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Tuesday, July 1st 2008

8:30 PM

For Islander Hockey Blog visit www.7thwoman.blogspot.com

June 20 & 21. NJ Hornets


“I see softball people.” Dan said as he pulled into the parking lot of the complex.

Buildings; I saw real buildings. That made me happy because that meant there were real facilities at this park. There were more than facilities; there was also a town pool and stores within walking distance. The cherry on the cake, of course, was internet service. And since it was the second day of the NHL draft, I was very happy about that. However, most of my updates were coming directly to my phone from my friends in Ottawa. It was still a bonus.

Of course, I was harassed by Ranger Fan John who didn’t even say ‘Hello’ before stopping me in the lot.

“Hey Dee! You know Garth Snow. Can you introduce me so I can ask him if he would trade me two $20s for a $10?” The other softball dads got a good laugh out of that, as it was in reference to last night's unconventional moves the Islanders GM made during the first round of the NHL draft. I know. You don’t care. John boy and I do. I resisted hitting him with my laptop case.

Saturday's morning game was actually the Riptide’s 2nd game of the tournament. They played with 9 girls all weekend.  Friday the 19th Kira didn’t make it up so that she could attend her 8th grade formal. This was the graduation weekend that conflicted with many of the girls' social calendars.

The 9 that played on Friday did capture the win at 5 - 1. I received a text message from Maureen on Friday while I was at the Coliseum. It made me smile.

“They won but it wasn’t pretty.” announced the little bright screen on my phone.

Wins don’t have to be pretty. They just have to be wins. Ashley did a great job at 3rd in Kira’s absence and Kate pitched a great game getting herself out of jam after jam and giving the attending parents heart attacks. They played the NJ Sparks with only 9 girls. Annie went 2 for 2 at the plate with 2 singles and 3 RBIs! Rachel had a sacrifice that scored a run and Kate pitched a great game with 10 strike-outs.

They weren’t as lucky with game 2 of the tourney. They lost 5-2 to the Morris County Belles. Ashley did have a shot to right field that brought in the only Riptides runs as the Belles pitcher was throwing nothing but heat.
During the layover I was able to sit under the awning or by the truck and check out what was happening on day two of the NHL draft. I was also getting hourly updates on my cell from my two buddies in Ottawa. I can truthfully say that I was the only person on that field in New Jersey that was having that experience. I can also say that I was the only one on that field that actually cared.

Saturday’s Game 2 vs. the Thunderbolts was a pitcher’s duel. Princess Kate pitched a great game with 8 strikeouts. She didn’t stop there as she also had the game winning hit in the bottom of the 6th inning and the Riptide won 2 -1. It was one of those games that you just couldn’t believe. Leanne went 2 for 3 at the plate with a single and a double. Gabby was 2 for 2 with two singles and a walk. But that hit that bounced up off third base that brought in that 2nd run, well… that’s one for the books for sure.

The drive to the hotel was interesting as New Jersey is the “land of no left turn” that drives every ones’ GPS just a little batty. It seems they don’t like to recalculate after those numerous illegal U turns those of us with New York plates like to make in order to actually GET to our destination.
The hotel was lovely and well appointed, but those at the desk were not exactly bright as they couldn’t give us keys that worked or directions to the room. We wandered like the over burdened, over packed gypsies that we are from elevator to elevator carrying what most people could live a month with. We were staying for only one night. I can’t help it. I like to be prepared.

It was too late and the girls were too tired to go anywhere, so Princess Di put on her cruise director hat and ordered Italian food to be delivered to the lobby for all of us. These impromptu dinner gatherings are actually my favorite part of the weekends. We sit, we drink, we talk and we watch the girls laugh and huddle together in the PJs just enjoying each other’s company. Actually, that’s exactly what the parents do… sans the PJs.

I dragged out my cards and Patti brought out her magic crystal. My cards were dead on for those I read, and Patti’s crystal scared the daylights out of me. Yep, there’s magic on the Riptide, in more ways than one. Sandy was still hard at work on those socks. The Sons of Italy were hard at work on the beer.

The team seeded 5th of 16 and had 9:45 game scheduled against the 12th seed. It had been a long day, so the lobby party ended relatively early by our standards as we had to meet back in the lobby by 7:30 am.

Morning comes too quickly and the mad rush to get three people showered and dressed with one bathroom is always a coordination nightmare. I decided to help out a little. I woke at an un-godly hour and jumped into the shower before either one of them stirred. I even made that small pot of coffee they leave for you.

The breakfast buffet was $12.95 a person, as a team we opted to forgo that expense and head toward the field with a quick stop anywhere … but there. Dan managed to find the only Burger King that not only didn’t have anyone in it; it was also situated between two stop lights and four roads. Ha! Land of No Left turn had nothing on us this time. Heading toward the field in the right direction this time was easy and didn’t even require a GPS, which was good since we don’t have one. I AM the GPS in the truck. I get to read the MapQuest directions while Danno drives. I could make him feel like he has a GPS system and start using some sort of accent or perfect enunciation. But I digress.

 
The 12th seed was the Lady Red Birds from Greenwich. We had a little time before the game, so Patti and I decided to take a little walk up to the shopping center just across the street in search of coffee and ice. We found the most amazing Italian bakery this side of Brooklyn. I was in my glory, but didn’t want to leave more food in the truck, so we only walked back with coffee. I had plans of hitting that shop again on our way out. Visions of a fabulous pasta dinner with really good semolina bread and fresh pastry danced in my head.

By the time we walked back to the field, the girls were down 2 - 0. What? How could that be? We’re the 5th seed. This is the first game, it should have been easy. I think the girls realized that themselves and over took them. Gabby started the game as pitcher, garnering two strikeouts, but Ashley came in to relieve her and landing 10 strikeouts of her own.

After yet another Saturday baking in the sun on the bleachers, my sunburn was getting quite ugly. As I was headed to our cooler for our 30 SPF sunscreen, Joe reached into his red magic bag of tricks and pulled out a bottle.

“Here. Use this, it’s SPF 50. It’s liquid shirt.” I totally needed it, and Dianna helped me out making sure I didn’t miss any more spots on my back that were now pretty much like raw meat. Tending to myself, I missed how Danni got on second base during a particular inning.

Not that I keep a really good eye on these things, but I did want to know. BTGOG was the answer I received.
“What?” I asked thinking it was some sort of softball term I had never heard before.

“By the Grace of God.” was the answer.

The final was 7 - 2, as the two runs they earned early in the game were the only ones the Redbirds would see. Annie had a great play throwing out a batter at first base all the way from right field. Danni C brought in an RBI single getting on that base BTGOG, Kira bunted in an RBI single, Kat had a double, Kate went 2 for 3 and Gabby had a bunt single, but she was so disappointed that she didn’t get to bat while bases were loaded because we timed out. She wanted to see what she could do; whether she could be that hero. We all wanted to see it too.

There wasn’t much time between games, as game 2 was scheduled for 11:30 am against the Howell Heat. They could have been called the Howell Heavies as some of the girls were heavier than me, and I’m pretty hefty. Ok, truth be told, at least one of them was heavier than my husband. Now, I'm not trying to be politically incorrect. I'm trying to figure out how girls who are athletic and playing ball can be THAT big. To me, it's a contradiction.

“I wouldn’t want to get between her and the last donut.” came from the peanut gallery on the bleachers.

Father Dan decided to have a “blessing of the bats. “ This was a first for us. We usually have high priestess Patti throw a little positive energy to the bats, but a blessing? Well, that was different.
With two out in the first three minutes of the game, Kira was robbed of a double, which she clearly beat out, but Blue said “OUT” and even under protest the call stood.

As if the softball gods were angry with the call, the lightening horn sounded and everyone was called off the field. I had never head of this before, but you could hear thunder in the distance. We packed everything up and the team went under the main concession roof and waited.

The delay was short as there was no rain. We knew the field would be fine. I chose to sit in the truck for a few minutes just to let the game get interesting. By the time I decided I was ready to go back out into the elements, the score was 0 - 0 with Kate pitching.

A few field errors and Kate getting smacked in the foot with a ball that took a wicked bounce took the girls off their game and they were down 3 - 0 very quickly.

