Tuesday Thoughts...

"How'd I get up here? I always thought I'd end up way down there..."

Powder: "Up Here"

I just took a quick look at the EIHL table after this weekend, and it makes interesting reading. Belfast are top, Nottingham are second, and Manchester are third. Of those three, you'd probably only pick Belfast to consistently sit in the top three based on the EIHL era so far.
Which says to me, and I know I keep hinting at this, that changes are at last afoot in British hockey after a stagnant year or two. Sure, there was a Sky TV deal last year but some of the hockey that appeared on it (particularly when Hull were around) was ruddy awful. And the top teams don't exactly get off scot-free-some of the Skydome games were painful to watch thanks to the trap hockey (and Blaze's ability to fall into the trap).

But, three weekends into this season and we have controversy, baying crowds, hate figures (especially if you're a Nottingham fan) and heated debate on forums.

I don't know about you, but I'm enjoying myself so far...

Bubba Ray's One Minute Preview: Don't worry, the mad American sportscaster inside of me won't be making a long visit, but he's been quiet recently and I had to let him out to try the impossible task of "talking-up" an early-season Hull v Edinburgh matchup for Sky Sports tomorrow night-(a fixture that, even allowing for Hull's potential thuggery and Edinburgh's youthful exuberance, screams "quota-filler" at this early stage in the season.) Mainly because, having not yet seen either team, I can't give a x's and o's style breakdown of how I'll think it'll go, but also cause everyone needs to release their inner mad Texan once in a while (try it, a smile is guaranteed). And give the deranged Texan his due-he tried his best...

"Hee-yah, hockey fans! The Humber Bridge'll be shakin' and the fish'll all stay away in fear as the river town of Hull once again hides the sharp objects and releases the deadly Stingrays! And facing them are those rampaging lionhearts from north of the border, the Edinburgh Capitals, in a no-holds-barred, hundred-mile-an-hour England v Scotland match-up. If you want speed and skill, then the Caps are your team. But if you're like me and just like seeing people punched in the face and big tough men going toe-to-toe, then by golly, scream blue murder for the Stingrays. Mark Hurtubise and Doug Christiansen need to stand up to the pounding from Jason Kostadine and co, and the Caps can take two points from their cross-border raid-and this writer isn't betting against them doing it. Lock the kiddies upstairs, Momma, cause this Wednesday in the EIHL there's gonna be nothin' but a Brawl in the Basement!"

And...breathe. It's OK...he's gone now...

"Oh my god...it's HIDEOUS!": Perhaps more one for the puck-bunnies, this one, but is it just me or are there some horrific-looking players in the EIHL this year? Obviously, Marek Ivan takes the biscuit, but Davis Parley looks like he's attended a few practice sessions missing a helmet and Corey LeClair's aesthetic appeal (or lack of such) is now a running joke among the crueller Blaze fans...I shall wait until I've seen all the teams before compiling one, but if you don't see an EIHL All-Ugly team on here by December, then frankly, I'm not doing my job properly...

I know it's a bit short, and a little random tonight, but hey, it's hard producing daily notes when the EIHL won't even have the grace to make a dodgy decision or Sheffield produce (many) inflammatory press releases in a week. Won't someone, please, think of the journalists??!*

*this is tongue-in-cheek, Simmsy. Not a challenge...

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...