Gamblers video's on the web...

For those of you who are Gambler fans, I have put up the highlight reels on the web that I produced back in the day. As I was putting them to DVD for Jeff Finger and Tony Granato I decided to see if they were too big of files or not to put up on the web. Turns out, they are not too big, so I fired them all up on my Vimeo account.

If you are not a Gambler fan but want to witness my attempt at a recruitment video for the team. Have a look. Now you will notice a lot of wipes and effects. I used them all on the earlier ones. New equipment, new toys, tried them all. The coaches liked all that flashy stuff also. On the last one, 1999-2000, there was none of that. I had learned my lesson. All those things are nice to have but never use them.

I hopes you enjoy them. Enjoy...



Green Bay Gamblers 1996-97 on Vimeo




Green Bay Gamblers 1997-98 on Vimeo





Green Bay Gamblers 1998-99 on Vimeo





Green Bay Gamblers 1999-2000 on Vimeo

Good few days for an Avalanche fan...

The last couple of days have been good ones for me. I have been able to see the Avs play twice, watched them practice several times, witnessed Jeff 'Give 'em the' Finger play again in the NHL, and met Joe Sakic. Not bad. But wait, there is more. Cory and I were talking about our job and how cool it is. I was dubbing a copy of the old Green Bay Gamblers video to DVD when Tony Granato saw it. He said he was at the national championship game. I remembered that and told him that WGBA was supposed to send someone to that game and when I heard that he was there I was pissed that I could have gone and gotten his autograph. I thought it would have been my only chance to ever meet him. Now here I am bullshitting with him and talking shop. Weird how things work out.

I also remembered the time I drove to Eagle River Wisconsin on the 4th of July to see Craig Ludwig bring the Stanley Cup home. It was a long ass drive just to see the cup, but I wanted to do it because I thought I would never get the chance to see it again. Well, I have seen it about a hundred times since I moved to Edmonton. Crazy.

At one point during the day, and this is a crazy story, I was walking down the hall in front of the visitors locker room and Tony was talking with a equipment dude from the Avalanche. I over heard him say, "You don't know who that is?" At this point I immediately looked around to see what celebrity was at the rink, because that is often the case. Then he said, "That's Sign Boy. He's from Green Bay." How weird is that? I think it should be the other way around, me telling someone else 'that is Tony Granato.' This is getting weird.

So later in the day, we had a one on one scheduled. The Nashville Predators are in town also for the Saturday Night game. We had to rush over to the Westin to do this interview in the afternoon. Guess who? Peter freaking Forsberg. Cool huh?

He was very cool and it was neat to do this one because he, again a former Avalanche, was one of my favorite from back during the Stanley Cup runs. He killed Preacher's Red Wings. That was awesome. The dude is on a stamp in Sweden. Killer. So it was turning out to be a pretty killer day for this Avalanche fan.

Then after the game as Joe Sakic was walking out Cory wanted to get a pic, and we generally work together on these things, so we got a killer pick with the Captain. Joe Sakic is by far my favorite Canadian player in the NHL. It was cool to get a pic with him and this one is going on the wall, eventually. The flash was off on camera but it still turned out okay.

The Avalanche lost in a shoot out but it was all good at the rink this week. The last home game of the season is tonight so it will be time to shift gears to CFL football here soon. Training camp is right around the corner.

Speaking of CFL, the equipment guy for the Eskimos, Dwayne, knows that I am big Packer fan. He knows Red the equipment guy for the Packers. Long story short, I now have an autographed game ball from Number 4 in my TV room. How awesome is that? Marty Frey, of the Burbank Frey's, wrote me this note after told him that I got the ball...

That is coolness... I imagine it will be enshrined in the most honored manner that you can afford... in other words - stuffed on the top of a shelf in your basement by the TV.

Marty

You know me too well Marty, way to well...

Nordic Man, of the Gillet Nordic People, was the first to respond to the Podcast contest so he will be getting a signed Jeff Finger scoresheet in the mail. I still have a few left so if you want one, bust me off an email and I will hook you up. Cool? Cool.

