It was Christmas morning, my favorite day of the year. The house buzzed with excitement as everyone began to show up, filling the rooms with laughter and joy. The only person missing was Mom. I knew I'd find her in the kitchen, preparing for the big holiday, and I wanted nothing more than to help her like I did every year. I found her leaning against the counter with her head cradled in her hands.
"Everything all right, Mom?" I asked, walking cautiously toward her.
She straightened, holding herself up at the sink, and plastered a smile on her face. However, the dimness behind her normally bright eyes alerted me to the pain she tried to hide. I knew right away that her migraines were back. They'd plagued her for years, nearly crippling her at times. But she was on a regular Botox injection treatment plan to keep them away.
"When are you due for more shots?" I asked, grabbing a dishtowel and wetting it with cold water for her forehead.
She nodded. Clearly, the pain was too intense for her to speak.
"Stop talking like that, Mom. Go lay down." I watched her walk back to her room as I finished with kitchen duty, reminiscing about the holidays in the past.
No matter how old I'd gotten, Christmas still made me feel like a child again. From the moment the first decoration went on sale at the local gardening store, or the first house that put up lights, I became giddy and it filled me with excitement and joy. That one day held the power to bring back memories of my childhood, growing up, and the traditions we continued every year no matter how much our lives had changed. And boy, did they change.
My real dad had passed away when I was three. My sister, Clarissa, was only one. As much as I wished I could remember him, at least I didn't have to live with the grief of losing a parent. It's shallow to say, sure, but nothing could be worse than being reminded of someone you loved unconditionally and realizing you'd never get those moments back. You'd never be able to apologize for hurtful words, or say thank you for things you might've once taken for granted. My dad got to experience the utter, complete, and honest love from his daughters before passing on. I just always felt bad for my mother. But she had a way of making things better for us.
For as long as I could remember, we had a Christmas tradition. Instead of buying gifts for each other, we'd make them, and then stick them under the tree without names on the tags. It was our own version of Secret Santa. The gifts from Clari—my sister—and me were pretty much garbage, but my mom's eyes would light up and she'd ooh and ahh over every present she'd open. Mom loved to paint, so we always got canvases with beautiful scenes on them. We'd hang them in our rooms along with the previous years' portraits, and make sure we always left room for new ones.
I was thirteen when my mom remarried; Clari was almost eleven. Wayne was the first guy Mom ever brought home, and we loved him from the very first time we met him. He made her happy, which made us happy. And even better, he loved our holiday tradition and insisted we kept it. Now, looking back on it, instead of loving the Secret Santa idea, the decision probably had more to do with the fact that we didn't have much money, but I didn't care. It didn't matter what the reasons were, I only cared about picking which wrapped gift I wanted. After a few years, Wayne had been offered a better-paying job, and Mom got the promotion she'd been after for a long time. Money was no longer an issue in our family, but it never changed the tradition of Christmas morning.
The summer after I graduated high school, our family changed again. Wayne's daughter, Aubrey, came to live with us. I'd never met her before, though I'd always known about her. The only times I'd ever heard Mom and Wayne fight were after his phone calls to her. I never understood what they were about until she came to live with us. We hit it off from the very beginning, and were so close that we decided to become roommates after she graduated from high school the following summer. But still, even when Aubrey joined our household, our Christmas tradition remained.
I always loved Aubrey's gifts. She had an amazing talent when it came to woodwork. And after my mom taught her how to paint, her gifts became even more amazing. Clari and I always fought over who'd get Bree's gifts, and eventually, she just started making two of each. By the second Christmas with Aubrey, our lives changed once more. She had a little girl, McKayla, who brightened our days with her white hair and ocean-colored eyes. Her laugh was infectious, and she had everyone wrapped around her little finger. She was the only person in the family that received store-bought presents at Christmastime. Lots and lots of store-bought presents.
A few months ago, McKayla's father came back into the picture. I'd known about him from the very beginning, but it was something Aubrey had sworn me to keep secret—she'd kept it hidden from everyone except me. There was a lot of controversy surrounding her relationship with him. Yet they ended up working everything out and became the kind of family anyone would be envious of. Hell, just witnessing the way he looked at her made anyone in the room jealous. I was happy for them both, and happy that Ayla finally had her daddy in her life. With Christmas coming up, and plans being made for his entire family to join ours for the holiday, we had a family meeting to discuss presents and preparations. I worried that our tradition would be over, though surprisingly, it was a unanimous decision to keep it alive. Even Axel was on board.
So bright and early that morning, I headed over to my parents' house, getting ready to help my mom with Christmas preparations like I did every year. Nerves hit me about meeting new people, although I stuffed them down with a smile on my face.
The first Christmas miracle came when Aubrey and Axel arrived. He'd proposed to her the night before and she said yes. I really thought Wayne, or Dad as I oftentimes called him, would've been upset over the news—like he had when he learned that Axel had fathered McKayla. But he wasn't at all angry. In fact, he didn't even seem surprised by it. I later learned that Axel had done the right thing by seeking Wayne's permission beforehand. I would be asking Santa for an Axel clone to be delivered next Christmas.
Once his family arrived, the house became rather chaotic. Aubrey and Clari talked wedding plans since Clari had just gotten married a few months ago. McKayla played with Axel's niece. And you couldn't get a word in edgewise around Wayne and Axel's father. I knew I wouldn't miss much by taking over in the kitchen for my mom.
After I finished getting everything ready for lunch, I called the family together for prayer. We decided to eat first, and then open presents while letting the food settle. Figuring my mom would probably want to eat with the rest of us, I headed back to her room to wake her, hoping she felt somewhat better.
The bedroom was completely dark since Wayne had installed blackout curtains years ago due to my mom's intense migraines. I found her bundled up in the middle of the bed with the blankets wrapped tightly around her. So I climbed in beside her, snuggling up to her for a moment of peace.
I moved in closer, expecting her to wake up from my movements, but she didn't. I called out to her, quietly at first, and then louder. She didn't answer. I shook her, but she didn't budge. I gulped down my breaths, my body shaking from the inside out as fear embedded itself in me. My gaze frantically searched the dark room, even though I had no idea what I tried to find. Finally, tears flooded my eyes, cascading down my cheeks as my shrill voice called out for help. I didn't care who heard me. I just needed someone to come. I needed someone to save my mom.
That day, my life changed again.
Only this time, it wasn't for the better.


Advent and Christmas is the time we celebrate our Lord, Jesus Christ, and reflect upon the miracle of His birth. As Catholics, how can we truly reflect and be thankful for the glorious gift of salvation His birth gave to us?
Daybreaks offers the faithful daily meditations and prayers that guide us to a quite, special place with God. Taking only a few moments each day, Daybreaks provides a way to renew our faith and become capable of seeing through the hectic pace of the holidays and remembering what Advent and Christmas mean to Christians.
Inspiring our own thoughts and prayers, these brief meditations give us the silence needed to find our own voice and talk with God. Use Daybreaks to help prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ--and to tell God how thankful we truly are.


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Alina Ilnazovna Zagitova () (Russisch: Алина Ильназовна Загитова; Izjevsk, 18 mei 2002) is een Russisch kunstschaatsster. Zagitova werd in 2017 wereldkampioene bij de junioren en in 2018 Europees kampioene bij de senioren. Ze nam onder olympische vlag deel aan de Olympische Winterspelen 2018 in Pyeongchang en won er individueel de gouden en met het team de zilveren medaille. In 2019 werd Zagitova ook wereldkampioene bij de senioren.

Biografie
Zagitova is de dochter van een ijshockeycoach die van Tataarse komaf is. Ze was het eerste jaar na haar geboorte naamloos, totdat haar ouders de Russische gymnaste Alina Kabajeva in actie zagen en besloten hun dochter naar haar te vernoemen. Zagitova begon op vijfjarige leeftijd met kunstschaatsen. Tot 2015 trainde ze in haar geboortedorp Izjevsk, waarna ze naar een trainingscentrum in Moskou ging. Ze werd in 2016 negende op de nationale kampioenschappen voor junioren.

Ze maakte in augustus 2016 haar debuut bij de Junior Grand Prix-wedstrijden. Door goede prestaties in Frankrijk en Slovenië wist ze zich te kwalificeren voor de Junior Grand Prix-finale. Zagitova won hier met 207.43 punten de gouden medaille en brak alle records bij de meisjes. Zo verkreeg ze als eerste juniore voor haar totaalscore meer dan 200 punten. In december 2016 won ze de gouden medaille bij de nationale kampioenschappen voor junioren en bovendien de zilveren medaille bij de senioren, achter Jevgenia Medvedeva. Ze scherpte in maart 2017 haar pr's aan op de WK junioren, en bemachtigde er tevens de gouden medaille.

Het seizoen erop debuteerde ze bij de senioren. Met nieuwe persoonlijke records veroverde ze in december 2017 goud bij de Grand Prix-finale en de NK. Titelverdedigster Medvedeva nam aan beide wedstrijden niet deel vanwege een gebroken voet. Ze was net als Zagitova wel aanwezig bij de EK van 2018, waar ze werd verslagen door haar jongere teamgenote. Vlak erna werd Zagitova, samen met Medvedeva en Maria Sotskova, geselecteerd om deel te nemen aan de Olympische Winterspelen in Pyeongchang.

Persoonlijke records
  Behaald tijdens ISU wedstrijden.

Belangrijke resultaten

 t.z.t. = trok zich terug

Russisch kunstrijder
Olympisch kampioen namens OAR

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Dipankar is a web designer based in India, Designing for the web has been his passion for over 8 years now. Dipankar has had the pleasure to work for numerous clients in India and abroad. Obsessed with his love to create beautiful things and passionate about usability, I am always strives to create graphic that would keep balance between beauty and efficiency.


