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2006 > September > 27 > Entry
Hockey is as hockey does
By David Vecsey
| Wednesday, September 27, 2006, 10:20 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I hope there aren’t many games like this 2-0 loss to Florida. An 0-for-8 on the power play, by my count. That’s all I have to say about that.
Speaking of Forrest Gump …
I enjoyed John Manasso’s story on Bob Hartley last week in which he wrote about how nothing fazes Hartley. I particularly enjoyed the string of quotes at the end in which Hartley sounded decidedly Gump-ian. To get the full effect when you read this, you have to read it with a hybrid accent of French-Canadian and Alabaman:
“For me, coaching is like living. You know your birthday, you don’t know the day you’ll die. It’s like a loaf of bread with an expiration date. You try to keep it in the freezer.
“[Coaching] is full of risks. That’s the fun of it. Me, I have fun with it every day. As long as you guarantee you’ll do your best, what else can you do? There is bad luck and intangibles. Am I going to worry about all this? No, because I can’t control it.
“What kind of person sits at home on the couch and wonders if they’ll die of a heart attack or cancer? That makes you miserable. Do your best and what happens, happens.”
Life is like a loaf of bead?
I was hoping to link to pictures of Hartley and Gump for some extra comedic effects, but it seems as if my technology won’t allow it. I’m working on an old Commodore 64 with a 25k baud modem connection. It’s great for Pong and word processing, but it took me 18 hours to download K-Fed’s new album. (So worth it.)
My responses to your responses
I put a guy to sleep with my last post! I mean, I know it wasn’t “The Old Man and the Sea” or anything, but it was only eight short graphs. You’ve clearly never read Peter King’s “Monday Morning Quarterback” on SI.com. That thing is like 8,000 graphs, and it’ll put you in a coma.
I actually have played in the AAHL over-30 at The Cooler before, but I work nights and weekends now. Sticktime during the middle of the day is my best best to play regularly.
Scott Burnside’s Thrashers preview on espn.com sure does seem to touch on a lot of the same points we’ve made here over the past few days. He’s saying 11th in the East. One of our bloggers is saying 4th in the East. That kind of delusion usually comes with a prescription.
Yes, beware of ‘expert predictions’ on espn and si and such … they have a hideous rate of success. Before every season I always think to myself, “Self, I should keep score on their predictions this season.” Then I remember that I have a life and let it go. So Buccigross predicted Crosby’s point total within one? I guess if you make 8,000 predictions, some of them will hit. “John Buccigross” is to “Important” as “Scott Weiland” is to “Stone Temple Pilots.”
Random Thoughts
I really enjoyed this line from Manasso’s story on Vishnevski in today’s paper: “Instead, [Vishnevski] will be parked next to video coordinator Tony Borgford during the game in an effort to make up for lost time in learning the Thrashers’ system.” Learning the Thrashers’ system? How long does it take to learn how to let the puck jump over your stick at the blue line, turn the wrong way and then watch in vain as a 2-on-1 develops the other way?
Also enjoyed this quote from Terrell Owens’ PR person regarding his alleged suicide attempt: “Terrell has 25 million reasons why he should be alive.” Yes, because as we all know, money is a cure-all for depression and there’s no way anybody will so much money and fame would want to kill themselves. That woman should just hang a sign around her neck that says, “I’m so clueless you might as well give me an open-palmed thwack across the forehead as you pass by.”
Speaking of football. Can somebody please tell me how a high school team loaded with ringers like Mike Vick, Brian Urlacher and LaDainian Tomlinson could be losing to a team of pure high schoolers 14-10 in the final minute on their home field? And why would you have LT throw a halfback pass when you have Vick in there? I mean, who’s calling these plays? Oh, it’s Don Shula. Now the ad makes a little more sense.
Was watching “NewsRadio” the other day when I saw an ad for Nick Jr.’s upcoming “Designing Women” marathon. Gentlemen, start your PVRs!
Did I mention the Thrashers lost 2-love in Florida tonight after going 0-for-8 on the PP?
It’s just preseason.
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By Vlad
September 28, 2006 08:08 AM | Link to this
I really enjoy reading your blog, great job Ice Man, keep ‘em coming.
A little off-topic, I agree with your earlier point that the Thrash are in a bit of an identity crisis, and I am not sure whether Hartley is a coach who can come up with a system and get his team to play it. He always seemed to me to be a guy who pretty much rides his top dogs and goes where they take him.
In this sense, I think the key to the Thrashers’ playoff hopes is Kovalchuk. I thought last year he played in a very primitive way, relying almost exclusively on his shot, and his offensive game seemed to regress. On the defense, I think the Thrashers will be ok, not great, but with added depth and Lehtonen in goal, they will play with a lot more confidence. However, the offense will go as Kovalchuk goes, and with the ice-time he’s gonna get, his effectiveness, IMO, will be the difference-maker. He still has tremendous potential for improvement, not sure though whether he already thinks he has the game figured out..
By Bob
September 28, 2006 08:39 AM | Link to this
lol. Nice start to my morning, Ice Man, thanks.
Buccigross has been trumpeting the Thrashers for the 3rd straight year now. I had the same reaction to Nathan’s claim that Buccigross came within one point of predicting Crosby’s point total. Squirrel. Blind. Nut.
So we gave up 36 shots on goal. 0 fo 8 on the PP. Sounds like Lehtonen did a fine job keeping it to 2 nil.
This could be a long season, boys.