Have a good weekend...

Jeff Gives the Oilers the Finger...

On Wednesday night, a former Green Bay Gambler, and current Colorado Avalanche rolled thru Edmonton on his way to a 5-1 victory over the Oilers. His name was Jeff Finger and he is by far my favorite ex Gambler. As you can see in the picture above, he is still a bad ass on the ice. He knocked the snot out of JF Jacques and hit the post on a shot earlier in the game. He is playing great and it was a pleasure to be able to see him play again on the highest stage in hockey the NHL. Congrats Jeff on making the show. I hope you are here for a while, and from what your coaches say you will be around for a while.

I also had a chance to sit down with him on Thursday, because they have back to back games with the Oil, and do a podcast. Jeff was a great sport and answered all my dumbass questions honestly. TundraTalk is the Podcast that does not suck. We also initiated the first TundraTalk Podcast Contest so make sure that you listen and win! Crap, that sounds like a cheezy morning show guy. Oh well, just listen and shoot me an email(tundratalk1@mac.com) with your answer. The first three entries will get a signed score sheet from the game that Jeff scored his first goal. Oh and just a hint on the answer, it is not what his bio on the Avs website says. One of his roommates filled the questionaire out and put that team on the sheet, not the right team. Anyway his a a Michigan kid so you figure it out.

The Avalanche play again on Friday against the Oilers. They are in a battle to get the 8th place in the playoffs with Calgary. Calgary sucks and they are major choke artists so I expect the Avs will run them down. Especially since they play the Oilers again, that is a sure two points.

Oh yeah, and the Nordic Woman, of the Gillet Nordic People, had quite the scathing response to some of my comments about the viqueen fans last week, here they are...

Chris I take offense to no on looks good in purple and yellow. Let me tell
you I look damn hot in them! Just ask my Pack-Queer fan husband. As for
trying to lure you away from the TV, that is why I go to my brothers and
leave the man with green and gold at home. I don't prefer to throw up on
game day as he trys to woo me away from a Vikes game. Go Purple People
Eaters! Welcome to Green Bay MOSS!

Lisa the Nordic Woman

Okay then, if the Nordic Man is trying to lure you away from a minneSUCKA game it is for your own well being. Even a Packer Fan can have some compassion for a queen fan every once and a while. Although me personally, I believe that viqueen fan deserves all the misery it gets.

As for the Moss thing, we'll see if that actually comes to fruition (that word means something that is made real or concrete for all you slow viqueen fans). I am not so sure it will happen. Thank you for your response.

All right then, you have yourself a wonderful Friday and GET BACK TO WORK!!!!

Dateline NBC really knows how to wreck a guys afternoon...

DISCLAIMER - After I wrote this I thought I would add this disclaimer to clairfy some of my statements. FIRST: Donna, my wife, would probably never let Dateline into our house. That is just bad news right off the top. SECOND: When I give examples of what would happen if these things happened during a Packer game I do not mean that would happen to Donna. She is smarter than that. She knows when the game is on, THE FREAKING GAME IS ON!!! She would never change the channel, or try to give me important information, or talk about Number 4 derogatory. THIRD: If I ask her to get me a beer, I believe that she would, because she is a good woman, that is why I married her. She is not like the women in this show. She is smart.

Thank you for letting me clarify. On with the blog...





Marty Frey sent me an email (bottom) detailing an upcoming episode of Dateline. Well this episode aired on Sunday, and I caught half of it. I have to say, outloud right now, SCREW YOU DATELINE. How dare you screw with a guys afternoon of football?

For those of you who missed it, the show was called 'Honey you're on hidden camera!!!!'. Click here to read about it on the MSNBC site. Basically what they did is put hidden cameras in a man's TV room and record them on the most hallowed days during the winter, freaking SUNDAY. As he is watching his favorite team on the tube, Dateline encouraged their wives to try to distract them or try to get them to leave the room. For God's sake they even had one woman go in and change the channel. Pulling back a stump in my house if that happened. Now that woman was in the household of vikingfan. So what she was doing was helping them from another afternoon of dissappointment.

