From the Blueline Pt.I: The Sanctuary

The offseason is a world of stress. Every moment not used to clinch your hold on something for next season is a moment wasted. Not to mention I've completely run out of money during last season. So I need to make enough during the summer just in case I need to support myself in the fall. Along with that add constant phone calls to teams and potential agents, potential ins and outs, not knowing if your friend still wants you on the team. It is just an endless battle.

But three times a week, there is a place I can go. My iron sanctuary. That huge garage filled with lifting cages, dumbells, medicine balls, footwork ladders and tractor tires. Where I can lift weight, lots of weight and that is all I need to think about. Just the mere simplicity of moving something heavy relieves so much built up worry. Explosion exercises, plyos, clean and jerk, velocity builder, I know I am getting stronger and faster than ever before, step by step. And it is a wonderful feeling, that such simple movements can be so important.

The man who runs it, is short, energetic and can bench press 500 lbs. He knows his shit too. And he is constantly researching to stay ahead of the game. Going to the gym you can trust that he has trained pro athletes before and every thing he does is trying to help you get to where they are. His two dogs wander around the gym, mostly staying out of peoples way, but butting their nose in every once in a while for a pet.

There are all different ages of people there. Some older, with joint and back issues, and some much much younger. High school athletes to college athletes to pro athletes. Power lifters to soccer players. Though never really crowded, there is always a variety of people there just exercising. Parents wait in the front, sitting and bullshitting and watching the various exercises, waiting for their children so they can drive them home.

At the gym, my sanctuary. When the frustration grows, and work gets under my skin, all I need is to enter that huge garage. Just move some weight and all is well.

NHL Playoff first round predictions.

I love the playoffs. As far as watching hockey, it doesn't get more entertaining than this. Especially those ridiculous overtime games, and you know they're gonna happen. I always get giddy this time of year. (Go Pens)





Alright, so here we go, let's start with what I'm less familiar with the west:





San Jose vs. Anaheim: Well the road is never easy for the Sharks is it? Maybe they should start to learn that Stanley Cups aren't just handed to you on platters. They've done what they always do this season. Destroy the regular season. Now it's time, this is the test, and how better to start with a team that just loves the playoffs (save last year). Anaheim is a dirty gritty mean son of a bitch kind of team. You got plenty of veterans who just play hard day in day out and you know you won't leave the corner without some lumber and welts.





Still all the Sharks did was just grab and grab dudes who've been there. I mean, the team is sick. They're gonna get past the first round, but it will be a test of character. Either they're gonna be bruised and bedraggled, or they'll finally learn what it takes to actually get that damn shiney piece of hardware. San Jose in 6.








Red Wings vs. Columbus: Wow finally make it to the playoffs and who are you paired with? This kind of reminds me of the NCAA pairings this year when my alma matter Binghamton made the basketball tourney for the first time, and who do they get: Duke. But what can you do? The blue Jackets gotta whipe that open mouthed look of awe off their face and face up to the most successful team of the last decade. Who knows, maybe Osgood and Conklin will blow it. Or maybe Osgood will take a tip from Roy and stick his stanley cup rings in his ears, he can't hear all this media bullshit. I love seeing Columbus make it this far, finally making the playoffs. But um, good luck. Red Wings in 5.

Vancouver vs. St. Louis: So St. Louis comes out steaming this year, just kicking ass at the beginning, then a rash of injuries, but they had a great end of the season, real hot. However, Roberto Luongo finally has some help. Vancouver actually has offense. Look out, this team is lookin to do some serious damage. Vancouver in 5.

Chicago vs. Calgary: The young guns out to have fun vs. a team of grizzled veterans. Khabibulin vs. Kipper is probably the key to this match up. However, I have a real soft spot for Jarome Iginla, not to mention who knows how Olli Jokinen will fair in the playoffs. Maybe this will come naturally to him, you never know. Most people are favoring Chicago in this one, but I'm gonna have to go with the grizzle. Especially if Dion Phaneuf gets healthy, I see this being one hard fought series. I'm gonna disagree with the experts and go against the grain (seriously, all the experts like Chicago). Calgary in 7.

Alright the east! Finally something I know about. That western stuff, well, I just do what the media tells me.

Boston vs. Montreal: Forget Yankees/Red Sox. Let's look at a rivalry that has shed some blood over the years. One of the most bitter rivalrys in sports and noone pays attention to it. Bruins vs. Habs, it's just baaaaad blood. Though I don't know how awsome this series is looking. Montreal is so soft this year, so disappointing in their centennial. I think they're really gonna blow it. Their "next one" goalie needs some work, and more importantly, the Boston Bruins are out of control. Hard hitting, goal scoring, tight defense, a 6'9 dude who does whatever the fuck he wants cause he's Zdeno Chara, I mean, these dudes are nasty. Sorry Montreal, it's over. Boston in 5.

