slacker slacker

I'm missing a hockey SAB (even though today was MY birthday- well technically it was yesterday by the calender- the 26th) BUT I have a survey for your viewing pleasure- it's about hockey!

What is the first jersey you ever owned?
Vancouver Canucks road (dark) jersey- circa 1994. As I was quoted as saying when I got it on my 13th birthday- "It's not ugly, it's beauuuutiful!" LOL

Keep your ticket stubs or throw them away?
I keep 'em!

What current rule or penalty would you remove from the game and why?
touch-up icing. I HATE that bullshit. Just call it.

What one rule or penalty would you add?
mandatory visors at the NHL level. Everyone else does!

Forget predictions and rankings and who finished where last year – all logic aside, what two teams (one East, one West) would you love to see compete for the Cup this year?
Sabres v. Blue Jackets ;)

Which team has the best mascot?
San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. T-Bone is badasssss

Whose press conference would you rather listen to – John Tortorella, Bruce Boudreau or Ron Wilson?
Bruce Boudreau

Who is the most underrated player in the league? The most overrated?
Underrated: Paul Gaustad.. LOL I dunno?
Overrated: Joe Thornton? I hate that guy

Who is your favorite all-time player? Who is your favorite active player?
PAVEL BURE!!!!!!!!!!!! And Derek Roy/Martin Brodeur

Give us your favorite hockey saying that doubles as a dirty euphemism.
He was gripping his stick too tight

What game(s) on your team’s schedule are you most looking forward to this season?
WASHINGTON because I might get to see T-Sloan play again!

Do you read team-specific blogs about teams other than your own? Which ones and why?
more of my blogs are Sabres, though Dannie writes about the Blue Jackets and Kena writes about the Stars and Pens but she's cool.. same with Frostee and the Caps.

Do you think the NHL will ever put a team in Hamilton, Kansas City and/or Las Vegas?
please not Hamilton, it will kill the Sabres. Go for KC.. there used to be a team there and ick=Vegas

What team has improved the most this summer?
not the Sabres. LOL

Everyone’s got a guilty pleasure – what player and/or team do you like that you really shouldn’t?
Ovie hahaha and I don't hate the Stars, which is anathema in Buffalo

What is your favorite hockey memory?
Oh dear- so many. Probably my first NHL game. I was 13- March 17, 1995- Joe Louis Arena- Red Wings vs. Canucks. I was cheering for the Canucks. (quite loudly, i might add) I stared right at Pavel Bure during warmups and he stared back. I nearly died- but made it through and our seats were in the 2nd to last row but we had so much fun. One of the best birthday presents EVER!

Which team has the worst jersey? How about the worst third/specialty jersey?
I don't like the Wild's Christmas jerseys.. and I hate everything about the Rangers. The Stars 3rd jerseys were ugly but I dunno if they have them anymore..

Roll out your favorite homemade player nickname(s).
Joe SUckic (even though I respect him as a player, he spent his whole career with Colorado and that's just GROSS) and Claude LeMUCUS- I hate that frickin guy.

If you could move any uprooted team (e.g. Quebec Nordiques, Hartford Whalers, etc.) back to their original home, which one would you move?
Quebec

What will Jeremy Roenick’s next career move be?
I see him as an analyst on VS. I wish he and Barry Melrose would get together- that'd be hilarious!

Have you ever stopped rooting for one hockey team and started rooting for another? If so, what made you switch?
I stopped cheering for the 'Nucks when they traded Bure in 1999- but he and Bret Hedican were the last of my first team from 1994 to be traded so it just made sense to change allegiances. Similarly, when Bure left the Panthers, I didn't watch them as much. (but I will NEVER cheer for the Rangers, I don't care that my man played some games with them.) I've added the Devils and Sabres to my teams, but the Red Wings have been there all along.

Do you follow other sports besides hockey or are you a one-sport fan?
pretty much just hockey. I'll go to a baseball game here or there but it holds no allure for me.

Which free agent acquisition do you think will have the biggest impact on his new team?
Havlat could do some things in Minnesota.

Of the five lottery teams last season (Tampa, Atlanta, NY Islanders, Phoenix, Colorado) which one(s) will make the playoffs this year?
Colorado

What is your favorite hockey reference in a non-hockey movie/TV episode?
"Wayne Gretzky? On steroids?"- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie

What player from the other 29 teams would you love to have on your team?
Patrick Sharp

I have a post!

I was perusing the lovely team USA camp photo shoot today- some of which were decidely silly, and found a gem. WHO KNEW that Ron Hainsey was quite a lovely gent? Not I, that is for certain. But he really is.. and more importantly, he looks like someone. Oh... who is it?

And then I knew:


-Actor Eric Bana

AND


-I think he's a Thrasher (and former Blue Jacket)? Ron Hainsey

What do you think? Separated at Birth?

Works for me. :)

In other sports news..

Wow I'm wandering from hockey a bit today, aren't I?

I just read another article saying how Softball, Baseball, karate, squash and "roller sports"- (say what?) are gone from the Olympic games, while Women's Boxing is in, and Rugby 7s and Golf are on the slate for 2016.

I'm cool with adding women's boxing.\, (I think you have to be nuts to want to box at all, but more power to them) and rugby is crazy and a very international sport- but to peace out softball and baseball seems kind of insane to me.

If they want to take the "too many professionals allowed" approach about baseball, I could almost go there, but ditching softball? That just seems rude to all the girls out there who dream of getting to some huge level. What is there for them after college? Before, there was the chance to represent their country at the Olympics, but not anymore. I never played softball in my life- I find it too hard to throw the ball, because it's huge- but I have respect for anyone who played an organized sport, especially at higher levels.

