VOTE HOMER (early and often)

Remember the primary story of last year’s NHL season, when hockey fans as a whole rose up to vote, en masse, for Vancouver Canucks journeyman defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick for the All-Star Game?  And how awesome it was?  And how Bettman seemed to rig the voting to keep Rory, the fans’ choice out?

 Well, the 2008 NHL All-Star ballot has been revealed, and there is one man poised to take the crown from Rory.  That man is Tomas Holmstrom of the Detroit Red Wings.  Now first, why is Homer worthy?  Stats-wise, there is no reason why he should not be on the All-Star ballot at least. Before the NHL decided to put all voting online, each team got six players (the maximum per category).  Now, teams have anywhere between 2 and 6 players, with most teams having 3 or 4.  However, Homer has better stats this season then many guys on this list.  And there are other reasons as well to Vote Homer. 

• Homer is having a great year, stats-wise

Right now, Holmstrom has 8 goals, 6 assists, and 14 points.  These numbers put him 13th overall in the NHL in goals scored, and 33rd overall in points.  That is for the entire NHL, not just the Western Conference.  A guy who is 13th in goals can’t be one of the top 30 forwards in his conference?  Amongst players on the ballot, Homer has more goals than 25 out of 30 players, and more points then 18 out of 30 players.  Obviously, Holmstrom should at least crack the ballot, if it were on who is truly having a great season.  

• Homer is the best in the world at what he does

No other player in hockey is as good at screening the goalie and raising pure hell than Tomas Holmstrom.  He is world-renowned for it, playing on the 2006 Swedish Olympic Team, winning a gold medal in the process.  Numerous articles have been written on his skill, and he has literally made himself a household name in Detroit due to the blue-collar mastery that he shows us day in and day out.

For those of you who don’t watch the Wings much, Homer goes to the front of the net and stays there.  In front of the goalie no matter what.  No defenseman can move him.  When the puck goes back to the point, the goalie can’t see around Homer, ever.  If anything, efforts to move him create even more of a screen, since the defenseman assigned to move Homer just causes more havoc in front of the net.  Therefore, more shots go through, into the net, or Homer gets a stick on it and redirects the puck for the goal.  That is the big secret to the dominant Wings power play, since no other team has a weapon like Holmstrom.  This should be something that is honored at the All-Star game, instead of this year’s Token Phoenix Coyote.  Homer is the best in the world at his job, and should be honored just as the best in any other brand of hockey are honored.

While it would be nice to honor a guy like Dan Cleary, who deserves any honor given towards him, Homer is legitimately getting overlooked.  It’s time to get Holmstrom some praise.

• Homer is a tough, old-school type of hockey player

Last year, part of the good feelings for Rory Fitzpatrick came from how he worked hard to get where he was, jumping around many teams and being a stereotypically overlooked player.  Well, Homer is that same mold.  Picked 257th in the 1994 draft, Homer has fought his way into the League, and takes punishment for his team on a nightly basis.  Homer has additional padding in his back and legs, not just to protect against a Lidstrom slapshot, but to shield against every goalie stick and defenseman crosscheck in the league.

Even Don Cherry has remarked about the toughness of Homer, despite Grapes’ well-known dislike of the Swedes.  Homer is a grinder in every sense, playing a physically tough role every shift.  Too often, the All-Star berths are given to guys that can barely take a check, let alone stand up for themselves.  Tomas Holmstrom has been fighting for his patch of ice for over a decade in Detroit, and has never backed down.

• This year, it seems the NHL has been Anti-Homer

One month into the season, a suspicious number of penalties have been called on Tomas, for non-infractions involving goalie interference.  Furthermore, numerous Red Wing goals have been disallowed, due to Homer “interfering” with the goalie, when replays showed no contact even occurred.

It seems that Gary is out to get Homer.  Every voute for Homer is a vote against Gary’s NBA-on-skates, no-contact brand of poor hockey.  Vote Homer.

A Good Word: “gamey”

I just heard this in a commercial on TV, “gamey”.  It’s a good word.  Not that obscure sounding, but not used often.

 gam·y also gam·ey  (gā’mē)  Pronunciation Key 
adj.   gam·i·er, gam·i·est

1. 1. Having the flavor or odor of game, especially game that is slightly spoiled.
   2. Ill-smelling; rank.
   3. Corrupt; tainted: “those considerable forces in America that appear to be tired of the old politics (particularly the gamy municipal variety)” (Tom Wicker).
   4. Sordid; seamy.
   5. Sexually suggestive; racy.
2. Showing an unyielding spirit; plucky: a gamy little mare that loved to run.
3. 1. Corrupt; tainted: “those considerable forces in America that appear to be tired of the old politics (particularly the gamy municipal variety)” (Tom Wicker).
   2. Sordid; seamy.
   3. Sexually suggestive; racy.