With the Riptide up to bat, the Howell pitcher was throwing pretty wicked and struck Gabby out and then walked Kira. Leanne was up to bat, but I couldn’t find Nancy. She must have been hiding as usually this type of pressure keeps her as far from the action as she can get without needing binoculars to see the game. A big hit moved Kira to second and Kat came up to bat.

“To the SUN 21, to the SUN!” Hmmm… that was a new chant. I liked it. Much better than the

“Rah Rah, take off your bra.” chant that one of the parents came up with.

Kat responded with a huge hit that brought Kira home and put the Riptide on the score sheet. Next up, Annie was walked and the bases were loaded once again. Ashley came up to bat and landed a really good hit, but Blue had another bad call at home plate. He called Leanne out on HELP from the other Blue who couldn’t have possibly seen reality from his vantage point.

Once bases were loaded… AGAIN… Rachel was up to bat. Quick thinking made Kat steal home on an infield error. It was now a ball game with the Riptide coming back at 3 - 2. The other team began to oppose the call. Oh well, the Riptide got one back.

With runners on 1st and 2nd, Kate was up at bat. “Help yourself out here Kate.” the coaches encouraged her. She has had some really good at bats in key situations. But she couldn’t pull one out this time and was out at 1st.

The Heat were up at bat, an infield hit and a bad throw from 3rd made for a brilliant split save by Kat at 1st.  Despite her efforts the first batter was safe. Their next batter up found a hole in the outfield and the runner advanced.

The third batter in the order laid down a bunt that was scooped up by Kira and thrown to Kat and … here we go again… the horns sound across the field. The lightening detection system senses lightening within five miles of the field, which is very cool. But this was turning into an exciting game, they didn’t want to stop. Danni C had already turned in a double play snagging a line drive and throwing a base runner out at first. Kira had a nice shot to left field, even if she was thrown out at 2nd base. Leanne was 2 for 2 with 2 singles and Kat had an RBI single. These girls were ready to strike while the iron was hot.

Problem was… the iron was drowned out by a monsoon that swept across the field. We sat in the truck for about 15 minutes, hoping for it to stop. But it didn’t. Dan looked out the window at the fields that were dry before, now turning into mud.

We drove around to the other parking lot and started to watch a mass exodus. “What’s going on?”

“We’re done Dee. The fields aren’t playable now. This will take hours. It’s over.” he told me as Kira jumped into the truck looking like she ran around in the shower. I watched the Riptide cars leave the parking lot. I was incredibly disappointed. If I had to be filthy and fried, at least I wanted to know who was going home with a trophy. The answer that afternoon was…. NOBODY.

But it could have been them. But we’ll never know now.

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Thursday, June 26th 2008

6:59 PM

better late than never... Father's Day in Brookhaven!

6-14 & 15 Father's Day in Brookhaven


It’s Saturday, it must be time for softball. I got up even before the alarm clock. I knew it would be a busy day, and after the last fiasco, I intended to be prepared for the Brookhaven Father’s Day go-round. I was up and showered by 6 am. By the time I had to motivate Kira, the cooler was packed the dog was fed and I was dressed. I made a pot of coffee and breakfast and was just the picture of enthusiasm.


It was easy. We had a good 3 game schedule and an R.E.M concert at the Beach that night. This was going to be a good day! So I thought.


Game 1 was tougher than anyone thought it would be, but the girls managed to win in spite of themselves. It was a 9 am game against the Heat Black. For some reason, they all seemed out of sync. There were errors in the field, and a lack of concentration at the plate. At one point Coach Mike actually shook his head and said to Ranger Fan John “Do me a favor, go home and get Danni will ya?” He could have said it to every parent. It was one of those “Who are these girls?” moments. And not in the good way we are used to. Even with a perfect bunt and the few good things, they almost lost the game in the 6th as the opposing team came way too close to tie it at 5-4.


Game 2 was actually no better. It was at 10: 44 am against the Silver Bullets. The sun was blaring already, but the bats were cold. 1 - 4, 0 - 4 0 - 2, 1 - 3, 0 - 3 and so on. It was disheartening for the girls, but actually painful for the parents who tried to stay positive. Positive was a difficult task as the temperature was rising as well as the tempers. Except for Annie’s dad, NYTimes Mike, he’s a one man cheering squad. Patti has dubbed him “Mike RipTide.” But the fact that they were being shut-out only made the air seem even hotter.


Mama Bear sat alone under a triangular shade cabana, trying to stay calm and not fry.
“Why are we playing this way? Why?” There were no answers. The Riptide seems to be unique. When one falls, they all fall. When one rises above, they all do. They feed off each other that way. It must be that circle thing they do on the mound. They must just either exchange positive or negative energy so that they are all equal.

“It’s okay! Saturday means nothing except what time you play tomorrow.” Mama Bear said.
“I like the way you think!” I told her. Truthfully, I never thought of it that way. But she was right. Day two is the important day. But we still have to get through Day One. There was one RBI single to ruin the Silver Bullets’ pitcher’s perfect game. Riptide lost 6 - 1.

There was a long enough stretch between game two and game three, so we moved the tents to the parking lot and set up our gypsy camp. It wasn’t easy to keep the girls out of the sun. They wanted to watch other games and wander around. Mama Bear fired up the grill and made cheese burgers and hot dogs for everyone. Bowls of fresh fruit made their way around our camp along with every type of chip imaginable.

This was actually very relaxing; this impromptu picnic in the parking lot. Other cars tried to get around us and the ice cream truck that was the only vendor for the day looked on in envy. As hot and dirty as the girls were, they sat on each other, giggled and shared food. Was there a loss? They didn’t remember. That quickly, it was forgotten.

It was 2 pm, and I was the one this time turning purple. The need for a tank top in the heat exposed sensitive skin that hasn’t seen the light of day for probably years. I would go to the concert that night with a very interesting sunburn pattern. I didn’t care. Remember? I was staying POSITIVE!!!

The bats had warmed only slightly for hit records of 1 - 3, 1 - 3, 0 - 3, and the like. The only standout on the scorebook would be Danni B who went 3 - 3. The girls were right back in the hunt as they won 4 - 1. The little bit of drama for the day was when a ball took an awkward bounce off something in the dirt and came up and hit Kira on the right side of her face. She was stunned, and said she didn’t even remember Coach Pete going out to help her and dropping her to her knees. They called for ice and the coaches wanted to take her out of the game. She refused.


Dan looked at me on the other side of the fence. I didn’t move as I KNEW I couldn’t go anywhere near her without causing her to go into a rage. The infield was bad all weekend, and Kira was just one of the casualties.

“It’s swelling already. It’s going to be NASTY.” he said. We didn’t even realize at the time that the ball stitches had actually left an impression on her face. Kira sat on the bench in between plays with an icepack on her face. Coach Matt Selts, who knows Kira very well, stopped by and said “Hey! When I coached you, you caught the ball with your MITT, not your FACE!” Remembering all her days in Little League brought a big smile to her under that ice pack.

Luckily, there wasn’t much time left to the game and smiles returned to all their faces. Dan and I bolted to get dressed for an evening at Jones Beach Theater. It was a great concert and a fabulous lightening show, but the rain delay made our day last far longer than it should have. I don’t think we hit the pillow until well after 1 am.

On the bright side, we wouldn’t have to get up that early. On the dark side, the rain had pushed ALL the games back. So they waited and waited and waited. This was no way to spend Father’s day. Being on the field wasn’t so bad, but being on the field without a game being played, well, that’s not the way to go.

There was one good thing for the girls during this waiting period. Kat’s sister Jackie was on scene continuing her cable coverage of the team. So with a cameraman and microphone, the girl’s were ready for their close up. It gave them something else to focus on for awhile while they waited for someone to tell them what time they were starting. (We’ll have to find out when that’s airing so we can write and tell her bosses what a great job she did!)

Personally, I arrived to the field late and brought cold cuts to make sandwiches. Of course it was hard to get the girls to eat anything since they were just antsy to hit the field. The day was half over when they did. Game time was 2 pm against the Chargers.

