This might get interesting. As mentioned in the previous post, I have a bet going one with one of my housemate (Robert, the man who can make any sport interesting and believe me, I have actually sat and watched cricket with him! Cricket!). Tonight we cook sausage, mash and beans, we drink beer (and maybe a drip or two of scotch) and watch our recording of the game! And because it's a slow week content wise, I thought it'd be fun to do a live text update of the atmosphere in the room. [I would also like to point out that even though I know who wins, I don't know the score or any details].
Brief introduction to the key players:
Myself (Vancouver) - I am the only one who follows ice hockey regularly. I will more than likely get far too involved in the game and swear profusely (and in hopefully entertaining ways). As scribe, the typing might get a bit ropey towards the end (which I'm sure will have nothing to do with the beverages to hand).
Rob (Boston) - Rob seems to love all sports. Fact. All sports. Not only this, but he has this wonderful and infectious enthusiasm. Sadly, this will be the one and only Stanley Cup Stake of Steaks bet we have, as I can reveal Robert has accepted a new job in Swindon, which unfortunately involves him moving away from Laaaandan. Disappoint.
Alex (sportsmanship) - Mr Whittaker is a big fan of puns. I will probably only cherry pick my favourites/the most groan worthy, but this man makes more puns in an hour than dinners in a month. Most likely candidate for the Stanley Cup Stake of Steaks for next year.
Tom (seven) - Tom will more likely than not be playing with his phone/writing apps instead of looking at the glorious game on the television (plug: Tom is the co-creator of the biggest Muse fan site in Europe? Maybe, the world?). There's a very entertaining video of Tom accepting an award for it on the telly, but being rather drunk. I'll see if I can find it later, but for now, here is the great paperweight of an award (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4154/5041791685_cd63861707_m.jpg).
Huzzah, Rob has returned from the shops and the beer of choice for this evening is Leffe, Belgium extraordinaire!
So, now that's all done, and while we have a bit of time before the clash of the Titans, let's talk about the other big Canadian sporting event, the one at the rainy Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Golly gosh, humdinger doesn't begin to describe it! It had everything! Rain, fantastic driving, overtaking and old fashioned defensive driving (and also Lewis Hamilton acting like a spoiled brat and generally proving me right =) ). Everyone is heralding this as one of the great races of the modern era,; the sort of race that the last few seasons have been lacking. Since last season, there has been two big changes; the switch to Pirelli tyres and the Drag Reduction System (DRS). Now, in previous races, the DRS has been seen as a success as it has allowed quicker drivers to race up the field without resorting to pit strategies (i.e. the overtakes are on field). This race was different however, as we saw some great defensive drivers (Schumacher and Kobayashi) left completely exposed by this system. Unfortunately, this system to a new tool that gives the advantage to fast cars not fast drivers.
20:28 - Dinner is out the way so let's start the festivities! Wow, downtown Boston looks a lot like Canary Wharf, if only our accents were as fun.
20:30 - Tom - "everything looks better in caps lock"
20:31 - The Leffes are open! Hello Ron MacLean!
20:33 - Hello Rachel McAdams!
20:35 - Tom asks when they start playing hockey. Not a fan of build up then. He also predicts a tie.
20:36 - Shock, awe and disgust at Don Cherry's suit. At some point, they should really ask his suit what it thinks about head shots.
2039: - Cheers from Rob at Oh Canada, Tom predicts tears at the Banner.
20:41 - Bobby Orr is the "first modern footballer".
20:42 - "Come on Tim!" [Rob] and Wimbledon is so soon.
20:43 - Tom has the colours explained to him for the 3rd time this evening.
20:43 - 20 seconds into the game, Raymond is down. Hmm, methinks Boston are going to own the physical game. Rob also notes that hockey fans sound exactly like rugby ones.
20:46 - Well would you look at that, both captains have 33 on their backs and are penalised. The similarities never end.
20:47 - Calls from Alex for the ice hockey horn to be used in snooker matches.
20:49 - Well at least the Vancouver defence turned up this for this away game.
20:52 - Higgins missing the empty net. Pheeew.
20:53 - Balls. Rob the Gentleman at least offered to get beer from the fridge.
20:54 - Luongo saves one. That 50% away average working out?
20:55 - Balls. 5-Hole?
20:56 - Ric Flair being used for evil I tell you!!!!
20:58 - Rob: "Nathan Horton looks like he likes his pies" Whoa whoa whoa Tim Thomas, stop poking the Sedins with that big stick!
21:01 - Rob: "It's not like Boston can do anything on the powerplay."
21:02 - Hmm. Don't worry, we have them exactly where we want them. Alex asks if we've accidently put on the repeat of Game 3. No, unfortunately, Vancouver actually played well in the first period of that game.
21:05 - What?? Even Kaberle is getting in on this? Ok, there must be a team decision to let every Boston player score in compensation of not giving them the Cup?
21:05 - New bet, over/under on Boston scoring 6, Rob takes over (7-3), I take under (5-0).
21:09 - Finally! Some saves! And Tom's phone makes its first appearance.
21:12 - Tom Wilson gets 50% off Burger Gormet Kitchen. Why didn't he mention this earlier?
21:16 - Wow, that Canuck fan looks depressed. I'm glad the only thing I'm losing is steak.
21:19 - Comeback starts here. Come on Burrows! Though looking at the replays, it really looks like the Canucks have forgotten that they need to touch the puck to put it into the net. Think I can sell them that secret?
21:27 - Reliving Game 2's highlights. Oh, glory days. Where are you?
21:28 - Hello Don Cherry's suit!
21:31 - Pausing Don Cherry to call Alex, Tom and Rob's friend Phil on speaker phone? Asking about Sea Cows?
