College kids make a splash in playoffs

While watching the Buffalo-N.Y. Rangers game two, which the Rangers should have won, I couldn't help but think of the influence college hockey had on the game.

The best players on the ice were Thomas Vanek, Ryan Miller and Chris Drury. Respectively, they played at Minnesota, Michigan State and Boston University. Drew Stafford, who set up the game winning goal for Buffalo, played at North Dakota.

It's interesting to see how more college players are stepping up to be big time players in the NHL and in the playoffs.

Speaking of college hockey - make sure to go to Inside College Hockey to look ahead to the 2008 campaign.

Another blog for you to read

GCI Group has just launched the blog section ... and the Digital Media team's blog is entitled: Grounded in Reality.

Check it out to learn about the digital world from some of the brightest minds in our business. If there's something you want to learn more about, let us know and we will make sure to address it.

A moment for my client....

It's not often I speak about work in this space, but I have to tell y'all how much I love working with the folks at Red Lobster. Been going to Orlando a lot and let me tell ya why...

I am working with the top chefs there to build a chefs blog and I am going back down on Monday night to video cast the two of them. They will cover all kinds of topics and they will be great at it. For those who haven't heard the names Michael LaDuke and Darryl Mickler before - get ready, they are going to be big on the web and beyond!

It's been a ton of fun getting to know the boys as well as Wendy Spirduso, Sally Setta and Bob McAdam. You are very lucky in life if you get to do something you like as well as work with good people. There's no doubt I am doing both with this group. Wendy always asks if the other brands are having as much fun as we are ... I doubt anyone can be as productive and have the fun we are having working on the brand.

And, if you can all sign up to be part of Red Lobster's Overboard Club - you will get a sneak peek at the videos before everyone else. Go to RedLobster.com and sign up!

Plus, when was the last time you ate there? You need to go see the Fresh Fish menu - you will be pleasantly surprised at how good it is.

Also - have you been to Season's 52? If you have one in your area - it is a must!!!!

OK - enough plugs ... Ducks and Sabres looked great last night. Of course, no shock in either game. Sabres series should be a tougher one - not sure how much the Canucks have in the tank after going seven in round one.

For those of you watching the Ducks game, check out my boy Billy Jaffe looking sharp on Versus. His Isles got bounced, but the Meee-Chhhigan alum still getting it done on national tv. That is for those who know where and what Versus is. BTW - did I mention that Gary Bettman did a great job on getting that TV deal done? Way to go - now is it time for you to go, please????

Mr. April continues his hot start

Alex Rodriguez hit two more homers last night, but the Yanks lost to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for their fourth straight loss. There is NO way this team will make it to October. Even if Roger Clemens comes back, they don't have enough pitching to get them in the mix. But it's amazing what a contract year does to people, no? ARod is a very good ballplayer, but this is the best start he has ever had ... coincidence? I doubt it.

Great 7th game in Vancouver last night - shame refs got to involved in the third period, but still a great hockey game. Congrats Canucks - enjoy your trip to Anaheim. Unless Roberto Luongo can score as well as stop the pucks, the Ducks should take this series in 5. Also like Buffalo over the Rangers in 6, Devils over the Senators in 7 and San Jose to knock off Detroit in 6.

Is anyone watching the NBA playoffs? If you are one of those people, answer me this, how do you stay awake?

Mark Prior about to have shoulder surgery. If the Cubs didn't have bad luck, they would have no luck at all. Oh well, at least ARod will look good in the Cubbie uniform next season ... after Mark Cuban buys the team. Something to look forward to.

Mississippi still reeling from Katrina

Morning all - I am in a cab on Hwy 90 heading from Biloxi to Gulfport, Mississippi. Here for a business meeting and to gamble and play some golf with friends.

I have been soapboxing with my Va. Tech stuff - and I have another soapbox moment coming on what I am seeing here.

Tons of places haven't been touched since the storm. While some might say I am on the coast and rich people live on the coast - the heck with them, I say shame on us Americans. We are sooooo caught up with New Orleans that we don't look here in Mississippi.

It's just sad to me to see this and know that all this time has gone by and what has been done. I know Iraq is a huge mess for the current Bush administration - but the overall Katrina cluster has to be a close second.

