05/09/08 --- They are down to four teams left in the NHL. Here are some predictions on who will capture the Conference Finals and earn a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. Various celebrities and non-celebrities have weighed in with their picks. Yesterday it was the Western Conference picks, now today the Eastern Conference Compelling stories lines here on both sides. The Flyers were the worst team in the NHL last year and are trying to rebound and get to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1997. After outlasting Washington in OT in seven games in the first round, Philadelphia ousted regular season conference champion Montreal to get to the Conference Finals and did so surprisingly easily. Forward Daniel Brierre has led the way in the City of Brotherly Love with 14 points, tied for second in the post-season. Pittsburgh has a plethora of offensive talent with forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin who are tied for second in the playoffs each with 14 points. Crosby, in his second NHL playoff stint, is the poster boy for the NHL. Guaranteed the league office would love to see him take the Pens to the Stanley Cup Finals. It would be a tremendous boost for the game of hockey. So far the young Penguins have pretty much rolled thru the post-season, topping Ottawa and the New York Rangers taking just nine combined games to do so. The knock on the Pens was goal tending, but Marc-Andre Fleury has been terrific in the playoffs between the pipes with the third best playoff GAA of 1.76 and best save percentage at .938. Historical Note: The Penguins are 0-3 all-time in playoff series against the Flyers.
‘Doc’ Emrick lead TV Play-by-Play Versus: Pittsburgh in six games…The Penguins have too much offense and too much health having played fewer games and overtimes… Tampa Bay Lightning TV Play-by-Play Rick Peckham: I think the Pens-Flyers will go seven hard-fought games…Getting a hot divisional rivalry this late in the post-season is a bonus to what is a terrific matchup…The Flyers won the regular season series 5-3, but the Penguins won their three games late in the season, and we've seen how confident they are at this point…Both PP's are going well…I think the difference will be the goaltending…Even though Biron is obviously more experienced, Fleury has been nothing but terrific through his 9 games…Umberger and Briere have scored plenty of big goals, but the superstar edge up front still goes to the Penguins…Pittsburgh in seven games… New York Islanders Radio Play-by-Play Steve Mears: Pittsburgh in seven games…Traditionally the Flyers have been very tough on the Penguins in the playoffs, but I think it is Pittsburgh’s time… Rampage Head Coach Greg Ireland: Penguins in six…They are too skilled and too fast…Pittsburgh power play will be the difference in the series… Rampage Asst. Coach Ray Edwards: Pittsburgh wins in six games....The Pens have too many offensive weapons and they can out grit teams as well...Big key in the series will be Fleury having to outplay Biron in net… Rampage Defenseman Dylan Reese: Penguins in six games…Perfect blend of finesse and physicality; perfect blend of high powered offense and stable defense…Their role players are playing extremely well and the "best player in the world" has yet to hit full gear in the playoffs; however, he's dominated the Flyers in the past…Not to mention all questions in goal have been answered as Fleury’s played pretty much flawless hockey. Rampage Director of Business Operations Ryan Snider: Pittsburgh in seven games…The reason Pittsburgh will win is because Penguins are better on ice… Rampage Manager of Business Operations Ed Chamberlain: Pittsburgh wins in five…There skill will be the difference… Rampage Game Ops Evan Maxwell: Penguins in six games…I am from the Steel City and they have Crosby, Malkin and Hossa… Rampage Sales Associate Nathan Costa: Penguins in five games…Four words for you “Sid the Kid”… Rampage Sales Associate Elisa Trevino: Pittsburgh in seven games… Rampage Sales Associate Justin Walker: Penguins in six games…I think the only person that could get a puck past Chuck Norris would be Crosby, which means Biron is doomed! Rampage Media Relations Intern Scott Strickman: Penguins in five games…They just don’t lose… Rampage Radio Play-by-Play Joe Dominey: I can’t believe I am still listed below the Intern…What’s next the Intern starts telling me what to do and delegates work for me to do?…Pittsburgh in five games…I can’t pick against the Intern, apparently he is my boss… Various celebrities and non-celebrities have weighed in with their picks. Today the Western Conference Detroit won the President’s Trophy as the top regular season team in the NHL. The Red Wings labored with Nashville in round one, but then kicked it into high gear and destroyed Colorado in the second round. The goalie switch to Chris Osgood put the grove back in Motown with his playoff leading 1.52 GAA and third best save percentage of .937. Detroit has also gotten a huge kick from the “Mule”, Johan Franzen, who leads the playoffs with 11 red lamps. The Red Wings lead the playoffs averaging 3.8 goals per game. Dallas has been a big surprise to a lot of people. They mowed down Anaheim, the defending Stanley Cup Champions, in the first round and then knocked off a very good San Jose team in the second round with a quadruple OT Game Six thriller. Marty Turco, who has been much maligned by fans for his past playoff performances, has the second best GAA at 1.73 and fourth best save percentage at .929. He was brilliant in the quad OT clincher against the Sharks. Stars captain Brendan Morrow has been a beast, potting the OT winner in Game One against SJ, and then ending the 8th longest OT game in NHL history to move the Stars to the Western Conference Finals. Overall his seven goals are tied for fourth in the playoffs. Historical Note: The teams last met in Western Conference Finals in 1998 with Detroit winning in six games. New York Islanders Radio Play-by-Play Steve Mears: Detroit in six games…Talking to guys out west the say Detroit is playing really well…The Stars and Marty Turco have had trouble in Detroit (Turco is 0-7-2 all-time at Joe Louis Arena)…Home ice advantage is a big thing… Rampage Defenseman Dylan Reese: Red Wings in six...No question Dallas is the best team the Wings have played in the playoffs, but the Wings offense is just too powerful…They have two, number one scoring lines, basically two all-star lines up front and a defense who's committed to getting them the puck and letting them make plays…Two veteran goalies, with playoff experience and Stanley Cup rings. Rampage Director of Business Operations Ryan Snider: Detroit in six games…It is going to take more than Turco to slow down Detroit’s offense… Rampage Manager of Business Operations Ed Chamberlain: Dallas wins in six games...They have been a shocker all year and are more