21:41 - Post?!?!?! Seriously?
21:42 - Tom: "Papa Roach Ben, remember him?" Tom only knows hockey from video games and keeps asking for the glitch goals.
21:45 - Rob: "Maybe the Sedins are secretly Norwegian." That would explain a lot right now.
21:46 - Oh lord, are they really playing "Black and Yellow"?
21:48 - Rob drops the bombshell that it is his birthday tomorrow. I know the game is pre-recorded and we can't affect it, but I'm sure he's only mentioned that to get Vancouver's head out of the game. I bet Boston have known for weeks! Now the Canucks have to worry about what to get him. How are they going to score when they're worrying about presents?!?!
21:52 - Alex mishears "he's going after the puck himself" as something far more entertaining. You can tell people have lost interest as in the last 10 minutes, we've discussed manatees, corporate bribery and competitive rates of interest. Now we're onto nuclear power. Wow, we're so cool. Get a Leffe?
22:04 - Hello Alex Ovechkin SportsCentre advert.
22:07 - Alex is onto something. Boston's 6th man is their organ player. Dude can wail.
22:16 - Best twins we've seen all night ;) And only seconds later a Sedin scores!!! That girl in the tight t-shirt must be a good luck charm.
22:20 - Goal? No post. Lame. I thought we had a game on our hands!
22:25 - Referees repair the ice now?
22:27 - Wow, first "not" joke I've heard since Borat. Well done CBC play-by-play guys!
22:29 - Tom wants to change his name to 'Classic'. So that would be "Classic Wilson".
22:30 - I was sure that Boston didn't know what a powerplay was before this series.
22:32 - Damn, looking at the sideboard is making me think that I could really do with a coffee, a donut and a rental car right now.
22:35 - Kesler's beard always makes him look like he's having a nose bleed. Maybe that's convincing him that he's injured and therefore making him play badly.
22:38 - Rob makes a convincing Bruins = Boddingtons argument
22:39 - Tom: "Mark Recci is older than the Sun!"
22:46 - What the hell is a Chevrolet I-Desk? Alex: “Only one Leffe.”
22:47 - The severe cussing has started. I just dropped 3 f-bombs in an 8 word sentence. Conveniently that matches Luongo's save percentage.
22:50 - Three more goals to get! In 2:26? Totally easy.
22:52 - And then the Sky+ ran out? Did Vancouver score another 4 goals? We'll never know!!!
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Why is it that on TV shows you can't hear people on the phone, but you can hear the dial tone when they hang up angrily?
I have a to do list. It includes recommending films to a friend and making a mix tape.
I really really really really need to organise/sort out my camera. I used to be quite into my photography (http://spiderland.deviantart.com), but it kind of drifted off when an ex-girlfriend hung onto my camera after the break up. I got it back in November, so my excuses are fairly limited.
The latest Yves Saint Laurent adverts with Vincent Cassel actually looks like clips from Irreversible. I’m not sure that’s an associate that they’d want to have.
Manatees, always a good topic of discussion regardless of the situation. Also, since you follow hockey, do you have a specific team that you like or is it just the sport in general?
ReplyDeleteYep, I'm a New Jersey fan (oh, what a season), but in the UK I support Coventry. Are you looking forward to following the Kings?
ReplyDeleteOh, there is no chance in hell I'm becoming a Kings fan. I've been an Avalanche fan for ten years, that's not going to change just because I moved... I am looking forward to seeing the Avs play here, though. Never been to an away game with them, so that should be interesting. I'll also hopefully get to see them play the Ducks as well. And maybe this coming season they'll actually manage to win some games against them, which they didn't last year. You think the Devils had a bad season? HA.
ReplyDeleteHey, I know the Devils season could have been worse, but seeing them effectively become the Atlanta Thrashers was rather painful. Plus, the Avs have an awesome jersey, so even when the good times turn bad, you can admire the pretty view. God, I love that maroon.
ReplyDeleteYeah, you're in quite the hockey hotspot surely? Been past the Staples Centre yet?
At least the Devils aren't moving! And we DO have an awesome jersey... that's one of the reasons I keep buying them and by extension one of the reasons I'm so broke.
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm living really close to Staples, as I discovered the other day when I was trying to go to Office Depot. My GPS took me down one street and then the other and then suddenly the Staples Center was right in front of me. It was pretty cool actually... I won't be living here when hockey seasons starts, I'm only subleasing til July, but still. I'll be there then for sure, I'm hoping for at least one pre-season game I can get to.
Colorado aren't moving either? Unless I've missed something in the news. Bets on what the Winnipeg team are going to be called?
ReplyDeleteGod bless the Devils - no third jerseys, so I only need my nice red home one.
If you go to some pre-season games, take pictures!! So is your really real flat miles out from downtown LA? What's driving in LA like?
I was just saying... at least the Devils aren't moving the way the Thrashers are. But yes. I have no clue what the new team will be called but I hope it isn't the Jets or the Moose. I want something new.
ReplyDeleteNo, my really real place is the one down the street from the Staples Center. And I think the road system in hell is probably more organized than the one in LA. AND I will absolutely take lots of pictures at all the hockey games I go to this year (I'm planning on several... assuming I'm not broke).
I do feel sorry for the fans in Atlanta - sounds like they've been completely screwed over. Being an owner of NHL94, I've got a slight twinge in my heart when I think about the Jets returning, but aye, it's probably for the best that it's something else. On the other hand, if Quebec get another team and they're not called the Nordiques, I'll be very angry.
ReplyDeleteYou've definitely got to go some games now that Philly have been so kind and provided LA with a legitimate chance of playoff success.