Bill, I learned the hard way that there are times that GM’s and player personnel out and out lie to you, and if you don’t include what they say to you in your article because they’re lying, or have an agenda…

You’re never gonna quote a general manager again for the rest of your career.  They’ve always got an angle.  They’ve always got five or six different plans, even when they do really believe that it’s camp that will sort things out--and the Wings do say that their overriding plan is to allow the players to make their decisions for them.  That’s going to be Babcock’s take as well, and he’s gonna say the same thing, though I’m sure he’s got a theory or three as to who’s gonna make the cut.

Don’t write Dye off because he quoted a guy who at least didn’t admit that he’s probably got half a dozen contingency plans based upon who outperforms whom because he’s a GM, and that’s what he does.  Of course they’re more likely to trade a defenceman, and of course KH has called a few GM’s to gauge interest, or at least players’ agents have, and have told Holland, “If so and so doesn’t make the team, he’d like to play for team X, and we can get you a draft pick.” That’s how it works.

Posting a quote without a ton of skepticism isn’t necessarily digger-ism.  You have to let the man say his piece.

I got “lied to,” if you will, by this guy when he told me that Babcock hadn’t decided upon his assistant coach yet.  I don’t hold it against him. 

http://www.youtube.com/v/nZIxj6vfnnw&hl=en&fs=1

Just watch Jim Nill kick Mike Hartman’s arse already.

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 09/03/08 at 03:59 AM ET

Why would Babcock have a problem with this? Is Quincy a favorite?

Posted by Sleepy on 09/03/08 at 04:02 AM ET

Ericsson.  Babs has a hockey crush on Ericsson.

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 09/03/08 at 04:15 AM ET

Chelios’ statements about Chicago don’t bother me. In my mind he’s still really a Blackhawk. And why not? It’s his home town, he played there for years—maybe his best years. Where he won the Norris trophy.

When I see him Chelos on the ice for the Wings, I still can’t help wishing it was Konstantinov instead.

Posted by Sleepy from Portland, OR on 09/03/08 at 05:28 AM ET

Tell him he has to choose just one crush - Ericsson or Samuelsson.  Otherwise he’s a two-timer. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 09/03/08 at 05:32 AM ET

This could easily go alot of ways.  I doubt the wings will move 2 defensemen UNLESS ericsson makes the top 6, and imo thats where the evaluation kicks in.  Im fairly certain the wings plan on moving lilja.  They have about 6 capable 5/6 defensemen, and lilja makes a good deal more than any of the others do.  The wings need some capspace, badly.

I highly doubt the wings would use meech/lebda as a pairing.  Thats 2 small offensive defensemen, neither being that good in their own end (especially in front of the net or along the boards), and neither will sniff the powerplay without injuries.  Neither can kill penalties either.  So i think the evaluation comes down to exactly how comfortable the wings would be with ericsson or Q as a #6 paired with lebda.  If either of these guys has a good camp, it opens the door to move lilja.

Lets also not be 2 quick to judge chelios.  HE got benched in the finals but you know what?  LEbda got benched against nashville in favor of chelios.  Lilja got benched in nashville/dallas in favor of chelios.  These guys are on semi equal footing, and where chelios may have been healthy enough to play, he did have his knee scoped in the offseason.  IMO its a very good plan to get meech and E some icetime this year, and if the wings arent 100% comfortable with them near the playoffs, you can always toss chelios back on the 3rd pair, if he doesnt start there.

Posted by aTTicA from NY on 09/03/08 at 06:47 AM ET

Dear Ken,

Please get rid of Lilja and Samuelsson...we don’t need them.  For reasons, please see http://animaldrew.blogspot.com

Love,

Me

Posted by Animal Drew from The Mitten on 09/03/08 at 06:48 AM ET

Having the aforementioned 5 or 6 contingency plans is what makes KH the frigging genius he is. He can call around and guage interest now and make little progress or get little to no feed back of any substance. KH has playmaking ability off ice like Pavel has on the ice, he knows where you are now and where you’re going (or might like to be sent) before you get there.
Here’s hoping Big E gets the man crush from Sammy and gives it to the big kid.
Cheli is nice to have around for the on ice mentor and playing assistant coach type of role, worth every damn dime in my minds eye. Hard to say Cheli is still a Hawk, he’s been a Wing for like a decade or so… that’d mean he’s still a Hab too.
I’d rather keep Meech over Quince if that comes about. Lilly can go too, although he knows he’s on the bubble and that is one big carrot for any horse.

Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 09/03/08 at 08:23 AM ET

As far as I’m concerned, Lilja, Quincey, and Kopecky could all be dumped for nothing in return.

Doesn’t Ericsson HAVE to play x-amount of NHL games this year or the Wings lose his rights?

Posted by Primis on 09/03/08 at 09:00 AM ET

The nice thing is, right now there are several teams hurting for defensemen. Whoever the Wings are forced to ship out, we should have some takers. Tampa, Toronto, and Ottawa are the first that spring to mind.

Posted by Nate A from metro Detroit on 09/03/08 at 09:20 AM ET

Punt Lilja if Ericsson makes the squad.  Otherwise keep him as he has some size, can be physical and PKs.  The Wings need that as there isn’t an abundance of those types of guys.  With that being said I really want to see Ericsson make the team as he needs to develop into that top 4 guy he’ll need to be in a couple years.  Kronner is just turning into a topflight d-man so it obviously takes a couple seasons.

Meech just seems like a more well-rounded Lebda.  Hopefully he beats out Lebda and Lebda is traded to the Eastern Conference, where he’d no doubt thrive.

Quincey is this year’s model of Meech.  Let him sit in the press box and get ice time when the eventual injuries occur.  Cheli’s only value is on the PK, but with Lids, Kronner, Stuart and any of the other d-men on the roster I really question his value.  But that’s just me.

So my ideal pairings:

Lids-Rafi
Kronner-Stuart
Meech-Ericsson
Quincey

Cheli - Chicago, assuming they can trade Bulin Wall.

Lebda - traded
Lilja - traded

Let’s get it done and start training camp already.

Posted by Dave on 09/03/08 at 09:35 AM ET

As far as waiting into the pre-season, I think
Holland’s plan is to let the teams on his list
decide what kind of player they need’

His List:
Teams with the most 7th round draft picks.

Posted by HockeyTownTodd on 09/03/08 at 09:44 AM ET

Chelios, according to Khan(!), has re-signed for his standard 850.  With that, the Wings are officially over the Cap.

Actually, Chief, that $850k still leaves them $127k under the Cap...with Quincey and D-Mac still to be signed. So, yes, eventually someone has to go. Lilja has been everyone’s #1 choice here for weeks because of his Cap hit and because, well, because he’s Lilja.

As far as I’m concerned, Lilja, Quincey, and Kopecky could all be dumped for nothing in return.

Well, thank God you’re not the GM, Primis. Lilja could get a young prospect or pick in return. Quincey probably would return a mid-round pick. And Kopecky has a solid chance of being a slightly bigger and stronger version of Dallas Drake. Someone’s going to have to offer up a pretty sweet deal to pry him away from Babs.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 09/03/08 at 10:00 AM ET

I still have Cheli in the top six, no question.  He has some bad games here and there, but what, Lilja doesn’t? He brings a lot more to the table as well. 

Same top six this year, replace one or two with new kids next.

Drop Lilja.  Now.

Posted by moore00 on 09/03/08 at 10:06 AM ET

i can hear scotty bowman, like Obi-Wan Kenobi telling K.H. “keep the veterans” “always go with experience” “it will save you in the playoffs”.

Posted by christpuncher from detroit on 09/03/08 at 10:16 AM ET

It should not be any contest, Lebda should be the one that goes, why?  He and Meech are redundant, and quite frankly Meech is better and more versitile.  Lilja should go only if Ericsson makes the team (which he should) so in my opinion, Lebda and Lilja are the ones who should go

Posted by bababooey on 09/03/08 at 01:13 PM ET

Have to agree with Bababooey and Dave.  Lebda is an older, less talented carbon-copy of Meech, but would bring good return from an Eastern Conference team.  Lilja at least brings what Lebda and Meech don’t-- size, shot-blocking, and penalty-killing...however, Ericsson should supplant him in those departments soon.  Not this year, as he’ll be playing top-pairing minutes in Grand Rapids, but perhaps as early as next year.  I think Lilja stays for this year (possibly traded next year), and Lebda and Quincey are baiting the hook.