What Dateline did is sneak in and put a few hidden cameras in the man's rooms. After the game they took the guys in and showed them the footage. Real ground breaking stuff Dateline. What, no pedophiles to chase this week? The fans teams that they covered were the viqueens, the Cowgirls, the Packers, and since NBC can't do anything without mentioning New York, the Giants.

Of course they went first with the Packers fan. You can see his video below. The wife was a bit crazy in this one. At one point she even said "Isn't Brett Favre old?" Sacrelige. How dare she say something so obnoxious in a Packer household. That is like saying that the Pope is satan in a catholic household. Ecommunicate her now. Screw sleeping on the couch for that one, she would be sleeping outside. However she did redeem herself for getting her man a beer later in the game. That is the sign of a great wife and a good woman. All you aspiring wives out there take notes on that one.



As for the viqueen fans, their wives as I mentioned before actually changed the channel among other things. They sent the wives in late in the game, by that time the queens were out of the game, in what they described as "Sexy viqueen gear". WRONG, there is no such thing. No woman looks good in a viking jersey. Take that to the bank. At one point when they wives were describing a soccer meeting that they needed to attend in the week I kind of felt sympathy for the queen fans, no man should be expected to remember details like that when the game is on. Think, talk about it after the game. Damn. But again, they are viqueenfan, I do enjoy when they are in pain. Which is every season. Where is your trophy? Ain't got one. Hah.

Now the Cowboy fan was interesting. Normally I do not like Cowboyfan much because they are usually arrogant, ignorant, and rich. Not always in that order. He had an amazing 'Cowboy Room'. Set up perfect. Nice leather recliners, theater style, sweet logo on the carpet, and bobbleheads everywhere. Not only did he have the bobbleheads, he had them in glass display cases all lit up. He also had a Lombardi Trophy and an actual hat of Tom Landry's. Much respect for his room. Too bad he was a Cowboy fan. I don't remember much from his segment because I was too busy admiring his 'Man Cave'.

So where am I going with this? Well rignt here, I encourage you, football fan and TundraTalk Nation to email the bastard who put this story together. Let them know it is not right and it is bad karma to mess with a man when he is trying to watch the game. The guy who did this story, to me, it seemed that he had never seen a game or even knew what a football looked like. He also seemed very effeminante. That's right, when another man screws with your game rituals and takes the side of "Why don't you pay attention to your wife?" when the Packers are beating the crap out of the queens, you must stand up and question his sexuality. It is law. So rise up Nation and beat this guy down. Do not let him get away with this atrocity. In the name of manliness and all that is right.

Here is Marty's take on the whole show....Oh, and I agree with Marty, I usually do...
_____________________________________________

What the hell is wrong with these Dateline people? My comments below on this very disturbing episode of Dateline..

I took issue with a stupid episode of Dateline and sent and angry E-mail
to one of the promo people there that I know..


**SUNDAY, March 18th: (7-8pm)
ARE YOU A FOOTBALL WIDOW? All across the country millions of
innocent wives are caught in a love triangle, battling for their
husband's attention with the players of the NFL. Now, in a Dateline
hidden camera investigation, they are fighting back by catching their
unknowing husbands on videotape throughout the season, in "Honey,
You're on Hidden Camera."

For the hour-long report, "Dateline" isolated some of the most rabid
football fans in the country and got their wives to go head to head
against football for their husbands' attention. The wives allowed
Dateline to set up hidden cameras and microphones in their homes
and then worked with Dateline to devise ways to distract their
husbands while they watched the games. Some of the most revealing
moments captured on tape:

-A Green Bay Packers fan repeatedly yells at his wife to "Stop it"
when she tries to talk to him during the game.
Then she should STOP TALKING!

-A New York Giants fan won't let his wife get up from the couch. He's
so superstitious that when his team is on a roll, he's afraid she
could change their luck if she moves.