I didn't see the Gonzales hearings, but I saw snipets of him saying, "I don't recall." Three words this administration uses well and often.

Not sure if anyone is watching or cares about the Supreme Court - but they just made a huge decision in abortion rights and not in a good way. Ladies - I hope and pray for your sake that no other Justices die during the current administration. For if they do, you can kiss Roe v. Wade goodbye.

The day after ...

Now that the sweep of the Thrashers is done ... let's take a second and look back at a good season. They won a division when they weren't the best team. Don Waddell did almost everything he can - he made a major mistake in not bringing back Marc Savard at center and it showed during the playoffs. Heck the Thrashers should have declined the power-plays they got.

Don't expect any changes in the organization - the Atlanta Spirit, the most dysfunctional ownership group EVER, hasn't fired Billy Knight and Mike Woodson of the Atlanta Hawks. So, how can you fire guys that gave you a division title?

The funny part is with this ownership group, nothing would surprise me anymore. Right after the trade deadline, when Waddell made some moves, one of the owners was giddy as a school girl in the elevator taking credit for the deals. This owner who is from Atlanta originally is the most embarrassing owner in sports history period. I have met many owners, and this gentleman is just a buffoon.

Anyway - season over - time to figure out what will be done with the lineup for next year. In my mind, as long as Andy Sutton is not re-signed, we can all sleep better.

And more importantly, I can watch GOOD playoff hockey from now on... and even more important I can say those three words again.... "LET'S GO RANGERS!!" (Ranzman - that's for you baby!!!).

San Jose took a 3-1 lead on Nashville - but it ain't over yet...

New Jersey came back to win in OT last night - Tampa is a goalie away from winning the cup again. Where did Nic Khabibulin go? Think he was last seen in Chicago ... but not in the playoffs.

Three series can end tonight ... hope the Pens can pull one out, but don't bet on it ...

Thrashing around....

Some great stories from the day after a 7-0 rout:

E.J. Hradek - ESPN.com

Jeff Schultz - AJC.com

Lisa Olson - NY Daily News - back page headline - Magnificent 7

Larry Brooks - NY Post - headline - Taking Out the Thrash

On a totally different note - New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine wasn't wearing his seat belt and his car was going 91 mph when he got in a wreck on a way to mediate the Imus-Rutgers meeting.

How many ABSURD parts of that last sentence can you find???? GEEZ!

BTW - I think the Rangers just scored again .... think it was Jagr from Nylander and Avery

Can you say horrific?

Thrashers gave up a goal 32 seconds in - and are down 3-0 after the first period. Jaromir Jagr has three assists and Michael Nylander has two goals and an assist. At some point, the Thrashers might figure out they need to stop that 68 guy.

Gave up two more in the second - down 5-0 in a game you need to win. In the third period, Ilya Kovalchuk dropped the gloves to fight Sean Avery. Something you never see, but it shows the frustration of the team. Funny part is that Ilya, Keith Tkachuk and Eric Belanger all in the box for the last 16 minutes of the third. That's one line of offense - shortening your bench in a blowout won't help tomorrow's Game 4. Great stat from Darren Eliot - the Thrashers have 1 shot in the last 19 minutes and they just gave up goal number 6.

With 4:06 in the third period - Michael Nylander scores his third of the night to make it 7-0, To me it's not Kari Lehtonen's fault - he can sue for lack of support. For some reason, Rangers coach Tom Renney put Jaromir Jagr on the ice with five minutes to go in a blowout. He just got creamed on a hit by Garnett Exelby - that happened to be right before the 7th goal. If he sees the ice again, Renney should be shot.

Final - Rangers 7, Thrashers 0 - Andy Sutton minus-3 as was Nic Havelid and Marian Hossa.

I could have changed the channel but I like watching train wrecks.... and this was the absolute perfect train wreck.

Thanks for showing up boys. You have to wonder if Bob Hartley keeps his job if they lose in four games. He's the kind of coach that teams can tune out and according to my sources, the boys have tuned him out. Tough decision for Don Waddell - but he's got a ton of questions to answer with players as well.

Funny part to me is that after the first two games, the Thrashers were missing one piece of the puzzle to me. Hard to play what if, but it looks like they miss center Marc Savard more than anyone in the organization will admit. He was the guy that made the offense go and he took the money and went to Boston. Damn shame - would have been fun to watch.

