I wasn't sure where to post this, so...here it is.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Marian Gaborik > You.
Yesterday marked 30 years that the ever flawless Marian Gaborik has been walking this Earth. Allow me to share with you a list of the reasons why he is one of my favorite hockey players & overall an amazing human being.
1.
The moves like Gaborik.
The moves like Gaborik.
Seriously. He's filthy. You best believe when he scores a goal it's not going to be a fluke or just any other goal. He always has some little trick, a little fake out or a toe drag - something, that makes the majority of his goals extraordinary and he'll leave you wondering...how did he do that? Like many other mysteries of this world - we may never know why Marian Gaborik is so good at scoring goals.
Add to his goal scoring ability his insane speed. He's incredibly fast, the only current Ranger who can touch him is Carl Hagelin.
Take for example, this penalty shot against Phoenix from a few weeks ago. Granted, he did not score, but just the sheer speed he picks up coming down the ice is something to be commended. Not many players can do that, let alone somebody at his age.
2.
He was this years All Star Game MVP. He held his own in a game packed with NHL's best and his hat trick was a major reason why Team Chara walked away with the win. This is the first time a New York Ranger has been an MVP of the All Star game since Mike Richter in 1994. Something else happened in 1994 for the Rangers also....
He was this years All Star Game MVP. He held his own in a game packed with NHL's best and his hat trick was a major reason why Team Chara walked away with the win. This is the first time a New York Ranger has been an MVP of the All Star game since Mike Richter in 1994. Something else happened in 1994 for the Rangers also....
Also, after scoring on Henrik "The King" Lundqvist, he busted out this goal celebration made famous by our own Artem Anisimov known as the sniper riffle. Best goal cellie of the entire All Star weekend? You bet your ass.
3.
He has the most hilarious Twitter.
He has the most hilarious Twitter.
Need I say more?
4.
He enjoys consuming mass quantities of alcohol.
He enjoys consuming mass quantities of alcohol.
5.
He's a soccer player when he's not a hockey player. It's not fair that one person should be so talented.
He's a soccer player when he's not a hockey player. It's not fair that one person should be so talented.
6.
And finally: he carried a Christmas tree home on his shoulder. If that doesnt say "bad ass"...I really don't know what does. Think Marian Gaborik needs his Christmas tree delivered to his apartment? Hell no, he's just gonna carry that shit home all the way home on his shoulder through the streets of New York City. Fucks given: 0.
And finally: he carried a Christmas tree home on his shoulder. If that doesnt say "bad ass"...I really don't know what does. Think Marian Gaborik needs his Christmas tree delivered to his apartment? Hell no, he's just gonna carry that shit home all the way home on his shoulder through the streets of New York City. Fucks given: 0.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Annoying People You Will Sit Next to At a Hockey Game.
If you're anything like me, one of the first things you wonder about upon entering Madison Square Garden for a Ranger game is....who am I going to end up sitting next to/around? Actually, I may be the only person who worries about that. Anyway, I digress. I have compiled a list of people I hate sitting next to during hockey games and sporting events in general --- but seeing how this blog will focus mainly on the Rangers we'll just stick to the theme of the good old hockey game (its the best game you can name).
Okay, so you have your beer, maybe you made a pit-stop at the team store, pre-game skate is over and it's almost time for the puck to drop. As you're headed to your seats, I sincerely hope one of the following people is not sitting next to you:
1. The Mute
Need I say more? At various points in the game you will find yourself questioning whether or not these people even have a pulse. Nothing gets a rise out of these people, a fight, a goal - nothing. They just sit there and stare the entire game with their hands folded in their laps. They also might not appreciate your foul language, commentary on the game and general game time shouting. But I mean, if you don't want to hear people around you getting into a game...why did you come? Stay home, or at least let the people sitting around you know you're alive. I've sat next to a few mutes in my lifetime and at first they used to make me feel uncomfortable, like I had to censor myself in order to not disturb them. However, I have grown to not give a shit. I paid good money for this ticket and I came here intending to have a good time. Mutes, if you're out there - I don't know if anybody ever told you but it's a hockey game, not a tennis match - you don't need to take a vow of silence.