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Battle of the Stanley Cup box office blockbusters
Detroit Free Press art director Rick Nease sent this Stanley Cup box office poster parody to the Sports Designer blog. "Extinction is just a goal away", a truely inspired tagline.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette designer Ben Howard was responsible for this Indiana Jones-Sidney Crosby takeoff. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is one of the most bizarre sequels ever to come out of Hollywood. Steven Spielberg and George Lucas wanted to make a sequel to the X-Files and National Treasure, but with Harrison Ford and the Indiana Jones franchise they made Crystal Skull instead. 124 minutes of my life I will never get back.
Movie equivalent for the Sharks failed Stanley Cup run this season: Aguirre, the Wrath of God. The 1972 film written and directed by eccentric filmmaker Werner Herzog featured Spanish conquistadores in a brutal and grueling quest down the untamed Amazon river in search of the legendary city of gold. The quest does not turn out well, and many of the soliders end up on a raft floating aimlessly towards nowhere.
Nominate your films for the Ducks and Kings seasons in the comments.
[Update] We Bleed Teal noted earlier that Ryane Clowe was a "monster" in front of the net against Calgary. A Cloweverfield monster.
Posted by PJ Swenson at 1:49 PM 2 comments
Tags: Detroit Red Wings, Evgeni Malkin, Movies, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, Sidney Crosby
You might not want to walk a mile in those shoes...
Aaron Rogers: tragically unlucky or a hero to lazy men across the nation?
Every once and a while, I try to imagine what it would be like to be a professional athlete.
It's pretty run of the mill to dream of having the goal scoring ability of Mario Lemieux or being infinitely clutch like Michael Jordan, but a lot of times it goes a little deeper than that for me. Walking a day in the shoes of a hamandegger seems way more interesting.
Imagine what it felt like to be Darryl Sydor, watching helplessly in street clothes for most of the playoffs, but at the same time being very well compensated (if you ignore the fact that, at least literally, players "aren't paid" in the playoffs).
One name that will always stand out is Aaron Rogers of the Green Bay Packers. I can't help but wonder: is this guy cursed or subtly lucky? After sitting in the NFL Draft Day green room for what must have felt like an eternity, Rogers basically became a verb (example: Angelo Esposito got Aaron Rogers-ed in the 2007 Entry Draft, when he fell all the way to the Pittsburgh Penguins). Then, he got the extra bad luck of having Brett Favre stay in the league a year or two longer than expected.
Falling so far in the draft and getting barely a whiff of football outside of the preseason would make you think that some spurned high school cheerleader ex-girlfriend must have placed some kind of voodoo curse on the guy. But then again, the guy is collecting 1st round draft pick money...but instead of getting squashed by 300 lbs. defensive linemen, all he has to do is hold a clipboard.
Anyway, this kind of sidetracked from what I originally planned on writing about:
I wonder what it must feel like to be a crappy athlete. Sure, when a guy makes millions, he basically becomes a public figure and if we couldn't lampoon professional athletes...what would be the point of following sports?
Hey, look on the bright side Dan: some of us also remember you beating the life out of Salo...
Ryan Leaf, Dan Cloutier, Alexander Daigle, Tommy Salo and a litany of other jersey wearing punchlines take a lot of (mostly lighthearted) abuse. But I wonder if these guys just outright avoid sports web sites. Seriously, if I were Leaf I would bug Ted Leonsis to develop a special snarky 1st round draft bust article blocker, so that I could safely surf the Al Gore without stumbling on a site that would make me want to hang myself.
Seriously, if you were Leaf, wouldn't you hate stumbling on things like this from ESPN Page 2:
"Before the introduction of passing windows in the very first "Madden" for the Sega Genesis, playing virtual quarterback was about as intuitive as stepping under center for an actual team while wearing a LEAF #16 jersey. Point-and-pass systems were crude and inaccurate."
It just goes to show you that as much as many of us envy sports athletes, there are times when they wish they would blend in to the crowd. Imagine having your worst moments at work frozen in time on YouTube and constantly cited by TV shows and smartass sports blogs.
Exhibit B
And, because I'm a dick
Posted by jamestobrien at 11:21 PM 5 comments
Tags: Humiliation, YouTube
Vote Sleek/Pronger in 2008
Yahoo's Puck Daddy blog by Greg Wyshynski is holding a poll to nominate the slogan for Chris Pronger's page on hockey-reference.com for the next year.
Sleek's entry, "When authorities take away your right to elbow, don't forget that you have stomping options. -- by Earl Sleek" is in third place with 27% after 1062 votes.
Vote early, and if you are deceased and reside in Chicago, vote often.
[Update] Also watch this highlight video of Sunday's Formula 1 race in Monaco. I turned down an opportunity to travel to Monaco this year to cover the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was worth it.
Posted by PJ Swenson at 11:27 AM 11 comments
Tags: Anaheim Ducks, Chris Pronger, Earl Sleek Superstar, Voting
Season Review: Dustin Brown
[EARL EDIT: As you may know, Rudy is off traveling the world, but he has left some Kings post for me to post to help us pass the time. I'm still on my blog break until the cup finals are over, but I'll note that my distractions are coming to a close: I've passed all the story missions in GTA4 and am ready to start Season Three in Battlestar Galactica. In the meantime, here's a PuckToon to prove that I'm still alive and watching hockey. Anyway, here's Rudy...]
78 GP, 33 G, 27 A, 60 pts, -13, 55 PIM, 311 hits
Nicknames: Spike, Sawed Off
Last Season: In terms of overall achievements, Dustin Brown probably had the best year of any player in the NHL not named Alexander Ovechkin. Coming into the year, much was expected of Brown. He had played on L.A.'s top line the previous season and had shown a sign of progress. Still, much of his success could be attributed to the stunning debut of Anze Kopitar and not Brown himself. At the end of that season, however, Kopitar had gotten hurt and Brown had responded by actually improving his play, tallying 11 points in 11 games. Brown continued to progress his play this season, setting a career high in points and leading the league in hits. It wasn't so much the raw totals that impressed me, though; it was the way he got them.
Brown has always been known as an impressive and devastating hitter. My favorite memory of Dustin thus far has been a game he had against Anaheim. Chris Pronger had the puck and came out of the corner where he was met by Brown, who promptly knocked him flat. Pronger hacked him in the leg (at least he didn't step on him) and said some unkind words. A few shifts later, Pronger had the puck along the boards and Brown knocked him off the puck, took it into the slot and scored a goal. Brown is a quiet guy* but he definitely has a little bit of asshole in him that helps make him a better player.
Courtesy of the Institute of Skate Tectonics
*Brown's wife talked way more than he did on his In My Own Words special. Also, she was kind of a nag to him. You'd think a woman named Nicole Brown would show a little more deference to her L.A-based, professional athlete husband.
This season, though, Brown was able to focus his hitting a little better. The big difference this season is that he didn't try to make a hit to affect the play; he tried to affect the play by making a hit. It seems like semantics, but there is a difference. Brown didn't go out of his way to make a hit, but instead made the hit that was available to him. He didn't have as many giant hits as you'd expect, but he had hits that affected games. That made him a much, much more effective player than he was the previous year.
Another difference in Brown's game was that he became a much better diver. I'm not talking about the kind of diving that Corey Perry does, where you flop where there is no call. I'm talking about the type of flopping that Shaq does, where he flops because otherwise a penalty would go unnoticed. Brown is so strong* and so balanced that opposing players would be able to hook and hold him with impunity. According to On the Forecheck, Brown ended up drawing 65 penalties this season, tops in the league and directly in front of Crosby, Ovechkin and Datsyuk. His penalty plus/minus was also tops in the league. Of course, Crosby didn't play the whole season, but he's also a whiny bitch so fuck 'im. The ability draw penalties is a very important and underrated part of the game, and it's a part of the game Brown excels at.
So, to recap: Brown led the set career-highs in goals and points, led the league in hits and penalties drawn, signed a 6-year, team-friendly deal, and had his first child. He'll probably become the captain of this team in a few years and was a major contributor on a young and improving U.S. National team. Nice year.
*Kevin & Bean would classify him as "retard strong." He should hang out with Eli Manning.
Next Year: Brown will turn 24 next year and continue his development. He's managed to find a nice balance between getting to the front of the net and creating space for Kopitar and also creating his own play when Kopitar is tied up. What would I like to see Brown work on for next year? I'd like to see him become more of a force in front on the power play. This is just anecdotal evidence, but it seemed to me that the Kings had far fewer tipped goals than other teams we played. If Brown can become a power forward who can also get those garbage goals in front, he'd really open our power play and give Kopitar and Visnovsky more space to create opportunities. Other than that, he just needs to keep getting better. In a season full of negatives, Brown was definitely a positive.
Posted by RudyKelly at 10:00 AM 2 comments
Tags: Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings, offseason
Return of the Son of the Illustrious Glowpuck, NBC Sports puck tracker
Have a problem finding the puck when watching an NHL game? Don't have HD and you have had three too many Bigfoot Ales from Northern California's finest? Don't understand technical hockey terms like: puck, pass, shoot, and goal? Fan of the Anaheim Ducks?
Then NBC's newly developed puck tracker technology is for you. Created by German engineers, a handy red circle magically follows the puck around the ice and holds your hand during the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins quest for Lord Stanley's Cup.
Condescending, arrogant sarcasm not included.
Posted by PJ Swenson at 12:18 AM 7 comments
Tags: Television, YouTube
heartattackblog
The first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals made you wonder if the New Jersey Devils and Anaheim Ducks switched jerseys with the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins. They were that lifeless and one-sided.
But, to the luck of the NHL and NBC, the first game on NBC was a doozy. I'm going to have to do some drinking to calm my nerves.
And the blogosphere eagerly awaits what Pensblog has to say (clearly, the headline was a total ripoff more than a little bit inspired by their writings).
Posted by jamestobrien at 9:26 PM 2 comments
Tags: Playoffs
Ott will probably be back, but is this the end of the road for "Stuuuuuu"?
Good stuff from Spector at The Hockey News regarding the off-season for the Dallas Stars. There are a lot of supporting cast players who might be wearing different jerseys next year. The most important re-signs are Trevor Daley and Steve Ott, two glue guys who won't nab any headlines but are important elements of the Stars.
I wouldn't be surprised if this is the end of the line for the lovable Stu Barnes. He missed half of the second round and all of the Red Wings series with concussion-like symptoms and must be wondering if he really wants to put his undersized body through any more abuse.
Mattias Norstrom would be worth re-signing, but it would have to be at the right price.
The Stars wisely signed Dave Tippett to a three-year contract extension. Tippett's success extends beyond a great playoff run this year, because he kept the Stars right around the top of the Pacific Division even as juggernauts developed in Anaheim and San Jose. Considering that the Stars are long on grit but just about average on scoring talent, his success is indeed impressive.
I would compare him to the NFL's Jeff Fisher for stability and competence, but Tippett stabbed us all in the front by shaving his mustache.
One player to watch in the SCF is the Pens' big American power forward Ryan Malone. He's got the size, wheels, grit and finishing ability to fit in well in the Western Conference. I could see him fitting in well with Joe Thornton or on a Kings team that could use a little snarl and size to go along with its promising (but small) young talent. Hell, even the Stars could use him.
Still, his probable $4-5 million per year salary would give me a pause. He's not the most reliable player. One word that often comes up with Malone is "inconsistent." Still, on a team where he's a complimentary part of a big line, he can certainly open up some space and do a little bit of everything.
Plus he's funny.
Tags: Dallas Stars, Dave Tippett, Mattias Norstrom, offseason, Ryan Malone, Steve Ott, Stu Barnes
Stay classy San Diego
Is that Lee Worley or Dan Cloutier?
