Cupid Cup & Prediction

I heard a rumor from a guy who knows a guy that lives next to a guy who had a neighbor that mentioned there may be another Cupid Cup 3 on 3 Tourney coming up.

Preliminary date is Saturday, Feb 28th. Watch for more details coming soon, but mark the date on your calendar.

---Adult C League

With an impressive win over Irwins on Sunday, Coke is ready to get on a winning streak. The winning goal was scored by none other than Josh Graham Cracker. Hide the Pepsi and fake body art, Coke/YDD is a comin'.

My apology to the Cup O Insurance team in advance as I will not make the game this Wednesday. I know this will significantly reduce the number of fans we have in the stands, but here is the math formula I used to determine whether I can play:

1 wife out of town + 2 boys + 1 school night + 1 Ten O'clock game = 0 chance to play

Good Luck All!

All Star Game

January 24-25th is NHL All Star weekend. You can see amazing skills competitions as well as the league's top players compete in what is typically a high scoring affair.

Last year brought about the "Trick Shot" competition. Many tricks were seen, including Ovechkin bouncing the puck on his stick while skating towards goal and then doing a 360 degree spin and attempting to bat the puck in out of mid air...pretty cool.

But not as cool as what I witnessed one day by none other than the most creative player in all of C League, Adam Lowell. During one game, he played on a line that was trying to kill off a penalty. It was a 5 on 3 and he was defending his zone when a puck was shot at him. He stopped the puck with his stick and proceeded to skate down the ice toward the goalie. Rather than just dumping the puck to kill some time, he decided to skate it. The first attacker approached and Adam slid forward on his belly between the player's legs while still controlling the puck. The second attacker came at him and Adam decided to not only do a 360 move around the opposition, he did another unnecessary 360 around the same player just to rub it in. Next, 2 defenders came at him at the same time. Just as they were about to sandwich him, he leaped into the air doing the splits and with about a 60" vertical, cleared the 2 players and watched as they collided into each other. With one player left between him and the goalie, Adam headed for the right side boards. As the attacker followed, Adam jumped sideways onto the glass and began running perpendicular to the ice like Neo from the Matrix. After approx. 15 feet of this running, he was behind the defender and alone with the goalie. He put the breaks on, dropped his stick, removed the goalies mask, pinched the goalies nose and told him "I got your nose, I got your nose." Dazed and confused, the goalie stood still as Adam put his helmet back on, and then using the butt end of his stick, lifted it top shelf backhand which caused the water bottle to explode into 100 pieces and shower the entire crowd behind the goal.

So as you watch the All Star game, just know that you'll never see anything that remarkable on television.

What Can You Buy For $95?

Your own piece of heaven.

I've heard many talk about personal backyard rinks. Everything from official size ones with boards to simply flooding a small piece of their yard. How cool would it be to have a place of your own to skate whenever you wanted?

I've always come up with reason to not make one, but last year I gave it a try..the key word was "try".

It never came to be as I started to build it once snow was on the ground. That was the first mistake. After pouring probably 32,000 gallons of water into a poorly constructed frame and plastic with holes, I gave up and had to wait for Spring in order to clean up the yard. But this year would be different.

I planned. What you see pictured is very simple. (10) 2x8, (1) piece of rolled plastic 28'x20', and a box of deck screws. All for approx. $95 at your local Home Depot, Menards or Lowes. Its nothing too fancy, no 4' high boards, or painted red lines..heck not even a net (yet). But we now own a 24' x 16' piece of frozen heaven. After a game on Tuesday, a 1-1/2 hour practice today, an upcoming 4 game weekend that starts tomorrow, my 8 year old comes home today (after coach made them do lines, suicides, herbies, or whatever you call them)...and wanted to skate. Ahhhhh...to be in heaven.

What a Blast!

So after the long layoff, I finally got to play in a great competitive game this Sunday. Coke Vs. Irwins and we ended in a tie!

Both teams fought hard and kept the game interesting. Our very own Jim "Superman Clark" Kent even added to the excitement by putting one past the dominant one Anderson.

I was so happy to play again and with such a great team, that I asked Captain Dan Koening to give me a small reminder of the team I played for.

I thought he did a nice job, but I was hoping he could incorporate a Coke logo as well. Who knows, maybe next week, I'll let him tattoo my chest.

As for Wednesday league, it looks as though my new team may also involve a caffeinated drink. The ownership group from Cup O' Insurance felt that I could be a missing piece to their playoff run. "Brendan is a so-so defensemen for us, but by adding Joe, maybe he can teach Brendan some things" declared co-captain Dave Green. Brad Dean added, "I get to play against him Sundays, but with him Wednesdays...I'm so confused."

Although not a finalized deal, it looks as though Joe may be on to face Legends, and his old nemesis Mr. Dane Lenhard.

New Addition to Team

Through a missed training camp, long hold out, agent negotiations and a final agreement, I have been signed for the remainder of the season by the Coca Cola/Yankee Doodle Dandy Tattoo Sunday C Team.

Thanks to the great players of Coke/YDD and some great photo editing, you can see my joy as I am being presented my team jersey.

"I only hope I can bring to the team what Coke brings to millions of families across the world..great refreshment and enjoyment. I also hope to decorate the team as Yankee Doodle Dandy Tattoo decorates the fine citizens of Des Moines." stated me.

Seeing as how I have not played for several months outside of the recreational Chops League, and putting on a significant amount of weight (I think I'm topping out at 130 now), it may take several weeks to get into game shape.

The contract negotiated is very lucrative. I get 190 Hungarian Forint per game, my own locker room hook, the 6th line defensemen spot, 6 free tickets to each home game, a tattoo of Mickey Mouse holding a Red Lantern while riding on a Unicorn and a 2 litre bottle of Diet Coke.

My thanks to my teammates, agent & Mel Gibson.