Golf-The Master and Spring

The Masters tournament began today. My prediction: I believe K J Choi will win the Green Jacket this year. For me and many southern Ontari-ans, the Masters represents the beginning of spring and the near arrival of our golf season. I personally don't play as much golf as I'd like to and I wouldn't consider a membership, b/c I just don't have the time to golf. But I still get excited when the Masters are played the same when I was younger and played more, in my teen's. Still, the Masters is a sign of spring, and I get excited to play a game of golf. Good by winter and the melting snow, spring is finally here. I got new golf shoes, my roomate's dog ate my other shoes last year. I played one round in running shoes and hated it. I was used to golf shoes. I was only playing with my father and I played miserably and blamed my bad game for not having the proper traction with my feet. Now I have new shoes and no excuses for nect time with my father. I would still like to beat him one day but he has a much better game than I do. These days, I seem to only play with my relatives. My old golfin buddy moved to New Zealand. I'm sure he is slicing his way from fairway to fairway down there. "Old twinkle toes" we called him on the tee. His feet would shuffle east to west while he drove the ball. The club head would meet its target. Then the slice of the ball and cursing would ensue "Fuck!" . Another friend golfing with us coined the new name for golf, the new name was "Whack-fuck" whack was the sound of the club hitting the ball and the fuck was the first thing said directly after the shot and this happened on numerous occasions throughout the round. My mother wants to try and play golf. Her mother and my grandmother loved to golf. My sister got clubs for christmas last year. I am not sure how much she has golfed.

Habs Get Spanked

Video Blog Click Here - The Habs were in Boston to play the Bruins for the first time since the Chara on Pacioretty incident. The Habs were dominated on the ice tonight, loosing 7-0. We all know you can't win if you don't scrore and on a night the Habs couldn't even get a decent scroing chance they wanted revenge but they got into penalty trouble and they had life tonight. They looked flat and the Bruins looked tough. The Bruins could be a front runner for the stanley cup. Tim Thomas looks on his game and the bruins power play is very efficient. The habs took too many bad penalties. I couldn't watch much more of the game. So I decided to switch channels and watch Arizona upset the #1 seed Duke in the NCAA March Madness. Arizona will now play UCONN in the Elite 8. My bracket is a little out of whack with some of the recent upsets but I still got hope for Ohio to beat Kansas in the final.

How you doin'?

Good news Pacioretty is alive, but who knows when and if he will ever play again

Inconsistent or Insensitive, or is the NHL both?

Here's the story,

Biggest guy in the league, Zedeno Chara pulls a interference check on Max Pacioretty. Pacioretty ended up hitting his head of a station of glass, dividing the player benches. The glass divider looks like turnbuckle, like in the WWF - George the Animal steal used to take off the padding, eat the innards of the padding and then drill his opponent into to the bare turnbuckle. What a mess it was. But George was one of my favourite wrestlers, as were the Bushwakers and other zany goons.

Back to Chara

Chara is real. The NHL is real, George than Animal steel is fake. Max Pacioretty fractured the 4th vertebrae, luckilly, luckilly its not displaced or he could be paralyzed or even dead. He has suffered a severe concussion as well.

I don't know why Chara decided to finish his check like that. Did Chara not notice the stationment of glass in the middle of the ice, he was skating towards the boards, i'm sure he saw it. From the replay, we see Pacioretty dump the puck past Chara, and as Pacioretty tries to go around him and after the puck, Chara interfere's with him and finishes the check late, taking a major penalty sending Pacieortty head first into the bench post. I can't but think of the Georgian Luger Nodar Kumaritashvil who lost his life in the luge incident that took place in training the day before the Olympics started. The NHL will probably have to make the ice rink bigger. Players are too fast, too big and the ice surface is becoming to small. Players are getting hurt too often. Many times because players are just caught up in the same area and collide either by accident or on purpose. Hitting is part of the game, but its getting to a point with the size of players and the evolution of pro-atheletes who are much stronger and lets be serious there are steroid drugs and the equiptment has become like armour. Just ask Don Cherry, he has been talking about this for years.

The Chara-Pacioretty hit was hard to watch. No matter how many all replays the television shows I see a late hit and deserving of a suspension. I would of given two games. Pacioretty was skating with great speed and was trying to go inside on Chara. Chara with his 6'9" frame, is never easy to go around, but Chara went to far, instead of only holding the man up he finished a late check where he should of let up. Did Chara know where he was on the ice? I think so, he was able to turn around and skate up ice towards the becnh and I think he knew what he was doing. The NHL has issued no further penalty.

A player for the Islanders Gilles bumped a player from the side and into the boards last week and was given a 10 game suspension. Gilles hit was less dagerous and far less violent than that delivered by Chara. Gilles was sticking up for a teamate who was drilled on a bad angle into the boards.

