Our feed tonight opens with the startling news from Steve that the Flyers are the “hottest team in the league since Christmas Day”. They’ve won 10 of their last 12, apparently. There is a chorus of, “Huh. Who knew?”s in the living room of stately IPB Manor. Even worse, we find out that Gagne is back. That’s right, the Atlantic Division’s best Marty Killer whose name doesn’t rhyme with Bligel Blawes is healthy again. Crap. On the bright side, though, we are informed that Marty has 40 career wins against the Flyers, which is the most wins against any one team by any one goalie since the days of Gump Worsley. You know what we love? When FSN drops a new “You have no idea how awesome Marty is, do you?” stat on us.
Dano tells us a key to the game this evening is for the Devils to come out with energy and intensity to match the Flyers. We spend a moment trying to remember when was the last time we saw the Devils play with energy and intensity. (Jan. 10 against Carolina, we decide.)
FIRST PERIOD
18:57 So far no biting. This is disappointing.
18:02 A nifty bit of cycling by Patty, Zubrus and Clarkson comes thisclose to scoring, but Patty’s shot beats Niittymaki only to hit the pipe.
17:12 In a stoppage after a Flyers icing, our Geico Quotebook is rolled out and is a quote from Daniel Briere. Schnookie: “What the hell is this? A Rangers game? Why are we getting a quote from the opposing team?”
17:07 Oh. That wasn’t a stoppage from an icing at all. It was the Devils touching on a delayed penalty, which Doc surmises was for too many men, but we don’t have time for an announcement of the penalty before the Flyers score off the faceoff. 1-0 Flyers, and we’re unsure what to think. Thus far tonight Doc and Chico have been talking like it is beyond the capacity of all of human thought to conceive of the Flyers doing something as outlandish as beating the Devils.
15:47 Pookie observes Paulie do something totally mundane, and she chirps, “Well that was sexy by Paulie!” Pause. “No, wait, I didn’t mean to say sexy. Really.”
15:12 With the Flyers pressuring hard in the Devils zone, Carter stupidly hauls Patty down off the puck, and the fury of the New Jersey power play is unleashed. Or something.
13:50 WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There’s all kinds of hard hitting from the Flyers, but the Devils are unperturbed, setting up the PP and getting a goal on a point shot from Oduya, of all people. It’s a 1-1 game, and Chico starts to stammer about how he doesn’t think it was a bad goal for Niittymaki to give up. Pookie: “It was on a shot from Oduya. How good a goal can it be?”
12:15 Marty must be feeling like there’s no need to play like an All-Star since he’s begged off starting in the All-Star Game, since he opts not to make a stop on Knuble’s shot from way above the faceoff circle. 2-1 Flyers. Even Chico doesn’t try to sugarcoat it, but he hilariously does suggest Marty wasn’t ready for the shot on account of how no one ever shoots from there “because not many people can score from there.” Please, Chico.
10:47 Flyers fans get a rare chance to chant a derisive “Marty! Marty!” We can’t blame them. In fact, we’re joining them.
8:58 Paulie does some kind of stupid lunging, backhanded shovelpass from behind Marty’s net. Pookie: “That was less sexy by Paulie.”
8:53 We get a closeup look at Zach during a stoppage and he looks unusually freshly shorn and shaved. Schnookie: “Well, someone’s getting ready for his All-Star portraits.”
7:29 Upshall races Mottau to a puck in the corner to Marty’s right and decides to hold Mottau up with an arm around his neck. He gets called for it, and Pookie, remembering his crosscheck to Sarge’s throat earlier this season, exclaims, “Upshall hates these Devils!”
6:08 Pookie: “I am having an impossible time focusing on this game because all I can think about is wondering how they’re going to fit Zach on the All-Star team. Is he going to be like the backup goalie in a game where the bench is too short? Like, he’s going to have to sit on a folding chair in the tunnel, and just be a name on the roster?”
5:41 WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fuck that shit! Paulie is ultra sexy, holding a penalty killer off the puck with his caboose, then doing a little back-and-forth with Oduya before cranking a huge shot from the high point. The puck bounces around a little in front, and then Langer coolly punches it home. 2-2 game, and Chico says that this game has been exciting thanks to there being four goals already, “none of them stoppable!” Pause. Then he adds, before we can shout at our TV about the Knuble goal, “Well…”
5:23 Rupp and Cote fight. We don’t care.
4:30 After reading Marty’s quotes on Gulitti’s blog about why he’s not going to the All-Star Game, Pookie remarks that he sounds decidedly like she does when she’s trying to get out of working on a Saturday when the Devils have a matinee. “I have a very important family issue! No, no worries – everyone’s fine. It’s no big deal. I mean, but it is a totally big deal. I can’t not go! But it’s nothing major…”
4:07 A flurry of chances in front for the Flyers are actually bested by Marty. Chico sounds as surprised as we are.
3:23 Clarkson and Downie fight. Clarkson ends up bloodied, and Doc and Chico spend some time trying to determine whether Downie clawed at Clarkson’s face (he was grabbing at Clarkson’s ear strap in a way that looked very eye-gouge-y, but probably wasn’t), but it’s pretty clear he just landed a pretty solid punch.
2:48 Briere gets called for interference immediately after he wins an offensive-zone draw. Because he’s a really good player.
2:16 WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What in the hell? Who is this team? What did they do to our Devils? Zubrus is left completely alone by Richards in the high slot, and he rips an eminently stoppable shot low by Niittymaki’s feet that kisses in off the pipe. 3-2 Devils, and Pookie’s eye starts tearing up, prompting her to float the notion that she’s allergic to the Devils playing well.
1:50 While Chico is blathering on about Zubrus starting his career in Philly, Vishdog gets called for crosschecking.
1:07 Rachunek elbows Gagne in the nameplate, and Gagne spins headfirst into the boards. We agree with Chico that, when watching the replay in super-slow motion, it’s as borderline as borderline gets; we don’t disagree with the officials making an elbowing call, but we’d not complain if that hit went unpenalized if it went against the Devils. The Flyers, of course, are unhappy with the hit, and a scrum ensues. Rachunek and some Flyer also pick up roughing penalties.
0:00 The Devils manage to not get scored on in the final moments of the period while down two men, and we go to intermission after a crazy 20 minutes of hockey. To cap off the insanity, we get an interview with Oduya. It is, we think, the first time we’ve ever heard him speak. The rumors that he’s Swedish seem to be true.
FIRST INTERMISSION
Whatever, FSN. Whatever. We don’t care what Stan has to say about “Karl Richuck”.
SECOND PERIOD
18:57 The Devils touch on an icing, having weathered the penalties from the end of the first. Doc and Chico wonder if killing the 5-on-3 will stand as the big turning point of this game.
18:36 Hm. As exciting as the first period was, it seems this period is kicking off to be a series of exchanges of icings. Boomer settles down from cleaning up dinner to wail, “It’s only the second period? I thought we were going into the third for some reason.”
18:04 Zubrus sits on a puck behind Niitymaki’s net and the faceoff moves out to center ice. While we wait for the teams to mosey outside the blue line, we get a long look at Clarkson, all patched up on the bench. And holy crap, David Clarkson. We would like to state for the record, just so FSN knows, that we really appreciate these kinds of looks at Clarkson on the bench. Schnookie: “I think he was just undressing me with his eyes.” Pookie: “We aren’t going to have to turn on the heat for at least a week!” Boomer: “He is Newman-esque. And that’s the highest compliment I can give him.”
17:14 Tonight is full of surprises. Dowd draws a tripping penalty on Rupp when he skates headfirst into the boards, and we’re stunned to discover Dowd is still with the Flyers. We thought he’d been waived or something.
15:14 The Devils weather another penalty kill, this time without seeming to have to do any work.
14:01 The Devils manage to get the puck into the Flyers zone for the first time in recent memory, but they don’t do anything rash like get a shot or a scoring chance or anything.
12:51 Paule wheels smoothly up the ice after retrieving the puck just inside his blue line, darting around forecheckers, and then dishing to Clarkson on his way into the offensive zone. Schnookie: “That was sexy by Paulie! Especially considering he was passing to Clarkson.”
11:51 AAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! We get to revisit the Biting Incident when we come back from commercial. Seriously, we hope there will never be a day we don’t find that uproariously funny.
10:50 A slow two-on-one by the Devils turns into a rebound that should have been controlled by the D, but which Travis gets to instead. Just then, Zach barrels in from nowhere, trailing the play, and he strips Travis of the puck while Upshall slashes at Travis’ stick. Upshall really does hate these Devils, doesn’t he? He gets called for the infraction, and it’s power play time again.
9:59 WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What in the hell is going on here? The Devils score their fourth power play goal of the night when the Flyers decide to change while Oduya goes all Niedermayer on their asses, just skating and skating and skating up the rink with the puck as no one bothers to check him, and then he backhands a gorgeous pass through the crease that Patty tips past Niittymaki. 4-2 Devils, and we have the vapors. (Chico says that Marty would have stopped that pass. Not that Niittymaki sucks or anything.)
9:01 Dowd gets karmic retribution for drawing that tripping penalty on Rupp earlier, and gets nailed for slashing. Which seems like a great plan, considering how crappy the Devils have been with the man advantage tonight.
7:01 Oh, sure. Now the power play completely blows. Great.
5:52 Noticing how cold the Devils’ man advantage has gotten lately, Smith decides the best course of action when facing a hard-driving shift by the Madden line is to toss the puck over the glass. The fans are predictably delighted by this turn of events. Chico marvels at how panicky and disorderly the Flyers look right now, and then says, as if the outcome is a foregone conclusion at this point, that it’s sad for the Flyers considering how they’ve pinned all their hopes and dreams on winning this game big. Or something like that.
5:19 WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The unthinkable happens. No, not just a fifth power play goal, but a goal by Zach. The penalty killers stand around with their heads up their asses, letting Travis hammer away at a loose puck in the crease while Niittymaki hunches on the goal line, and then Zach does his patented swooping in from out of nowhere to punch the puck past Niittymaki while Travis leaps out of the way. 5-2 Devils, and we are sad to see Niittymaki’s night is over. (FSN treats us to some hilarious footage of Zach on the bench afterwards, looking completely fake as one of the trainers taps him on the shoulder, and then Zach turns, all, “What’s that? Me? Oh yes, that’s right – I did score a goal, didn’t I?”)
5:00 Chico declares the Flyers are having a “team concussion” in that they are unable to think well at all in this game, as they take another penalty. Replay shows Gagne is getting called for something after taking a weak, two-handed swipe at Rachunek while Rachunek is carrying the puck in front of the Flyers bench. It is an egregiously bad call, so much so that Pookie says, “Well. I’d almost say that’s unfair to the Flyers.”
3:00 We are devastated that the Devils don’t manage their sixth PP goal. There is a bit of a scrum after Biron shuts down a little flurry in front, and we imagine Zach is running around trying to get any or all of the Flyers to bite his fingers so he can get his scoring touch back.
1:55 Briere tries to bull up the middle on a rush, and Vishdog gets called for smacking at Briere’s face while holding him off the puck. We’re happy to see the officials call everything that looks even remotely penalty-esque, because this game seems to be teetering right on the edge of being a potential powderkeg.
0:08 Perhaps because he thinks we’re stupid, Chico informs us it is “significant” when Carter screens Marty on a Jones shot from the faceoff dots to make it 5-3 going into intermission. Thanks, Chico. We would never have suspected that if you hadn’t said so.
0:00 It is fair to say we’ve now seen 40 minutes of highly entertaining hockey. Keep it up, teams! We get an interview with Patty, and when asked why the PP is doing so well tonight, he says, “I think the difference is… well… Look at Johnny Oduya!” Flyers fans everywhere should hate their team so much right now, if the difference is Johnny Oduya. (We kid because we love. In all honesty, Oduya is playing out of his mind so far in this one. We can only assume his mistakes in the third period will make up for all of this while completely blowing our minds with their sheer awesomeness.)
SECOND INTERMISSION
We spend our intermission being distracted by how badly we all want peanut M&Ms (which, of course, we don’t have) to pay attention to what Dano and Steve are talking about.
THIRD PERIOD
19:25 WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Travis does his Oduya impersonation, smoothly skating up the neutral zone, then dumping in beautifully. He, Zach, and Langer then set up a brutally efficient bit of cycling forecheck that turns into gorgeous against-the-grain feed from Travis to find Zach for a simple tap-in. 6-3 Devils, and it is silent as a tomb at the erstwhile FU Center.
19:14 Madden finds himself streaking down the slot, totally unchecked, and is fed the puck perfectly. The crowd begins the groan of an arenaful of fans that has been scored on twice in rapid succession, but Madden actually shoots high. This, Gentle Reader, is a beaten group of fans.
18:31 WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Patty wheels backwards down into the corner, while Smith tries to tie him up to defend a rebound of a Clarkson shot. He digs the puck out of his feet and whips it at the net; Biron is nowhere near to being in position, and the puck easily finds its way into the goal. 7-3 Devils, and it seems like it has to have been at least 10 years since we last saw the Devils score this many goals in one game.
16:20 Travis whips a quick shot that Biron manages to just get a glove on, but he looks around uncertainly at first before it becomes clear a goal wasn’t scored. We are crushed. As play wheels down the other way, Doc inexplicably starts calling as if it’s 1995, rattling off the names Lindros, Leclair, and Driver.
14:43 Clarkson carries the puck down the wing on a long two-on-one with Patty. He deploys one of his sick toe drags around the defender and then unleashes a laser of a shot that Biron manages to stop. There is sarcastic applause, but that was a pretty nice save.
13:10 Zubrus is the answer to the trivia question this evening (because he was originally drafted by the Flyers), and Chico tells us all about how Zubie’s parents live in Jersey, and how his brother and sister both went to Temple. Pookie: “That is so cool. There’s someone who signed with the Devils because he likes living in New Jersey.”
12:23 We come back from a commercial to enjoy a long pan down the Devils bench while the building crew addresses a broken pane of glass. Pookie: “I love it when they show the bench like that and each guy looks dumber than the last.”
11:00 Doc starts to discuss how this game is over, but backs off, cracking that Stan would probably have a dumb name for how easy it is to blow a four-goal lead. Pookie: “Yeah, it’s probably something like ‘Turnip Humdinger I’macrotchetyoldman’.”
9:07 The play meanders back and forth up the ice, and Chico cracks that the only people angrier tonight than the Flyers fans are the two goalies, and wonders if the Devils have had over 20 scoring chances yet.
8:26 Rachunek gets drilled behind Marty’s net by some Flyer or another, and as nothing is called on it, tempers flare. The Flyers come out of the ensuing scrum up a man after Clarkson gets called for lobbing an elbow into Downie’s jaw while Downie tries to pull at his earflaps some more.
6:52 Madden gets some cooly-cool style points for calmly bending over in stride and swiping the puck out of the zone with his hand to pretty much finish off the penalty kill.
5:29 Another scrum breaks out behind Marty’s net after Marty freezes the puck. Pookie: “The Devils are so clearly starting this stuff so they can all get bitten by Hatcher.” We go to commercial as Asham and Whitey are dropping their gloves and tag-teaming some non-Hatcher Flyer.
