Collected Thoughts

Shallow Hockey Update.

Tonight Tampa plays Atlanta, and they really really need to win this game. They are in a three -way tie right now for 6th place (with New Jersey and Montreal-- Tampa has the advantage over those two). Atlanta is five points out, I'm not sure if they could sneak into 8th place or not.

Tonight will be a struggle, a few games ago (Sunday I think) Boyle went out with a hurt ankle, he was chasing down the puck for icing and hit the boards (I think, I didn't see it). I'm not sure why there isn't no touch icing because guys keep getting injured in various ways, Tortorella doesn't want no touch icing, when Boyle was asked about it he said he's now a fan. I wonder if that will effect his performance in the future, I wonder if it will be in the back of his mind that he might get hurt.

Then in the next game Sydor got hurt (he was writing on the ice kind of inch worming around) in the first period and then Kubina got hurt. Sydor went back in but Kubina didn't -- he has a "lower body injury". Freddie Modin has been out with an "upper body injury." Tampa called up two minor league players to help with defense. There is also Paul Ranger, in his first season in the NHL. The offense hasn't been that sharp, in several games it looked like they weren't attacking at all and just waiting for puck to get to them.

Supposedly they'll be back this weekend. I hope.

Tampa was the only team not to do anything before the trade deadline, there was speculation that they'd try and get a goalie (we have 2 back up goalies, John Grahame is very inconsistent and Sean Burke has off nights, he broke his finger and didn't play, they called up Gerald Coleman to be the back up...he even played after Grahame sucked so bad Tortorella pulled him and put Coleman in). But now it looks like they should have gone after a defenseman.

I have a feeling I'll be spending a lot of tonight yelling "stay in the zone!!! Why are you going back wards?!?!?" and "Stop passing the puck so much !! Shoot!!" And if Grahame starts "Stay in your crease damnit! Stay!" He has a tendancy to wander and that's not his strong suit, plus he drops his stick just about every other game.

I know at least once I'll be yelling at Bobby "The Chief" Taylor to stop whining about the play calling. He does that a lot and it's annoying. Although the other night I actually heard him correct himself and say the ref was right in call against the Lightning. I was shocked. He actually calmed down for a game, but since it's so close to the play offs I'm sure he'll get upset. I swear sometimes he sounds like he's about to stroke out.

Speaking of playoffs, I haven't looked for the tv schedule, but Im assuming the bulk of the first rounds will be on OLN. I keep hoping their camera work will improve, but it didn't look so great the other night when I watched some of the Ducks/whoever they played game. Mom watched part of that, she thought the name was stupid, esp. after I explained the history. They had a quick little interview before the game with Teemu Selane. Mom thought he was cute until she realized he has some front teeth missing, "ewww!!" She's slowly getting understanding more of the game and gets interested in parts. But I think 1 hockey game a week is her limit.

Also I started a really stupid book that someone gave me (it'd been left at work), it's called the Chairman or something like that. I can't remember the guy's name. I got to chapter 3 (I think) and couldn't stand it any longer. Each chapter started with a definition from the finicial industry --which is fine since I don't know anything about it. BUT! It starts at some big wig's funeral and the new Chairman is looking around, etc and lists the names and positions of people there -- not just football coach, senator, etc --but totally name dropping fictional names. He did it later as well.

Then they leave the funeral and he's talking to some guy whose name should have been John Exposition because it was blah blah blah, like on CSI when the techs should know how something works but go "oh! that's right technical stuff for the auidence" and look kind of stupid. So after the Exposition they are walking near a limo that explodes! The Chairman isn't hurt, just a cut on his head, and some lady passing by is dead, and the Chairman (who has a name but I forget -- he's 36 and attractive, that comes up more than once) is cut, but he bravely goes on to the reception after the funeral. Everyone sort of leaves and there are NO COPS. Seriously. A limo explodes and some chick dies and he's all "no! no! I must solider on to the reception where we can Exposition some more!"

But, he shows compassion and tells his John Exposition (formerly his equal now his minion -- the New Chairman takes time to totally smack down Mr. Exposition and establish his Alpha Dominance) to find out who the woman was, discretely, he wants to take care of her family, but not get sued. Then Chairman takes out "his Blackberry -- a cordless email, internet, and phone device --" that's what it says! I sat there stunned that the author not only defined what a Blackberry was but did it in a stupid manner. Cordless? Shouldn't it be wireless? It felt like the author was name dropping -- look ! I use the coolest gadgets!

At that point I was about to quit the book but I decided to see if it got worse. Which it did, I only made it a few pages further.


So the New Chairman goes to the reception and wanders into the Ex Chairman's office his home looking around taking in the smell of leather and smoke and thinking "MINE!! ALL MINE!!" (only wordier), when some other guy (also a former equal but now a total minion, but he was almost the Chairman! he lost by one vote! And he says "fuck" a lot which makes the New Chairman mad) who comes in and says "our conspiracy didn't work!" and tells the New Chairman "yeah, we tried to kill you, John Exposition was supposed to get you closer to the limo but he failed". The New Chairman reacts with "I figured your nefarious plan out as soon as it happened! Take that! BTW here's my fresh new idea about how to make us more money, wanna hear it?"


Which is when I threw down the book in disgust.

I'm sure this guy has made lots of money on the book, stupid people should not be allowed to write stupid books.