Great night for me - kids in bed, I am in the basement with the big screen split in two - Thrashers-Rangers on left - Ottawa-Pittsburgh on the other. Now have Dallas-Vancouver game on one side and Detroit-Calgary on the other. Love this time of year!

More thoughts on Va. Tech

Got this note from one of my colleagues in Austin who is an alumna of Virginia Tech ... wanted to share her thoughts ....


Dear colleagues and more importantly friends,

I think unless you’ve been buried in client work, you’ve all been exposed to the shootings that took place at my beloved alma mater, Virginia Tech.

Even though my time there has been distanced by several years, the shock of this event is in a way as personal as if I had been on campus yesterday. Every college community has its own sense of pride and every student who attends shares in some way, the same love and memories from their institution. I have been blessed to share in the Longhorn-Texas pride here in Austin, but as many of you have seen during college football season, my heart belongs to the Hokies.

Founded over 130 years ago, Virginia Tech began as a military and agricultural university set away in the western Virginia New River Valley. The school later became known for its engineering and science curriculum and was more formerly named Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University – what we all now refer to as Virginia Tech and just “Tech” when you’re in Virginia. The original mascot was a turkey and to this day the “Home of the Fighting Gobblers” is still portrayed on our stadium, even though we now have all taken on the name “Hokie.”

Virginia Tech is home to over 26,000 students from across the globe; its campus is what you dream of a college campus to be. Set away from the everyday busy lives of others, nestled in the green hills in the small town of Blacksburg. The buildings encircle a large field called the Drillfield where every summer and spring you dodge Frisbee players and every winter you dodge a snowball or two. Each building is made out of “Hokie” stone, a beautiful granite that is mined up the road from the school. At the end of campus exists a Duck Pond and overall the campus, with its rolling hills, and farm land is straight out of a movie. The town does not possess a “6th Street” like here in Austin, we have but one street, Main Street, and only a handful of bars to visit, but we find a way to party just as hard with fewer options.

Virginia Tech has a motto that each student is held accountable for from day one; the Latin words “UT Proism” – “That I may Serve.” These words are ever present in all that we do as Hokies, from our first orientation to our last breath as alumni. It is etched in our brains and on our class rings. Our college, like Texas A&M, houses one of the last military programs of its kind outside of actual military institutions such as West Point, further proof that we as Hokies in all forms serve the community and the world around us living by those words: UT Proism.

It is easy to get a small glimpse of a college’s pride during football or basketball season, but the maroon and orange I display during these seasons is only a fraction of my deep love for this university and this is why I have shared the school’s history with you. Virginia Tech was my home for four years, the longest I as a military brat had lived anywhere. I stayed at West Ambler Johnson, the scene of the first shooting as high school senior in orientation, and lived two buildings over for my first two years and I had several classes in Norris Hall; the scene of the second shootings.

I have many, many memories from my time there, none of which include one scary moment or true moment of darkness; it truly is a safe and fun place to be. It is useless to try to make sense of this tragedy because you can never make sense out of complete nonsense. This event could have happened anywhere, yet it happened there, in one of the most unlikely places imaginable, at least to me.

In today’s convocation ceremony at the school, Hokies were graced by the presence of many dignitaries, to include President Bush, but it was professor and famed poet Nikki Giovanni that brought tears to my eyes as she repeated “We are Hokies.” It is a statement that is hard to describe the meaning to unless you’ve been there and shared the Hokie pride, but to us, those are the strongest words that could have been uttered because to us they are words of hope. To hear the auditorium chant: “Lets Go Hokies” after her speech shows me that while we as Hokies and we as a nation are still in mourning, we will recover and we will recover stronger.

I am not a parent therefore I cannot imagine the devastation felt by every parent in every community who sends his/her child off to school everyday. I am not a sister, nor do I have a brother and therefore I do not know what that loss could ever feel like, but I do know loss and I do sympathize with all involved there. My college mentor spent 2.5 hours yesterday locked in the building next door to Norris Hall with her students, watching them as they tried to make sense of what was occurring around them, in what, until yesterday was a peaceful community, no doubt her three young children were what she was focused on. Thirty-three students and faculty lost their lives in a tragic event and as we know those lives spiral outwardly touching, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, cousins and friends.

