For the first time in my life, I'm watching the NHL off season with much interest. I've never before concerned myself with free agency, salary caps and the website tsn.ca. Since July 1, I've been glued to that site as well as a few other hockey sites. This is the year the Penguins, Stanley Cup runners up, had over 15 players eligible for Free Agency.
What is Free Agency ?
Free Agency is the end of a player's contract with the team he currently played for. It is the time of year when the player's agent (also known as "Lying Bloodsucking Weasel") shops the player's services around to the highest bidder.
Get a good free agent player and the Lying Bloodsucking Weasel makes the NHL General Managers (alias : Dumbshit) look like sharks in a small pond during a huge feeding frenzie while trying to sign him.
What happens when one team loses a free agent ? They go apeshit nuts trying to sign another free agent to replace him. The word "overpaid" gets thrown around quite a bit. But you have to make those signings and compete with the other Dumbshits that are bidding on the free agents. Lying Bloodsucking Weasel is busy running from one Dumbshit to another getting the bidding war raging and the prices going up.
All works well until the player speaks up. Apparently, lying is contageous. Player makes claims that he wants to play in a certain town. Player says he'll take less money to play in current city (also known as "hometown discount") and the player wanting a long term deal.
So, the Lying Bloodsucking Weasel and the Dumbshit have a deal all worked out.. exactly what the player wants and then the player decides to go elsewhere. Fine, whatever..
As I like to do on occasion, here is a chart listing the highest paid hockey players from last season :
The highest paid player (Briere) finished 29th or so in goal scoring. Gomez finished several places behind him, Vanek.. not even in the top 50. The scoring leader, Alexander Ovechkin inked a deal that wasn't on this list for 9.5 Million a year for 13 years. He could have gotten more on the open market. He's not even the 'best player' in the league.
That would be Sidney Crosby (or Evgeni Malkin if you ask me) Sid and now Geno will make approx. 8.7 Million a year. Both took long term contracts for LESS MONEY than they would make on the open market just to stay in Pittsburgh. Hometown discount, true to their word. Same can be said for Marc-Andre Fleury and Brooks Orpik. Both could have made millions more on the open market, both chose to work out deals that keep them in Pittsburgh long term.
All of those players have demonstrated LOYALTY to their team. That's simply not something that happens much any more in professional sports.
Now, before you say it.. hockey isn't always about scoring. Other things are just as important right ? Uh.. leadership, defensive play, power play for the team. Hell, just being an intrical part of the team... right ??
Evgeni Malkin passed up $12 Million dollars a year in Russia to stay here in Pittsburgh for $8.7 Million.
Now, we're going to bitch out a couple of the Free Agents that left. Don't get me wrong, a man has a right to make his living and make as much money as some Dumbshit is willing to pay him. I hate lying though.
Gary Roberts. He claimed that he wanted to play closer to home. He said that when we first got him. Home is Toronto, but he signed with Pittsburgh because it was pretty close. He again said he wanted to sign closer to home, Toronto & Ottawa were thrown around as places he'd like to go. Where does he land ?? Tampa. I realize that not all hockey players go to college and aren't really that great at geography.. but Gary, Tampa is the OTHER FREAKING DIRECTION.
** brb I'm taking a cookie break or something before I get a migraine from all this bullshit**
Ryan Malone. Adam Hall. Jarrko Ruutu. Ty Conklin. Georges Laraque. Farewell and good luck where you landed.
Marian Hossa. Indicates during a post season interview that he'd be open to the hometown discount thing. Very up front in saying that he wants a long time deal. Open about saying he wants to go to a winner. Signs a one year deal with the team that beat us out in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
That confused and baffled just about everyone in sports. A one year deal ?? WTF ! I admit I was very fast to jump on the "I hope Hossa blows out a knee during the season" train. It was a huge slap in the face to the Pittsburgh Penguins players and team. Hossa essentially said "I have a better chance to win the Cup in Detroit" and was gone.
I'm going to go off on a little bit of a tangent here (delaying any laundry and housework that I should be doing).
Marian Hossa has been clamoring for a long term deal. Marian Hossa signed a one year deal and will be a free agent again next summer. Edmonton offered Hossa a crapload of money to play with them long term, but was rejected because they're losers. Pittsburgh signed 2 wingers to one year deals. Gonchar's $5Million dollar contract is up end same time as Hossa's deal with Detroit. Pens coach Michel Therrien, with whom there are rumors of he and Hossa not getting along, has a contract up same time as Hossa's deal with Detroit.
Marian Hossa will be back next year when the Penguins free up Gonchar's money, Satan's money and whoever else that other guy is. The Pens will then be able to offer Hossa the money Edmonton was offering him for a long time deal.