HOWEVER...what ever happened to the plan to carry eight D?  Meech would probably get one of those ‘fourth-pairing’ spots as he can fill in at forward in a pinch.

Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from Andreas Lilja's worst nightmare... on 09/03/08 at 01:39 PM ET

Meech may have more talent then Lebda, but I think right now Lebda is a better player…

Posted by moore00 on 09/03/08 at 01:55 PM ET

BTW, OTC, sorry to hear about your cat-- she looks like a sweetie, and it’s always tough to lose a companion.  My in-laws just lost their rescued greyhound of nine years a couple of months ago, and were heartbroken.  Of course, being in Ireland, there is always another greyhound needing a home...so as of a few weeks ago, they have a rather rambunctious black greyhound.  She’s a lovely gal, even if they declined my suggestion of Róisín Dubh as a name.  I think there’s something about a pet’s ability to love unconditionally that us hairless apes could learn a lot from.

Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from the company of wolves on 09/03/08 at 02:11 PM ET

I think there’s something about a pet’s ability to love unconditionally that us hairless apes could learn a lot from.

No kidding.

A year or so ago, I came across a study done by an animal behaviourist and several of his students looking at the behaviour of human families during the day.  They followed them around just as though they were studying any other primate, took video of their interactions, and then analyzed it afterwards.

Humans are social animals, and all other social animals have some kind of ritual when a member returns to the herd or the pack or the flock - and yet the saddest thing was how a couple might meet each other up at the end of the workday, and instead of a greeting, they would hardly acknowledge each other - or else pick up the exact same argument they were having that morning as though the intervening hours didn’t even exist.  The striking lack of affection between family members in so many cases was the biggest surprise to the researchers.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 09/03/08 at 02:56 PM ET

or else pick up the exact same argument they were having that morning as though the intervening hours didn’t even exist.

Thats why RWBill keeps his romantic interests at arms lengths...or NVG length, either way

Posted by rwingscup19 from dallas on 09/03/08 at 03:08 PM ET

Stalking is just the 21st century’s version of courtly love...right? 

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 09/03/08 at 03:15 PM ET

Really. What was up with supposed “romantics” like Romeo and Cyrano lurking about the balconies of young females?

Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 09/03/08 at 03:27 PM ET

I think there’s something about a pet’s ability to love unconditionally that us hairless apes could learn a lot from.
No kidding.

I’ve been bringing my dog to work for over a year now, I have been doing so since he was 7 weeks old. Spending about 23 or so hours a day (work and home time plus he sleeps in our damn bed too)with him for a year, I can fully say that is so very true. If I leave for 5 minutes or 5 hours, I get the same reception from the dog. He’s genuinely happy to just know I am around again.
Unconditional to say the least, damn good company and every one at work has become pretty attached too.
I guess this is relevant here, since Chief seems to talk about Summer of Ken… ya know bonfires & puppies....

Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 09/03/08 at 03:35 PM ET

BTW, OTC, sorry to hear about your cat-- she looks like a sweetie, and it’s always tough to lose a companion.

Thanks, Andrew. I made a decision today that I’m not ready to give up on her, so after $120 worth of IV fluids, a Vitamin B shot and some high-calorie paste, both Lucky and I are looking and feeling pretty chipper.

I think there’s something about a pet’s ability to love unconditionally that us hairless apes could learn a lot from.

Amen, brother. I feel extremely lucky to have grown up in a family of “pet lovers.” We adopted every stray dog that came through the neighborhood, and it’s been worth every penny I’ve ever spent on the care and feeding of canine and feline companions.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 09/03/08 at 06:46 PM ET

… both Lucky and I are looking and feeling pretty chipper.

Woo-hoo!

I love animals (although am petless at the moment).  If I need a dog fix, I visit my parents’ two dogs or drop in on my sister who lives close by (two dogs, two cats, and also a brand new puppy).

After hurricane Katrina a few years ago, I was stuck in line at the grocery store behind a blabbering blowhard who was rambling on and on to the cashier about how stupid anyone was who would donate to the charities involved with helping animals after the storm, because they were just pets and thus useless.  I mentioned that I had donated to just such a charity myself (probably just so I could hear a voice other than his for a moment).  He asked why I’d do something that stupid, and I told him “because I’ve never met a dog I wanted to see dead, but I’ve met more than a few people that if they were drowning, I’d be sorely tempted to hold them under myself until they stopped kicking.”

