Abel to Yzerman
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We Dig Christmas Eve
by IwoCPO on 12/24/07 at 07:43 AM ET
Comments (11)
Tomorrow, the official A2Y Christmas Wish List. It’s going to be exciting, I can tell you that. Today? We do a little digging, and a little scrounging for blog content we can steal and take full credit for. It’s the Christmas way.
We start with Bruce MacLeod, the anti-Digger. Great story on what could be the real recipe for success in Detroit.
The Red Wings get along.
That’s no small thing. We’ve all worked in environments in which people get along and those in which people do not. Everyone is more productive in a happy workplace.
Admittedly, this is a chicken-egg notion. Are the Red Wings a good team because they get along? Or are the Red Wings getting along because they are doing so well?
Spending time in the locker room, I’ll tell you that it’s the former. These are good people.
The Free Press has a review of all the Wing big stories of they year. Mitch Albom, Drew Sharp and Michael Rosenberg apparently all acknowledged the fact that Detroit has a hockey team at least once apiece in the past twelve months. That makes me feel warm. Here’s a snippet of Albom’s post-Poultry prose.
Duck, duck, gone.
You’ll read that one four times if you make it through the entire column. Go here for the Freep’s review of 2007. They also have a collection of the year’s top photos. This one from Julian Gonzalez is a keeper.
Ted Kulfan, former Deep Digger Captain before being supplanted by Khan(!) the local legend, scribbles this morning that The Miracle is feeling comfortably imbalanced again, which is good.
He hasn’t lost in regulation since Thanksgiving in Nashville (Nov. 22).
“The last five or six games, I’ve felt real good,” Hasek said.
“I haven’t made a lot of mistakes (over that span). That’s the way I’d like to feel for the rest of the season.”
Kulfan also reports that Uncle Mike has decided to start Hasek Wednesday night in St. Louis and Osgood Thursday in front of the 13 Dive faithful in Denver.
Meanwhile, Khan(!) and Uncle Mike reached a happy conclusion that a half-hour per day spent giving quality attention to your groin is the right way to spend the Christmas break.
“We spent a lot of time talking about groins, that’s our biggest concern because we play back-to-back coming out,’’ Babcock said following Saturday’s 4-1 victory in Minnesota. “It’s real important that they’re professional. All it takes is a half-hour each day to look after your groin, and we got a professional group.’’
Exactly.
A couple blog entries from the last couple days I feel it’s important you and your family read:
Baroque’s suggestion for revamping Chris Osgood’s mundane mask features four ideas, each related to a separate animal: the Mellivora capensis, the Bitis gabonica, the Lontra canadensis and the Poecile atricapillus. Got it? Have no fear. She explains them all in true Baroquian fashion. While you’re there check out Dougie’s ode to the agitator.
From time to time you see a survey floating around from blog to blog, asking people to describe why they blog, how they blog, who inspired them to blog, etc. Interchangeable Parts is the latest site to collect different bits of info and I read the questionairre filled out by The Forechecker this morning. Thought you might like a few references.
3. What do you want to get out of the blogs you read?
What the best blogs provide is a sense of background, a familiarity with the NHL and perhaps a specific team that provides depth and perspective to whatever’s being written about. Whether reflected in the smug arrogance of some of the Red Wings bloggers…
Whoa. Now wait just one damned minute. I like On The Forecheck. I like the analysis and the fact that Dirk Hoag is able to tie statistics into a post I can actually read without dozing. But, “smug arrogance”? Since I’m a Wing blogger, I’m going to assume I’ve been thrown into that dastardly generality. Frankly, I’m offended. In response, I’ve looked at the last three weeks of posts here at A2Y to rebut Mr. Hoag’s claim.
Give the Wild credit. Heading into last night sitting in second place in the West, theoretically they’re the conference’s second best team. But now they realize the gap is larger than a two-game 47 shot gulf.
Wasn’t it just yesterday that the Wings were cruising along with a sizable lead in the Division That Gary Built? Those were the days, eh? Well, after Thursday’s loss to the martyr and the little Blues, the Central lead has dwindled to a worrisome 17 points.
Sometimes, when I’m kicking the bejesus out of Dive fans, just drilling them day after day because it makes me smile? Well, sometimes, I get sad because Bitter Blues fans think I’ve forgotten them.
If the playoffs started today, we’d be looking at a Detroit/Dive first rounder. Didn’t we just leave this daydream? Weren’t the Wings just competing for a President’s Trophy while the dinky-doo Dives were fighting for the 8 spot? I guess it’s normal now. Oh well. Nice little run. Looks like Ryan Smyth chose real well.
Smug? Arrogant? Me? I think not, Mr. Hoag. And I certainly don’t think this line refers to the high-browed content typically found here at A2Y either....
One particular pet peeve is when a blog resorts to homophobic insults; they’re simply moronic…
No chance in hell he’s referring to us.
It seems that I was born to write these two sentences: a cross-dressing male prostitute was arrested yesterday in Denver. According to various reports uncovered by Deadspin, Police described Darren Garcia as being 27, having long hair, significant amounts of makeup and wearing…
...a Colorado Avalanche jersey.
Thank you god.
Damn...foiled again.
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Comments
LMAO!
Smug? Arrogant? Homophobic insults?