Tags: Dan Cloutier, Goaltending, Rod Brind'Amour, YouTube
Stop Whining
The referees in the NHL have never been better. They're professionals, they don't travel with the players, they are judged on every game the officiate, and they have a review system that allows them to check calls whenever they feel it's necessary. And yet, to hear fans tell it, this is the worst refereed playoffs in the history of the NHL. I'm here to say, "Shut up." Nobody cares that your player was called on a high stick in the 2nd period when the replay clearly showed that the opposing player simply snapped his head back. Nobody cares that a photograph revealed 18 hours after the fact clearly caught the puck go an inch over the line, yet the video officials refused to overturn the call because they didn't have clear evidence. Nobody cares. I'm not even going to say that referees should always look to improve and every call should be right, because that's never going to happen. So just shut the fuck up and watch the game.
I think whining in hockey (and in all sports) has increased in the past few years for 2 reasons: video review and the internet. Video review means that people can slow down the action, see the play from 8 different angles, and come to a determination on what really happened. Refs don't have this luxury. Have you ever reffed a game before? It's really hard. Most of the time you're not really focusing on the puck. You're focusing around the puck, watching the stick of the defender while also keeping one eye on the trailers of the play to make sure they're not interfering with one another, while having a third eye on your partner to make sure you're getting the best coverage of the play possible. I'm not amazed refs get calls wrong; I'm amazed they get so many right.
The internet bothers me because it serves as an outlet for many of these whines. Not to get all Buzz Bissinger on you, but people use the internet to vent frustrations they normally would rant to their roommates about, or maybe beat their wives over. Wasn't that a much more pleasant time, mostly because it didn't affect me in any way? Now, I have to listen to Blues fans complain about how the NHL wants the Blackhawks to win, while Chicago fans complain that Detroit is clearly being favored in this game, while Detroit fans are gearing up to whine about how much favor Crosby gets. It's stupid and pathetic and in no way enhances the game.
So, in conclusion, stop whining. There is no NHL conspiracy to get one team to the Stanley Cup Finals (I never understand why people claim this AND claim Bettman is incompetent), and there is no conspiracy to help one team win the Stanley Cup. I'm trying to enjoy watching one of the best NHL playoffs in recent memory but your constant bitching has me more frustrated than Michael J. Fox trying to use a pair of binoculars. It's all luck and no one knows what the hell is going on. So just watch the game, enjoy it, and the next time you feel like ranting about officiating just do us all a favor and eat some rancid meat or something. Thank you.
I'm taking 2 weeks off starting Saturday as I'm off to visit Norway, the land of my ancestors. I plan on getting to the bottom of this whole hockey thing and figure out why we're getting our asses kicked by Finland and Sweden. (Plus, I'll need to get out of the country for a few weeks after that Michael J. Fox joke.) I'm also headed to England, which should be fun; it'll be nice to be the tannest, fittest person on an entire island. I've got a few posts lined up while I'm gone and I'm sure Earl and co. will keep you entertained 'til I get back. Ha det!
Posted by RudyKelly at 10:24 PM 11 comments
Tags: Gary Bettman, Rant, Referees
Where's Earl been hiding?
I know I've been awfully quiet lately on this blog since the Ducks were eliminated, but I figured that since I had to carry the playoff post load last year, I'd let the "my teams are playing" guys manage the posting this time. It's actually been a nice little break from blogging, which is loosely depicted to the left.
I'm still not quite ready to talk that much about the Ducks, though; there's nothing too pressing that needs to be discussed before the postseason ends, at least. I'm not even that qualified to talk about these Cup Finals. I haven't watch either Pittsburgh or Detroit a lot to begin with, and I was at my baby brother's graduation this past weekend and missed both conference-clinching games.
What's also complicating things for me is a pair of obsessions I've recently developed that are interfering with these playoffs. One of them is GTA4, which I've been playing so much I used it as an inspiration for this week's PuckToon. I've been solidly into the series since GTA3, and I have to say I really like the mission set in this game a lot. It's a good thing, too, since they've taken the fun out of free-rampaging. What's the point in getting six stars if there are no tanks?
If that weren't enough of a drain on my free time, I finally got talked into watching SciFi's Battlestar Galactica, and now I can't shut up about it. I think I spend about five hours a day worrying about the fate of the humans on that show. I've kept up with this latest season's storyline, and have just started to watch Season One, and on each end of the spectrum it's a pretty damn solid production.
So yeah, I'll get to writing about the offseason Ducks soon enough, just as soon as I'm assured that the humans are free of Cylons and Liberty City is free of cops. I'm such a frackin' nerd sometimes it hurts.
Posted by Earl Sleek at 10:01 AM 22 comments
Tags: Non-hockey, offseason, Television, Video Games
More Mo'
The question of Modano's future was answered quickly: he'll be around for at least one more year.
Thanks to Jes Golbez of FanHouse for highlighting this story.
Posted by jamestobrien at 1:45 AM 0 comments
Tags: Dallas Stars, Mike Modano
First off, if you haven't heard already, Jeremy Roenick is back for another season with the Sharks. If you go to the Sharks website, they've got a little video of him talking about it. I love JR, but I can't condone the hat that he's wearing. It reminds me of one of those Men On Film guys from In Living Color.
But anyways, there was little news of note from the annual State of the Sharks bitchfest according to those in attendance. I skipped this year's, as it's usually just a bunch of diplomatic bullet-dodging (though Ron Wilson used to get visibly frustrated at the stupidity of some of the questions, and his snarkiness proved to be entertaining).
A few blurbs from the Mercury News seemed to show that either A) GM Doug Wilson and President Greg Jamison weren't briefed on the company line or B) they've got completely different views on their roster.
From Doug Wilson:
Wilson reiterated what he has said in the past, that he has enough money to build a Stanley Cup winner.
"Dollars didn't prevent us from doing our job," the G.M. said.
From Greg Jamison
The first question from the crowd had to do with ticket price increases averaging between 7 and 8 percent, and Jamison said that didn't surprise him.
"There's an expectation that we will put a quality team on the ice," Jamison said, "and to be brutally honest, that's going to cost us a lot more."
So the GM says that he has the dollars to put a CUP WINNER on the ice but the President says that they need more money from fans to put a QUALITY TEAM on the ice. Um...ok, well, which is it?
The only real thing to note seems to be the fact that Doug Wilson anticipates a payroll increase of about $8 million and some form of roster change. Sounds great, but when you put together the salary bumps of Patrick Marleau, Milan Michalek, Joe Thornton, and Matt Carle, along with the anticipated raises for Joe Pavelski, Ryane Clowe, and Christian Ehrhoff, that's your $8 million (give or take) right there. If that number's set in stone, something's gotta give, especially since Wilson's already started negotiating with Brian Campbell's agent this week (they were set to speak this past Monday). I'm guessing Wilson will be dangling Matt Carle at the draft, but I wonder who will take him after two disappointing seasons.
Posted by Mike Chen at 1:20 PM 2 comments
Tags: Doug Wilson, Jeremy Roenick, San Jose Sharks
That Man's a Menace!
On the front page of ESPN.com, there's a new article about goons and the people who love them. I liked it, but I was a little confused by the top image. Among the "goons" that men love are photos of Bobby Hull, Joe Nieuwendyk, and Jonathan Cheechoo. It's obvious they chose the pictures because 2 of them were bloodied and 1 is missing his teeth, but isn't it a little disingenuous? Both Nieuwendyk and Cheechoo have been in a grand total of 4 fights (2 a piece). I don't know about the number of fights Bobby Hull was in (do I count the ones with his wife?), but the first thing you think of when you think "Bobby Hull" isn't fighting. To show pictures of men who were injured by sticks and pucks to try and give the impression that hockey fighting results in copious amounts of blood and tooth loss (and it can, but not that often), is incredibly misleading.
(There's also a picture of Marty McSorley talking shit to Matt Norstrom, which tripped me out. I thought for a second they were on the same team.)
In other news, Rick Nash has been named to the cover of NHL 2K9. Runner-up? A player who deserved it.
Posted by RudyKelly at 9:07 AM 6 comments
Tags: Fighting, Rick Nash
Mike Modano's future figures to be one of the big stories of the off-season.
Well, that was decisive. The Red Wings left no doubt about which team deserved to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals tonight, with a brutal 4-1 win over the Stars. If I had to point to one person in this series, it has to be Henrik Zetterberg.
With all the publicity Ovechkin and Crosby get, Zetterberg tends to slip under the radar for casual NHL fans. But he's absolutely one of the best forwards in the NHL. Plus he looks a lot like Jared Leto.
A hearty tip of the cap goes to Stars fans, many of whom sat through what must have been a tough game to watch in order to bid the Stars a fitting adieu. Dallas fans get a lot of guff for being front runners (sometimes deservedly so, although you could say that about any fans, really). And hockey in Dallas is often treated as a joke.
But tonight Stars fans showed a lot of character by sticking around to give Morrow & Co. a salute. Sometimes, fans match the team. Both showed plenty of heart this year.
Sure, it must hurt to get this far and not go all the way, especially for older guys like Modano and Zubov. And Marty Turco plays with the daring of a young man, but he's a lot older than he seems.
But it's hard not to be positive about this team's future. Ribeiro and Morrow developed into one of the best lines in the Western Conference. Stephane Robidas scored the last goal of the Stars season and raised his game substantially. The team's young defense looks like it will ease the inevitable loss of Zubov. And maybe most importantly, from an annoying storline standpoint, Turco shook a ton of supposed monkeys off his back.
Morrow proved the worthiness of his captaincy with Thor-like power.
There's plenty of questions going into the 2008-2009 season. Will Modano retire? Can Ribeiro stay focused and remain in the second or third tier of scoring forwards? Is Phillipe Boucher still alive? And can the Stars manage to sign a finisher for Mr. $5 dollar shake, Brad Richards?
I'll be around to offer puns and observations along the way. Who knows, maybe next season I'll be butchering the English language as part of The Battle of the Pacific? We'll see.
Also, I threw my name in the hat at the Live Blog at the FanHouse today. That Liveblog thing is the cat's pajamas, really. (Sure, I mostly talked about Ray Emery eating bugs and hockey video games, but give me a break the game was over by the 1st period!)
So, this isn't really goodbye. Just see you later...
Tags: Dallas Stars, Playoffs
Season Review: Mike Cammalleri
I was going to wait until the Detroit-Dallas game was over, but I think I can go ahead and put it up now.
Stats: 63 Games, 19 G, 28 A, 47 P, -16, 30 PIM
Nickname: Cammy
Whoops.
That's pretty much the only word that can describe Cammalleri's season. For a guy who has increased his point total every year since 2002 (and who finished 2nd only to Jason Spezza in points in the AHL during the lockout year), Cammalleri crashed pretty hard. After a hot start (10 goals in the first 10 games), Cammalleri looked pretty set to increase his point totals once again until a slump followed by a rib injury knocked him out for a month. When he did come back, Cammalleri had basically been replaced by Patrick O'Sullivan (the "win" to Cammalleri's "wang") and could never really find a role for himself. Cammalleri also had to be hampered by a Los Angeles crowd that had completely turned on him; he went from being one of the building blocks of a young team to a cancer that must be traded this off-season. Funny how perceptions change in 1 season.
Still, I don't think Cammalleri should be dismissed for $.50 cents on the dollar. Lest we forget, Cammalleri tallied 80 points last season on a line with Alex Frolov and Derek Armstrong. And, if we're being completely fair, Cammalleri wasn't too far off his career numbers before he got injured (26 points in 34 games). I would think the drop in points can be related to the fact that Cammalleri was now playing on a line with Kopitar and was no longer responsible for carrying the puck into the zone.