He shut up, finished his transaction, and got out of the way so I could pay for my groceries. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 09/03/08 at 08:16 PM ET

He shut up, finished his transaction, and got out of the way so I could pay for my groceries.

After what you said, I’m surprised he didn’t leave his groceries where they were and run for his life!

Nothing ticks me off more than animal haters. Well, maybe with the exception of Avs fans.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 09/03/08 at 10:33 PM ET

No kidding.

Well, in the rare defense of the homo sapiens species, I WILL say that that the researchers appear to have ignored a crucial difference of circumstance between us and our primate cousins.  In general, social animals existing in the wild face daily deadly hazards to life and limb.  Those members that temporarily leave the protection of the group for whatever reasons-- hunting, gathering, etc.-- may encounter such hazards and stand a good chance of never returning to the group again.  On the other hand, us humans do not face the same hazards every day as we’ve managed through the use of ever more-sophisticated tools to insulate ourselves from them.  So when one of ours temporarily leaves our social circle, it’s almost taken for granted that they will return, as, statistically speaking, there’s a far greater chance that a chimpanzee separated from its group will never return than a spouse going out to work will do the same.  So the relief and joy at a returning chimp is correlatedly far greater than a returning spouse.  That being said, this has led humans to take each other for granted; a sad state of affairs indeed.

But with that taken into account, I still can’t deny that the more I see of humans, the more I prefer the companionship of animals.  As far as I know, no cat or dog ever tried to swindle the elderly out of their houses and life savings.  And I have yet to see the ranks of any animal swell with numbers of politicians, journalists, realtors, advertising execs-- you know, professional liars and scum of the earth.  To know humanity is to know misanthropy.  Give me a household pet, even an aloof cat, any day.

So OTC, I’m happy to hear that Lucky’s doing better, even if it is courtesy of modern medical science.  Thanks for letting us know, it’s a bright spot in what can be an otherwise dreary world.  Here’s to a long and happy life for her and for you!

So...line combos, anyone?

Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from my house, slowly turning into the crazy cat man on 09/04/08 at 03:23 AM ET

After what you said, I’m surprised he didn’t leave his groceries where they were and run for his life!

I didn’t say I would - just that I’d be tempted.  I’d probably pull them out anyway and then kick myself afterwards. 

Well, in the rare defense of the homo sapiens [sic] species, I WILL say that that the researchers appear to have ignored a crucial difference of circumstance between us and our primate cousins.

They actually did consider just that (longer study than a brief comment would indicate), and broached the same thought you did - modern technology has enabled humans in a developed society to assume a more secure future, and the pressures of everyday life which so often lead to arguments inhibit civil communications, even among family members.  Part of it was they cited observations of family life in less secure cultures, where there is a tighter bond because a brother could be eaten by a lion before morning.  Human beings in the developed world are freaked out by the thought that to other animals we are nothing but a remarkably vulnerable primate and a normal part of the diet.  We like to think that our technology insulates us from that, but it doesn’t.  Predators care nothing for our MP3 players and Bluetooth headsets and GPS systems and insect-repellent clothing, and for all the time and effort invested in developing them, we figure they should.

The funny thing is that through most of human history, we haven’t been much more than a primate species that is unusually vulnerable because we live in open territory with little shelter, we walk upright, and our senses are relatively poor and defenses near non-existent.  It is amazing that we aren’t food more often, and also that such a large change in social interaction has taken place in such a short time.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 09/04/08 at 06:16 AM ET

As a counterpoint: hockey good, fire bad, brains good, big brain mean more protein, more protein mean bigger brain, develop cognitive processes happen, now internet allow to order pizza without pants on.  Who top of food chain now?  Grr, still have hockey sticks in case power go out, then migrate to U of M and eat slow, lazy squirrels.

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 09/04/08 at 06:22 AM ET

I was thinking more of the man-eating lions of Tsavo than internet pizza. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 09/04/08 at 06:35 AM ET

Human beings in the developed world are freaked out by the thought that to other animals we are nothing but a remarkably vulnerable primate and a normal part of the diet.  We like to think that our technology insulates us from that, but it doesn’t.  Predators care nothing for our MP3 players and Bluetooth headsets and GPS systems and insect-repellent clothing, and for all the time and effort invested in developing them, we figure they should.

