Am I Crazy?

I love this time of the year.  This is the time of the year when winter feels kind of nice.  You know...I can go outside during the day with no gloves or hat on and be quite comfortable in the February sunshine.

With the slow release of winter cold into days with a bit longer daylight and a sun that warms the inside of your car more than you think it should...well...it all means "tournament weather" to me.

I love this time of the year.

And when you throw the Winter Olympic Games into the mix...that's good stuff, Buddy.

The calendar says "February 16th" and that means the Men's Hockey action starts today -- USA vs. Switzerland at 2 pm (still trying to figure out how I can catch the game live while I substitute teach 2nd graders today :).

Dating back to my earliest memories, I'll share what I can remember about each of the Winter Olympics in my lifetime (I was born in 1972, therefore, having no memories of the 1972 games in Sapporo, Japan or the 1976 games in Innsbruck, Austria)

1980 - Miracle on Ice, Lake Placid, NY -- Heard that the US was beating the Russians at my Mite practice.  Went home with my Dad to watch the game on TV.  Pretty much only remember the US team going absolutely bonkers after the game.  I also remember watching the Sunday game against Finland, laying on the living room floor of my Grandma's house in Thief River Falls, MN.  Great stuff.

1984 - Sarajevo, Yugoslavia -- I thought "Another Miracle...no sweat!".  All I can remember is the USSR team kicking butt again.

1988 - Calgary, Canada -- I was a sophomore in HS, and I was recovering from ACL surgery after the conclusion of my HS hockey season.  I remember spending 5 days in the hospital and a few more at home, recovering while watching nothing but Olympic action.  I loved Brian Leetch, star defenseman for the US team.  I also remember Eddie 'The Eagle" Edwards.  What a goof ball!

 1992 - Albertville, France - I remember skipping classes to watch some of the hockey action.  I was a sophomore at St. Scholastica in Duluth.  I also remember my roommate being appalled that Mats Sundin got a 5 min. Major plus Game Misconduct for a check from behind penalty.  I don't know why, but he was some big Sweden sympathizer or something...the rest of us thought they were all "Chicken Swedes".  I dunno.

1994 - Lillehammer, Norway - Awesome!  Only a two year wait until the next Winter Games!  This is one of the three sites that hosted the games that I have actually been to (Lake Placid and Torino are the others).  Freakin' Peter Forsberg scores the winning goal in a shoot out!  Could you imagine it?!?  A shoot out?!?  No such thing back then!

1998 - Nagano, Japan - Pros play.  The US Team sucks at everything but breaking furniture.  I remember setting my alarm to get up in the middle of the night to watch the hockey action 13 time zones away.  Hasek steals the show.  These games were a HUUUUGE letdown compared the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.

2002 - Salt Lake City, USA -- Herb Brooks...home soil (who knew there was a Looney in it!)...medal?  The semi-final between USA vs. Russia was one of the best games, particularly the 3rd period, that I have ever watched.  I still have that game on VHS.  I keep saying I am going to get it converted to DVD, because it is that...damn...good.  Canada in the Gold Medal game?  They were just too impressive.


2006 - Torino, Italy - North Americans stunk it up.  Having the games so many time zones away makes it tough to really get into it.  The highlight was the next year, 2007, when I was blessed to go work the World University Games in Torino, Italy.  Our officiating crew for the tournament even hung out at the very same restaurant that the Olympic guys hung out at the year before.  It was a "Mom-Pop" place, where the EXACT SAME people worked every night.  We drank lots of red wine, which was cheaper than beer, and the beer was the same price as a Coca Cola!  There was a autographed referee sweater there that all the refs had signed.  We left one, too, so my autograph is honored in the same place as Thor Nelson.  That was kind of cool (lol).

Looking forward to more memories this year.  I love this time of the year.

Do you have some memories?  Please share...

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?!?

Examples (A) and (B) of How the NHL and NBA are Different

Example (A) - You'd never hear this type of music at an NBA game:



Example (B) - Heard this one for the first time today...hilarious:




And for a Bonus - "Wayne Gretzky Rocks" :

Hockey Can Be a Thing of Beauty

Well, NBC got its wish with the match up between Pittsburgh and Detroit.  I didn't watch the game (too busy on the pond myself -- indoors and outdoors = sweet), but these highlights are great.

I love to watch great officials work a game.  Are you kidding me?!? Crosby and Geno Malkin sealing the deal with Shoot Out winners?!? More sweetness.

0:05 - Good example of  "who has got the best sight line?" - Stephen Walkom #24 makes the call as the best ref.  I think we have gotten away from "the front ref should always make the call"...that needs to be a thing of the past.  The ref with the best sight line should make the call.

0:20 - Walkom working the goal line/working the puck/working the check.  Love it.

0:31 - Great awareness and patience on Rob Martell #26 on a high stick the puck wave off.

1:30 - Sweet goal by Crosby from Alex Goligoski (good ol' MN boy - interesting trivia - Goligoski was NEVER chosen for any Advanced 15, 16, or 17 team to represent MN).

3:18 - Notice where the ref places himself.  Heck, notice in any game where the refs place themself to view play.

4:50 - Martell on his high horse skating backwards and then has two great wash outs.

6:35 - Great move by Flippula of Detroit and great sight lines for a hooking call (see the 'separation between the two players).

7:05 - Martell uses the goal net to bump around players.  I like that move!

7:30 - 9:10 - You have got to see these sweet Shoot Out goals by Crosby (water bottle popper) and Geno Malkin (sweetest slow motion move ever).

Also notice:
* Pierre McGuire is still annoying, throwing 4 "Edzo" comments in there
* Anyone who thinks Stevens pants don't look good, should have their eyes examined.  These refs look SHARP!
* I think I am starting to like the NHL ref sweaters.  You'd never see me get one (nor will I ever wear a mesh underarm sweater).

And You Thought the Puck that Hit You Was a Hard Shot

Kings at Bruins - 1/30/10
TSN highlight link to the game (you'll see a couple of sweet shoot out goals)


(pay attention to the GREAT organ music - I love that so much more than canned loud stuff)
1:15 - David Brisebois #96 has big-time patience and awareness on line call
2:00 - Mark Stuart, born and bred MN boy,  just destroys Anze Kopitar - Brisebois and #95 Jonny Murray right on the scene
3:00 - Murray gets smoked in the back off an end zone drop.

Question: You got any good (or bad) getting hit by the puck stories?  Once when I was working a Wisconsin vs. Minnesota game, I took a clearing shot that ricocheted funny off the glass partition and hit me in the helmet, right behind the ear.  I got some kind of blood hematoma and right behind my left ear I had this big lump for about 4 days.

How about you?

There are Some Getting in a Frenzy Right Now

Some Hockey Refs are doing a "Push for the Playoffs" right now.

• They are working out when no one is watching.
• They are busting their butt, imagining there is an NHL supervisor in the crowd while they work a Pee Wee B game.
• They are studying other elite refs, to make themselves better.

While some guys are "coasting" and "taking it easy", some guys are bringing some serious blood, sweat, and tears.  You see, the best don't turn it on when the playoffs come, and hope they have a seat on the bus.

The best are bringing it right now.  Because...you are only as good as your last game.

To "Bring It" with the only hockey referee-specific workouts anywhere in the world,  see here:


(Complimentary Video Workout Series coming Summer 2010)