Nashville Predators – Tales of an Introvert

Reflections on the Predators

I must say that I’m feeling the post-playoffs-hockey’s-over blues right now. I had hope (more than Barack Obama hope) that the Predators would pull off a win and force a game seven. Alas, no such luck.

As a fan of the game and of the Predators I must say, in my humble opinion, that they did not ‘bring it’ against the Red Wings. They can’t play a period or two of mediocre hockey and turn it on for the third period to play spectacular hockey against a team like Detroit. It’s gotta be all on all the time and the Preds didn’t have it. Which is kind of depressing because I know they are a team that is capable of great things. For now, I must fall back on one of my love-to-hate phrases, “There always next year.” It was a great season of overcoming many obstacles and Barry Trotz and his staff did a great job of keeping it together.

Now, I have the dilemma of deciding on season tickets or not. Not because they didn’t win the cup. Remember, I love the sport of hockey and I dig the Predators a lot. But with the Elder Extroverted Holy One graduating in a couple of weeks with her masters of divinity (I still don’t know how someone as divine as she is with a schmuck like me) and can possibly get a job at a church anywhere. Do I go ahead and get season tickets and then try to sell them if we move? Or should I wait to figure out where we’re going to be. There are some cities that are appealing to her (and me) but I’m not so sure I can obtain season tickets for the Sabres, in one possible scenario. I don’t even think I’m ready to add a new favorite team to my list. I only have room for a certain number. This is so hard.

On a final note, Dan Ellis has become my new hockey gawd (vague TV reference. any guesses?)! Hats off to him. He worked magic out there but he couldn’t defeat the wings by himself.

Super Stormy Tuesday

Crazy bad storms roared through Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky last night. Luckily, those of us in the Nashville area seemed to fare the storm pretty well. I stayed up late (after an exceptionally long day at work) tracking the storm activity instead of keeping up with the primary results and the Predator/Hurricanes game on Versus.

While I was at work I set up to record the hockey game on my DVR. DirecTV is so cool for adding that feature. I AM UNSTOPPABLE!!! Unless, of course it’s overridden by the ladies at the house.

I was watching the storm coverage on WTVF (don’t meteorologists take some sort of glee in dangerously active weather?) confident that I wouldn’t miss the game of two of my favorites going head-to-head. All of a sudden right after the first super cell barreled through downtown they take a call from a former employee who is at the Sommet Center. As he is on the phone he describes the actions taken by the staff at the arena and mentions the outcome of the game!?! Hello? Gimme a spoiler alert warning for Pete’s sake! I know you’re stressed out but come on. . .

I suppose I’m the kind of guy that once he hears the outcome of a game that he is taping he no longer has interest in watching that game. Even if it turns out to be good contest. For me, it’s kind of like watching the movie ‘Titanic.’ I know the thing is going to sink so what’s the point?

YEO’s Hockey Saga

The Young Extroverted One is doing very well at her G.O.A.L. hockey clinic. She is in her third week and starting to skate like a pro. Well, as professionally as a five year old can. If it were me and I had a week inbetween sessions I would be starting from scratch every week. Meaning I would be picking myself up off of the ice a lot. I would need to practice every day to get to the point where she is right now.

Week one: she was falling non-stop even with the walker-thingy. Week two: less falling and better with the walker (or should it be called a skater?). The instructors also showed the kids how to get up from the ice. Which seems very difficult and was for the YEO. Week three: “skating” without the skater, a puck handling skill session with Terry Crisp and a little better at getting up from a fallen position.

Being on the other side of the glass I have found it very difficult to watch my child fall or be knocked accidentally over by others. I have found that I need to peel my face off of the glass after such incidents. I just want to be there to hold her hand and push other kids away that might even look like they’re going to knock her over. It wouldn’t be that helpful considering I would probably knock her down because I can’t skate. Plus, she is handling this all much better than I am and keeps trying her hardest to get back up. We constantly reference the Superchick song, “Get Up.”

Talking with Terry Crisp after the session he told me that she corrected him because he was saying her name wrong. Um, YEO? Yeah . . . hey. Um, that’s Terry Crisp. He played center for the Bruins, Blues, Islanders and Flyers. He was an assistant coach for the Flyers and the head coach for the Flames and Lightning. He won TWO Stanley Cups with the Flyers and won a cup as the Flames’ coach. As far as I’m concerned he can call you, me, anyone whatever he wants. Mkay?

Reasons Why I Like Seeing Hockey Live and Not Football

In the Sommet Center, unlike LP Field, I can pay for my beer and soda with a credit/debit card. In the Sommet Center, unlike LP Field, there are more than two (yes, count ’em, TWO) ATMs in the joint should I need one. In the Sommet Center, unlike LP field, my daughter can see the action (unless she’s looking for Gnash) even if there is a grown up in front of her.

I am very grateful to my friends to give us the tickets to go see a game with them. However, after the aforementioned experience I will never, ever buy tickets to see a football game at LP Field.

Thanksgiving Ruminations

Wow, where the heck have I been? I haven’t been getting much computer time at work getting the new director all trained and situated and I have been busy at home wrestling with a wall in the babies room trying to get it stripped, primed and painted.