And again, if we're being fair, we need to dismiss the notion that Cammalleri shoots too much and is some kind of puck-hog. In his career, Cammalleri has more assists than goals. He does shoot a lot (he would probably have led the team in shots if he had played a full season), but that's because he has the best shot on the team. I was at a game this season and some obese guy (who was clearly well-versed on the proper execution of the 2-on-1) bitched about how Cammalleri is selfish because he didn't pass to Derek Armstrong. Let me repeat that, because it gives keen insight as to how idiotic fans can be: the guy complained because Cammy didn't pass to Derek Armstrong. I'd rather he pass to the other team than Derek Armstrong. Instead, Cammy took a shot and missed high.* It was the best play to make, because the defensman did his job and took away the pass (like he needed to). It wouldn't make sense for Cammalleri to pass there because it's not playing to his strengths and the shot was there.
Still, by any reasonable measure this was a bad season for Cammalleri, and I'm sure he'd be the first to tell you that. Last year, Dean Lombardi made the point that Cammalleri has proven that he can be the best person on a bad team but hasn't yet proven that he can be the best on a good team. Right now, I'd say Kopitar, Frolov, Brown and maybe O'Sullivan have all passed him by. It remains to be seen if Cammalleri can adapt to his new role and get used to playing without the puck.
*This is another thing that bothers me, when people complain because a player missed the net. Hey, dick, he's trying to hit where the goalie isn't. You want him to put it in the goalie's chest? The guy is moving 20 miles per hour and is trying to aim a puck into a 4-inch wide area of the net, all while a defenseman is draped over him. I'm amazed these guys can even get a shot off, let alone score 10% of the time.
Next Year: Obviously, I'd be remiss* if I didn't mention the whole contract thing. Last year Cammalleri famously asked for a $6 million dollar/year contract after one good offensive season. When he got $3.4 a year for two years, many people speculated that he would piss and moan** and underperform this year. Now, after a subpar campaign, many people are assuming that he'll get traded this summer for a defenseman. I'm not so sure. It's no sure thing that Ted Purcell can replace Cammalleri's production and I think a line like Frolov-Boyle-Cammalleri can be dynamic. The Kings are not in a position to lessen their depth at any position and besides, the Kings could get more value for Cammalleri if they wait until he rebounds next year.
Cammalleri has always seemed like a good guy (if a little smug for being barely 5'9"), and perhaps now that his former agent is pulling the strings in Vancouver the Kings can get him to agree to a salary in line with what he is: a very nice secondary player. If not, trade him if you think you can get value for him. The Kings don't need to paint themselves in a corner where they either sign him for Martin Erat money (what the hell was that all about, anyway?) or trade him for some middling defenseman. If he wants to leave, he leaves. That's the nature of the business. Still, I hope Cammy sees the light and sticks around. He's a valuable player on the power play and a good complementary player. If he thinks he's anything more, though, then I can't say I'd keep him around.
*I'd also be a douche bag for using the word "remiss."
**When the hell did the phrase "piss and moan" come to mean "complain?" If somebody around me is pissing and moaning, I'm assuming they're in need of immediate medical attention.
Posted by RudyKelly at 2:25 PM 3 comments
Tags: Los Angeles Kings, Mike Cammalleri
Throwing Down the Gauntlet
The Stars made like The Undertaker and sat up unexpectedly against the Red Wings (I can almost imagine Ken Hitchcock as Paul Bearer - all you need is an urn and some makeup). So, for the second time in this playoffs, I have decided to break out some lucky charms:
Brett Hull's lucky rabbit foot-in-the crease
The exorcised beard trimmings of Mike Modano
...And the combined might of Dave Tippett and Hitch's 'staches!!
Beat that, Ted Nugent!
Tags: Brett Hull, Dallas Stars, Dave Tippett, Detroit Red Wings, Ken Hitchcock, Playoff beard thread, Playoffs
Glovezilla Ravages Canada, Nabokov, Kovalchuck, Ovechkin and Semin lead Russia over Canada 5-4 in OT for gold
Glovezilla Evgeni Nabokov made 25 saves, Ilya Kovalchuck and Alexander Semin scored two goals apiece as Russia earned a gold medal in the 2008 World Championships with a 5-4 overtime win over the favored Team Canada. The defending champion Canadian squad wilted under sustained offensive pressure from the Capital Offense line of Ovechkin-Semenov-Federov, and Kovalchuck scored a power play goal 2:42 into extra time to ice the gold medal.
The Russian fans in attendance went beserker as Kovalchuck performed glass pullups after scoring the game tying goal late in the third period, and they did a few repetitions of their own after his game winner in overtime.
"You can never make a sick glove save on a shot not taken" - Aristotle.
[Update] Evgeni Nabokov made an acrobatic stop on Mikko Koivu's point blank shot in the semifinals, video from WCSN.
Tags: Canada, Evgeni Nabokov, Glovezilla, World Championships
Bucci FM
I just heard John Buccigross on ESPN Radio as I was driving home tonight and I have to say, can we get this man on radio? Maybe it was just the fact that I rarely hear decent hockey conversation on the radio (even a deep playoff run doesn't really make a huge difference in Dallas sports radio), but hearing Bucci artfully pontificate about Sidney Crosby and the attendance issues in Detroit was truly a gift.
This makes me ask the blogosphere: what are the best non-traditional (aka Internet-based/streaming) hockey radio sources? I'd love to hear some silly banter about the NHL, especially from Pittsburgh, Detroit, Philly and (most of all) Canada. Reading is just oh so overrated...
Tags: John Buccigross, Media, Radio
It's hard out here for a Pimp Hockey Fan
It's good that the Stars won today, but damn if I didn't realize that the game would be on at 1:30 ET. Silly little me, I thought the networks and NHL might develop consistency or predictability in their broadcast schedule. Silly little me.
Honestly, when I slept like a college student today (till frickin' 3 p.m.), I thought I would feel guilty for wasting my day. But instead I feel angry that I missed a spirited showing from the Stars.
Ultimately, it's my fault for missing the game today. But would it be too much to ask that the TV schedules be a little bit less erratic? Last weekend, the games went from NBC in the mid-afternoon to Versus in the normal 7:30 ET time slot. Then it up and changed again.
On the bright side, the Stars are back in the series (or at least earned some respect). It sure would have been a nice thing to see...
Tags: NBC, NHL Schedule, Television, Versus
Saying all the right things
You might have heard buzz about Detroit assistant Todd McLellan rumored for a number of head coach positions. Well, his philosophy fits in with what a number of teams want to do, including one particularly squad in San Jose. From the Denver Post:
"I've had a chance to coach under some very good mentors," said McLellan, who then alluded to Minnesota general manager Doug Risebrough and coach Jacques Lemaire. "If you look at the Minnesota organization and the number of Stanley Cup rings they've won, and perhaps the type of game they play, that would be considered more of a defensive style.
"Then you come to Detroit and see the number of Stanley Cup-winning people around here, and the type of game they play. It's a very good mix, and to steal from both would be something I think a wise coach would do.
"I think there's a balance. I really like the way the Detroit Red Wings play.
Coming here as a coach, you hear about it and you're not convinced until you actually see it. You see the way the hockey club plays, the way the puck means so much to them while they have it.
"So I'd like to coach a high-tempo, fast, puck-possession type team."
I'm guessing McLellan's already on Doug Wilson's short list.
Tags: Coaching, San Jose Sharks
Barry Melrose still interested in coaching, says San Jose Sharks at the top of anyone's list
I spoke briefly with ESPN analyst and former Kings coach Barry Melrose today to see if he was still interested in coaching, if he would be interested in the opening with the San Jose Sharks, and if he thought the lineup in San Jose was more talented than the Detroit Red Wings or Dallas Stars. His answers were yes, yes and yes.
The full post is on Sharkspage here. At the State of the Sharks question and answer session next tuesday, President and Chief Executive Officer Greg Jamison, Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson and Sharks forward Jonathan Cheechoo will be available to answer questions.
Tags: Barry Melrose, Coaching, San Jose Sharks
Season Review: Rob Blake
71 GP, 9 G, 22 A, 98 PIM, -19, 144 SOG (I'm assuming 3,204 shots missed)
Possible Nicknames: Laurel, Kardashian
*Note: you're never going to get a reasoned opinion on Rob Blake, but I'm going to give it my best shot. This will be purely about his ability on the ice, not his character. And I'm not even going to delve into the whole trade deadline thing because it's been done. Let's try to keep it civil.
Rob Blake can still be a productive defensive player in the National Hockey League. I think his problem is that there is a fundamental misunderstanding of what he can and can't do. Blake is an odd character because he can't really be a great player 5-on-5, but he can still be an elite defenseman on special teams if he is used correctly.
5-on-5:
Rob Blake's season can best be split into 3 stages:
-October-December (where he only had 6 assists in 22 games and eventually had to be paired with Jack Johnson so Jack could cover for him)
-December-January (where he played much better and tallied 19 points in 29 game while showing that snarl that used to make him so great)
-March-April (where he played ho-hum after coming back from an ankle injury)
It's tough to gauge Blake's worth over a full season, since each stage is so distinct. He was worthless those first 2 months and unappealing during the last 2, but there was that time in between where he was the best player on the ice for either team. Was he just lucky or is there still a little Norris that can be squeezed out of him? I'd be willing to spend $2-3 million to find out.
On Special Teams:
Penalty Kill: Blake is a fantastic defenseman on the penalty kill. He is great at clearing the front of the net. In fact, he's probably too great at that; Marc Crawford does not allow Blake to move from the front and expects the other defenseman to run around from corner to corner behind the net. This usually results in a tired defenseman and a scoring chance for one of the corner guys. If the Kings allowed Blake to leave the front of the net, I think their penalty kill would benefit from it.
Power Play: This is more of a stylistic thing, but I don't really like the Visnovsky-Blake pairing on the power play. Once again, the Kings have Rob Blake in a rigid role where he is the shooter and that's it. Visnovsky will occasionally shoot (and score), but he mostly serves as a set-up man for Blake's booming but inaccurate shot. Teams that scout the Kings know that they're trying to set up a shot for Blake and can easily gameplan against it. Visnovsky is at his best when he can move and make the defense guess, and he needs a partner like Joe Corvo to do that. I'd much rather see Blake with Tom Preissing next year and let Lubo do his own thing with someone who will react to him.
Next Year:
Blake's value is on special teams. He's probably a little to slow at this point to be a valuable 5-on-5 player (Johnson, Visnovsky and Kopitar all averaged more Even Strength TOI last season), but I think Blake can thrive in a role similar to Brad Stuart's. Let Blake get around 13-14 minutes at even-strength and then let him take heavy minutes both on the penalty kill and the power play.
If the Kings could sign Blake to a 1-year deal for around $2.5 million, I would be stoked. I imagine the Kings are going to see a lot more young defensemen on the team for at least a cup of Snapple next season, and Blake is a great locker room presence simply because he's Rob Blake.* Blake does not have to be (and really can't be) the Kings' best defenseman anymore; hopefully, everyone realizes that.
*I mean because he's one of the best defensemen of the turn of the century, not because he has mystical pedagogical techniques. If David Fincher gives you advice on making a movie, it's going to carry more weight than if it came from Uwe Boll.#
#Brian Willsie would be Uwe Boll in this situation.
Tags: Los Angeles Kings, Rob Blake
Another article worth reading
Message to NHL GMs: stand by your man/coach/mustache
The Sharks next head coach search will one of the most intriguing stories going into this year's off-season, especially considering the fact that there aren't really a ton of big names in free agency.
I'll leave the SJ bloggers to decide whether the Wilson (non)brothers possessed the shared vision, open communication lines and other intangibles it takes to make a good GM-coach tandem (I assume they thought pretty similarly, but that's just because they share the same last name). It's certainly helpful that Doug Wilson will get to choose his own coach, but it's important to remember that a well-run franchise can still hit a brick wall after making foolish coaching decisions.
As much love as Loophole Lou gets in New Jersey, he obviously lacks the ability to find coaches who can satisfy his considerable ego. His late season firing tendencies show that an ill-advised coaching hire can mean big problems.