John had actually been good for two days. My usual quote machine was oddly silent. There was no reason to search my purse for a pen, or drag out my recorder (that he has threatened to throw in a river.) Rick, however, was a little more animated this weekend.

When we finally DID get to play the first game, he was calling for Gabby to dive for a ball, and she didn’t (none of the girls actually do). John looked over at me. “Hey! Rick’s yelling; I don’t see you writing THAT down! What? Newbies get cut some slack? That’s not fair.” Consider the slack tightened. I’ll take better notes now.


Somehow, this game went south as well. Wish the camera wasn’t there to capture it. But that’s why it’s called a game, and anything can happen. And it did. What made it worse for Kira was that her grandparents had come out from Nassau to watch the game, and saw them lose to the Chargers. Even worse than that… I forgot my father-in-law’s card. I was rushing. I left it on the counter by the door.


It was Father’s Day and we actually got to go home pretty early. Truthfully, everyone was disappointed about it. We were counting on being there for the duration, in the heat and the dirt, getting home late and ordering pizza or stopping at fast food. Nope. We got home in plenty of time for me to actually make Dan Lobster Quesadillas for dinner. You’re jealous now… I know you are…

Next weekend up, New Jersey!



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Monday, June 23rd 2008

4:40 AM

6-22-08

Draft Day ‘08: A more Personal recollection


I had a hard time working all afternoon Friday. IslanderQueen knew I was nervous and excited, and played on it by calling me every hour and telling me what time it was. We were giggling it up by 3:30 pm. By 4:15 pm, I couldn’t work anymore. I grabbed my bag of tricks and went into the Ladies room for my usual quick change. Half way through it, I realized how foolish I was being. Why change once again in the office bathroom when I could change in the luxury of my best friend’s house with a nice glass of wine and a better mirror.


At 4:55 pm, I was heading to the car and my cell phone rang. “What wine goes with pizza?”
Be still my heart. Pizza AND wine? She IS my best friend!


“Beaujolais or a Petit Syrah.” There is laughter on the other end of the phone. “What? Beau-zah-what? Pinot Grigio?”


“No.” I said. Red wine goes with Pizza. Get Beaujolais or a Petit Syrah.” I didn’t even want to start explaining that the real wine that goes with Pizza is Chianti.


“’I’ll get the one I can pronounce. Did you leave yet?”


“I’m leaving now. I’ll be there in 20 minutes.” (If the traffic Gods are with me.) They were and I arrived at IQ’s for a quick dinner and a quick change. Webb20 was already there relaxing in front of the big screen. 4Cupz answered the door and within minutes asked me “So, are you ready to witness the train wreck?” I laugh because all I can really think about is whether I will be able to ask Buccigross the questions that I’ve printed out at work.


IQ and I take over the bathroom while the boys watch 4Cupz’ Father’s day present, the new Islander dinner video. With the hot iron heating, makeup strewn across the sink and IQ still undecided between three outfits, we actually managed to get ready to leave by 6:20 pm. There was still wine left in the bottle, but I wanted to be at the Coliseum by 6:30 pm.


The contrast in our outfits spoke volumes. I looked like an Islanders cheerleader; IQ was stunning in red and black. (Get it now? ) We walked out onto the main floor with its Arena Football Astroturf making me wobble on my 5” orange heels.


“I know. This is where I loose you.” She looked at me as if she was leaving me at a train station. “Run off to your Blog Box. I’ll go find Tom.” I searched for PR guy Adam to find out where we were going to be stationed for this shindig. Much to my surprise, we were all squeezing into the penalty box side. Katie Strang from Newsday and Brad Kurtzberg from Inside Hockey were in one section, the Blog Box bunch in the center and then Steve and Tony from IslesNation on the end were broadcasting live. Other than the tight quarters at our table, it was a perfect set up. As I was late arriving, Brad offered to make room for me at their table, but I didn’t want to seem like I was deserting my group. No, no. We are a team, and we suffer together. We are a tight bunch and actually, I’ve missed them a little.


“Hurry up; we’re going live at 6:45!” Adam told me. “What? Huh? Live what?” I wasn’t quite sure what he meant but I tried to get up and running as quickly as possible. I didn’t’ realize he meant THEY in OTTAWA were going to be LIVE at 6:45 pm. A little more detail would have been helpful.


Unlike Tom and Mike who complained to IslesNation Steve on the radio about their internet connection in Ottawa, we had no problem at the barn. As friends were passing me by they said “Hey Dee! What? You get TWO MINUTES for Blogging?” over and over again. Moreover, as is my usual Blog Box style, once everyone had settled in nicely, I decided I needed to get a drink and made everyone move again. He he he he… I am evil. Therefore, everyone had to stand up to let me out, because they ARE indeed gentlemen.


I was told in the afternoon that the regular concessions would be open and there would be beer. Silly me! I thought that would mean beer and WINE, which is normally for sale at the regular concessions on the lower level. Um, nope. They must now be run by the same Anti-Feminist group that runs the Rock in Jersey that seems to think wine has no place at sporting events. Get your act together!


I met MMinge from NYIC on the floor and we walked over to take a look at the cool new Islander I.C.E tour RV. I am such a gypsy. I could live in that thing. It is beautiful inside. Everything you need to travel in style including a shower and a bedroom. The Islander décor doesn’t hurt either.


Back to the table with a $5 diet Pepsi (I left the girl the 50 cents because at least she sympathized with me about the wine). The rumors flew from one laptop to the next. “Did you hear? Did you hear? I’ve got…” It went down the line from B.D. to Ken to Mike to me and over to Ken R who was without his laptop. I had both Tom and Mike on the phone texting as we all were receiving sometimes-conflicting updates, sometimes the same. Brad Kurtzberg would occasional stand up and give me hand signals of what he heard, as if it was a trade on the stock market floor.


The room was loud; it was hard to hear anything over the din of the excitement. Nevertheless, as the night progressed, the excitement turned to disappointment. You can read my earlier entry for that. It is a little too painful for me to go over again.


Also painful would have been to take the locker room tour. Too many good memories stored up in there that would have brought me to tears, and the new season is too far off to make it any better. I opted to stay put and let others come to me. They certainly did.


One after another, my NYIC brethren came by to express their shock and disappointment at the evening’s events. It was so bad at one point, that the professional photographer with the press credentials turned to me and said, “Excuse me. I have to ask. Who are you that everyone keeps coming to yell at you?”


I shook my head. “I’m a blogger. Nothing but an Islander blogger. And they’re not yelling at me. They’re just yelling.” More than once, I heard “I want my deposit back.” Another member stopped by with a look of sheer disbelief and said, “This reeks of amateurs dabbling with professionals. Hideous!” I could offer them no solace, just an understanding nod. At that moment, I couldn’t spin this one with a washing machine.




I had a great time talking to Arena Hostess Dina who was toting a bag filled with merchandise that she BOUGHT (yes, bought) at the sale on the main floor. Oddly, Dina didn’t know she was working the draft party until Friday at 3 pm. Actually, no one knew she would be working the party until Friday at 3 pm. It seems they forgot to ask her. Luckily, as a true hockey fan, she didn’t have anything planned for the evening except actually watching the draft, so she was indeed available.



Both Jack Hillen and Robin Figren were gracious signing autographs and doing interviews the entire evening. Figren looks as young as Gervais did when he first came to Uniondale. That would be about 16 years old. He will grow up quickly here -- just as Bruno did.


The moment I had been waiting for all day was fast approaching as the party was winding down. Adam came by the table and told us that one more segment and John Buccigross would be available for us to interview. I was hoping I didn’t look as scared as I felt.


I fumbled for the sheet with the questions I had typed. Then we waited…. And waited. When we finally got the thumbs up, there was no place for us to really go. I suggested the RV! Hey! It was comfortable inside! Adam motioned toward the Zamboni tunnel. I thought “Just great, all the noise in this place and we’re going to get to do an interview in a garage. Very attractive.”



I was surprised to see how very, very thin Buccigross actually is. He has very sharp features and striking blue eyes. (Remember, I’ve never watched him on ESPN, so I was taking all this in for the first time.) We introduced ourselves one by one, and he took the time to retain the information addressing each one of us bloggers individually. We fired away with our questions and he answered thoughtfully and honestly while his young son kept close and silent. The bad thing was that not all the other things in the coliseum Zamboni entrance were. Between the music, the 8-foot dollies and the Zamboni itself backing its way past us, we could hardly hear him. Luckily, B.D. has it all on video for your enjoyment. You can catch it in it’s entirety on YouTube under BGallof.