We come back from commercial to watch the Clarkson/Downie fight again while Doc and Chico try to find some dastardly origin of the cut on Clarkson’s face. There is nothing obvious on the film. Aside from the big punch Downie landed on Clarkson’s eye, of course.
Oh, and the Devils are on the PP again.
4:17 No one can accuse Sutter of trying to run up the score – Vishdog and Rachunek are on the points on this PP. The play-by-play call is now focusing on how empty the FU Center has become.
2:40 Langer is trying his darnedest not to do much of anything offensively competent, but even as he lollygags up the ice, he still beats all five Flyers to his own lazy dump-in.
1:12 Chico gleefully points out that Marty just tapped Dowd on the shinpads as he skated by Marty’s crease. He claims it demonstrates how friendly Marty is, but we’re hoping he said something assy and gloating. Pookie suggests he said, “You played a great game” a la his “You had a great season” exchange with Paul Kariya after G7 of the 2003 SCF.
0:00 As the buzzer sounds, Doc sits back to let us listen to the few fans left in the building booing. This was not at all what we expected this evening, so we can say with all sorts of enthusiasm and sincerity that we were very pleasantly surprised. Big wins are always fun, and big wins against division rivals are even more fun, but the most fun of all are big wins against division rivals in which every single player on the Devils has a great game, so much so that Marty doesn’t have to play especially well.
I love you all, but I’m rooting for the Rangers and Islanders tonight and you can’t stop me.
We can’t stop you, but we can pity you. If you don’t like watching bad hockey, I suggest you invest in blindfolds.
:)
For some reason center ice is giving me the Devils feed so I want a good game out of them, maybe a power play goal for the Devils? Or is that just impossible?
Just great, to stop our Byron killing ways, the Flyers started Nittymaki.
Oh, I’m not WATCHING the damn things – I just choose to root for them…ish. If I had my way the ice would open up in both games and swallow all four teams. A girl can dream, right? ;)
Rest assured I’ll be watching my Habs beat up the Bruins on stupid Versus as soon as humanly possible!
L I B, dat was a PP goal. By David (Johnny) Oduya no less.
Hmm I think Boxworthy may have done his job…according to Tom Gulitti
“I have to correct myself from earlier. Devils GM Lou Lamoriello said the team will have another player named to the Eastern Conference all-star squad by the end of tonight. He would not reveal who that player was, though. The most likely candidate is Zach Parise.”
Oh, and WOOOOOOO!!!
Ooh, the Devils feed! Awesome, KG! I remember it being such a treat to get an unexpected road game with the Devils feed!
Frisby, I was thinking about the Biron-Nittymakki thing, too. Sucks.
CC, oh, as glad as you’re not watching those games…
Can you possibly try and make more of the Flyers injure themselves for Thursday? ;)
Hmm I think Boxworthy may have done his job
Woo-hoo! We all know, Boxworthy is the best in the business. Zach only hires the best!
And I imagine Boxworthy must be adorable.
But so adorable that Zach feels threatened by the Help’s good looks, of course.
Exactly and that must be why Zach refuses to score these days, he’s trying to figure out a way to become better looking than Boxworthy during the game.
I hope Zach slips Boxworthy a little something extra in his paycheck for this.
Zach’s giving Boxworthy an extra sugar cube for his afternoon tea. Nothing more. But Boxworthy’s professional enough he knows not to want more than that.
And yes, KG, Zach is clearly distracted by something and that’s as good an explanation as any for why he’d be off his game.
Great, my satellite just went out, perhaps to spare me suckitude of this PP.
Frisby, I’m sorry to tell you but your satellite robbed you of seeing the Devils score on the PP! No joke! Paulie ripped it from the point and then Langer punched it in. WOOOO!!!
Wow two power play goals in a row, maybe they really do practice it in their practices.
I wonder if Zach, during the fight between Rupp and Cote and while everyone is cheering for the fight, he’s sitting there staring at Travs giving him a death glare thinking “You’re stealing my skills”. And maybe perhaps wondering if he should add one more sugar cube for Boxworthy if he does get named to the All Star team.
Schnookie, where are you? I’m totally gregbunnying! Wyshynski linked me on Deadspin and totally didn’t call me a puckbunny!
…I love you, too, Greg. ;D
Are you serious? When I fired up CIonline all I saw was Rupp fighting Cote.
Kick his ass, Clarkson!
he’s sitting there staring at Travs giving him a death glare thinking “You’re stealing my skills”
:^:::::::::::::::::::::
Totally!
Caitlin, congrats! Link! Link!
Frisby, I’m totally serious. I never joke about the Devils. OK, I never joke about them scoring.
Who are these Devils? Three power play goals in three chances?!
WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! KG’s right — they do practice the PP!
http://deadspin.com/347423/malkins-bar-mitzvah-goes-to-shmutz
There’s the link for you IPBers. I saw the spike in hits and I was like, “Hmm, how many people really cared to read that craptastic Pens/Caps liveblog? Ohhhh, Greg. *checks Deadspin* EEEE, GREG!”
I even dropped him an e-mail to say thanks for the link, that’s how much of a dork I am. :D
I missed the third goal too. My stupid girlfriend and her groceries. She has the worst timing ever.
Eep are the Devils trying to scare us?
Way to go, Caitlin! A peace offering? Or just a decoy to distract us while he goes on another puckbunny rampage next week? Only time will tell! Seriously, though, congrats.
KG, the Devils are definitely trying to scare us. Those jerks. Fortunately, the wine I had tonight is mellowing me to a great deal. You’d think we’re playing the Blues tonight based on how I feel right now.
Come on Marty, don’t tap him on the legs, give him the dogman shot!
Way to go, Caitlin! A peace offering? Or just a decoy to distract us while he goes on another puckbunny rampage next week? Only time will tell! Seriously, though, congrats.
I’m not going to read too much into it. It’s just nice to have it up there. :D
I do intend to put Greg on Puckbunny Quarterly’s mailing list, however.
Frisby, :^:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
“I’m gonna shove Lord Stanely’s Cup up his candy ass!” CLASSIC!
Dude, I love that Sam L. Jackson clip! (Even if I hate Chelios)
FSN has the injured/scratched Panthers players as ‘ice-side analysts’ they have them sitting in random chairs by the class in the audience in suits with headsets. It’s sort of charming.
That’s so cool, Sherry! Are they saying anything insightful? Or funny?
Unfortunately not. The commentators asked Noah Welch how the view was down there and his very eloquent response was “Pretty good”. Thanks for your input.
Dang! I thought I took Langer off the bench but apparently not. Oh well. If Acorns can score in the next 2 periods that would be lovely. Go Devils! And hey! I can watch this now! Wooohooo!
The other problem is that they’re sitting right next to the crowd so while they were talking you can hear them screaming in the background (some chick was yelling about how it was a penalty time when…it wasn’t?)
Okay, that a 0-1 deficit is not insurmountable. Come on, boys! There are enough people hating hockey here already!
Is it just me, or does Clarkson look really pissed. Gosh, I hope he doesn’t do something stupid.
ClarksonNation rejoices as he seems to have focused that energy in a positive manner.
HOLY CRAP! What the phonk is going on with this team tonight?!?
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I saw that one!
I liked the tape ball story, but I think Rupp was aiming for poor Travis.
I think Rupp was aiming at Zach but we know how well he aims, so he hit Travis instead.
Pookie I think that is much more logical, I mean who could aim at Travis? He’s too amazing. And maybe Zach needs to be hit in the face with a tape ball to get some goals.
Pookie I think that is much more logical, I mean who could aim at Travis? He’s too amazing.
:^:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
I think Zach keeps wraps his fingers in tape balls and then tries to convince the guys the tape ball bit him a la Hatcher.
Holy shit go Zach! I can love him again.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOO!!! That tape ball has magic teeth, too!
Well Pookie maybe the did bite him a la Hatcher haha
Ack the tape did bite him** Sorry. I got too excited there.
Understandable! This game is nutso!
Yes and I love how Zach tries to act tough and go into the scrum in front of the net.
What is going on here? I have had the game on while puttering around the apartment, cooking and cleaning. I might be wrong, but it appears to me that the Devils are attempting to win this game. I…..don’t understand.
This game is insane! I’m kind of scared for the Devils right now. The Flyers have that swirly look in their eyes.
Hi guys. They figured out Biron is not good against Jersey? Well that’s unexpectedly insightful.
I know, Katebits! They are not sitting on a lead! Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?
Interesting fact: the Devils have a goal for every cookie I ate today. I’m out of cookies though. I wonder if it applies to cake too…
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?
I don’t know what that means, but yes, please. :P
I love how Zach tries to act tough and go into the scrum in front of the net.
Zach was practically shoving his fingers into as many Flyers’ mouths as possible.
Katebits, this game is insane. And as Schnookie just said, “a powderkeg”. That said, the 3rd will probably be the dullest perioed of hockey ever! Just kidding.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is my guess as to what it means.
I don’t know what that means, but yes, please. :P
I’d venture a guess that it’s like Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo.
Oooh. Yer a smartie, Pookie.
Uniform? Is that really the code word? Huh. I don’t know what I thought it would be… Anyone here remember the Simpson episode when Chief Wiggum is spelling Snake’s get-away car license plate out in code and it turns out he spells out “EX CON”?
Yer a smartie, Pookie.
That I am. That… I am. :)
You guys just got a shout-out on Versus! They said this Habs-Bruins game was a game of Interchangeable Parts…I didn’t know you liked the Habs ;)
Uniform? Is that really the code word?
Depends. For international air traffic, the word is uniform. In English it’d be Frederick Uncle Charles King.
Yes, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is army/police longhand for WTF. I stole it from Senior Bangs.
I would like to announce that I made so DELICIOUS rice and beans for dinner.
Carry on, IPB.
Maybe Zach should just put his fingers in Travis’s mouth since none of the Flyers want his fingers in their mouths.
Did I just hear that Oduya has four points so far tonight? Well that’s a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot if I ever saw one.
Dude. The Fancy Bits have 5 goals already. This must be some kind of franchise record.
Did I just hear that Oduya has four points so far tonight?
Are you serious? That’s… unusual.
WOOOOOOOOOOO!HAHHAHAHAHAHHAHHA!OOOOOOOOAHAHAO!
WOOO another one from Zach… :)
WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Go Zach, go Zach!
*does cabbage patch dance*
This game ROCKS.
For right now. Just right now, you hear me, Hockey Gods! I’m not putting –
HOLY CRAP!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!WEHOOOOOOOOOWOOOO!
Wow. It just… wow.
As Schnookie just said, “It is quiet in the FU Center tonight!”
So far, Hockey Gods, so far. Again, I know you’re listening!
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (silly radio delay)
Oh Em Gee!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
*voice goes hoarse*
What the hell’s going on over there???
I’m listening to Brian effing Hayward doing the analysis for the Stars game. I think somebody needs to remind him that these are Stars fans watching the game, not Ducks fan. He’s telling us a lot of stuff we already know.
What the hell’s going on over there???
What’s going on? It’s 7-3 Devils. 7. SEVEN. To 3. Heh.
Paty, I thought the color guy exchange sounded good in concept, but I hadn’t considered poor Stars fans getting stuck with Brian Hayward. I’m so sorry.
Whoah! Seven? And Zach’s getting some? He’s a Raccoon!! Woo hoo!
When was the last time the Devils had a seven goal game? :P
Hayward actually insinuated earlier that Morrow is a diver.
Okay, seriously? I just saw the score and I had to check my contacts to make sure they were in right. Since when do you score 7…goals??? In one game???
It’s 6-1 Montreal after 2. Caps and Pens went to a 6-5 shootout last night. Buffalo beat the Trash a few days ago 10-1.
But yeah, goal-scoring is down, NHL. Sure.
Okay, I’m really going to regret not changing my roster in time to put Zach in aren’t I? This is why I’m horrible at fantasy hockey, I always forget I’m in pools.
Are you serious, Patty? That’s ridiculous!
DS, good question. I have no idea. Probably surprisingly recently, actually. Every year they have a game or two that’s like, “WTF?”
I benched Briere in favor of Savard. Briere has a goal and a PPP and Savard is a fucking minus-5!
Sherry, Zach was just trying to prove you made a mistake leaving him on the bench. He’s got a big fantasy hockey chip on his shoulder tonight.
Versus guy: “The Devils say to the Flyers, we’ve got a good power play. The Flyers say, Oduya?”
…ouch. That one made my ears bleed.
I’m sorry Zach! Will you forgive me if I gave you the “C”? Um, a secret ‘C’ that you put underneath your jersey? Cause you know, I don’t want Alfie getting any ideas.
Versus guy: “The Devils say to the Flyers, we’ve got a good power play. The Flyers say, Oduya?”
That’s so bad *cringe*
Well, Pookie, he said that Morrow tried to draw a call on that play and the referees weren’t biting.
I took that to mean that he thinks Morrow is a diver.
Am I too sensitive?
Sherry, I have to say, that is kind of pathetic from Noah Welch. And he went to Hahvahd, too. :P
Downie can’t believe somebody just elbowed him! That hurts! Why would somebody do that! Jerk.
Godamnit. You know what the problem with CIonline is? Every once in a while you have to move the mouse or something so the screensaver doesn’t kick in.
Hayward actually insinuated earlier that Morrow is a diver.
He also just insinuated that Morrow’s goals aren’t real goals, because they’re all deflections.
What a jackass.
He also just insinuated that Morrow’s goals aren’t real goals, because they’re all deflections.
Is that what he was saying? I was only half listening. Idiot.
Fris:
Don’t you have an option on your computer where you can turn the screensaver off or set it to a very long delay? :P
Not that I ever remember to do it.
Sherry, I have to say, that is kind of pathetic from Noah Welch. And he went to Hahvahd, too. :P
I know! I was expecting some ivy league wittery from him!
Hayward actually insinuated earlier that Morrow is a diver.
He also just insinuated that Morrow’s goals aren’t real goals, because they’re all deflections.
Me no likey.
Nu, Sherry, so is Alfie still determined to buck the trend and go to the All-Star Game or has Boxworthy arranged for Lou to arrange to have Zach to step in? ^_^
Is that what he was saying? I was only half listening. Idiot.
He was saying that because Morrow parks himself in front of the net, it seems like a lot of them are deflections and that when he asked Morrow, Brenden said “Well, maybe 4 or 5 of them are”, and Hayward was all like, “Hurr! Ralph, that seems like a lot!!”
Nu, Sherry, so is Alfie still determined to buck the trend and go to the All-Star Game or has Boxworthy arranged for Lou to arrange to have Zach to step in?
Well, he’s back in tonight and by all accounts he should be good to go for the All-Star Game. But maybe I can negotiate a deal for Alfie to trade his All-Star Game spot for the ‘C’ I just gave to him, that way everybody’s happy!
Okay um…this game sucks.
Okay um…this game sucks.
Poor Sherry.
DS, yeah, I have those options but I didn’t think to set them either :P
What’s the score there, Sherry?
Poor Sherry.
Thanks Mags. But seriously, why are they doing this to me? Is it something I did? Something I said? I can change, I swear I can change!
What’s the score there, Sherry?
4-2 Panthers. Do not adjust your screens, I did indeed type ‘Panthers’.
This blowout has the Flyers crowd at their most despondent since…since…that 8-2 Game 6 blowout loss to Buffalo back in ‘06.
On a scale of 1 to 10, this game gets a 6.23 x 10^23.