2. The Traveler
As annoying as it is, at least it's tolerable when you have to stand up and let people in and out of your row between periods, but when you have the misfortune of sitting next to that one person that gets up 50,000 times during the game....that shit is just not acceptable. First and foremost, I just need to know where the hell you're going. Half the time you return to the row with nothing in your hands. If you're not going to buy A. beer, B. food, C. memorabilia ...what are you doing that requires you to get up and leave your seat 400 times per period? Are you going to the bathroom? But how can one person have to pee that much? Haven't you ever heard of not breaking the seal until you absolutely need to? Sometimes, after the 1,000th time you've climbed over me, I just want to take a poll amongst people in our row and even our section to vote you the eff out ala Survivor. Seriously: sit the fuck down.
3. The Critic
In the eyes of this guy, NOBODY on your team can do anything right. This guy will pick apart every and anything, a bad turnover, that guy didn't make his change fast enough, his grandmother could have made that save, etc. etc. etc. This guy can't even be happy when your team scores, instead of being happy he's discussing all the ways the play could have gone wrong. We get it dude, everybody on the team is a bum, the coach is clueless, your blind parrot could've made that save - got it, now can you please keep it to a minimum?
4. The Yelling Drunk
He may be funny for the first period. Maybe even half way into the second. But eventually you will get tired of that screaming drunk guy. Now you may be thinking - I already complained about the mute for being quiet...but now I'm complaining about the drunk yelling guy? Yes, yes I am. That is because drunk yelling guy is ALWAYS yelling, this guy doesn't take a break, save to sip his beer. Seriously, we do not need to hear your mouth for a full 60 minutes of hockey. Not every action on the ice warrants your hollering, give it a rest.
5.The Texter
It is impossible for The Texter to look away form his or hers cellphone. Which begs me to ask the question, why did you even buy a ticket? Why are you even here? You're not even watching! And more importantly, who the hell are you texting? And if you're on refreshing social media website like a mad man, trust me - peoples stupid, pointless updates will still be there after the game. It's okay to put your phone down. And if you're on Twitter live tweeting the game....I have no words for you. Odds are if people gave a shit about your commentary on the game - you'd have a press pass & you'd be seated at the press box. Oh but wait, that's right - nobody cares! I'll never understand how people go to a live sporting event, or even a concert and they can't tear themselves away from their phones...
While these are only a few of the endless list of abnormal beings we can end up next to at a game, bottom line: we should all be thankful when we end up sitting next to a normal human being at a game.
Okay, so you have your beer, maybe you made a pit-stop at the team store, pre-game skate is over and it's almost time for the puck to drop. As you're headed to your seats, I sincerely hope one of the following people is not sitting next to you:
1. The Mute
Need I say more? At various points in the game you will find yourself questioning whether or not these people even have a pulse. Nothing gets a rise out of these people, a fight, a goal - nothing. They just sit there and stare the entire game with their hands folded in their laps. They also might not appreciate your foul language, commentary on the game and general game time shouting. But I mean, if you don't want to hear people around you getting into a game...why did you come? Stay home, or at least let the people sitting around you know you're alive. I've sat next to a few mutes in my lifetime and at first they used to make me feel uncomfortable, like I had to censor myself in order to not disturb them. However, I have grown to not give a shit. I paid good money for this ticket and I came here intending to have a good time. Mutes, if you're out there - I don't know if anybody ever told you but it's a hockey game, not a tennis match - you don't need to take a vow of silence.
2. The Traveler
As annoying as it is, at least it's tolerable when you have to stand up and let people in and out of your row between periods, but when you have the misfortune of sitting next to that one person that gets up 50,000 times during the game....that shit is just not acceptable. First and foremost, I just need to know where the hell you're going. Half the time you return to the row with nothing in your hands. If you're not going to buy A. beer, B. food, C. memorabilia ...what are you doing that requires you to get up and leave your seat 400 times per period? Are you going to the bathroom? But how can one person have to pee that much? Haven't you ever heard of not breaking the seal until you absolutely need to? Sometimes, after the 1,000th time you've climbed over me, I just want to take a poll amongst people in our row and even our section to vote you the eff out ala Survivor. Seriously: sit the fuck down.
3. The Critic
In the eyes of this guy, NOBODY on your team can do anything right. This guy will pick apart every and anything, a bad turnover, that guy didn't make his change fast enough, his grandmother could have made that save, etc. etc. etc. This guy can't even be happy when your team scores, instead of being happy he's discussing all the ways the play could have gone wrong. We get it dude, everybody on the team is a bum, the coach is clueless, your blind parrot could've made that save - got it, now can you please keep it to a minimum?
