPB has any impact on the blogosphere, I want it to be that.If IPB has any impact on the blogosphere, I want it to be that.
Hell, blogosphere smogosphere. If I have my druthers, the next time you see the Sabres on teevee you’ll hear the crowd chanting “sid-BITS, sid-BITS, sid-BITs” at Crunchy. As encouragement of course.
I am your loyal minion. :)
Butbutbut… the PPG are cuuuuuuute. I’m very proud of my Bubbles impression.
Hold on a minute. PPG? I only just made a really bad connection between two fandoms *braindead*
Honest Abe riding an AT-AT Walker was pretty amazing, too.
Heh, I think on that one my roommate and I decided to draw (as ignorantly as we could) the Battle of Bull Run. That was my entry for the Union side.
Poor Crunchy! Wouldn’t he prefer to have people chanting the praises of his Crunchbits?
But we did make a special point of buying a box of sidbits at Tim Hortons while roadtripping this past year, and I did try them. They were unexpectedly nasty, and not just because of the possible confusing connotations of their name.
This is a random question, but did you buy the sidbits in Canada or in the US? I’m a firm believer in the fact that the coffee and the sidbits taste differently in the two countries. The same thing also goes for beer, too.
“I love hockey because I get to bowl people over and the referees are helpless as long as I make it look like I was going for the ball/puck”.
If only the NHL used this philosophy.
Dude, Earl, I adore that Abe Lincoln on an AT-AT Walker is your take on the Battle of Bull Run. You, sir, are a genius.
If I have my druthers, the next time you see the Sabres on teevee you’ll hear the crowd chanting “sid-BITS, sid-BITS, sid-BITs” at Crunchy. As encouragement of course.
Hah! Imagining Crunchy’s patented polite-but-cranky response to this is hilarious. I imagine it would include lots of head shaking and the phrase “Thanks, but no thanks.” Oh, Crunchy!
Amy, we got the sidbits in Canada. And were convinced the border guard wasn’t going to let us back into the country because we very suspiciously had a box of 38 3/4 sidbits. We imagined him violently interrogating us, “Where’s the other 1 1/4 sidbits? WHERE ARE THEY???”
“Where’s the other 1 1/4 sidbits? WHERE ARE THEY???”
“Uh, I’m not sure. Living in Mario Lemieux’s house?”
“his Crunchbits”!!!!
I don’t know. I kind of like sidbits as just a random word to be used whenever possible. But, you are probably right, it’s your word after all. Sidbits can stay Crosby-centric.
Crunch-BITS, Crunch-BITS, Crucnch-BITS! Somehow I think this would make Crunchy cranky too.
Who ate 1/4 of a sidbit?!
“Uh, I’m not sure. Living in Mario Lemieux’s house?”
:^:::::::::::::::::
Katebits (hee hee!), I ate 1/4 of a sidbit. That was all I could handle. It had cooked fruit in it! Who even does that?
COOKED FRUIT!?
Effing Canadians!
Cooked fruit? In a donut? Ewww…
COOKED FRUIT!?
Effing Canadians!
I know! Even Pookie, who has a very high tolerance for all things donut, drew the line there.
Donuts (sidbits) should be cooked sugar and dough…that is it.
a.oil, I agree. They should be yeasted and cakey, and have a crisp, fried exterior. And under no circumstances should a person find a cooked apple anywhere inside the donut.
(That’s the Schnookie Donut Manifesto, by the way. Pookie disagrees with me, though, so it’s not the IPB Donut Manifesto.)
Heh, I think on that one my roommate and I decided to draw (as ignorantly as we could) the Battle of Bull Run. That was my entry for the Union side.
Earl, genuis. Just… genuis.
By the way, I hope you all can enjoy my avatar here, which is an actual photograph of those historic sidbits from our roadtrip. Bathed in natural sunlight and barely hinting at the nefarious content lurking below their powdered-sugary exteriors.
I have a much higher tolenrance for donuts than Schnookie. But donuts should be filled with one of two things: bavarian cream or custard. Never cooked apples.
Oh, and speaking of Crunchy, Schnookie and I decided to embrace our inner dork by rocking out on Guitar Hero this weekend. During one of Schnookie’s more disastrous songs she grumbled, “I’m not doing it wrong. This is just my interpretation of the song.” We both instantly decided that that must be exactly what Crunchy would say if he were playing the game.
THOSE ARE SIDBITS?!
I have been wondering. I can’t believe those are sidbits.
sidbits sidbits sidbits sidbits sidbits sidbits sidbits sidbits sidbits
I now that you say that….the avatar is in perfect clarity….prior to that I spent hours contimplating what the hell that was.
Donuts, check.
Flyers hating, check.
Honest Abe riding an AT-AT Walker, check.
Glad to see everything’s in order here at IPB. Just stopped in to say ‘Howdy!’ to everyone.
Gotta drive to Marin for work today, so you guys won’t be subjected to my inarticulate rants and general retardedness.
And am I crazy, or did I see ‘doucherocket’ get officially sanctioned by Pookie? What a pleasant surprise!
Talk to all you guys later!
I thought there were rocks. Clearly my imagination is lacking. As is my night shift! I am freeeeeeeeeeeee tonight.
Awwwwww, poor Crunchy.
Aw, Andrew’s unique brand of insanity is just what today’s conversation was missing! Have fun in Marin, and we’ll miss you, Andrew!
I can’t believe the sacred glow coming off the sidbits didn’t convey in that tiny little avatar…
Why have I always seen a stuffed animal shot at an awkward close-in angle when all this time I should have been seeing sidbits?
Wow.
Oh I was waaaaayyy off…..I thought it was paper mache over someones heads……
Oh god, Earl… do I come off on IPB as someone who takes close-in angle pictures of stuffed animals? Because if so, I need to seriously rethink the voice I’m using.
Paper mache over heads! Wow! If I come off as that kind of person, though, I must be doing something right…