On a scale of 1 to 10, this game gets a 6.23 x 10^23.
:^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
That 8-2 loss was one of my all-time favorite non-Devils games ever.
7 – 3? Wow!
I miss Kate already…
Gord just passive aggressively called out Ray Emery by talking about how Vokoun was so upset with himself after a loss to Washington that they could not get him off the ice (he said it thrice for emphasis) they could NOT get him OFF THE ICE.
The set-up for that game is what made that loss so hilarious to watch. It’s on Versus, it’s a Game 6 that the Flyers MUST win to force a game 7 against the Sabres, the Wachovia Center is completely filled – over capacity, I bet – and decked out in ORANGE. The crowd is fired up as it could get, the teams come out, and…and…
…and the Flyers just SUCK for 60 minutes straight. The entire crowd was either too angry for words or absolutely gobsmacked.
Sherry, it’s the Florida curse. The better the team is, the harder they fall.
(Gee, is Vokoun playing or did they start Anderson against you? :P)
7 – 3? Wow!
I know!!
I miss Kate already…
Awwww… I’m sorry! I have visions of you and Melissa sitting on Kate’s doorstep every Monday acting our “Firefly” and “The Wire”. Seriously, she’ll be back before we know it! We’ll have to find a way to get together sometime; just because Kate’s not around doesn’t mean we can’t share a dinner sometime, right?
Wooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Now why do I do I get the feeling that it’s going to take five games for us to get the next seven goals?
Now why do I do I get the feeling that it’s going to take five games for us to get the next seven goals?
Because it’s the Devils.
Would anybody like a hockey team? Because asides from the top line, Fisher, Phillips and Volchenkov I’m ready to put the rest of my team up for sale.
(Gee, is Vokoun playing or did they start Anderson against you? :P)
You know, at this point I don’t think it would have made a difference.
…and the Flyers just SUCK for 60 minutes straight.
John, that was beautiful. Simply beautiful. You’re giving me chills!
Sherry, we’ll take Spezza for Janssen. Deal?
I said the top line was off limits :P
OH GOODNESS THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING.
WOOOOOOOOO! What a phenomenal game. Fights, power play, goals: just what we needed. Oduya was beasting it and he has been lately. Parise finally scored but Acorns didn’t.
They hurt David. :[
I’m serious about the Florida curse. They could put a beer-league goalie in and it wouldn’t make a difference.
Would anybody like a hockey team? Because asides from the top line, Fisher, Phillips and Volchenkov I’m ready to put the rest of my team up for sale.
Y’know, Tronna might be willing to do some talking with you there….;)
Y’know, Tronna might be willing to do some talking with you there….;)
Y’know, I’m crazy enough to do it right now.
Why must they compound my already craptacular week? They really do want me to follow through with my seppuku with jelly beans promise, don’t they?
WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THAT WAS AWESOME! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, so catching up, I have to say congrats to Caitlin on not being a puckbunny for a change — nicely done!
Sherry, I’m so sorry your guys are tanking tonight. (And :^:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: for the story about how the Panthers couldn’t get Vokoun off the ice.)
Steve, I’m so sorry you miss Kate already. But you haven’t even been rid of her for 24 hours yet! :P
John F., thanks a million for revisiting that 8-2 Flyers playoff loss. I’m with Pookie — you’re description gave me chills! It’s great how many flameouts the Flyers have had in the playoffs over the years, and that one really stands out magnificently. Great times!
I miss Kate already…
I right here, Steve!
They really do want me to follow through with my seppuku with jelly beans promise, don’t they?
Oh my god! Not with jelly beans! That’s just torturous!
(Speaking of beans [and going way back in the thread], Katebits, beans and rice for dinner sounds scrumptious.)
HAHAHAHAHAHA some guy from the Leafs on the radio just said the GM of the Leafs is the best job in hockey. RIIIIIIIGHT.
Sherry, my boys have lost 4 in a row. Louie looks like an actual human, and they can’t score goals to save their lives. We can be miserable together.
Because asides from the top line, Fisher, Phillips and Volchenkov I’m ready to put the rest of my team up for sale.
Oduya just had a four point (At least) night, are you sure you wouldn’t want to give up Volchenkov for him?
(Speaking of beans [and going way back in the thread], Katebits, beans and rice for dinner sounds scrumptious.)
They were way good. I really outdid myself this time. The secret ingredient to delicious black beans, FYI, is a shot of balsamic vinegar.
Oh my god! Not with jelly beans! That’s just torturous!
With the way things are going, it’s the only way out!
And THANK YOU SO MUCH for scoring guys but that would have been helpful 40 FREAKING MINUTES AGO.
Louie looks like an actual human, and they can’t score goals to save their lives. We can be miserable together.
Sigh. Very well. I suppose I should be grateful considering what the Sabres fans are going through…but EGHADS.
Katebits, beans, and rice for dinner sounds scrupmtious.
But who’s going to carve the Goose? :P
But who’s going to carve the Goose? :P
:OOOO
The secret ingredient to delicious black beans, FYI, is a shot of balsamic vinegar.
I’ll bear that in mind!
*Happy sigh*
I love hockey tonight, guys. I think the Devils were saving this as our reward for surviving our New Orleans trip.
By the way, don’t actually ever Google “seppuku”
By the way, don’t actually ever Google “seppuku”
Do I want to know?
You’re welcome about the description.
And if you were hoping for Brodeur-ownage, don’t fret! The next opponent is Montreal!
Do I want to know?
I don’t know, how’s your gag reflex?
Because asides from the top line, Fisher, Phillips and Volchenkov I’m ready to put the rest of my team up for sale.
Well, gosh, Sherry, don’t put any limitations on us or anything. I can’t even think of anyone else on your team!
I can’t even think of anyone else on your team!
Redden… Vermette… Vermette’s hair… McAmmond…
I don’t know, how’s your gag reflex?
Please, dentistry student.
Well, gosh, Sherry, don’t put any limitations on us or anything. I can’t even think of anyone else on your team!
Heather, I just watched a fascinating NHL video during our second intermission on that “special player” Thomas Vanek and how he’s “really helping out the Sabres this year”. Have you seen this/
Have you seen this/
Sigh. Have you seen this? (Sorry, I can’t punctuate correctly.)
And if you were hoping for Brodeur-ownage, don’t fret! The next opponent is Montreal!
This is kind of like publicly gloating about the Rangers. I try not to every take the Marty/Montreal thing for granted, but… Well, you all know. :D
Can anyone please tell me what happened in the post-game? :)
Caitlin, is it the video of him playing bubble hockey with Mike Ryan? Can I just say – and this has nothing to do with how Vanek is currently playing – I think that’s the worst player profile ever? It’s so boring and they never even leave the arena!
KG, not much happened in the post game except an adorable interview with Zach. I’m sorry you couldn’t get it!
Katebits, I love beans and rice! I think the secret to any good beans and rice is balsamic, mochi and a dash of meat sauce.
Sherry, I’m so sorry about your team!
No one is cooler than Gump Worsley, I mean his name was Gump. Fucking sweet.
Dammit! So not fair :( I think I may have to go cry now.
dash of meat sauce
A dash of meat sauce? Why use a dash when you can use the whole damn cow?!
Kirsten, name wise I kind of like Punch Imlach :P
Speaking of inappropriate seppuku jokes, have you guys heard the Suicide Hotline bit by The Somethingorothers?
http://www.thesomethingorothers.com/downloads/thesomethingorothers_suicide_hotline.mp3
KG, it wasn’t that adorable. It just showed off how shapely his head is.
If we go by the commissioner, the ratings today should be going through the roof!
Haha Pookie thank you for that. It makes me feel much better about it missing.
Kirsten, name wise I kind of like Punch Imlach :P
I was reading the TSN.ca article about Fletcher taking over for JFJ and a commenter said, “What. Punch Imlach wasn’t available?”
Caitlin, is it the video of him playing bubble hockey with Mike Ryan?
Yes it is, and it was extremely boring.
Ohhhh, Vanek.
Hooray! Jason Jaffary is back up. He should have never been sent down.
HA! The hockey media is so stupid! There was this big article on TSN about Coach V calling out Louie for his play. All Coach V said in the soundbyte on the Canucks website was that our best players have to be our best players, and Louie is our best player. Oooooooh major harsh calling out dudes!
Punch Imlach is pretty good, too. I am also fond of several Gump Worsley quotes. Too back Backstrom and Harding aren’t quite that entertaining.
You guys will be disappointed. I heard Niedermayer made the All-Star game.
You guys will be disappointed. I heard Niedermayer made the All-Star game.
Well, he has played the greatest 17 games in the history of mankind. That deserves some kind of recognition. :P
Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE center ice online? I just started watching the Hawks/Sharks game. Pretty sure this is the best thing I ever bought.
Schnookie-clearly this must be so, or the NHL would not have allowed him to play. Because we all know that the NHL is always right.
Alix-my parents got my centre ice online. It’s proof that even though they yell at me for getting B’s sometimes, they don’t actually care, or they wouldn’t have gotten me something this distracting.
Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE center ice online?
Have I mentioned lately (as of 6:00 tonight) that I HATE iTunes? Has anyone here had a problem where it says the network connection has timed out and thus can’t access the store? If so, email me at interchangeablepartsblog [at] gmail [dot] com. This error is diminishing my joie de vivre which should be sky high after that Devils game tonight!
Just got home from the theater and the bar (can you really have one without the other? I think not!) where I actually had the good fortune to see the 2nd half of the game. I’m quite happy that Nitty got destroyed.
=)
WOOOOOOO!!!
Ok, going to bed now. G’night y’all good people!
I’ve had that problem, Pookie, but I wasn’t able to successfully fix it. It just eventually fixed itself.
Pookie, I get that error once in a while and if I try again a few minutes later it usually works. (So helpful, I know!)
alix, how’s the picture quality on CI Online?
I’m not getting the error, but I can’t go beyond the home page. What gives, Apple?
Anyhow, 5am, Stars just lost (it was sad) and I’m going to bed. Good night y’all!
Anyhow, 5am, Stars just lost (it was sad) and I’m going to bed. Good night y’all!
Night, Mags! Thanks for watching with us, although the Stars decided to utterly disappoint.
Stupid Zherdev.
I just had this total, “Why the fuck is Arnold Schwarzenegger on my tv?” moment. Then I realized I’m watching the Sharks feed so it’s not actually weird.
Thanks, Meg and Heather! I actually got it fixed but only after much angst.
Stupid Zherdev.
Stupid me for having him benched tonight. Sorry, ladies, if I’d been playing him he totally wouldn’t have any points.
I benched Drury and then the Rangers won. GDI.
I just had this total, “Why the fuck is Arnold Schwarzenegger on my tv?” moment. Then I realized I’m watching the Sharks feed so it’s not actually weird.
I thought exactly the same thing! And I watch the Sharks surprisingly often, so I should be used to seeing him in commercials, but it never fails to surprise me.
‘Night Matt and Mags!
I benched Drury and then the Rangers won.
So we can blame you for that? :P
NOOOO!! I have Zherdev benched, too! Meg, do we have identical rosters or something? We always seem to have the same guys injured of benched!
It sure seems like we do, Pookie.
Sadly yes, you can. I won’t do that again ever, I swear!
Stupid reviewing of goals. Why can’t they just let us have the goal like back in the day?
I have Zherdev benched, too! Meg, do we have identical rosters or something? We always seem to have the same guys injured of benched!
I can’t even remember if Zherdev scored. I just know he pissed me off all night.
Upon looking at the scoring sheet, Zherdev had three assists, Russell with two goals, Nash with a goal, and some other dudes I don’t care about.
NOOOO!! I have Zherdev benched, too!
Meg and Pookie, intellectually I know it has no bearing on the game. But emotionally I’m very disappointed in you.
Stupid reviewing of goals. Why can’t they just let us have the goal like back in the day?
Because sometimes teams lose Stanley Cups when goals aren’t reviewed ;-)
Because sometimes teams lose Stanley Cups when goals aren’t reviewed ;-)
Zing!
But emotionally I’m very disappointed in you.
I’m very sorry, Patty. I totally should have benched Havlat instead.
Because sometimes teams lose Stanley Cups when goals aren’t reviewed ;-)
Heh. (And sometimes HOF officials lose their shot at officiating the SCF for not reviewing goals. Fraser. DON’T THINK PANDONATION ISN’T STILL ANGRY ABOUT THIS!)
I’m very sorry, Patty. I totally should have benched Havlat instead.
You’re forgiven, Meg! Turns out I’m disappointed in the Stars. Not you and Pookie.
The picture’s pretty clear, Heather. Sometimes it can get a little jerky depending on the feed.
It’s ok, Stars fans! You’re still looking better than the Nuckies. But yes, sorry you lost. Stupid Bluejackets (minus Nash, I kind of dig that guy)
Heather B-Touche.
I’m a big Rick Nash fan. I couldn’t really say why, I just am.
When he’s not playing the Stars, I am, too.
Except his roster photo looks like he’s wearing a beard of bees.
Little late, but WOOOOO!!!
I think Oduya grabbed all those tape balls and stuck them to his gloves. What have you done with the real Johnny Oduya and can you keep him?
I think Oduya grabbed all those tape balls and stuck them to his gloves.
I think you’re onto something with that theory, Genna!
Because sometimes teams lose Stanley Cups when goals aren’t reviewed ;-)
I sat bolt upright from a solid sleep with the feeling somebody was bitching about the Stars. How Right I was!
Ok, 2nd attempt at sleep.
Good night, Matt!
I think after the excitement of discovering I can make “Handguns and Firearms” by Japancakes my ring tone for my phone (I receive incoming calls… let’s see… twice a year, tops) I might turn in myself. Good night everyone!
The Devils beating the Flyers is very comforting to me.
Not enough to negate that Stars game…but still, comforting!
I’m also going to bed. Goodnight all.
Night Meg and Pookie!
Pookie-I’m sure my parents would much rather pay your phone bill than mine, damn!
Morning, IPB.
Versus and the NHL just extended their TV contract. I hate hockey right now.
Well, on the bright side, Caitlin, that means hockey is on TV. Remember not too long ago there was genuine concern it wouldn’t be carried nationally at all! That said… it still sucks! :)
Versus and the NHL just extended their TV contract.
There’s two things I would love to see come of this:
1). More rotation of teams. There’s only so many times I can see the Flyers, Sidguins, and Rangers play before I want to hurt myself.
2) Adding a late night west coast game to the rotation. Still keep the 7pm game, but make Monday / Tuesday night Hockey Night in America or something. Versus can’t have that much demand for ultimate fighting at 10pm on weeknights, can they?
Remember not too long ago there was genuine concern it wouldn’t be carried nationally at all!
This is true! I just had my morning look at Fanhouse and I’m glad to see I wasn’t totally smoking crack, thinking that the NHL & ESPN actually had been talking about televising hockey again.
However, this idea of a “3 Networks, 1 Cup” thing makes me nervous.
Amy, I like your ideas. I wish we had Hockey Night In America, but I fear that if we did, Don Cherry would bring the cavalry across the border to kill us all.
Versus can’t have that much demand for ultimate fighting at 10pm on weeknights, can they?
