And so we're back again...a little later than usual after I, on a whim, decided to brave the tempests in Cumbria, along with a few hardy friends, and head up to Edinburgh for the game against Coventry on Sunday. And boy...was I glad I did-you'll see why later. First of all, though, let's come right up to date, and stay with the Capitals, with a thank you to Dave Simms:
On behalf of Edinburgh, Scotland and the whole of the rest of the Elite League, thank you for proving that, just when we think your PR releases reach rock bottom, British hockey is not afraid to start digging.
How so?
How about the GB press officer, and de facto spokesperson for ice-hockey in this country, going on the BBC, in the person of BBC Sheffield and calling the Capitals "a village team, from a third-world country" in response to their two-one defeat to the Steelers last week?
This is ice-hockey, not professional wrestling. Making ridiculously overblown statements and taking classless pot-shots at the opposition appears to be well and truly on the rise after the whole Cardiff-Sheffield and "Team Hollywood" silliness last year...and though I should be thankful because it gives me something to write about, the fact that I'm actually able to think rather than just repeat stuff blindly makes me think that it's just making British hockey look like...well, wrestling. Which is universally mocked for being scripted, over-the-top and watched by ignorant rednecks.
Obviously, this is not the case in truth (well, at least the "ignorant rednecks" bit...you get all types of people watch wrestling just for the fun of it)...but then, no-one's pretending that it's a serious, professional sport. The GB ice-hockey set-up is-or at least trying to present itself as such. Which means the best thing those in charge can do is tell Simmsey to, for God's sake, shut up...the marketing of the sport is travelling in a direction where it'll be seen as some sort of show rather than an actual sport, and those who watch it as the same stereotype as wrestling.
At this point, those from South Yorkshire will no doubt come up with the argument that "it's just Simmsey being controversial"....
WARNING-THE INSULTS WITHIN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH ARE EXAMPLE ONLY, AND ARE NOT A VIEW GENUINELY HELD BY THE BREAKAWAY: (had to put that in, because you know someone, somewhere, will think it's serious):
However, they will presumably not take kindly to the inevitable moment when Gary Moran uses the same excuse to walk out centre-ice at the NIC before a Nottingham-Sheffield derby and call the away support a bunch of "inbred, flat-cap-wearing whippet-fanciers who live on a bomb-site. And that's "fanciers" in the illegal way, if you know what I mean" (big exaggerated wink, huge cheer from Panthers fans)
See? You're cringing even at the thought of it, even if you're a Panthers fan or just don't like the Steelers...
Why? Because it's ignorant and offensive. Just like Simmsey's comments. And even more stupid given a) his position and b) there is such an emphasis by clubs on marketing to families and stressing the enlightened atmosphere which allows fans to mix? And if he's allowed to offend an entire country, and this trend is allowed to continue, how long before someone says something in the press that simply can't be taken back or apologised for? And how long before British hockey is seen as nothing more than entertainment for those without a brain in their heads and aimed squarely at the lowest common denominator?
The answer? Not that long...
On to the weekend review:
FRIDAY/SATURDAY SNAPSHOTS:
Strutting like Peacocks: Belfast have found one of the signings of the season so far in Craig Peacock after his breakout year with Peterborough last season...the young forward was instrumental in the Giants 6-3 win on Friday night against Nottingham...
...and with good reason:...and again on Saturday in their 4-0 victory at the NIC...even though Jeff Szwez grabbed the goals along with Brandon Benedict and Colin Shields. However, it seems that Sean McMorrow was again the hate-figure, playing his usual style on both nights and raising hell with a vicious check from behind on Saturday which saw Mario Larocque thrown out along with the Giant as he sought retribution. However, it can't be denied that Giants tactics, hated though they may be, were very effective indeed this weekend-to sweep the Panthers aside in such fashion means they can truly now be considered to be the dangerous team everyone thought they'd be...
Yorkshire bragging rights are quite important, you know...:...as witnessed by the joy shown after Sheffield's 4-1 win over Hull which moved them, finally, off the bottom of the EIHL table.
It may have been cold, but the welcome was red-hot: Meanwhile, in Coventry, all the attention was on returnee Ben O'Connor in the Blaze/Capitals game at the Skydome-a game which gave little hint of the epic to come the following night as the home team out-lasted a very speedy and skilful Caps side for a 6-3 win. Worryingly, though, Tom Watkins suffered a nasty hit from Simon Lambert which saw him out cold on the ice...he didn't travel north the following day.
In the battle of the uglies, the one whose make-up doesn't run wins:...and in this case, it was Newcastle, who ground out a 2-1 win against Cardiff up in the North East, It doesn't sound like it was pretty, but it's two points...
SUNDAY SNAPSHOTS
It's not going well, this whole "hate the north" thing: Sheffield, meanwhile, failed to build on Saturday as they were the Vipers next victims...4-2 on Sunday night, and once again they're only above Hull...
Not bad for a village team...while Edinburgh, with three games in hand, sit above them. More on that to come....
It might not save them, but it's a start:...incidentally, the Steelers-Vipers game was watched by 4,000 fans in the Metro Radio Arena...
If away form was a horse, Hull's would be staring down the barrel of a twelve-bore already:...as the Stingrays lost again down in Cardiff, with the Devils being the third team to complete a four-point weekend....
8 hours of high water, ten minutes of hell:...That sums up the lead-up to and opening to the game in Edinburgh last night, at least if you're a Coventry fan. Peter Hirsch conceded five goals in a nightmare opening spell, and then either pulled himself or was pulled, depending on who you ask.
...followed by fifty minutes of hockey heaven: Either way, the Capitals couldn't believe their luck as they raced into a five-goal lead, and even two replies from Adam Calder as Tom Murdy settled things down at the other end couldn't dampen the joy. Two further goals in a relatively quiet second period meant that, at 7-2, the game seemed dead and buried. Even more so when Luke Fulghum was thrown out for abuse of an official...
Then came the most extraordinary third period the Elite League will see this season. Suddenly, with the Caps cruising and even their own fans making the joke that only an Edinburgh team could throw this away, they very nearly did. Six goals in fifteen minutes, five of them for a Coventry team who'd looked dead, buried and dispirited only minutes early and one in particular from Jon Weaver which sent Cody Rudkowsky's water bottle to the great sink in the sky through its sheer power, meant that when Dan Welch scored an empty-netter with 90 seconds to go for 8-6, there was still time for Danny Stewart to bring the Blaze within a tipped shot, deflection or ricochet of overtime and you could hear the thump of racing hearts from Murrayfield out in the middle of the Forth. The Caps celebrated at the end like they'd won something more than just two points, while the Blaze players could finally hold their heads hight in defeat. Even in the bar afterwards, there was an atmosphere of disbelief as people tried to process what they'd just seen...
The six-hour drive back through the driving rain had never seemed so worth it...those who were there on Sunday night, on a night of Biblical weather, witnessed their own perfect storm...
There you go-there's your weekend review.