The Austin Chapter for the Virginia Tech Alumni Association has set-up a victim’s fund site. All donations received at this site will be given to Virginia Tech in memory of these victim’s and in hopes that it will help their families. The site can be visited here if you are interested in donating.

Many of you, many of our clients and many of our GCI colleagues from around the world have reached out to me in support of this event. Thank you for listening to my story and the story of my school, even now re-reading what I’ve wrote, I realize that this explanation is still only a small glimpse into how wonderful Virginia Tech truly is. I am blessed to have left Hokie Pride for GCI Pride and please know that all of your well-wishes to me have been passed along in my communication to those who are currently at Virginia Tech.

Forever I feel that this event will make me stronger and more grateful, and again I thank you for your support. All my best,

Christina

GO HOKIES!

Amazing Story from Blacksburg

In times of crisis, come incredible stories of bravery. Here's one that just blows me away from a man who was a Holocaust survivor named Liviu Librescu.

He had been through hell and back - from the story on FoxNews.com

"When Romania joined forces with Nazi Germany in World War II, he was first interned in a labor camp in Transnistria and then deported along with his family and thousands of other Jews to a central ghetto in the city of Focsani, his son said. According to a report compiled by the Romanian government in 2004, between 280,000 and 380,000 Jews were killed by Romania's Nazi-allied regime during the war."

And this man, who became a professor, blocked the door so his students could get out of the classroom. He gave his life to protect other. Just an amazing story to me ... to live through what he did and then to die the way he did... just wrong.

Color me Hokie and Hockey

OK - don't have your eyes checked, I changed some colors on my blog ... for those that don't know, I flipped to the closest color of Hokies red I can find in honor of the fallen.

My partner-in-crime from USA Today days - John Nunnally is a Hokie and he just emailed me from Sweden to tell me that, "he can't believe that Va. Tech is going to be mentioned forever in the same breath with Columbine and the Texas Bell Tower."

He's absolutely right is what is sad. The irony is that 3/4 of the people in the Atlanta office have most likely never heard of the Texas Bell Tower incident on August 1, 1966.

On to a totally different subject - one of my favorites, hockey!

For those who haven't seen a minute of the San Jose - Nashville series, I implore, beseech and beg of you to watch Game 4 on Versus (channel 608 on Direct TV) on Wednesday night.

It has been one of the most intense first round series I can ever remember watching. And I have watched a lot of hockey. Not only that - great goaltending - great hitting and just two teams that honestly don't like each other. It's on at 10 p.m. ET - make sure to take a nap and watch this classic battle.

Not feeling good about the Thrashers chances in the big city tonight ... hope Kari Lehtonen pulls one out of his behind ... problem is even if he does, if Marian Hossa and Slava Kozlov don't score, it won't matter.

Still feel like Sabres - Ducks will be the final ... the league will sell it as a good thing because of the L.A. market. Hey Gary - do you know the difference between L.A. and Anaheim?? Just wondering...

I would love to see an Buffalo - Nashville series - two markets that they league can't spin in a positive way no matter what they say!!

Hokie, Hokie, Hokie wow

Where to begin on this horrific day after tragedy on the Virginia Tech campus?

It's just makes no sense in a place that is just serene. Blacksburg is a true college town and I have many friends that have gone there. Just a day when as a parent, you kiss your kids, and are thankful they are ok. Yet, if you have kids in college or going next year ... You are shaken today thinking that this could be your child's campus.

I was speaking with a colleague yesterday and this incident shows how the digital world now dominates the news. CNN was running a students video from his personal camera. I haven't check yet - but there will be YouTube video for sure today. Google will have searches galore about Va. Tech and blogs will be loaded with info about it. Take 10 minutes today and check it out.

Wathed Geraldo on Fox News - he is just a buffoon these days. So sick of his act and Fox talks about no spin .... If that's the case someone tell Geraldo, please.

Just sent this to my colleagues and posted to the GCI Blog (only internal for now):

As one that used to work in a newsroom, the old saying that, “Bad news is good news for us” makes me a bit ill, but it’s true.

Problem these days in the 5-second news cycle is that newsrooms aren’t the only places to get information these days. If you go to YouTube and search Virginia Tech Shootings there are a few videos already up and more to follow.

