GodsendJen

The new highlight of my rather short blogging career comes from The Hockey News.  On February 1st they published a column called How the New NHL Looks to a Soccer Mom (And Why You Should Care). Number five on this list included yours truly:

5. The NHL Blogosphere Has Zest. CasonBlog is stylishly witty, and Battle of Alberta’s “Beard Talk” post had me LOL during the playoffs. But the Acid Queen and God Send Jen show that female fans can hold their own.

For the most part I think of this site as my personal soap box. My impassioned speeches about what was wrong or right with my teams amused my friends. When one of them pushed on why I didn't have a site of my own (given that I make my living from professional web endeavors) I caved and started this site. I never expected people who didn't already know me to find this site, and I certainly didn't expect the random emails I get from women who love hockey that thank me for "showing the world that not all female hockey fans are puck bunnies".  To Marsha Bryant and The Hockey News, thanks for the compliment.  I'm beyond flattered and I promise the check is in the mail as soon as I get your address.

JP and Cason, two of my nemeses over at Southeast Shootout have harassed me into doing this.  They say its the cool thing for hockey bloggers to do, that all the hockey bloggers are doing it.  This sounds kinda like how I ended up spending that day in In School Suspension back in 9th grade...guess I never learn.

If I Were a Hockey Player

Team: Mudville 9

Uniform Number: 30 (age when I started skating :) )

Position: Healthy Scratch

Nickname: That Girl

Linemates: Barney Fife and Inspector Gadget

Rounding out the PP: Yosemite Sam and Captain Caveman (Hey, if I can play hockey anyone can.)

Job: Helping keep peace in the locker room by telling all the guys what to buy their wives/girlfriends for holidays. Troubleshooting everyone's home network.

Signature Move: The Oops. While trying to turn around and skate backwards I inadvertently kick the puck into the other team's goal.

Strengths: Makes everyone on the ice feel like they are a better player. Gets along well with the opposition.

Weaknesses: Guys with big sticks.

Equipment: Charmin. Its fluffy goodness cushions my falls and makes up for not owning breezers.

Nemeses: Tom Dickson

Scandal Involvement: see "Weaknesses," use imagination

Who I'd face in the Stanley Cup Finals: Two Dancing Princesses. This is how they will fare.

What I'd do with the Stanley Cup after our victory: Fill it with sweet tea.

Would the media love me or hate me? The media always loves a clumsy oaf with a good scandal.

And yes, I do realize the Mudville 9 is a baseball team.  A baseball GM would be far more willing to sign me up to play hockey than any hockey guy ever would.

Some of the great Center Ice entertainment comes from the commercials you can watch during the game.  Typically this means seeing the Sidney Crosby Timbits commercial for the 10,245,123rd time.  Tonight it meant watching commercials targeted at residents of the Columbus Ohio area.  I grew up on a farm and always considered myself a farm girl...but after watching this commercial I'm rechristening myself as a born-again ubanite.

This year I'm slowly working my way around Philip's Arena.  Watching hockey from everywhere...the 400s, the 300s, the 200s and even from a few rows behind the sin-bin in some swank club seats at center ice. Blog night gave me my first opportunity to to watch from the Philip's Arena press box.

It's hard to explain the allure of this to someone who hasn't experienced it.  Logic and marketing dictate that the normal sports fan want to sit as cost to the action as possibe.  It's true in baseball.  It's true is football. It's true in basketball with it's coveted courtside seats.  Most fans think its true in hockey as well.  Why else would someone pay $250 to sit next to the glass.  That has to be the best seat, right?  I'm here to tell you that isn't so. Yes, it's nice sit next to the action on occasion.  Few things convey the spead of the game like sitting next to the boards when the players crash into them.  When the puck rebounds off the glass you understand just how fast it's flying.  You can hear the game from that location, but you can't see it.  You can't see what is happening when players are battling for a puck near you seat. You can't see the puck or the sticks.  From these seats I'm frustrated when players are in the corner near me.  I actually long for action to move to the other side of the ice so that I might once again watch the game.

From seats high in the press box you can see everything.  It takes a few minutes to adjust to the height, to looking at players from above.  When the adjustment is complete you realize you can really see the game from this perspective. Not players speeding after the puck, but a team executing a game plan. On top of all that you get to sit and watch the game without being surrounded with some dillusional idiot who thinks Steve is doing him a personal favor every time he speaks into the microphone. 

