It must be an early birthday present for BAP. My internet explorer "stumbled" onto the The Onion's website this morning and found four...count 'em, four...hockey related items. I do not know if you have ever heard of or read The Onion, so I will give you a heads up: this is a satiric newspaper. I love reading The Onion and four out of five dentists recommend The Onion for a happy, healthy smile.
Because I strive to make things easier for my fans, below are links to the hockey related features (Who loves you baby? That's right, BAP loves you.):
(1) Déjà vu, not just a crappy movie starring Denzel Washington;
(2) "I'm Ron Burgundy?";
(3) Casey Conway is so 80's hot; and
(4) Rhode Island is neither a road nor an island, discuss.
Enjoy!
[Update: Oops...it appears I missed a fifth NHL-related feature; one that my Brother-in-Law would enjoy.]
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
The Man, The Myth, The Legend...The Return
I know what you are probably saying to yourself right now: "Wow, two blogs in two days? How did I get so lucky?" Well my friends, fortunately for you, yesterday was a good day to be the former head coach of a Los Angeles area sports team. So, as an avid reader of GameTime, TBD©, I recommend that you send a heart felt thank you to the Green Wave of Tulane University and the NHL's St. Louis Blues.
While I was driving home from work yesterday (listening 710 ESPN as I always do), I was informed of this glorious announcement out of New Orleans, Louisiana. I could not decide if it was fact or fiction; I could not help but laugh a little. Now, I am not trying to downplay any of the great accomplishments Bob Toledo had at UCLA. He led the Bruins to twenty straight victories from 1997 to 1998, two Pac-10 titles (1997 and 1998), and one Rose Bowl (1998, Washington St. was co-champion in 1997 and played in the Rose Bowl as a result of having beaten the Bruins in the season opener). You have to admire a coach who's goal is to win the NCAA championship every year. I know there are a lot of coaches who are content with just getting a bowl invite.
But here is the thing with Bobby T (I don't think anyone has probably ever called him Bobby T...but it does just kinda roll of the tongue), because he coaches to win titles, the season ends with one loss. I am sure anyone who lived in Westwood from 1996 to 2002 will tell you, once the Bruins lost their first game of the season, it was a crap shoot the rest of the way. One loss, and the season was bound to end with several uninspired losses to lesser opponents; teams that the Bruins should have demolished. Take the 2000 team as an example: the Bruins won their first three games, including wins over 3rd-ranked Alabama in week 1 and 3rd-ranked Michigan in week 3. After a week 4 loss to Oregon (when the Bruins, ironically enough, were the 3rd-ranked team in the nation), the team ended 6-6 with a loss to Wisconsin in the Sun Bowl...the SUN BOWL. So here is my point: Tulane, like the rest of New Orleans, is rebuilding; and though I have a lot of respect for Bob Toledo as a coach, I am not sure he is the best coach to rebuild an organization. He is more of a coach that can help take the team to the next level.
But enough talk about Bob Toledo. He, my dear readers, is but an appetizer to the main course of this post. I have told you from the beginning it would happen. I warned you this day would come. And thanks to one of my least favorite (yet surprisingly bright) organizations in the NHL, that day is today.
Late last night, while getting my daily dose of SportsCenter, my attention was drawn to a notice that scrolled by on the sports ticker. A quick Google search confirmed the joyous news. Andy Murray has returned to NHL!
True to my word, I am now a fan of the St. Louis Blues; except, of course, when they play the Kings (like, say, on January 18, 2007 when AM makes his triumphant return to the Staples Center...right Dad?). I must admit, it is an unexpected jump by St. Louis all the way up to my second favorite hockey team. A quick perusal of the St. Louis Blues website reveals that it might be a few years before the Blues and the Kings square off in the Western Conference finals. The Blues are currently dead last in the NHL at 7-17-4, good for 18 points. They have scored the fewest goals (65), rank dead last in powerplay efficiency (10.9%), and have the second worst home record in the entire league (4-9-2).