Washington vs. New York: This should be an exciting series. Even if the Rangers are a pretty stingy defensive oriented team. What with Alex Ovechkin is not exciting? Not to mention Mike Green is scoring more goals than half the forwards in the league. Hard hitting crash and bang offensive hockey, gotta love it. Don't forget Alex Semin, slippery as a snake and sneaky as a rat. This team is just a lot to handle on offense.

But you can't forget the Rangers, and I don't think you can just play them off as roll overs either. It all rides on one man really, the rock and roll swede Henrik Lundqvist. What a cool dude. He'll probably stop pucks all over the place with his rock and roll swagger. Oh yeah, and Sean Avery's back, what a douchebag! And yet, he does his job so well. I bet his jersey's by Prada. Plus Mr. Clutch Chris Drury and speedy Scott Gomez along with the young gun Dubinsky. I mean they've got a chance right? Well, I guess, but Washington is just a freaking monster. Washington in 6.

New Jersey vs. Carolina: Marty Brodeur gets to cut down his net. Good for him, the winningest goaltender of all time. Honestly though, I think I might rather have Clemmenson in net. We'll see, it's kind of hard to bench the Brodeur. Their offense really came together too especially Parise, damn. Oh but the 'Canes. From workhorses to skill players, they really are an exceptionally ballanced team. Good offense, good defense and great goaltending. I've always liked Cam Ward. And Ron Francis is my hero. 'Canes get this one for being a real team's team, sort of like a toned down Red Wings. Carolina in 6.

Pittsburgh vs. Philladelphia: Go Penguins, I love this team. Give me a moment to say something good about the Flyers. Nice offense, good job, and good luck.

Best Center depth in the league, it's kind of absurd. Staal could be a first line center on many other teams. Crosby is an absurd playmaker, and an insane workhorse. He's sort of like a grinder with the top skills in the league. Oh yeah, and if Malkin wants to score he just says "puck go" and it's over. Also you've got Sergei Gonchar who can control the game, Brooks Orpik my hero, and Kris Letang who is clearly taking tips from Gonchar. Plus the grit and scoring ability of Kunitz and Guerin. What great pick-ups. And even though Malkin probably doesn't even need wings, Feds and Sykora compliment him well. That said, Philly really is a good team buuut. Pittsburgh in 6.

I can't wait :D.

Nostalgia

Recently I've been thinking about the properties of nostalgia. Essentially the way we glorify and mystify the past. It's like the past becomes a constantly changing and evolving entity even though since it already happened, it should be unchangable. The problem is that the only remnance we have of the past is how we remember it. And even if the moment is recorded, we still tend to change the feeling of it with our minds. The importance and greatness of the situation come together upon reflection and the myth just grows and grows.

What I'm most interested in right now, is not nostalgia like your favorite movie when you were a kid, but that nostalgia that invents folk heroes and mythic epic tales. I think a great example of this is professional and college sports, especially in playoffs and for championships. For the player, they are just playing the game they've played since they were a little kid. However when they come up big, like Darren Mccarty in the 97 stanley cup clinching game, it becomes the stuff of legend. The weight of the situation is really all invented by the media, and looking back on it, it becomes hyped up more and more. Or even better the 1980 US olympic team defeating the russians. I mean on one hand it's just a game, on the other it's almost like a statement from this country in one of the biggest underdog stories of all time. All the surrounding circumstances just pile on and on every time we look back at that game.

And in many ways this is not that different than the way written legends work like King Arthur or Jesus. We really do not know much about the original people, but over time the stories have been built up so much they become powerful images in culture. Even just written history about George Washington is all a sort of legend in a way. And even though sports are caught on tape now and not passed down through word of mouth, they still have a culture that works in a similar way. Just talk to an American baseball fan and they get this look in their eye of the solemn importance of baseball in their life, that is the power of nostalgia and legend.

It can be both good and bad. Many people cling to their pasts and refuse to enjoy their present or future just remembering something that was once good. They refuse to move on and the nostalgia holds them hostage. This sentimentality has always been lost on me. People talk about how it was always better in the past, but really was it? And does it really matter? We should focus on the now and maybe learn from the past, but nostalgia really clouds a lot of peoples eyes when looking back, and it's dangerous.

However I think nostalgia can also be an incredible creative tool. Just understanding how legend works, the passage through word of mouth and the addition of the circumstances later. The identities people are given by those who remember them, colored by those people's memories. This has some potential to create new and interesting ideas based in old ones. Like borrowing a theme in classical music, or sampling a beat in rap. It gives old experiences a new flair, but using nostalgia as a creative tool.

There will be more on this...

Intro Post

I always feel like I have to make one of these. An intro post, just to state that I've started something that I want to keep up and hope I can, but have really failed to in the past. I'm gonna do what I can though, because I like to write about stuff and I think I may have something interesting to write about. Something beyond just ranting and raving about my days. I guess we'll let other's be the judge of that.

Otherwise I guess I'll treat this sort of like a public journal, but try and focus on making it interesting. I'm not gonna do too much "this is how my day went" cause that's pretty damn boring. My days are not that exciting. Which is why I should have the time to post on here.
Anyway, now I must go, but soon I'll start putting substantial stuff up.