NHL- Wednesday musings and ideas?

Question

Wednesday morning- still tired from Monday's marathon. I've been praying for 48 hours for the Wings to seal this deal, so until then... here are some things to yap about:

1. As I get older (38), I seem to want to be alone more (just with wife and kids). Friends and other family members want to get together but I am usually "busy." Odd?

2. I'm glad Babcock is finally commenting on the officiating TOO. Why should Therrien get all the advantages because he whined for the first 5 games? Will it be even tonight?

3. I'm glad (and not surprised) that Tortorella got canned. But bringing in Melrose after he's been out of the scene for ten years? hmmm

4. Drizzle rain here (near Boston). How about you?

5. What is one thing you remember about one good teacher you had?

Go Wings! Please, end this tonight!

Answer 1

1. No....for one thing when you have children you a raising it keeps you pretty busy.

2. Amen.

3. No opinion.

4. Here in Michigan we had soft showers over night.......overcast with more on the way this morning.

5. Tenth grade, Mr Hjelt (pronounced with the H silent)...first day of English class he perched on the corner of his desk and said 'people if you learn nothing else in my class you will know how to spell when you leave here'.....and we did. Bless his bones.

Redwings in 08!!!!!

Answer 2

1)  About once every other week I kick the bums (friends) out.  We all need time alone in our caves.

2) Whaaaahh!

3) I guess the 'Bolts forgot to see how well John Davidson is doing for the Blues.

4) Currently 64 and haze here in the Malibu area.  Not sure how things are back in the Hammer.

5) I had professor at Columbia that was pretty cool.  She and I still b.s. quite a bit -- despite a drunken night of regret on both our parts.

Answer 3

1.  No, not odd at all.  That's kind of why you married your wife & had kids--because you wanted to be with them!  And in our busy lives we don't get enough time with them so that when there is time, we don't want others to intrude on what time we do have with those closest to us (i.e. wife & kids)

2.  Fortunately, Babcock hasn't been as much of a cry baby about it as Therrien--he really only commented on the ridiculous goalie interference calls when pressed hard by the media (his first impulse in response to media questions was, "what do you want me to say?"--clearly he didn't want to whine about it)

3. True.  Not a surprise about Tortorella, but Melrose is definitely a BIG surprise.  Maybe they feel Melrose will bring in money since he got a big name from being on TV

4.  Partly cloudy here (Upper Michigan) & looking for a high of "57 at the shore to 63 to 68 inland."  We had the coldest April on record in 118 years of record-keeping & May was only slightly warmer.  Global warming my butt!

5.  My logic and philosophy professer started out every semester of every class he taught with a lecture on open-minded humility which is a lesson I've never forgotten & try to live up to even if I'm not always successful at it.

And yes, GO WINGS!!!!

Answer 4

1) Na its all good

2) Won't really change, I agree those goalie obstructions were bad calls to call in a playoff game especially in OT.  Won't be too different, ref will let some of those slide if it doesn't result in a goal

3) Melrose has been in the scene, just not as coach.  He still knows what's going on, I think he's going do great.

4) Too hot in Texas

5) She was hot.  I mean, she taught a lot.

Answer 5

1.Odd?Kids wish more fathers like yourself would spend time with them.That's really great to hear Spaceboy.Unfortunately I don't have kids or married but I hope I have a family like that.

2.Probably after watching the last game the officials know that calls were blown and maybe they'll be watching the Pens closer.

3.One good season for the mullet too and that was with 99.

4.RAIN UGH!!!!

5.When I had trouble,my English Teacher would pull me aside and I had baseball on my mind he would say to me if you don't pass your classes you won't be playing.So he'd help tutor me not only in English but other subjects as well.

Answer 6

1.) I don't know I am only 21. I find myself ditching my buddies for the woman more often now though.

2.) I think it will be more even, but the Wings still have the series advantage so I'd look for the Pens to get 1-2 more calls. Who knows though, it should be a good game.

3.) I like Barry Melrose, but I see your point. I think this is one of those, panic moves, where you make a change for change sake to attempt to inject some life in the team. It could also have something to do with having the first pick in the draft, and Melrose coached Gretz for 3 years.

4.) Same, I'm only an hour and a half away lol. I hate this weather, we've been spoiled lately.

5.) I'm a real smart a$$. You would have been so frustrated to have me in class. I'm pretty intellegent and I know it, so in high school, I didn't really try and still did pretty well. I used to goof off a ton in class because I was bored, going the regular pace made me crazy. One teacher pulled me aside after class and said "Heres my lesson plan and the assignments for the rest of the year (this was in January) when you finish everything to my liking, you can go to the gym every class for the rest of the year." He realized that the reason that I acted the way I did was because I absorbed things quicker, not because I had ADHD like the school said, so he gave me some freedom, and I got A's on everything. After the end of the year he told me that that was exactly what college was like, you do work on your own at your pace, get it in on time, and no one tells you what to do. It gave me alot of confidence that I could succeed in College, and I recently sent him a letter thanking him, I just Graduated in 3 1/2 years with 2 degrees and a 3.5 GPA. I still tend to be a smart a$$ but he helped me channel my energy into productive capacity, like reading ahead, etc.