Take a closer look at the their roster, however, and you will see that AM has some talent to work with. The Blues have a decent mixture of good veterans and talented young guns. Unfortunately though, AM is also taking over a team with a bad run of injuries as of late. Many of the Blues' key offseason acquisitions have missed much of the season (which, I'm sad to say, is nothing new to AM...the Kings only had there star players for about 20 games a season while he was coach). However, if there is one thing AM knows how to do, it is to get the most out of the hand he is dealt. When the Kings had a healthy Jason Allison, Adam Deadmarsh, and Ziggy Palffy, they had one of the most dangerous lines in the NHL (during the 2001-2002 season, the "LAPD" line was the highest scoring line in the league from November 15th until the end of the season). The next season, with Allison and Deadmarsh playing in a combined twenty-six games, AM and the Kings barely missed the playoffs. In his final two full seasons with the Kings, AM never had a full roster (the Kings lost a combined 1165 man games to injury over those two seasons...no, that's not a typo...over eleven hundred man games in two seasons); yet the Kings were never eliminated from playoff contention until very late in the season.
It should come as no surprise that the reason the Kings were so close every year, even when things got bad, was because of AM. He does not accept excuses. He demands accountability, in both the offensive and defensive zones, out of every player on the team. He is not afraid to bench the best player on the team for a game if he is not playing to his potential. He is not afraid to make his players write essays either. Long story short, AM does not bow down to the multi-million dollar babies that many professional athletes have become. Work hard or do not play; it is that simple when it comes to AM.
Do not believe me? Prior to their first practice with their new head coach this morning, each St. Louis Blues player received a mission statement detailing AM's belief system. The following categories were listed on the cover: setting an example, listening, paying attention to detail, being demanding, caring and finding the positive. Instead of the usual light morning skate that most players are used to on game day, AM had the Blues sweating for forty-five minutes.
Welcome back Andy! Here's hoping our next plane flight together is under different circumstances.
While I was driving home from work yesterday (listening 710 ESPN as I always do), I was informed of this glorious announcement out of New Orleans, Louisiana. I could not decide if it was fact or fiction; I could not help but laugh a little. Now, I am not trying to downplay any of the great accomplishments Bob Toledo had at UCLA. He led the Bruins to twenty straight victories from 1997 to 1998, two Pac-10 titles (1997 and 1998), and one Rose Bowl (1998, Washington St. was co-champion in 1997 and played in the Rose Bowl as a result of having beaten the Bruins in the season opener). You have to admire a coach who's goal is to win the NCAA championship every year. I know there are a lot of coaches who are content with just getting a bowl invite.
But here is the thing with Bobby T (I don't think anyone has probably ever called him Bobby T...but it does just kinda roll of the tongue), because he coaches to win titles, the season ends with one loss. I am sure anyone who lived in Westwood from 1996 to 2002 will tell you, once the Bruins lost their first game of the season, it was a crap shoot the rest of the way. One loss, and the season was bound to end with several uninspired losses to lesser opponents; teams that the Bruins should have demolished. Take the 2000 team as an example: the Bruins won their first three games, including wins over 3rd-ranked Alabama in week 1 and 3rd-ranked Michigan in week 3. After a week 4 loss to Oregon (when the Bruins, ironically enough, were the 3rd-ranked team in the nation), the team ended 6-6 with a loss to Wisconsin in the Sun Bowl...the SUN BOWL. So here is my point: Tulane, like the rest of New Orleans, is rebuilding; and though I have a lot of respect for Bob Toledo as a coach, I am not sure he is the best coach to rebuild an organization. He is more of a coach that can help take the team to the next level.
But enough talk about Bob Toledo. He, my dear readers, is but an appetizer to the main course of this post. I have told you from the beginning it would happen. I warned you this day would come. And thanks to one of my least favorite (yet surprisingly bright) organizations in the NHL, that day is today.
Late last night, while getting my daily dose of SportsCenter, my attention was drawn to a notice that scrolled by on the sports ticker. A quick Google search confirmed the joyous news. Andy Murray has returned to NHL!
