RedRockit

Heh, I knew I should have gone with my first instinct and asked for more info about him, because I really don't know all that much except he has potential concussion problems, at least so I'm told. But I didn't want to derail a Hasek thread, so I'll go search if you guys have pimped SH on other threads (willing to bet you HAVE, am I right?).

I also can't remember where I heard it from that night-- probably a Detroit news station. I remember being frustrated and upset because I couldn't find any more information about it that night. I DO vividly remember having to break the news to my little boy about it the next morning (hated to start his day like that, but I knew his best buds at school would tell him if I didn't). Vladdie was his favorite player, and he'd never lost anyone close to him before, let alone an idol. Damn, was that a hard thing to tell him. He didn't cry, he seemed really confused, "But he's so tough, Mom, he'll be all right," and hopeful that, "Mom, the doctors will fix him, won't they?" and "Remember what he said at the thing (the rally at the Joe, which I'd taped for him), "I'll be back!"... *tear break here* He'd worn his #16 jersey to school the day before and had planned on wearing his Yzerman T shirt that day, but he quietly fished his Vladdie jersey out of the laundry basket and put it on for school. It does feel like it happened just yesterday,

Izzy-- NEVER EVER mention me in the same breath as Patrick Roy again, 'kay? Don't make me come over there and hurt you... Funny, my friend and I were discussing PR earlier tonight. We don't agree on a whole lot about hockey (a Sabres fan, she loathes the Wings, and THINKS LIDSTROM IS OVERRATED?!), but we started reminiscing about all the famous and infamous PR moments, and got to laughing so hard we couldn't talk anymore. Miss him.... isn't that weird? Jiggy wasn't nearly as much fun.

Thanks for that, Matt. I thought I was just being insecure and paranoid and oversensitive in my reaction to that. Welcome to my insecurely paraniod world-- it's fun here, they really ARE out to get us, you know. HMom, I think most people here are acutely aware of what SCF mdse looks like-- for instance, I have 3 gold-rimmed coffee cups next to my computer holding pens and various sundries. One reads "Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup Champions 1997"-- another, "Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup Champions 1998"-- and yet a third says "Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup Champions 2002." How many cups do you have?

I'd love Drury, darnit, but no way can we afford him OR Ryan Smyth. I'm kinda tired of hearing about them: we no longer have a Gold Card to get expensive players. We're working on a long-term fiscal plan in which Dats and Hank are our hedge against hockey inflation, so to speak. Hartnell? Maybe so... I dunno. He'd get banged around a bunch in the West, and I wouldn't want to lose anyone for the POs, which (given Wing luck) could easily happen. ^^^What Nephilim said: true. Holland has been poor-mouthing since Wings/Ducks. Can't blame him, we ARE poor, but he's been relentless-- truthful, but relentless-- in using the media to send the message to his players. "Play for love, or else."

*knocks on wood* I've believed since the end of season that he'd be back, he and KH have been just keeping it low key. 1) Dom wants another Cup, And 2) Even though Dom is a law unto himself, I never felt that he would leave us in a goalie lurch-- which we would be, without him. Cap-wise, we haven't a hope of signing an equivalent talent in net AND get some of the other elements we need for another run at the Grail. *knocks on wood again* but *dances around room happily* I KNEW he wouldn't let us down. Did I knock on wood yet? Just in case... *knocks on wood* And in case the other Wings need a little mo-- DOM WANTS ANOTHER CUP. See he gets it, alright?

Ahh, the hockey gods DO work in mysterious ways-- they made a fan out of ME, dinnit they? AND one out of thou.... Give it time. Maybe a LOT of time (I understand that time moves differently in SoCal-- f'r instance, a 25 year old home is eligible for historic status there Given this time warp, and factoring in Pronger Physics, I figure Anaheim should make Hockeytown status in about the same time it takes to, say. REPEAT.

QFT.

On 'Lord Of The Dance" tickets?

Konspiratsia, absolut. To give a little perspective: NHL officiating is worlds away from the bloc judging that married the Oly's of the past several decades, or the judging collusion of recent memory. Yeah, officiating abuses NEVER happen. At least not until they're caught redhanded at it, and there is media outcry that cannot be ignored (Sale-Pelletier, anyone?)(Pronger, anyone?) Thank all your skating gods that Speedy has nothing to do with hockey. OR DOES HE........?

eek, wrooonnng post quoted. *sigh* It's been that kinda day, I muffed up at work too: just when I was poised to be golden. Sumbuddy pass me a virtual Guinness.

NFM

Thanks, HMom-- I appreciated your linked story. I've liked Rob since his early Panther days (soooo much fun to argue with my tranplanted snowbird Gulf Coast TB-fanfolk best friends about the two Floridian teams, and c'mon, The RATS were an awesome show of fan appreciation (I know, I know-- overkill, and kinda octopi-copycat, but that phenomenon gave me a grin whilst it lasted, it did). No matter that I hated the Ducks during the WCFs (ALL Ducks, from the GM down to the guy who mucked out the locker room after)(hope that wasn't you, Roberto Who, heh) with a near-Avalanche passion and rooted against them all the way for the Sens: for me, the Big Mo in the SCFs was Scott giving the Cup to Rob. Period. We'll probably NEVER see A Moment like that again in our lifetimes.