Clearly - everybody knows that you should never take a chance on accidentally jinxing the your team by doing anything different from when they were winning. This is basic.

-A Dallas Cowboys fan refuses his wife's requests to take out the
trash or help with dinner while the game is in play. When a commercial
starts, he turns around to see whether she's still in the room.
Realizing she's gone, he decides to skip the chores and leans back comfortably
in his recliner chair.

What the hell is she thinking! For God sakes woman THE GAME IS ON RIGHT NOW! Dinner or taking out the garbage can happen anytime - Sheesh!

-A Minnesota Vikings fan doesn't pay much attention to his wife, until
she changes into her Vikings tank top, which he finds alluring.
Within minutes he's turned his attention from the screen, telling her "Get
naked and sit on me!" -

OK - that's just weird. Viking fans are demented anyway. She could have just waited until the game was over - If his team wins - then he's in the mood to celebrate. If they lose (like most of the time with the worthless Vikings) then he could really use the consoling.. She should just do something during game time to make herself more desirable - like getting her husband a beer.

When the taping was done, the husbands learn for the first time their
antics were recorded. The husbands then agree to sit down with their
wives and "Dateline's" Josh Mankiewicz to watch the hidden camera
footage and explain their behavior during the game.

And then beat the crap out of Josh for ruining their game!

Wisconsin Mass...

Darrel Lucht, of the Gillet Lucht's, sent me this pic that made me laugh. Nice job Nordic Man, nice job...


GET BACK TO WORK!!!!

Minnesota Sucks...Facts

Marty Frey, of the Burbank Frey's, sent me these facinating facts on Minnesota. Enjoy...


MINNESOTA BECAME THE 32nd STATE ON MAY 11, 1858 AND WAS ORIGINALLY SETTLED BY A LOST TRIBE OF NORWEGIANS SEEKING REFUGE FROM THE SEARING HEAT OF WISCONSIN'S WINTERS.

THE STATE FLAG OF MINNESOTA CONSISTS OF A BLUE BACKGROUND UPON WHICH SITS A DESIGN BEST DESCRIBED AS "HOW A 7-YEAR- OLD CITY GIRL WOULD DRAW A PICTURE TITLED 'LIFE ON THE FARM'".

MINNESOTA GETS IT'S NAME FROM THE SIOUX INDIAN WORD "MAH-NEE-SOO-TAH", MEANING "NO, REALLY, THEY EAT FISH SOAKED IN LYE".

THE STATE SONG OF MINNESOTA IS "SOMEDAY THE VIKINGS WILL... AW, NEVER MIND".

THE MALL OF AMERICA IN BLOOMINGTON , MINNESOTA COVERS 9.5 MILLION SQUARE FEET AND HAS ENOUGH SPACE TO HOLD 185,000 IDIOT TEENAGERS YAPPING AWAY ON CELL PHONES.

COKATO, MINNESOTA IS KNOWN AS "THE LUTEFISK CAPITAL OF THE WORLD". AVOID THIS CITY AT ALL COSTS.

THE STATE MOTTO OF MINNESOTA IS, "WHERE EVEN A MAN WHO WEARS A FEATHER BOA CAN GROW UP TO BE GOVERNOR."

CARTOONIST CHARLES M. SHULTZ WAS BORN IN MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA AND WAS THE ONLY ARTIST TO ACCURATELY DEPICT THE PERFECTLY CIRCULAR HEADS OF MINNESOTA NATIVES.

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA WAS ORIGINALLY NAMED "PIG'S EYE", AFTER FRENCH CANADIAN WHISKEY TRADER PIERRE "PIG'S EYE" PARRANT. ITS "TWIN CITY", MINNEAPOLIS, WAS KNOWN AS "PIG'S SPHINCTER".

PELICAN RAPIDS IS HOME TO A 16-FOOT-TALL CONCRETE PELICAN, WHICH SUBSISTS ON A DIET OF 4-FOOT-LONG CONCRETE FISH.