4. The Yelling Drunk
He may be funny for the first period. Maybe even half way into the second. But eventually you will get tired of that screaming drunk guy. Now you may be thinking - I already complained about the mute for being quiet...but now I'm complaining about the drunk yelling guy? Yes, yes I am. That is because drunk yelling guy is ALWAYS yelling, this guy doesn't take a break, save to sip his beer. Seriously, we do not need to hear your mouth for a full 60 minutes of hockey. Not every action on the ice warrants your hollering, give it a rest.
5.The Texter
It is impossible for The Texter to look away form his or hers cellphone. Which begs me to ask the question, why did you even buy a ticket? Why are you even here? You're not even watching! And more importantly, who the hell are you texting? And if you're on refreshing social media website like a mad man, trust me - peoples stupid, pointless updates will still be there after the game. It's okay to put your phone down. And if you're on Twitter live tweeting the game....I have no words for you. Odds are if people gave a shit about your commentary on the game - you'd have a press pass & you'd be seated at the press box. Oh but wait, that's right - nobody cares! I'll never understand how people go to a live sporting event, or even a concert and they can't tear themselves away from their phones...
While these are only a few of the endless list of abnormal beings we can end up next to at a game, bottom line: we should all be thankful when we end up sitting next to a normal human being at a game.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Great Commercials Will be Made...
Two seasons ago, as the Stanley Cup Playoffs approached, the NHL launched a new series of commercials designed to entice new viewers into watching the playoffs and the Stanley Cup Finals. In addition to this, they also appealed to the emotions of their current fan base. This emotional appeal would than garner a response of over two thousand fan made videos being plastered up all over YouTube. If you can increase your viewer ship and inspire your fanbase – well, you have to be doing something right? That's right, much to ESPN's dismay, a recent poll now shows that hockey is just as popular as basketball in the United States. Can the success of these commercials be attributed to that? Possibly, maybe, probably.
The reason why I love these commercials and why I think they are so successful is because they’re very simple in nature. There’s nothing flashy about them, they’re just bits and pieces of history of the sport that tug at your heart strings even if it’s not your team being featured. They’re very understated and not overly glamorized, which is a nice change from other advertisements within sports marketing and outside of it as well.
These commercials work so well because they show the true grit of the sport, the emotion, the great moments, the great players and they really showcase why hockey is the greatest sport. The NHL has essentially let the sport market itself in these commercials. It's really a no-brainer.The commercials put you right into the center of some of the greatest moments in the history of the sport as well as up close and personal with some of the greatest players, current and from the past.
The first installment of these commercials was focused solely on the slogan “History Will Be Made” and last season they incorporated various other slogans and words into the commercials like “History…makes a mess” while showing the Rangers 94 cup tickertape parade, among various other celebrations.
These commercials work so well because they show the true grit of the sport, the emotion, the great moments, the great players and they really showcase why hockey is the greatest sport. The NHL has essentially let the sport market itself in these commercials. It's really a no-brainer.The commercials put you right into the center of some of the greatest moments in the history of the sport as well as up close and personal with some of the greatest players, current and from the past.
The first installment of these commercials was focused solely on the slogan “History Will Be Made” and last season they incorporated various other slogans and words into the commercials like “History…makes a mess” while showing the Rangers 94 cup tickertape parade, among various other celebrations.
Another example of why these commercials work is this one featuring Mark Messier lifting the cup in '94. Even if you didn’t so much care about hockey or the Rangers, just seeing the words “What if Messier didn’t lift an entire city?” and the sheer look of joy and exhilaration on his face is enough to give you chills. And that’s why it works, because it tugs so heavily at your emotions without even trying – the commercial speaks for itself. These commercials do not insult the viewers intelligence, they do not manipulate the viewers emotions - they don't have to.
This one featuring Bobby Orr is another great one from the campaign because the technique they use when they reverse the film works especially well when paired with the question: What if Bobby didn’t fly?
These advertisements have also opened the door for fans to make their own renditions of the commercials and post them on YouTube. Some equally inspiring, some...hilarious.
This years commercials have not yet been released, as it is still a little too early in the season. I'm anxiously waiting to see what the newest installment of these commercials will look like. Over all, these are just amazing advertisements. I have not seen anything done this well in any other facet of professional sports. Whoever thought these up at the NHL should have their name engraved on the Stanley Cup - they’re just that amazing.
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