physical… Rampage Game Ops Evan Maxwell: Detroit in wins in seven games because they have home ice… Rampage Sales Associate Nathan Costa: Dallas in six games…Mike Modano has great hair… Rampage Sales Associate Elisa Trevino: Dallas in five games…Turco is playing great… Rampage Sales Associate Justin Walker: Dallas in five…There was a TV show named Dallas and J.R. said five games… Rampage Media Relations Intern Scott Strickman: Detroit in six games…They are motivated to make up for last years disappointment… Rampage Radio Play-by-Play Joe Dominey: I refuse to pick since I am listed below the Media Relations Intern…This is getting ridiculous…Alright Detroit in five games…Wings head coach Mike Babcock went to the Finals with Anaheim in 2003 (losing in seven games) and won’t be denied this time around…Detroit got their scare in the first round…Plus I interviewed Steve Yzerman in Grand Rapids and he was an extremely classy guy… 05/06/08 --- I bet when you saw the title of this blog entry you thought it would be another expose on my gluttonous eating habits. Well not so, because today I want to talk about the way sports are covered in America. The reason I bring up this topic is because of a terrific, thought provoking, “Costas Now” that recently aired on HBO. If you haven’t seen it or heard about it, do yourself a favor and check it out. (Caution --- It is on HBO and does contain some language not suitable for children). This edition of “Costas Now” explores how we get our news about sports (internet, blogs, television, newspapers, etc) and how that influences our opinions about sports. The following is my opinion on how sports are covered. You’re invited to read it and use all available data to formulate your own opinion. Sports are pretty simple. The idea of two people or two teams competing by a predetermined set of rules, the best that day wins, is as old as time itself. The thing is, people tend to make sports complicated. Remember the old acronym KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid? Well, it should be amended to: Keep It Simple Sports. Everyone who covers or watches sports in some way has a bias. It may be towards a certain team, player, or sport. Your thoughts and opinions on sports are shaped by your values, how you were brought up, who taught you about sports, etc. (Example: When I was growing up I wasn’t allowed to watch college or pro football on Christmas Day. That was family day. To this day if I flip by a game on TV on Christmas, I look quickly over my shoulder to see if my folks are going to catch me.) Sports coverage in America has exploded to an all-time high. Sounds great for the sports fan, doesn’t it? We can get real-time up to the second updates right on our cell phones while we’re at the kids dance recital if we want. We can listen to games online, we can watch eight different games on our TV screen, we can even set up our TV to switch to a game when someone enters the red-zone during a football game. What ever happened to watching one game at a time? Why do we need three different issues of the Sporting News that focus on the NFL Draft? Can’t they do it in one issue? What is this rocket science? We can go online and find out not just Roger Clemens’ career pitching stats, but the latest gossip about the Rocket. We can watch congressional hearings about steroids in sports or flip to Court TV and watch some athlete who is charged with something. We can even participate by writing or reading a blog. (Which you are doing right now) Is all of this too much? Frankly in my opinion the coverage of sports has gone completely over the top. You watch a game then immediately flip to a sports network and the anchors tell you what you just watched, the analysts tell you why everything went wrong. You can go online and read a columnist writing why a player stinks or is great, or you can read a blog written by a fan outlining why a coach should be fired. Heck sometimes people don’t even wait for a game to be played before they begin campaigning for a coach to be fired. (Remember www.fireronzook.com ? This website was up and running before he got the job as the head coach at the University of Florida in 2002. HE HADN’T COACHED A GAME, AND PEOPLE ALREADY WANTED HIM FIRED! Say what you want about Zook, but the players he recruited did help Florida win the NCAA football title in 2006 under Urban Meyer.) Some guy hits 10 homers in his first 20 big league games and sure enough someone will say Babe Ruth didn’t do that to start his career. This new guy Joe Shlabotnik is on pace for 2,109,782 career homers if he stays healthy, plays 27.5 years and only goes to the ballpark on days that end in Y (Hint they all end in Y). Whoa, whoa boy. Let’s calm down before we anoint Joe Shlabotnik the next Babe Ruth. There is a huge rush to try to categorize everything historically right as we are seeing it. This is the greatest upset of all-time, greatest season by a freckle faced left-hander under 5’3” tall. Let’s see it stand the test of time, and if in 80 years we are still talking about Joe Shlabotnik, I’ll become a believer. Sports are supposed to be fun. They’re supposed to be a distraction from everyday life. Certainly, they’re important to people. I remember an incident from 1996 when the Yankees won their first World Series title in 18 years. I am a big Yankee fan and I didn’t shower after they won Game Three. To keep the luck going I didn’t shower for the rest of the series as the Yanks kept winning. My celebration after Game Six when the Yankees beat the Braves was to take a bath. I get the importance factor of sports, but it isn’t warfare. People die in war. In sports, they go home to their families and live their lives. Sports are great because they tug on the emotions of the fans, and often times, go a long way towards revealing the character of the people involved. Too often though, people equate character with winning or losing. The Rampage lost a tremendous, tough, physical, great seven game series to Toronto. Does it mean that the players or coaches aren’t good people because they lost? Absolutely not. To battle that hard, to give everything they had, and to come up just short on a goal with less than a minute to go in regulation in Game Seven shows exactly what character the team had. Sure they were extremely disappointed, but they took it like men. Who among us watched the spectacular 2006 Rose Bowl in which Texas beat USC 41-38 on a last second TD scamper by QB Vince Young? After the game a reporter asked USC QB Matt Leinart if coming back for his senior season was a waste because he didn’t win the National Championship. Work with me for a second and let’s recap the career of Matt Leinart; a Heisman trophy in 2004, two national championships and coming up three points shy of an unprecedented third straight championship in one of the greatest college football games of all times? Why would someone