Never underestimate the lowest common denominator! …Okay, that was mean, but still. Versus has been in such a state of flux since the OLN changeover that it’s not even funny. It used to be exclusively hunting shows, with some “nature” shows thrown in, and now it’s this mishmash of hockey, ultimate fighting and guns. WTF.
I kept the TV on the other night after the Pens/Caps game, I think, and the weirdness of watching Jordan Staal’s All-Star commercial and the “Is This The Year” commercials on breaks from Tap Out was just a combination of funny and sad…all in one.
However, this idea of a “3 Networks, 1 Cup” thing makes me nervous.
I agree with that, although to be fair, it’s not like the current TV situation is working either. :D
I agree with that, although to be fair, it’s not like the current TV situation is working either.
Well…no. Hey, at least Johnny Oduya’s first star of the night on NHL.com! :D
Versus and the NHL just extended their TV contract. I hate hockey right now.
I think I’m the only one who loves that hockey is on Versus instead of ESPN. Of course, I’m also one of the very few people who gets Versus but not ESPN. And I’m not about to more than double my monthly cable bill for one channel so it makes me happy.
Hey, at least Johnny Oduya’s first star of the night on NHL.com!
The end is nigh! :P
However, this idea of a “3 Networks, 1 Cup” thing makes me nervous.
I’m a little ashamed I know this reference. Although I haven’t actually seen the video thankfully.
Here’s a fun quote from the Ottawa Sun from yesterday
Every bar should have the closed captioning on when you’re watching a game. It’s entertaining. Like this moment when the camera during the Pittsburgh-Washington game panned to a box with Sidney Crosby sitting beside the Penguins’ owner, “Mario 11 emu,” according to the captioning.
I think I’m the only one who loves that hockey is on Versus instead of ESPN.
I actually really like the thought of Versus and the NHL being these pathetic weaklings, trying to take on the hubris-addled, behemoth ESPN. Of course, taking a looooong-term view of the situation (where I hopefully imagine a time when ESPN ceases to have a stranglehold on American sports television) doesn’t really help the NHL when it’s floundering in the present day. But then, I also get Versus, so it’s no bother to me. I’m very happy to get to avoid ESPN as much as humanly possible.
I think I’m the only one who loves that hockey is on Versus instead of ESPN. Of course, I’m also one of the very few people who gets Versus but not ESPN.
Woah. One of the main reasons I dislike Versus is the commentators and analysts they hire. It might not be better on ESPN; that might be just as bad or worse.
I don’t know. Maybe Brian Hayward is still scrambling my brain from that badly played Stars/Blue Jackets game last night….
Mario 11 emu
So Mario’s been using emus to keep Sid detained at Chez Lemieux all this time. Very sneaky.
I’m very happy to get to avoid ESPN as much as humanly possible.
I just don’t like how ESPN beats everything they carry into the ground. Each sporting event has what seems like an hours long pregame show and an hours long postgame show. How much analyzing and rehashing can they possibly do?
One of the main reasons I dislike Versus is the commentators and analysts they hire.
I don’t mind the people they hire, since most of them do well in non-Versus environments. I mind the production decisions that force those people to take a specific approach to the game that does it no justice whatsoever. I hate that the studio guys are required to yell. I don’t want to hear fake arguments and forced rants. I want analysis. I hate that Doc is forced to talk about anecdotes and not action. I want the best play-by-play possible.
I’m a little ashamed I know this reference. Although I haven’t actually seen the video thankfully.
Well, me neither, Sherry. (It’s coined by Wyshynski, I believe….so take it for what you will.)
I’m very happy to get to avoid ESPN as much as humanly possible.
I think the All-Star festivities this weekend will finally help me decide whether or not I hate Versus or I’m okay with it.
I just don’t think I want to be subjected to three more years of their broadcasting team.
I’m just spoiled. I grew up on Terry Bradshaw & Howie Long, and even though I’m very “meh” on football, those guys can still get me to tune in.
Woah. One of the main reasons I dislike Versus is the commentators and analysts they hire. It might not be better on ESPN; that might be just as bad or worse.
Oh, I don’t actually like the Versus broadcast teams (although I wouldn’t expect ESPN to be better) I just like that I can, y’know, see the games. I’m easy that way.
Have you guys read MYFO’s response to the whole Versus thing? It’s awesome:
http://meltyourfaceoff.net/2008/01/22/what-ever-happened-to-dating-out-of-your-league/#more-897
I don’t mind the people they hire, since most of them do well in non-Versus environments.
Unfortunately for me, most of them I don’t get to see out of the Versus cage, so that’s all I have to go on, which may be an extremely unfair assessment. (I really need to find a way to watch a NJ feed of a Devils game. Really.)
I don’t want to hear fake arguments and forced rants. I want analysis. I hate that Doc is forced to talk about anecdotes and not action. I want the best play-by-play possible.
Concurred, and I will say this: I start tuning them out at intermission because they spend 15 minutes every time I watch recapping other games in the league. One of the parts I like best about intermissions are the analysis I usually get from Razor & Ralph, (and I’m assuming the same for you, Pookie, so correct me if I’m wrong here – just not the Razor & Ralph part).
Half the time, I get the feeling all of them had to cram any info they could get into their heads 15 minutes before the broadcast started.
So Mario’s been using emus to keep Sid detained at Chez Lemieux all this time. Very sneaky.
Emus are Sid’s one weakness.
I just like that I can, y’know, see the games. I’m easy that way.
Oh, no, I get you, Meg. :D I think I was just discombobulated by the fact that you have Versus but not ESPN. Mine’s sort of the reverse. I have the “expanded basic” subscription where I live, and that means I get about 15 ESPN channels (no, seriously), Versus, the NFL Network, about 40 channels devoted to everything from Premiership Soccer to college basketball, but no NHL Network. (I think I have to pay extra for Versus, as well.)
Caitlin, I have a decidedly bizarre package of channels that isn’t even available anymore but my roommate and I refuse to change it because it’s cheaper than any digital cable currently available in New York.
Caitlin, I have a decidedly bizarre package of channels that isn’t even available anymore but my roommate and I refuse to change it because it’s cheaper than any digital cable currently available in New York.
I don’t blame you on that; just paying for TV is getting ridiculous. I always find it a little odd that when I get home from work I can usually catch an English premier league soccer game, an Argentinian soccer game, or a college women’s basketball game….
but not hockey.
I don’t blame you on that; just paying for TV is getting ridiculous.
I agree. If I want the NHL Network, that would be an additional $5 per month. It would get me the NHL Network, the Fox College Sports Channels, and some Extreme Sports Channel. And don’t even get me started on the HD tiers. I can get the normal cable channels in HD at no charge, but if I want HDNet or the other HD only channels, that’s an additional $5 per month.
These cable companies just nickel and dime you to death.
If I want the NHL Network, that would be an additional $5 per month.
I can’t even get the NHL Network here. I have called Time Warner several times to see if they carry it, only to get some variation of this every time:
TWC Rep: “What can I help you with?”
Me: “Do you guys carry the NHL Network? I need to see what it costs for me add the NHL Network to my package if you carry it.”
TWC Rep: [clicks away in the background] “Ma’am, you already have the NFL Network on your package.”
Me: “Uh, not the NFL Network. NHL Network. Hockey. You know…the National Hockey League?”
TWC Rep: “Hockey has a channel?”
Me: “Yes…do you carry that?”
TWC Rep: [typing] “Uh, I’m not showing it, but that doesn’t mean we don’t carry it.”
Me: “…Huh?”
Time Warner thinks I don’t have the NHL Network and I can’t channel surf to it, but if I use the remote to go there directly I do get the channel.
Ookies, did you hear your handsome Clarkson was named to the youngstars game? Zach is probably even more annoyed now.
Zach is beating Clarkson with a baseball bat as we speak. :P
Hee! That Zach is so cute with his homicidial tendencies.
Travis is probably also stepping in from time to time to spell Zach, because he’s pissed they changed the format of the Young Stars game. Zach got to win his plastic star as a second-year player in the Young Stars event, and now they switch over to rookies-only? No fair! Poor Travis gets passed over for everything. First, he doesn’t get drafted into the WHL. Then he get stuck going to an American university because he’s not good enough for the standard avenues of Canadian hockey development. Then he gets left off WJC team after WJC team. And now the Young Stars. Toe Drag specializes in playing the saddest music on Earth.
Or perhaps homicidal. Stupid typo.
That Zach is so cute with his homicidial tendencies.
I know, isn’t he? He makes being emotionally unbalanced so adorable!
Damn you, alix! Making me copy and paste typos! :P
Awwwwwwwwww, poor Acorns! He has gotten shafted a ton. But ummm…he was bitten by Derian Hatcher! Not many people can say that!
“I know, isn’t he? He makes being emotionally unbalanced so adorable!”
Hee. Totally.
“Damn you, alix! Making me copy and paste typos! :P”
I’m a brat what can I say :D
Yeah, Acorns was such a sad little late bloomer. But thanks to that magical scoring-touch-restoring bite by Hatcher and his swoonworthy looks, I think he’s doing okay now. (Other than having to deal with Zach as his BFF, of course.) However, if he’s still sort of lingeringly unhappy and is in need of someone’s tender loving, I will happily volunteer my services, of course.
Ok, I have an issue. I feel that I’m not truly a Full Devils Fan this year because I DON’T KNOW WHAT DAVID CLARKSON LOOKS LIKE. I’ve seen a grand total of two Devils games on TV this year, and he’s not a big name so he doesn’t get nice closeup press photos on this great Interweb of ours.
So basically I’m wondering if anyone actually has any photos of the guy besides his roster shot. Just so I could pick the dude out of a lineup.
“However, if he’s still sort of lingeringly unhappy and is in need of someone’s tender loving, I will happily volunteer my services, of course.”
I would be happy to as well.
It’s pretty quiet here today. Don’t make me actually do work, people! Schnookie’s the only one pulling her weight right now :p
Then he get stuck going to an American university because he’s not good enough for the standard avenues of Canadian hockey development.
Even Goose, who doesn’t quite have Travis’ skills, made it to the WHL. How sad is it that Travis couldn’t make a similar league.
I may need to borrow Zach and his homicidal tendencies (I even will provide my own baseball bat). While heating my lunch, I had a discussion with two co-workers who insisted that Soupy was worth the $5 million and needed to be re-signed or Miller was going to walk as well.
It’s pretty quiet here today. Don’t make me actually do work, people! Schnookie’s the only one pulling her weight right now :p
And I have work to do that I’ve been ignoring all morning! So… I’m about to get quiet again. (Mara, I’m not long on Clarkson pictures, either, although we did link to a few in a comment thread a few weeks ago, if that’s any help at all… I’d dig them up for you, but I can’t right now. Sorry!)
While heating my lunch, I had a discussion with two co-workers who insisted that Soupy was worth the $5 million and needed to be re-signed or Miller was going to walk as well.
How lovely.
Even Goose, who doesn’t quite have Travis’ skills, made it to the WHL. How sad is it that Travis couldn’t make a similar league.
I think one of Travis’ problems was that he was small. I love the thought of twerpy little 16-year-old Travis silently vowing to grow big enough that he’ll be able to prove everyone wrong. :P
Amy, I would need Zach’s baseball bat if I was stuck in that conversation with your coworkers, too. Ugh!
How lovely
I know. And these are normally reasonable and rational people, too.
Oh, Amy, did you see the BfloBlog post today in which Kevin called him an average defenseman and said he’s playing like he doesn’t care. I nearly exploded with glee.
Have fun working, Schnookie.
Ick, that sounds like a horrifying conversation, Amy. Sometimes I start to wonder if there’s something I’m missing about Soupy, but I can’t be! The rest of the world is just on crack.
did you see the BfloBlog post today in which Kevin called him an average defenseman and said he’s playing like he doesn’t care. I nearly exploded with glee.
I think Kevin is my new hero.
Okay, Mara, if you’re still around, because I’m totally lazy and unmotivated to ACTUALLY work, I just sifted through the comment threads and found the pictures of Clarkson I was thinking of. I’m also too lazy to re-link to them, but there’s a darling little gallery of Devils signing autographs, as photographed by Pam (I think it was Pam… If not, sorry to whomever it was), on the “IPB Suggests Some Crazy Good Trades” post on 11/7. Starting at comment 88. I hope that helps!
Okay, so I had to go to the dentist this morning, and can I tell you all how happy I am to be eating lunch right now? I’ve had that awful gritty feeling in my teeth all morning, and it’s been driving me batty. My life is so awful!
I’ve had that awful gritty feeling in my teeth all morning, and it’s been driving me batty.
I hate the grittiness. I usually end up going for coffee or something afterwards, just to get rid of the gritty.
Hooray for Kevin for saying what we’ve been saying for weeks (and some of us for months)! Amy, I admire your restraint not beating your coworkers us. I don’t think I’d have been able to hold back. It would be like the time I yelled at my coworker for calling Roger Federer arrogant. :)
I feel so sorry for Travis. He’s going to have to drown his Young Star sorrows in acorn beer.
I usually end up going for coffee or something afterwards, just to get rid of the gritty.
I thought my tea this morning would be enough (especially since I oversteeped it to the point of being almost undrinkable), but this was some really pervasive grit. I like my dentist a lot, but the last few times I’ve had a new hygienist who is a throwback to the “dentistry as cruel and unusual” era. When I walked out to my car after my “routine cleaning” I discovered there were blood smears on my cheeks. That’s how brutal this woman is.
I hate coming out of the dentist with stuff all over my face. The hygienist at my dentist is pretty good, but I’ve left offices before with various dried goop from whatever they were doing at the time. I think they do it on purpose and then giggle with each other and make up little scenarios where you’re humiliated many times before you notice.
Back to my Six Sigma training. See you kids in a few hours.
I hate coming out of the dentist with stuff all over my face.
I hate when I’ve had cavities filled and the tiny little particles fly up and land on my glasses.
My favorite part of Bfloblog’s post this morning is when Kevin says that Campbell is pouting. Ahhh, sweet music to my ears.
When I walked out to my car after my “routine cleaning” I discovered there were blood smears on my cheeks. That’s how brutal this woman is.
I have a hygenist like that!
When I was younger and had orthodontics, a tech working on one of my appliance slipped with a large pair of pliers and cut my bottom lip open from inside to out, and refused to let me get out of the chair while I sat there and bled all over myself.
I hate when I’ve had cavities filled and the tiny little particles fly up and land on my glasses.
Eww, I know. Or when they do the whole “rinse” thing and water goes all over your face and glasses!
I hate when I’ve had cavities filled and the tiny little particles fly up and land on my glasses.
That’s awful! I’m suddenly so glad I don’t have glasses! (I suspect the Dragon Lady this morning would have made blood splatter onto my glasses if I wore them.) (And seriously, this makes it sound like I have terrible teeth or something, that I’m, like, bleeding profusely from my gums or something, but I assure you, both my dentist and periodontist say I have VERY NICE gums. This woman is just the Torquemada of hygienists.)
Mags’ ears must be ringing with all of our dental horror stories.
And I’m off to a webinar. Yay. See you later this afternoon.
My favorite part of Bfloblog’s post this morning is when Kevin says that Campbell is pouting. Ahhh, sweet music to my ears.
I liked that too. I read that post and your Lindy post right in a row and was laughing at the fact that you and Kevin were both all, “Fire the players, not the coach. The players!”