True to my word, I am now a fan of the St. Louis Blues; except, of course, when they play the Kings (like, say, on January 18, 2007 when AM makes his triumphant return to the Staples Center...right Dad?). I must admit, it is an unexpected jump by St. Louis all the way up to my second favorite hockey team. A quick perusal of the St. Louis Blues website reveals that it might be a few years before the Blues and the Kings square off in the Western Conference finals. The Blues are currently dead last in the NHL at 7-17-4, good for 18 points. They have scored the fewest goals (65), rank dead last in powerplay efficiency (10.9%), and have the second worst home record in the entire league (4-9-2).
Take a closer look at the their roster, however, and you will see that AM has some talent to work with. The Blues have a decent mixture of good veterans and talented young guns. Unfortunately though, AM is also taking over a team with a bad run of injuries as of late. Many of the Blues' key offseason acquisitions have missed much of the season (which, I'm sad to say, is nothing new to AM...the Kings only had there star players for about 20 games a season while he was coach). However, if there is one thing AM knows how to do, it is to get the most out of the hand he is dealt. When the Kings had a healthy Jason Allison, Adam Deadmarsh, and Ziggy Palffy, they had one of the most dangerous lines in the NHL (during the 2001-2002 season, the "LAPD" line was the highest scoring line in the league from November 15th until the end of the season). The next season, with Allison and Deadmarsh playing in a combined twenty-six games, AM and the Kings barely missed the playoffs. In his final two full seasons with the Kings, AM never had a full roster (the Kings lost a combined 1165 man games to injury over those two seasons...no, that's not a typo...over eleven hundred man games in two seasons); yet the Kings were never eliminated from playoff contention until very late in the season.
It should come as no surprise that the reason the Kings were so close every year, even when things got bad, was because of AM. He does not accept excuses. He demands accountability, in both the offensive and defensive zones, out of every player on the team. He is not afraid to bench the best player on the team for a game if he is not playing to his potential. He is not afraid to make his players write essays either. Long story short, AM does not bow down to the multi-million dollar babies that many professional athletes have become. Work hard or do not play; it is that simple when it comes to AM.
Do not believe me? Prior to their first practice with their new head coach this morning, each St. Louis Blues player received a mission statement detailing AM's belief system. The following categories were listed on the cover: setting an example, listening, paying attention to detail, being demanding, caring and finding the positive. Instead of the usual light morning skate that most players are used to on game day, AM had the Blues sweating for forty-five minutes.
Welcome back Andy! Here's hoping our next plane flight together is under different circumstances.
Monday, December 11, 2006
The Real World: BAP
Where does the time go? I apologize to my loyal readers whom, again, have been forced to wait nearly three weeks for a new post. There are so many topics that I have been dying to tackle, but my time has grown rather scarce as of late. I hope to produce several new posts over the next couple of weeks, especially with my whole family coming to town for the holidays. Wish me luck!
I have entered a new phase in my life, and it only took me about twenty-six years to get here. It is something I lovingly refer to as the real world. I was chastised by several of my biggest fans for not letting everyone know in my Turkey Day Traditions post that I passed the July 2006 California Bar exam (along with 51.8% of the other takers). The great state of California decided to throw caution to the wind and grant BAP a license to practice law. Having been duly sworn in on December 1st, I am a practicing attorney...good times.
All this excitement (and student loans) brings with it a new challenge: a job...we are talking salary, benefits, the whole nine yards. It is the first real job I have had. I used to think the summer internships at my Dad's work counted as real jobs; not anymore. I am starting to realize I may have been treated a little differently back then because I was related to guy in the corner office with a view (to his credit, my Dad never wanted that office...he always tried to downplay just how important he was to the company). Even worse, my life is now broken down into six minute increments; oh the joys of billable hours. Trying to balance work and life is proving to be a little more demanding than I thought it would (take Christmas for example, it's only two weeks away...TWO WEEKS...I've never felt so unprepared for Christmas before. I have a new found respect for my Sister who has always coordinated gifts for the family. How does she do it?). I have so much to learn, for my sake...and that of my readers.
