I am pretty sure that I will be the only person interested in what I have to say... I guess I am truly jealous of anyone that has their 15 minutes of fame (read: reality television shows), but I cannot be edited by big corporations to fit their story lines. I would say or sell their products, but maybe I can get a sponsor.
Monday, June 27, 2005
An NHL Fan's Lament
Jeremy Roenick has spoken out. He says the NHLPA looks silly. He's right, the deal that they will sign is nowhere near what is may have been in February. He tells anyone who will listen that fans who say that players are greedy are jealous. He doesn't want fans who think the players are greedy at the rink. "They" don't want "them" watching hockey. Mr. Roenick is entitled to his opinion and I am entitled to mine. Let me say this about Mr. Roenick's comments.
First of all, of course we're jealous. Who wouldn't want the league minimum? "They" don't want fans who think the players are greedy at the rink? Hope you have a family of 16,000-18,000, Mr. Roenick. The players need to do what they think is right.However, here's the issues that I see with the league.
One, although I love the NHL and would pit it against ANY major league sport in the world, it is not a sentiment that is shared broadly. Did you know that the Blackhawks' flagship station has talked even less about the lack of the NHL than it talked about the NHL when the league was active? How could it be possible? We're talking about an Original Six town, not Phoenix, not Columbus, not Anaheim, not wherever the Carolina Hurricanes play. Chicago... (don't get me started on what has happened to that team.) The amount of people who don't care about the league's inactivity far outweighs those who do.
Two, the league has expanded too rapidly while existing teams flounder. Why on this green earth is there hockey in wherever the Carolina Hurricanes play? Why do we have the Florida Panthers, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the Columbus Blue Jackets? Why have some teams been allowed to move and not just left to dissolve? Why is it that there are two teams in Alberta? The teams in Canada have it rougher than rough. If I am not mistaken, those teams take in their revenue in Canadian currency and must pay out salaries in American currency, is it true? The league can scarcely afford to propagate the "haves" versus the "have nots."
Three, how can hockey recover from a lost season? Look at the damage that has been done to Major League Baseball after the work stoppages it has endured and that was "America's Past Time." We lost an entire season, the All-Star game, the Draft, the play offs and the Stanley Cup Championship.
Four, the TV revenue is nowhere near what is necessary to contribute to the sustainability of the league. It's not like the NFL's television deal... and ESPN is no longer interested. Now, since it costs a good chunk of change to get to a game, and we haven't even added on the ticket service charges or parking, exactly who is going to be buying tickets to help the owners off set their money pits since the TV arrangement is far from ideal?
All this talk that has happened between the League and NHLPA and still no guarantee for the coming season.
Anyone who may have had a casual interest in the game could have lost interest at this point. I love the game, I have a passion for it. I want the league to flourish. I want people to care about it. I want people to watch games on TV. I want people to go to games. What I don't want is someone who has been blessed with the talent and the opportunity to insult me for feeling emotion and passion for a game that he is paid to play. We all have our lot in life, we make it or we let it happen. Hockey is the best professional sport with the best traditions and the best trophy. Please Mr. Roenick, don't add another to the list of reasons for fans to not come back.
Friends, let me tell you, this has been a great summer and there is still lots of it left. Bummer(Summer)Fest is coming, so is my good friend Chris. Caprise is buying a house. My friend Paul is graciously having me sit in on bass with his band. BG2 is on the way, so is BJ1, they are both due on the same day... pretty neat. DBanjo has a birthday in August. Pictures on Monday night. Beyond that... we'll be seeing Cheap Trick this summer. I'd like to get another camping trip in, who knows. A trip to the Cave of the Mounds with Sid. Blessing of all blessings, I will be able to attend a baby shower for my friend Rae in August. It will be the happiest baby shower that I have ever been to. Not that they aren't all a wonder ful occasion. This one probably means more. I am thrilled. I think the presents will be for someone named Violet, but that's just my gut. We also need to arrange a day in Madison with Laura and Jan... Caprise too? It's been too long! I promise to be in touch! I will e-mail Laura after this post.
So far, highlights have been birthday parties, the Indy 500, the Brewers and the Yankees, the Great Lakes Road Trip, the Air Show, Green Bay, the Golden Dome, Tony Packo's and the 50th Anniversary Party. WOW!
I think that a part of friendship is learning and knowing what is important to your friends. I have many friends who are like family, and certainly some whose families become like family to me as well. When you are there for the day in and day out things as well as the life changing moments, you get to know folks.
This is a picture of the train that my friend Leah's Grandfather drove in the upper peninsula of Michigan. It is special because Leah is a wonderful and true friend. It is also special because her mother Nancy is also a wonderful and true friend. As we left Escanaba, we phoned Nancy. She grew up in Gladstone and it was wonderful to see the places that she saw, although they might be very different. It was great to hear the stories and I could hear the excitement in Nancy's voice as we talked.