Hi, IPB! I was watching “Sense and Sensibility” last night, and one of the characters (Robert Ferrars-he’s got reddish, curly hair and um, sounds like an idiot) makes me think of Soupy. Is that wrong?
I read that post and your Lindy post right in a row and was laughing at the fact that you and Kevin were both all, “Fire the players, not the coach. The players!”
Yeah, I got a kick out of that myself. We were definitely on the same wavelength this morning. (But seriously, who would keep this team?)
Thanks, Schnookie! Gonna check those out right now. (Sure beats working.)
Even Goose, who doesn’t quite have Travis’ skills, made it to the WHL. How sad is it that Travis couldn’t make a similar league.
Goose benefited from having a WHL team in his hometown. And the scouts for the Hawks are often involved with the youth program here (the head scout these days is the bantam AA coach, I think.) So when Paul came along in all his oversized glory, they’d been watching him for several years.
A lot of people thought Goose was a gimmick to bring in local fans because he was too slow for the WHL, but he busted his ass and became a solid Dub player. Then the same people said he’d never make it in the AHL because he was too slow and unskilled … you get the picture.
Interestingly, Paul’s brother BJ is actually probably the better natural talent, but didn’t have Paul’s size or the same drive. So he stayed in the low minors.
—-
OH HAI DAVID.
I am fully on board the Clarkaround Train, people. (Thanks for the pictures, Pam and Schnookie.
He’s got a great neck. I have such a thing for hockey necks, maybe because it’s the only little bit of skin (besides the face) that shows when they’re in their gear. I’m like a man back in the Edwardian era, waxing poetic over a sliver of exposed skin on a woman’s ankle or wrist.
Hi, IPB! I was watching “Sense and Sensibility” last night
I love that movie! I think my favorite is Hugh Laurie as the really annoying woman’s husband, with his dry asides contradicting his idiot wife.
Teehee, I just went back to that Nov. 7 thread to take a gander. :D
Oh, dental stories. Um once, when I needed to get my teeth pulled, I fell asleep before my gums were numb and didn’t feel a thing. (I had just pulled an all-nighter.) Oh, and I hate all that stuff that gets on my glasses, too.
I think my favorite is Hugh Laurie as the really annoying woman’s husband, with his dry asides contradicting his idiot wife.
Ah, yes! Mara, I thought of you fondly the other night, because I sat down to watch Hunt for Red October for the 1,000th time!
I’m like a man back in the Edwardian era, waxing poetic over a sliver of exposed skin on a woman’s ankle or wrist.
I am so right there with you, that it is not even funny. I probably need to go check out these Clarkson pictures…
I think my favorite is Hugh Laurie as the really annoying woman’s husband, with his dry asides contradicting his idiot wife.
Hee! I love the part where he’s holding his son and making a face.
Hey, Ookies, aren’t you glad you glad now you didn’t trade “Johnny’ll do ya?” :P
So glad that I had to say it twice? >_<
Hee! I love the part where he’s holding his son and making a face.
And his wife is blathering something about how he has such a way with the children, while he’s holding the baby out at arm’s length. Fabulous.
I should watching Red October. And The Cutting Edge. Haven’t seen either in a few months, so I’m due.
Right now I’m watching The Tudors because season 1 was $30 at Target. Soap opera + palace intrigue + fabulous costumes + butchered history + beautiful people having sex. Fabulous!
I love that movie! I think my favorite is Hugh Laurie as the really annoying woman’s husband, with his dry asides contradicting his idiot wife.
Hugh Laurie is so fantastic in that (and, y’know, everything). :D
I just used the word ‘fabulous’ three times in one comment. I should be beaten with a thesaurus for crimes against language.
Hee, DS! Yeah, he seemed to kind of figure out the whole “hockey” thing last night, didn’t he? (Of course, going back to our proposed trades in that post with the Clarkson pictures in the comments, I believe we were trading Oduya for Zetterberg types, so I probably wouldn’t regret pulling the trigger on any of those moves… :P)
There’s something hilarious in the thought that Bertie Wooster and House are the same person, isn’t there?
That and they really need to do an episode where House gets hit on the head or something and goes completely British.
Well, Zetterberg *did* pull out of the ASG, so I guess he -would- fit right in as a Devil…so who’s replacing Sutter? :P Zach???
I have a DVD set of Fry and Laurie, which was a sketch comedy show with Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. Along the lines of Monty Python, except just the two of them. It’s pretty good, although I can only watch so much sketch comedy before I burn out.
so who’s replacing Sutter? :P Zach???
:^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
I can see him now, showing up at the ASG and pretending he’s one of the coaches. He’ll do anything to be there. ANYTHING. Poor desperate Zach. Heh.
(I know you’re all wondering, so I’ll just mention here that after eating a sizable amount of chili for lunch, my teeth are still gritty, and I don’t have any change or small bills to get something out of the vending machine here. I think I’m going to have to just go home sick. I can’t function like this. :P)
have a DVD set of Fry and Laurie, which was a sketch comedy show with Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry.
I’ve seen a bunch of that on YouTube and it did look pretty good, although I wouldn’t be able to take a DVD set worth of it.
I should watching Red October. And The Cutting Edge. Haven’t seen either in a few months, so I’m due.
I’m planning on watching The Cutting Edge tonight, since I discovered it hiding in my car today!
There’s something hilarious in the thought that Bertie Wooster and House are the same person, isn’t there?
I love Jeeves & Wooster; the books & the series, as Fry & Laurie are one of those amazingly wonderful comic duos that I love.
I’ve seen a bunch of that on YouTube and it did look pretty good, although I wouldn’t be able to take a DVD set worth of it.
Yeah, I watched probably 3 hours of it one day while I was working on my computer and I haven’t watched any since. Overdose.
I’d love to get all the Jeeves & Wooster on DVD, though. Those are hilarious.
I’d love to get all the Jeeves & Wooster on DVD, though. Those are hilarious.
Well, I’d highly suggest this, then:
http://www.amazon.com/Jeeves-Wooster-Complete/dp/B00006AVRK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1201117440&sr=8-1
Brilliance! Have you ever read the books, mara? Hilarious. After I read them, it took me forever not to walk using Bertie Wooster’s slang. It’s been forever though, I should probably re-read them.
Caitlin, I love Wodehouse! During the lockout, Pookie and I read a bunch of them aloud to each other. I think much of the mythologies we build around all the players is colored by a Wodehousian sentiment. :D
I’d love to get all the Jeeves & Wooster on DVD, though. Those are hilarious.
Well, I’d highly suggest this, then:
My dad lives 2 miles away and is constantly buying DVDs, so I’m waiting for him to pick that one up. (But he just bought two seasons of Deadwood and a season of The Tudors, so I’ll probably have to wait a while.)
Brilliance! Have you ever read the books, mara? Hilarious. After I read them, it took me forever not to walk using Bertie Wooster’s slang. It’s been forever though, I should probably re-read them.
I’ve read a couple of them, but it’s been forever for me too. I wonder where I put them…
I think much of the mythologies we build around all the players is colored by a Wodehousian sentiment.
Boxworthy and the monocles certainly are!
Did you read them with an accent? Inquiring minds want to know. I’m not sure I could sustain an accurate English accent well enough to read whole books.
Did you read them with an accent? Inquiring minds want to know. I’m not sure I could sustain an accurate English accent well enough to read whole books.
I have too much respect for Pookie to subject her to any prolonged attempt on my part to read aloud with an accent. :D
I have too much respect for Pookie to subject her to any prolonged attempt on my part to read aloud with an accent. :D
I hear ya. A bad English accent will kill the humor pretty well.
I have an audiobook read by an American woman, and the book shifts back and forth between an American girl’s POV and a British girl’s POV, and the reader attempts the accent (not to mention lowers her voice comically when the dialogue is spoken by a man). It is not pretty.
Caitlin, I love Wodehouse! During the lockout, Pookie and I read a bunch of them aloud to each other. I think much of the mythologies we build around all the players is colored by a Wodehousian sentiment. :D
From the moment I started reading IPB, I had an internal bet going with myself that you ladies were big fans of Wodehouse, especially once I read anything regarding Parise. :D
Sadly, the five (…six? I can’t remember) Wodehouse books I owned were sadly destroyed in the Great Flood at my house, after our water heater exploded. A trip to the library is probably in order.
Yeah, no accents. None. I find myself thinking often of one of the stories that involved a precious scarab collection and one of the characters was trying to remember was a scarab is. “Let me think back to my days of Latin… Scarabi, scarbus, scarabeum… Of the beetle, for the beetle, to the beetle… Yes, yes! A scarab is a beetle!” And the classic one where the one character is singing a song that goes “Hullo, hullo, hullo, hullo, hullo, hullo, a-hunting we will go.” Later in the book he bounds into the room and “shouts ‘Hullo, hullo!’, adding four more out of habit.” HAHAHAHAHA!!! I love Wodehouse!
Hey, I’ve always wondered actually if the Jeeves and Wooster books need to be read in order.
HAHAHAHAHA!!! I love Wodehouse!
I do, too! What a wicked sense of humor the man had. My favorite are the meddling aunts. I think it’s “How Right You Are, Jeeves” where Bertie visits a friend who is talking to him about the right and wrong way for a valet to act, and Bertie begins to connect the dots that he is totally self-reliant on Jeeves, and that Jeeves to a large extent pushes him this way and that without Bertie ever realizing it.
The scene where Jeeves convinces him otherwise made me laugh really hard, I do remember that.
From the moment I started reading IPB, I had an internal bet going with myself that you ladies were big fans of Wodehouse, especially once I read anything regarding Parise.
Well, tied in with that is a fondness for Dorothy L. Sayers’ Lord Peter Whimsey books, as well as a fairly broad background in Regency-era romance novels. So the Zach/Boxworthy dynamic isn’t a direct parallel to the Wooster/Jeeves one. :D
Hey, I’ve always wondered actually if the Jeeves and Wooster books need to be read in order.
If I recall correctly, not really. I mean, some of them have references to the other books, but I don’t think I read any of them in order, and I was perfectly fine.
Hey, -Ookies, if you like Wodehouse so much, how do you feel about Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe mysteries? Have you ever read those (or did you see the short-lived T.V. series on A&E)?
Hey, I’ve always wondered actually if the Jeeves and Wooster books need to be read in order.
Oh my god, no! They’re all essentially the same, anyway. I could probably re-read the ones we read three years ago and not even know I’d already been through them once. I mean, yes there are recurring characters, and there are references to previous storylines, but there’s no reason to try to read them in order.
how do you feel about Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe mysteries?
I read some A ZILLION years ago (literally. I was in sixth grade), but haven’t since. I think we need to look into them this summer, since we like reading that kind of book aloud during the off-season.
Okay, good to know. I think I have a few floating around here that I bought at a remainders book store a couple of years ago. I’ll have to see if I can dig them up since I actually have time to read them right now.
Well, tied in with that is a fondness for Dorothy L. Sayers’ Lord Peter Whimsey books, as well as a fairly broad background in Regency-era romance novels. So the Zach/Boxworthy dynamic isn’t a direct parallel to the Wooster/Jeeves one. :D
I think it’s Zach’s manner of speaking that reminded me strongly of Wodehouse. That being said, I’ve never read Whimsey and I stay away from the Regency stuff, in general. My father, who stopped shy of his doctorate in English, loathes Regency literature and as such, I’ve never much developed a taste for it.
Now, Dickens…there would be some people out there who would be absolutely horrified at the amount of Dickens I was encouraged to read as a child/young adult.
I read some A ZILLION years ago (literally. I was in sixth grade), but haven’t since. I think we need to look into them this summer, since we like reading that kind of book aloud during the off-season.
Upon reflection, I think my characterization of Russian stems probably from Nero Wolfe. My dad got me into them when I was a kid, and I was very excited when they did the series for A&E, which I highly recommend for Netflixing, with or without reading the books.
Maury Chaykin is the perfect Nero Wolfe. I used to have about 20 some odd Nero Wolfe books, and I’m sure there’s many more.
My boys have had a really tough time adjusting to my sub (what can I say, they love me :-D) so they’ve been allowed to email me some during the week (no email addresses visible). Anyway, I just got this email from one of them.
Dear Heather,
Please get well soon. I miss you. School is not much fun without you. Sorry the Sabres suck so bad.
Love,
Alex
The kids, they know me so well :D
Upon reflection, I think my characterization of Russian stems probably from Nero Wolfe.
Hee . . . a very skinny Nero Wolfe.
My father, who stopped shy of his doctorate in English, loathes Regency literature and as such, I’ve never much developed a taste for it.
I would hesitate before calling Amanda Quick “Regency literature”. :P
Heather, that email is awesome! Your students are so cute!
Heather, that email is awesome! Your students are so cute!
I assure you, that’s not always the case. But they can be, yeah. Most of them have pretty good little hearts buried in there somewhere.
In the past I’ve made a fuss when we have Choco Tacos at lunch because I love them so much and last week one of the kids added “P.S. WE HAD CHOCO TACOS TODAY!!!” at the end of his message. :-)
Well, tied in with that is a fondness for Dorothy L. Sayers’ Lord Peter Whimsey books, as well as a fairly broad background in Regency-era romance novels. So the Zach/Boxworthy dynamic isn’t a direct parallel to the Wooster/Jeeves one. :D
I love, love, LOVE the Lord Peter books. I even like the two modern-era ones (one was a half-finished Sayers manuscript finished by a modern author, the other she wrote from Sayers’ notes for war-time essays.)
I think it’s Zach’s manner of speaking that reminded me strongly of Wodehouse. That being said, I’ve never read Whimsey and I stay away from the Regency stuff, in general. My father, who stopped shy of his doctorate in English, loathes Regency literature and as such, I’ve never much developed a taste for it.
Lord Peter isn’t like other Regency stuff I’ve read. Sayers reads like a modern author, not like Jane Austen.
Now, Dickens…there would be some people out there who would be absolutely horrified at the amount of Dickens I was encouraged to read as a child/young adult.
I can’t read Dickens. It’s like slogging through knee-deep treacle. By the time I get to the end of a sentence, I’ve gotten stuck in the clauses and forgotten what the hell he was talking about. And then I usually decide I don’t care enough to go back and parse it out, so three paragraphs in I’ve already lost the plot.
Heather, what a sweet email!
Zach is definitely Wodehouse, but Boxworthy is 50% Bunter and 50% Amanda Quick. I’ve never read Nero Wolfe, but I’ll totally check it out! Dorothy L. Sayers is totally not what I expected, but her books rock.
I would hesitate before calling Amanda Quick “Regency literature”. :P
Apparently, I’ve missed something! Sorry, Schnookie!
@@@@@@
Heather, that email is awesome! Your students are so cute!
Word! That is too sweet for words, Heather, and it’s good to know that you have such an impact on them!
Hee . . . a very skinny Nero Wolfe.
Indeed. I doubt Russian has Fritz, the personal chef, or the strange fascination with orchids. But you know Happy Meals is totally the Archie Goodwin to his Nero Wolfe.
Wait, Lord Peter isn’t Regency. About 100 years off, right?
Boxworthy is 50% Bunter and 50% Amanda Quick.
Pookie, that’s such a great way of putting it! (And Zach’s sort of where Wodehouse and the brooding Amanda Quick hero meet. As difficult a concept as that is to imagine. :D)
I’ve never read Amanda Quick. I am intrigued.