Speaking of the real world, on the recommendation of one of my friends at work, I caught the first two episodes of The Real World: Denver, MTv's newest season of the show largely credited with the reality television boom (and now I hear that NBC,the lone station that has, for the most part, avoided the reality craze is going to focus its 2007-2008 line-up around reality based programming...oh, the humanity!). I am sure you know how the show works: seven strangers, picked to live in a totally pimped-out house ('cause that really happens), lives taped, blah, blah blah. I remember the third season of the show, The Real World: San Francisco. That season tackled some major issues, most notably HIV/AIDS and homosexuality. That season brought those two issues to forefront of our current cultural revolution. That season made it seem like the show actually contributed something.
Fast-forward fifteen years; what is the current season contributing you ask? Well, the first two episodes encompassed the first thirty-six hours of the housemates living together. The episodes mainly focused on only three of the seven people, a guy and two girls. In the span of thirty-six hours, the guy made out with one of the girls and slept with the other. This of course resulted in the two girls sharing a "heartfelt" and tearful conversation in which the girl who made out with guy told the other girl she felt so betrayed, and the girl who slept with the guy apologized to the other girl, felt so bad that she would do something to such a great friend, it was clearly the alcohol, would never want a guy to come between them, and then she (the one who doesn't know how to keep her pants on) told the confessional room that she felt so bad because she knew the other girl was going to be in her wedding party...HER WEDDING PARTY! And this is the "real world?" Unbelievable. (You know, when I was younger, I had to sneak around to watch MTV and my Mom would get mad at me when she caught me watching it. She used to say it was bad for my mind...and now, 10 years later, I'm a lawyer...maybe she was on to something.)
And, finally, since you are still here (hopefully), I would like to take the opportunity to welcome USC fans to the real world. No, no, I am not talking about the Gamecocks of the University of South Carolina. I am talking about the Trojans of...of...Southern Cali...ah, I cannot even finish saying it. Two, soon to be three, losses, better put the suicide hotline on red alert. The bandwagon loaded full of Raider fans ran into a little speed bump I like to the call the UCLA Bruins.
It was, by far, one of the best games I have ever seen; either live or on television. For starters, my Brother-in-Law (whom, over the past two years, has steadily climbed my list of favorite people in the world) provided me with some seats in the fifth row at about the thirty yard line (if you watched the game, and I'd be shocked if you didn't, I was about five rows up from were UCLA quarterback Patrick Cowan got leveled in the fourth quarter). I have never heard the Rose Bowl rocking like it was. I was so amped that I did not even care when, with four minutes left in the game, I was stung by a bee. If you do not think this is the greatest conference/cross-town rivalry, find someone who has the game recorded and go to six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. I have never seen anything like it.
As a result of this game, I am pretty sure my Sister is going to lose the company of my Brother-in-Law for a guaranteed one night every year from here on out (remember Sis, "until death do us part"...I was there, I heard you say it...oral contracts are valid in the state of California...I should know, I'm a lawyer). In an effort to bring some good juju, my Brother-in-Law camped out the night before to get a prime tailgating spot. The last time he did so, it should come as no surprise, was the last time the Bruins beat the kiddies of Troy. I will definitely be there with him next time. When we finally met up with him at about 8 a.m., our group was entrenched in a music war with a group of SC band alumni who, every half-an-hour, played and danced...oh yes danced...to Trojan songs.
I also have to give props to the tailgate diagonally across from us who brought their own porta-potty to their tailgate...and I thought I had seen it all. Have to go to bathroom? No worries! Just hop in the porta-potty in the bed of my pick-up truck.
Hey, the real world might not be so bad after all.
I have entered a new phase in my life, and it only took me about twenty-six years to get here. It is something I lovingly refer to as the real world. I was chastised by several of my biggest fans for not letting everyone know in my Turkey Day Traditions post that I passed the July 2006 California Bar exam (along with 51.8% of the other takers). The great state of California decided to throw caution to the wind and grant BAP a license to practice law. Having been duly sworn in on December 1st, I am a practicing attorney...good times.