ask that question? (I think that athletes aren’t the only ones that need mandatory drug testing.) I had a good college football career, was named a second team NAIA All-American as a defensive tackle in 1994 and I’ll trade places with Leinart in a heart beat. Two national titles, a Heisman Trophy and your senior year is a waste because your team couldn’t quite convert a fourth and two when trying to run out the clock and lost an epic game that people will talk about for generations?????? (Guaranteed that 2006 Rose Bowl game stands the test of time.) Too often people focus on the negative. Sports are so over-covered today that it means someone has to be a hero and someone has to be a goat. EVERY GAME. It’s a long season,162 games in the big leagues, 80 plus in the NHL and NBA. You can’t possibly work yourself into a tizzy for every single game. Yet there are people who do. Relax folks, this is supposed to be fun. After that tough Game Seven loss by the Rampage in Toronto there was no way I was going to the locker room and stick a microphone in the face of the guys. “Gee, how did it feel?” I already knew the answer. “Tough man, real tough. A heartbreaker.” (I called a game in 2001 where my team lost in the Finals in double OT in Game Six to lose the series. That Game Seven loss in Toronto was just as tough in my book.) What’s my next question? “Gee coach, do you consider yourself a failure? You know the whole year being a waste and all?” You can’t be serious. (I’m going John McEnroe here.) Sometimes I can’t believe athletes are able to refrain from slugging people when they get asked questions like that. (Not that I condone violence, no sir, not at all) Remember when they kept pestering coach Roy Williams if he was going to leave Kansas and go to North Carolina. They asked him all during the run up to the 2003 Final Four. They even kept after him on TV right after Kansas lost the NCAA basketball title game. He answered the question, but still they kept on. Even if the pestering is done nicely like Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights saying “With all due respect”, it doesn’t excuse it. When did common decency go out the window? What’s next? Reporter: “So how did it feel when your husband died?” New Widow: sobbing sounds. Reporter: “No really, with all due respect how does it feel? Remember I said with all due respect.” Williams is right on the money that they aren’t very nice to keep after him in that situation. They asked and he answered the question the first time, so the reporter has to “With all due respect” ask again. It is fair to ask it once, get an answer them keep asking the same question slightly rephrased? I have seen press conferences that resemble Chinese Water Torture. No wonder a lot of athletes and coaches have trust issues. It’s like the kid who gets an answer he doesn’t like, so he asks the same question over and over hoping to exhaust someone and get a different answer. “Okay you got me, you got me. The 330th time you asked it wore me down. I’ll talk, I’ll talk. Just stop the questions. Please stop the questions. I can’t take it anymore.” One thing that needs to be remembered; “It is not the critic who counts, or how the strongman stumbled and fell, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, and who spends himself in a worthy cause. If he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that he may never be one of those cold and timid souls, who know neither victory nor defeat.” Nowadays, if Thomas Edison were around, they would break him down on a nightly highlight show and talk about his failures. (Did you know that Edison failed more than 1,200 times before finally inventing a working light bulb?) Can you imagine some analyst on TV? “Let me tell you about this Edison guy. He has no heart and he’s a loser. He is never able to rise to the occasion, to elevate his game. He has succeeded what, once in 1,200 times? That’s a terrible percentage. What a joke, he should be fired.” The game needs to remain the central thing. For three hours, or in the case of playoff baseball five hours, we can get away from our own problems. We can lose ourselves in the beauty of the game. Do you squeeze bunt here? Do you look for a two point basket to tie, or go for the win with the three? When do you pull the goalie trailing by one? These delicious choices make the game like a choose your own adventure book. These unscripted games provide spectacular drama. When we as sports fans demand to just watch the games, we’ll get that. To quote for the second time in my blogging career the immortal Ebby Calvin “Nuke” Laloosh in Bull Durham, “Sometimes you win, Sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains. Think about that.” Sometimes it really is that simple, despite what everyone is telling you. (Once again do your on research and formulate your own opinion on this subject. The great thing about America is that you are allowed to do just that.) 04/26/08 --- Game Five was a terrific battle between San Antonio and Toronto. Despite the Rampage falling 2-1 it was a tremendous game to watch and 7,022 fans at the AT&T Center agreed. The crowd was hands down the best of the year in terms of atmosphere. You could feel the vibe and energy in the building right from warm-ups. With the Rampage down a goal the crowd was chanting “Let’s go Rampage” for much of the third period. They were ooohhhing and aaahhhing as the Rampage came oh so agonizingly close to tying up the game several times in the final period of regulation. It was if the crowd was stretched out on a medieval rack with ever scoring chance turn the screws tighter and tighter. The AT&T Center crowd was loud, excited and tremendous. They were treated to a classic tight, physical, playoff game. Lots of hits, some great saves, a few goals and a frantic finish. Plus I think dollar night was a big hit with $1 hot dogs, $1 popcorn along with $1, ahem, beverages. After the game ever Rampage player I talked to mentioned the crowd and how great the support was in Game Five. Defenseman Logan Stephenson, who also played last year in San Antonio, talked about how much the crowds have improved this season from last year. Despite a tough loss for the Rampage, it was a great game and the crowd was a big reason why. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Hockey Hall of Fame Picture Tour 04/24/08 --- As you all know from the blog dated 04/17/08 I had a chance to take a tour of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto during an off day in the playoffs. I snapped some pictures with my cell phone camera and will now attempt to take you on somewhat of a six degrees of separation tour of the Hall.
You know how you are supposed to be able to connect any actor to Kevin Bacon thru just six people, or movies, or something like that.
We’ll try it with the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Rampage.
Here we go.