As my questions had to do with his writing, John said that he would be working on a book about Barry Melrose, but now that Melrose has a new chapter to his life, he would have to hold off on it. He toyed with the idea of a compilation of his columns, but it hasn’t materialized. It takes him the full week to put his ESPN.com column together because he receives anywhere from 500 to 1000 emails a week between the mailbag and the funny photo quotes. It really is a great column that I have enjoyed for years now. I’m glad he has continued it even though ESPN dropped their NHL coverage.


He also had some very nice things to say about coming out to the Coliseum previously for games. He recounted the last time he was there when Jason Blake stole the puck from Sidney Crosby to score during that matinee. Of course, that made me smile from ear to ear. I don’t know if he did that just for me or not. I’ll dream a little and think he did because he remembers just how many times he had to deal with me promoting Blake’s talents during the past five years. On the other hand, maybe Blake was the most memorable player on the ESPN highlight reels for the Islanders. That could be the case as well.


The interview lasted for 10 minutes. That‘s six minutes longer than Ted‘s post game interviews. I hope he returns next season and we can have another go ‘round with him when the rest of the Blog Boxers attend.


The night was ended, and it was time to leave. But there was one quote from Mr. Buccigross that was heard by only Ken Rosenblatt and myself as we were leaving. While carrying balloons for his son as they headed out the main entrance doors of the barn, Beaker and his posse stopped him for a question. The second question someone yelled to him was “Hey! Is ESPN EVER going to have hockey back???”


“YES!” He yelled to them. Ken and I both stopped in our tracks.


“When??” They continued to question.


“The year after next!” He affirmed.


“JOHN! Can I QUOTE you on that?” I yelled out to him.


He looked at me from across the outdoor concourse “Yes, you can quote me!”


So … I am….But the real question is: Does the NHL actually NEED ESPN anymore?
We’ll see.
For Day 2 of the Draft, I was getting updates on my phone from Mike and Tom, our boys in Ottawa. But they really weren't doing too much for me. So tonight, while I finished up here, I stopped by someone who has a much better understanding of these things and read his take on it. Besides, gotta read it now. July 7th is fast approaching!

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Thursday, June 19th 2008

8:14 PM

6-19-08

'Twas the Night Before Draft Day 2008


This is the first NHL Draft Day that I'm actually looking forward to, and all for personal reasons. Sure, sure, the June NHL event gives us puck junkies something relatively small to look forward to along with beaches and bar-b-ques. But I never really paid that much attention to it before. Ok, yes, the Sidney Crosby sweepstakes made me sit up and take notice. But other than that, nothing. No recollections of anything even remotely draft related.


But as I sit here polishing my nails bright orange to match my shoes for tomorrow, I have to admit I have butterflies. Maybe not the size of Mothra as my blog box buddies Mike and Tom have as they try to get some sleep before the early flight out tomorrow to Ottawa, but I've got little half-dollar size butterflies inside me.


Am I worried about what Garth Snow will do with our coveted #5 draft pick? Is that what has me jumpy? Um, No. Although, Note to Garth: Please make us proud. That's all I ask. Pull a controversial rabbit out of your hat and I don't even want to read the headlines on Saturday morning in the trades.


Is the whole Friday night in June back at the Coliseum making me giddy with anticipation? Not quite. I'm going to be very happy to see some of my friends, but that's not what's making my palms sweat.


Nope. Two words have me stuttering: John Buccigross. I know. He's just another sports guy who you either love or hate. But in the last five years, I've come to really appreciate his writing style, his humor and his insight. I'm sure he'll enjoy those kind words when I tell him I've never actually SEEN him on ESPN. Nope. To me he's not an on-air personality, he's just another writer.


Writing is such a solitary task. You find yourself secluded so often, locked away from the rest of the world. Just you, your computer and your thoughts. But I always found it fascinating that if I would sit at the table late on a Saturday night, waiting for Big Angry Man to return from a fire call, reading one of Bucci's ESPN entries, I'd be compelled to email him. Heck, he puts his email address at the bottom of every column. I'd dash out a quick email telling him how I felt about the entry and within a few minutes, "You've Got Mail" would announce a response. I'd melt.


In five years, he's never ignored a note from me. To me, that means everything. In this day and age of BlackBerry immediacy, I am seriously disappointed when one of my notes of encouragement and gratitude go unanswered. Luckily, those who do not respond are few and far between. (Some who DON'T respond to me are actually far closer in my cosmic circle!)


Most of the time I forget that email goes straight to that little mobile device, and I'm stunned with the quickness of the response. I've had on air personalities respond during commercial breaks as I'm watching them. That sort of immediacy is completely unnecessary, and somewhat shocking. But, that's the way they are. Gracious, kind and accomodating.


So tomorrow night I will finally get to actually meet one of my media pen-pals. I just hope I don't puke on my shoes.


I'd like to also send out my best regards and a "thank you" to Chris Botta for his latest blog entry about his past draft day recollections. I had a little pointed discussion on Tuesday about Sean Bergenheim being forgotten as one of the Islanders first rounders, but CB has a steel vault of a memory and a flair for storytelling that captures his audience and makes them wish he'd keep talking. His entries are always entertaining, always insightful and sometimes heartbreaking. His latest falls into all three categories.


It's late. I should get some rest. Tomorrow's a big day and I'm typing hoping I don't chip the polish, because truthfully... I usually never paint my nails. But hey... It's a BIG day tomorrow!!

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Thursday, June 12th 2008

7:17 PM

NHL Awards & NHL Hour Season Finale

OK… NOW the Season is OFFICIALLY Over!

It’s June 12th and the NHL has handed out their awards, and even created a new one, so it’s absolutely the END of the 2007-2008 season. But there is no rest for the weary as the 2008-2009 season will basically start on Friday the 20th. It may not be the OFFICIAL beginning of the season, but by all accounts, it may as well be.

This year’s awards ceremony seemed to have been done exceptionally well, but then every year they seem to make it a little more polished, a little more “Hollywood.” You had to LOVE Alexander’s blazing red tie and red vest. Perhaps it was a little swipe at the Red Wings? Or maybe just a fashion statement by the Russian hockey rock star who has his own fashion line?

I sort of expected Jason Blake to win the Masterton trophy. The word “cancer” is never taken lightly, and anyone who has ever watched Jason Blake play knows the thing that matters most to him (next to his family) is hockey. He looked healthy, but a little uncomfortable and did rush off stage immediately after thanking his wife and children.

The new NHL life time achievement award was handed out to the one and only Mr. Hockey. It was the perfect way to begin a new tradition, and the video presentation was just beyond emotional. The new award was no surprise as Gary Bettman had talked about it on his NHL Hour XM radio show which aired its season finale today. The good news is he will do it again next season. The bad news is it was a really good radio hour that was informative and entertaining.

If there’s another venue where fans can actually get to speak to the Commissioner of their favorite sport, please let me know where it is. Bill Clement stated on the NHL Live show today that they never screened the phone calls and never turned any call away. The fans that called in were never coached or scripted, they were sincerely grateful for the access.

Personally, I just wish they would stop calling in with technical questions about cable, satellite and digital service. And as ridiculous as that sounds, Bettman answers each one of them like a Cablevision Customer Service rep. And it happens week after week.

The goaltending committee met yesterday, and he was encouraged by the cooperation. He said he feels the equipment could be smaller and more proportionate to the body, and no larger than is necessary. They came away with a series of recommendations for modifications that they will present to the Competition Committee tomorrow. If they are comfortable with the suggestions, you will see changes as soon as next season.

Everyone understands that goalies are now just taller and bigger than their predecessors; their equipment should indeed be proportional and not overshadow their skill. Of course I listened intently waiting to hear if Mr. Bettman would make reference to GM Garth Snow by name, but no reference was made either seriously or in a cutting manner.