No chance in hell he’s referring to us!
Merry Christmas to all!
Posted by w2j2 on 12/24/07 at 12:14 PM ET
Merry Christmas everyone!
I’ll be at the game Thursday cheering our Winged Wheelers on!
Posted by hockeychic from Denver, CO on 12/24/07 at 12:17 PM ET
A Merry and Blessed Christmas to all — smug, arrogant, homophobic, or otherwise.
Assuming, of course, that any of the otherwise ever bother to stop here...
Posted by BobTheZee on 12/24/07 at 01:02 PM ET
Chief: Great call in posting the pic of Cheli and the Vladinator!!! When he was on his game he could move the puck almost as good as Lidtrom, poke check with the best of them—but without out a doubt he had the best hip-check in hockey that I have ever seen. Fearless as Kronwall but with twice the impact on his body check. A veritable one-man wrecking crew. Great pic!!
Homphobic—what in the hell is that; almost sounds like you have seen the ghosts of christmas and feel a slight need to make token amends!! Drink more nog for goodness sake!!! You just call em like you see em Chief!!!
Merry Christmas to ALL!!!!
Posted by Jeff OKWingnut from Hockey Netherworld on 12/24/07 at 05:13 PM ET
OkieWN:
The Red Wing King of Hipchecks has to be Gary Bergman. He made Hasek’s flying lesson to Gaborik look pretty routine.
That was a long time ago (Damn, I am starting to sound like an old fart).
I am not correcting you..
Just sayin’..
Happy Holidays to all.
Posted by HockeyTownTodd from upset when blogs don’t live up to my expectations on 12/24/07 at 06:22 PM ET
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all. See ya at the next Live Blog.
Posted by cementslinger from Midland MI on 12/24/07 at 07:55 PM ET
Great post Chief and thanks for all the laughable insights, or laughs and insights. I have grown more juvenile, arrogant, intolerant, and fond of our team. YAY!
See you all on the flip side the year.
Posted by srt on 12/24/07 at 08:57 PM ET
One particular pet peeve is when a blog resorts to homophobic insults; they’re simply moronic…
What a butt plug.
Anyway, Merry Christmas, Chief. And thanks again for your service, even though you run your blog like a fascist dictator.
Oh, and Dub…you suck. I hope your bride-to-be doesn’t stab you in the back like you did me. Congrats on your pending nuptials and Merry Christmas, you bag of douche.
Posted by Cubi Point Pete on 12/25/07 at 07:09 AM ET
Sweet baby jesus. It’s a Christmas miracle. Magsaysay Mike is back in town. Merry Christmas to you.
V/R The Fascist
Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 12/25/07 at 02:00 PM ET
Just for the record, I didn’t say that “smug arrogance” wasn’t well deserved; it goes with the perspective of covering a team that’s been at or near the top of the NHL for over 10 years now. Nothing wrong with that…
And no, the homophobic insults weren’t in reference to this site; there’s another which I’ll leave nameless, which I removed from my blogroll after I wrote that specific blogger and expressed my disappointment.
Happy Holidays, guys!
Posted by The Forechecker from Nolensville, TN on 12/27/07 at 11:30 PM ET
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About Abel to Yzerman
Welcome to Abel to Yzerman, a Red Wing blog since 1977. No other site on the internet has better-researched, fact-laden and better prepared discussions than A2Y. Re-phrase: we do little research, find facts and stats highly overrated and claim little to no preparation. There are 19 readers of A2Y. No more, no less. All of them, except maybe one, are juvenile in nature. Reminding them of that in the comment section will only encourage them to prove that. Your suggestions and critiques are welcome:
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"Hell, I guarantee the content co-opters at Abel to Yzerman were about to link this article under the heading “Bitter Blues Fans” again right up until they just read that last half-sentance. Thanks but no thanks, you Kukla hangers-on."
--St. Louis Game Time
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--A2Y Fan, Eternal_Fields
"I constantly marvel at how Bill (IwoCPO) and his disciples at Abel To Yzerman can be so pompous and full of themselves throughout every regular season, but come playoff time they collapse into wavering puddles of stress and nervousness as they anxiously await the impending and unavoidable collapse of the Red Wings in the post-season."
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"I hate them because they are better than us. Of all the frigging teams…"
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--Thhom
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--Drew Sharp
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"Have you ever *read* A2Y? Its the most opinionated, juvenile stuff i've read."
--Paul Nicholson
"I actually like the Detroit team and have a sh&% load of respect for them, but their fans are the biggest douches next to Canadians."
--KStewy, PensBlog Commenter
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-A2Y legend, Hockeytown Todd
"And for the record, I don't hate the Red Wings, I hate their fans."
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--Captain Dennis Polonich, of the 19
Head to Hockeytown
Blogs the Chief Likes
Albom missed the most obvious “What If.” What if Lilja had been Nancy Karrigan-ed by a fan as he left the stadium after the first game. Yah, that would have changed everything...everything except for Albom’s insipid writing style, of course.
Being the true professional that he is, I’m betting Hank’s going to be looking for a lot more than just a half hour’s worth of “groin attention” from Emma.
Anyway, Merry Christmas to you, Chief. Thanks for a boat-load of belly laughs this year.
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 12/24/07 at 10:26 AM ET