Answer 7

1)  Not at all odd.  As we get older I think we all settle down to a 'better' situation.  I envy people who have that family situation in their lives

2)  We can only hope.  A radio commentator this morning (not a sports guy but one of those guys that gives you his opinion on everything and this morning just happen to choose hockey) mentioned that more everybody mentions the officiating, the more people tune in that part of the game.  I had to chuckle, most of the bad officiating is too be blatant to be 'just tuned in'

3)  Koulas will learn soon enough that there's a reason Melrose hasn't coached in a decade.  I guess friendship knows no bounds in this case.

4)  Toronto - muggy and overcast.  Looks like rain, but so far - not yet.

5)  I had a great literature teacher in grade 9.  He encouraged us to read what we like and at the pace we liked.  Prior to that every literature class was based on the theme, the plot, the characters, etc and if you didn't agree with the teacher, it was wrong.  This teacher encouraged us to believe that nobody was wrong,  and that no two people have the same outlook on anything, and as long as you can defend your thoughts, you should be happy with the position you chose.  I've carried that belief with me for the last 50+ years.

None of the other teachers I ever had were that open-minded.

Answer 8

1.) Na, its fine.

2.) now we know why i've posted 3 questions about this

3.) meh.  i dont know much about Tortorella but i heard/saw Melrose call Don Cherry a fat margarita, and thats good enough for me.

4.) It poured yesterday (Northern VA) but its fairly nice today.

5.) My best two teachers are my Physics and Trig/Math Analysis this year.  They are the funniest teachers i've ever had, and yet they do a great job.

lol its going to Game 7 whether anyone likes it or not.  you gotta admit though, this has been one of the best Finals in a while.

EDIT: ah, now i know who Tortorella is.  I agree with the devils fan below me, if you can't get much better with all that fire power, there's something wrong with the coaching.  Trading Richards away for Jussi Jokinen (i know there was someone else but I don't remember who else it was, and i know Jokinen was the top player going to Tampa) was not a good choice; Richards led the Stars to the conference finals and the Lightning placed last in the east.  Melrose may not be the best choice, but you can't get much worse than their performance this season.

Answer 9

1)  Not very odd.  I find myself, not enjoying parties as much as I once did when I was younger.  Sometimes when I am at a cocktail party or social function, I find that I am always forcing a smile and faking pleasure in other’s choice of conversation.  It is not that I am unhappy…very far from it.  It is just that I sometimes will get a visual of kicking off my heels, throwing on an oversized t-shirt, hopping on the couch, and watching the tube…then suddenly I want to go home.  My family lives thousands of miles away; therefore visiting with them is never an issue…I rarely get to see them.

2)  I never knew that commentating DIDN’T voice their opinions about everything!  Whenever I watch a game on VS. or NBC…the color commentary is constantly whining about bad calls.  I am sure Therrien will do what it takes to win this game…even if that includes have a hissy fit every five minutes.

3)  It should be interesting how this plays out.  It will be nice to see some new blood behind the bench.  Remember when we were kids, those dolls that had the string that you would pull, and they would say something ?  Well, if you kept pulling the string eventually the mechanism inside would break, then you would have a doll, with a string hang off of its back…and it just wouldn’t work anymore.  Well…that is my Tortorella analogy.  Whenever you pulled his strings, he would talk, talk, talk…but eventually…the string broke and the team wasn’t hearing him.

4)  Sunny and already hot as a pistol.  

5)  I had an English teacher that took 6 weeks and taught us etiquette.  She explained that many of us, may not have the type of family that can teach you how to behave is certain social situations.  She taught us place setting, ballroom dancing…and so on.  All the girls enjoyed it, but I think a bunch of the guys were getting sick off holding open doors, pulling out chairs, and kissing hands…LOL.

Answer 10

1) Not odd at all.  I am now the same way.  It goes for phone calls as well.  It seems I don't even like chatting with friends anymore.

2) Officiating is inconsistant so I don't know.  

3) I actually liked Tortorella and for those saying he should have won more with the firepower he had, you can't win without defense and goaltending.  If anything Fester should be on the hook for giving him an AHL back end.  Verdict still out on Barry.

4) Hazy, Hot, Humid in the mid to upper 90's.  (Eastern NC)

5) Commuticated very well with students.  Tried really hard to help the students who were plain dumbasses to best of his ability.

Answer 11

1. As you get even older you spend even more time alone. It even gets to the point when even your grand kids don't want to pull your finger anymore. So then you gotta put on your raincoat and head to the mall. And sit with all the other other old codgers and drool over the young un's with metal in places God never intended for metal. Now is that odd or is it just life.

2. No it will never be even. There is no such thing as fair in hockey. The official s never give a break. You have to make your own breaks. There are two referees on the ice for each game. Each will see the same action differently. One may call it a penalty another may not. Remember the old story about football. There is holding on every play from scrimmage. Do you want them all called. Similarly there is interference on every play in hockey. Do you want them all called?