IN 1973 OLIVIA, MINNESOTA ERECTED A 25-FOOT TALL FIBERGLASS CORN COB TO CELEBRATE ITS RICH, AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE. THEN IN 1974 IT WAS EATEN BY A 50-FOOT STATUE OF BABE THE BLUE OX. YES MINNESOTA HAS A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH STATUE CANNIBALISM.

MINNESOTA LICENSE PLATES ARE BLUE & WHITE AND CONTAIN THE PHRASE "BLIZZARDS ON INDEPENDENCE DAY - YOU GET USED TO IT."

THE FIRST FULLY AUTOMATIC POP-UP TOASTER WAS INVENTED IN MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA IN 1926. MINNESOTA'S STRINGENT BREAD-CONTROL LAWS CURRENTLY ONLY ALLOW RESIDENTS TO OWN SEMI-AUTOMATIC TOASTERS.

THE SNOWMOBILE WAS INVENTED IN ROSEAU, MINNESOTA SO AS TO ALLOW FAMILIES A MEANS OF ATTENDING INDEPENDENCE DAY PICNICS.

MINNESOTANS ARE ALMOST INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM WISCONSINITES. THE ONLY WAY TO TELL THEM APART IS FROM THE COLORS OF THE FORMAL FOOTBALL JERSEY THEY WEAR TO THEIR WEDDINGS.

Little H is born and a Ryan Smyth Song...

Johnny H, of the St. Louis H's, sent me a note announcing to the world a new H. He even wrote a poem. Wow, Johnny H, did not know you had it in you. Congrats Johnny H, you are gonna be a good dad, at least if not that, one with a great CD collection and the dad who can make the best hot wings. Nice. Amanda H, good work. Now you have two kids.

Whirl, whirl
Twist and Twirl
We Finally have a Baby Squirrel!

AND It's a Girl!

(or as my Dad put it, a squirrel with no nuts)


Elizabeth Paige Hancock
born this morning at 10:42 am CST
weighing 8 lbs, 7 oz and 21 1/4" tall
at Barnes Jewish Hospital ( the same hospital where
her Daddy was born) St. Louis, MO


Amanda is doing well, but worn out. After nearly two
days of trying to induce labor (41 hours, but who's counting?),
Squirrel was forcibly taken out by a SWAT team of
doctors who went in and got her by C-Section (thankfully there were no
hostages and Amanda should be ready to go home at the beginnning of next
week).

Thanks to everyone for the prayers and well wishes.

Love,

John and Amanda

NEXT: Peter Weidman, of the Edmonton Weidmans, sent me this, which I think is funny. It is a song sung to the tune of American Pie. Very funny...

The Ryan Smyth Song [Artist Unknown]
(to the tune of "American Pie")

A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How Ninety-Four used to make me smile.
And I knew if they had their chance
The Oil could make those people dance
And, maybe they'd be happy for a while.

But February made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver.
Bad news on the doorstep;
I couldn't take one more step.

I can't remember if I cried
When I read about the trade deadline,
But something touched me deep inside
The day The Muuullet died.

So bye-bye, to this year's playoff drive.
Don't have Pronger any longer,
Or that Mike Peca guy.
Now them roughneck boys are drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', "Did you see that Ryan Smyth cry?
"Did you see that Ryan Smyth cry?"

Did you think we'd go all the way,
After watching Rollie play,
In the playoffs of last year?
Did you believe in Marc-Andre,
Was Pisani worth that extra pay,
And were the Oilers this year's team to fear?

Well, I know you love that long hairstyle
You've had that 'do for quite a while,
He made those goalies fret
By banging and crashing the net.

I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a red, red neck and a pickup truck,
But I knew I was out of luck
The day The Mullet died.

I started singin',
"Bye-bye" to this year's playoff drive.
Don't have Pronger any longer,
Or that Mike Peca guy.
Now us roughneck boys are drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', "Did you see that Ryan Smyth cry?
"Did you see that Ryan Smyth cry?"