I think that's one reason why Dallas and Detroit have maintained such high levels of success. Detroit wisely chose Mike Babcock, easily one of the best coaches in the NHL. And the Stars stood behind Dave Tippett even though people listed him as one of the scapegoats for the Stars' first round exits year after year.
The stability of Tippett and the all-around brilliance of the Red Wings' management should stand out to copy cat teams, rather than their playing styles. Though top-to-bottom competence requires a disciplined, intelligent plan of action.
So don't expect to see that happen with teams like the Panthers or Islanders.
Check out this interesting article, which is actually on the higher profile GM-coach dynamic in the NFL (most hockey GMs are vaguely anonymous by comparison).
One quick aside: Brian Campbell is not worth $6M. It has to be said and I will say it many, many times.
Tags: Coaching, offseason, San Jose Sharks
Ducks in legal trouble
Well, I don't know what to make of it just yet, but apparently Ducks owner Henry Samueli is in a bit of hot water. He was named yesterday in a civil fraud complaint against the Broadcom Corporation, and has subsequently stepped down from his position of chairman.
I don't know what this really means for Samueli or the Ducks going forward, but that didn't stop me from making it (and other Duck legal troubles) from being the subject of today's PuckToon at Fanhouse. Enjoy, and if you are inclined, feel free to discuss Wild Wing's legal qualifications in the comments.
Posted by Earl Sleek at 7:19 AM 14 comments
Tags: Anaheim Ducks, Brad May, Cartoons, Chris Pronger, Henry Samueli, Ryan Getzlaf, Todd Bertuzzi
A little dirty (but the Stars'll take it)
Some things never change. Do you think he has special goalie slash pads or something?
I'd like to preface this carefully: this has been a really, really good playoff year. Aside from Earl Sleek, Emilio Estevez, Chris Pronger's wife and Brian Burke, I think most folks would probably say that this year's playoffs have been way more entertaining than last year's.
That being said, there's been just some outright atrocious decisions made by NHL management/officiating/whatever. It honestly feels at times like hockey is such an outstanding product that it overcomes the idiocy that surrounds it.
The most despicable enterprise in hockey might just be the "makeup call" (no, wait, the most despicable enterprise is Sean Avery*. My mistake).
Holmstrom got away with goalie interference in Game 1 and therefore Detroit was improperly stripped of a goal that might have lowered the broom on the Stars in tonight's game. Is it "fair"? I guess, maybe. It might not take away the Stars win or the slight momentum it developed, but it's got to worry you about their chances in Game 5. Either way, the league's pin-the-tale-on-the-donkey approach to allowing or disallowing goals is getting downright old.
Then again, it could be worse:
It's going to take me a while to get over that one. Seriously, could the universe have picked a better coach to be a victim of such a ridiculous call than Angry John Totorella? Maybe Pat Quinn, but that would only be better because his cheeks would probably become rosy with anger. You owe it to yourself, as a hockey fan, to watch the clip under the "Unbelievable" link. (The Finnish goal scorer's reaction is particularly hilarious)
Honestly, the Stars simply don't have an answer for Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Every single time Zetterberg touches the puck, it feels like something bad is going to happen. And it pretty much does.
It's interesting how quickly the Stars are assuming the exact same stance that the Sharks did (although the Sharks had the extra carrot of a Home Game 7). The Stars have a lot of heart, but I do wonder if they'll simply get destroyed in the next game.
It'd be nice if tonight's win was more than a moral victory, but it's hard to imagine.
Then again, it has been 33 years since the last reverse sweep...
*I swear, I've almost misspelled Sean Avery by calling him Steve Avery at least 10 times this postseason. I guess if the confusion caused the former NY Mets pitcher to get Elisha Cuthbert in the sack he wouldn't complain, but otherwise the association would probably bother him...
Posted by jamestobrien at 12:48 AM 9 comments
Tags: Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Playoffs, Referees, Tomas Holmstrom
Inside the NHL video feature with Anze Kopitar
Inside the NHL's Dan Moriarty chats with Anze Kopitar earlier this season prior to a game with the San Jose Sharks. Not a huge amount of substance, but Anze does talk about having enforcer George Parros as a landlord. Video via NHL Network Online.
Tags: Anze Kopitar, George Parros, Los Angeles Kings, YouTube
Player's Coach or Ex-Cop?
With the Red Wings and Penguins turning the Semis into a preseason morning skate, there is not much to talk about except for the Sharks new coach. The San Jose Mercury News has 2 separate articles saying that the "perfect" candidate is Pat Burns. Ex-Cop, Stanley Cup Winner, 3 time Jack Adams winner, Ties to Joe Thornton, it all makes sense. With the majority of the team in the prime of their career, it makes no sense for Doug Wilson to bring in a 'young" coach who will take 1-2 years to integrate his system. The only issue is that he is still under contract to NJ till July 1st. Does Doug Wilson want to wait that long to find a coach? Does Burns really want to move West? Those are things that Doug Wilson needs to find out.
The coaching search is not the only issue to resolve. Changing the coach and not the players will show that Ron Wilson was used as a scapegoat for the season. With the cap expected to rise, the Sharks will have plenty of cap space (10 million plus the rise of the cap). Most of that money will go to Brian Campbell if he decides to re-sign. Raises will be expected for restricted free agents Pavelski and Clowe. But that still leaves enough money to sign another scoring forward and some more blueline help.
Posted by Cheechew at 1:27 PM 8 comments
Tags: Coaching, Doug Wilson, Pat Burns, Ron Wilson, San Jose Sharks
The Search Begins
Well, that was fast. I mean, didn't Doug Wilson say that he was going to do his customary cooling-off period before making any key personnel decisions? Was that all lip service or was that his honest opinion -- and if it was his honest opinion, what made him change his mind?
Whatever the case, Ron Wilson's gone (though as of now, Tim Hunter and Rob Zettler remain). I'd posted my thoughts on the situation on my blog last week, and I haven't particularly changed in that regard -- I'm still thinking that the right situation is a player's coach. That is, a motivator instead of a disciplinarian.
How is this going to affect things? Whoever Doug Wilson hires, it's absolutely imperative that he doesn't turn this speed/skating-based team into a trapping machine a la Minnesota. That means trap-enthusiasts should be out of the question; however, if someone with a history of trapping (such as Paul Maurice) approaches the Sharks with a little bit of sensibility to understand what assets he'll be working with, then that's ok.
I think Doug Wilson's got two things he needs in his new coach. First, he's gotta be a brilliant leader. Leaders don't necessarily have to be buddy-buddy with everyone, but they've got to generate that level of inspiration that forces teams to want to go through the wall for them. Countless players under Ted Nolan talk about him with that kind of reverence, and it's unfortunate that Nolan has another year under his contract with the Islanders. A leader like this not only binds a team together, but inspires them to try to elevate their game -- and when you have sheer talent that doesn't always seem harnessed, tapping into that can be rocket fuel for success.
The second key trait is that he's got to be a brilliant tactician. And that goes far beyond writing down X's and O's on a white board. While I always thought Darryl Sutter was too stubborn for his own good, one of the most brilliant lineup moves I can remember was replacing Jeff Friesen (back when he was good) on the Owen Nolan-Vincent Damphousse line with grinder Dave Lowry. Why did he do that? Because Sutter knew that going against the powerhouse St. Louis Blues, one of the keys to success was getting then-captain Chris Pronger agitated and off his game. Since Pronger was going to be matched against Nolan, Sutter placed Lowry on the with the sole mission of hitting Pronger every chance he got, wearing him down until he started taking dumb penalties.
That sort of adjustment is different from the way Ron Wilson's "If it ain't broke..." mentality. While I understand you should go with something that's working, that simply doesn't always work in a playoff series. Different teams have different specialties and strengths, and if you can't properly adjust to those -- either by proactively shifting lines or changing defensive schemes -- you'll wind up shooting yourself in the foot. That doesn't mean you can't play to your own strengths or stick with your own system; it just means that it's better to be proactive and augment things in anticipation of your opponent rather than reacting to what they throw at you.
Unfortunately, the best person at combining those two traits is the one unemployed guy who probably would be impossible to coax into coming to Silicon Valley and that's Scotty Bowman. After that? Well, if you'll recall my last piece for FoxSports, recent history shows that a long NHL coaching record isn't eactly necessary to find success. We'll see.
Posted by Mike Chen at 10:25 PM 7 comments
Tags: Coaching, Ron Wilson, San Jose Sharks
You Were Supposed to Hit BALLARD
Dustin Brown oomfed Jussin Jokinen at the World Championships right as the final horn sounded. It was probably unnecessary and rude and all that stuff, but it wasn't against a King so I don't really care. The real story was after the hit (around the 2:00 minute mark), when Teemu Selanne came out of nowhere to throw his fists in Brown's face. Brown did not take kindly to it and repaid Selanne a little bit later in the clip. Should make next year a little more interesting. This means that the only Pacific team that has not been involved in an international incident so far is Dallas, for obvious reasons... although, I guess Jokinen used to play for them. Screw it, that counts. The Pacific Division: More Harmful to International Relations Than the Assassination of Franz Ferdinand!
Tags: Dustin Brown, International Hockey, Teemu Selanne
Bye Bye Ron Wilson
To almost nobody's surprise Ron Wilson was relieved of his duties today. I don't necessarily blame him but this had to be done. I don't know if the players had stopped listening to him but a new voice was needed. I have faith in Doug Wilson so he is sure to have some names in mind. I just hope it is not one of the retreads...Burns, Maurice etc. I don't think giving the job to Tim Hunter or Rob Zettler is the answer.
I like Ron Wilson, he knows his hockey and brought high-tech teaching techniques to the Sharks, but there comes a time when the voice in the room needs to be changed. There are stories around that Ron was rough with the players and even called them out in front of the rest of the team. There is one story I read where he wrote Carle, Vlasic and another player's name on the board and bluntly told the rest of the team that those guys were letting everyone else down. If true, no wonder Carle and Vlasic regressed this year. I immediately don't have a successor in mind but I am sure the names will be flying and this will be a well-sought after job with the talent on this team.
Tags: Coaching, Doug Wilson, Ron Wilson, San Jose Sharks
To goal or not to goal: what the process to decide a video reviewed goal must look like in Toronto
Some clever blogger(s) decided that the NHL uses an arbitrary wheel to decide suspensions, but after watching Brenden Morrow and Sidney Crosby get robbed of goals because of context (or cowardice or stupidity), I'm guessing that the Toronto video goal judging looks a lot like this:
Tags: Playoffs, Referees
I Bet He Called Him Dog
Doug Murray killed Alexei Morozov yesterday at the World Championships with a hit that got there just a tad bit early. Ilya Kovalchuk "fought" Anton Stralman in response and Murray got kicked out of the game for hitting from behind. He didn't, but in the NHL he probably would have gotten 5 minutes for interference so it's all gravy. The real question: when someone gets lit up by Douglas Murray, does that mean they got crankshafted?
(Also, that's some language they got there.)
Tags: Dog Murray, Douglas Murray, International Hockey, Sweden
An article that might be of particular interest to the Sharks and Ducks...
I stumbled upon a really interesting article about the salary cap that I thought I'd pass along. Sharks and Ducks fans might want to root for a couple more 7-game series (although at least one of them looks like it might be done in the blink of an eye).
Tags: offseason
The Dallas Stars star in: Vertigoal
What the Dallas Stars saw in place of Chris Osgood
When you're down 2-0 it can be hard to look on the bright side, but the Stars had to take a little something from tonight's closely played game. Marty Turco was both feisty and fantastic, as he's doing what he has to: punish the Red Wings for crashing his crease so that he doesn't get interfered with on a backbreaking powerplay goal.