Wait, Lord Peter isn’t Regency. About 100 years off, right?
Yeah… I wasn’t going to say anything, though. :P
Apparently, I’ve missed something! Sorry, Schnookie!
Oh, I was talking about reading contemporary romance novels set in the Regency era. They are decidedly not literature-y. :D
Wait, Lord Peter isn’t Regency. About 100 years off, right?
Yeah… I wasn’t going to say anything, though. :P
Hell, it’s English Period Literature. That’s close enough for us dumb Americans, right?
I can’t read Dickens. It’s like slogging through knee-deep treacle. By the time I get to the end of a sentence, I’ve gotten stuck in the clauses and forgotten what the hell he was talking about. And then I usually decide I don’t care enough to go back and parse it out, so three paragraphs in I’ve already lost the plot.
You would not like my house, then. By the time I hit my first Dickens assigned reading in school, I had read most of Dickens’ books save for The Old Curiosity Shoppe and Nicholas Nickleby. Still haven’t read Nickleby.
Even though I can’t remember it, I have read The Mystery of Edwin Drood, which is the book Dickens got half-way through writing before he died, so it’s not even finished. I’ve probably read almost every Dickens novel, plus several biographies, due to my father’s undying love for Dickens.
Well, not undying love, but he really, really likes him.
I can make it through Dickens, but my father has tried to push John Dos Passos on me for years and try as I might, I can never make it through anything written by Dos Passos.
Oh, I was talking about reading contemporary romance novels set in the Regency era. They are decidedly not literature-y. :D
I misread! Sorry, my fault. :D
I can’t read Dickens. It’s like slogging through knee-deep treacle. By the time I get to the end of a sentence, I’ve gotten stuck in the clauses and forgotten what the hell he was talking about.
I don’t know if I would’ve enjoyed Dickens as a kid for this reason, but as a grown-up I really enjoy him. I haven’t read all of his stuff but I like and occasionally love what I have read. Every once in a while I enjoy taking the time to wade through a long, meandering book.
I’ve always been of the life-is-too-short-for-Dickens school fo thought, but I can see why people like him. He just doesn’t do it for me.
Every once in a while I enjoy taking the time to wade through a long, meandering book.
I haven’t attempted Dickens in a long time. I only recently finally was able to make it through Austen and enjoy myself, so maybe I can grow into Dickens too.
I’m just pretty lazy. I don’t like having to work too hard when I read. It’s supposed to be relaxing!
so maybe I can grow into Dickens too.
I think the mistake people make is they always tackle the books that are on high school reading lists, which I’ve determined that teachers must select books to make you hate Dickens, like Great Expectations. (Sorry, any GE fans.)
That being said, to anyone wanting to retry Dickens, my humble suggestions would be Hard Times or David Copperfield. Hard Times is highly underrated, IMO.
It also helps to understand that most of Dickens’ books were published in serial format in papers and magazines, so that’s why they flow weirdly, or have two endings (like Great Expectations). Dickens wrote specifically to address the concerns of his readers – if they didn’t like the way a story was going, he would change it to satisfy them. (Hence the two endings for Great Expectations; his readers hated the original.)
I misread! Sorry, my fault. :D
No worries! But for a second there I was thinking, “HA! Caitlin thinks I’m some kind of literature-reading smarty-pants, when really all I’m reading is romance novels!” :P
It also helps to understand that most of Dickens’ books were published in serial format in papers and magazines
Like Dumas! Heather, you’re a fellow “Three Muskateers” fan, right? I think I saw that on Top Shelf this summer. That and “Count of Monte Cristo” are my two favoriest books!
Caitlin, the only Dickens I’ve read is “Tale of Two Cities” but I absolutely adored it!
Heather, that email is absolutely adorable.
Even though I can’t remember it, I have read The Mystery of Edwin Drood, which is the book Dickens got half-way through writing before he died, so it’s not even finished.
I had to read that in college. Our group assignment was to “finish” the book. Story wrapping up in a group is not fun. But then again, the finished product of seeing where every group took the book was kind of worth it.
It also helps to understand that most of Dickens’ books were published in serial format in papers and magazines, so that’s why they flow weirdly, or have two endings (like Great Expectations).
See, I think this is the source of my Dickens issues. I am generally not a serial novel fan. It’s not that I hate all wordiness so much as I hate a certain sort of wordiness that the 19th century serial novel seems to embody.
Like Dumas! Heather, you’re a fellow “Three Muskateers” fan, right? I think I saw that on Top Shelf this summer. That and “Count of Monte Cristo” are my two favoriest books!
Hell, yeah! I love both but “Count of Monte Cristo” might be my favorite book of all-time. And now I’m totally trying to remember when I brought that up on my hockey blog… I’m sure I did though. I do tend to wander.
Caitlin, “David Copperfiled” is my favorite Dickens so far.
I think the mistake people make is they always tackle the books that are on high school reading lists, which I’ve determined that teachers must select books to make you hate Dickens, like Great Expectations.
In middle school they made us read The Red Pony, by John Steinbeck. Later I found out that it’s everyone’s least favorite Steinbeck novel. But guess what? I WILL NEVER READ ANOTHER ONE AS LONG AS I LIVE. Way to go, seventh grade English!
Then in high school AP English, all we read was fucking Faulkner and fucking Hemingway. I’m getting upset just thinking about it, so I’ll stop.
Mara, Faulkner is, along with Petr Sykora, IPB’s Arch Nemesis.
Heather, I think you brought up Dumas in your Things I Love About Hockey posts. “Count of Monte Cristo” is our lucky book, since Schnookie and I read it aloud at the arena before the SCF games in 2003.
And Petr never went 67 pages without punctuation!
Honeybaked Ham’s Monte Cristo pita sandwich is basically the best sandwich on the planet.
Just sayin’.
I never had to read Faulkner or Hemmingway in school.
I’ll show myself to the door now.
Then in high school AP English, all we read was fucking Faulkner and fucking Hemingway. I’m getting upset just thinking about it, so I’ll stop.
Whenever I hear about what other people read in high school I feel so very lucky. Well, except for the fact that I had to read Prince of Tides in AP English Lit. I loathed having to read that book so much my teacher (the silly person who put it on the syllabus to begin with) is probably still telling people how much I hated it.
The only reason I survived Faulkner is because my AP English teacher loved him and was a great teacher. I never would’ve gotten through him on my own.
“Count of Monte Cristo” is our lucky book, since Schnookie and I read it aloud at the arena before the SCF games in 2003.
Hmmm… Maybe I should break it out. Think it can make the Sabres show up and atleast play hard?
Think it can make the Sabres show up and atleast play hard?
It can’t hurt to try! We need to lock Crunchy up in a cell with some old coot who can, in one night, teach Crunchy all the goaltender knowledge of all mankind!
And Petr never went 67 pages without punctuation!
Hee! Although, really, have you ever listened to any of Sykkie’s interviews? I don’t think he does use punctuation, actually. :P
Whenever I hear about what other people read in high school I feel so very lucky.
Same here. “Contemporary” Lit, Poetry (which drove me nuts), Shakespeare and Mythology were amazing.
I never had to read Faulkner or Hemmingway in school.
I’ll show myself to the door now.
I’ll come along with you — I mean, I was assigned Faulkner, but that doesn’t mean I read it. (I enjoyed Hemingway in high school. But I think I read whichever books had plots that I could enjoy, since I read solely for plot. Any kind of themes or subtext or any whatever is totally lost on me. And I haven’t read any Hemingway since high school, so goodness only knows what I’d think of him now. I’d probably just roll my eyes and mutter something about not having time for it. :D)
Whenever I hear about what other people read in high school I feel so very lucky.
The year I took Shakespeare Lit was heavenly. I might think sonnets are stupid (not a poetry fan, me) and Richard III was long and boring, but at least Shakespeare didn’t make me VISCERALLY HATE every character he put on paper like Faulkner.
The only reason I survived Faulkner is because my AP English teacher loved him and was a great teacher. I never would’ve gotten through him on my own.
Our teacher was really good, and a super nice guy. But even he could not save me. I never finished either of the two big Faulkner novels we were supposed to read. Totally bullshitted my way through 10-page papers. Fortunately I can bullshit like a champ.
We need to lock Crunchy up in a cell with some old coot who can, in one night, teach Crunchy all the goaltender knowledge of all mankind!
Hee! That’d be great. And somehow that seems very Crunchy-like.
Never read any Hemingway.
Then in high school AP English, all we read was fucking Faulkner and fucking Hemingway. I’m getting upset just thinking about it, so I’ll stop.
Mara, which Faulkner did they make you read? I have a fairly good idea, if you hated it so much. Same on the Hemingway – they never pick the right ones, dammit!
Caitlin, “David Copperfiled” is my favorite Dickens so far.
I love David Copperfield, and I love the BBC version of it with Maggie Smith and a young Daniel Radcliffe. :D
I hate a certain sort of wordiness that the 19th century serial novel seems to embody.
I’m not big on the wordiness, nor do I love Dickens like my father, but I do have a certain fond appreciation for him. I much prefer Poe and Carroll, as far as “older” writers go, and Huxley and Faulkner for 20th century writers.
Caitlin, the only Dickens I’ve read is “Tale of Two Cities” but I absolutely adored it!
You know what’s funny? Dickens hated A Tale of Two Cities after he wrote it. He deviated from his normal pattern of writing to attempt an “action adventure” sort of novel, and was so roundly criticized for it that he often spoke of it badly!
(I personally didn’t think it was too bad, but there you go.) Reading all these comments has made me realize how much unnecessary Dickensian knowledge I have stored up in my head.
Our teacher was really good, and a super nice guy. But even he could not save me.
Sometimes even that’s not enough. I had an absolutely brilliant Brit Lit professor in college and he couldn’t make me enjoy Paradise Lost (although I did enjoy his lecturing on it.) That’s also kind of how I feel about Hawthorne. It wasn’t the teaching that was the problem, it was the book/short stories. Although I do love that Moby Dick is dedicated to him. I don’t know why I enjoy that so much, but it’s one of my favorite little literature facts.
As a sidenote, I managed to get through not only high school but all of college without ever being assigned any reading by Dickens or Faulkner and I think I had to read all of one short story by Hemingway. That seems odd.
When I was in 9th grade we watched “A Tale of Two Cities” while studying the French Revolution. I slept through the first part of the movie, woke up and tried to watch it, and gave up grumbling about how I couldn’t believe they cast two guys who looked SO MUCH alike in the two main roles. When I finally read the book in 12th grade it all clicked into place. “:::gasp::: Ohhhhhhhhh!”
Mara, which Faulkner did they make you read? I have a fairly good idea, if you hated it so much. Same on the Hemingway – they never pick the right ones, dammit!
I don’t remember any of the Hemingway titles, but I think they were all short stories.
As for Faulkner… I know we read A Light In August and The Bear. And a ton of short stories, the only title of which I remember is A Rose For Emily.
I have a vague memory of a Faulkner short story where a poor white sharecropper’s daughter gets knocked up by the rich landlord. The sharecropper comes up to the big house to demand he marry the daughter (dude, delusional much?), and when the landowner refuses (the sharecropper is shocked! and insulted! the moron.), the sharecropper rubs shit into a fancy rug in the rich guy’s house. The end. That pretty much sums up Faulkner for me–every character being either despicable or idiotic, participating in plots with absolutely no point.
Meg, I never had to read Dickens either. And never have. And don’t ever intend to. (I’m proud to be an ignoramus!) (Not that I’m calling you an ignoramus, Meg. @@@)
That’s also kind of how I feel about Hawthorne. It wasn’t the teaching that was the problem, it was the book/short stories. Although I do love that Moby Dick is dedicated to him. I don’t know why I enjoy that so much, but it’s one of my favorite little literature facts.
Aww, I love that fact too, Meg!
Now I feel like it seems like I don’t hate any literature. :D For the record, I hated Moby Dick, and I hated everything by Ayn Rand, and I loathed Ethan Frome. What a terrible, awful book that was.
He deviated from his normal pattern of writing to attempt an “action adventure” sort of novel
Thus my love of it! I adore old school action adventure novels. Like Rafael Sabatini and Alexandre Dumas. Like Schnookie, I read for plot and nothing else!
When I finally read the book in 12th grade it all clicked into place. “:::gasp::: Ohhhhhhhhh!”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
This reminds me of when Dad dragged of us to see “the Mousetrap” at Princeton University’s Summer Theater. They blind cast a white woman and an Asian man as the brother and sister, so there was no way you could solve the mystery on your own!
“loathed” is word you wish got used more.
For the record, I hated Moby Dick, and I hated everything by Ayn Rand, and I loathed Ethan Frome. What a terrible, awful book that was.
Heh, I’ve never read Ethan Frome and I would refer to anything by Ayn Rand as a) “literature” and b) appalling, but I love Moby Dick. As in I would argue that it’s the greatest work of American literature love.
Now I feel like it seems like I don’t hate any literature. :D
Caitlin, just don’t ever say you hated “Count of Monte Cristo”; that’s grounds for bannishment!
That pretty much sums up Faulkner for me–every character being either despicable or idiotic, participating in plots with absolutely no point.
Aww, well, I personally am a big fan of The Sound & The Fury and As I Lay Dying, but The Sound & The Fury is the one that most people hate, due to the opening chapter.
I can understand how Faulkner is not everyone’s personal cup of tea.
I don’t remember any of the Hemingway titles, but I think they were all short stories.
I like Hemingway’s short stories so, I’ll just duck over here now. :D
(I’m proud to be an ignoramus!)
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Not an ignoramus! Had I not had a father who basically said, “READ IT” consistently, I would never have read well over half the books I’ve read.
(Some of them, I wish I had never read.)
Caitlin, just don’t ever say you hated “Count of Monte Cristo”; that’s grounds for bannishment!
Given that, I will quietly add that I have no comment whatsoever on The Count of Monte Cristo, and that I can’t stand John Steinbeck and I DON’T CARE WHO KNOWS IT.
just don’t ever say you hated “Count of Monte Cristo”; that’s grounds for bannishment!
How about never having read the Count Of Monte Cristo?
That’s cool, Amy. You can stick around even if you haven’t read it. If you read it and don’t think it’s the greatest novel to ever breathe, then you’re on thin ice. :)
I like Hemingway’s short stories so, I’ll just duck over here now. :D
I haven’t read much Hemingway, but I did like the short stories that I’ve read. Also, my roommate has a budgie whose name is Earnest after The Importance of Being Earnest BUT the inspiration for that name is that we used to think he was a girl and we thought that was the equivalent of dressing him in girl’s clothing throughout his childhood.
I hated everything by Ayn Rand
I read the Fountainhead because the Ayn Rand Institute or whatever it’s called does an essay scholarship. Evidently, “This books is garbage is Ayn Rand is psycho” isn’t what they were looking for.
Never cared for Hawthorne much but he was the only writer I think I completely disliked. Oh, I wasn’t big on Thomas Harydy either. Everyone else it seems like there was atleast one thing I liked atleast fairly well. Hated Jane Eyre but I did a totaly skim job on it so that’s probably unfair.
I’ve never read the “Count of Monte Cristo” either, but it sounds like I should get on that.