What?  Was there a breakout at the zoo?  Or did the conversation turn to Bubba?

now internet allow to order pizza without pants on.

Jim Gaffigan has a great bit about having food delivered and having the delivery guy feed it to you.  “Hi, yeah, I need an order for delivery, and, umm, I’m gonna need someone to feed it to me.  Yeah, I’ll be in the bathtub, just come right in.  Chip chop chip!”

Posted by monkey from The AQ on 09/04/08 at 07:37 AM ET

“because I’ve never met a dog I wanted to see dead, but I’ve met more than a few people that if they were drowning, I’d be sorely tempted to hold them under myself until they stopped kicking.”

Me thinks if that person you’re holding underwater has a dog.. the dog would be in the other hand. Many pets are an awful lot like their owners....

It is amazing that we aren’t food more often

Give the animals some of our ability to reason and it’s dinner time…

Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 09/04/08 at 07:46 AM ET

Did I misspell ‘sapiens?’ I can’t see that I have.  Oh well.  I figured the study would have covered the socioevolutionary circumstances surrounding the differences between humans and other primates, at least in the conclusion, but yeah, you can’t really cover that in a blurb on a comment in a hockey blog.

The funny thing is that through most of human history, we haven’t been much more than a primate species that is unusually vulnerable

Predators care nothing for our MP3 players and Bluetooth headsets and GPS systems

Human history, in geological terms, reads mostly like a history of any other social primate.  It’s only after hunting and gathering gave way to an agrarian society, and the subsequent development of tools such as bronze and iron, and the light-years leap that the Industrial Revolution represented, that we climbed to the top of the food chain.  that’s about ten thousand years-- in geological terms, the blink of an eye.  Industrialization really only happened in the last two hundred years-- a microsecond where millions of years of biological evolution are concerned.  And it may not mean much, especially when taking into account Ipods, GPS systems, and weatherproof clothing, but there is one very significant advance where the animal kingdom is concerned, and it’s the reason why those who have had encounters with humans respect them and are wary of them, rather than seeing them as easy prey-- weapons.  A human may be no match for a lion on even ground, but give the human a Weatherby .500 and the lion, if it has seen what the human can do, will give him or her a wide berth.

Unfortunately, humans still approach our ever more-sophisticated weaponry in the exact same way our primate cousins would, and the dwindling number of lions in the world is grim testament to that.  Hence my preference for housepets, and the valuable lessons they could teach me, than for other people and their hollow pontificating.

Grr, still have hockey sticks in case power go out, then migrate to U of M and eat slow, lazy squirrels.

No, thank you.  Diag ninja squirrels are too full of cholesterol.  And their consistent thievery of students’ cigarettes means they’re most likely high in nicotine and tar too.

I suppose in the end it’s all about adaptation.  In the same way that a pig that gets loose from a farm will rapidly grow bristles and tusks and turn wild again, human senses became dulled and human bodies became fatty and hairless when we learned to rely on tools.  Now we idealize the hairy, muscular throwbacks with sharp senses and rudimentary tools.  You have to admit, that’d explain why Sasquatch has his fans.

Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from right behind Pronger with a Weatherby .500... on 09/04/08 at 09:45 AM ET

In what other hockey venue could the discussion start out with “...your Wings are loaded” and eventually evolve into a discussion of the “socioevolutionary circumstances surrounding the differences between humans and other primates”. The A2Y are, indeed a cerebral bunch. The Chief must be so proud.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 09/04/08 at 09:58 AM ET

Unfortunately, humans still approach our ever more-sophisticated weaponry in the exact same way our primate cousins would, and the dwindling number of lions in the world is grim testament to that.

Uncle Mike likes to hunt lions & just got back from another “safari” hunt… just sayin’.
Nothing against hunting here at all, I grew up hunting and took my little dude hunting with me last fall for his first times, but I don’t get the allure to harvest exotic game. Go to the savannah to see them sure, but to bag one to stuff and put in your home is very much another.

The A2Y are, indeed a cerebral bunch. The Chief must be so proud. 

The Chiefs petri dishes does create some unusual “cultures” to say the least.

Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 09/04/08 at 11:28 AM ET

but give the human a Weatherby .500 and the lion, if it has seen what the human can do, will give him or her a wide berth.