I was unable to do a pre-game post, but I'm kind of glad because it would have been soaked in too-soon panic. But it's funny that my plan was to try to evoke the ghost of Battlin' Billy Smith. Low and behold, Smith's name was brought up as Turco was going semi-ballistic on Holmstrom and others. (Whichever Red Wing embellished in the second period Turco trip should get the gold medal for diving. He seriously looked like he got shot out of a frickin' cannon.)
Being down 2-0 is pretty terrible, but the Stars should keep the NBA playoffs in mind and remember that they can turn this series around with some clutch home wins. They now know that they can skate with the Wings, so they need to get it done (and for the love of God, get it on the net).
After an entertaining but still heartbreaking game 2 loss, it's time to play a little game of Good News/Bad News.
The Stars powerplay looked pretty good and featured a nice powerplay goal by Robo-das.
The Red Wings powerplay scored another goal, making it four on the series. And their other powerplays looked pretty scary. Basically, when the puck goes to Nicklas Lidstrom, every Stars fan's sphincter gets uncomfortably tight.
Mike Ribeiro was fantastic in this game. He was able to stickhandle past Red Wings defenders all. game. long.
On McRib's two breakaways, Osgood closed the 5 hole faster than a cocktease and made it look easy. And Ribeiro might get suspended on top of all that.
The Stars were able to create plenty of scoring chances in the beginning of the game.
When the Red Wings decided to shut the game down, the Stars were basically buried in the third period.
2-0 is always hard to come back from, but I don't think the Stars are completely dead just yet.
Really Bad News
It was so obvious the Red Wings were going to win this game, the writing of this post began in the middle of the third period.
And I never doubted it. So that can't be good. My pre-series prediction was busted purchasing smack by an undercover cop shortly after the game.
Not sure if this will make anyone feel any better, but maybe you can distract yourself with this Vertigo-inspired music video by my favorite band from the state of California, Faith No More.
Tags: Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Marty Turco, Mike Ribeiro, Playoffs
Putting the Q in LA
So, Joe Quenneville is jobless now. There's already Toronto Maple Leafs rumors.
Now, the Kings aren't anywhere near the glamor (glamour if you're Canadian) job so if he had to choose I'm sure he'd go for the Leafs. But if there's any hesitation from that bizarre conglomeration of cooks in the kitchen, I say the Kings ditch Crawford (or did they already?) and pick up Joe Q. Why?
1. He's a coach who excels at getting the most out of flawed teams, which the Kings most certainly are (especially in net).
2. He's experienced in the Western Conference.
3. Spelling his last name is an arduous task.
4. He would bring the stylish mustache back to the Pacific Division.
Sounds like a winner to me.
Wow, did the Stars get a beating on Thursday night or what? I'll try to squeeze in some suggestions/Hail Marys and maybe even a good luck charm or two tomorrow.
But my prediction's already looking wobbly to say the least.
Tags: Coaching, Los Angeles Kings
NHL>NBA
There's an article in today's OC Register (way to go, Earl) comparing the NHL playoffs and the NBA playoffs. While I could do without all the "NBA players are selfish, NHL players are great" (it comes across as vaguely racist to me), he does bring up a good point about how much more intense the NHL playoffs are than the NBA. You'll see more physical play after one whistle in hockey than you'll see in an entire NBA game. I don't know, I think I like that feeling that at any moment, someone might get punched in the face. There's that line that other sports don't cross that makes them less appealing to me. I'm a barbarian, I guess.
This also reminded me about a soccer match I was watching the other day. Two guys were going for the ball in the corner and one kind of shoved the other to the ground. The guy who got shoved bolted up and got in the other guy's face. There was no one else around, though, so they both kind of looked around after a while as if to say, "Hey, someone break us up." Finally the ref made it over and pulled them apart while they were still jawing. I'm sorry, but I can't respect a sport where guys aren't giving it every last thing they got.
Mike's article earlier is another point: guys don't sit out NHL playoff games because they're in pain. The judgment call isn't if it hurts, it's if they can't physically play. For example, a broken foot? You play because you can still do everything you need to do physically. Basically, the only things you're going to miss games for is if your head or your knees are fucked up. Anything else? You man up and lace up your skates. In contrast, Kobe has been lauded as a warrior because he is playing through an injury to his pinkie. That wouldn't be brought up in hockey because you're expected to play through something like that. That's why hockey is awesome.
Tags: Basketball
Watch Your Back, Raitis
If this hockey thing doesn't work out, there's always "Evil Henchman."
Inside the Kings has 2 awesome posts about Kevin Westgarth, the enforcer for the Manchester Monarchs (AHL). He's a Princeton graduate and has long hair... who does that remind me of? The first link is a couple videos from his fights (I recommend the Boulerice fight), and the second is a pretty enlightening interview on the method behind fighting. It's pretty interesting, even if you're not a Kings fan. Here's an excerpt (bolding mine):
Question: So is hockey fighting a science, a skill or a bit of both? Westgarth: I think it is definitely both. There is definitely a lot of technique to it. In a big way it is almost a mindset. It is just something where you have to overcome that fear of being hit. I'm always honored when a younger guy is going to come up and ask me for advice about it. We had some guys come up this year out of college and they asked me for some pointers, and we'd go through some stuff where you are just holding on and working on balance. But honestly the most important thing that anyone can learn is that it doesn't hurt to get hit. That is the biggest thing to get over, because if you get tapped and you get hit you can't freak out. You just have to get through it.
That is pretty awesome. I doubt Westgarth will make the team next year since we have Ivanans locked up for 2 more years, but one of the two could be used as trade bait. Or maybe the Kings can just say, "Fuck it," next year and put Westgarth and Ivanans around Brian Boyle and try to intimidate their way to victory. Either way, it's nice to know we have someone ready to protect our guys if anything happens to Raitis.
Tags: Fighting, Kevin Westgarth, Los Angeles Kings, Manchester Monarchs, Raitis Ivanans
San Jose Injury List
Courtesy of Working The Corners:
TO UNDERGO SURGERY:
Devin Setoguchi: Left shoulder, sports hernia.
Mike Grier: Right knee.
Patrick Rissmiller: Sports hernia.
Kyle McLaren: Knee, plus recovery from groin injury.
SCHEDULED FOR MRI:
Brian Campbell: Knee, shoulder.
Craig Rivet: Wrist, knee, elbow.
Patrick Marleau: Shoulder.
Joe Thornton: Right knee (hurt in final playoff game).
Curtis Brown: Left hand.
Christian Ehrhoff: Ankle sprain.
Milan Michalek: Shoulder injury (hurt in final playoff game).
Douglas Murray: Wrist pain.
Jeremy Roenick: Rib cage.
Jonathan Cheechoo: Knee sprain.
Posted by Mike Chen at 8:59 AM 8 comments
Tags: Injuries, San Jose Sharks
BoC Turns Two!
Happy 2nd birthday, blog!
I know the unwritten code for hockey bloggers is to avoid unnecessary profanity, but HOLY FUCKING MONKEYSHIT! IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS?!
Hard to believe, right? What started as one of uberblogger James Mirtle's internet pranks has escalated into this collection of assholes?! Amazing.
Well, what can we expect from BoC in its Terrible Twos? If child development is any indication, we'll probably see an increase in temper tantrums, control-freak tendencies, and aggressive testing of our boundaries.
Frankly, that sounds fantastic. I can't wait.
------------------------------------As a complete aside, one of my friends just sent me this link, and I think it's a hilarious dilemma: Will this traffic cop take the fall to keep Ryan Getzlaf out of traffic school? More to come, I'm sure.
Tags: Blog News, Cartoons, Ryan Getzlaf
A moment of silence, please
Well, while the Stars and Red Wings resume playing hockey tonight (see below for O'Brien's preview), the rest of us have some time to reflect on other things than "Please oh please don't lose tonight!"
Greg Wyshynski, now of Yahoo! Infamy (apparently now he's known as "Puck Daddy"), has put together a "Eulogy" feature to help remember teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention. Instead of having guest bloggers lament their own team's disappointing playoff exit, he instead has solicited rival-team bloggers to help celebrate the passing of the deceased teams. I think it makes for a better read: why focus on the pessimism of playoff elimination when in other corners of the hockey world rival fans are cheering?
So in that light I was selected to help commemorate the passing of the 2007-08 San Jose Sharks. When Greg contacted me before the postseason started, I didn't realize it would be such a workload: I had to be prepared for a possible Sharks elimination in Game Seven of the first round, and then Games Four, Five, and Six of the second round, and even then the Sharks pushed their demise until quadruple overtime.
So, without further ado, I point you to Eulogy: Remembering the 2007-08 San Jose Sharks, penned by yours truly. Mainly, it's a silly look at some of the ways that the Sharks tried to copycat tactics from the Ducks' cup win from last year, and how even those changes couldn't get the Sharks out of their annual second-round demise. Also, I take a brief look at some of the salary struggles the Sharks will have this coming offseason: how much more will this same Sharks team cost next year? Feel free to discuss in the comments.
But hey, Wyshynski's not all about Shark-bashing at Yahoo!; he's equal-opportunity. For embittered Shark fans (or other Duck-haters), why not enter Greg's caption contest to assign a Stompy-bashing label to Chris Pronger's Hockey-Reference.com player page? I predict that a Red Wing fan wins this, though; it's going to be tough to match the bitterness of a loud-and-proud fanbase that Pronger eliminated two years in a row.
Posted by Earl Sleek at 1:24 PM 7 comments
Tags: Cartoons, Chris Pronger, San Jose Sharks
Everyone Listen to My Opinion!
Olympics Re-match: Team Sweden vs. Team Finland
The Detroit Red Wings are better than the Dallas Stars. That's fact. You can talk about motivation, heart, and all that other stuff*, but the Red Wings are better at the sport of hockey than the Dallas Stars. 4 of the 5 best players in the series play for the Red Wings (Turco being the lone Star). The Red Wings had a goal differential of +73, by far the best of any team in the regular season. Their goaltenders made the fewest saves of any team, meaning the Red Wings were excellent at controlling the play. Plus, they simply do not take penalties (best in the league; Stars were 20th.) It's not that the Stars aren't good at what they do, it's just that the Red Wings have quietly been one of the most dominant teams the league has seen since... well, the last Red Wings team.
*I'm not dismissing that motivation and heart doesn't play a role in determining a series, but it's pointless to try to predict it. Usually, whoever won the series becomes the team that wanted it more. Has a team ever wanted it more but lost?
Still, there's a chance for the Stars. The Stars excelled at getting the puck on Evgeni Nabokov even though the Sharks were 2nd in the league at limiting shots. Chris Osgood isn't as good as Nabokov, so they should not have trouble scoring. I don't know how their defense is going to be able to handle Datsyuk's line,* but I'm sure Dave Tippett can think of something. Oddly enough, this series may end up being the more high-scoring series than Pittsburgh-Philly. Plus, the Stars still have Marty Turco.
*You know what's crazy about Detroit? Their top line 5-on-5 is Holmstrom-Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Rafalski-Lidstrom. Their top power play unit? Those same 5 guys. Their top crunch-time penalty kill? Same guys, minus Holmstrom. That's pretty awesome.
Is Chris Chelios about to kiss Zetterberg? I bet that happens to Henrik all the time.
Prediction: I think I'm going to have to break James' heart and go with the Red Wings fairly easily... 5 games? Sorry guys, but Sweden>Finland at hockey.
Pittsburgh v. Philadelphia
This series is weird for me because the city of Philadelphia is waaaaaaaaay better than Pittsburgh, but I like Pittsburgh's hockey team waaaaaaaaaaaaay more than Philadelphia's. I guess I'll cheer against Philly because I hate their style of play and Daniel Briere looks like Jack White. Plus Ben Franklin was a overrated philanderer and invented way too much shit. Give someone else a shot, man, don't be greedy. Also, cheesesteaks? What the fuck is that? What else is Philadelphia famous for, heart disease?
Prediction: I'm going to go out on a limb and say that someone in Philadelphia complains about the officiating. Just a little.
Tags: cheesesteaks, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins
You might not want to walk a mile in those shoes.....
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Marathong
Sharks Gameday: Cliches and Statistics
Sharks vs Dallas Stars Game 5 photos
Rut Roh (The Director's Cut)
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At Least The Kings Are Kinda In the Playoffs...
Jekyll and Hyde or is it Heckle and Jeckle?
Sports Blogs under fire