The following is a post I wrote right after Thanksgiving and am now getting around to putting it up here:

I was sitting in the rec room of the Elder Extroverted Holy One’s mom’s house watching the Green Bay Packer game on turkey day. EEHO’s aunt, uncle and cousin’s were there watching as well. They’re from the West Virgina/Ohio area and are surprisingly Packer Backers. Unlike myself, who is contractually obligated to be a Packer Backer according to my birth certificate. But, it was nice to have some like-minded folks to watch the game with. As I sat there I looked around the room and said with my eyes glistening just a little, “This is just like being in Wisconsin with a house full of Beckers!” Well, except for the lack of stale cigarette smoke, drunk uncle with hands firmly clasped around my neck and other assorted showings of family love and bar paraphernalia. It was a good day with good food, good sports (not only did the Packers play but the Predators played as well. I had to settle for watching it on T.V. because the EEHO wouldn’t let me go to the game) and good family.

Movin’ On Up (or across town really)

My days here are numbered. The new director of event technology will start next week and for the next several weeks I will help him transition into this position. I’ll be training him until the Elder Extroverted Holy One brings forth the second child. During the delivery I will be in the corner of the room with an epidural and copious amounts of drugs to help us get through the delivery. With all of my saved up vacation time I will be able to stay home with the family and help with everything. It will end up being some great daddy-Young Extroverted One time as the new one learns what kind of crazy world it was forcibly brought into.

After the holidays and the new year I should be starting here. Where I will, hopefully, be the official director of event technology. So, I’m slowly finding my work getting me closer and closer to our home in the east Nashville area. Also, it puts me closer to the Sommet Center and the embattled Nashville Predators whose tickets I still can’t afford (not because they’re outrageously priced but we’re outrageously broke) but would go to every single game if given the chance.

Speaking of hockey, I got the YEO signed up for the G.O.A.L. program hosted by the Preds and Delta Dental of Tennessee. She’s excited about it or I’m excited about it for her. Maybe I’ll just go as her and get some ice time! Our equipment fitting session is this Monday and, unfortunately, we have to drive to the Southern Ice Arena in Franklin for this fitting and all 4 sessions of the program. Looking at past G.O.A.L. programs we missed the ones at the Centennial Sportsplex. Which would’ve been way closer. But then I think about the sacrifices that hockey greats’ parents made to drive their wunderkinds to their respective games and practices uphill both ways in the deep snow all across the Canadian wilderness and figure it’s not so bad driving down to Franklin except maybe for the exceptionally poor drivers the most Tennesseans are.

Death Throes of the Predators

Let me start by saying I am a hockey fan. While I have some favorite teams (Predators, Hurricanes, Maple Leafs) I really do love the sport. At the same time I understand a little bit about the business world.

I went to the Predators vs. Flames game on Saturday night with my buddy, Stuart. There were many empty seats in the building. Heck, there were empty sections! We could have moved down to sit on the glass if we wanted to. If Nashville (and by Nashville I mean regular fans and most of all local business owners) can’t fill an arena on a Saturday night against a team that has regularly gone to the Stanley Cup playoffs then we don’t deserve to have a hockey team. And if they move I might have to uproot the Extrovert/Introvert family and head north!

Okay, I feel a little better now. I needed to get that off of my chest.

Showin’ Some Brotherly Love

My brother, who lives somewhere out in a desert in Arizona, has a hockey blog. It’s rather Phoenix Coyotes heavy but what do you expect? He lives out there and supports the home team. If he lived here in Nashville he’d be writing wonderful Predators related pieces.

This particular post seemed to resonate with me because I think there are certain parts of it that relate to our home team. Especially with the unloading of some players and not being able to hang on to others that are free agents.

So, here are a couple of excerpts from my bro (go read the rest here):

One Fan’s Perspective…

. . . this hockey club will look vastly different come September
when training camp approaches. As I have written before, balanced
hockey clubs are important. Learning to win is difficult and struggling
to win can be even worse.

The positive side to the lack of a veteran presence, or to the lack
of a good veteran presence (those that will lead the right way and not
look to the plethora of golf courses we have here and not look to
retire), is that the coaching staff can teach good habits as the young
players will not have any preconceived notion of how to play NHL hockey.

I just want the organization to put a team on the ice that will be competitive. My expectations are not the playoffs.

Yet.

I may disagree with the last sentence. As far as I’m concerned, always expect the playoffs. But, that may be the reason I cry a lot during the post-season.

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Another One Bites the Dust?

So, Paul Kariya out? Ugh. The dumping of Vokoun was, hopefully, to clear the way to be able to hold on to Kariya. But who wants to stay on a sinking ship? By the way, I don’t think it’s a sinking ship. Where’s the loyalty?

Regardless of the outcome I still believe the Preds could be contenders. They have a good coach and a great goalie. If there is an inkling of skill in any of the players left I think it’s up to the coach to make a team the best. So, if Barry Trotz can’t ever make it happen it might be up to a new coach. Hopefully, the Preds will still be in Nashville if that happens.

More Hockey News

Vokoun Becomes a Florida Panther

According to TSN, Nashville Predators goaltender Tomas Vokoun becomes a Florida Panther and the Predators get the Panthers picks in return.

Obviously,
the Predators need to cut salary to trim payroll for reasons already
written and hashed about, but in terms of goaltending ability, if we
used Save Percentage testing the mettle of quality goaltenders, new
number one Predators goalie Chris Mason was ranked 2nd in Save Percentage last year behind Niklas Backstrom of the Minnesota Wild.

The guy can play and he can stop the puck. What is good for the Predators, he comes at a cheaper price than Vokoun.

He’s got a good point. I thought Vokoun was good. Just not that good. Now we’ll see if Mason can shine in the number one slot!

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