First Games

This coming weekend we will try to get back to some sense of normalcy, but first, I have a picture of Phil that I need everyone to sign for me. I told his Mom that it would be ready after the weekend of the first game. I will leave it at the front desk before the first game and bring it up to the cross bar after the last one.

In lighter news. . .


Practice this week was sparsely attended, as per usual, especially the later ones. I really enjoy practices because I can go really crazy, skating to the opposite end for one-timers and deke-ing around forwards (or at least trying), in general just being completely irresponsible with my play. Of course, it's not all about the scrimmages, Tom and his brother (Dave, was it? Yockey) put me through almost as much work as Roland used to back in the day.

If it's I-league or not, I guess that watching practices should be the real litmus test, and the answer is fairly obvious. The amount of "instruction" going on in our little league is minimal. But as I have said before, the competition is what it is really about in my mind. The level of play is close to level, okay maybe two levels. We have one tier of experienced talented players and a second tier of not so's, what's irritating is that usually the ones complaining the most about talent are the ones in that upper tier, when they hit a slump. One loss on your schedule can be the difference between the keg and sixth place. With that much at stake, I guess it is somewhat understandable that some people get so frustrated. For me, it's too much fun to have it drag me down more than a couple of minutes.

What about those teams that have been struggling through season after season without ever tasting victory? What can I say, I have never won the big one either, but I don't let it affect every fiber of my being. Getting obsessed to the point of watching stats every week, picking-up extra teams to better my odds, or getting with Tom and his brother to work on my rebound control, or . . . well, uh. I know what it sounds like, but REALLY, I'm in total control, I can quit any time.

We have some new teams, for one the Whalers. I always liked the Whalers, nice looking logo, cool name, unfortunately the best thing that ever happened to them was leaving Hartford and changing their name to the Hurricanes. I know the Moose are at least nominally returning, and the Snipers have finally found a permanent replacement for Nick (his wife stole him away from us) in net, in Matt Walker. What, other new teams? I don't know what you're talking about.

One last thing,

There are many people out there with stickers to remember Phillip Talley for your helmet, I think Dallas Lehr has some, Ginger of the Puckers, and Matt Walker who runs a T-shirt and promo business (he is selling his for a modest fee to cover costs with half of the proceeds going to the scholarship fund). I don't know what other things may be happening on this front, I think there may be a helmet getting some signatures, not sure.

That scholarship fund, yeah. If you didn't attend the service this past weekend but want to do something to give your respects to his memory, here are the details that I have:

Phillip's scholarship fund
Bank of America
Acct# 488017360517

See you all on the ice next week.
bciii