 Pucks used by the Kelowna Rockets to beat Gatineau 2-1 for the Memorial Cup title in 2004. Rampage Connection: Rampage forward Cam Paddock played on the 2004 Kelowna team. Jersey worn by Shane Doan while playing major junior hockey for the Kamloops Blazers. The Blazers were one of the great dynasties in junior hockey history, winning the Memorial Cup three times in four seasons. Rampage Connection: Doan is the current captain of the Phoenix Coyotes, the parent club of the Rampage. The original Calder Cup. It was first awarded in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars. The players on the winning team have their names put on a plaque on the current edition of the cup and also on that board behind the cup in the Hall of Fame. Rampage Connection: Rampage forward Joey Tenute (2006), and defensemen Travis Roche (2003) and Bryan Helmer (1995) have all won the Calder Cup in their careers.  Hat worn by Eddie Shore when he owned the Springfield Indians in the AHL. Shore, who was a Hall of Fame defenseman who played in the NHL and also played in the AHL while he owned Springfield, is one of the great names in hockey history. Rampage Connection: The Rampage played in Springfield this season on March 16th, winning 3-2. There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that Rampage captain Bryan Helmer played and roomed with Eddie Shore. No truth what so ever to that rumor. All the guys on the team will swear to you that Helmer was playing well BEFORE Shore began his own career. Word on the street is that Helmer began his career the same year as the Stanley Cup in 1893. Goalie stick used by Pekka Rinne in the 2006 Calder Cup Finals with Milwaukee against Hershey. Rampage Connection: San Antonio went 3-2-0-0 against Rinne this season. Also Rampage forward Joey Tenute was on the Hershey Bears team that beat the Admirals in the 2006 Calder Cup Finals. Coyotes jersey as part of the Building a Franchise exhibit. This traces the routes that players take from the minors to the NHL. Rampage Connection: Surely you jest. (In case you don’t know the Rampage are the top farm club of the Coyotes). Jersey worn by Harry "Hap" Holmes who was a Hall of Fame goalie with the Seattle Metropolitans in 1917. They were the first American team to win the Stanley Cup. The Portland Rosebuds were the first American team to play for the cup in 1916, but Seattle was the first American team to host Lord Stanley. Rampage Connection: The Rampage have 10 American born players on the team who owe a debt to Harry and the Metropolitans. Stick of Bobby Hull, Hall of Fame forward, known for his play with the Chicago Blackhawks. Look at the vicious hook to this blade. Hull had a slap shot that was clocked at 100 mph, then with the hook on this stick it would knuckle, curve and twist. The NHL has a rule that now limits the curve of the blade on a stick. To me they should rescind this rule, it doesn’t make sense to me at all to limit curvature. Give’em the hook I say. Rampage Connection: Coyotes head coach Wayne Gretzky played with Brett Hull the son of Bobby in St. Louis. Once again the Rampage are the top farm club of the Coyotes. Honestly one of the coolest parts of the Hall of Fame for me. This was in the international section and was my first memory of hockey. I wanted to be Jim Craig after watching the 1980 Winter Olympics when the U.S. team won the Gold medal. This is the mask, pants and pads that Craig wore at Lake Placid throughout the tournament. Rampage Connection: This is the seminal moment in hockey history for all Americans. People who didn’t know “a blue line from a clothesline” to quote broadcaster Al Michaels cared about this game. The 4-3 semifinal victory over the Russians was ranked by Sports Illustrated as the greatest upset in the history of sports. How does this connect to the Rampage you ask? Back in the early part of the Rampage season while in Iowa I got to interview Kenny Morrow, a defenseman on the 1980 Olympic team and currently a scout for the New York Islanders.  Lord Stanley on display at the Hall of Fame. Rampage Connection: Everyone on the Rampage team dreams of one day getting to hoist this chalice. No matter how old or young the dream remains alive somewhere inside these guys. They all wanted to win it growing up, but only a select few earn the chance to raise it in victory. This is the original Stanley Cup. It was retired in 1969. This is what Lord Stanley of Preston purchased for less than $50 back in 1893 and declared it the Dominion Challenge Cup. Originally amateur teams would challenge for the cup and play a best of something series for the cup. The cup has had many shapes throughout history. It has been dropped, lost, found again, gone swimming, fishing, hiking, and visited many countries. Henri Richard of the Montreal Canadiens won the Cup the most times of any player, doing so an unbelievable 11 times. The original cup resides full-time in an old bank vault at the Hall of Fame. I thought about trying to slip it under my jacket, but figured I would never get away with it. (just kidding, I have way to much respect for Lord Stanley). Rampage Connection:  Former Rampage Director of Hockey Operations Matt Loughran helped the New York Rangers win the 1994 Stanley Cup (rumor has it the Rangers did something really disgusting to the Cup in 1940 when they won it and that put a curse on them that wasn’t lifted for 54 years. The thing they did into the cup rhymes with oop, or stoop, or coop. Now you can probably figure it out, but how they came up with the idea to do that in the Cup is beyond me.) This is the Vezina Trophy given to the top NHL goalie. Rampage Connection: There is no connection to the Rampage here that I know of, but I just want to know why there is a beaver on top of the trophy. Look close, that is a dam beaver on top. Get it? DAM---beaver? (Thank you, I will be here all week.)This concludes the picture tour of the Hall of Fame. Tips are welcome all proceeds go to the Joe Dominey hair restoration fund (please see 04/11/08 Hair Raising blog entry to understand.)
Back to Top 04/19/08 --- Last night the Rampage captured their first playoff victory in franchise history winning in Toronto 6-3. Today the team had a 7:45 a.m. bus to the airport to begin the 1,700 mile journey back to San Antonio. Upon arriving at the airport, going thru customs and security I witnessed one of the cruelest things I have ever seen. You all know from reading this blog (check first ever Cup of Joe for a refresher if needed) and looking at the picture in the upper right hand corner that I am a huge fan of Tim Hortons hot chocolate. Hopefully security doesn’t read this, but I am bringing back a tin of Tim Hortons hot chocolate stuffed in the radio gear box. There is a special hollowed out compartment to bring back contraband from my travels abroad. After making it thru all the various checkpoints and into the international terminal at the airport I began looking around for Timmys, as we veterans refer to it. I felt a need for my morning hot chocolate and maybe, just maybe, a double chocolate donut. Who am I kidding, I wanted a half dozen double chocolate donuts. There it is as I spotted it across the way on the other side of some sliding glass doors. I went to the doors expecting them to open, nothing happened. I tried again, stepping down more forcefully in front of the doors to make them slide open. Once again nothing happened. I looked around with a confused look on my face (my wife understands this look immediately since she has seen it many times before) then spotted what looked to be another opening about 200 feet further up the concourse. I shrugged my shoulders and headed off up the concourse towards a world of chocolate sweetness. Upon arriving at the opening I ran into a security guard who informed me that I couldn’t go thru the doors. I said, “It’s okay, I am just going to the Tim Hortons.” Once again the security guard informed me that I couldn’t go thru the doors. I said with a slightly more urgency in my voice, “But, the Tim Hortons is on the other side and this is the only way to get there.” Once again the security guard informed me that I couldn’t go thru the doors. I tried one more time feebly muttering “But, the Tim Hortons…..”