Bill Clement said he would like to see someone threaten Wayne’s old scoring records and Bettman just responded “Don’t hold your breath.” So even if the equipment does become more proportionate, it may not make any difference in the number of goals scored, but at least in the number of chances. And that could be just as exciting.

Also, don’t forget about the premiere of Islanders Illustrated TV on MSG Plus at 6:30 pm on June 18th. They created a show for us; the least we can do is watch it. Then of course, the day Islander Country is waiting for, Friday the 20th and the first round of the draft. Then we’ll finally know who Garth will take with the fifth pick so the speculation will end. Some of those citing inside sources will be right, and some will be miserably wrong. But we know one thing, the NY Islanders are drafting at the fifth slot, and four other teams are picking before them. It’s just about a given that Stamkos is going first, so that leaves three more prospects will be plucked off the shelf before it’s their turn.

And lastly, even though I really don’t want to go there, as everyone already knows my opinion on this, and I seem to be at odds with my blog box buddies, but what the hell… SEAN AVERY. Just the mention of his name makes my skin crawl, but it seems that so many of the Islander faithful seem to think they wouldn’t mind having him as he’d be good for certain things here on the Island. For all those who believe that, I’d like to just bring up a few things.

We already had an agitating little putz on the team who actually scored more than Avery and didn’t grab headlines for sleeping with starlets or hookers. He plays somewhere else now, and if the hockey gods are kind, Mr. Avery will play somewhere else too. Don’t try to bait me by saying it will drive the Ranger fans crazy if he was in an Isles jersey. It will drive ME crazy instead. The kind of crazy that will border on that maniacal laughter I’m pretty famous for that turns into … into…. Never mind… It’s just not pretty.
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Sunday, June 8th 2008

9:04 PM

6-8-08

LI Bandits Road to the Nationals -- 6/7/08

If this is the “Road to the Nationals,” then they must be holding them in HELL this year because its 99 degrees in the shade and it’s only June.

The morning started off at 5 am, much like most tournament mornings, rushing, grunting and loading the truck. But since I have been spoiled by the girls’ recent run of success, I packed very light in the food and beverage department.

Two games. It was supposed to be TWO games and we’d be done and I could resume my usual Saturday chores of shopping, cleaning and cooking something special to enjoy with a nice bottle of wine at the end of the day. Wait. That’s my usual Saturday chores when it’s NOT Softball season. So instead it’s 3:50 pm and where am I?

Sitting in the truck with the air conditioning blasting waiting for the girls to play Game 3 at 4:45 pm. Once again the Techno-Gods have been kind to me and offered up another un-secure internet connection. This is good as the Big Angry Man is in a foul mood and I do not want to speak to him.

Game One, at 8 am this morning, seems like it was a different lifetime ago. Although the Riptide beat the Breezy Angels by 7 - 3, it was about the worst officiated game we have ever witnessed or been part of. Now, everyone has a bad day now and then. But it was obvious that these two ASA officials were having the SAME bad day. I never complain about such things, until today when it was so blatantly obvious that there were 3 blown calls. They didn’t cost us the game; they were just wrong.

For the first time ever, I left the field to seek out whoever was in charge. I smiled politely and asked for their names. This is unlike me, but the Laurel & Hardy team that called this game was just unbelievable. Billy Harris and Allen Thompson might be ASA qualified, but they seem to both need a vision adjustment this morning.

The girls managed an exceptionally well orchestrated double play. Mr. Thompson decided to call the girl safe when 25 people who were observing clearly saw the player as OUT. During another play, he failed to make a call at all which kept the ball in play as it was tossed around from base to base and two runs scored that shouldn‘t have.

The book has the details, as do numerous other parents, but I will leave to the truth to Pete whose vision and judgment I trust above all others on these issues. Suffice it to say, he let his feelings be known without getting himself removed from the game.

After I had complained, the man in charge of the officiating did come by to watch just a portion of the game in progress. I didn’t say anything, but he listened to the wrath of the other parents as they were all rehashing what had happened. I’m hoping he realized it wasn’t just one irate parent who felt their kid was victim to a bad call. We were winning. This wasn’t a situation of being a sore loser. This was a situation where the girls were no longer the most important thing on the field. Everyone became fixated on this official.

Game two should have started at 11:45 am but didn’t get underway until 12:10 pm. Probably because none of the officials wanted to work our game. That’s just a hunch and nothing I have proof of. But I’m sure we were the talk of the Blue squad.

As we moved to the next field, good old Ken Mac, or Diego as he has been called, was sitting pretty in his canopied lawn chair like an unshaven rascal in a Wild West surrey. Priceless. The only things missing were his tea and peanut butter sandwich.

Johnny boy was uncharacteristically quiet, but then again, Danni was hitting well, so what could he possibly say. Well, he could say the same thing the rest of us did. “Oh my God! How did it get so HOT!!?”

The girls were under a tent on the bench, but it wasn’t helping. They were flushed and the heat was getting to them.

I know for a fact that my daughter does not function well in the heat. She never has. From the time she was a baby, if you put this child in the sun and heat for more than 15 minutes, she’d turn beet red and her eyes would roll back in her head and she’d pass out. We found this out on a visit to Sea World when she was 2. Her father thought she was dead and I was to blame. But the baby with the sun hat, who was slathered in 50 SPF sunscreen managed to perk right up within 2 minutes in an air conditioned gift shop. But the damage was done: Mom and Dad were no longer speaking to each other for the day and we left the park. She never got to see Shamu.

I noticed many of the other girls had the same beet red look about them under that glaring sun. Even Princess Dianna who had arrived just in time for game two was wilting. “How did it get so hot?” she questioned and went to the bench to make sure the girls were drinking enough.

Kevin was turning a lovely shade of Crimson. Even though everyone was handing him lotion to put on, it wasn’t helping. Mama Bear was turning red too, but no where near the un-human shade that Kevin was turning right before our eyes.

Needless to say, the girls didn’t fare well. There were some hits, but not enough to win them the game. The Silver Bullets were the victors. There was frustration along with the sweat, and a few tears thrown in for good measure. It was a devastating loss. More so for the parents than the girls. We are spoiled. We all had plans for an early exit today. Fate had a different plan.

Once moved to the “Losers bracket” the next game on the itinerary was at 4:45 pm at ANOTHER field on ANOTHER street somewhere in Kings Park. After a fast-food lunch, all three of us sat in the truck with the air conditioning running full blast in total silence for 45 minutes and $30 worth of gasoline.

I was happy to see Danni sneak up to Kira’s window and bang on it. “Open the door for Danni, Kira.” I said quickly because with someone else in the truck, we’d have to break this bad mood that was holding us.

“I’ve never been in this truck! How do you get in it?” It is a bit difficult to jump up into, and even harder to get OUT of in heels and an evening gown. But since the word “vanity” doesn’t even know I exist, which is obvious by the way I look by the time these 12 hour days on the ball field end, I forget Dan’s truck is an “experience” to others.

We sat on the bleachers and watched yet another game. It was still hot, but the sun was no longer as strong, and the girls had eaten lunch, so they had a little more life in them and their bats. Although MsPharm will tell you it’s because we put a spell on the bats to come alive, and they did. They ended up winning 10-1 and stopping the game with the Bandits Halpin in the bottom of the fifth. Had they LOST this game, our day would have been over and so would their shot in the tournament. For quite awhile, I was thinking that would have been a better outcome.

Back in the truck, and headed for yet ANOTHER field for Game 4 of the day, I made Dan stop at the Hess station so I could at least pick up more water and ice. I was tired of paying $1.50 a bottle from the ice cream trucks that were the only vendors on the fields. Even if that was a bargain compared to the $4.50 a bottle I pay at the Coliseum, I was tired of it.

The sun was beginning to set and there was a slight breeze as Game 4 started at about 6:30 pm. Annie’s Mom had made her exit immediately after Game 3, while Kate’s Mom and brother arrived a few minutes into Game 4. I’m surprised they even recognized Kevin who was now an ungodly shade of purple.

Johnny boy and some of the other fathers made themselves comfortable on lawn chairs outside the fenced fields while the rest of us were again bleacher-creatures. It seems THEY didn’t pack as light as I did, and I was pretty damn JEALOUS!