3. There has got to be a change Melrose is a change from Torts. The players may respond positively. The biggest question is where is Tortorella going now? The Canadian media is saying Ottawa. How will the Prima Donas take that one?

4. Raining here in the Q city. We are presently waiting for No. 84 to return home. God I am getting tired of these parades.

5. One good teacher I had was a tall farm boy appearing Science teacher who taught my senior year physics class. This teacher was an engineer trained person who went back to school to get his degree after his hockey career ended. Hughie Bolton retired from the NHL after severly breaking his leg in 1956. He taught me that there are a lot of things in life more important than hockey. But he did teach me that a love of sport can never hurt one in this life.

I took his advice and went on to a career in Engineering always with a thought that I could return to teaching. In later life I spent a lot of time back in the classroom using the teaching skills Hughie expounded. Teach a love of the subject you are teaching and show a joy for life as it exists and you can't go wrong.

Answer 12

1.) Not add at all.  When you're younger you typically want to be around your friends and things.  But as you get older, you realize the importance of family.  That's coming from a 17 year old.  When I was in middle school, I just wanted to hang out with my friends and be all "cool".  Parents weren't seen as being cool.  Then I realized, friends aren't always as reliable as your family.

2.) I'm glad Babcock finally said something.  I think he has a little too much class to whine about calls, but when it's been consistent bad calls after another, he has to speak up.  So I think/hope the game should be even and hopefully the refs don't s***w it up.

3.) Obviously Tortorella got fired.  He couldn't lead his Stanley Cup winning team, which had Lecavalier, St. Louis, Prospal, Boyle, and Richards all at one point, to decent success.  True they have no defense but with firepower offense like that, your team doesn't come in dead last.  Melrose is a bad choice.  Hasn't coached in years.  They should go for a coach recently fired this year.

4.) Rainy and cloudy in New Jersey.  Hope it stops.  I have a physics trip to Six Flags tomorrow!  :-D

5.) My favorite teachers - Ancient World History and Chemistry H, were both very VERY nice teachers.  They always took the time out of their schedule to help students.  They were very engaging and could teach REALLY well that I could get good grades easily without studying because their class was so well tought.  They were also funny, and nice, and at the same time, people I could talk to comfortably without feeling awkward.  Great people!!

Go Red Wings!  (Devils fan who wants the Wings to win).  :-)

Answer 13

Yep, I'm hoping for a nice decisive regulation win for the Wings tonight  - we are going to see it on Joe Vision, so should be fun, but we can't keep the kids up till 3am!

1.  I'm with you on that.  'Let's have a few friends round for a bbq', he says, and there we are scurrying round for food and drink, when I'd just as happily reheat some pasta and share some wine with him.....

2.  I saw the headline and said 'ouch', but when you read the report, he is still showing much more class, and picking his battles - those two calls were bad ones, but do you remember earlier in the playoffs, someone was pushed into the goalie and STILL got sent off for interference?

3.  Couldn't comment, other than what people above me said .

4  Drizzle and fog.  Cloudy later.  Come on, Summer.

5.  My English teacher was about 4'5", and a ball of energy, brought Shakespeare alive for me, had some wonderful insights into 'relationships' which she wove into the classes with startling candour, and even managed to bring a few laughs into DH Lawrence, quite a feat in my opinion.  If I'd had teachers like that for math, my career and education would have turned out quite differently.

Answer 14

1. I'm 10 years your junior and i do see your point.  Harder for me to be with my family as much as i would like because of the army though.

2.  I agree, although i think Babcock is being a bit more tactful with his complaining.  I'm not sure he needs it to sink in to the officials, though.  I see this ending tonight, not as much pressure to win the Cup on the road.  

3.  I am surprised, but could care less about the 'Ning.  I agree with you on Melrose.  Not sure if he's the man for the job there.

4.  Out here in the mojave desert, its hot and very sunny.

5.  My German teachers in high school made learning the language so much fun.  I don't remember having such a good time in any other classes while at the same time actually learning.  I wasn't the greatest student, but i always excelled in German.  

As a Jackets fan, i hate Detroit, but i gotta stick with the west here.  Detroit wins tonight 3-1.

Answer 15

It's been that way for me for a while.  I work on Wall Street and it's a very hectic work day.  I would much rather go home after work and spend a nice quiet evening with the wife and kids than go out with friends for a drink or two.  I try and balance both, but over time, I tend to gravitate to home more often.

It's always sad when an element meant to be invisible takes center stage.

The fact that Tortorella was kept through the end of the regular season surprised me.  I'm not sure that Melrose can do any better.  Unless they change the defense and goalie situation....are they really any better?

Overcast here, wet when I woke up (I'm in Uniondale, NY)

I had an amazing prof in law school who just had that ability to make you want to go out and do good things.  She made every day seem like a sunny day and it certainly rubbed off one everybody.  This was a woman who defended murderers for a living and yet, she was able to separate her law practice from her law teaching from her family life, and still have the energy to laugh at everything.  She passed away a few summers ago and one of her colleagues said that usually, a few old students show up for a funeral, but in her case, there were dozens.  She left a positive impression on every one she met.