I pressed my nose up to the glass doors, looking longingly in the direction of Timmys, so close yet so far. I felt much like that fish in Finding Nemo when he is trapped in the fish tank at the dentists office looking out thru the window at the ocean. I slowly walked away, shaking my head totally defeated. I have to say I wonder just what kind of world we are living in. 04/17/08 --- “Hello my name is Phil Pritchard and I would like to introduce you to my friend Stanley.” “Oh you want to know how old is Stanley? Well he was born in 1893.” ”How much does he weigh? Well Stanley checks in at 34.5 pounds, but most people think he is light as a feather when they pick him up.” Joe Dominey now back with you and I want to introduce you to a guy with one of the coolest jobs in the world. Phil Pritchard works for the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto and is one of the Keepers of the Stanley Cup. That’s right Lord Stanley has his own keeper. I guess when you are built like the Stanley Cup you need someone to cart, carry, or hoist you everywhere you go. The Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto is the caretaker of the Lord Stanley’s Cup, hockey’s holy grail, and they do a marvelous job of promoting the game of hockey by displaying the Stanley Cup all over the world. The Cup travels non-stop visiting NHL cities, minor league hockey cities, towns where there is no hockey. The Cup makes the rounds like Muhammad Ali. As one of the Keepers of the Cup Phil takes the Cup to many of its appearances around the globe. On Thursday between Games One and Two in Toronto I went to the Hockey Hall of Fame in downtown Toronto. I have met Phil numerous times when the Cup has made appearances in cities where I have worked, but you have to think Phil has met millions of people in his 20 years working and traveling for the Hockey Hall of Fame. Millions is probably not an exaggeration either. On the off chance that I might be able to get a little behind the scenes tour of the Hall of Fame I called Phil from the front desk. Not only did he remember me (elephants are supposed to have great memories, but they have nothing on this guy), he came down to the front desk and spent the next 30 minutes showing me some of the behind the scenes rooms at the Hall of Fame and talking hockey. To top things off, Phil had just flown in from Belgium (I’ll bet his arms were tired, bah dump bah) that morning after taking the Cup overseas. Talk about an amazing guy. All that travel and he still remembers me and takes the time to show me some of the great things at the Hall of Fame. Everyone who sees the Cup gets a great memory. The first time I saw Stanley was back in the late 1990’s. I saw an article in the paper that said the Stanley Cup was going to be out at the Nike complex in Beavertown, Oregon, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. So I popped out to the Nike campus on the suggestion of a friend who worked for Nike. I wandered around looking for where I thought Stanley might be, but apparently my presence caused quite a stir. (Nike is extremely sensitive and very security conscious.) Well eventually I am standing in the cafeteria and I hear over a security guards’ walkie talkie bark out that they have found the “guy in the Penguins hat.” Well I was wearing a Penguins hat and it turns out security at the Nike campus had a man hunt going for me. Apparently Nike had decided that the Cup was only to be displayed for employees. I was escorted off the campus with a security guard on each arm and as I am going down a walkway towards the parking lot here comes Phil Pritchard (I didn’t know Phil at the time) wheeling a beat up old blue case with travel stickers all over it. I started pointing and saying “there’s the Stanley Cup”. At this point I think I was close to being tasered by the over ambitious Nike security guards (these guys apparently felt they were getting ready to apply for the Navy Seals). Eventually after leaving the campus I called my friend who worked at Nike and he said “come with me”. Nervously I returned with my friend and actually got to see the Cup. TAKE THAT NIKE. I remember how gracious Phil was answering all my questions that day and I probably snapped 30 pictures of me with the Cup. In a crazy twist when I went to develop the pictures later that day not a single one of them came out. I didn’t get a picture of myself with the Stanley Cup until 2003 in Oklahoma City. Some things are worth the wait however. Phil has cut back on his travel a little bit over the years and he shares the duties as the Keeper of the Cup. Mike Bolt (Phil on the left Mike on the right) also does a lot of the traveling with Stanley (I have heard that the Cup is on the road about 250 days a year). In fact Mike Bolt brought the Cup to Laredo for the 2005 CHL All-Star Game where Stanley made his first ever jaunt into Mexico. There are unconfirmed reports that Stanley was also spotted wearing a sombrero that weekend and tequila may have been involved, but the Hall of Fame downplays the story. Stanley has a reputation to protect after all. 04/11/08 --- Folks as I have said before and I will now say again, “the best stories come from the road”. Hair, or in my case lack there of, can be a sensitive subject. I long ago realized that I am not gifted in the follicle department. I was blessed with several gifts, size---check, big mouth---emphatic check, but a full head of hair---BIG NO CHECK, in fact not even the slightest hint of a check. It runs in my family. I don’t believe all that mother’s brothers garbage about hair loss. My grandpa looked like an egg, my dad looked like an egg, and now I look like a hardboiled egg on top. The Dominey curse, I never had a chance. When I get a haircut the barber always asks me with a smirk if I want gel in my hair. Gel for what, to polish my bald spot? I rarely even comb what little hair I have left. It is a waste of time and effort to even attempt to style my pitiful Friar Tuck do, but sometimes that can actually come in handy. Take today for example. Rampage defenseman Travis Roche shaves his head. He goes with the bald look and it becomes him. Kind of gives him the old assassin look without the helmet, which works well for intimidation from the blue line. Kind of John Malcovich in Con Air if you will. After the morning skate in Peoria Roche decided that he was getting a little bit shaggy upstairs and need to trim up the dome. While we waited on the bus Roche began to mow his head with the clippers. About five minutes later Rampage A.T.C. John Bernal comes onto the bus laughing. He proceeds to tell us that the clippers suffered a breakdown on Roche, HALFWAY THRU.
