HBO's 24/7 Road to the Winter Classic Begins Tonight

http://ultimateofficials.blogspot.com/2011/12/hbos-247-road-to-winter-classic-begins.html

Jan 2nd, Philadelphia v New York

Watching HBO's Road to the Winter Classic last year was easily one of the best hockey documentaries I have ever seen.  Ever.  I checked the stuff out on youtube, because I don't subscribe to HBO.  You should check it out on youtube as well, but you gotta do it quick before HBO takes it down.  

Here is the preview to this year's show.  Once again, easily the best produced hockey documentary you could ever watch:

Preview to 24/7 Flyers/Rangers: Road to NHL Winter Classic '11

We All Could Learn A Lot From Mr. Burke

http://ultimateofficials.blogspot.com/2011/12/we-all-could-learn-lot-from-mr-burke.html

Brian Burke - Toronto Maple Leafs GM
Class of Edina, MN HS 1973

You got twenty two minutes of your time to spare to listen to a very open, 

very candid interview with Brian Burke?  

Watch the video in the link for theScore.com blog

Topics covered include: 

• wanting to punch players in the head when they complain about ice time
• picking a barn yard fight with Kevin Lowe
• his take on gay rights and homophobic slurs

http://blogs.thescore.com/nhl/2011/12/12/the-full-brian-burke-interview-beyond-the-barn-fight/

The section where he talks about using homophobic slurs reminds me of a section from one of the newsletters I provide on a frequent basis for all Ultimate Officials subscribing members, where I talked about Gareth Thomas, the only openly male gay professional team sport athlete.  Here is part of what I wrote:

Gareth Thomas, Pro Rugby Player

On a side note to this story: You really should go read that SI story that is linked.  I will openly admit that I was a bit of a homophobe.  I would use the term, “faggot” all the time to describe somebody who I thought was weak or feminine.  I also thought that whenever I heard people say, “I was born gay,” would just be a bunch of B.S.  After reading this story, if a guy from Welsh, who plays pro rugby, and is anything BUT feminine...well....I guess you can be born gay.  My tolerance level just went way up.  After all, the Stanley Cup took a ride in a gay pride parade in Chicago this past year, so even Lord Stanley’s trophy has some tolerance.  I guess I will just call soft and weak people “pussies” from now on.  No offense to women, of course (hell, my wife played college rugby...the woman was a hooker!).

Also reminds me a lot from a blog post that I made after the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, following the Gold Medal Game in which Canada beat the United States in OT:

Video is the Best Learning Tool

http://ultimateofficials.blogspot.com/2011/12/video-is-best-learning-tool.html

I Just Took This Pic in my "Situation Room"

Video can serve a hockey official (it's not just for players & coaches) so well; watching yourself, analyzing skating, critiquing penalty calls, using it as a teaching, it is the most powerful and effective medium Ultimate Officials uses.

Here is a testimonial I just received from a subscribing trainee in the Ultimate Officials Online Camp:

 I KNOW for a fact if it weren't for the influence of you and the UO guys (even though I'm not the most "participatory"), there is no way this would have happened.  (in reference to being selected as a junior official) M.M.

My wish is that I could have all the goodies that the NHL has in their "Situation Room".  Check out the following video:

I saw the expanding use of the internet and visioned a "virtual classroom" to help teach and develop on ice officials.  I am working with video on almost a daily basis, editing videos that I have shot myself while supervising games, watching those in junior hockey on FAST hockey online broadcasts to write up game notes, even using NHL videos and examples.  So that picture of me up above is "what I do" for guys in the UO programs.  I was recently interviewed by "Let's Play Hockey" and I talk about this in the article:

http://www.letsplayhockey.com/1051heyref.html

All online members of Ultimate Officials are emailed video situations on a weekly basis, have access to video tutorials, and some even receive DVD's of their game footage.  Below is an example of a video from www.uoteach.blogspot.com

What Happened in November for UO

http://ultimateofficials.blogspot.com/2011/12/what-happened-in-november-for-uo.html

It Wasn't Just All Movember in November!

Highlights From In and Around the Hockey World for Ultimate Officials in November 2011

* Jake Brenk is working out in the ECHL, making him the MN official working the highest level of hockey, besides Brian Mach, who is an NHL linesman (and, yes, I do put the ECHL above the WCHA).

* Cameron Voss, Kevin Cassidy continue to plug away as full time officials in the North American Hockey League.

* Speaking of NAHL and NAH3L, we had Tim Ferrel, Clayton Smith, Mike Diebold (first Jr game!), Nick Dornfeld, Nick Bradshaw, and Ryan Szymanski in action, too.

* Nick Bradshaw (USHL Games, too) also worked his first conference series in the WCHA - UAA at UMD.

* Shane Paskey worked a big series this past month for Women's WCHA - UMD at U of MN

* Nick Biondich continues to work games in the Women's WCHA.

* Mark McGinnis got hired by the Empire/AJHL and ACHA College Hockey.

* Eric Arndt got to work his first Division III Women's game.

* The Division III Season really got rolling for guys like Jamie Halverson, Adam Shadiow, Norm Gaskins, Duncan Ryhorchuk, Shane Paskey (1st ref assignment), and Nick Biondich.

* Joe Millette worked 12 junior games in the MJHL in November.  That's every Fri, Sat, and Sunday!  Must be doing something right, eh?

* Aaron Barlow keeps racking up ref games in the MJHL.

* Mike Diebold, in addition to his first junior game, also has been steady knocking out some Bantam A stripes.

* Clayton Smith got promoted to Bantam A referee, and has been doing a bunch of stripe games.

* I PERSONALLY HEARD WORD THAT ONE OFFICIAL (not listed here) HAS BEEN LOCKED IN FOR A PLAYOFF ASSIGNMENT IN JUNIOR HOCKEY NEXT SPRING! (I've been networking!)

* Other activity included the start of the Girls and Boys High School Seasons.

OVERALL: A SOLID MONTH, PRECEDED BY A LOT OF ADM ACTION, SURE TO BE FOLLOWED UP BY A BUSY AND REWARDING DECEMBER.