The calendar says this week any site that ever has hockey content should post something about the All Star game or related events. I don't dislike the All Star game.  If I can come by tickets to it next year I'm sure I'll attend.  But here is why All Star action will never hold the same thrill for me as a game

1. The NHL is a Full-Contact League
   Hockey is a contact sport. The All Star game and Young Star game are non-contact games.  The NHL might have taken the fighting out of games, but hockey is still about the check. If you don't hear the sound of players being crushed into the boards at x mph* at hight speed then you aren't watching the NHL.  Pond hockey looks like it would be a lot of fun to play, but I doubt I'd get too excited watching it. This is a problem the All Star game shares with the NFL Pro Bowl.
2. The Gameplay is Fundamentally Different
   A good hockey game is a battle great offense vs. great defense.  The All Star game is an offensive showcase.  I don't blame the players for not risking injury by laying out to stop a slap-shot from the point. I understand that no one benefits if players are hurt during this game, but it isn't hockey.  At the end of the All Star game no one minds if every player was minus-5 for the night.
   
3. The Youngstars Game is Misnamed
   The NHL is filled with some incredible young talent.  Showcasing that talent together, providing that glimpse into the near future, sounds smart.  The problem--the Youngstars game isn't the best young talent in the NHL.  Its the best young talent that wasn't selected for the actual All Star game. If you really want to show the world the best young players in the NHL you have to include them all, even Mr. Crosby. 
   
4. An Incomplete Skills Competition
   In some respects the skills competition is the most fascinating part of the All Star holiday.  After all its the best of the best going head to head to learn who is fastest, most accurate, best with the puck, right? Wrong. The skills competition is limited to the players who are on the All Star roster.  Maybe the other players prefer the time off to going to Dallas for a contest...but is it really a shootout contest if Slava Kozlov doesn't participate?
5. Its the Wrong time of Year for a Game that Doesn't Matter
   Exhibition games are great at the beginning of a season.  They are even ok as a celebration at the end of a season.  But what is the point of having one in the middle of the season? The NHL is a league in need of fans, mass marketing and cachet.  Nothing about the design or marketing of this game does anything to appeal to the non-hockey fan or to encourage the casual hockey fan to become a full-fledge follower.  Eric McErlain had a nice history of the All Star game in his Winging It column over at NBC sports. The precedent is there to make the game itself interesting, and to hold it early enough to get someone hooked before the regular season.
   

I'm not suggesting you boycott the game.  But while you are watching it think about how much better it could be. Alternatively you could just amuse yourself with a drinking game.  One shot for each time a player says "for sure" in an on-camera interview. If it doesn't help you enjoy the game it will at least help you sleep afterwards.

*I tried to do a web search to find out how fast your typical hockey player skates.  I couldn't find any numbers.  If you know where these exist (and you know they do) feel free to share them.

Last night the ticket fairy blessed me with club seats.  I've had club seats for other teams and at other arenas, but this was my first trip to watch the Thrasher's at Phillips from the club side. 

Commoner's like myself have heard many rumors about the club section.  Sure, there are the rumors about an impressive array of food and beverages, but this wasn't my mission.  The rumor I most wanted to investigate was the presence of hot water in the bathrooms.  I've never before felt compelled to wash my hands the moment I enter the arena, but last night that is exactly what I did.  I am sad to report that the water in those bathrooms is indeed hot.  My question for the members of the Spirit Group is this:  Your most passionate fans are those that are in their $10-$50 non-club seats before the puck drops for the opening face-off.  Why then is all the hot water in your building reserved for the fans that stumble down to their seat mid-second period, talk constantly about non-game stuff, and leave mid-third period?  Don't get me wrong, I'm not begrudging hot water for the corporate representatives who help stuff money into the Spirit bank account.  But why aren't the rest of us worthy? Is there some segment of the fire code that prevents the arena from installing enough large hot water heaters to service all the restrooms?  Did the architects of Phillips fail to include enough mechanical space for the number of hot water heaters needed? Is the water from non-club bathrooms perhaps melt from the rink that you otherwise could not dispose of?

One of the master pieces of Phillips Arena, from my perspective, is the ladies room found near section 320.  There is a huge glass window in this restroom that overlooks what I believe is the area known to football fans as Falcon's Landing. At night there is just the right combination of lights and colorful banners to make the view quite pleasing.  Imagine how nice that would be if you weren't shrieking from the cold water that blasts from the sink. Why shriek you ask....no matter how well aware I am that the water will not be warm, cold water always shocks the system in an uncomfortable manner.  For those concerned about the food and drink rumors the food appears to come from the Buckhead Life group of restaurants.  Translation: Yummy but pricey.  An unexpected plus of the club section is that the Spin to Win line is very small. Sadly I discovered there are still pleanty of prizes on their wheel that aren't free tickets.

