Tag Archives: hockey

Why The Leafs Stink

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The very definition of 'epic failure'.

It’s not bad luck. It’s not bad karma. What it takes to build a chronic loser.

A genuinely insightful article by Steve Maich published in Macleans on April 2, 2008 and has, somehow, gone unheeded by the Maple Leafs organization as nearly two years later and with no end in sight… the Leafs still stink.

God hates the blue and white — it’s that belief which binds together all those who call themselves citizens of Leafs Nation. On talk radio, in chat rooms, and in sports bars across the country (but mainly in southern Ontario) they share the misery of loving a team that does not give back. Not ever. Their bond is galvanized by the common struggle against forces beyond their control, and by the knowledge that they are hated (vehemently) by fans in Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver and beyond. It’s that sense of grievance and isolation that, in the absence of anything real to celebrate, holds them all together.

via Why the Leafs stink | Macleans.ca – Canada – Features.

JeffLand’s National Sport

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I’m trying to decide on a national sport for the New JeffLand Empire.  I have always loved hockey and there are many other citizens of the NJLE that also love hockey.  The obvious thing would be to just make hockey the national sport.  However, all of the citizens of NJLE are fanatical Skee-Ball fans and, while Skee-Ball may not be an obvious choice for a sport, it may be the most appropriate selection.

 

Skee-Ball

Skee-Ball. Close to the heart of the NJLE.

The jury is still out.

NHL Entry Draft – 2010

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Taylor Hall Draft Day

After a incredibly brutal season that dropped them to the basement of the NHL, the Edmonton Oilers secured the #1 draft pick in yesterday’s NHL Entry Draft.  And with it, they picked two-time Memorial Cup MVP Taylor Hall.  I can’t wait to see this guy in an Oilers uniform… let’s just hope they don’t absolutely crush this dude’s talent with management idiocy.

On The Hunt For Gold

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hitting it towards the Norwegian goaltender

hitting it towards the Norwegian goaltender

We are less than an hour away from the spectacle of the Team Canada taking on Slovakia in the semi-final of the 2010 Olympics men’s hockey event.  With the United States beating Finland in convincing fashion, this game decides whether it will be the Canadians or the Slovaks who will go on to play the Americans in the gold medal game.

Personally, I am really revved up for this game and I know that much of the population of JeffLand is going to be sitting around the television, watching this game in 47 inches of HD glory.

National pride is at stake and we know that with our game against the Swiss and the loss to the Americans shows that over-confidence can be a team’s worst enemy.  However, with the savage beating the Team Canada delivered to Alex O and the remainder of the Russian team, it’s hard to say what is going to happen.  I’m not taking anything for granted tonight.

Team Canada: Do Or Die… For Real

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After the upset of Team Canada by the Americans on Super Sunday, this week has been dubbed ‘Hell Week’ and for good reason. Canada must face the Germans tonight, who definitely aren’t going to roll over and die for anyone, before they can advance to the Quarter-Finals against Alexander Ovechkin and the Russians. It’s a long, hard road out of hell for Team Canada to say the least.

How did we get here? Sunday’s game against the Americans was a shocker for everyone. As TSN’s Bob Mackenzie predicted, Canada vs the USA would be a goaltender battle and Ryan Miller stood on his head for the Americans, stopping almost everything but the kitchen sink. In contrast, from the drop of the puck Martin Brodeur looked awkward and shaky when handling the puck that would ultimately lead to goals on a couple of occaisions. For a three time Stanley Cup winning goaltender that already has an Olympic gold medal in his trophy case along with a plethora of other accolades during his distinguished career, his play was uncharacteristic.

Luongo is getting the start tonight so we will see what kind of a difference that makes. The game is starting so I’m wrapping this up!

A Royal Pain In The Ass

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For the love of the game

For the love of the game

As King, I have a responsibility to the people of JeffLand. This becomes fully realized to me on the weekends when the recreational activities of the Royal Family happen. There is a lot of driving involved and many trips to various sporting facilities surrounding this great nation. (That nation being JeffLand, of course.)

For the most part, the enjoyment that I take away from watching the Duke and the two Princes play the sports that they love is worth the effort and the schedule stress. That is, unless something goes drastically wrong or, even worse, they complain about it.

Such is the case this morning.

I enrolled the eldest Prince in a power-skating class to help boost his skating abilities on-ice since this is his first year in hockey. They focus on skating (obviously) and try to develop each player’s skating technique and skill through various types of drills and repetition. They take their helmet, gloves and stick so that they can get the feel of doing it all with a stick like it were a hockey situation… so I thought that having his stick and gloves would make it more enjoyable.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Every Saturday morning is greeted with a groan and a frown and a pout when I tell him to get ready for power-skating. He doesn’t like it. Actually, he fucking hates it. Even when I mention power-skating, I’m greeted with a heavy sigh and an eye roll.

Like a root canal but more painful

Like a root canal but more painful

He’s told me that he’d rather go to school than go to power-skating, although that’s likely a huge exaggeration. That being said, I think he’d rather watch an eight hour Hannah Montana marathon than go and work on his skating.

I don’t understand it, though. He’s so much more different in that regard than I was at his age. Any chance I had to get on the ice and practice or learn better techniques on skating or shooting or anything that would give me an edge… I was on it. The Prince? He thinks he knows it all and doesn’t want anyone showing him or teaching him… he’s got a huge chip on his shoulder. Like his way isn’t right or something.

Anyway, all he does is complain about it. I thought he would understand but, clearly, he doesn’t… nor does he appreciate the efforts I’ve made to get him into it and to take him there. So I’m torn about doing any camps for him over the summer. I want to keep him skating so he doesn’t lose the momentum in the off-season but he’s expressed a definite opinion that he does NOT want to be in another power-skating class. I’ll look into a hockey camp for him but those are filling up quickly and I might be too late already.

But, I got thinking this morning as I was freezing my ass off watching him skate and “dread” it. I’ve stopped having a life of my own. My life has become making sure that everyone else has a life and is having fun. Everything in between that… ends up being me killing time until the next thing I have to chauffeur the Royal Family to. And no matter what I do… someone has got to whine about something. It gets quite tiring and leaves a King feeling quite unappreciated.