Picture if you will the core of the Penguins team for the next 5+ years: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, Brooks Orpik and Marian Hossa. That is the dynasty of hockey's future.
Still leaves Jordan Staal out in the cold. He becomes a free agent at the end of the season. He has claimed that he is unhappy playing 3rd line center. With Crosby and Malkin in Pittsburgh for the next 5+ years, there isn't much chance of Staal moving up. Speculation is that he may move up to play wing on Malkin's line to get more ice time.
I’m going to rant for a bit here
Current mood: irate
shocking, I know.
There are several things on my mind right now, I'll try to capture a few of them and type em on out here. I have no doubt that some will escape.
First thing I'd like to say is that I'm sick of the media trying to frighten us. Global warming and other such bunk. Natural disasters.. impending doom ! OMG. I got home from Camp to see headlines "Tornados hit Kansas & Oklahoma" Now, I'm hoping that everyone is ok, though I realize lives were lost and I'm truly sorry for that, but they live in TORNADO ALLEY. It's not exactly shocking that tornados happen there. They gave the region that name for a reason ya know.
Next, Big Brown. I'm sure most are aware that I'm a horse enthusiast and that I watch horse racing. I do not like this horse. I don't want to see him hurt or anything, but he is not deserving of being a Triple Crown winner. Why you ask ? I've done some ranting elsewhere and this is a copy and paste of it :
If he wins the Belmont, he will be put in the same class as Secretariat, War Admiral, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Citation, Assult, Count Fleet, Sir Barton, Omaha, Whirlaway & Gallant Fox.
Those are the greats of TB history, the best of the best. Horses who ran and raced under much different conditions. They had no synthetic tracks and they were raced much more often and carried soundness through their careers.
Big Brown, who will be retired after the Belmont .. win lose or draw.. 5 starts. Belmont will be 6. He's already got soundness problems with his hooves. Does he really deserve to be listed with the above greats ? He's not proven himself against anything other than a very weak crop of 3 year olds.
Big Brown isn't class enough to lick the manure off the other TC winner's horse shoes.
~ So, that's how I feel. Don't much care what anyone else thinks, that's where I stand.
Ok, everything else seemed to have drifted away. I got the anger and WTF out of my system for now. Hi to all of yous that I haven't chatted with in a while. I will be back more regularly, I promise !
I'm not sure if I've blogged about this before, but I'm just so cracked up by the hilarity of it all. You have to go watch this ...
Those are fainting goats, the very last clip of them is what I'm getting at. Guy walks into their pasture with an umbrella, opens the umbrella and BOOM all the goats simultaneously 'faint' and fall down.
Now, you've watched the clip (or better have) and I want you to picture kids instead of goats. Picture a group of 3 to 5 year old children in an ice skating class. Last week was Dylan's first ice skating class .. and NO he's not going to be a figure skater, but a hockey player dammit. There were kids falling all over the place. They'd just be standing there and a phantom breeze would blow and boom.. down on the ice they go.
Week 2 was slightly better for Dylan. He did quite well and IMO was the second best kid in class. This week there were 3 teachers instead of two and a few of the kids threw hissy fits and tantrums, but not Dylan and his little group of advanced kids.
I have a couple videos of Dylan skating for your viewing enjoyment.
So, have fun watching my kid skate (and fall) .. I did !
Oh how the mighty have fallen.. fallen up ?
Current mood: amused
As I was driving down the road today, I start seeing signs for Hulk Hogan and some sort of Freedom Wave. I'm wondering what the hell ?? I did some research and find more information. Hulk Hogan, the eat your vegitables and take your vitamins guy, is going to be in Freedom, PA next Monday. Now, Freedom is a nice enough little 'burg, but that's exactly what it is.. LITTLE.
This is HOLLYWOOD Hulk Hogan. Mega wrestling star of the 80's, pretty darned huge in the 90's, star of the late Thunder in Paradise and current star of Hogan Knows Best.
Here.. in Beaver County Pa, Freedom.
Now, I spent the rest of the drive laughing to myself thinking.. this man used to sell out arenas. The Hulkamaniacs cried the day he turned on the WCW and became a heel with the nWo. He has his own TV shows.. and here he is leading a Freedom Wave in smalltown USA.
I just laughed and thought to myself "oh how the mighty have fallen". 10 years ago, Hollywood Hogan blows this project off Brother ! Yeah, I had to throw a 'Brother' in there.