Poor Travis now looked like a dog with mange. When he boarded the bus he was a great sport about it as the guys howled. All he said with his face in a straight deadpan was “I may need to go to a barber shop”. He posed for pictures and even gave his okay for this blog topic. Hey, maybe Travis and I are on to something, being partially bald is beautiful. (Story and picture used with permission of Travis Roche. Thanks for being a great sport about this rather hairy situation). Back to Top WARNING - Below is an attempt at toilet humor. Read on to understand. 04/03/08 --- The Rampage had their party with the Rampage Season Ticket Holders this past Monday night at the Incredible Pizza Company and it was really a great time. Events like these are fun because you get a chance to meet the fans of the team and talk a little hockey with them (plus they are usually all you can eat affairs and I rarely turn down a meal. See Beantown blog below for confirmation of this). This is my first year in the AHL and one thing I have noticed is that I haven’t had the chance to meet many of the Rampage fans. One of the reasons is because I am in the upper deck of the AT&T Center during the games, and most Rampage game nights the upper deck is closed (not sure if this is for your protection or mine. In my mind I prefer to think of the upper deck as my own personal sky box.) Talking with Rampage assistant coach Ray Edwards at the Rampage Season Ticket Holder Party he mentioned the same thing. We both came from the AA level of hockey where there was a lot of contact with the fans. (This can be both good and bad. One time in Laredo a fan followed me into the restroom during the game and actually followed me right up to the stall door. I repeat THE STALL DOOR!!! What in the world did he think I was in there doing, working on the intermission show? Then he continued to talk to me through the door. This needless to say, was a little too much contact for me.) Contact with the fans is very important because it really helps me capture the spirit of things as Dickie Dunn from Slapshot would say (there, bet you thought I would forgot to work in a movie reference). This season I have run into Rampage fans at road games and I always have time for a wave and a hello. I can’t always sit down for a long talk, sometimes I have really important things to do (see above story), but it’s terrific to know the fans are there supporting the team. Plus it is always fun to meet new people who share similar interests. So don’t be afraid to say hello, unless the door is closed. There are some limits after all to a man’s patience. WARNING – This Blog Entry is extremely long and wordy. Much like my broadcasts. 03/14/08 --- What an off day. I have to be perfectly honest and tell you that I now need an off day from the off day. The Rampage had Thursday off (well actually the team practiced, but I needed a day off after a tough 3-1 win over Worcester on Wednesday night. I really emptied the tank on the broadcast and Rampage Head Coach Greg Ireland has a great understanding that it is really important to keep the broadcaster fresh for the stretch run, so he told me not to come to practice.) With a whole day on my hands I decided to become a traveling man and head off to Boston. The day began with a 5:15 AM wake up call and a Greyhound bus trip from Hartford to Boston. Cost $26. I arrived at South Station in Beantown, Old Town, The Hub of the Universe (Boston has a few nicknames) at 8:30 AM. I promptly purchased a T day pass for $9 (they call the subway in Boston the T. Interesting historical note, the first Subway in America started in Boston in 1897. There may be a test on this later so remember this factoid.) I immediately boarded the Red line, and then changed to the Green line at Park (or Poooccckkk if you read the previous blog) street and set sail for Fenway Park (Poooccckkk). Fenway is the oldest major league ballpark in America. It was built in 1912 and opened the same week as the Titanic sank. For many years the Red Sox were much like the Titanic, grand starts and spectacular sinkings. The Sox are a religion in New England, and for 86 years they were cursed by a variety of things, mainly Babe Ruth who they traded to the Yankees after the 1919 season, but they actually have won two of the last four World Series. That is as bizarre to write, as it is to read. Anyway I took the tour of Fenway, cost $12. It was named Fenway, because when the land was purchased in 1911 it was in the Fenway area of town, thus the name Fenway Park (Poooccckkk). It was a bit of a mixed experience for me since I am a huge New York Yankees fan and the Red Sox and the Yankees get along about as well as the Hatfields and McCoys. So I truly was residing in the belly of the beast. I was extremely disappointed in the lack of Yankee merchandise available at the Red Sox souvenir store. In fact they didn’t sell anything from any other major league team. These poor people are truly brainwashed in New England. They think that the Sox are the only team in the world, it really is a sickness. I hope that one day a cure is discovered for them. Still to see a ballpark that has been around that long was neat. Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth played at Fenway, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, and countless other Hall of Famers. They are constantly doing construction and renovations on Fenway to improve the old girl and also cram in more seats to generate more revenue. With 27 days left until the 2008 opening day they are still finishing renovations that will increase the capacity to just fewer than 40,000. They really have done a nice job of maintaining the feel of the park, while modernizing it. There I said it, a Yankee fan complimenting the Red Sox. Just don’t expect it to happen again. The next stop was something I had been anticipating for years. One night watching the Travel Channel they had a show about America’s Top Ten Places to Pig Out. The #2 place on the list was called Eagles Deli in Boston. They showed an eating challenge featuring a three pound hamburger with three pounds of fries; it was called the Reily Burger, named after a Boston College student named Sean Reily who was a prodigious eater. Since I’ve already eaten the 72 ounce steak at the Old Texan in Amarillo, which was #10 on the list of America’s Top Ten Places to Pig Out, I wanted to try to check off another one on the list. I hopped on the T to Cleveland Circle, girded and ready for battle. I hadn’t eaten during the day, and had eaten light the day before. Preparation is key in a conflict of this nature. Upon arriving at Eagles Deli I was stunned by some unexpected and updated info. Apparently the three pound burger and three pounds of fries challenge was yesterday’s news. Someone had since eaten a four pound burger and five pounds of fries. This info hit me like stampeding herd of cattle, just like my impending meal would stampede my arteries, in other words hard and fast and full of bull. I knew I could do the three and three, but now my confidence was shaken. There was serious doubt in my mind and soul, because now to get my name on the board on the wall at Eagles Deli the challenge was a five pound hamburger and five pounds of fries. Let me repeat that, a FIVE POUND HAMBURGER and FIVE POUNDS of FRIES.
