And put your load right on me

[cyrano]

Last night at about eleven, ToastRoot@StatelyWayneManor announced that he was bringing down the house network to install some new hardware. He'd be ready to bring us back online as soon as we spent half an hour rooting around under the bed trying to find disconnected wires.
So that's why this is late.
Anyway. For those who care video night this week will probably be Once Upon a Time in China or Black Mask, both of which NetFlix was kind enough to send me this week.
And I've been asked to run a pick up session of Alchema tomorrow night. Mmmmmm, improv.
Got sick, probably whatever Cari gave Leigh Ann to give to me, but I think I'm on the down side of that. Coughing and drowning in sputum, but the expectorant is clear now. At least I'm not going in for knee surgery, which I just found out (about three minutes ago) my sister is tonight. Apparently she has a mysterious infection that refuses to respond to antibiotics.
The house is in full Hockey Playoffs Fever and I expect Sharky to take up residence in the spare bedroom any time.
See what important things you missed out on by this message's 20 hour delay?
Oh yeah, I'm supposed to mention Emily's going away party on 22 June, and to post URLs for a couple of articles that the 'mate sent to me a while back. Now that Hockey Playoffs Fever has incubated, they are again especially relevant.

Comments

Re: the hockey thing

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Specially seeing as how it can kill spectators.

There's only been one spectator killed at an NHL hockey game in it's 75+ year history, and the coroner said that Brittanie Cecil's death was really freaky. So, feel free not to like it, but not for this reason. :)

Re: the hockey thing

[miss-friday.livejournal.com]

Puck killings have occurred in other leagues though. As I recall, one happened in Spokane while I was in school nearby. Don't get me wrong though, it's not that I don't care for hockey. What I don't get is all the fanaticism over it in this climate. My best friend is a hockey fanatic, but I understand this because she's Canadian, and probably learned to skate short after learning to walk. Why do Californians like it?

Re: the hockey thing

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Ahh, yeah, the media cited a few deaths in other leagues, sounds like mostly minors. Lower glass protections. Baseball is the only other sport I can think of which might carry similar risks, the only difference is that the league has taken steps to protect the spectators (the netting behind home plate). I'm not sure how foul balls which go into the stands short of 1st or 3rd base might be, risk wise, but I bet kirbyk might.

Why do Californians like it?

Good question. :) I only partial answers. Many Californians (both NorCal and SoCal) are transplants from other parts of the U.S. which *are* hockey hotbeds; my current group of hockey fanatics are from New Hampshire (Boston), the midwest (St. Louis/Chicago), Michigan (Detroit), a half-Canadian, a North Dakotan (huge in college hockey), and upstate New York (Buffalo), with a native Californian and a Floridian being dragged in by everyone else. I was addicted by someone from Colorado, two Bostonians, and the St. Louis/Chicago transplant.

But, really, I think it's just a sport that appeals to a certain subset of people, those that like it regardless of where they grew up or where it's being played. I think it's even more a 'testoterone game' than football. and that kind of thing appeals to some fans (look at the popularity of wrestling and boxing). But, more than that, it's a whole package, ranging from bloody fights stemming from emotions gone high, to a skill and finesse as good as you see in figure skating, that takes your breath away. The hockey fans I know appreciate the entire spectrum.

I think the fact that the Sharks are the only major professional team in the South Bay is also a big factor of why it's popular around here. It's easier for me to drive the 20-minutes to the Arena than it is to try to navigate the traffic snarl that is getting into either San Francisco or Oakland. And, fans love winners. Despite being only 11 years old, they've made the playoffs 7 times, and 5 consecutive years. Two years ago, they enacted a major upset, and many sports fans climbed the Sharks bandwagon (see the first article in Cyrrie's post :).

Why is it popular in L.A.? Because the two teams were smart and landed big name franchise players, first Wayne Gretzky to the Kings in the 80's (even I remember that trade, and that was long before I followed hockey) and Paul Kariya to the Ducks. These were two fast, dynamic players with huge hockey cult followings, and around them, the Kings and the Ducks built franchises and a fan base. And, again, winning helps: the Kings made it to the Stanley Cup Finals back in the early 90's, and have been flirting with the playoffs since then (making it the past two years).

Sorry this is so long winded, and you may not have expected a dissertation in response, but I figured I would try to explain, since it sounded like a genuine question. :

Re: the hockey thing

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, it's way more testosterone than football. You give the players clubs fakrissake. I dunno how long the individuals actually play, with rotating lines in, but in football they get breaks every ten or fifteen seconds.

Re: the hockey thing

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Forwards tend to play for about a minute of game clock time each shift; I don't know how long defensemen shifts are, but it's about the same. Average playing time is probably around 15-20 minutes of actual game time in a 60 minute game, with some players only playing about 8-10, and some pushing 30 minutes.

Which doesn't sound like a lot, until you think about the fact that they're often skating full tilt for that time, and trying not to be turned into mash paste. :)