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FROM ubuntu:latest

ENTRYPOINT ["echo"]

CMD ["hello world"]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Thirty-year fixed, 15-year fixed and 5/1 ARM rates ticked higher Monday, according to a NerdWalletsurvey of mortgage rates published by national lendersthis morning.
Meanwhile, former campaign rival Ben Carson has accepted President-elect Donald Trump's nomination to serve as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The monthly Labor Department employment report is usually a catalyst for mortgage rate movement, but not this time. Perhaps rates have moved so much in recent weeks that there was little motivation to push them higher from what Doug Duncan, chief economist of Fannie Mae, called an "unremarkable" jobs report issued Friday.
"Some attention will be paid to the drop in the unemployment rate to 4.6 percent, but that is driven by the combination of jobs added and a decline in workforce participation, the latter of which was disappointing," Duncan said in an analysis released Friday.
Duncan said the table is set for a Federal Reserve short-term rate hike at next week's meeting, with continued gradual increases from there.
Hal Bundrick is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: hal@nerdwallet.com. Twitter:@halmbundrick.
The article Mortgage Rates Today, Dec. 5: Rates Tick Higher; Carson Accepts HUD Nomination originally appeared on NerdWallet.


New Delhi/Bengaluru, 28th July 2016: The league stages of the 24th FIBA Asia U18 Men's Championship 2016, that is underway in Iran, concluded last night, with India progressing to the quarterfinal stage as the 4th best team from Group A.
This is the first time since 2004 that the Indian U18 men's team has reached the final 8. India ended the league stages with a 2-3 record, having beaten Thailand and Iraq, while losing to higher ranked China, Chinese Taipei and Philippines.
India will now face Group B's surprise topper Lebanon in the quarterfinals, a side that upset higher ranked Korea and Japan en route to a 4-1 league record.
The India vs Lebanon match is scheduled to tip off on 29th July from 5 pm onwards, and is expected to be streamed live on FIBA's YouTube channel.
Late last night, India lost to Philippines 82-105 in their final league game. Despite the loss, with a 2-3 record, India had already progressed to the next round, since closest rivals Thailand and Iraq (both 1-4) too had suffered losses.
Captain, Guard P Baladhaneshwar in action against Philippines. Image credit FIBA Asia.
India used the opportunity to test its bench strength, and guard Daniel Arthur Wilson made the most of the occasion, scoring 16 points that included 3 threes.
Group A – China (WR-12), Chinese Taipei (WR-27), India (WR-52), Iraq (WR-62), Philippines (WR-28) and Thailand (WR-67).
Group B – Indonesia (WR-70), Iran (WR-24), Japan (WR-26), Kazakhstan (WR-37), Korea (WR-18) and Lebanon (WR-54).
Each team shall play all the other teams within its own group and the top 4 teams from each group qualify for the quarter-final round, followed by the semi-finals and finals. Additionally, placement matches will also be held for positions 3-8.
The significance of this Championship is that the top three teams progress to the FIBA Under-19 World Championship that will be held in Cairo, Egypt from 1 to 9 July 2017.
The Asia U-18 Men's Championship was first held in 1970 in Seoul and has since been held every 2 years (or 3 years in certain cases). China is the most storied team at the Asian level, having won gold 11 times, followed by Philippines (6) and South Korea (3).
Coming into this edition, China is the defending champion, followed by Iran (silver) and South Korea (bronze).
Prior to the upcoming edition, India has participated in the Asian Championship 18 times, with its best finish coming at the 1972 Championship held in Manila, Philippines, where the side finished 4th.
As hosts, India had conducted the 1998 and 2004 iterations in Kolkata and Bengaluru respectively. From 2006-2010 and in the last 2014 edition, India finished in 13thplace, while in 2012, India managed a higher 10th place finish.


Great people to have on your side.
Clients across Omaha, the Midwest and the country turn to Vandenack Weaver attorneys for a reason: They get the job done. Each is a seasoned expert in an impactful area of law, and all go the extra mile for their client's interests. Their expertise, experience, and drive are amplified by a trait each is proud to share; Vandenack Weaver attorneys are friendly and accessible to clients. They take time to get to know you and your needs, and know the ultimate outcome is not billable hours but your satisfaction.


