3 Games and Bitter Ramblings

Originally, I was gonna write this one, long story about the last three games I've been to this week. But when I got up today to some news that really depressed me. So I was just basically going around all day just kind of thinking about how things are for me right now. It's the same ol', same ol' that most of you have heard me bitch about before. But sometimes it just hits home with me more than it usually does. I'm still gonna write an overview of the last three games here. But before I do that, I just want to thank some people for being such good friends; Rick, Karin, Kelly, Jeff, Jennifer and Jeff's old man, Tom. I know I was kinda out of it tonight on my outside. But just their mere presence made me feel alot better inside.

Thanks guys!!!

Okay...on to more entertaining stuff (lol)

On Wednesday night, I made a now rare trip up to Everett (at least for a weeknight game). I met up with Kurt and a couple of his friends from Anacortes (one of which I can't remember their name right now. So I'll just leave them both nameless for now...lol) at Turners before heading in for the game. Everett won, 3-1. The most amazing part of this game was how little time it took to play it...2:04! It was done so quickly that Kurt and I decided to stop off at the Tacoma Hooters for a night-cap before he headed the rest of the way back to Gresham and I headed home for bed (lol).

Friday night it was the Thunderbirds playing the Brandon Wheat Kings. Seattle took this one quite handily, 5-1. For once, even I was kinda hoping the T-Birds would have gotten one more goal (lol). This season, if the Thunderbirds score 6 goals at home, everyone gets a coupon good for one free medium one-topping pizza at Domino's! I think that's alot better than a slice of pie (which is what it was a few years ago) or the $0.50 taco's you get in St. Louis (hey....anything free is better than having to pay for it). But I still don't think it's as good as what they have (or maybe HAD...I'm not sure about this season yet) in Anaheim. There, if the Ducks score 5 goals in a game, you get 10 free chicken wings at Hooters. Of course, the reason that one wins is because you get your freebee at Hooters (hahaha).

And tonight (Saturday), the Thunderbirds lost at home to the Spokane Chiefs, 3-2. To be fair in this one, it probably should have ended in at least a tie at the end of regulation. And, in all fairness (since I praised one last week), I do have to say that the referee blew this one big time. With 2 seconds left in the 2nd period, Seattle scored what looked to be the game-tying goal during a mad-scramble in front of the Spokane net. But referee Derek Zalaski waved it off claiming that it was either batted in with a hand or scored off of a hand pass (no exact reason was given other than the puck was hit with a hand). But when you see the replay, there isn't even a hand anywhere close to where the puck was.

Once again, just to state my position exactly, I'm pretty ambivalent about the refs. They have a tough job seeing everything that happens out there and anyone who's been on the ice in a game understands that. But blowing a call like that is pretty unexcusable. Well, blowing the call may be slightly understandable. But not even taking a break to talk it over with the linesman is. Other than that, he called a decent game. But that one poor decision cost him my vote of confidence for tonight.

I also have to point out what is starting to become a disturbing trend with the Thunderbirds this season. Over this first month of the season, they seem to be hitting guys from behind and into the boards alot more than normal. Just over these last two games this weekend, they've done it twice; Friday night against Brandon when Greg Scott slew-footed the Wheaties Riley Day and sent him head-first into the boards near the end of that game. And then tonight when James McEwan ran a Chief into the boards from behind. At least McEwan answered the bell after that happened. But Scott had both Mitch Fadden and then Benn Olson fight for him (and that scores alot of negative points in my book).

But I just don't like it when teams have reps. For instance, Everett over the last couple years has been known (and rightfully so) for diving alot. They don't seem to do it as often this year (at least so far). But they're still on the hook. And a few years ago, the Winterhawks were known for their stick-work (slashing, high-sticking, spearing, butt-ending, etc). But they've cleaned up their act over time, so they're off the hook. But running people and slew-footing them into the boards like this trumps everything else. You're not making a fool out of yourself by falling down with the slightest little breeze around you. And you're not maybe injuring someone that'll put them out of the lineup for a few weeks. Now you're talking about not only possibly seriously injuring people, but possibly even crippling them for life.

Teams take penalties like that from time-to-time every season.....it happens. But this has been happening way too often for the Thunderbirds lately. Even if it is just an anomoly, I'm hoping that they clean up their act here in a hurry before someone gets in serious trouble for doing something senseless.

What can I say? I'm just bitter tonight (lol). Tommorrow should be interesting, though. It's up to Everett to watch the Silvertips play Brandon. Maybe a better Wheat King team will show up. But the real fun is that Tom W is going with me. So I'm just hoping that cheers me up alot (which I think it will).