For those wondering, I am not now, nor was I ever.. a Hulkamaniac. I did love and enjoy the nWo, but Hogan was never high on my list. I absolutely hated the 'Fingerpoke of Doom" and could have cared less if Hogan ever walked into an arena again. Years later, my most recent 'mark out' moment.. Hogan took a kick to the head compliments of Shawn Michaels. I was bouncing off the ceiling with joy. But I digress, this is about what Hogan is doing now.
Now I see that this Freedom Wave thing is going to be nationwide and lasting 15 minutes. Who in the HELL is going to wave for 15 minutes ? Even the parade queens don't have to wave that much. But what's the point ? Here is the information I found online regarding the Freedom Wave :
WHEN: Labor Day - September 3, 2007
WHERE: Freedom, Pennsylvania
WHAT: National launch and the official kick off of the "National Wave." campaign. A charitable campaign designed to unite Americans on one special day, Friday, the 4th of July, 2008, at 9:00PM EST and lasting 15 minutes, the first-ever simultaneous NATIONAL WAVE(TM) will take place across Our Great Nation. From border to border and beyond, people off all ages, colors, creeds and political affiliations will be waving "THE OFFICIAL UNITING TOWEL OF AMERICA(TM)" in unison."
INFO: The Freedom Group of America is proud to have internationally-known celebrity, Hulk Hogan, as official spokesperson for The National Wave. Mr. Hogan will host the launch Labor Day evening to begin the countdown to July 4, 2008, and introduce The National Wave to America and the media.
MORE INFO: The Freedom Group of America has created a very unique strategy that will gain the needed momentum to help guarantee the success of The National Wave. We refer to it as "The Celebrity Face-Off Package." We will pursue 12 famous personalities who will aid in the healing efforts of our polarized nation. Each will be paired with his or her counterpart in a nationally-publicized campaign. This campaign will be a 15-minute period where the select celebrities will be asked to set aside their differences from their counterpart's and show the country that their pride to unite as Americans is of utmost importance. As an example, personality types we will contact and pair will include Rush Limbaugh versus Michael Moore, or Rosie O'Donnell versus Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Similar to a heavyweight title bout poster, we will show the two personalities together and squaring off with a handshake, and a byline stating," If these two can unite for our country... then we all can!" -- July 4th, 2008!
The Freedom Group of America is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising and distributing proceeds to charitable groups. It has a projected goal of raising $20 million dollars in sponsorship revenues, and to distribute potentially millions of "Uniting Towels" across America.
FINALLY: We would like to invite all aspects of the media, national and international to the September 3, 2007 launch in Freedom, PA, to kick off what will be the start of an exciting 10 months in our quest to unite over 100 to 150 million Americans in Unity!
CONTACT: Shannon Barr @SBPR, Inc., 310.546.5069-o
So, in retrospect, perhaps Hogan is using his celebrity status for the good of a nation ? But the idea of having all those people shaking hands and making nice.. Well it's good in theory, but will it ever happen ? I will NOT be attending the Freedom Wave. I'm not much of a joiner and I wouldn't dare get up that early to go see Hulk Hogan. Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Jeff Hardy or Chris Jericho.. sure, but not Hogan.
I guess if you're into the 'do gooder' thing and live near Beaver this will be an interesting time. Take pics for me ok ?
The end of horse slaughter in the US
Current mood: pissed off
Today the last horse slaughter house closed down its doors. There were only 3 remaining in the US, two in Tx and one in Illinois. 90,000 horses a year are slaughtered for human consumption in Europe. All the PETA people and the animal rights people think this is great and wonderful. What fucking idiots.
Horse breeding is a multi million dollar industry in the US. Professional breeders, pleasure breeders and race horse breeders are going to go bankrupt, the bottom is going to drop out of the market. What was once a sound, riding horse with decent breeding that sold for $2000 will now be worth maybe $200.
The prices used to be set by the price per pound the slaughter house was paying. To avoid your horse being sent there, you priced it higher than slaughter would pay. At 64 cents a pound, your typical 900 pound animal would sell for almost $600. This is any animal regardless of soundness, breeding, age and training.
The average price of a bale of hay right now is $3 per bale. A horse eats one bale every 2 days minimum. $45 a month. That's in this area. Other areas are paying upwards of $10 a bale. Now there will be more horses around to feed. Hay prices are going to go through the roof. What do the animal rights activists think will happen when people can no longer afford to keep or board their horses ? That day is coming. There are already hay shortages throughout the US, now there will be an extra 90,000 horses to feed annually.
Many things are going to happen to these horses : ~ owners will shoot them, often incorrectly and causing great pain to the horse.
~ owners will abandon them, leaving them in a pasture to starve.
~ owners will simply turn the horses loose to fend for themselves, get hit by cars and starve when they can't survive or find food and water sources.