I am so very fortunate to have wonderful friendships. Friendships that extend beyond. It's all about people. Things... money... success... don't mean anything without people that you love and people that love you.
Cleveland Rocks with Big Guitars! Big Ups to Mike the Rams Fan for e-mailing this documentation of the historical moment when I attempted to play this large scale peacock guitar downtown Cleveland! Dig the Two Handed Tap!
I think the peacock had flow in from the Lake Huron Islands. Just one of the magical memories of our time in sigh Cleveland.
Let me say this... Don't believe what you hear or read. Cleveland is a great town with very friendly folks. Of course, I think that when folks in Cleveland hear that you are from Milwaukee it washes a sense of camaraderie over all involved. I have great stories... the kind you get when you really meet people rather than just expose yourself to the mainstream in a town. Thank You Cleveland!
Well, I am back after a much needed vacation. It was a 1545 mile round trip from Williams Bay to Stevens Point to Green Bay to Gladstone to Escanaba to Mackinaw City to Brighton to Cleveland to Toledo to South Bend and back to Williams Bay. What a great trip! Our next adventure is to Merrill, Wisconsin so that we may celebrate Dan's parents' 50th Anniversary. I have a more relaxed attitude but I am still looking forward to the long weekend for July 4th. Nothing insightful tonight.
We had some over the last 36 hours. Children can do a great deal for the spirit. Laughter, smiles, jokes. What a blessing. Hopefully we can do the same for them. We spent some time in the sun, so I am burned. We also spent some time carrying the children, so my arm muscles are sore. But it is always 100% worth it. Thanks Guys!
Well Friends, I need to tell you that I was reviewing the blog entries of the past and noted that I posted a windchill map way back in the cold months. I neglected to credit www.weather.com directly. I said in my post "according to weather.com" but didn't provide the direct link or say that this map was from weather.com directly. So, I must say that the post dated January 17th, 2005 with the Wisconsin wind chill report and map at this linkis due to the good work of the folks at www.weather.com. Thank you for understanding, Friends.
Last August I said I was going to learn some magic tricks. Do you think I have learned a stinkin' single one? No. Well I am not going to let another year go by without learning any magic tricks. Just you watch.
...On more than one occassion. I think to myself, "what in the world were you thinking?" Then it hits me that I wasn't really thinking at all! I strruggle. I catch up. I become exhausted. I become invigorated! I can do anything! I can do everything! I can do nothing. I am nothing. I need nothing. I want everything! I am the single most important person in everyone else's lives. I don't count. On the contrary, I think too much.
That's the only way to describe it. It was 93 today. That means that the third floor with no A/C gets hot and stays hot. I tried to put the thing in myself, but I could see that it was futile. Maybe I will lose 5 as I sleep. That would be okay. Things have slowed their pace a little bit, and not a moment too soon. We will be on vacation next week. It is sorely needed. Of course, I hope we don't go to crazy and end up more tired that now. I think we can handle it. I slept a little bit this evening. It was crazy. I left work at a reasonable time and have not done much since I got home except eat nachos and drink two sodas.
There's nothing like an Old Friend. I am blessed to have more than a few. I like having new friends and the thought that one day they will be old friends too. Last night we went to a graduation party for an old friend with an old friend, where I came upon another old friend.
She and I first met in 4th grade. We were friends all through elementary school, middle school, high school and college... then as you know how it happens without really knowing how it happens... it was a year since I had talked to her, then two, maybe three. There were weddings, baby showers and all of that in between, but nothing like it had always been.
I must confess that I was reluctant to go, knowing full well that this friend and others might be there. My shame, embarassment and fears nearly kept me from going. Thanks to the encouragement of the second old friend, we went.
Lucky for me, the oldest friend was there. It was as if no time had passed. I gave her the biggest hug that I had in me. I was very happy. We talked, joked, laughed, wondered out loud about our other old friends.
While DB and I were driving home, I remembered that while I was cleaning our room, I found a stack of cards. I save all of them. Every card that I have gotten over the past 10 or 12 years, I have. I found a thank you card from her baby shower. As I was reading it, I chided myself for neglecting that friendship. Regret washed over my mind. I let it wilt. I was not a good friend. Only last summer I had run into her sisters. I gave them my number on a napkin and asked that they give it to their sister. I waited. A week, two weeks, three weeks. I gave up. I figured that I had been such a bad friend that there was no going back. No chance. I found her thank you card on Tuesday... by Saturday we were reunited.
I'll try to use this as a life lesson, to not let fear of failure or to let guilt or shame keep me from discovering or rediscovering the things that I do and will treasure.
I will be after tonight. I have been creating sound loops on a laptop studio. Here's to hoping that they will work nicely in the application for which they are intended. Music loops, music loops, music loops... Ahh, yes. Sure to ruin any song that you may have even remotely liked. I could have been a record producer.