For seventeen years we've had no Cup
And very, very, very little drafting luck
But that's not how it used to be.
Then Messier came to have his number hung
In an old-time jersey with his praises sung
In a voice that came from you and me,

Oh, and while Big Dude was looking down,
The Cup was lifted and skated 'round,
Other fans were amused to see
Such blatant hypocrisy.

And while the Moose was shedding tears,
GM Lowe was avoiding jeers
By cowering underneath the arena tiers,
The day The Mullet died.

We were singing,
"Bye-bye", to this year's playoff drive.
Don't have Pronger any longer,
Or that Mike Peca guy.
Now us roughneck boys are drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', "Did you see that Ryan Smyth cry?
"Did you see that Ryan Smyth cry?"

I thought we'd get a D-man from the Blues
For some happy deadline news,
But that chance just upped and went away.
I went down to the Rexall rink
Where I hoped to see a team that didn't stink
But a fan there said Smytty wouldn't play.

And in the streets: the children screamed,
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed.
But not a word was spoken;
MacT's boys were broken.
Now's there's guys I want to roast:
The owners, the coach, but KLowe most;
Now the Cup's headed for the coast (!)
Now The Mullet's died.

And they were singing,
"Bye-bye", to this year's playoff drive.
Don't have Pronger any longer,
Or that Mike Peca guy.
Now us roughneck boys are drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', "Did you see that Ryan Smyth cry?
"Did you see that Ryan Smyth cry?"

They were singing,
"Bye-bye", to this year's playoff drive.
Don't have Pronger any longer,
Or that Mike Peca guy.
Now us roughneck boys are drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', "Did you see that Ryan Smyth cry?

Little H is on the way, and happy birthday Gene...

FIRST: Johnny H has just informed me that he is on the way to the hospital to welcome into the world a junior H. Go get 'em Johnny. Good luck and whatever you do, RESIST THE URGE TO HAVE A LOOK. There are just some thing dudes do not need to see. That is at the top of the list. Let us know how this whole thing comes out. Get it, comes out. I am sooo funny.


NEXT: Just so you know, Jeff Finger, of the Green Bay Gamblers Finger's, is now up in the show. That's right, my favorite Gambler is now playing on my favorite team. "Give'em the Finger" was one of Sign Boy's favorite signs back in the day. In fact up until last year in the Avalanche media guide Jeff Finger listed that phrase as his favorite. Nice. He got his first NHL goal of his career the other night against Colorado. The pic to the left is just after it. The Avalanche have a back to back here in Edmonton on the 21st and the 23rd so I hope he sticks long enough to be reunited with his biggest fan, me. I am currently shopping for a new Av's jersey to get signed by number 6. My old Av's jersey was recently signed by Joe Sakic so I think it would be bad form to have him sign that one also.





NEXT: Do you recognize the guy in the pic to the right? Neither do I. I found it in slide form on the floor behind my computer desk. Not sure if this is a guy that Donna is seeing on the side, or if this is my arch nemesis. I need to know. The guy must obviously live in a big city because the camera he is using in the photo is way high tech. One of those new 3/4 inch tape jobs. Way, way, way new technology. If you have any idea who this guy is let me know. I also have this pic for you to look at....


Not sure who the hell that guy is either. Lots of hair. Keith Murphy, of the Dead Moines Murphy's, describes him in a 'Molly Ringwald Phase". Again, if you know who this is let me know.




NEXT: In the wake of the Ryan Smyth trade I have been given the go ahead to use the infamous 'Jacket' photos again. So if you want to see what all the hub bub was about last year, go to the right and click on Ryan Smyth under what we talk about and all the posts are there again. Just so you can see what went on. I did a search recently on Google for "Ugly Jacket" and these LINKS came up. They all link to TundraTalk and discuss the jacket and the controversy following. Kinda funny how all that stuff happened. Not funny all the heat Cory and I took for it. It is also kinda funny how all the heat went away as soon as Ryan was Traded. How did I find the pics when I said I had given all copies to the Oilers? I did a search on the home computer and they were still there. I deleted all the pics from the laptop but forgot to delete them on the iMac at home. Enjoy...