Technorati says that there are over 15,000 blog posts from the incident and there are 444 tags out there on it including videos and photos.

If you have turned on your TV for five seconds in the last day, you couldn’t have missed it … never mind the fact that every famous news person from around the globe made it to tiny Blacksburg ASAP.

Make time to surf the web for 15 minutes and check out what’s going on … Facebook and MySpace I am sure are going to be lit up with this topic over the next few weeks as well.

And when you get home, I know it’s rare to take a second to be thankful for what we have, but stop and think about it. I was numb to all of it in my newsroom days, but these days I say often, “But for the grace of God go I.”

Here’s wishing for no more days like yesterday and that a wonderful college town gets back to where it was.

Thanks
Jon

Another good Friday

OK the Thrashers lost and I am upset about it, but we went to the doctor today and Barkan number three will be here in mid-October. Very exciting news ... E feels well and all looked good at the doctor.

Thrashers game two is Saturday at 3 and I am taking my dad - not sure who he is rooting for. The question is will Marian Hossa and Ilya Kovalchuk score a goal before I get a boy! I'd say the odds are usually favoring the Thrashers, but ya never know after last night.

Don Imus gets fired - which is not a great loss for most of us - BUT let it be said it wasn't for his comments as much as those comments took money out of his employers pockets. He's been saying this garbage for years - not because Rev. Al and Jesse complain, he's out. Rev. Al - don't make ANY mistakes on your air.

Have a great weekend all - hope it warms up for those of you in the snowbelt...

Imus or no Imus?

So - we have all had a few days to digest what Don Imus did. There's no question he was wrong in what he did, but my question is why now?

Why have people woken up and listened to what he has said THIS TIME and now want him fired over it? Has he not gone this far before? When I grew up he was the legend on New York talk radio on WNBC-AM. But he was crazy then and he is crazy now. He pushed the boundaries on a daily basis and this time I think he went over the line, no doubt.

My problem is the firestorm is being started by Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton - two men who have made mistakes and have been given second chances. Why can't they give Imus the same courtesy? Heck, I can't believe Imus went on Sharpton's radio show ... talk about the blind leading the blind. Both men are nuts.

I feel bad for the women's basketball team because they didn't ask for this spotlight. They had a great year and were celebrating it when this happened. The great thing for them is the C. Vivian Stringer will make this a life lesson for these women and they will be that much stronger for it.

As for Imus, he's lost some sponsors quickly because of the firestorm. He's got two weeks off starting on Monday and he's meeting with the Rutgers women this week. Not sure if he's a goner or not, but it's probably about 50-50 right now in my mind, but that can swing if the sponsors pull the plug.

Maybe after all these years, it's time for Imus to ride off to his New Mexico ranch. He's made enough money and he's said his peace time and time again. And if he wants, I am sure his "close friend" Howard Stern can get him a gig on Sirius.

Met a gentleman by the name of Dan Greenfield today at a PRSA seminar about Social Media. He's a VP of Corporate Communications at Earthlink. When I read his blog for the first time this afternoon, he talks about Imus on his blog as well. Check it out at Bernaise Source.

There's a new sheriff in town ...

... and his name is Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL.

Pacman Jones is out for the entire 2007 season - suspended by the NFL. While I may have hated him for changing the direction of the 2006 New York Giants season, he's a very good football player. It's just that he isn't that good at life and using his brain. Then again, neither are most of the Cincinnati Bengals.

How hard is it for these guys to stay out of trouble? I have heard all the arguments for and against the way athletes were raised, my question is at what point do you have to grow up and take responsibility for yourself? These guys are making big dollars and getting paid to play a game. How many people would give their left arm to do what they guys are doing for one day???

What has been driving me nuts lately is Michael Vick came out and said that his water bottle was to hide his jewelery and that he doesn't understand the big ruckus. What he and the other rocket scientists haven't learned that Andre Agassi said years ago, "Image is everything." Yeah and when you image stinks, doing stupid things aren't going to help you.

Someone once told me if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, its gotta be a duck, right?
Hey Michael, if you act like a punk and talk like a punk and walk like a punk, don't you have to be a punk? Why is that so tough for kids making millions of dollars to grasp and deal with this theory?