The Crush had done well during their day at the tournament. They did well again from the start of this game. When they hit, they hit hard and managed to get the ball into unguarded territory. When our girls hit, the ball went straight back to the pitcher who managed to catch it without flinching.

Kat proved she was the coach’s daughter when she complained that the Crush pitcher was not presenting the ball the way she was supposed to. Hey! This was an ASA tournament; they had to play by ASA rules. She was right of course, and the officials corrected the situation, much to the Crush’s dismay.

We had hope all the way to the 7th inning and to the final out. But it was obvious the day and the weekend were not going to turn out the way any of us had planned. Of course each girl took away something from this day, most notably Hannah and Rachel who had a very good day at bat and are now comfortable with the travel softball style.

Sunday would come, and the tournament was sure to go on without the LI Riptide. Another brutal scorcher of a day with temps well over 90 and thunder storms and rain blanketing the Island. We don’t know what would have happened had we made it in.

Maybe this was a good thing. Maybe we all needed to be reminded that anything can happen in this crazy game they call softball. And maybe we needed to be reminded that nothing is handed to us. We can’t take for granted that they will win all the time. Everyone has a bad day now and then, no one is perfect. Perhaps now none of us will take for granted the wins or the losses.

And I personally have learned the following: Pack the damn cooler as if I plan to be there for the next 24 hours and never, ever forget the damn wine, sunscreen and Advil because having to be in the sun for that many hours with my family is certainly going to give me a headache!

As a Hockey offside: During the first game on Saturday morning, while sitting on the bleachers, I had a very interesting conversation with Hannah’s parents and NY Times Mike. I don’t even know how it started, but my Islanders blog came up and as if by sheer cosmic intervention, Hannah’s Mom innocently said “Oh! I wish I knew you two years ago. Our neighbor was on the Islanders.” I smiled, knowing that since I was now a regular in the locker room, I wasn’t going to be star struck by any information she could offer up.

“Jason Blake lived right next door. I could have introduced you."

I let out a laugh that could be heard two fields away. It wasn’t stopping either. This caused everyone to look at me and wonder why I was laughing so hard.

“Um… No… That’s ok.” I tried to compose myself as Mike looked at me with a smile, knowing me only slightly better than the others involved in this conversation. Although I DO believe he might have said “Stalker.” I could be wrong though.

“He’s in Canada now, right? “ They asked.

“Yes. He’s on the Maple Leafs making a lot of money but he’s not very happy.” I said knowingly.

“He wasn’t happy before either. He wasn’t exactly an easy person. His wife was nice, what was her name again?” she looked at her husband for the answer, but I got there first.

“Sarah.” I said. I could have rattled off the kids’ names and license plates on both cars but I didn’t. I just explained, “Well, Jason is the reason I’m doing what I do. He’s the reason I won the NHL contest and how I ended up writing the blog.”

I excused myself and laughed all the way to the bathroom wondering if I should call IslanderQueen and let her in on this piece of information. I splashed water on my face, composed myself as the maniacal laughter ended. I headed back to the bleachers.

“Is that his number?” looking at my necklace. “No. That’s Kira’s number. I have an Islander necklace though that does have his number “55” on it, but I took it off.”

Yes. I took it off the last time he ignored me as I almost fell on him coming out of the locker room and into the crowded hallway at the Coliseum. I gave up after six years of protecting him from all those in the media, on the internet or in person, who had negative things to say about his talent or his personality. I gave up after six years of being the best non-sanctioned, non-paid PR woman in the hockey business. It was a thankless job that I toiled at with motherly devotion.

On March 18th, I stood five feet away from him in the Coliseum tunnel as my Blog Box buddies performed what amounted to an intervention.

“Look at my eyes Dee! Look at my eyes! Don’t look anywhere else but my eyes!” Islesblogger.com Mike S. kept repeating to me as TigerTrack Tom and OkposoNet Ken surrounded me, waiting for me to just hit the floor. It reminded me of an old western, where someone was responsible for diverting a gunshot victim’s attention while a bartender is digging out a bullet with nothing but a rusted knife and a bottle of bourbon. My bullet is 5' 9" and blonde with ice-blue eyes.

As dramatic as that all sounds, it pales in comparison to the reality of the scene that night. Just ask Mike, Tom and Ken. Ask Jason Blake and he'll say "Huh?" He's not a very observant man unless he's on the ice.

On March 18th, I went home and took the necklace off and replaced it with one that didn’t have a number on it just as I had promised the Islanders’ PR team. I had promised if they let me attend practice that morning so that I could finally get my story on him, I would lose the number as it seemed to bother them that I was still wearing it while he was playing for the Leafs. I always keep my promises, even if the story I ended up with wasn’t the story I wanted.

So the book in my head chronicling my road to becoming "Sayville’s Hockey Hot-Line" will ultimately be written without the finality of a one-on-one interview with the man that made me the hockey industry’s most prolific pen-pal. It's truly a shame. It would be a perfect ending. But I guess I’m just not ready for the ending yet. There must be more to come, because since that fateful day, the cosmos doesn’t seem to want to let ME go when it comes to my boy Blake.

So now I’m starting to wonder… Who is stalking WHOM? Guess I'll just have to wait to find out!
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Thursday, June 5th 2008

4:56 AM

Islanders Business Club - Built for SUCCESS! 6-4-08


Call me jaded. I’ve come to the conclusion that I am, and I shouldn’t be. But I’m used to seeing Mike Bossy, Clark Gillies, Bobby Nystrom and Garth Snow 4 ft. away from me. I no longer get that star struck look that I saw on so many faces last night at the Islanders Business Club networking event. I may no longer get it, but it’s one of the greatest things to see on others. It’s a smile from ear to ear and a sparkle in the eyes that says “Wow! I’m talking to one of Hockey’s greatest legends!” And I saw it in hundreds and hundreds of faces.

When we arrived and made our way down to the event hall, we rode the escalator with Ted Nolan. That’s where it started. As soon as we were at the main hall floor there was a line, actually two lines of people signing in and picking up their Business Club passes. There was also a security guard putting red bracelets on anyone who wanted to go into the locker room to meet Mike Sillinger and Kyle Okposo. Fellow blogger Tom Liodice laughed when the guard tried to tell me where the locker room is. I found it humorous too, but I’m too nice to laugh.

I immediately struck up a conversation with a woman who had never been to the coliseum before, but had received the email from Isles master organizer Catie Bennett. We chatted and chatted and exchanged business cards as we tried to figure out what line to get on.
IslanderQueen, Tom and I decided to see what would happen if we just walked through the doors. Of course, they let me go FIRST. Other than getting hit in the eyes with a blinding spot light that was shining on a 10 foot ice sculpture at the front of the hall, we were not stopped.

The area was absolutely PACKED decked out in blue, orange and white balloons, bistro tables, bar stools, leather chairs and black drapes. I stopped dead in my tracks and people almost fell over me. There was, much to my surprise, a Hockey star I never thought I’d see in person. It was a HANSON! YES! A Hanson! Not a look-a-like, but the real thing, Chiefs jersey and all. I had to explain to my new friend, Susan, who he was but that was okay. She’ll learn soon enough. IslanderQueen and I stopped for photos.

There were carving stations and chafing dishes set up on the perimeter of the room along with two bars that were giving out flashing Islander logo glasses. They made the room look like a disco. I stopped at the desert cart to take a photo of my next birthday cake. I was in heaven. But so was everyone else. There was wild chatter, laughter and nothing but smiles.

We found another one of our fellow bloggers, B.D. Gallof sampling the fine fare and enjoying the company of strangers. At the front of the room was a stage and someone, we don’t know who, in full goalie gear with a net. I guess the idea was to shoot on him. But the room stopped as Bossy took the stage to welcome everyone and introduce his fellow Alumni. He’s a wonderful Master of Ceremonies and the presentations were surprisingly brief from Garth and Mr. Wang.
I also had the opportunity to spend some time with arena hostess Dina who told me a great story about her night in Detroit at game 5 of the playoffs.