I place my order for the Eagles Challenge, total cost $52. If I can eat it, I get the money back and also get my name on the board on the wall as the supreme eater of hamburger and fries. (click here for larger image of burger) I can’t lie to you folks. I was nervous. It felt like the times right before kickoff in college when I played football. I would wander around before games constantly feeling like I had to go to the bathroom, throw up and pass out all at the same time. When the burger came to the table it was big. I mean really BIG, but I felt like it was manageable. After all I had previously eaten the 72 ounce steak, but the fires were GARGANTUAN. They came on a pizza tray. Are you kidding me, there were hundreds of them, no more like thousands of them. It looked like lemmings running to the sea, or offensive lineman to an all you can eat buffet. I played defense line by the way and we retain the right to make fun of all fat pig offensive linemen for the rest of our natural lives. When you try an eating challenge, you must eat quickly, you can’t dilly dally around. Plus they said I only had an hour to do it, can you believe those savages. One hour to eat ten pounds. The cruelty never ends. If you eat slowly, the brain sends a signal to your stomach that you are full, so you must stuff away to beat the signal. Plus when you eat a lot of one particular thing you have to be able to suppress the gag reflex. The first two pounds of the burger went smoothly. I mixed in fries between bites of the burger to try to chip away at Spud Mountain. I can’t lie to you, doubt was already seared into my brain. The next pound of burger slowed me down, but I managed to get thru it, but the fries were looking like more and more of an obstacle. FIVE POUNDS OF POTATES. Do you know how filling fries are? Well I am here to tell you that they are awfully filling. I started to try to attack the fires, but to be honest. I was already a beaten man. I knew in my mind, my heart, and most importantly in my stomach that I wasn’t going to be able to do it. I ended up eating three and a half pounds of the burger and about two and a half pounds of fries. I stopped before I got over stuffed. I could have eaten a little more, but I knew I couldn’t get thru the whole FIVE POUND HAMBURGER and FIVE POUNDS of FRIES. I tip my cap to the Eagles Challenge and leave with what little dignity a man can have after spending $52 dollars on a burger and fries eating challenge and failing miserably. Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug. When I left Eagles Deli I honestly wanted to projectile vomit meat and fries. It was a really bad call on my part to try the challenge. I think looking back I knew I was beaten before I even started. The sheer intimidation of a FIVE POUND HAMBURGER and FIVE POUNDS of FRIES defeated me mentally long before trying to stuff my enormous pie hole became an arduous task. After that it was a bus trip over to the campus of Harvard University, or as the locals say Hahhhh-vvvvaaaaddddd. I used to think it was because people were stuck up, but now realizing that they drop their ‘R’s in New England, I understand that it is the proper way to say it. What a spectacular campus Harvard has. The football stadium looks like the Roman Coliseum. In fact it was the first large reinforced concrete structure built in the world. Harvard used to be a huge power in college football. Walking thru the Harvard campus, feeling like ten pounds of potatoes in a five pound sack, and crossing the Charles River surrounded by all those people smart enough not to try to eat a FIVE POUND HAMBURGER and FIVE POUNDS of FRIES helped me out. I figured trying the Eagles Challenge probably cost me 30 IQ points (ones I probably couldn’t spare), but walking thru the hallowed halls of Hahhhh-vvvvaaaaddddd probably gave me 10 of those IQ points back. Once again I boarded the T (when was the first subway built in America? Told you there would be a test), this time headed back downtown for Park (pooccckkkk) Street and a date with the Freedom Trail. Rampage defenseman Dylan Reese went to Harvard, sorry Hahhhh-vvvvaaaaddddd, and he told me about the Freedom Trail. It starts at the Boston Commons and traces a path thru Boston that walks you past many of the significant points where events occurred leading up to the American Revolution. The Freedom Trail is about a three mile walk, and it feels much longer when you are carrying around an extra three and a half pounds of hamburger and about two and a half pounds of fries, but it was certainly worth the effort. Although at this point I did resemble ten pounds of potates stuffed in a five pound sack. It was very cool to see places that were important in the birth of our nation. I got to go into Paul Revere’s house and also see the Old North Church (one if by land, two if by sea, three if you spot a FIVE POUND HAMBURGER and FIVE POUNDS of FRIES). I sure could have used a warning there Paul, thanks for nothing. The trail crosses the Boston Harbor, where the Boston Tea Party was staged and eventually leads you to Old Ironsides, the U.S.S. Constitution. You can also continue on up to Bunker Hill where the first battle of the Revolutionary War was staged. By the way, not to spoil the surprise, but the Americans eventually get the best of the British in the end. About this time it was 4:30 p.m. and Coach Ireland was headed in to Boston. We were meeting up for the Bruins game that night against Tampa Bay. I told him about the burger and of course got the proper amount of respect and disgust directed my way. Coach thinks I should host my own Travel Channel show. It could be called, “Who’s Dumb Enough to try to eat a FIVE POUND HAMBURGER and FIVE POUNDS of FRIES. Hosted by Joe Dominey.” Anyway we went to the Purple Shamrock to get something to eat. Coach is Irish and proud of his heritage, but something about the name seemed a little fishy to me. Aren’t shamrocks supposed to be green? Coach kept asking me if I was hungry, but surprisingly I didn’t really feel like eating. I kept with water during dinner trying to hydrate myself and wash a little of the burger and fries away, although at this point it was probably like trying to erode the Hoover Dam with a garden hose. We headed to the game at the TD BankNorth Garden. We ended up sitting with Greg Malone a scout for the Coyotes. Every once in a while Coach would sniff his nose and ask no one in particular “if they smelled meat”. HA, HA, very funny. OOOhhhhhh it hurts to laugh. Greg Malone kept telling us about the desserts that they would put out in the press box after the first period, then he would look sideways at me. After about the fifth mention I said “I like to try to keep my calorie intake to less than 15,000 per day.” Eventually though I did breakdown and a have a piece of cake. Hey it was free, but don’t worry folks I balanced it out with a Diet Coke. During the game I met up with Drew Belleville. Drew worked with the Rampage as a Sales Representative the past two seasons, but got a job with the Bruins in the same capacity about a month ago. He is from Massachusetts, so it worked out great for him. We chatted things up a bit and he is doing well. The Bruins ended up losing 3-1, but it was fun to see another game in an Original Six town. After the game Coach and I got on the T and headed out to the Harvard Campus to meet up with our ride and get back to Hartford. I guess you could say after visiting Fenway Park, trying to eat a FIVE POUND BURGER and FIVE POUNDS of FRIES, walking thru Harvard and the Freedom Trail, and catching a Bruins game that I had a very ‘FULL’ off day. Please do not take offense at this blog entry, in the immortal footsteps of Dickie Dunn in the movie ‘Slapshot’ I am only trying to capture the spirit of things. Also in Ricky Bobby fashion from “Talladega Nights the Legend of Ricky Bobby”, with all due respect no offense intended.