More importantly the game itself was great (and the view from our seats simply incredible). You can read about our impressive victory against the less-than-remarkable LA Kings around the internet.  I was worried prior to the game simply because our track record against Western Conference teams this season is appalling bad.  This game even came with its own moments of anxiety.  We entered the third period with a 3 -1 lead.  Then, 2 minutes into the period, we give up a goal cutting that lead in half.  If you've been watching our third period play over the last month you understand why this would give a Thrasher's fan with a queasy feeling.  I needn't have worried.  Marian Hossa provided 2 more goals to complete his second hat trick of the season and Glen Metropolit scored a goal (his second point of the night) to make the final score 6-2.  I know we can't get excited about defeating a team that is currently last in the Western Conference, but we were productive in the third period, played the game committing only 2 penalties (none in the third), scored on 2 of our 3 power play opportunities, killed off both of the penalties we took, and finally beat a Western Conference foe.  I say hooray for that. In the novelty department it was also the first start for the NHL's lone Japanese player, goalie Fukufuji got his first official start. My best laugh of the game came during the second period just after Fukufuji was pulled.  Some fans sitting directly behind Fukufuji's goal in section 108 started a chant to taunt Fukufuji, calling him by name.  The problem was that Fukufuji had just been replaced by Brust.  These two amusing gentlemen sitting next to us turned to this group of fans and screamed at them for not paying attention.  The fans briefly quieted.  My personal pet peeve about other fans is coming to a game and not paying any attention to it, so I was more than happy to laugh at this exchange. 

The biggest bummer of the game--yet again I witness a hat trick and find myself without a hat to throw.  Someday I'll learn to always wear a cheap and aerodynamic hat to games.

Last weekend I was kid in a candy store excited.  I had scored my first (hopefully not my last) media credential for a NHL game.  I was excited about the access, about getting to sit in the press area, getting to see some of the behind the scenes action and having access to the incredible stack of statistics and other team information that the home team produces. More than anything I was excited about having access to the players and coaches after the game.

I like to think of myself as a smart girl capable of asking serious questions.  I wanted to ask some questions, a few admittedly girly, that were not related to the Caps game, like:

• Bob, last night we lost to yet another team from the Western Conference.  Do you have a plan for helping us win against these disciplined teams before we leave on that West-Coast road trip in February? When will you begin strategizing for those games?
• Hossa, you talk a lot in interviews about Atlantans not recognizing you in public.  This season the team is winning and you are on billboards.  Are more people spotting you in public?
  
• Kari, you had a charming interview with Bary Melrose on ESPN.  I was especially impressed by your hair, what product do you use to make it stand up like that?
• Ilya, it's been musical centers on your line.  Who do you think you have the best chemistry with and would work best centering your line?
• And of course, Glen, would you please explain to JP that I am right, you are having a career season and he should just defer to me on all hockey related matters from now on? And could you do it with the video feed on my digital camera running?
  

I also had some game related questions:

• Ex, do you think some lingering effects of the mono contributed to that delay of game period you had a minute into overtime?
• Bob, do you think an endurance issue is contributing to our late game collapses?

Did I ask any of these questions?  Nope.  I wussed out.  The one factor I had not anticipated was the mood of the locker room.  You hear so many stories from football and baseball where players appear to take a loss lightly--or at least far more lightly than you'd like them to take it as a fan.  Hanging your head in devastation is the purview of overzealous fans, right?  I can attest that after our loss to the Capitals everyone I saw in that Thrasher's locker room looked like someone had just run over their puppy.  Seeing the players so worn down and dejected, there was no way I could bother them with my trifle questions.  This was no fault of the Thrasher's press people.  To their credit they offered to go get Metro for me to talk to.  But I just couldn't do it.  I did go to Bob's press conference and ask a question about our penalties...but really the experience was not me at my best.  It was me discovering the shortcomings of fandom and learning how hard it must be to be a reporter traveling with the team for a living.    If I get the opportunity again I'll jump at it and try to do a better job, even if we don't win.

I shared my press experience last Saturday with my old college chum, Amber.  In exchange for getting her a seat next to mine in the press box I made her record her thoughts about watching hockey as a newbie.  What exactly does a person think about watching real hockey when all they know coming to the game is what they learned from the movies?  This is her account.

Saturday night was my first hockey game.  All I knew came from watching the Mighty Ducks and ¬Miracle.  Before the game starts I check the injury report.  What is an ‘upper body’ injury? Do they not want the media to know?  Is it a test to see if you were watching when it happened? Fascination aside it didn’t go far in helping me learn about the game. Curious about seat prices I go online and find they range from $10-$225.  I’d be perfectly willing to pay $10, probably even more, but $225?  The $10 seats were nice and cushioned.  The pricey seats included bleachers which are close but look uncomfortable.  And what about those seats right in front of the boards?  People spending hundreds of dollars to watch hockey will go deaf!  When players get slammed into the boards or the puck rebounds off the glass the sound is deafening.  These people have spent crazy amounts of money on a ticket and they will likely pay medical deductibles to get their hearing checked.   Really, the cheap seats aren’t bad.  You have a view of the entire arena and you don’t have to worry about post-game frostbite. 

