Shoot the Shootout!

Enough with the NHL shoot out already. I know this will upset some people and yes I do know that the shootout does pump excitement into some relatively boring regular season games. But it is this time of year the silliness of the tool to decide games and playoff position is exposed.
Think about it. I understand that it was put in to bring a conclusion to a game quickly with some enjoyment but come on…..What other sport decides the outcome of games and potential playoff berths by a singular skill? How about this? Let’s pick our five toughest guys and have them fight each other to the end. Last man standing gets the win? Still very entertaining…TV networks would love it!
Could you imagine the NFL deciding games by a field goal kicking contest? At least all the players have a say in the contest the way they do it now…..How about the NBA, “Hey guys pick your five best three point shooters and let’s get this game over with….all big men sit on the bench, you’re done for the night.” Major league baseball, nine innings all tied…… send out the pitching coaches….. “We are going to have a home run contest!”  It is Masters Week, Sunday rolls around, we have Tiger and Phil tied for the lead after eighteen….. “Guys, over to the practice range we are going to end this thing with a chipping contest…..”

I watch a lot of the Philadelphia Flyer games and love to watch the dominant play of Chris Pronger. He is a force in any game he plays. Definitely is a difference maker in any hockey game.  He probably plays over half of all games and about three and a half minutes of the overtime. Shout out comes and he is not a factor or rarely used. (Although he did have a penalty shot in the Stanley Cup playoffs once though…. But I think you get my point.)

People say it is a part of the game. There are penalty shots all the time. Not even close. There are very few games that are ever affected by a penalty shot.  Plus, have you seen some of the shots lately in the shootout? I was sure last week a player for the Rangers was going to put himself offside he was going so slow……It was like a carnival game. No break away or penalty shot ever looked like that.
I also think the whole two point, one point thing is just wrong. Your twenty guys can battle all night and all contribute and you get one point for the tie. Then three shooters go out and with a few slick moves get the equivalent….one point. It is just crazy……

Enough complaining. How about a solution?  I will say the five minute overtime when it is four on four is great entertainment and that situation actually happens in a regular game. Almost everyone still contributes. (Pronger, still on the ice….) How about this? After the five minutes of four on four, drop it to three on three. Keep playing until someone scores. If any penalty is taken then award a penalty shot…..still exciting and I guarantee, a goal will be scored very quickly. Faster than the guy in the shootout that they timed with a sun dial……J

Can’t have a blog this week without a Masters reference!

Every athlete should be forced to watch Phil Mickelson conduct himself at a press conference. The other day I stumbled upon the Mickelson press conference at the Masters and I found myself drawn in to watch the whole thing. Phil was funny, thoughtful and even entertaining in how he handled the press.  I know most of those golf interviews are a bit of a drag and some of the questions asked are just terrible but this one is worth checking out. Too bad most athletes can’t enjoy it like this. The second half of the interview is really good!
Enjoy! J

Click on the link below and then on the picture of Phil.

http://www.masters.com/en_US/news/interviews/index.html

Smell the Coffee!

How great a time of year is this? You have to love it. Baseball season is on, (way to go Phils!!!). The NCAA final four is here. Next week is Masters week, (if you don’t know how I feel about that then read my blog from February, "Georgia on my Mind."). The NBA is winding up their season. (way to go Sixers!) Many junior hockey leagues have their playoffs in full gear. The USA Hockey Nationals and the NCAA frozen four are on as well, which you can watch online.(how great is technology now when a goofball like me can have a weekly blog and you can watch hockey games on the internet!!!) Most importantly, the NHL playoffs are right around the corner. My right thumb will be bleeding from hitting the remote…….After a long cold winter, there is nothing better than watching the NHL Playoffs and seeing the increased intensity and great battles.
All this to digest and then my good friend Gasper Paul sends me the following short story. Gasper is a person that really has a great outlook on life.

Life is Like a Cup of Coffee

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups have been taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups. Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. Savor the coffee, not the cups! The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

So while we are all watching sports and cheering for our teams the next few weeks, whether they win or lose, remember to enjoy the enhanced level of play that the playoffs give us and what a great time of year this is.

Enjoy the coffee…... :)

Hey Coach Kerry.........

Nothing serious about this blog this week.
This week I thought I would share some pretty funny lines from my mite team. We had a rough start to our year and lost more than our share of games but it turned out to be a great time and as the year went on I kept a log and saved the best 20 things I heard them say throughout the season.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

20. “Coach Kerry, why does Coach John’s breath smell funny???”

19. “I better get playing better or my mom is going to kill me……”

18. “If they score another goal, that will be two touchdowns…….”

17. “Dad, how did the guy who built the first clock know what time it was???”

16. “Coach Kerry, instead of practicing more why don’t we tell the other teams to stop practicing?”

15. “Coach Kerry, have you seen my jock?” ??????

14. “There is no way I was offside, I didn’t have the puck……”

13. “It is so cold I saw a Penguin walking out of the rink…….”

12. “Coach Kerry, if I score a goal will you take me to McDonalds?”

11. “Coach Kerry, did you have grey hair when you played for the Flyers???”

10. “My line-mates suck…….” (that one got addressed….:) )

9. “ Are we the home team or the road team??”

8. “this Helmut is ruining my hair.” (that’s right we had a little girl on the team…..)

7. “Liam is getting killed out there……” (Liam is our goalie….)

6. “Dad, I don’t get it…we play pretty good in practice…..”

5.  “Coach Kerry, we googled you last night……”

4. “if you get a penalty, that just means you are trying hard right???”

3. “we’re pretty good but these guys are really good!!!!!”

2. “next year when I am older I am going to stomp those guys…….”

1. “Coach Kerry, I think I pulled my Hand String………”

You gotta love hockey!!!!!