03/12/08 --- Actually there are two ‘R’s in the spelling of Worcester, Massachusetts, but no one up here seems to know that. Or at least they aren’t letting on that they know about the ‘R’s. It may be spelled Worcester, but it is pronounced “Woostah”, with no audible ‘R’s anywhere to be found. Back to Top The Rampage got taken out behind the woodshed on Wednesday night by Chicago 5-1 at the AT&T Center. The Wolves scored four times in the first period and out shot San Antonio 18-4 in the frame. Chicago looked ever bit as good as advertised as the top team in the Western Conference and one of the top teams in the AHL in that first period. The Big Bad Wolves huffed and puffed and blew the house down. In years past the Rampage would have probably gotten smoked again by Chicago on Friday night, but my friends this isn’t years past. Starting with the hiring of Greg Ireland as the head coach and continuing with the addition of Ray Edwards as assistant coach, the attitude has changed here in S.A. The Rampage came to play Friday night as illustrated by two big hits early on by forward Chris Durno, including whacking the AHL’s leading scorer Jason Krog. Despite falling down 1-0 early on a shorthanded goal allowed, the Rampage came back to tie the game not once, but twice. San Antonio even survived two, shall we say interesting here in case BIG BROTHER is reading, calls against in the third period without losing their composure and tied the game on the second goal of the night by forward Mike Zigomanis with five minutes left in regulation. In the overtime session San Antonio clearly had the better of the chances, even though the game would eventually be decided in a shootout. Al Montoya, making his Rampage debut between the pipes was a perfect 4-4 in the skills competition, and San Antonio came away with a hard fought 3-2 shootout win. Instead of folding, instead of rolling over, the Rampage responded to a tough outing against a good club by digging in, fighting back and finding a way to get two points against one of the best teams in the AHL. As Robert Frost said in his poem The Road Not Taken, “That has made all the difference.” Back to Top We arrive in Bettendorf, Iowa, early in the morning and step right into the movie “The Shining”. The place we stay is called The Lodge, which is the most unique hotel we stay at in the AHL. The inside hallways resemble the interior of the ski resort in “The Shining” (By the way the ski resort in the movie “The Shining” was Timberline Lodge in my home state of Oregon). As I make the long walk down the hallway to room 416 I keep waiting for the little kid to wheel up on the tricycle and croak “redrum, redrum”. I step inside the room and am immediately assaulted by 100 plus degree temperatures. Someone turned the heat up on high and left it there. You know the old Bugs Bunny cartoons where the temperature gauge has three settings, Hot, Super Hot and Surface of the Sun, well welcome to the sun. The room has an old fashioned four corner poster bed with a canopy. There is a gold framed mirror and real wood all over the place. If I wasn’t already committed to a movie theme in this entry, I would make a crack about my room “smelling of rich mahogany” ala Ron Burgandy in “Anchorman”. Now don’t get me wrong, The Lodge is not a bad hotel, just rather unique and staying here can mess with your mind. Case in example. All night long I toss and turn as I try to sleep, expecting Jack Nicholson to eventually come crashing thru the door to my room with an axe shouting “Here’s Johnny.” Well as I always say “The great stories come from the road”. Until next time. Back to Top
Sometimes when a guy gets called up, guys who don’t get the call are frustrated. They wonder why they aren’t going up. It can get into their heads, mess with their minds, but not in this case. When Pete Vandermeer finally got the call to the NHL after all the hits, checks, bumps, bruises, slashes, penalties, fights, and suspensions guys were ecstatic for him. Ryan Caldwell, who has been up this year with the Coyotes said about Pete going up, “That is the first time I have ever seen an ear-to-ear four tooth grin.” Hockey is a terrific game, and one of the most physical of all the sports. Guys police themselves and Pete Vandermeer is the sheriff for the Rampage. By the very nature of his job as an enforcer Vandermeer has had to put his teammates physical well being ahead of his own physical well being. If you have ever seen his hands you know the toll that his job takes on him physically, but he never backs down. If there is a challenge to be met, he is the first one to step up to the plate and take his swings. Earlier this season Vandermeer broke a finger on his hand then had surgery. The finger has pins in it, is still grotesquely swollen, and looks like an overstuffed bratwurst, yet when there is a job to do, Pete steps up and takes his cuts. For a guy who has given his life to the game of hockey, it is great to see hockey give something back. It gives hope to all of us that maybe one day the call will come. That moment when you know you are going to the highest level and a four tooth ear-to-ear grin splits your face like a Pete Vandermeer right cross. Back to Top 02/05/08 -- I know that this blog is called Cup of Joe, as in a double meaning for coffee and my name, but I am not really a coffee drinker. I do have to confess though that I am a huge fan of hot chocolate, and I recently went to the very mecca of North American hot chocolate production. During the Rampage’s 14-game rodeo road trip we ventured north of the border into Canada. In Canada, and now in some northern states of the U.S., the absolute greatest donut / coffee shop in the world exists; Tim Hortons. Named after Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Tim Horton, who played with the Toronto Maple Leafs for 20 of his 24 year career, Tim Hortons donuts and coffee shop is truly heaven on earth. For the low, low price of just $1.49 you can get an extra large cup (try getting an extra large cocoa in the U.S. for under $2) of Tim Hortons hot chocolate and then sit back and let the goodness flow. To quote “Frank the Tank” in the movie Old School “it feels so good when it touches your lips.” The hot chocolate is just the right temperature, not hot enough to burn your mouth, but hot enough to make the chocolate simmer and emit a delicious aroma. Plus, unlike other coffee / donut chains down in the states (as Canadians refer to the U.S.) the entire drink is chocolaty sweetness in every sip, rather than hot water at the top and then a rush of chocolate at the end because they didn’t mix it up properly. Plus there is no whimpy whipped cream on top taking up extra room at the top of the cup and costing you precious cocoa. Then there are the donuts. The double chocolate, the walnut crunch, Canadian maples and the Timbits (donut holes in Canada) and of course the World Famous “Apple Fritter”. For less than the price of a loonie (that’s what they call a $1 coin in Canada because it has a picture of a loon on it), you can get one of these tasty treats to go with your hot chocolate. Or for $3.49 you can get a half dozen in a recyclable box, but I wouldn’t know anything about purchasing donuts by the bulk load. As my “spare tire” comes from things other than donuts (like ice cream). There is one more benefit to Tim Hortons, despite my mucho overload on Tim Hortons hot chocolate (I drank enough that you could have floated the U.S.S. Missouri battleship in cocoa) during our time north of the border, I never felt the urge to imitate “Frank the Tank” and go streaking thru the quad.
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San Antonio Rampage - www.sarampage.com One AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX 78219 Phone: 210-444-5554 Fax: 210-444-5737 Tickets: 210-444-5554 Click here to purchase tickets online. |
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"Cup of Joe" contains thoughts, reflections, observations and often blatant rip offs from movie quotes from Rampage radio broadcaster Joe Dominey. It will be updated on a semi-regular basis whenever Joe manages to stagger out of bed and rub the sleep from his eyes.
The security guard took pity on me and explained that terminal the Tim Hortons was in was for domestic flights inside of Canada only and we were in the international terminal.
Bernal attempted to describe the mangled haircut, but words couldn’t do it justice. (please see picture)
02/16/08 --- First of all I want to state for the record that I have never taken steroids or HGH or any form of performance enhancing substances. I have taken cough drops on occasion for my throat, but only over the counter cough drops and they are a legal supplement for broadcasters. 
02/08/08 --- What a great day for forward Pete Vandermeer. After 12 years and 663 minor league games he is going to the show. Head coach Greg Ireland gave him the news today at practice in Hamilton. At first ‘Pistol’ didn’t believe him, he thought Ireland was joking, but finally Pete did believe Greg and realized he was going to go to Phoenix and 