Of course, most of my observations on the seating are speculation, as I was sitting in the press box.  For those who have never been to the press box, here’s my list of advantages and disadvantages.  First let me clarify something.  The actual boxes are reserved for “on camera” media.  Those of us who were not in live broadcast roles were sitting in what would more accurately be termed the press rows; two of them, to be precise.  Personally, I think the rows are probably better than the actual boxes.  It’s easier to feel like part of the crowd and feel the excitement all around you.  The view is amazing.  I was able to see every seat in the stadium except those immediately in front of me.  We sat as far up as the cheap seats but the view of the rink is completely unimpeded.  Up this high I feel like we could be part of the extra colorful advertisements and encouraging chants that were illuminated in red, white, and blue, with the occasional green and yellow thrown in for variety.  The production is truly enjoyable to watch. 

Without a doubt, the best part of sitting in the press box was not having people sitting immediately in front of my knees and immediately above my head.  I didn’t have to worry about some tall guy or a short woman with big hair blocking my view.  I didn’t worry about obnoxious people behind me kicking my chair, shouting in my ears, bumping the back of my head every time they stand up, or spilling beer all over me when they jump up exhilarated by the last particularly exciting play. 

There is a huge disadvantage to sitting in the press box.  I was unable to participate in any of the chanting or cheering.  As a hockey newbie I did not have a preference as to who won or lost the game (well, not at first anyway) and was perfectly willing to be happy for both teams when they made a particularly strong move, scored a point, or prevented the other team from scoring.  Sitting in the press box I had to appear completely impartial to both teams.  There’s no cheering for anybody from the press box!

Finally, hockey is loud.  While I didn’t suffer from the eardrum bursting clash of the puck against the boards I was overwhelmed by how much noise Capitals fans make.  It seemed as if the fans higher up in the stands, the ones who were closest to me, were by far the loudest in the arena.  It was as if they felt the Capitals couldn’t win if they didn’t hear their particular voices.  I imagine most diehard Capitals fans sitting in the higher seats wake up the morning after a game with no voice.  Then there’s the buzzer.  It isn’t fair that only the home team gets a loud buzzing noise when they score.  With three minutes left in the second period the Thrashers had scored twice, but you could hardly tell from the lack of excitement or loud obnoxious buzzing.  Loud and obnoxious as it was the buzzing is very energizing.  Doesn’t the visiting team deserve to be energized, too?

The loud buzzer begs another question, why is it that the goal at a hockey game is to make as much noise as possible to energize the home team, but golf and tennis require the audience to be silent?  Seriously, hockey players hit a puck racing across the ice, while on skates, with other players trying to knock them unconscious against the boards--and they play better if the crowd is loud and encouraging.  But a golfer hitting a stationary ball and two tennis players alone on a court hitting a bright yellow ball need total silence.  Maybe golf and tennis should take a page out of the proverbial hockey book. 

Today is my big official day as a member of the "media" with credentials for a game.  What should be really exciting has turned into a bit of a circus.  I felt good going into this.  JP and Eric McErlain were great with advice and telling me what to expect. I even got a few tips from a nice helpful individual on the Thrasher's staff.  Unfortunately they told me to expect to show up at MCI Verizon Center at 9:30 today to pick up my credentials.  Wouldn't you know it--turns out there is basketball there today.  Some bug-eyed guy whom I assume is with the Hoyas thought we were completely crazy.  He told me "It's basketball today. Come back at 5."  So I go out and send JP a panicked email. "HELP" I plead and yes, he calls. Amber, my partner in crime for the weekend, and I follow JP's instructions and head over to Ballston Commons Mall where the Caps practice for morning skate.  We track down the contact with the Caps who tells us--I don't have your passes now, come back to MCI at 4 today.  So to sum up it is now 12:30 and we have treked all over DC on the Metro (the train, not the player--minds out of the gutter people) for no good reason.  We did get to see part of the morning skate (that is public at the practice facility) and we watched as Hanlon (the CAPs coach) took time to sign a bunch of autographs for fans standing in an autograph queue.  I'm optimistic about tonight, hopefully it will go smoother.  Now I'm off to spend more time treking around DC with my laptop in shoes too nice to trek around the streets...

Yes, it has been a month since a blog entry.  Sure, there was Christmas, a staffing shortage at work, fun with surgical consults, being struck with the plauge and yes, hiding my head in shame after that Peach Bowl loss.  Never fear, things are looking up.  Tomorrow morning I head to DC for a weekend of wild fun and debauchery bridge and tea parties with some old mates.  Saturday I get treated to some top notch hockey.  Or at least I get treated to some top notch access to whatever quality hockey the Caps and Thrashers put on the ice that night. I don't want to spoil the surprise but I'll post about my experiences here and over at Southeast Shootout.  For what it's worth I have done some writing over there while this poor site sat still.  Its all about hockey so feel free to go check it out.