You tube the videos.

Many NHL analysts are shocked there was no further suspension or fines issued by the league.

Bob Mackenzie spoke to Pacieortty who was on the phone from the hospital in Montreal. Pacieoretty couldn't believe there was no suspension.

and More NHL News... Matt Cooke is a PLUG

This Just In,

With his team ahead 2-1 and 31 seconds left int the game and Matt Cooke goes for the open net goal. Cooke who we can nickname "captain elbow" to the jaw, is an idiot. He shoots for the open net and Kaberle (who is now a Bruin) blocks the shot and the Bruins coral the puck and head back up the rink and into the Pittsburgh end. With only 10 seconds left on the clock the Bruins pull their goalie and tie the game 2-2 with the extra attacker. The game would go to overtime and the Penguins would eventually secure the win.

The Leafs lost to the Blackhawks. They have been on a winning streak as the league enters the final stretch before the playoffs. The Leafs are 4 points behind the Huricanes for the 8th spot in their conference standings. Listening to sports talk radio, all of Leafs Nations is split. With their recent win streak. Some fans want them to keep winning and hopefully make the playoffs. Other fans want them not to make the playoffs but also lose and and have a better draft position for next year. Either way you look at it,the average Ontarian and every fanatactic who says stuff like "we lost a tough one last night" at work and pretend they are on the team, those are the Leafs Nation. If the leafs won the stanley cup, Grant from my old job would be jalosimated -(look word up in the Dictionary,if you have no diction than Jalosoated: a noun; a feeling of supreme exultation) Jalosimated is not to be confused with jubilation also a noun describing great triumph....anyways, The Habs kicked ass in Tampa tonight - defeating the lightning 4-1 Check out this blog Habs inside out

Bee bid dee, that's all folks

Hockey Pool!!! And the Oscars

Who wants in the march madness tourny I'm holding this year? E-mail me and i'll send ya the link to sign up. Who wants in my NHL fantasy pool next year, b/c i'm firing one up on yahoo

Bet $$$ -- bling!

Who is your early fave's to win the NCAA Men's Basketball Tourny this year? I haven't been looking at the standings yet. But i'd like to hear your picks and send an e-mail jessethomas21@hotmail.com if your interested in the march madness pool

The Oscars are on tonight. Not saying i'll be watching them. But maybe. I dunno. I did see one film that was nominated "the Fighter" with Mark Whalberg playing Mickey Ward and Christian Bale plays Dicky, Micky's older half-brother.

There are a few hilarious scenes and there is good action not all just in the ring either. As far as the fights go they had creative touches with some unique camera angles punches being thrown and puches being taken, hard and fast "bang-bang" "punch-punch" and then there were some slow mo looks too that were really cool to see.

Wahlberg's Character Mickey falls in love and wins some fights and looses some family for a bit and his brother tries to make a comback to boxing and a film crew follows him around and he thinks he's famous. Its a good movie. Although, Wahlberg's character doesn't fight Arturo Gatti - the movie ends before that point (Remember in real life all three of those incredible boxing matches between Ward and Gatti? They were slug-fest's) see link for actual fights

To Christian Bale's character Dicky, the film is much about his battle's with addiction. Dicky has a movie crew following him around, they are filming a movie about addiction but Dicky thinks its about his comeback. The drugs have muddled his brain so much he thinks he is making a comeback to professional boxing comeback. Christian Bale is a convincing actor he truly looks fucked up. At one point near the end of the movie Dicky is in jail and the film is finished and premiering on National television. The suspense is thick. Its a great movie. There is a love story between Amy Adams character falls in love with Mickey. He has one crazy mother and seven or eight sisters I believe they all live in one house too. There are some trully over the top funny scenes of the girls all fighting with Adams character - the sisters and mother think aAdams is "yoko ono" a character who is stealing Mickey away. The actress Melissa Leo will win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

I haven't scene too many other films. I am looking forward to seeing True Grit come out and also a documentary about a graphitti artist known as banksy.

Stay positive all'

Those Mickey Ward and Arturo fights are just slug fests in real life. We didn't see Mickey's character played by Whalburg fight Arturo in the movie -- maybe there is a sequel (I doubt it) But they probably could make a movie about Arturo Gatti - his death is still suspicious after being found dead in Brazil.

Head Shots and Line Brawls. Enough is enough!