So who’s excited for hockey tonight? My boys are probably going for 5 losses in a row! Woohooo!
I read the Fountainhead because the Ayn Rand Institute or whatever it’s called does an essay scholarship. Evidently, “This books is garbage is Ayn Rand is psycho” isn’t what they were looking for.
Yeah, I read it for that essay as well. Needless to say, I didn’t win.
So who’s excited for hockey tonight? My boys are probably going for 5 losses in a row! Woohooo!
Aw, alix, I’m sure they’ll win! I mean, if they can’t beat St. Louis… :P
I was going to sigh sadly that I’m not excited for hockey tonight because it’s Pookie’s late night and we very rarely watch hockey unless there’s a Devils game on TiVo delay, but then I looked at the schedule and realized I’m not missing 15 games or anything. I feel better now.
Yeah, I read it for that essay as well. Needless to say, I didn’t win.
I made it through 50 pages of The Fountainhead before telling my mother, “$25,000 is not worth that torture.”
Oh, I wasn’t big on Thomas Harydy either. Everyone else it seems like there was atleast one thing I liked atleast fairly well. Hated Jane Eyre but I did a totaly skim job on it so that’s probably unfair.
It was painful for me to get through Jude the Obscure, but I’m glad I did. I hated Jane Eyre. I don’t think I ever finished it.
I was going to sigh sadly that I’m not excited for hockey tonight
I had written a comment saying “I’m not excited for hockey” but then realized that sounded too negative. Let’s just say instead that I’m not excited to work tonight.
So who’s excited for hockey tonight?
Uh….me?! I guess – I don’t get any hockey tonight. I’m watching The Cutting Edge this evening! And pretending we don’t have to play the Sabres tomorrow.
And pretending we don’t have to play the Sabres tomorrow.
I don’t know, Caitlin. Not to beat a dead horse but I think you should probably be enjoying the idea of playing the Sabres tomorrow.
I don’t get any hockey tonight.
Me neither. Its reality TV night: American Idol, Mythbusters and Project Runway.
I suppose I should add that I’m still residually excited about last night’s Devils/Flyers game.
Not to beat a dead horse but I think you should probably be enjoying the idea of playing the Sabres tomorrow.
I just do not have a bad feeling about it. At least Jussi Jokinen’s coming back off of IR for the game.
I’m not planning on watching hockey tonight either. I’m going to the gym and then going to watch Project Runway.
I just do not have a bad feeling about it
Okay, alright, I admit it – I’m dumb. Do not have a good feeling about it, that’s what I meant to write.
Sigh.
Ooh, “Project Runway”! I’m so intrigued about tonight’s challenge. Is it a new Mythbusters tonight? The James Bond episode was awesome.
Oh right! It’s been AGES since we watched Mythbusters on its actual night. That’s a tough call — do we watch it tonight, or save it for this weekend’s hockeyless wasteland? Hmm…
Project Runway night! I’m glad you guys reminded me. Not going to work makes me forget what day it is.
Do not have a good feeling about it, that’s what I meant to write.
That does make much more sense. :D You had me wondering for a moment if you’re like me, and are only comfortable if you’re feeling really pessimistic about a game. When I don’t have a bad feeling about a game, I start worrying. :P
Is it a new Mythbusters tonight?
Yes. They’re trying out lead balloons.
And Petr never went 67 pages without punctuation!
Hee! Although, really, have you ever listened to any of Sykkie’s interviews? I don’t think he does use punctuation, actually. :P
I think you’re thinking of Pierre MacGuire.
Never read any Hemingway.
Never read him, either. Met his cats once, though.
Do not have a good feeling about it, that’s what I meant to write.
Caitlin, I figured :-)
Never read him, either. Met his cats once, though.
Hemingway collected polydactyl cats. He would have loved our Rollie.
And that’s all the literary shit I need to know! :P
You had me wondering for a moment if you’re like me, and are only comfortable if you’re feeling really pessimistic about a game.
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No, I’m not really pessimistic; I can just remember that painful Sabres/Thrashers game (that was the one the Sabres won like 10-2, right?) and thinking in my head that apparently, there’s no middle ground with the Sabres.
I missed all the literary stuff. I agree with those that hate Faulkner and those that love Hugh Laurie.
Laurie’s various characters in the Blackadder series were genius.
Caitlin, unless Dallas plans to fall apart as utterly and completely as the Thrashers did I wouldn’t worry.
Okay, gang. It’s 5:00 and I can’t sit here for another second without some Diet Coke to rinse this tinniness and grit out of my teeth. See you all later!
Caitlin, unless Dallas plans to fall apart as utterly and completely as the Thrashers did I wouldn’t worry.
Hmm. That’s not really helping. :P
It’s really beginning to feel like the players have thrown in the towel on the whole season so I don’t know, I guess we’ll see what happens, Dallas folks. One of the Buffalo News bloggers went to the Stars/Blue Jackets game and doesn’t seem optimistic about our chances against your team in particular. They’re usually pretty fair so… I’m just hoping we don’t look embarrassing. That’s my new plan.
“Aw, alix, I’m sure they’ll win! I mean, if they can’t beat St. Louis… :P”
I think that’s what people say about the Kings too. We were swept by them!
At least Matty’s back, so if the game goes to shit, I can just stare at his pretty face, and his pretty shot on the power play, and his pretty skating :D
I’m heading out because I just can’t take my cubicle any longer. Bye, all!
One of the Buffalo News bloggers went to the Stars/Blue Jackets game and doesn’t seem optimistic about our chances against your team in particular.
That’s….I don’t know, Heather, because we played terribly at that game. I hope he didn’t see the Stars/Anaheim game that was right before that, because the Stars looked really good during that one.
I’m just hoping we don’t look embarrassing. That’s my new plan.
That makes me want to cry.
Laurie’s various characters in the Blackadder series were genius.
I am not a Blackadder fan (Rowan Atkinson or whatever his name is makes me shudder), but my dad spent most of our Thanksgiving vacation watching Blackadder on DVD with our family friends and I have been using the phrase “I have a cunning plan” CONSTANTLY since then.
Two totally unrelated and random tidbits from the Fire & Ice blog:
Clarkson said he only knows one player in the Young Stars competition — Boston’s Milan Lucic. “The only guy I know is the guy from Boston who I fought,” he said.
When asked if Clarkson might bring a different element to the YoungStars event, Devils coach Brent Sutter just smiled and said, “He’s a beauty.”
The Devils had their annual random drug test today. All players had to submit a urine sample. The test was unannounced.
I like Sutter more and more. :)
One of the Buffalo News bloggers went to the Stars/Blue Jackets game and doesn’t seem optimistic about our chances against your team in particular.
That does make me feel better. Because if he saw that game and still thought we could beat the Sabres, that’s encouraging. I’m terribly afraid of the 10-1 score though. How did that happen? How can we (the Stars) avoid being a victim of that?
Are the Sabres in town, Heather? Want me to give you some restaurant ideas for you to post on your blog so that Lindy can read it and make suggestions? :D
“I have a cunning plan”
As cunning as a fox who has just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University.
Your dentist stories made me sad. We’re nice people! Really! (I will not vouch for hygienists and orthodontists though. They are a different breed of people)
Hey, I just saw on Martle that Vs is offering swag for bloggers promoting the All Star Game, including adding banners, logos and “write-ups”. Do you think our super-cranky (”The Extra Crank is for Cailtlin!” TM) game diary could score us a Vs. Playoff Race Tracker Magnet Board? You all know how much Schn. and I love magnets!
Do you think our super-cranky (”The Extra Crank is for Cailtlin!” TM) game diary could score us a Vs. Playoff Race Tracker Magnet Board? You all know how much Schn. and I love magnets!
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I’m super cranky right now and probably will be all through the rest of the weekend, so I’ll be here lending a hand in the comments to help out.
I think you should tell them to give you that damn magnet board, whether you’re promoting their stupid, good-for-nothing All Star Game or not!
Ahoy hoy! Back on board here, and I have to say that I am titillated that the Devils were peeing in cups today. I bet Travis is all worried that “Hatcher Venom” is going to show up on his drug screen, since it’s obviously a performance enhancer and is most likely not legal.
I think you should tell them to give you that damn magnet board, whether you’re promoting their stupid, good-for-nothing All Star Game or not!
Well, if they think having Clarkson in the Young Stars game is enough to placate this Devils fan, they’ve got another thing coming! The extra extra crank is for the damn magnet board.
Oh, and since I know you’re all wondering, I raced home and stuffed several handfuls of peanut M&Ms in my mouth while chugging a diet coke, and now my mouth feels MUCH better.
Do you think our super-cranky (”The Extra Crank is for Cailtlin!” TM) game diary could score us a Vs. Playoff Race Tracker Magnet Board?
You guys could be like, the Go Fug Yourself of hockey :D
Fricking html tags.
Well, if they think having Clarkson in the Young Stars game is enough to placate this Devils fan, they’ve got another thing coming! The extra extra crank is for the damn magnet board.
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“I’m cranky as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore, Versus!”
I’m actually quite looking forward to this game diary, as the alternative is sitting and throwing popcorn at my TV when they show players I hate, which is…messy.
I saw that on Mirtle! I’ll have to go read the link when I get home. Do I just have to post a video on my site and then get some swag? Because I’d do it. I’m not proud.
:D
Do I just have to post a video on my site and then get some swag? Because I’d do it. I’m not proud.
:D
Just one video, Patty? Because if you posted only one video, that only gets you the ice cube tray, and no one wants just the ice cube tray! If you want that jersey, you gotta post all of it.
(I’m tempted to post it just to see what the stuff would actually look like…if they sent it to you.)
…the alternative is sitting and throwing popcorn at my TV when they show players I hate
I have a cunning plan. Instead of channel-surfing whenever Pronger appears, I’m going to entertain myself by watching him talk to a random player, then guffaw at his own joke, then when he wanders off, I’ll watch the other player to see if he rolls his eyes and says, “Ass.”
Just one video, Patty?
Well, I haven’t read the requirements yet. Is it a sliding scale or something? I wouldn’t mind a playoff-tracker magnet board. What else they got?
Oh, I hadn’t read anything yet about this. I totally thought you only got the swag if VS contacted you, and I figured IPB is too low on the totem pole for that. Can you really get shit just for putting stuff that you go out and get from them onto your site? They’ll give you shit without coming to you first to request space on your blog? Dude. For a magnet board, I’ll drape VS crap ALL OVER IPB. :P
Well, I haven’t read the requirements yet. Is it a sliding scale or something? I wouldn’t mind a playoff-tracker magnet board. What else they got?
Oh, no, I was joking! Sorry! @@@@@@@
There’s no requirement on posting amount, etc. but this is the free swag:
NHL on Versus hats
Versus Hockey Puck Ice Cube Tray
Versus Playoff Tracker Magnet Boards
2007 Playoffs Travel Mugs
2007 Versus All-star/Stanley Cup Jerseys
I’ll watch the other player to see if he rolls his eyes and says, “Ass.”
Yes! Patty, this is genius!
Can you really get shit just for putting stuff that you go out and get from them onto your site? They’ll give you shit without coming to you first to request space on your blog? Dude. For a magnet board, I’ll drape VS crap ALL OVER IPB. :P
Schnookie, I’m going to e-mail the lady in charge of this little promotion right now… give me a few seconds. :D Just to make sure I understand it right.
I’m actually quite looking forward to this game diary, as the alternative is sitting and throwing popcorn at my TV when they show players I hate, which is…messy.
Well, considering my interest in the participants in the ASG, I can’t promise anything of quality in the diary proper, but the comment thread should be a good one!
The link from Martle was really unclear. It just said “we’ll give you swag” but didn’t say anything about requirements or how to get in touch with them. There’s an email address for contacting someone at the marketing agency. I figured maybe we could, just to see what would happen, send links to our various A-S Weekend write-ups in an email and then say, “Magnet Board, please!”
The link from Martle was really unclear. It just said “we’ll give you swag” but didn’t say anything about requirements or how to get in touch with them. There’s an email address for contacting someone at the marketing agency. I figured maybe we could, just to see what would happen, send links to our various A-S Weekend write-ups in an email and then say, “Magnet Board, please!”
Oh, I just e-mailed that lady asking for some clarification, because dammit, I don’t care how ugly they are – I really want one of those jerseys! (A magnet board would be nice, too.)
Yes, I have no integrity or standards, and I lost my dignity a long time ago! I don’t care!
Yes, I have no integrity or standards, and I lost my dignity a long time ago! I don’t care!
I never had dignity to start out with. I’m not afraid to admit that.
I never had dignity to start out with. I’m not afraid to admit that.
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Man, this marketing website is kind of odd. I just had to look at some sort of bizarro marketing tree thingymajig.
I’m so confused.
I’ll check it out when I get home, but I can’t wait to hear what you hear form the lady, Caitlin.
(I’m leaving at a decent hour because I was forced to get here at a decent hour for that training class.)
Are the Sabres in town, Heather? Want me to give you some restaurant ideas for you to post on your blog so that Lindy can read it and make suggestions? :D
What a great idea! They arrived yesterday, I think so they’re probably all sitting around bored.
Caitlin, let me know if you hear back. I’ll totally pimp myself out for free stuff too!
Caitlin, make sure you tell us what the marketing lady says!
A hockey puck ice cube tray?! I want one!
Mmmmm…free stuff! Probably free crappy stuff, but still, free stuff.
So my cousin is playing in that top prospects game tonight. There’s like a hundred NHL scouts there. I’m so nervous/pommerdoodling for him!
Good luck, alix’s cousin!
I’m curious about the hockey puck ice cube tray. Does it create on ginormous ice cube, or lots of small puck-like ones?
I’m curious about the hockey puck ice cube tray. Does it create on ginormous ice cube, or lots of small puck-like ones?
I’m assuming lots of little ones, but all I know is that I really want to know!
One. Not on.
Grr.
Good luck, alix’s cousin!
If that ice cube tray turns out to make just one big puck, I’m going to take down all my VS advertising in protest.
Alix, just checking…you do know that your cousin plays in front of NHL scouts almost every night (or at least every night his team is in a biggish CHL city), right? Maybe not as many as at the Prospects game, but you can always spot the scouts at CHL games.
Oh, and Alix? I didn’t mean that to sound like I was discouraging you from pommerdoodling for your cousin! (Just maybe reducing the nerves a little.)
Guys, I will totally let you know. Turns out the company is located in Baltimore, so I e-mailed her probably after business hours, since I’m “behind” her time-wise.
I’m curious about the hockey puck ice cube tray. Does it create on ginormous ice cube, or lots of small puck-like ones?
There don’t seem to be any pictures! I’m so confused. I want to know what this stuff looks like!
They arrived yesterday, I think so they’re probably all sitting around bored.
Oh, crap.
I do have to tell y’all this – I was leaving my office today and I was sitting right at a light, and this guy who looks totally like Ryan Miller walks right by my car in this fugly outfit with this HORRENDOUS scarf; it looked like Crunchy right down to the hair – my god, the hair! And I’m sure people were staring at me oddly, because I was staring out my car window like, “Crunchy? Is that you?”
If it wasn’t Crunchy, it was his doppelganger, that’s for sure. I’m going with the doppelganger theory, because I don’t want to think Ryan Miller walked by my car looking like that with me looking at him all horrified like, “That outfit is a crime against humanity.”