BTW - not to put him on a pedestal, but have you EVER heard of Tiger Woods doing anything dumb outside the ropes? MMMM.... NO - because he gets it, period. Now, I will say this, it cannot be easy being Tiger or Michael Vick for that matter because it's hard to go out to dinner like a normal person. But hey, once again, I will submit that people would kill for the opportunities these guys get for one day.

Anyway, back to my Pacman, Goodell stepped up to the plate on his first big at-bat as NFL commissioner and hit a home run. Just promise me one thing Commish - stay the course and stay strong....!!!

Passover is done - we did pizza and ice cream with the kids tonight ... funny as heck to see a 22-month old go at an ice cream cone. I think more ended up on her than in her mouth!

Mr. April strikes again

Many of you know how much I cannot stand George Steinbrenner. I think he's one of the people that has ruined pro sports. With the kind of payroll the Yankees have every year, shouldn't they win the title?

Well, there's one thing I have always agreed with The Boss about and that was a comment he made about Dave Winfield. In 1981, Steinbrenner made headlines by signing Winfield to a 10-year, $23 million contract, making him the game's highest-paid player. Winfield was one of the best players in the game throughout the life of the contract, but soon had a falling out with Steinbrenner.

He helped the Yankees to the 1981 American League pennant, but then had a poor World Series, and the Yankees lost in six games to the Los Angeles Dodgers. A bitter Steinbrenner derided Winfield by saying "I got rid of Mr. October (Reggie Jackson) and got Mr. May." The Mr. May comment lived with him for the rest of his career.

What a great line - my question is, can we call Alex Rodriguez Mr. April? He's following Winfield's past of having great regular seasons and folding like a card table in the playoffs.

Hey Yankee fans - enjoy his five homers while you can. We all know who will shop up when the real money is on the line and the answer is Derek Jeter.

Two days until the Thrashers first playoff game ever. I am rooting for them even though they are playing my childhood team in the Rangers. I know my pals in NY don't understand... but they will get over it, I hope!

If I had to pick my Stanley Cup Finals - I will take Buffalo and Anaheim. It's hard to pick against a team that will have either Chris Pronger or Scott Niedermayer on the ice for almost 50 minutes a game.

My hallergy to the fans....

For those who missed the Islanders shootout win for the last playoff spot Sunday, what were you watching? Some dumb golf tournament from Disgusta, GA - c'mon man, what fun would that be?

Actually, best to watch on a big screen and split screen it like I did Sunday in the basement.

But there's a huge issue for a lot of folks (including me) in Atlanta. The Thrashers made the playoffs for the first time ever and they start on Thursday night versus the New York Rangers.

C'mon - seriously. Couldn't the Thrashers win a few rounds before facing my childhood team? I know that I am not the only transplant in town that feels the way I do. I lived long enough and was at the Rangers Stanley Cup victory in 1994. It would be cool to see one in the South as well.

From the karma standpoint - Rick Comley and Michigan State won the NCAA hockey title Saturday night over BC. Could Thrashers General Manager Don Waddell played for Comley at Northern Michigan - maybe there's some mojo Rick can pass on to Don and the boys in Atlanta.

That being said - it's going to be a fun time in Hotlanta, but I would kill to go see Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh. What a great series that should be.

Very excited about the Soprano's and Entourage back on ... will comment on it Monday....

Happy Easter!

It's good vs. evil for the college hockey crown

Good Friday to ya ... to some in East Lansing and Chestnut Hill, it's a Great Friday.

Michigan State and Boston College won their semifinal match-ups and are going to battle it out on Saturday night for the Division I championship. FYI - if you haven't read about it, go to Inside College Hockey. It is by far the best college hockey site on the web - bar none.

As most of you knew, I spent some time in both cities. I have deep ties to the folks in East Lansing. One of the best times in my life was spent working for the Lansing State Journal. Every time I go back to visit, I get to see old friends and it's just a wonderful trip down memory lane.

The people and friends I made there are some of the best people I have been lucky to spend time with and MSU Athletic Director Ron Mason has been a great friend. He and his family always have been kind to me. Then there's assistant coach Tom Newton. We have a special bond that I can't go deep into, but he and his family were very kind to me. Funny part is that coach Rick Comley used to coach my old boss, Don Waddell. Maybe there's a link between the Spartans and Thrashers winning in the same year? Stay tuned.