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MAITHILI DIVA USA
"मिथिला के नारी कतबो मॉडर्न तैयो सँस्कारी,विश्व के कुनो कोना में रही अप्पन मातृभाषा स जरूर प्रेम करी"
Sita The Warrior
THE STRUCTURE
The Monument will have three levels:
Level 1 – Base: In form of a stage, a pedestal. It will have four stairways – two each marked for approach and departure. At the height of XYZ meters above the ground, the pedestal will be in dimensions of X meters by Y meters with a safe railings on all sides. In the middle of the pedestal will be the Level 2 of the Monument and all the space around will be for visitors to spend time in sightseeing and watching the Monument up close.
Level 2 – Globe: Sita the Warrior shall be perched atop a globe. The globe denotes Mother Earth and Sita, the warrior being an extension of her. From Earth she came and to its womb she returned. Perched atop the globe, Sita represents the universal aspect of all women – an extension of Mother Earth.
Inside the Globe shall be a Museum.
Sita Digital Museum and Art Center:
Museum:In the Museum shall be depicted various events of the life of Sita, the princess, the queen and the Goddess. The narration shall be from the perspective of Sita – the woman. All her life events are known to the world from the perspective of males who have carved literature to eulogize Ram. This will be an account of Sita, the view of a woman.
Cultural Activity Center:The Museum floor shall also serve as stage for cultural and performing artists on a regular basis.
Art Center:Mithila and surrounding regions are rich with traditional native art and crafts. Best of native artwork will be invited on the theme of Sita and shall be put on display and sale – online and off the counter. We shall also have regular themes for Art Display on which willing artists can send their work for the exhibition. For the most exquisite art works, we shall connect them to prospective buyers from all over the world through our website.
The Monument shall not only serve as Religious and Cultural purpose, it shall also be a center for economic boost through Tourism and promotion of native Art and Craft.
Thus Sita the Warrior represents Mother Mithila in form of Sita. And the monument aims not only to nourish theology and tradition, it shall also create economic opportunities as well as trade and art celebration events.
Sita – The Warrior
A Monument to the Tenacious young woman – A proposed Cultural Study Center.
A Monument dedicated to Empowered Womanhood – as the Daughter of the Earth, a tribute to all Mothers when they were young and growing (maturing).
Every woman was once a little girl. This was especially true in Sita's case. Full of immense possibilities, she could have been an empress, a thinker, a scholar, a trader, an inventor, a discoverer, an artist, or a warrior.
Sita, or Janaki as she is also fondly called, could have been a warrior. Her father, Emperor Janak, had been given the bow of Lord Shiva, also known as the mighty Pinaka, for safekeeping. It was so enormous and exquisite and majestic that it required several people to just simply move it.
During a cleaning session though, Sita lifted the Pinaka with tremendous ease, astonishing Janaka.
The monument will be a tribute to Sita, the warrior, to portray the epitome of strength and possibilities a maiden possesses.
A brief background:
The inspiration for this monument came from Sita, the daughter of Emperor Janak of Mithila in modern Nepal, specifically Janakpur Dham, from the mythological book known as Ramayan.
The legend goes, there was no rainfall in Mithila for a long time. The wise men and sages advised the Emperor himself should plow the field as an auspicious ritual.
During the ceremony, the plow hit a metal pot. Inside it was a baby girl.
Emperor Janak adopted her as his daughter and named her SITA – meaning the Furrow, the long trench on the ground dug for planting seeds.
Sita was the apple of every eye in Mithila. Well known as the Daughter of the Earth, she possessed a range of qualities and talents. Alongside, she also displayed her great physical strength by lifting the Bow of Shiva with ease.
Witnessing that, the Emperor decided to organize a "Swayamvar" (an open marriage challenge) in sync with the customs of the time. Anyone who could tie a string on the mighty bow Pinaak was qualified to marry Sita. The legendary Ram and other warriors of the era arrived to participate and the rest, as they say, is epic mythology.
The Monument freezes and celebrates Sita, representing the young girl with all her talents, education, strength, dreams and aspirations. It's a tribute to all women – celebrating the time when they were girls with unlimited possibilities and dreams.
The Monument will also include elements of native and traditional spiritual expressions of various cultures from the world depicting the idea of Girl as the daughter of the Earth. The thinking and observant people from each culture have been inspired by their land and connected with nature in their own way.
There is no known monument in the world that unites original spiritual expressions of the world. Sita, the daughter of Earth intends to do just that.
Why such a project:
The Monument:
Monuments, they say are not for the dead but for the living. As the melody remains long after the song, great lives inspire people for centuries. Their memories must be packaged in modern thoughts so that echoes from the past guide human civilization to the future.
USA is the melting pot of humanity. To ensure a smooth merger of human diversity, elements from various cultures must be introduced packaged in a universal outlook.
The Sita monument – an idea from the ancient East, including spiritual elements from all of humanity is in total sync with the universal vision of America.
· Point of Attraction: Sita is a revered figure amongst billions of people around the world. It shall be the tallest statue of Sita and will attract the immediate attention of people from all over.
· Cementing greater ties with southeast Asian Countries: The project will forge greater emotional connect between the USA and nations like India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. All of them have very strong diaspora in the USA.
· Attracting the Indians: Texas is the home for about 9 percent of Indians in the USA. This project will attract the attention not only of them but of the millions of them living all over America but also those of visitors.
· Tourist Interest: The Monument shall become a huge tourist interest. The project shall have a Restaurant, residence space for visitors, an auditorium and a Sita Museum where visitors shall be introduced to various aspects of her life.
· Regular Events: The Monument shall organize events at a regular basis and will become a center for socializing, culture and holidays.
· Proposed Cultural Study Center: The Monument shall hold talks, discussions, and workshops on Cultural interactions from all parts of the world. Eventually, the activity shall be directed towards setting up a Cultural Study Center.
· Promote Harmony and Understanding: The project aims to promote a better understanding of different communities and human groups in the spirit of mutual respect and interest.
· Promotes Awareness to Nature: Sita, the girl who is depicted as the daughter of the Earth. The idea also is to promote nature and environment conservation creating an emotional connection of humans with Earth.
· Collaboration with Several Organizations: Several respectable organizations with a worldwide presence will be a partner in the project. The region will come under their interest scanner.
· Promoting Texas: The Monument shall be another feather in the cap and will add to the glory of Texas.
Cultural Study Center (Proposed)
The inter-community dialogues and workshops initiated at the auditorium will eventually be guided to establish a Cultural Study Center.
A Brief of the features of the Sita:
Since the proposed Monument has been designed for a Universal appeal and seeks to be a converging point for all cultures to celebrate the young woman – we propose the following:
Humans can be roughly be categorized into five ethnic groups. The proposed Monument Sita will borrow features from all ethnic groups.
Bullet points for approaching worldwide organizations for collaboration.
How to approach?
What and how to convey about the project to other organizations including non-Hindus?
A list of Hindu / non – Hindu organizations should be made. PROPOSED PARTNER ORG.
Explore and find out people connected to these organizations.
Seek for a meeting to present the proposal. Highlight the commonality of cause between Sita – The Monument and the proposed partner.
For the purpose, I propose:
A THOUGHT GROUP, an informal gathering of people be made whose common features should be ONE – They believe in the Project. TWO – They can and are willing to add value to the Project.
THOUGHT GROUP must have people of diverse portfolios, backgrounds and reach. This way the project will have a wider outreach even at the proposal stage.
THOUGHT GROUP, people from Legal and Financial backgrounds can advise on the administrative, legal and financial aspects.
From THOUGHT GROUP, also seek contacts to the top echelons of the PROPOSED PARTNER ORG.
What's in it for them if they collaborate with us?
What I mean to ask is by collaborating with us, what benefit would arise for them? How will we show and convince them that a collaboration is the best choice of action in our current states?
This can be elaborated upon by people of Thought Group. However, this could be a term of collaboration:
Will be on Advisory Board
Discounts and Facilities at Residence Facilities –
The Monument will have a Full Event Calendar – Special Invitation to Events –
On the Board of Proposed Cultural Study Center (This one can be thought upon)
(ALSO FIND OUT HOW DOES ONE MANAGE THE FINANCIALS IN SUCH AN ORGANISATION)
PS. KAJAL K.
FOR THAT I THINK YOU NEED TO INFORMALLY DISCUSS THIS PLAN WITH A LAWYER AND FINANCIAL PLANNER SO THAT ONE GETS TO KNOW THE BEST LEGAL IDENTITY AND FINANCIAL STRUCTURE FOR IT.
Significant impacts this project would present to the world include:
For women empowerment
Religion/Hinduism
Potentially could be added to the list of The Seven Wonders (Most Monolithic Sita Statue)
Be the first to initiate statues for each religion to symbolize a unity between all of them
How could we display our project to the world in a quick and efficient manner?
Not only would this be a religious symbol, but work towards revolutionizing it into a tourist attraction. Not only would this empower the citizens in the areas and the Hindus, but bring in people from around the world and from any religion to view it as a modern masterpiece. Based on this knowledge, we will charge the tourists for visiting the statue, as many other organizations do. This means that this project will not only be a project but also an investment.
Benefits of having a Cultural Center.
Next PostWomen Empowerment
The Cultural Background of Maithili
Kajal Karna Organize and Celebrate Maithil Religious Festivals worldwide
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Business Rates Relief
Empty Property Rates Relief
Rise in legacy donations shows shift in awareness and attitudes
April 12, 2018 Kim Pidgeon
New study looks into public attitudes towards legacies
Over a quarter (27 per cent) of charity donors are preparing to leave a charitable legacy, or have already done so, according to new tracking figures from Remember A Charity – a four per cent rise from March 2009 when the consortium's study began.
The new figures also reveal only nine per cent of those who took part in the research reject the prospect of making a legacy donation. In 2009 that figure stood at 13 per cent.
Along with a rise in people considering and actively leaving legacies, the awareness of the option to do so is growing. Only 12 per cent of those surveyed said they were unaware of the option of donating to charity through their Will (down from 17 per cent in 2009).
The research, carried out by nfpSynergy, looked at the attitude and awareness to legacy giving among 1,000 UK charity donors aged 40+ on a scale ranging from rejection to action.
One in six (16 per cent) of the over-40s questioned said they have written a charity into their will and 11 per cent say they are preparing to do so (up from seven per cent in 2015 and nine per cent in 2016). A further 13 per cent say they are contemplating it.
Rob Cope, director of Remember A Charity, said: "Legacy behaviour and attitudes are really starting to change. While we are likely to see some fluctuation year-on-year, now with nine years of comparable data, we can see a sustained shift in public attitudes towards legacies."
"This echoes findings from Legacy Foresight and Smee and Ford, showing longer-term growth in the number of gifts in wills and charities benefitting, as well as the amount given.
"Bearing in mind that only six per cent of people that die currently leave a legacy, even a small percentage increase can make a big difference in terms of charitable returns.
"It's an exciting time for the sector, but with more and more charities coming into the marketplace, there is even greater need for organisations to invest in this area of fundraising and ensure they can continue to rely on such a vital income stream."
As referred to by Cope, figures released in February by Legacy Foresight, covering the 12 months to December 2017, show a 5.1 per cent rise in total legacy income for the year.
According to their Legacy Monitor, its 83 charity members received £1.5bn in legacy income in the year to 31 December 2017, while total bequests reached 53,775 – a 3.2 per cent rise from 2016.
Complaints about online fundraising increased by 252% during the pandemic
October 15, 2021 Kim Pidgeon
Loose change remains key for charities with hundreds of millions donated
May 23, 2018 Kim Pidgeon
Charities miss out on almost £600m extra funding with Gift Aid left off donations
March 21, 2018 Kim Pidgeon
G15 responds to building safety announcements
Markets and marquees here to stay
Come back! The most-missed High Street stores revealed
Affordable housing supply slows
Legacy table shows 5% rise in legacy consideration in past year
Cody Technology Park
Old Ively Road
GU14 0LX
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It's cold this morning early on but the sun is out and I can't see any clouds at all. Picture postcard beautiful wherever you look. The sun is out and should warm things up a bit during the daytime today but it's all relative it should stay in negative numbers.
Enjoy today while you can - snow is on the way back and should be falling again tomorrow.
Good mix of conditions for the weekend.