I don’t want to think Ryan Miller walked by my car looking like that with me looking at him all horrified like, “That outfit is a crime against humanity.”
Crunchy doesn’t consider his day a success unless someone says that about the outfit he chose. So I’m hoping it was Crunchy, just so he can have had a good day today. :P
So I’m hoping it was Crunchy, just so he can have had a good day today. :P
Uh, whoever it was, I hope they had a very stellar day then.
Uh, whoever it was, I hope they had a very stellar day then.
:^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
I actually have a coworker like that. I have no idea where she gets her ridiculous outfits from, but if you saw them in a movie you’d totally complain that the costume designer overdid it. To top it all off, she’s a lab scientist. So she wears a labcoat over these outlandish, quasi cheap-hooker-ish outfits. It cracks my shit up.
I’m going with the doppelganger theory, because I don’t want to think Ryan Miller walked by my car looking like that with me looking at him all horrified like, “That outfit is a crime against humanity.”
Caitlin, that “crime against humanity” bit makes me think it probably was Crunchy. As Schnookie pointed out he has… unusual taste. I guess they didn’t skate yesterday (grrrrr!) so he might’ve been just wandering around town.
Caitlin, that “crime against humanity” bit makes me think it probably was Crunchy. As Schnookie pointed out he has… unusual taste. I guess they didn’t skate yesterday (grrrrr!) so he might’ve been just wandering around town.
I work in Uptown, which is close to the arena, and close to a bunch of hotels, shopping, restaraunts & bars, and what originally caught my eye was the huge ass blue & gold scarf he had wrapped around his neck.
Crunchy or Not!Crunchy, I could see a lady in the car next to me poke her friend and point at how bad the outfit was.
I will say of Crunchy’s alleged neckwear, I have seen him wearing the same burgundy scarf in pictures from both last season and this season. That’s all I know about what kind of scarves he wears. I was fascinated to see the same one a year later, though. It’s kind of titillating to think he has a winter scarf, if that makes any sense. I mean, I love my scarf, and look forward to the weather getting cold enough to wear it. Does he feel that way about his burgundy scarf? Or has he forgone the burgundy one in favor of an ugly-assed blue-and-gold one?
Thanks, Mara. Yeah, I figured some scouts came to see him almost every game, but this is on a much bigger scale, so it’s got me extra nervous. And I’m a total dork.
That’s hilarious about Crunchy’s outfit!
I’ve never seen Crunchy in a blue and gold scarf, I have to say. But maybe. I’m just going to pretend it was totally him, Caitlin!
I’m just going to pretend it was totally him, Caitlin!
We have no proof it wasn’t him! That’s how I like to look at these things. Like that time that guy who looked exactly like Robert DeNiro was eating in an otherwise deserted PJ’s Pancake House in Princeton while we were having dinner there. Dammit, it was Robert DeNiro, and no one can prove to me it wasn’t!
So my cousin is playing in that top prospects game tonight. There’s like a hundred NHL scouts there. I’m so nervous/pommerdoodling for him!
Go alix’s cousin! Best of luck to him!
I’m just going to pretend it was totally him, Caitlin!
Okay! Then know that Crunchy amazed a bunch of people sitting at a stop light in Dallas with his horrific outfit!
We have no proof it wasn’t him! That’s how I like to look at these things. Like that time that guy who looked exactly like Robert DeNiro was eating in an otherwise deserted PJ’s Pancake House in Princeton while we were having dinner there. Dammit, it was Robert DeNiro, and no one can prove to me it wasn’t!
Well, you know how Robert DeNiro feels about those pancakes!
I don’t like seeing hockey players in real life, so I’m just going to assume I didn’t have a close encounter of the Crunchy kind.
Thanks for all the good lucks about my cousin everyone. Y’all are so nice :D
alix, what’s your cousin’s name again?
And Verizon, I think it’s time to stop running the commercial with the guy unplugging/plugging in his Christmas lights.
James Wright. Plays for the Vancouver Giants in the WHL. Send away for his autograph while it’s still easy to get :P
And Verizon, I think it’s time to stop running the commercial with the guy unplugging/plugging in his Christmas lights.
Hey, plenty of our neighbors still have their Christmas decor up, and will until well after Valentine’s Day. That commercial is speaking directly to them! :P
Can we also lose the huge, moving, walking Oreo cookie with the tongue hanging out? Creepy.
Can we also lose the huge, moving, walking Oreo cookie with the tongue hanging out?
What on Earth are you talking about?!?
Hey, who here loves the Frownie commericals on during Pittsburgh games?
Can we also lose the huge, moving, walking Oreo cookie with the tongue hanging out? Creepy.
Heather, you’re hallucinating that one. I have no idea what you’re talking about. :D
What on Earth are you talking about?!?
You haven’t seen the Giant Oreo?! Lucky you!
Can we also lose the huge, moving, walking Oreo cookie with the tongue hanging out?
It sounds like Pancakes would fully endorse that one.
Hee! I saw the frownie one the other night. Quite funny.
Here:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Or2NRryx2zA
Something about the tongue freaks me out.
Okay, I’ll give you that the lolling-ness of the tongue is majorly creepy. I would normally be all over a huge, moving, walking oreo (and yes, alix is so right — that’s right up Paulie’s alley :P), but the way the tongue lies is all wrong. It looks creepy, not goofy.
HA HA HA! The tongue didn’t really bug me.
I don’t know, just something about that thing strikes me as… weird.
I just remembered to set my fantasy line-up. Is it just me or does the WC NEVER actually play?
The tongue is creepy, but the headband is great.
Hey, plenty of our neighbors still have their Christmas decor up, and will until well after Valentine’s Day. That commercial is speaking directly to them! :P
MamaScarlett still has her up because PapaScarlett didn’t get around to putting them up until Christmas Eve! It’s just a waste of effort to take them down right after Christmas!
Heather, the Wives have not a single player in a game today! So it’s not just you. If you don’t have any Canucks or Ducks, you’re out of lucks!
(See what I did there?)
It’s just a waste of effort to take them down right after Christmas!
I’d think it’d be more of a waste to put it up on Christmas Eve. I’d probably just call it a miss and shoot for next Christmas. :P
I do have a couple of players, it just seems like every time I actually remember to check my line-up, it’s a day that there are no WC games. I’m not good at this game.
I’d think it’d be more of a waste to put it up on Christmas Eve. I’d probably just call it a miss and shoot for next Christmas. :P
It really is, but don’t try reasoning with my family :P PapaScarlett wasn’t in town to put them up until Christmas Eve so clearly the only logical thing to do would be to put them up then.
There’s a player on the visiting b-ball team named “Niedermeyer” it’s very, very distracting.
I changed my icon. Too distracting? Too odd? I understand that part of the problem is that I am always spamming the thread. I should work on that.
Patty, I’ve never noticed a preponderance of you in any of our threads! :P
I wouldn’t be able to focus at all if confronted by a b-balling Niedermayer.
“That’s really why we lost tonight. We couldn’t put the cat in the hat.”
It’s even more distracting because of the difference in spelling. It just looks wrong to me and I have this urge to go and fix it, but at the same time it just reminds me of how much I’d rather be watching hockey :P
I like the new icon, Patty! It’s very stark.
but at the same time it just reminds me of how much I’d rather be watching hockey
Well, you could hold it up as a reminder of how glad you are that you’re not watching either of the Niedermayers playing hockey. :P
The new icon’s very nice, Patty!
Well, you could hold it up as a reminder of how glad you are that you’re not watching either of the Niedermayers playing hockey. :P
I guess. Okay, back to work for me.
Thanks, Sherry and Schnookie! I wish the old one would stay with the posts I made when I had it, but I guess that would overload anybody’s servers if they had to save it every time.
Heather! Tell the Sabres to try Uncle Julio’s.
For us riff-raff, it’s a nice place, but for hockey players, it’s probably slumming. But it’s really good Tex-Mex and the queso is required. Also, they should order Swirls, which are frozen margaritas with a swirl of frozen Sangria.
(But I’m probably too late, since I didn’t realize they were in town all this time.)
Patty, I’ll get Lindy on the case pronto! We’ll see what we can do :-)
I checked out the locations, Heather, and it looks like they can try it when they go to play the Caps, too! (Although, no offense, I don’t vouch for Tex-Mex in Maryland, even if it’s a small chain that I love.)
(Although, no offense, I don’t vouch for Tex-Mex in Maryland, even if it’s a small chain that I love.)
Yeah, I don’t blame you. I’d assume they should check it out in Texas.
Patty, I just responded to your comment on my blog but I totally remember that from my Blockbuster days too! How weird.
That’s hilarious, Heather!
Even though I’d be hard-pressed to decide which team I hate more, I’m going to root for Detroit tonight against the Ducks. For obvious reasons. I’d appreciate it if you all could do the same.
(Except Earl and zot. Y’all are excused.)
I would also cheer for Detroit. I don’t really actively hate any of their players… It’s just more of a general, “I hate them for being so good” thing. It’s a more personal hatred for the Ducks.
Wow, you guys are prodigious! I’ve been trying to stay away from the Internet for the past couple of days. My blood pressure was rising too much to be healthy. (I’m a Sabres fan.) But I missed you guys, so I came over to say hi!
I don’t hate Detroit either. I would if we played them for the Cup, but it looks like that scenario is not in danger of happening…
The main thing I hate about Detroit is that they win all the time, but their constant winning has made all the players smug and insufferable, so now I hate the players, too. :D
Just kidding. I’m only assuming they’re smug and insufferable.
And hey, Amanda!
Legace just grabbed Nazzy’s stick, that cheeky button!
Alix, do you ever get to see your cousin play? I could try and get photos of him when the Giants are in town in a few weeks.
I haven’t seen much smug and insufferable in Detroit besides Dom. He’s definitely insufferable. Henrik Zetterberg looks like a swell guy, and who couldn’t like Nick Lidstrom? It’s like not liking pie.
Hi Patty!
Nick Lidstrom REALLY irks me, because he’s a Red Wing and I have trouble not liking him! Jerk! ;P
WOOOOOOOHOOOOO! Power Play goal and guess who scored? Maaaaaaaaaaaatttty O!!
Mara, I got to see my cousin play quite a bit last year, and even saw them win the Memorial Cup, but this year I rarely have. Last week I got to see him when they swung through Saskatoon. I would love some pictures if you get a chance. He’s number 19.
Awwww, a giraffe interview. He’s so out of breath, hee hee. And that A suits him.
Henrik Zetterberg looks like a swell guy, and who couldn’t like Nick Lidstrom? It’s like not liking pie.
Hee! It’s true.
Patty, I’m totally rooting for the Wings b/c the Chinchillas (half of whom are Wings) are currently getting slaughtered. I hate Zetterberg’s back.
Oh, man! I should have been over watching the Canucks game to see Matty get interviewed! Dang it.
Congrats on his scoring, alix! And that’s cook that your cousin’s team won the Memorial Cup. Someday they’ll say, “That James Wright, he’s been a winner at every level!”
You know who I hate on the Wings? Holmstrom. I’m sure he’s a lovely guy off the ice, but every game I want to strangle him. He always smashes into Louie and then tries to argue with the ref that it never happened.
You know who I hate on the Wings? Holmstrom.
He’s also not very attractive for a Swede, is he? Tut.
“Congrats on his scoring, alix!”
Thanks, Patty! Him and Sami have been hot on defence, too. I might have to gather up some hot friends and find a cab if this keeps up.
“And that’s cook that your cousin’s team won the Memorial Cup. Someday they’ll say, “That James Wright, he’s been a winner at every level!”
Hee! I hope so. You’ll appreciate this, Patty. Last year during the playoffs, some of the tv guys were saying he reminded them of a young Mike Modano(skating wise).
“He’s also not very attractive for a Swede, is he? Tut.”
HA! Very true.
Crap! Stupid Brad Boyes.
Last year during the playoffs, some of the tv guys were saying he reminded them of a young Mike Modano(skating wise).
Wow! That’s awesome!
Indeed :D
Man, the Canucks have hit like 3 posts in this game. It’s killing me.
Or they miss the wide open net. Sigh.
Is anyone else watching the Ducks feed of this Wings game right now? They’re interviewing Raffie right now, and he seriously could not look less like a real NHLer. He totally looks like a fan wearing a sweater and pads. I love the way Pookie said of seeing him the other day on “Inside the NHL” that she was like, “I recognize that guy… did he go to Tisch?” Now I say that whenever I see him.
Maaaatttyyyy O again!!!!!
What the hell? Is Matty trying to punish me for dropping him from the Marauders?
Oh wait, I’m sorry alix. I totally just meant to say “Woo hoo! Go Canucks!”
He desperately wants to be a Marauder again :p
Damn straight!
He desperately wants to be a Marauder again :p
Well, I can’t blame him. Marauderhood is a pretty coveted thing to have. I mean, what hockey player doesn’t dream of having that famous “MARAUDERS” running diagonally down his chest, a la the Rangers or a beauty queen?
Hee! Don’t you have champagne showers too?
I did see that interview, Schnookie, and I agree! He looked like he was wearing his big brother’s jersey and pads, in fact.
Matty desperately wants to be on a team that is sinking like a rock, like the Marauders! Yeah, I said it.
Matty desperately wants to be on a team that is sinking like a rock, like the Marauders! Yeah, I said it.
WATCH IT! That’s big talk from someone 43 points behind me in the standings! :P (And yes, alix, our champagne showers are one of our main selling points. I mean, who doesn’t want to shower in champagne after another disheartening loss?)
That’s big talk from someone 43 points behind me in the standings!
That’s exactly why I feel fine about that talk. No worries about jinxing myself. :D
Did you see that play where Chelios is just ambling into the zone and forgets to count the Ducks and one of them just comes up behind him and knocks him down.
Senior moment.
“Matty desperately wants to be on a team that is sinking like a rock, like the Marauders! Yeah, I said it.”
HAHAHAHAHA!!! Yeah! And Matty doesn’t want to play for a team that doesn’t want him! Too bad Marauders.
Ah! Overtime. Gosh Matty’s a stud. Beautiful D on the penalty kill.
I am so tired. I had to get up an hour and a half earlier than I normally do just so I could go and get tortured by my dentist today. It’s been grueling today to be Schnookie. And on top of that, I was stunned to discover I was cheering for the Wings in this one tonight — it’s amazing how the return of Niedermayer totally changes my feelings about Anaheim. (And by “changes” I mean going from “pretty much entirely disliking” to “flat-out loathing”.) So this day of self-discovery and exhausting abuse to my gums has worn me out. Time for bed!
Night, Schnookie!
Booooooooooo! So close! Shootout.
Night Schnookie!
Ooh! A Sedin got one!
Just now I actually felt sorry for Brian Hayward. The even worse post-game guy was giving him a hard time and saying his college degree was showing because he used the word, “succumbed.”
He just kind of looked at him, like, what the hell? It’s a regular word.
Whoa. Matty got two goals? Congratulations, alix! And congrats for the win, too!
“Ooh! A Sedin got one!”
That never happens!!!! (in the shooutout) Matty was so freakin hot this game! Thanks, Patty. It feels good to finally get a win.
Oh and yeah, I kind of feel bad for Hayward too. This is a really average word.
That not this! Gosh! My words go right out the window when I get a win!