“I’m sitting there in this sea of red, and what’s two rows in front of me??? A guy in a RANGERS T-shirt! So my friend said to me ‘Oh, no. You’re not going to SAY something are you?’ and I told him; ‘Of course I am!’ Hey! Your team's on the golf course!” That’s our Dina. Islanders through and through, even in Detroit wearing a Red Wings T-shirt. But it was an Osgood shirt because, as she told me “I figured that would be fine if anyone saw me in it. After all… he WAS an Islander!”
IslanderQueen and the Blog Box crew finally made our way to the locker room to see Sillinger and Okposo. Mike is a pretty funny guy, but not a very observant one it seems. With B.D. and Tom behind me I asked him if he knew who we were. He answered with an absolute “No.” and shook his head. I told him we were the bloggers and tried to refresh his memory of seeing us in the locker room when ONE of my buddies, and I won’t name names said “Of course he doesn’t remember us from the locker room. He wasn’t there that much.” DOH!! Kyle got a real kick out of that. Yeah, we're nothing but trouble together.

So, once again, I’ll say the Business Club is definitely the way to go for anyone with a business or a product to sell on Long Island. Fourteen club events before Islander games, a network of potential clients and Islander tickets too! Throw in Mike Bossy as the chairman, who can beat that? And all in our own backyard. Pretty special indeed!
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Sunday, June 1st 2008

4:51 AM

THE END IS NEAR!!!


Of the 2007-2008 Hockey Season that is. As I went to bed at 11:30 last night, I couldn't help but think "Mon- day... that's it." So, Red Wings in 5. I just hope Chris Chelios can find some way of getting his ancient butt on the ice so he can be there to carry the cup one more time.


Yep. Watching last night's game, that was indeed entertaining, you couldn't help but think "If the Pens couldn't score on the 5 on 3 power play, they were done. Well, they looked like the Islanders for the two minutes. They just couldn't make it work, no matter how hard they tried. And they did try.


Read a really wonderful entry on ESPN.com by John Buccigross while I was watching the game, and Big Angry Man was snoring on the couch. It's called "Travelling to the 'Burgh..." http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=buccigross_john&id=3419326, and it really is a special piece of work. I had a heated discussion with another hockey writer over the quality and caliber of Bucci's hockey writing, but I only know him from his written word, not his on-air ESPN stints, and I've loved every chapter. Every entry is painted with a master's brush that does nothing but evoke emotion. If you have some time, check it out.


At the end of the game, a member on the NYIC board posted Greg Logan's 10 pm article "Dubie, other free agents, won't be back." It was sad to see, but no surprise to me at all. As fellow Blog Boxer Frank Trovato had said to me one night at the table "He's done. He's going to be some team's number one next season."
I guess this time, he was right. (He's still wrong about Blake, but he's right about Dubie.) I'm just glad this means Dubie will have to get that mask painted again. I really had a bad feeling when I saw the Fisherman style lighthouse on it. It gave me the creeps.


I had a feeling about Satan and Tank too back in April, but I'm surprised about Big Joe. They really liked him and he did have sparks of greatness. They were just few and far between.
My mother-in-law is going to be very upset. She fell in love with Kozlov last season and was devastated when he wasn't back on the ice. Ruslan was an acceptable substitute with the same Russian good looks and rosey cheeks. I will have to explain to her that this is what it means to be a hockey fan. That every season you have the potential of having your heart broken as your favorite player is sent packing. (A passionate sport evokes passionate heartache.)


Joey Mac will get the nod as Ricky's bench warmer, I mean back-up. I'm perfectly content with this move, although it means I will have to get used to his Leprechaun-style voice during locker room interviews. I'll also have to make a point of not staring at his feet and the amazing amount of space there is between his toes. (The first time I saw them, I had a hard time looking away. They are just that unusual.)


So, as I turned off the TV at 11:30 and woke my husband, I announced. "Wings won, Yanks are tied at 6 in the 12th and Dubie is a goner." That was my condensed version of the 11 o'clock sports.


On another note: Sorry that some of my writing may be a little unintelligible of late. I've been functioning in a cloud, and it doesn't seem to be lifting yet. My friend Dean used to have a saying for it. "I'm in a dither." I think "dither" only applies to a short period of functioning stupidity. This fuzzy period is more "I'm functioning... but my head is up my butt." It's almost like "pregnancy stupids." (And any mother will know what I mean!) Hopefully things will improve soon. Although with the eminent end of hockey.... withdrawal symptoms should start pretty soon.
Oh crap... this isn't going to be pretty.
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Monday, May 26th 2008

10:00 PM

Feel the Heat - 5-17, 18-08

Does it always have to rain on tournament days?

It reminds me of when my brother’s band had a standing Thursday night gig at the Boardy Barn in the Hamptons. Every week, every Thursday, it rained -- for three months straight. So as we headed into yet another tournament weekend, the forecast was again grim.

The Friday night monsoon made a mess of the fields, so even though we knew we had late games on Saturday, we just didn’t expect them to be THAT late, but they were. We all had enough time Saturday to get our normal chores done and Kira even had enough time to get a trim, purple hair extensions and have lunch with her friends at the local Friendly’s. We didn’t head to the fields at Kings Park until almost 4 pm. It was chilly and windy, but at least it was dry.

We had time. Enough time for me to break out the tarot cards again. Even sitting on cold metal bleachers in 20 mile an hour wind, they didn’t’ let me down. I was bang on again for those I read. I’m surprised my daughter didn’t ask me to read hers. You see, this particular tournament was bothering her a little because it was the first time she would be playing AGAINST some former team mates. This is hard for 13-year-olds who leaned to love each other as team mates and now have to compete against each other. I was hoping with all my heart this would teach her and her friends sportsmanship of a different kind. That friends should remain friends no matter what. That sports are only one facet of life, and those you grow close to are a gift you should keep.

Their first game for Saturday’s Pool Play was against the LI Express with Kira’s old Sayville little league team mate, Erin Caputo, who pitched a great game. Riptide ex-team mate Tori Hytell played 2nd base, so the girls got to a chance to get over the jitters of playing each other only a few minutes before they started. This game was a pitcher’s duel between Ashley and Erin and it ended in a 1 - 1 tie.

Dani C. served up a triple, as Daddy watched once again un-impressed…. On the outside. Kat went 2 for 2 with a walk and Ashley did herself proud at bat going 2 for 2 with a sacrifice bunt.

The second game was against Amanda LaRocca and the Comets. We waited around wondering what the delay was as both teams were on the field, but there were no officials. This is the first time we’ve seen Amanda on a softball field since she wore Riptide Blue. Emotionally it was a tough game, but softball wise -- Kate pitched a great game, and Hannah closed it out. We’ve got some really intimidating girls on the mound, but they had a lot of help from the fielders.

Kat had two unassisted put-outs. There were some great plays by Gabi at 2nd base, Kira at 3rd, Dani at short and Annie came up with a great catch in right field. That 6 - 0 score made the late night ending palatable. But sitting out there in the night air for hours can make you a little… nuts. It’s stressful and long, and while the girls are too busy to get hungry, the parents can’t help it. So you sit there and munch out on anything that’s available. It could be indistinguishable items from the “roach coach” or it could be pretzel rods that someone left behind on the stands from the game before. (Thank you John LaRocca) It doesn’t matter after awhile. You figure that if the first parent who ate from the strange bag didn’t keel over turning colors, then they were fair game. We are SO lucky we all like each other and the extra time between games gives us an opportunity to learn more about each other. Which is a good thing since the softball season is… LONG.

It was after 9:30 pm when we left the field, and we hadn’t even eaten dinner. It was so late, however, that we didn’t even stop at a drive-thru, we just headed home to raid the refrigerator and unwind. Easier said than done, as I personally didn’t hit the sheets until almost 1 am.

Kate had a difficult decision to make for Sunday’s bracket play eliminations. Sunday was also the day that her older brother was graduating college. Of course her family wanted her with them, and her team wanted her with them. What’s a 13-year-old to do? Simple. You diss the brother of course, as any younger sister would do.

Sunday’s games were also scheduled later than my liking, but considering the late night prior, it was a good thing. For me, there was one minor conflict. The Penguins were playing the Flyers at 3:30 pm. The Red Wings had already advanced the day before and I missed it. That was the first game of the playoffs that I missed. This would now be the second game. This is unheard of for me.