~ rescues will not be able to afford the costs of feeding their 'rescues'
~ the government has been rounding up wild horses in the west for years and just recently because of the overabundance of unadoptable animals, they have passed legislation allowing the unadoptable ones to be slaughtered. Now there is no slaughter (per legislation) these horses will either need to be left in the wild or kept in holding pens being fed hay at the expense of the taxpayer. If they stay wild, they run the risk of starvation, overpopulation and eating the pasture used for cattle. Cattle will be more expensive to feed, cost of beef goes up. Or, the government will simply shoot the wild horses, much to the dismay of PETA and other animal rights activists.
The race horse industry produces thousands upon thousands of horses annually, most never stay sound enough to race and will never be sound enough to ride again. These animals are shipped off to slaughter. No more. So you have injured animals with nowhere to go. Costs upwards of $400 to put a horse to sleep and haul off its carcass.
The racehorse industry will crash down too. Offsite gaming places.. gone.
I own horses and I hate the fact that they must die, but by closing the slaughter houses down, they just made things that much worse for the 90,000 unwanted horses in the US. Does anyone think that suddenly people will want to BUY these unwanted horses ? With the cost of feed and hay going up, no one can afford to.
Other options for them.. they get shipped off to Canada for slaughter, traveling hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles in questionable means of transportation, no water, no food and cramped space. They can also be shipped to Mexico where there are no regulations regarding the treatment of the horses. In the US (and I think Canada) they are killed with a captive bolt to the head. In Mexico, they are viciously stabbed in the top of the neck repeatedly until the worker severs the spinal cord.
In the end, these horses will all die. The animal rights activists and PETA have just made it a more painful and prolonged process.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3YrZVKAcvc Don't go to this link if you have a weak constitution. Shows the graphic way that horses are slaughtered in Mexico.
Taking a walk down Memory Lane
Current mood: contemplative
I've been wondering what triggered this jaunt down Memory Lane and I've decided what set it off was a man. Yeah, I know all my moods are men driven, but this one got me thinking about the days of my youth. Why ? I know, I'm asking the same question, but I think I figured it out.
Maxime Talbot of the Pittsburgh Penguins. It's all his fault. I've started watching hockey again and of course found that I must find a cute guy to cheer for. Max is the only cute guy on the team, so he's got me. Yes, I know this means he'll be traded shortly, but I can't help it. He's classic of the guy I tend to go for. Dark hair, dark eyes. He's nowhere near as cute as Frankie was, you can see him in the video on my page.. one of his best moments ! I had a huge enormous crush on Frankie (aka Francois Leroux)
How adorable is he ? He's one of the few guys in this world that looks good clean shaven or with scruff
Max will never take his place, but since I can't have the hottie of days gone by I guess I'll deal with a modern hottie even if it is baby snatching.
What's that all got to do with the 80's and my youth ? Well Maxime Talbot is all of 23 years old.. the Penguin Players are all younger than me now. It used to be the other way around.
Really though, the dark haired, dark eyed guy was the in thing back when I was a kid. I never really paid attention to it all until now, but so many of the popular heart throbs back then all looked alike.
See what I'm saying ? Tony Danza, Scott Baio, Rob Lowe, Rick Springfield & John Stamos .. they all look alike ! It's kinda creepy, methinks they could all be interchangable parts like in Eli Whitney's cotton gin. Really, if Tony Danza took over for Scott Baio on Charles in Charge.. would anyone know ? Could Rob Lowe pull off Uncle Jessie ? Could any of them sing Jessie's Girl as well as Rick Springfield ? Can anyone tell them apart without cheating ?
The world may never know. But in listening to my playlist (and you all had better do so) it kinda makes me happy. Remembering the rides to school on the bus and all of us in the back singing along with the radio. A busload of kids singing Mickey, clapping and cheering was a hoot. Yes, we were allowed to stand up and move about on the bus. We even *gasp* played tag on the playground at recess. Can't do any of that shit today, heaven forbid someone falls and breaks a nail *rolls eyes* Kids today are so pussified. Beat their butts, take their gameboys away from them, send them to their rooms with no dessert. Time out doesn't work. Letting them walk all over adults isn't the answer. They have no respect whatsoever for anyone or anything and will have no sense of responsibility growing up. Gosh I sound old
So, I'm reading Yahoo today and see that in Spain, massive amounts of anchovies beached themselves. I sit there, several minutes staring at the monitor. Anchovies are fish ?? I never knew this. I always thought they were like.. a garden veggie.. artichokes, anchovies, asparagus.. VEGGIES. I don't eat pizza to begin with.. but now I'm sitting here realizing that people put fish on pizza. Just gross !