Starting it off with some Sox glory

For years, I’ve wanted to start a blog, and hopefully said blog would lead into some writing opportunities down the line.  But I’ve always had other things to do, other commitments and so forth.   Also, there’s never been any definitive starting point, no moment that could become the genesis. 

The Boston Red Sox, my team, will be playing on Wednesday night in the World Series.  After just coming back to win the ALCS.  What better way to start off than this?

For the last ten years or so, I’ve been a Red Sox fan, despite living in Detroit.  Sadly since then, Red Sox Nation has spread across the country, picking up bandwagon fans all the way.  As a non-NE Sox fan, I’m kinda saddened by this, as I developed my love for the Sox in a more natural way.  I became a Boston Red Sox fan for many little reasons at first.  Nomar, my favorite player.  The uniqueness of Fenway.  The Red Sox sharing the same Red ___ pattern with my even more beloved Detroit Red Wings.  And, that games were on TV a lot of the time.  Also, it allowed me an everyday thing to do in summers that, for reasons that won’t be explained here, had a tendency to suck.  No matter what happens, the Sox will play today.  And tomorrow.  And the next day.

This season, for both myself and the Red Sox, has been somewhat interesting in different ways.  For the first time in my baseball life, the Detroit Tigers were actually expected to be good, and were good.  Combined with my jaw surgery and many cheap Tigers tickets, my summer was largely spent at Comerica Park, with one eye on the field and the other on the right field out-of-town scoreboard.  Also, this year featured the Red Sox jumping out to a huge divisional lead, watching the Yankees creep back in, and the Red Sox hanging onto the division.

Going into the playoffs, the only team that I was really concerned to play was the Cleveland Indians.  The Angels always lose to the Red Sox, and the Yankees always lose to the Angels.  Cleveland seemed to have a season like Detroit did in ’06, where they always won miracle finish games, with large comebacks and walk-off home runs.

 Meanwhile, the Red Sox caught a little fire late in the season, then swept the Angels with the broomsticks of Papi and Manny.  The Angels were just lit up by the Red Sox, the series was a sweep in every sense of the word.  Bring on, Cleveland.

 Up until this point, everything has just been intro.  Really.  435 words in, and I haven’t even gotten around to my intended topic.  But for a Red Sox postseason, would anything be more fitting?  It took them until Game 5 to really get their game up to speed.  Game 1 was a blowout, and the next three games were all about Cleveland finding their footing and the Red Sox doing just enough to barely lose.

Honestly, could the Red Sox have it any other way?  I remember joking after Game 4 that the Sox have Cleveland right where they want them.  And the same logic from 2004, that of “well, if we win the next one, we’ve got Pedro with Beckett, then Schilling, then it’s Game 7 and we’ve got the momentum.  And just like 2004, it worked out that way.

Game 5, Josh Beckett.  You thought you can rattle him, Indians?  Josh Beckett is clutch defined, a worthy heir to Curt Schilling.  You think exes can throw him off?  Josh Freaking Beckett is not one to make angry.  On the other side of the ball, Youks hits one out, the bats are woken up, and a pattern of destroying the Cleveland bullpen begins.  On to Boston, where Curt Schilling comes up big as usual, with J.D. Drew (J.D. Drew!) changing his career in Boston with a 1st inning grand slam.

Now, going into a Game 7, one must know that they are watching something that will stay memorable forever, for either good or bad.  And with a shaken Dice-K going for the Sox, and early innings that seemed to go perversely against Boston, it seemed to be going bad.  Yeah, the Sox got a run in the first three innings.  But they could’ve gotten a lot more.  And, Dice-K was breaking down, letting Cleveland get two runs back.  And the offense was getting shut down.  And Okajima had guys on third and first, with one out.  This just seemed to be turning into a classic comeback game, with Cleveland constantly threatening, and the Red Sox about to lose control completely…and Lowell, Pedroia and Youkilis turn the DP, inning over.  Up come the Red Sox, and a fluke bounce goes Boston’s way.  One Lugo bunt later, and Dustin Pedroia (Dustin Pedroia!) hits one into the Monster seats, and all of New England sighed with relief.  5-2, Red Sox.  The t-shirt presses were getting warmed up, and the calendars for next week were getting cleared.  And in the next inning, six more runs.  Pedroia hits a bases-clearing double, Youks hits one off the Coke bottle, 11-2, let the celebration begin. 

The 9th inning was just ceremonial, and the Red Sox are AL champions again.  And in a day where I went from a blissful Sunday morning and afternoon, to a college dorm that seems to get more dull and depressing by the week, it was nice to end October 21st with shots of Big Papi in swim goggles, Schilling holding the AL trophy, and commercials for Wednesday night, the World Series, Game 1, Colorado….against Boston, at Fenway Park.  And the Nation rejoices.