The rash of NHL line brawls that followed the All-Star break has been settling down. Following an outcry by Pen's Owner Mario Lemieux. Saying he was questioning his future partnership with the NHL is the fighting and brawling didn't stop. For a stretch of games it seemed there was a brawl each night. There was the Pen's and the Isles in their two game punch up and the Habs vs Boston. All the brawls would happen with under 4 mintues to go in the game and the score would be greater than 2 goals in favour of one side. It was getting so bad between Pitsburgh and New York that it forced Pen's owner Super Mario Lemieux to write a letter of disgust to the NHL Commissioner, disappointed with the mockery of the game on the ice. The scene from the final minutes when the last brawl broke out, was reminiscent of the movie "Slapshot" with Paul Newman acting as player/coach Reg Dunlop, who led the Hnason Brother's and other in goons in a fashion of hockey described as Old time 'Eddy Shore hockey" It was more like a roller derby from hell.

As Lemieux rethinks his involvement with the NHL. It appears the NHL will not fine the owner for his remarks. Some how I am not sure how the e-mail of Lemieux was leaked to the press. It also seems the entire NHL to the letter. Some people would say this kind of old time hockey is exciting. It admit it does get people out of their seats but finally enough is enough 4 an five different fights. It had gotten pathetic. To see as many players in the penalty box as there was across the ice in the players bench. I would ask Lemieux ,what he would consider suitable punishment?Are we talking multiple games and big fines. Who knows. I think to myself, the NHL does it want more WWE shenanigans, is this what will sell the game in parts of the US?. I agree with Mario, in the point that The NHL didn't do a good job dealing with this whole situation. My biggest point in concern, after the last brawl, the main instigator in the brawl Michael Haley jumps Maxime Talbot and following that fight he skated to the Pen's goalie Johnson and engaged in a fight with him. At that point the Pens enforcer Eric Goddard left the players bench to come to the aid of his goalie. Johnson if you remember earlier in the week was invloved in another brawl between the two teams and Johnson skated the length of the ice and fractured Dipietro's cheek bone with a one punch tko. Johnson was not suspended but Pen's Eric Goddard was given 10 games for leaving the bench. Haley the tough guy-no namer who got into two fights was assessed no suspension.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4FrNDkAYVY see the fights with the link

There was some bad blood between the two and it got vicious and then it got pathetic. The Habs and Bruins game the next night saw a similar scene of fight after fight and eventually a brawl. Fighting in hockey is allowed. Players serve a penalty usually 5 minutes for fighting. Players are then still allowed to play the game. Players are only handed out game misconductsn and tossed from the game when the fights happen before or after the whistle.

Like Mario I am disgusted with the sucker puches and lack of respect for other peoples and their career. It is a different situation when two players agree to square off in a fight. Usually the ref's know when to jump in and the players skate off into the penalty box sometimes giving each other a pat or kind gesture, acknowledging a good fight. Those kind of fights usually go between teams enforcers. That isn't the problem here. What's wrong is the head hunter hit's and the intent to injure plays. Where guys are trying to knock the other guy out. In hockey there is a fine line, when you allow fighting to be legal and the game being played with so much passion and emotion there is the opportunity for injury and things getting carried away. The bodrerline assault. Players like Todd Bertuzzi has ended a players career for stalking and sucker punch or Moore. Moore sued. It's no good when the league best player is on the side lines, concussed from a shoulder to the head. People will have to want either good clean hockey and to abolish fighting. Because fighting is a form of a head shot and head shots are dangerous and need to be out of the game. Some say with the speed and the size of the rink you will always have head shots. But I say players are extremely aware and can mke quick judgements moves in order to avoid of contact from the upper body to another players head. Its a physical sport and guys will get caught in awkward positions. But the respect for one another is missing.

Jubillation:Mubarak is Out

The Celebration-- would be my headline. For the people of Cairo and Egypt. What joy and jubilation in the story now. What a stand by the people. Revolution even more end to an 18 day protest and war. It was bloodied. The brutality of the overthrow was bad many had died. Wikileaks read 105 people were dead. I feel happy today especially for step forward for the lives of the people in Egypt.Many thought Mubarak was going to step down yesterday. But instead Mubarak tells the people he is staying. The population marched today to where mubarak was living and he stepped down. 18 days of mass protests and finally the uprising is over the people have won.

The people demonstrated peacefully with marches in the streets. After that we saw the images and things became chaotic. A curfew was imposed and the people and they refused refusing any wishes from Mubarak, they only wanted him to step down. Groups fighting each other. A war began. Images of the fighting were horrifying. A lot of combat fighting from Mbarak but the people were relentless and they were angry with the government corruption and other issues liek the massive unemployment. People should have the right to free speech and they want an election system that is rid of any tampering. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has power of government. We will watch for what happens next.

Great step forward for the people of Egypt

Now, A toast, a cheers; Here's to Egypt, you'll never be the same

Delighted to see the joy and courageousness of the people