All this excitement (and student loans) brings with it a new challenge: a job...we are talking salary, benefits, the whole nine yards. It is the first real job I have had. I used to think the summer internships at my Dad's work counted as real jobs; not anymore. I am starting to realize I may have been treated a little differently back then because I was related to guy in the corner office with a view (to his credit, my Dad never wanted that office...he always tried to downplay just how important he was to the company). Even worse, my life is now broken down into six minute increments; oh the joys of billable hours. Trying to balance work and life is proving to be a little more demanding than I thought it would (take Christmas for example, it's only two weeks away...TWO WEEKS...I've never felt so unprepared for Christmas before. I have a new found respect for my Sister who has always coordinated gifts for the family. How does she do it?). I have so much to learn, for my sake...and that of my readers.
Speaking of the real world, on the recommendation of one of my friends at work, I caught the first two episodes of The Real World: Denver, MTv's newest season of the show largely credited with the reality television boom (and now I hear that NBC,the lone station that has, for the most part, avoided the reality craze is going to focus its 2007-2008 line-up around reality based programming...oh, the humanity!). I am sure you know how the show works: seven strangers, picked to live in a totally pimped-out house ('cause that really happens), lives taped, blah, blah blah. I remember the third season of the show, The Real World: San Francisco. That season tackled some major issues, most notably HIV/AIDS and homosexuality. That season brought those two issues to forefront of our current cultural revolution. That season made it seem like the show actually contributed something.
Fast-forward fifteen years; what is the current season contributing you ask? Well, the first two episodes encompassed the first thirty-six hours of the housemates living together. The episodes mainly focused on only three of the seven people, a guy and two girls. In the span of thirty-six hours, the guy made out with one of the girls and slept with the other. This of course resulted in the two girls sharing a "heartfelt" and tearful conversation in which the girl who made out with guy told the other girl she felt so betrayed, and the girl who slept with the guy apologized to the other girl, felt so bad that she would do something to such a great friend, it was clearly the alcohol, would never want a guy to come between them, and then she (the one who doesn't know how to keep her pants on) told the confessional room that she felt so bad because she knew the other girl was going to be in her wedding party...HER WEDDING PARTY! And this is the "real world?" Unbelievable. (You know, when I was younger, I had to sneak around to watch MTV and my Mom would get mad at me when she caught me watching it. She used to say it was bad for my mind...and now, 10 years later, I'm a lawyer...maybe she was on to something.)
And, finally, since you are still here (hopefully), I would like to take the opportunity to welcome USC fans to the real world. No, no, I am not talking about the Gamecocks of the University of South Carolina. I am talking about the Trojans of...of...Southern Cali...ah, I cannot even finish saying it. Two, soon to be three, losses, better put the suicide hotline on red alert. The bandwagon loaded full of Raider fans ran into a little speed bump I like to the call the UCLA Bruins.
It was, by far, one of the best games I have ever seen; either live or on television. For starters, my Brother-in-Law (whom, over the past two years, has steadily climbed my list of favorite people in the world) provided me with some seats in the fifth row at about the thirty yard line (if you watched the game, and I'd be shocked if you didn't, I was about five rows up from were UCLA quarterback Patrick Cowan got leveled in the fourth quarter). I have never heard the Rose Bowl rocking like it was. I was so amped that I did not even care when, with four minutes left in the game, I was stung by a bee. If you do not think this is the greatest conference/cross-town rivalry, find someone who has the game recorded and go to six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. I have never seen anything like it.
As a result of this game, I am pretty sure my Sister is going to lose the company of my Brother-in-Law for a guaranteed one night every year from here on out (remember Sis, "until death do us part"...I was there, I heard you say it...oral contracts are valid in the state of California...I should know, I'm a lawyer). In an effort to bring some good juju, my Brother-in-Law camped out the night before to get a prime tailgating spot. The last time he did so, it should come as no surprise, was the last time the Bruins beat the kiddies of Troy. I will definitely be there with him next time. When we finally met up with him at about 8 a.m., our group was entrenched in a music war with a group of SC band alumni who, every half-an-hour, played and danced...oh yes danced...to Trojan songs.
I also have to give props to the tailgate diagonally across from us who brought their own porta-potty to their tailgate...and I thought I had seen it all. Have to go to bathroom? No worries! Just hop in the porta-potty in the bed of my pick-up truck.
Hey, the real world might not be so bad after all.
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