Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Hockey is for EVERYONE!

As most of you know, this bitch is a fan of ice hockey.

Hockey is for EVERYONE, particularly angry black bitches (wink).

Anyhoo, I’ve mostly recovered from my beloved St. Louis Blues failure to make the playoffs (sob) and am now indulging in the bittersweet joy of watching the playoffs without being able to root for the home team (sob one more time and then sigh).

Last night I watched the Caps v. Habs and witnessed a certain Jaroslav Halak wall it up between the pipes…BIG TIME!

Halak was a goalie god, making 53 saves and only letting one get past him.  Lawd, by the time the Caps finally scored this bitch was about to declare Halak a hockey team of one!

Fantabulous.

I followed that hockey-based joy up by sorta-watching the Blackhawks close out their series with the Predators and as I watched a bitch couldn’t help but wonder why the hell the NHL has broadcast contracts that make finding and enjoying a hockey game hard as hell for the average hockey fan.

Talk about a marketing fail – ice hockey got a huge boost after the exciting finish to the Olympic medal race and lots of folks who hadn’t thought of ice hockey were ripe for the picking as new fans of my favorite game.  But the NHL has games tucked away, like a sorta-beagle hides it’s favorite bone, and new fans aren’t likely to haunt the dial until they find a game that probably isn’t even the “right” game being shown on Versus or being teased on Versus but really being broadcast on NBC’s alternate channel.  And my heart goes out to folks who don’t have NHL Center Ice!

Lawd, have mercy.

Mayhap the NHL is thinking that a decrease in supply will equal and increase in demand?

Blink.

Anyhoo, a fluff of the Afro to Jaroslav Halak for one hell of a game and congrats to the Habs for forcing game 7!

15 comments:

rowmyboat said...

Oh, Preds. Maybe next year.

You'd hardly believe how much Nashville loves their hockey team! It's something else.

Rileysdtr said...

Whee!

Okay - Blackhawks closed their series, the Wolves beat Milwaukee in their Game 7 for the series, and now my beloved Red Wings have to do the same in the desert against a shockingly sturdy Phoenix squad.

Go 'Hawks! Go Wolves! Go Wings! Go Les Habs!

Whee!

Shark-Fu said...

Confession - I have a soft spot for the Coyotes.

I can't help it!

They've been through so much shit and they work so hard and I'm weak when it comes to under-dawgs!

Confession #2 - I've also got a soft spot for the Flyers...'cause they're naughty and longtime readers know that I'm weak when it comes to old time hockey (wink).

Confession #3 - I miss Don Cherry's crazy ass on my telly.

Whee!

Predictions anyone?

Rileysdtr said...

Good old Don - never argue with a man brave enough to wear those outfits!

I like Phoenix too, and if they were playing anyone else I'd root like crazy.... even though their new uniforms are ugh-ly. I adored their original sweaters and have no idea why they changed.

Predictions? For a Game 7?

Shark-Fu said...

I say the Wings take it up a level and win Game 7...but the Coyotes and their ugly ass uniforms (tragic) will give them one heck of a game.

Exception - if Doan is back and playing hard it may be anyone's game.

vicster said...

While I have a soft spot for Canadian teams, I used to work with Bruce Boudreau when he was the Asst. Coach/Asst. GM for the short-lived San Francisco Spiders (I really do miss the IHL!), so I want his team to do well.

I breathed a sigh of relief when my Beloved Boston Bruins won the series w/Buffalo last night. And I'm glad the Sharks overcame that nightmare own-ish goal and dispatched the scary-good Avalanche.

I, too, have a soft spot for the Desert Dawgs, though in equal measures I'm over the Red Wings. I can't agree with you on the Flyers, though. The only team I dislike more in the world of sports is the New York Rangers.

re: Network TV frustration: The NHL has bounced around from network to network and, other than a few weeks out of the year, it's impossible to watch hockey on "free" networks. Unfortunately, the networks are convinced that Americans prefer watching NASCAR and poker.

re: Grapes. Man...as a nearly life-long Bruins fan, I see Don Cherry as that crazy uncle we all like to provoke at family get-togethers. Only with a better wardrobe (kinda). Old Time Hockey, indeed.

No predictions but here's some trivia: Next time you watch "Slapshot" take a gander at player #7 for the Presidents. His current gig? See my first paragraph above (he had a bit more hair back then).

CeCe said...

As a Chicagoan and therefore a die-hard lover of Chicago sports (even the Bears right now and Cubs always), I'm loving the Blackhawks playoff performance so far!

Shark-Fu said...

Hi CeCe!

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I think the Hawks are playing very well too. But I'm honor bound and can not rally for them due to my Blues hockey fandom.

But hey, I adore the Cubs!

I may need to make a trip up to Chi-Town to check out a game and cause trouble...

Shark-Fu said...

Look at vicster dropping some SERIOUS hockey trivia!

I love it!

vicster said...

Heh. I think I remember Boudreau telling us that Reggie Dunlop's apartment was actually his apartment that he shared w/3-4 other players. I'm not 100% sure of my memory but it definitely belonged to some Johnstown Chiefs players.

boadwee blog said...

As an avid LAKERS fan, I am SUFFERING right now though I am sure many others are REJOICING!

How the hell are you? Long time no talk to...I'm fine, B U S Y...

There's PLENTY to be angry about right now, that's for sure dot net. Between the XENOPHOBES, RACISTS and HOMOPHOBES I don't know where to begin!

xo kb

Shark-Fu said...

Boadwee!

What's up?!?

I was just thinking about you...glad you are well!

Lawd knows I'm busy...mostly because there is plenty to bitch about.

Sigh.

Hugs to you!

Anonymous said...

First time comment from a lurker here. Love your blog.

Hey, maybe you can stream games from CBC.ca? I don't know if there's a bloc on non-Canadian viewers though. But it's worth giving it a shot, you'll be able to see that crazy bastard Don Cherry.

Anyways,here's to hoping the Canucks crush the Blackhawks.

-later

David

a.eye said...

There have been some really good games this playoff season!! (When they are showed here in the StL.)

Anonymous said...

I think NHL's biggest mistakes were expanding too quickly and the hiring of Gary Bettman. Not sure why you'd want to change the legacy of the conferences and divisions (Campbell and Wales conferences, anyone?)

I think we could get rid of a few teams and you'd have higher quality players on the remaining teams.

I used to love watching the NHL but I can't afford Center Ice. Things just haven't been the same since the strike/lockout.

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