I guess the boxing and possibly rugby and golf are strides forward, but to get there, they have to take backwards steps.. trampoline jumping was an olympic sport and table tennis IS an Olympic sport, so... maybe Softball and Baseball will make a comeback one day?

Oh and did you know that tug-of-war was an Olympic sport from 1900-1920? Awesome.

I've got brains too- and more than just half of one

I read an interesting article in the Hockey News today about visor use.. it was just a commentary -(I do love Adam Proteau) but it certainly provided some interesting points about just how stupid professional athletes can be. This is the hockey article and it's not too bad, but it also links to an article about Major League Baseball players and the fact that they don't want to wear this new, safer helmet because it looks "dorky". Are you kidding me? That's so typical. So these guys are willing to risk their lives- AND Livelihood- because they don't want to look dorky wearing something that will protect their brains from a 100 mph fastball from 24 inches away? Nice.

It's like the hockey players who whine about wearing protective visors on their helmets. Dudes, get this- if you break your arm or your leg or pull a muscle or some such, all of that can heal with (usually) minimal complications. Eyes don't just grow back. It seems so obvious, yet many players refuse to don the visor, even with all sorts of horriffic stories about eye injuries that could have been prevented.

I love the fact that the minor leagues adopted a mandatory visor policy a few years ago, and I think that partially because of that, more players are sticking with it when they get the NHL. Because, remember that EVERY level of hockey until the NHL requires full or half- face protection. Oh yeah, that.

And you might have the people who say that wearing a helmet with a visor makes you a wuss- well look at Pat Kaleta. He's a tough kid, not afraid to mix it up with just about anyone-and oh wait, he protects his eyes! Smart, tough kid. :) Just do what the kids in the juniors do- toss the gloves, toss the helmet, square off and start fighting.

I've witnessed first hand (literally I was about 3 feet away) what it looks like when a player takes a puck to the eye. It was the grossest thing I've probably ever seen. That player never laced up his skates again, at least not competitively. Luckily for him, he had a fallback plan- he had a degree in Education and was planning to be a teacher anyway when he was done with hockey. I don't know that all players are so prepared.

Just my rambling commentary on an issue that should be common-sense simple. But somehow, it's not. What do you think?

Helloooooo Mr. Roy

Guys I got a picture taken WITH Derek Roy today! This made me very excited and I almost embarassed myself by squeeeee-ing like a fangirl. But I managed to keep it all inside, at least until I walked away and called my sis.

Seriously, he was at Great Skate signing autographs. It was cool- well no actually it was HOT because it was outside, and someone decided it would actually be summer today. (I hate summer weather.) But I managed to not melt (or get sunburned- thank you SPF 50!) and got an autograph on my jersey and a picture with Derek.

I did not enter the store of Great Skate, nor did I peruse the merchandise at their tent sale because I do not need or really want anything from there. I'm sure there is tons of lovely hockey-ness inside/outside but I dearly love and am very attached to my 12 year old pair of hockey skates (Bauer Supreme 76s- my 16th birtday present) which are perfectly molded to my feet through years of skating in them. Similarly I love my old, used Easton wood 95 something or other Steve Yzerman model stick that I bought about 7 years ago from a used sporting goods store that has a wicked sweet (probably illegal) curve on it. My scraggly hockey gloves could possibly use replacing, but I use them so rarely that it doesn't really matter.

So the point of all that rambling is that while there is lovely merchandise at Great Skate, I did not need (nor could really afford) it so I stayed away. Wise of me, eh? But they were kind enough to hold the signing outside so I was still able to "meet" my favorite Sabre and get his autograph and picture.

For those who are wondering- Derek looked pretty good. (and I don't mean (just) his face LOL) Maybe he's been working out this summer so he can be ready for camp and not some fat lazy slob like he was at the start of last season. I hope he comes out on fire and we can get some of the old, feisty, scrappy Derek back. He was fun. He was very pleasant and polite, chatting it up with all the little kids, which was cute. he didn't quite smile for my pic, but it's still pretty good. I'm not complaining. :)

So without further ado (and no more babbling, I'm sure y'all are sick of me already) here is the pic of Derek Roy and I! :)

pathetic

WOW- The "Buffaslug" came in at #30- LAST place in The Hockey News Jersey Rankings.

I know it's bad, but it can't be THAT bad, can it? I know that there are jerseys that I find uglier than ours- like the Stars (BORING as hell), or the Ducks- UGLY- and don't even get me started on 3rd jerseys (but this is primaries- our 3rd jerseys is awesome). Yeesh. I think there is some voting, if anyone wants to help raise us off the floor.. lol just thought I would share!

i like it

So Mike Grier is a Sabre again? I'm okay with it. He may not be the most skilled dude, but he is tough and he works hard-both things that the Sabres were rather lacking in last year. Not only is he tough and a hard worker, but he will beat that into the rest of those slackers or die trying. That is even better.

Welcome back dude! :) We need less pretty boys and more blue collar fellas around here.

Speaking of Pretty Boys, Derek Roy will be signing autographs at Great Skate on Saturday.. and I am planning to be there! :) YAY!

That is all, thank you.

what the?

Gee Pat Kane, way to be a classy kid.

Thanks for reppin for the B-lo. I mean, I know it's your city and all, but weren't you supposed to make us look BETTER?

gross.

my poor lonely blog

Today is Sidney Crosby's Birthday!

I hope you all celebrate by watching the Winter Classic (complete with commentary every time Sid took a breath on the bench) and the Stanley Cup Finals from last year and this year.

I don't know what I'm doing, but there is pizza tonight with my friends (a few of whom watched the Winter Classic with me when we learned about just how Sid invented hockey, et al) so there may be some silliness involved.

Happy 8/7 Sidney Crosby Day!