Kira

Johan was leaving yesterday and I ended up giving him directions to the restaurant he was going to for breakfast. Pays to know the area well.

I won't be home for the first one. I'll be watching the boys in TC. Much better alternative than watching the Islanders and Canucks for sure.

I'll know first hand this weekend. Keep your fingers crossed, gang. I know this - I missed the hell out of that boy during the playoffs.

Now I know we're running a rescue shelter for unwanted mutts. This makes the point.

Real or fake? Either way I can't really say I've worn them. TPBM can't wait for hockey season to start.

What a nauseous thought.

Doesn't matter as long as it works. Soft or hard taco shells.

Ah, unfortunately not so. I broke two bones in my ankle when I was 18. Spent 8 miserable weeks in a cast. The person below me wishes they were going to training camp next weekend with me.

Whether you think he was a good player or not, he was a gracious person off the ice, and I wish him luck.

I talked to Direct last night and they are still negotiating. I guess Comcast, the parent company, wanted a 20% increase in fees, and Direct thought that was a little exorbitant and wants to keep the prices down for their customers (which I can understand). So they haven't given up yet. I'm tempted to write a long bitchy letter to Comcast telling them to quit being greedy and give us what we want - our hockey. Of course, if by doing this, the league might be tempted to contract with another network (there were rumors of Spike TV a couple years ago), that might be beneficial for all of us. Who knows?

Request - actually I'm groveling...anyone with TSN, could you PM me? I'll explain when you do.

Just think, if you or I did something like that, we'd be spending a bit of time in the Crossbars Hotel. And he gets a slap on the wrist. Just more proof that the world has a double standard. May you get the royal snub and relentless harassment from fans everywhere, especially Buffalo and Detroit.

To paraphrase Barney Frank, "What planet are you spending time on?" To not include Pavel Datsyuk on the list of classiest players is like leaving Monet off the list of great artists. I can vouch for him being a class act, having met him in person a few times. He's considerate, gracious, funny, kind, humble...just an absolute sweetheart.

I just got off the phone with Direct and they are still negotiating with Versus. I told them they'd better get it straightened out before hockey season starts or there are gonna be an awful lot of ticked off fans beating down their doors. I can still watch most of the games on Fox Sports Detroit, but for the ones that they don't show, there had better be an alternative somewhere. Hopefully Center Ice will help out as well.

Here's hoping that Jose and Stephanie can find comfort in the time that they had together with their son. My heart goes out to them.

Yeah, he's a UFA, and so are Manny Fernandez, Manny Legace, Olaf Kolzig and Kevin Weekes. So be careful what you wish for.

With all due respect, Supafly, Joe Thornton couldn't lead a colony of ants to a melted Hershey bar. Give it to someone who really shows what it takes to lead his team.

No kidding. I feel like the Humane Society rescuing unwanted mutts from euthanasia.

Good grief, first Jason Williams and now Bertuzzi??? I feel like we're doing shelter rescues, for heaven's sake.

First of all, every player has to start somewhere. Even Pasha started out on the fourth line. You can't expect to jump right up to the top line when you first come in - you have to pay your dues, especially on a team as loaded as we are. So Jiri couldn't quite break the second line on a constant basis - so what? And anyway, you got something that a hell of a lot of hockey players will never have - a Stanley Cup. Don't bite the hand that fed you. Not if you ever want a chance to come back for seconds.

We are not loud, rowdy drunken idiots when we go to a game. We have respect for the traditions, and we know the game. We can get loud if we want to, and do, but it's not a written in concrete requisite. We're not bandwagon hoppers either...most Wings fans I know have been with the team through thick and thin, and are proud to show their allegiance. I've worn my colors all over the country, and had people smile at me, give me the thumbs up, and even yell "Let's Go Wings" at Yellowstone National Park. "Hockeytown" may have been a publicity ploy, but hey, we're happy that people seem to have adopted it. My Red Wings shirt or hat or jersey, wherever I am, catches someone else's eye, and it's an instant bond, and always starts up a friendly conversation. It never fails.

Hmmm...the plot thickens.

Too much money for what we'd get. I pass on this one.

These guys are in my top three teams to beat, and after looking at this roster of potential players, I still think they are going to be one of the teams to beat.

The night before Pasha's birthday...wouldn't that be a nice present?