Hmmmm...Andrew, I believe you are referring to the .460 Weatherby Magnum using a 500 grain bullet.  A fine weapon long carried by the “guide” as backup lest the hunter, uh, umm, miss the charging game.  Definitely a weapon designed for a kill shot.  Yet with a muzzle velocity of 2700 ft/sec and the ability to penetrate over 30 inches in to an elephant, one might classify it as “overkill” for an unfortunate lion. One shot and you may have less to eat than one of George’s squirrels on a hockey stick procured from old U of M. Thus, as I am sure you will agree, feeding a family of four could become somewhat problematic.

If I may be so bold, I might recommend a lesser load, say the .450 or even, the rather diminutive by comparison, .378.  Either would provide ample stopping power while preserving the carcass and still allow ample opportunity for fun and frivolity while perusing the charging beast. They cost less too, economics and all that.

Posted by Rumbear from Sandy Eggo, reloading on 09/04/08 at 11:46 AM ET

What have things digressed to?  Between all the talk of pets and sociology I am getting the feeling everyone is getting restless without hockey.

A bunch of stir-crazy intellectuals led by a drunken sailor… our own version of the (Fueled by Exxon) Valdez.  I’m just waiting for us to cause an international incident… any day now…

Posted by VooX from hiding inside the Pipes and Tubes on 09/04/08 at 11:57 AM ET

Thought the bloodthirsty and animal-lovers among you might enjoy this recent quote from Uncle Mike:

“Africa is like the NHL of hunting,” Babcock said Wednesday in preparation for the opening of camp in two weeks. “When you’re in the tall grass, when it’s 14-feet high and you can’t even see the top of an elephant’s back, when you’re hunting a lion and it’s five feet away and you don’t even know he’s there, that’s scary. It gets your heart going."…

Their guide was a licensed professional hunter from Africa.

“I’ve been with him three times,” Babcock said. “You’re safe. The food’s fantastic. The service is great. And you get a great opportunity to hunt quality animals.”

Hold on there, Coach.

You’re safe?

“You’re counting on him,” Babcock said of the guide. “When you get charged by a buffalo or an elephant or something like that, that’s his job. He’s there to back you up.”

Having spent so much time in Detroit, I wonder if Uncle Mike shoots his gun sideways because, you know, it’s just cooler.

Posted by VooX from hiding inside the Pipes and Tubes on 09/04/08 at 12:10 PM ET

For what it’s worth kids - I played the demo for NHL 09 on the 360 yesterday and since the Wings are the champs, that means you get to use them.  And boy howdy did I.

Anyhow, the lines to start with them go this way:

Hank-Dats-Homer
Cleary-Mule-Hossa
Hudler-Flipper-Sammy
Malts-Drapes-Kopecky

Lidstrom-Raffy
Kronvall-Chelios
Lilja-Stuart

Ozzie
Conky

Dreamy.

Posted by HockeyJoe from NY on 09/04/08 at 12:31 PM ET

this thread is making me hungry

Posted by cowboycoffee from San Francisco, CA on 09/04/08 at 12:34 PM ET

Nothing against hunting here at all, I grew up hunting and took my little dude hunting with me last fall for his first times, but I don’t get the allure to harvest exotic game.

I have to agree with you, MO. I started hunting at the age of 12 (with a 12-guage that used to nearly rip my shoulder off every time I fired it). And I do understand the need to “harvest” animals in order to prevent overpopulation...which, in turn, usually leads to large-scale death by starvation.

But to go to Africa and hunt “big game” so you can mount it on the wall as a symbol of your “manhood” just seems wrong to me. I’m actually quite surprised to learn that Babs enjoys this form of “sport”. I still love the guy, expecially when he talks about Kronwal and Stuart as his “hunting duo”, but I could do without the “great white hunter” side of him.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 09/04/08 at 01:01 PM ET

I still love the guy, expecially when he talks about Kronwal and Stuart as his “hunting duo”, but I could do without the “great white hunter” side of him.

I find that it helps if I think of Uncle Mike’s gun as Dallas Drake and the lion/elephant/rhino as the d-men he enjoyed watching Drake run so much. (For some reason, it seems to work best when I put Pronger in the “prey” spot). 

Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 09/04/08 at 02:19 PM ET

Did I misspell ‘sapiens?’ I can’t see that I have. 

No, but in the system of binomial nomenclature the generic name should be capitalized and the entire scientific name should really be in italics (or underlined), thus:

Homo sapiens.

Just a teeny-weeny-tiny little spelling-related quirk of mine. 

(You make so few mistakes I had to jump on the opportunity, you know!)

And regarding hunting big game in Africa:
It’s a tricky issue, but one of the major hurdles in any conservation program is getting the local people to regard a living animal as more valuable than a dead one.  If animals that are living can be used to attract jobs, dollars, and development, whether from tourists or hunters, sometimes it can be a viable option.  It enables the people in the area to see the animal population as a resource that can, if properly used and managed, bring a measure of wealth to their families and enable them to send children to school and provide proper medical care for family members, instead of just a population of dangerous animals that should all be shot to prevent them destroyign farmland, eating livestock, and killing neighbors.

I don’t like it myself, but unfortunately conservation is fraught with such compromises.  With a population of 6.5 billion people and climbing, it might be the only way to persuade people to leave a little room for non-human animals.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 09/04/08 at 05:07 PM ET

...but in the system of binomial nomenclature the generic name should be capitalized and the entire scientific name should really be in italics (or underlined)…

Sweet Baby Jesus, please let the season start soon. My head is about to explode from all of these educated discussions. We need to get back to real life...you know, like ragging on Bubba and the inbred cousins they call their fans.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 09/04/08 at 05:24 PM ET

More great off season reading Chief.

Posted by RWBill from the Old Dominion, waitin for Jan 31 Wings invasion on 09/04/08 at 06:19 PM ET

OT: GOV PALIN, HOCKEY MOM…

She shoots, she scores!!

What an amazing speech under intense scrutiny.  That was no home run, that was a freakin’ Hat Trick!

I finally have someone to vote FOR not just considering who I should vote against.

Posted by RWBill from the Old Dominion, waitin for Jan 31 Wings invasion on 09/04/08 at 06:22 PM ET

RWB:  F’ing A Right she scored.

Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 09/04/08 at 06:26 PM ET

Thats why RWBill keeps his romantic interests at arms lengths...or NVG length, either way

Posted by rwingscup19 from dallas on 09/03 at 04:08 PM

That is the beauty of this method, Cup.  When I’m in a relationship I don’t care for any of that messy interaction.  The inevitable break-up is much cleaner and they usually can’t even identify you in a line-up.

Posted by RWBill from the Old Dominion, waitin for Jan 31 Wings invasion on 09/04/08 at 06:33 PM ET

OT:  WINGS AT CAROLINA OCT 13.

Tickets go on sale on Ticketmaster Sep 21.  Monday Oct 13 is a Federal and COV (Commonwealth of Virginia) Holiday.  Meet/Leave early afternoon from here near Richmond.  My “11 Cups Mobile” can take 4-5 comfortably.  Down a few in some bar in Raleigh (Tourist Alert: Raleigh/Triangle has a lot of snooty Duke/UNC pretend-they-were-Ivy-Leaguers, but most of what few fans the Hurricanes have are ‘Necks, not that there’s anything wrong with pickup drivin’ gun owners, that’s how I grew up in Shiawassee County, MI).  This is looking more and more like a Go.  Our North Carolina “11 Cups” colleague of The 19 will be there.

INVITE: Any DC/MD/PA/KarenNewman/Baroque/HockeyChic/Other Wings Fans.  I have a fairly large house with a couple of unused bedrooms, 2 hours south of DC right off I-95.  In fact my daughter will be visiting with her slut mother/my-ex-wife-who-gets-$500/mo.-of-my-military-retirement-thanks-Patsy-Schroeder until Oct 14 so I’ll have 3 bedrooms available (1 queen bed, several single beds) plus a couch and unlimited floor space.  We leave Raleigh 1030-1100 Monday night after the game with our top 8 Rival, get back to my house near Richmond, VA about 0130.  Sleep here in Chester, VA, take the next morning or day off work and head back Tuesday morning from my house.  “I’ll make pancakes” (Sarah Conner).

Offer is open.  NVGs optional.

Posted by RWBill from the Old Dominion, waitin for Jan 31 Wings invasion on 09/04/08 at 07:11 PM ET