I will always cherish my time "On the Banks of the Red Cedar..." It was an incredible place to live with incredible people. I am a true Spartan fan forever because of my time there.

Before I lived in EL, I lived in Boston. As a kid from the other side of the tracks (Northeastern) I have never liked BC. They have always acted superior and obnoxious. Now, I have liked some people from BC - but every time I hear the fight song ... I get sicker and sicker. Bad nightmares from losses of the past.

So with that being said I am hoping that the Spartans can kick the you-know-what out of the Eagles. For those in the South, they are the Florida of the Northeast. The fans are about the same type of attitude and when they win - totally insufferable.

SO - GO GREEN! GO WHITE!

And you thought Jersey was bad??

From the TSN.ca website.... classic!

Islanders' Ice Girls claim abuse by Rangers

Two New York Islanders Ice Girls were hoping to penalize members of the New York Rangers for slashing, spitting and verbal abuse during television timeouts in the first period of Tuesday's game at Nassau Coliseum.

The NHL says it has reviewed the incident and, as far as the league is concerned, the case is closed.

"We were made aware of the situation right after the game in question," NHL executive vice president Colin Campbell told TSN. "We investigated it, talked with the officials and both teams and we determined there were no grounds to pursue it any further. It's a closed matter as far as we are concerned. We don't have to respond to what's in today's newspapers because we've already responded to it."

A report in newsday.com reveals that the girls were cleaning loose ice in the blue-painted goaltender's crease when Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist refused to move and used his stick to hit the squeegee used to push the snow during the first TV timeout, knocking the butt end into her stomach.

"The tip of my squeegee kind of hit the tip of his stick," Kelli Higgins told Newsday. "I don't know if he thought I did that on purpose or whatever, but he took a big windup and slashed the squeegee pretty good. It startled me a little bit. It didn't feel great, but I wouldn't say I was injured or in a ton of pain. I was shocked."

During the second TV timeout, Higgins alternated jobs with another Ice Girl, Chanel Benson, who claimed she was spit on as she was leaving the ice.

"All of a sudden, my back got wet," Benson told Newsday. "I believe one of the Rangers players who was sitting along the wall spit on my back. It had to be on purpose because I wasn't directly in front of anyone to spit and not realize I was there."

During a third TV timeout, both referees and one linesman made Lundqvist move to allow Higgins to shovel the snow out. Higgins said both Lundqvist and Rangers forward Sean Avery were using curse words "that had to do with us going around with the squeegee."

Lundqvist told reporters on Wednesday before learning of the allegations that he prefers to remain in the crease to maintain concentration during breaks.
With files from Newsday.

Classic bites...

Found some classics in my email folders - check 'em out...


http://www.veoh.com/videoDetails.html?v=e107067WHhNhRh4

http://houserockbuilt.hipcast.com/download/6234cccd-66ab-f3bd-7407-6915acb69e9d.mp3

We're passin-over the game...

Whoever put the title game tonight need to check the Jewish calendar. Passover begins at sundown and while I won't be at the game, I guarantee you that many will be there in attendance.

Obviously it's up to the individual to make the decision on what to do, but as much as I would like to go, it would set a horrible example to my children. Plus, my wife would kill me. So, dinner with the family at my in-laws house and hopefully we will be done in time to watch.

Florida vs. Ohio State - if the refs let them play (unlike both games on Saturday) this could be a good match up. Florida killed OSU earlier this year in Gainesville. That being said, this isn't the same Buckeye team. They are no doubt better - but it won't matter except in keeping the game close. The Gators came back for this reason and they won't be denied. Probably be a double digit win....

Now the question I have is - who had the better Nike uniforms - http://systemofdress.com/ - check out the site and let me know. GCI is working with Nike and we put together this site for them.

Baseball season is back ... can't believe it. Can this be the Cubbies year? Finally? Please??? Well it started off on the right foot - the Tribune Company is being sold. Could this be a sign from above?

On the ironic part of my life ... is it me, or is it funny that the Rangers beating the Leafs last night in NYC clinched a playoff spot for the Thrashers. Their first ever...

Have a great week - let's be safe out there....