The weather in the morning was lovely, and then hour by hour, it became grey. By the time we headed to the fields, it was drizzling and cool. I packed more snacks this time as well as my laptop. I figured if there were additional layovers between games, or if anything was delayed, at least I could write the article that needed to be done.

It was raining on and off, and we were all concerned. Would they play the game? Would we all have to wait around for hours to find out what’s next? Would the Flyers pull a win and live to play another day. Ok, so I was the only one contemplating that question. But there were questions. Numerous, unanswerable questions.

I opted to sit in the truck out of the rain while the girls were warming up. I had the XM radio tuned to Home Ice 204 and the laptop cranking. Talk about multi-tasking and sensory overload. I had my digital recorder headset on playing back the interview with Islanders GM Garth Snow and the Penguins game on when that little box in the corner of the laptop screen informed me “You are now connected to the internet.” Be still my heart! Someone across the street from this parking lot has a linksys box! I was in!

Thank you NBC for having ISO cameras on certain players during the play offs. I thought my head would explode as I was watching the game, listening to the game, listening to an interview and trying to write an article all while I had one eye on the rear-view mirror to see if the girls were actually going to play the first game or not! Within five minutes, I had a headache.

“They’re going to play.” Dan told me as he opened up the driver’s side door only to find me in my electronic cord, techno glory.

“I’ll be right there. Let me just finish this paragraph.” I lied. I was actually waiting for the first intermission. I packed up my hardware and put it all under the seat, grabbed the umbrella and sloshed my way out into the wet fields. I thought to myself, “These girls are going to get nothing but SICK in this.”

Game 1 was against the LI Hurricanes and I didn’t think they were going to make it. The girls started out down by three and it looked like an early exit for the Riptide. But something must have made them realize that they were headed for an early departure because their bats managed to come alive and pull out a 10 - 3 WIN.

I paced nervously as I was talking to Maureen on the phone, feeling terrible that Kate had chosen not to go with her family for her brother’s graduation and might have ended up spending the rest of the day trying to dry off. That’s when they started to hit. Dani C was 3 for 4 at the plate with 3 singles. Gabi went 2 for 4 with 2 singles; Kira went 4 for 4 with 3 singles and a double (she really didn’t want to go home). Leanne went 3 for 3 with a highly unusual balk call. Ashley was 2 for 3 with 2 singles, Dani B had a single and a great sacrifice bunt and Rachel (Ray Ray) came up with a key hit for the team to send them into the next round.

“It’s a funny game, this softball.” Princess Di said to me as the sun came out. We thought it was over, we really did. I have to say, I was glad it wasn’t. Even if it did mean having to stay out on the soggy fields for a few more hours.

I kept sneaking away to the truck to check on the score of the Penguins game as timed allowed. The next game was against the LI Bandits 12U team. They really are a GOOD 12U team, and they held the Riptide to only 4 runs until the 7th inning when the girls’ bats just exploded again for 7 runs which caused an 11 - 0 final.

Princess Kate had the mound for this game, so at least when her brother says “Hey! You missed my graduation.” She can say “Hey! I pitched a SHUT OUT.”

Kat had 4 consecutive unassisted put-outs at first that caused quite a few “oooohhhsss” and “ahhhhss”. Dani C was 3 for 3 at the plate with 2 walks. I asked her father if he still was trying to give her pointers even though she was doing great. “Yes. But now only the car door hears me so I don’t end up in your blog.” Tough luck Johnny boy. You made it anyway.

Hannah was 3 for 4 at the plate and Annie came up with a really nice double. Gabi had 2 successful sacrifice bunts and 2 singles. The infield was busy with this team and both Kira and Gabi ended with 4 put-outs each. I even overheard the Bandits coach say “Can you hit it to someone else, please.” Ok, so I was a little proud at that moment.

I also ran back to the truck to check on the Penguins score and write down a note about this little episode. During the Bandits game, one of their opponents was caught between home and 3rd. It turned into a game of “chicken” as the poor kid ran back and forth as Kira and Leanne tossed the ball back and forth. Dani C got to a point where she would have no more of that, and caught the ball and just tackled the girl. This is the first time I’ve seen anything like it. I found it very amusing.

 

Have to say, however, that Leanne did a great job all day long behind the plate. She worked hard all day in some pretty adverse conditions. So even though the day was unsettled, the sun was setting and the girls were still a little damp, they were happy. What started out as a day they were going home early, turned into a day they were heading to the finals. Make that NIGHT they were heading into the finals as the sun was setting and the field lights were coming up.

It was a shame they weren’t on the field toward the west, as the sun setting over the ball field was just spectacular. It was a Sunday night and we were here for the long haul. I’m glad I brought snacks this time. But of course, they’re so much better when they’re just left on the bleachers by someone else. As expected… the Penguins rolled over the Flyers, but the girls’ Championship game wasn’t that easy to predict. They played the LI Express again. Since I’m late with this entry, everyone knows this was a total team effort. Ashley pitched a gem of a game -- only a two hitter. Rachel & Dani B had great hits and Kira continued to shine as she went 2 for 4 with a double and a triple. As I passed Tori Hytell on the way back from the Ladies room, I stopped to say Hi to her on the bench. She looked at me sheepishly and said “Next time… can you tell Kira to leave her BAT at home!”

This was just too sweet. These girls all play so hard and try their best. But when it comes to the championship game, someone goes home a loser. They really are all winners. Leanne was 2 for 4 with 2 singles, Hannah was 1 for 2 with a solid hit, Dani B was 1 for 1 with a single and Dani C had a beautiful RBI single under the moonlight. Rachel (Ray Ray) made an awesome catch of a fly ball hit by Tori Hytell.

Gabi was busy fielding hard hit balls at second base recording 5 put-outs. Kat scooped up everything thrown at her at first base like a seasoned pro. She was “League of Their Own” movie worthy as she was doing splits catching balls on first. It was a sight to behold.

Princess Kate came off the bench with a pinch walk to close out her day, and Annie made 3 nice catches in right field including the catch that ended the game.

Tired, hungry, filthy and happy, our girls took another first place trophy home. They are something so special together. Like pieces to a puzzle that just seems to fit. It‘s still only May. We have a long season ahead of us. But believe it or not… this uber hockey fan is actually looking forward to it.
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Sunday, May 18th 2008

7:33 PM

FIRST PLACE RIPTIDE!!!

I'ts already after 10:30 pm on Sunday.  This is going to be short, but I"ll have plenty more to write in a few days.  I just wanted to dash out a quick Congrats to the Girls for a tournament well played and another trophy for the shelf that needs to be built.

So the Riptide LI is now after it's third tournament for this season has taken two first place trophys and one 2nd.  Not bad for a team that was basically supposed to fold up a few weeks ago.

Truth be told, this is a great group of girls that play very well together.  Even more important, they like each other enough to play for each other.  Best for me.... the days on the field are not that horrid as it's a great group of parents.

So just a quick Thank You to them before I finally get to eat dinner.

Thank you to Princess Di for sharing her coffee.  She is as nobel as she is regal.

Thank you to my fellow witch of the Riptide for bringing out the sun and finding a "half dollar" that brought luck.

Thank you to Real Writer Mike for cheering on every girl as if it was his own.

Thank you to Nurse Laura for actually showing up to a tournament so I wouldn't have to worry that Ranger Fan John had buried her in the yard.

Thank you to Mama Bear for "turning the tide in the other direction."

Thank you to the Car-Car-Car-modys... for letting their daughter have the choice of where to be today.  Without her, it woulnd't have been the same.

Every one of the parents has a huge role in making this team work as well as it does.  It's a big committment both financially and emotionally and for the newest memebers of the team... we may be an overwhelming bunch.

But we're a good group, and I've got a real feeling... This is going to be one hell of a summer!  This is the year these girls' will absolutely shine and grow.  And the great thing is... we'll all be there to watch it happen.

We'll be poorer financially for it maybe, but so much richer in so many other ways.  These are the days we will look back on... and absolutely love.

Congratulations again Riptide LI girls and coaches for a job well done.  Congratuations parents... We've got some great kids there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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