By Adam
September 28, 2006 09:39 AM | Link to this
I think I’m going to order Center Ice, it’s going to be a long season for sure. Unless the 1/2 of the confrence goes in the crapper and the Thrash make the 8th spot with a mid 80’s point total there will be no playoffs here in April…
By Bob
September 28, 2006 11:51 AM | Link to this
Adam, you definitely have to order CenterIce. Especially since the NHL crapped the bed and made the complete bonehead move to not take ESPN’s lower offer. Uh, hello, ESPN has two high def channels and everyone watches ESPN. But no, they move it to the obscure OLN.
CenterIce is pretty cheap, $149 now I think. And you get all of these great games, some in high def on DirectTV, you can find them in the 90 to 99 channels from time to time.
By Midfield
September 28, 2006 01:19 PM | Link to this
Do we have adults watching hockey here in Atlanta at all? Sounds more like teenage girls on double Mocha: all the way from “Lehtonen alone will win us games” to “no way we’re gonna make it” - after four freaking exibition games with incomplete roster?
It’s an 80+ games season, for crying out loud. I doubt that PP problems in one game is something Hartley is not capable of solving.
By thrasherfan93
September 28, 2006 02:47 PM | Link to this
To agree with you on the beware of experts… Burnsides predictions last year for the ‘Canes and Oilers were 11th in the east and west
By thrashersfan
September 28, 2006 03:33 PM | Link to this
Thank you Midfield!
By Brendan
September 28, 2006 03:50 PM | Link to this
HHAHAAH. Thank you, IceMan. Sage of Blueland and I got into this topic (Hartley quotes and reactions) last year, early on. It was Game #2. The Thrashers had just PASTED the Capitals something like 7-3 or 8-1. I forget. But there’s Bob Hartley in the postgame interview with Darren Eliot and JP Dellacamera. The topic turns to the next night’s game, again, against the Capitals. Darren sets up him for the big “soundbyte” finish, “So Coach, tomorrow night the same two teams tangle. Your thoughts?”
Now, what do you suppose Hartley said next?
A) Yeah, we really embarrassed them tonight, so you know they’ll be ready for us tomorrow.
B) Yeah, every game with a divisional opponent is critical. We know, after what we just did to them, that they’ll be fired up tomorrow night. … or …
C) “Yeah, rematch.”
Give yourself the big gold star is you said, choice “C.” I laughed so hard at that interview … that I actually watched it a few more times, as I had taped the game. It was absolutely Forrest Gump-like its tone and cadence. I think of Forrest and his pal “Bubba” in the jungle, as Bubba laid there, bleeding to death. Bubba says, “Why’d this happen, Forrest?” And Forrest replies, “You got shaah-t.” Boy, that cleared it all up nicely, hmmn?
If you asked Bob Hartley why the Thrashers went 0-8 on the powerplay last night, he’d likely reply, “because we didn’t score any goals.”
Thud.
Can you imagine the difficulty that reporters, beat writers, and colormen and play-by-play guys have in doing the postgame show with Hartley?
If you asked Bob Hartley to describe Planet Earth, he’d say, “It’s round.” And if the reporter pressed him further, Hartley might offer up, “It’s where we all live. So, of course, ya know, we should CARE about it.”
D’ohhhhhh.
I don’t envy sports journalists hot on the trail for a quote about the team’s play from Bob Hartley. But truthfully, I do think he’s a capable coach.
By Adam
September 28, 2006 08:21 PM | Link to this
Midfield, I’m not basing my thoughts on these preseason games.
What has changed on D? Hnidy is still the only right shooting D man on the team. For the most part we’ve gotton older up front.
Hmm…
By Midfield
September 29, 2006 09:22 AM | Link to this
What’s changed? How ‘bout a swap Vishvensky for Modry? And how’bout goaltending situation? Nah, that’s nothing to speak of.
By Buzilla Baby Blues
September 29, 2006 09:50 AM | Link to this
I can’t believe the local Ford dealerships use Hartley for their radio spots…
Are ya kidding me?
Nothing is going to make a true redneck want to buy an American truck more than hearing Hartley butcher the English language.
Funny, but you don’t hear those commercials any longer, eh?
By Brendan
September 29, 2006 01:20 PM | Link to this
Another “gem” from Turner South was … J.P. Dellacamera talking with Hartley. J.P.: “Seems like the guys were getting a little too fancy with their passing, Coach.” Hartley’s response, “Yeah, way too much ‘fancy.’”
By icemansucks
September 29, 2006 01:51 PM | Link to this
Your blogs suck.
By thrashersfan
September 29, 2006 01:59 PM | Link to this
Good. Then we can look forward to you not participating again.
By Sage of Bluesland
September 29, 2006 03:24 PM | Link to this
Wow—what is this?—a Thrashers’ fan blog-writer who truly cares about what’s going on? I’m glad to see a new direction here—it was needed.
And, if he starts holding Don Waddell completely accountable for his actions, then I’ll know he’s my kind of journalist…
Iceman, what year—again—is it of Donny’s infamous “FIVE-YEAR PLAN”? Hey, don’t blame me; it’s not my mere bluster and I’m only the messenger/historian here…
Oh, and one more thing: I don’t entertain “excuses” for poor performance anymore…That’s the only thing which has been consistent since the inception of the franchise…
Well, that and having a minor league GM at the helm…Thank Heaven we FINALLY axed our minor league coach—too bad his similarly amateurish comrade (Donny) wasn’t shown the door years ago as well…Oh well, I’ll get the moving vans ready…
By Tony C.
September 29, 2006 04:27 PM | Link to this
Just an aside… WTF is up with Jim Slater’s speed being listed as “77” in EA’s 2007 game???? (Although we still have Petr Gunn!!!)