Hot-Oil.blogspot.com

Proicehockey.about.com

Bleeding blue and Gold.blogspot.com


Someone sent me the picture at the right with the title, the guy most likely to kill Kevin Lowe. Very funny. "Ryan Smyth is my inspiration" , that shit is funny.

LAST: On Friday Donna and I went to Gene Principe, of the Edmonton Principe's, 40th birthday party. It was a suprise costume party. The theme was 1920's gambling casino night. We rented Donna a costume and I put on a suit, egad, I own one. It was held in the Eskimos locker room. Very cool. We gambled with fake money, pretended to be gangsters, not gangstas, and drank all the free booze. Lots of fun for all.

Cory of course took care of Cory and was the bartender. He mixes a killer Julian (rum and coke). Gene got way too drunk and did a lot of stuff that he will regret and Cory made sure he got pictures of all of it. I got to do the invite for the party and I will show you the 'Limited Edition' of the invite. Gene's wife did not like this one. Have a look...
THEN GET BACK TO WORK!!!!

Ryan Smyth leaves town...

Yesterday was the day that Ryan Smyth left town after the huge trade on Tuesday that rocked Oiler nation. He scheduled a presser at the airport for noon on his way out of town for Long Island. He was very emotional when he saw all the fans that showed up to wish him well. The Airlines even went as far as printing up banners for him. I will tell you that I almost had another 'Peripheral Man Tear Occurance'. When he said he wanted to go to NY and win a cup and bring it back here to Edmonton, because that is where his heart is. I have no attachment to this team, other than covering then on a day to day basis, and that was pretty tough to listen to. In fact, he is the reason why Cory and I got so much heat for the Jacket incident back earlier in the season. So I am not sad to see him go, but it is sad in it's own way.

Of course a ton of media was there and followed him from his car to the podium and then all the way to the ticket counter. Which is of course as far as you can go. Kinda pathetic in it's own way. But I guess we have to do it.

So I get the paper this morning and I look at the front page of the Journal and what do I see? Some hockey player hugging his wife, and behind him FREAKING SERGIO. Nice job big shot. He makes the front page of the paper. Of course my first thought is not 'congrats Sergio' it is 'Where am I?' Once I figure out that I did not make the paper I get mad, and then swing back to that I am happy for Sergio. Of course he was all of a sudden a big shot at the rink. He ignored us and would not even hang out with us. Too bad things like this go to your head so fast.

As I was talking to the crew for the Mobile truck one of the guys came up and told me that I made the Calgary Herald AND the Globe and Mail. Take that Sergio, you think you are big time? Not so fast. I made two papers, one of them national. You just got you little Edmonton Journal pic, I made it big time. So I guess when I go to the rink tonight for the game. I will not be speaking to Sergio at all. Just a little payback my friends, just a little payback.

Man what a good looking guy running that camera with the red shirt. I bet that guy is really cool. Not to mention very intelligent. I am not sure why they had to include Ryan Smyth in the shot but whatever makes the paper happy. Put him in there, I don't care. Nobody is looking at him, they are looking at the cool cameraguy on the left. Man that guy is a stud. I do wonder what the hell he is doing BEHIND Smyth and not in front of him. There must be a good reason because a photographer of that stature would not make a mistake like that on his own, it MUST be someone elses fault. Absolutely.

This is not going to my head, it is just the way things go. The picture that was in the Calgary Herald is the same pic, just black and white. Calgary sucks, they can't even afford to put some color ink for this picture. Probably THE most important picture they will run this year, and they cheap out and go black and white. Losers.

Sorry, Heath McCoy, of the Calgary Herald McCoys, I just calls them as I sees them. And I prefer to sees them in Color. This is after all the new mellenium. I think you need to go and have a talk with your editors and let them know what is up. Really.

So you guys have a good day and GET BACK TO WORK!!!