I'm exhausted too.. me and my limited availability pulled well over 50 hours of work this week. I can't imagine how those with unlimited availibility are getting worked.
Brings to mind two situations this week at work. We had a 2 Dick weekend.. 10+ on Saturday.. 11+ on Sunday and then straight to a Monday morning store. That one ran 8 hours or so. During break in that store, we were all hurting.. tired, aches and pains etc. My one co-worker normally keeps a supply of 600 - 800 mg of ibuprofen on her, so she offers me a bottle and I hold out my hand. She shakes 4 pills into my hand. I look at em, see that they're only 200 mgs and prepare to take them. Figure what the hell, she's normally passing out 600 so I should be ok. She stands there looking at me and then asks "You're not going to take all of them are you ?" I look at her and say "they're only 200 mg" She asked me what I thought they were.. I said "Ibuprofen" to which she laughed and told me they were caffine pills. EEEKS !! I only took 3 of them and they did nothing but prevent me from sleeping when I got home. I was awake for 35 hours.
Next story of this week.. me riding around town with one of our more um... aged employees. She's been known to drive over median strips for heaven's sake. So, after getting around town and to our destination.. almost making 3 illegal U turns, driving through a private parking lot, driving through the Spring Gardens area of town without getting shot..
After the store, we headed for home and while driving through town.. she goes right through a redlight. Never looked at it.. never saw it.. never stopped LOL
Manager is behind us driving and he calls my cell phone stating he's making a citizen's arrest LOL
If you haven't guessed, I've recently inventoried a home improvement store. Now, for whatever reason, most women hate these places. They're dirty, the smell and there are tons of gadgets that most women wouldn't even know what to do with. But, as I counted and found things in the store.. I began to realize that this could be a woman's paradise. First of all, there are TONS of hot guys in the store. Yeah, I'm turned on by the construction worker looking guy. Tight jeans, a few well placed holes, work boots and a fitted T-Shirt. Ok, but even if you're not going there to look at the guys.. there are tons of things there to enjoy.
First thing I found was a tool belt. Follow my dirty mind.. close your eyes and picture the hottest guy you know wearing nothing but a tool belt. Yeah see.. niiice ! Ok, next thing I found was those little aprons that are about 6 inches deep and hang around the waist to hold nails and such. That's a nice image as well.
Don't want to travel down that road ladies.. how bout this.
Caulk remover Caulk hardener Super Caulk
There are so many fun directions you can go with that.. and I know that nobody pronounces it CallK.. it's cock. Speak like a Pittsburgher already !
Now, I saw one of the coolest devices ever... it was a hammer stapler. Or maybe a staple hammer. How cool is that ? You just take this bugger by it's end and swing the head at something and viola ! Something is stapled. You can do this with the same repetition that you would when using a hammer.
I also pulled the trigger on a nail gun. I remember this from Lethal Weapon 2, when Danny Glover's character shoots the dude in the garage with .. a nail gun. I've shot a handgun as well and I'll tell you.. the kick from the nail gun was harder. I know I've seen on Rescue 911 that people have been shot with nail guns and lived.. but damn you could do some serious damage with one of them !
What I haven't yet shot is a paint pellet gun. I want to start carrying one of those to work with me and shoot the people who piss me off with bright red paint.
Skip by a shitty area instead of counting it BANG !!
Show up late for one of my stores BANG !!
Lie about not getting your schedule BANG !!
Give me attitude BANG !!
Walk in looking like you need bitchslapped BANG !!
Replace yourself with your mother BANG !!
Don't go to bat for me when you know damned well I counted something and did it right BANG BANG BANG !!!! Just print the fucking area out and let THEM look at it. BANG BANG BANG !!!! It's ok.. he has red hair, it'll blend right in. I think maybe 5 of you will understand that comment.
All the backbiting at work is getting more and more interesting. "Big Changes" will be going on October 1. People being moved, fired, quitting. Them trying to save their hides by dragging others down with them.. Yeah, it'll be fun. But fear not *knock on wood* I'm in no danger of losing my spot.. not my dog spot or a liver spot.. but MY SPOT.
I passed on a chance to go to San Francisco and work for 10 days. Free flight, free hotel, $15 a day for meals.. to go to San Francisco to work. It's not somewhere I'd ever want to live or a vacation destination, but I thought it would be a nice opportunity to see California and ride a street car. Oh well. It wasn't meant to be.
Well, that's enough for now.. I'm gonna reboot this computer and see if the internet comes back up. I'm lost without it, but for those concerned... I had a very good online day *swoons*
busy
irate
cheerful
irritated
amused
pissed off
contemplative
devious