We wanted to allow Liz to get settled in a bit here before we approached Grapes for his thoughts on our adding a member of the fairer sex to our townhouse of testosterone. In this week of giving thanks, we original OFBers are thankful she’s joined our team and improved our site. It’s been a fun first month together.
Grapes wouldn’t speak to us on the record about this, but he did have a few thoughts about women who attend hockey games.
It’s Siberia-far from their best work, but the Cure have a song titled ‘Friday I’m in Love.’ I awoke and logged on this morning to news from my bloggermate Gus that beginning in just another couple of weeks cable and satellite television providers all across North America would be offering the puck-crazed their long longed-for NHL Network. Twenty four hours of televised hockey seven days a week three hundred and sixty five days a year.
It’s Friday and I’m in television lust.
Heaven I imagine to offer fellas like me non-stop broadcasts of hockey on enlarged screens in high definition, with a few tab-free beers. Wait, that’s now my new home in Montgomery County in three weeks’ time. (I’m not in a mood to be trifled with particulars such as whether or not Comcast will offer the outlet locally; if it doesn’t, I’ll move. Nobody likes Friday joy-buzz-killers.)
In this region where Steve Czabins and their print ilk would have you believe hardly anyone is truly interested in consuming hockey media, I personally know of 61 individuals who will some time next month order the NHL Network.
If this news is dour in any regard, it is from the vantage of my mother, who’d really like to see me married and laboring toward grandchildren for her. How am I to schedule a date in this new broadcast environs? I have to work, bathe, and blog as it is, and now with this news, bid adieu to all future family and social functions.
This morning I’m actually conceiving bloggers’ pajama parties centered around weekends seated before the NHL Network. The Washington Times’ Corey Masisak debuted his very promising looking blog this week; he’d look funny in a set of those footie pajamas. Imagine if we arranged such an event for some February Saturday and a life-stopping Nor’easter settled in on D.C. right as Grapes was in full fury during Coach’s Corner. Even if we had a few laptops among us I doubt you’d hear from us again.
Here’s one strategem for liberating me from my home this autumn and winter: have that marvel of modern multimedia, the Verizon Center’s new assault-all-of-your senses center ice scoreboard, offer two-hour evening feeds of the NHL Network. It’d be like going to the movies. It’d be my best, last chance at socializing again.
Can’t get enough of Don Cherry’s blustery take on hockey and the world in general? Are you sinking into a deep funk at the prospect of a long summer without a little Cherry to brighten your Saturdays? Well now you can have the inimitable Don Cherry experience brought right to your door!
Yes, your dreams have come true: Comedian Clark Robinson is a Don Cherry impersonator whom you can hire out of Calgary for your corporate event or fundraiser. As per the Corporate Comedians website: “Why have some emcee present stock jokes from the internet when you can have a professional comedian present Don Cherry to rock and sock your world! When Don Cherry hosts your event, people listen!”
Sure people listen . . . though he may be hard to hear over that loud suit. Zing! Thank you folks, I’m here all week. Try the prime rib.
Honestly it’s a pretty neat idea, and I can see him getting big laughs at the right event. Hmm, perhaps he can be the celebrant for my wedding . . . Ow! Put down the hockey stick, sweetie, I was just kidding . . .
Gustafsson and I watched Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Canadian soil — at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC. Elliot Segal was there to cheer on the Sens, as were fellow blogger friends DC Sports Chick, 1/2 Asian Man, and Ken of Japers’ Rink. You can see Elliot enthralled (along with the rest of us) by Don Cherry’s blustery tirade against modern hockey elbow pads on the far right of the big-screen photo below.
The event was hosted by Connect2Canada, “a way to exchange news and ideas, and find out what is happening in the U.S. related to Canada.” The organization was founded two years ago by former Ambassador Frank McKenna, and is a great source for information about our neighbors to the north.
That holy grail of Canadian beer, Alexander Keith’s, was also present, much to the delight of the evening’s attendees. Even better, we were thrilled to find authentic poutine: french fries topped with cheese curds (squeaky cheese!) and gravy. Trust me, try some if you get the chance; Gustafsson practically had a gravy IV.
While the result of the game disappointed the crowd of Canadians and Canadian well-wishers, the event was a rousing success. Embassy staffers were even kind enough to escort a few of us to the roof for a few photos. Additional thanks to 1/2 Asian Man [and DC Sports Chick] for snapping a few of the interior photos, particularly the one of me gleefully reveling behind our many beverage containers.
We at OFB love Don Cherry. We may not always agree with him, but you have to agree that his passion, enthusiasm, and candor is not only refreshing, but should be embraced. I record Hockey Night in Canada on NHL Centre Ice every week to watch Coach’s Corner, if nothing else.
Now there comes some great news from the CBC via Kukla’s Korner.
“CBC.ca will launch a special online version of Coach’s Corner … with new content, design and features. Enhancements include an improved and larger video picture and an online forum allowing hockey fans to submit their remarks regarding Don’s, uh, ‘legendary’ weekly commentary.”
If you have never seen Coach’s Corner, be sure to check it out.
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