Don't Make Me Come To Vegas

I decided yesterday that since the whole nap before the game on Tuesday thing didn't work out and since I hadn't actually stayed up at all for Tuesday's game, I decided to go about it exactly opposite-ly. (Yeah, it's a word, I just made it up, deal with it.) I did NOT nap. I watched Miracle in an effort to kick-start the Wings. Back in January 2004, the Wings were playing like shite and I thought it would help them if I watched my Wings box set. I thought it would remind them that they did know how to play the game. And it worked, subliminally. I didn't know if the Wings box set would work again, so tried Miracle. I wore my tie-dye shirt from Loopy and I stayed up. Oh yeah, as soon as I walked in the house I took off all of my jewelry, which I normally do, but didn't on Sunday as I thought my Swedish coin earrings would help our five Swedes get motivated (yeah, that worked Nicklas Lidstrom was a -3 for me that day). And at the end of it all, I stayed up to watch the game, harassing DWD every ten minutes or so. I think we helped each other stay sane during the five-on-threes. And it seemed like it was all for good as the Wings won the game in regulation 4-2. Whew!

Now for my observations on the game:

I don't care where you are or who you are, it's bloody rude and disrespectful to yell and scream during another country's national anthem. Of course, having been to many races in Canada, I can tell you that I have seen people very obviously sitting with their arms crossed mutinously through the U.S. national anthem and then just as obviously standing for the Canadian. It's rude, I don't care how much you hate us, it's impolite and tacky.

I completely disapprove of this relatively new (within the past ten years, I think) phenomenon of NOT cheering for the home team, but jeering against the visiting team. Again, I think it's completely tacky. The Edmonton crowd spent a good portion of their time JEERING My Manny and that pissed me off! I want to state for the record that as much as I hated Patrick Roy I never went along with the PAT-RICK taunts that the Wings fan started (in response to the hideous behavior of the Avs' fans with which I won't bore you, unless you ask). In fact, I get really annoyed when people start behaving that way and I'm at the game. It just pisses me off that people have to be so negative these days. We were talking at lunch yesterday about how basketball and football players seem to celebrate things as an IN YOUR FACE thing. It's not so much about winning for some people as it is about demoralising or showing up your opponents. At any rate, Manny isn't a grandstanding showboat, like Roy – see 2002's Statue of Liberty play – he's just a quiet guy trying to do his job. Sure, he let in a bad goal in Tuesday's night OT, but it's just pathetic to waste four good opportunities to chant FOR YOUR TEAM. I normally like Edmonton (and root for them when they're not playing the Wings), but if their fans continue to act like Avs' fans, I'm not sure how long I will be able to support them.

The Wings played dismally in the 2nd period, except for killing off those penalties – the officiating was abysmal!!! It seemed like the refs felt that if they had to keep penalties even. They called seven penalties on Edmonton in the 1st and then eleven against the Wings in the 2nd. And then the fans in the 3rd wanted a penalty called on Nicklas Lidstrom for something which wasn't a penalty and wasn't called, but Nicky scored on the play and the crowd started chanting Bullshit. No, dears, what was bullshit was that your player completely dived, thankfully the refs figured that one out, unlike one of the calls in the 2nd. A sportswriter for the Freep said it should have been an interference call, but I think she must have been asleep when it happened, because there's no way in hell it was a penalty.

I had more observations last night while lying in bed after the game and completely unable to sleep but I can't remember them right now. The thing I did figure out though was that there was a common denominator between Friday's game and last night's game, and that was that I had eaten at Red Robin both days. ARGH!!! Now, I really enjoy Red Robin, but I think I get my full allotment of calories for the day in one meal there. I don't really want to go to lunch there tomorrow! ;-)

The good news is that I have gone from last (6th place) with 6 points up to 4th with 39 points just since Monday. I hope that continues, although I could be in trouble. I picked ZERO Colorado players as I thought Dallas would take care of them handily and I have two Dallas players. The problem here is that Colorado is up 3-0 in the series. Dallas at least better make a series of it so I can get some points before they bail on me completely.

Oh, update on Netflix pissing me off, the disc that arrived yesterday was Season 2, Disc 4…Disc 3 is supposed to arrive today or tomorrow. I'd dearly love to slap someone.

Speaking of slapping, I have come up with a great idea for making money for charity. Now this event will only work in a hockey city, but I know many hockey fans who would line up for this. Actually, I have two ideas both having to do with Gary Bettman, the weasel who singlehandedly wiped away hockey tradition by changing the names of the conferences from Campbell and Wales – historical hockey names with the bland, unexciting, not quite descriptive Eastern and Western Conference. I say not descriptive because Detroit is in the Eastern time zone, but we're in the Western Conference. It's just wrong! Anyway, back to my idea, somehow someone has to convince Gary to sign up for these events, but go with me here, don't get all technical on me. The nonspecific you takes Mr. Bettman into a city, I'd say use their hockey rink, charge $5 for entry to watch and for an additional $5 you get to slap him upside his head. Now there are rules: no punching, no eye gouging, no high sticking. You're allowed just a nice little slap upside his pointy little head. I think it would bring MILLIONS, especially if you start in Canadian hockey towns. My other idea is a little less nice. Again, you take Bettman and you place him in a hockey rink – this will only work once for obvious reasons, and for this little exercise I think the best place is Denver – and then you take Todd Bertuzzi and put him on the same ice. Yup, you got it, Todd "Goon Who Shouldn't Have Been Allowed To Play This Year" Bertuzzi will then be told to hit Mr. Bettman the exact same way Mr. Bertuzzi hit Steve Moore. Perhaps then, Mr. Bettman will understand why Bertuzzi shouldn't have been allowed to play this year. Actually, I think that as long as Steve Moore can't play due to the health issues suffered from the hit that Bertuzzi shouldn't be allowed to play.

I think that's enough hockey for the day. Is it bedtime yet?