Everywhere I go...

So I'm in the deep south where the temps have been in the upper 90s with very high humidity. (Last week the heat index was around 120 down here) Yet even here I can find someone to talk to about hockey! One guy down here with me is from Erie, PA, and after he heard my ringtone he informed me that RJ's son, Mark, is the announcer for the Erie Otters. I then learned that he too was at the Ice Bowl Amp/NHL Winter Classic. He also said he can get me tickets to a Sabres game, so come this December I'll get to cheer my team on in person. Due to circumstances outside my control it will most likely be the only game I can attend this season.

But on to other things. I know I'm several days late and probably about $30 short, but I'm going to put my 2 cents in on the Ryan Miller contract extension anyway. First off I'd like to address Bucky and the gang down at TBN sports section. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Turns out that Ryan Miller doesn't hate Buffalo, nor does he have a burning desire to move to Detroit or Chicago or anywhere else. I am typing this before reading the comments of others, so I have no clue if the hypothetical (and very possibly non-existent) 5/25 deal has finally happened, but I do rejoice that I won't have to hear anyone crying about how we let Miller go without any effort at all. It turns out that Darcy Regier and Larry Quinn MIGHT know something about running a hockey team after all.

I will also say that I have already heard a complaint about this situation. This next comment is for my younger brother and others like him. Ryan Miller is a great goalie. Signing him was a good move on the part of the Sabres. That's right, my own brother said that this was a bad deal. Let's review Miller's last season -- a franchise high number of games played, 3 shut-outs (a career high), and a 9.02 (or .03, I don't remember exactly) save percentage, despite being physically worn down. Yeah, sounds like a real loser to me. Give me a break.

On Saturday I will continue my series on why I love the Sabres in particular and hockey in general.

-- Sharpie

For Love of the Game, part I

Well, I'm down in the deep south where it's hot and humid. I also don't have a steady internet connection. (As I type this I'm in a nice air conditioned internet cafe type place) This makes it diffucult to follow anything having to do with hockey. Don't worry, that won't stop me from bloviating about something hockey related. I'm going to TRY and start a series to get me through the rest of the off-season. So, without further ado I present "Reasons Sharpie Loves Hockey, Part I."

I love the physical side of hockey. Sure, footbal is a very physical game as well, but after they hit each other they stand around for 5 minutes. In hockey after you get hit you're expected to get up and chase after the puck. Even when goals aren't being scored there's plenty of action for all. Furthermore, hockey has some nice solid boundries to smack one's opponent into. One of the reasons I enjoy (occasionally, when I can afford it) sitting in the 100 section is the satisfying sound of a bone-crunching crash off the boards. And who could forget the RJ Umburger hit in the Easter Conference Round I of the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs? I would go on about this, but I don't have much time remaining.

-- Sharpie

So I'm working at a camp in PA in the Delaware river. You may think that at a camp like that I wouldn't come across many hockey-related tidbits. Sure, I had to wait 'til the weekend to find out that Bernier's gone but the Goose is here to stay. And sure, I had no clue about the back-up goalie until late yesterday afternoon. (By the way, is it just me or do we seem to be taking California's leftovers?) But I did come across someone who was associated with the NHL, or at least who WAS associated with the NHL, as well as the NFL.

To say the least our camp nurse this past week, a volunteer, was overqualified. Turns out he's a nurse practitioner who's worked on Flyers players as well as Eagles players. Yes, I know, I'm not a bit fan of either team, mostly because of the fans, but it was interesting to talk with him. He worked with them for quite a while now, as he remembers Hasek, Steve Shields, and other Sabres. We started talking about hockey because of my Sabres hat. He saw me wearing it and mentioned that he wasn't much of a Sabres fan because of working with the Flyers. He's moving to Ohio, so perhaps he'll end up working with Patrick Kane.