Well, Florida Panthers' player Richard Zednik was injured by a teammates skate in a game against the Buffalo Sabres. You see hockey ice skates are extremely sharp. The players got tumbled and one fellow's skate blade cut Zednik's throat, severing his carotid artery. He had surgery and should be able to go home to Florida tomorrow.

Nineteen years ago, Buffalo goaltender Clint Mararchuk's jugular vein was cut open in a similar accident, ironically it was also in Buffalo. Malarchuk is currently the goaltenders' coach for the Columbus Bluejackets.

Well, it's spooky, and care should be taken before watching either of these accidents on video.

We've had not much snow, but we still have a lot of cold. It just seems the temps go up on days we get precipitation! It's a bit crazy. I'm glad I don't own a snow plow, because the folks that do plowing are not happy! Of course other parts of the country are getting lots of snow, so don't think the lack of snow in Pittsburgh proves that crazy Al Gore is right or anything... :D

Today has been declared "Willie O'Ree Day" by the NHL. It is the fiftieth anniversery of Willie O'Ree's first game in the NHL. He was the first black player in the NHL. He is often referred to as the "Jackie Robinson of Hockey". Although he didn't play a lot in the NHL (there were only six teams) he played professional hockey for a long time. He lost sight in his right eye while in juniors, and didn't tell anyone, because they might not let him play.

He played in the Western Hockey League for San Diego for many years. I had the priviledge of being at the San Diego Gulls game when his number was retired and a banner raised in the San Diego Sports Arena. He now works for the NHL going throughout Canada and the US helping with hockey diversity programs in big cities!

Join me in giving three woots for Mr. O'Ree!

:) Woot! :D Woot! :lol: Woot! 8)

Well, today was the first outdoor NHL game played outside! Some folks may have been preoccupied New Years Day with football bowl games, but it was hockey that the cool people were watching. The Penguins played the Sabres in the big honkin' football stadium in Buffalo.

It was snowing and the wind was blowing, but the game went on. The Pens scored 21 seconds in, but at the end of regulation it was a 1-1 tie. In the shootout, the Sabres scored first, Kris Letang tied it up and Sidney Crosby won the game with the sixth and final shootout shot!

Wooty Woot! :D It was way good fun. Outside, I'm telling you!

Another added advantage, is that the Pens are only one point out of first place (again)!!!

8) It's all good! 8)

Hey happy Christmas everyone! :D

If you happy something other than Christmas, do that instead, I'm not trying to limit your celebrating, just trying to happyize it. 8)

If you're one of those "I don't believe in anything" and "I don't celebrate anything" people, well, just crawl back in your box. We're celebrating out here! :lol:

Yahoo had a poll. One of the catagories was the best looking actor / actress and Kristin Kreuk not only won, she got 28% of the total votes. Now I always knew she was the best looking anyone anywhere, but not there's proof!

http://tv.yahoo.com/slideshow/190/photos/2#goto_2

The granite brained thug on the New York Islanders, who is one of the most suspended players in the history of the NHL, kicked Jarko Ruutu in the Saturday game with the Pens. Now, for you who don't follow hockey, and don't think it's that bad, remember that hockey players have razor sharp blades attatched to their shoes. Kicking someone can be worse than belting them over the head with a stick. He got a misconduct penalty (for attempting to injure) but in all honestly he should be thrown out for the rest of the season. This guy is a sick cheap shot artist and shouldn't be around decent people.

Well, Sidney Crosby's pretty much conquered already, but the last three NHL cities he had never played in are this week in Western Canada. He got three assists in the game against Edmonton, and last night the Pens beat Calgary in a shoot out. Tomorrow the last Crosbyless city is Vancouver, where he will lead in a thrashing of the Canucks. Every city is a media circus! It's all fun. :D

Well, folks, the Steelers (we say "Stillers") whooped up on the Cincinatti Bengals and the field was not an issue, even though it was raining through the whole game. So, good job to the ground crew at Heinz field for sorting that out in five days!

Next week, the New England Undefeateds! The excitement mounts! :)

Here's the scoop on the idiotic marsh at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh for the Monday Night Football game: When I saw on the news that they were laying sod on top of the existing serface, I thought it was kind of dumb. See, sod is a sheet with dirt, and grass growing in it. You put it on some more dirt, and the roots from the attatched dirt, go into the other dirt, holding it in place. If you put it on top of grass, the sod is not anchored.

Have you ever been somewhere where a floor is recently waxed, and someone throws a rug on the slippy floor, but the rug has nothing to hold on to and makes it worse, because folk trip over the rug now.

Here's what you may not know. This putting sod on top of the previous playing surface HAS NEVER BEEN DONE before an NFL game before. the LEAGUE ORDERED Pittsburgh and Philadelphia to do this. Fortunately Philadelphia had a two week gap in between sodding and their first game on it this coming week. In Pittsburgh the sod was put down sunday and played on on monday!

Playing all the area high school football championship games on one day (four games friday) is a tradition that started at Three Rivers Stadium, which had an artificial surface. Also, the University of Pittsburgh had thier own stadium at that time. Now they all play in the same stadium, there is no alternative venue. Back then if something was wrong with Three Rivers, the Steelers could play at Pitt Stadium. Now we only have one suitable NFL calibre stadium in Pittsburgh.

Well, something better be done. This weeks' game in Philadelphia will show whether this turfing system is at all viable!!!