Be warned. If you're expecting an erudite analysis of Manchester signing Bruce Mulherin as their centre (he looks like a very good 2nd line two-way centre) or Edinburgh signing Joe Dustin (described brilliantly on Four Point Four Seconds as "screaming mediocrity") then I would look elsewhere-it appears the heat has gone to my head as I jump around British hockey to begin the weekend...
A Change is Gonna Come: Sam Cooke probably wouldn't approve of the title of his gospel masterpiece being used to introduce a discussion of why stuff like this is what you play at hockey, but hey.
Regular readers of this blog will know about my constant championing of the marriage of hockey and rock, and scorn at desperately trying to suck people in by playing mainstream pop etc. I was fairly scathing about my own club as far as this goes...
Well, it seems the revolution has begun... (long thread, but all you need is to bear in mind that the club asked for music suggestions, and these are the replies-just take a few posts and you will get the flavour...:)
I think there's maybe ten songs out of a few hundred that ain't rock to the nth degree. And that's the way it should be.
Ticket Price Torment: A little strong, perhaps, but Becky has followed up her mini essay responding to my swipe at Manchester's tickets below with an even better one on Five Minute Major-there isn't any way I could do it justice in summary so click on the blog title on the right to read it...
If you want an emotional connection, watch Grey's Anatomy: Interestingly, my open letter to Dan Tessier (well, more of a rant on the emphasis on "team guys" by fans as a reason for signing a player rather than ability) has generated a comment from a Panthers fan which I reproduce below:
Good comment about Tessier Paul, as a Panthers fan I don't particularly like the guy, and will gladly boo him all game long, but I'd still be happy to see him return to us. Brings great quality at this level.
This raises a question in my mind. Should we, as fans, really care what a person is like as long as he does the business on the ice-or is this something born out of the much closer contact between players and fans in the UK? I'm not sure beacuase I'm not really one to try chasing the players around to have contact with them off the ice like some fans (of both sexes)-personally I couldn't care less about their personal lives or what they're like with their team-mates unless it directly affects me. And even then, only as long as it does so.
However, it seems that, to be successful in British hockey (or at least popular with your public) you not only have to be good on the ice but also be constantly available off it, for whatever people want to do with you.
Personally, if Blaze sign a hot-shot centre/winger who'll score a hundred goals a season but is a surly sod who avoids all contact with fans and barely speaks to his team-mates, I'd be happy-because I don't pay my 15 quid a week to hang around with a bunch of Canadians or talk about just who our star right-winger is playing tonsil-hockey with this week-I pay to be entertained by top-quality hockey. Which is why I agree whole-heartedly with the Panther fan's comment and wish more people would take his/her view-I too have come to the conclusion over time that, you don't have to particularly like a person to appreciate their skill.
Basically, what I'm saying to all those people who will say "I don't like that player as a person or because people have said he's a bit of an arsehole when you ask for an autograph, so I think he's utterly crap"....just shut up whining and watch the game. And don't get emotionally attached, because the fact of the game in Britain is most times-people move on very quickly.
(Of course, if they're a surly sod who are clearly not doing the job sufficiently well on the ice either, then all bets are off) :)
That's all for now-keep keeping your eye on the puck...
Good comment about Tessier Paul, as a Panthers fan I don't particularly like the guy, and will gladly boo him all game long, but I'd still be happy to see him return to us. Brings great quality at this level.
This raises a question in my mind. Should we, as fans, really care what a person is like as long as he does the business on the ice-or is this something born out of the much closer contact between players and fans in the UK? I'm not sure beacuase I'm not really one to try chasing the players around to have contact with them off the ice like some fans (of both sexes)-personally I couldn't care less about their personal lives or what they're like with their team-mates unless it directly affects me. And even then, only as long as it does so.
However, it seems that, to be successful in British hockey (or at least popular with your public) you not only have to be good on the ice but also be constantly available off it, for whatever people want to do with you.
Personally, if Blaze sign a hot-shot centre/winger who'll score a hundred goals a season but is a surly sod who avoids all contact with fans and barely speaks to his team-mates, I'd be happy-because I don't pay my 15 quid a week to hang around with a bunch of Canadians or talk about just who our star right-winger is playing tonsil-hockey with this week-I pay to be entertained by top-quality hockey. Which is why I agree whole-heartedly with the Panther fan's comment and wish more people would take his/her view-I too have come to the conclusion over time that, you don't have to particularly like a person to appreciate their skill.
Basically, what I'm saying to all those people who will say "I don't like that player as a person or because people have said he's a bit of an arsehole when you ask for an autograph, so I think he's utterly crap"....just shut up whining and watch the game. And don't get emotionally attached, because the fact of the game in Britain is most times-people move on very quickly.
(Of course, if they're a surly sod who are clearly not doing the job sufficiently well on the ice either, then all bets are off) :)
That's all for now-keep keeping your eye on the puck...
