Three Days after Two Cool Things

I'm single Dad this week.  Whenever that happens during the heart of hockey season I usually end up in this mode:

• wake the kids up earlier than they want
• race them over to in-laws or daycare (break a few traffic laws on the way)
• I teach school
• race to pick the kids up and drop them off somewhere else (a few more laws down the tubes)
• evaluate/ref a hockey game
• race home to bed and repeat the next day

So...I am a couple days behind in reporting "timely" news.  There was two cool events on Sunday -- a hum-dinger of a game on NBC again...and...John Randle gets voted into the NFL Hall of Fame.

Let's go with Randle first:



Why is this guy on a blog devoted to hockey referees?  Because he came from nothing (that means literally nothing) and not only made something of himself, he actually revolutionized the game! [listen to interview here].

I love the commitment, the hard work, the sacrifice --- all qualities that should be seen in Championship Level Referees...(Regulators...Let's Ride!)

 

Next, let's look at that great game on Sunday between the Pens and Capitals (just when I thought I was sick-and-tired of seeing the Pens and Caps on NBC, Crosby AND Ovechkin both go out and look like a pair of virtuosos.  Awesome.  Simply awesome.  They are the artists and the rink is their canvas):

0:30 - Crosby gets sick #1 (plus Pierre McGuire makes some dumb comment about the boards...uggh)

1:15 - Crosby gets sick #2 (plus a great pass from MN boy, Goligoski).  This is why the Pens are so good...who do you watch?  Malkin?  Crosby?  Shadow them both?  Staal?  Wow!

2:00 - Ovechkin hit -- I think this is a great example of a check that is delivered shoulder to shoulder and then finishes with the "checkee" getting rolled by the "checker" and ONE A TRUCK LOAD OF PEEWEE B COACHES SCREAM is Checking from Behind.  Take a look.

2:34 - Ovechkin bombs #1 (I think he busted the In-the-Net Cam). #48 Frederick L'Ecuyer has to motor!

3:45 - This is why you don't relax after a goal and lose situational awareness.

5:37 - Great end zone view of all officials, L'Ecuyer, #20 Tim Peel, and the USA lines tandem, #77 Tim Nowak and #93 Brian Murphy (both going to work the Olympics, too!)  doing some text book hockey.

6:55 - Ovechkin with #2

7:22 - Ovechkin ties the game with #3

9:20 - Game Winner in OT (after Ovechkin dings the post) - How's that for finishing at the net?!?