HockeyRhetoric

Chances are the most successful people in your life also have the most passion for what they do. Intelligence and talent help but those are just tools to help you achieve success. Passion is what matters most. The important elements in our lives when we are younger — like family, friends and education — are almost always the source of our passion. Maybe you and your mom liked to see musicals together when you were younger and you eventually became an actress. Or maybe your brother died of cancer when you were younger and you eventually became a physician. You can’t replicate the passion those people have for acting or medicine and because of that, they’ll be more successful than many of their more talented or smarter counterparts. » Read the rest of this entry «

Tough game for the Sabres. Washington had three days off since they last played. You had to think they were going to really be skating. A few things I noticed:

• I really like Montador’s game lately and actually the whole season, for the most part. I love that when he’s got the puck behind the Sabres’ net, he’s not afraid to skate right up the middle of the ice with it. Montador has pretty good instincts when he handles the puck. But he knows his limits too. Montador, like Grier, shoots the puck almost immediately when he has it. They both know they’re not great shooters and they also know the best technique to maximize their chances of scoring is to shoot quickly. » Read the rest of this entry «

Yes, I’m upset that Ruutu wasn’t suspended for this abomination . He’s a dirty player and I hate him with the fury of a thousand suns. The thing is, the league has historically done such a poor job at policing these situations that my reaction to them has become a little desensitized. My opinion regarding hits to the head of defenseless players is well documented .

The good news is that the NHL has noticed and recently began serious talks of change. It’s encouraging to read a report like this . Here’s a few things I’d like to see happen: » Read the rest of this entry «

I was kind of critical of Jaroslav Spacek when he was here because while I appreciated his offensive talent, he wasn’t as steady in the Sabres zone as most fans thought he was. One thing he did well though, was play the point on the powerplay. How many times did we see Spacek get the puck to the net and then Vanek would score on the rebound with his swing and shoot move? The loss of Kotalik and Spacek has been felt on the powerplay which is ranked 19th in the league down from a unit ranked 7th by the end of last year. » Read the rest of this entry «

My first reaction when the Tiger Woods story (are we calling this Ti-gate yet?) broke was indifference. Unlike most people, I seriously don’t think this is really significant news but I can see how people made it significant, what with it being Tiger Woods and all. The fact of the matter is that a ton of male professional athletes have multiple partners, whether they’re legally bound by marriage or not. Personally, I don’t hold athletes to a higher moral standard. Whenever I hear adulterous stories or those of similar nature regarding athletes, I try and immediately push it out of my mind. What keeps me engaged in sports is the story that occurs on the playing field, not the personal life of the participants off it. Granted, I’ve commented a couple of times on the psychology of sports athletes (Derek Roy , Patrick Kane ), but those have always related strongly to athletic performance. Personal relationships, on the other hand, do not. » Read the rest of this entry «