ROFL, I can't believe I did that! Yeah, I do follow Tigers and Indians baseball, and watch Cubs games a lot recently because of the SuperStation (I reduced my cable down to the bare min a couple of months ago, in a fiscal downsizing). But I think I said Scott Moore only because I know a Scott Moore... I agree, the case would get thrown out, but trust me, there are far stupider cases than the one I posited being brought to court every day. But then, I live in Ohio, and the legal system here is muffed up to the max re nuisance lawsuits (don't get me started on the malpractice laws here-- doctors are fleeing in droves to Indiana and Michigan, RockitSon's sports doctor, for one: happily, he fixed RockitSon first!)

OH! I get your point now, and you're right. Sorry for my obtustive... obtusivity... ehmm, sorry for my slooooow. I was mostly joking about the liability thing, but thinking about it, if some kid who had attended the BooCamp pulled a Bert on some hapless Scott Moore-type, well... *shrug* ... it's a litigious world we live in, could happen the Boogs would find themselves on the wrong end of a lawsuit. Legally, it can be argued that hockey would be a different case than martial arts or Golden Gloves, in that fighting is nominally not allowed in hockey (i.e., penalized).

Oh I dunno-- in my experience (2 children, 7 different sports from peewee to college level) no one ever went broke over-estimating the willingness of deluded sports stage parents when it comes to opening their wallets for their precious, albeit untalented, Junior! After some initial recolil, I don't think it's altogether such a horrible idea. Fighting in hockey is a reality at the present time (and probably always will be), and it might be very wise to know how to handle yourself. I question whether these guys are the right mentors for this lesson, however.... teenage boys are so very impressionable and impulsive, and it wouldn't take much for even a well-intentioned lesson to go badly awry when some kid puts it into practice and injures someone. In which event, I fully expect lawsuits against the Boogs. Wonder if they've thought about their liability here?

And in an amazing display of dazzling skill, Static shoots... he scores! What I would like to see from fans of other teams is that they not allow themselves to get caught up in the drama, because it's the retaliatory penalty that always gets called, especially when one is playing an away game, so to speak. Don't take some of the postage flotsam and jetsam personally-- it's just off-ice trash talk.

I'd love him back too: I've always felt he was underrated and underappreciated for his contibutions, and maybe he felt that too, hence his seeming ennui during the latter part of his time in Detroit. He may not have the size that we need to compete against the more physical teams, but Koz could sure help us out (80 points and 28 goals this season). i somehow just don't see it happening, though. He fits in a lot of ways, but my feeling is that KH will go in a different direction. And yes, I'd take Fedorov back in a heartbeat. I think he'd come back in a heartbeat. And I think he'd play his arse off-- his pride would be on the line, and he plays best under those conditions, it's always seemed to me.

I know probably 99% of you here have seen this over and over, but for me it never gets old: Zata to Data: Keeping in mind that sex & violence sell, here's a brilliant ad for the FLA Panthers:

After everything that Mug has been through (using it to hold bait for fishing, babies peeing in it, Pprroo... That Eejit kissing it), a few fans' grubby paws doesn't bother me in the least. I do understand and respect those who feel a proper reverence for the Cup, however. Roberto, congrats on the win and oh-you-lucky-Duck, your piccy is very special. Enjoy this time with it and your fav team.

Also, they could supply the beer and hot wings.

Advertising. Stop trying to make hockey soccer-mom friendly-- it hasn't worked, and never will. Kids simply don't LIKE the things that their parents approve of. Market it like rap music, and you'll have the die-hard boomer hockey fans bringing their grandchildren to games-- promoting Family Values via violence. Concept: a 30-second commercial showing Pronger's hit on Homer, the Brawl in Buffalo, big hits, big goals, with some kickass current music (if that's not an oxymoron), with this comment: "This isn't your mother's NHL." To be shown during the NBA playoffs and MLB games and NASCAR races and Saturday morning cartoons.

Oh my poor keyboard.... !!

Thanks for your reply, but it's his checks from behind that gave me most pause: it seemed cheap, and his talent seemd to me to preclude that kinda play. *shrug* Out of all the talent on that team, the only one that I covet for the Wings is, probably, him. (hastening to say, it'll probably never happen, and I'm not suggesting it. Just sayin'.)

Hmm, bitter in victory, HMom? This is SO not like you, the rest of this topic (which I haven't read) must be pretty sucky. Apologies to you and other Ducks fans re any negativity. Strictly speaking, the Wings didn't even have THEIR defense this year: the loss of Matts and Kronner ended up being bigger than anyone really expected. This is NOT an excuse, because our depth should have been better-enabled to absorb the loss of these two key players. *shrug* Oh well... Jiggy won't be wearing red next year. We cannot afford him, he doesn't want to come here, etc etc. Conga Rats to Anaheim. May this be the beginning (or, as you've suggested instead), the continuation of a solid hockey tradition in SoCal. (one favor, however: pleasepleaseplease dinna let your littles ever think that Pppprr-- ehmm, The Evil Sith Lord (TM OsGod) is a proper role model. Give them Teemu or Scott or Andy Mc instead