tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538796643340288991Sun, 05 Jul 2026 10:21:32 +000030 Games In 30 NightsThe Ultimate Hockey Road Trip!noreply@blogger.com (Steve Williamson)Blogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538796643340288991.post-1327954117617982413Wed, 12 Dec 2007 18:55:00 +00002007-12-12T15:13:37.796-05:00Finally....The First Of The Envelopes, PleaseThe worst thing about going away for 30 days is that when you return, there’s 30 days worth of things to catch up on. 30 days of dust to wipe off the floor, 30 days of e-mails to respond to at work, 30 days of time with the family to make up. You get the picture. But now I’m caught up and it’s time to hand out a few awards.<br /><br />Let me establish something a few things right up front. My views are subjective, so there's no whining allowed! Plus I’m going from memory, which fades fast at my age! And this is not like those grade school awards where everyone wins a prize. If you don’t see your team, don’t cry yet, as I’ll be adding plenty more awards to the list.<br /><br />With disclaimers out of the way, let’s get going!<br /><br />The <strong>Game Seven Award</strong> for best atmosphere goes to Montreal’s Bell Centre. With Henri Richard on ice pre-game and Carey Price’s home debut, the atmosphere in the building was simply electric. South of the 49th parallel, St. Louis takes the cake.<br /><br />The <strong>Abandoned Airplane Hangar Award</strong> for lack of atmosphere goes to Washington, who narrowly edges out Florida for the bottom spot, simply because it was a Saturday night and the fans still sat on their hands all evening.<br /><br />The <strong>Archie Bunker Award</strong> for most comfortable chair goes to my seat behind the net at the Nassau Coliseum. It was deep and so comfy, I didn’t want to get up. Plus the beer vendor visited regularly, so I didn’t have to!<br /><br />The <strong>Don Rickles Award</strong> for best insult goes to an unnamed fan in Edmonton. The heckler wasn't happy with Minnesota enforcer Derek Boogaard. he yelled, "Hey Boogaard, I'm gonna take your mother out tonight (insert long pause here)....and never call her again!". Esoteric, yet effective.<br /><br />The <strong>Pink Floyd Award</strong> for best imitation of The Wall, goes to Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo and Edmonton’s Mathieu Garon, who stopped every shot in their 0-0 tie (Yes, I know Ales Hemsky scored in the shootout to give the Oilers a win, but a scoreless tie sounds like a better story)..<br /><br />The <strong>Takeru Kobayashi Award (Part 1)</strong> for best hot dogs eaten (all four of them) goes to the Chien Chaud at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The Knife & Fork Dog in Dallas is right up there too.<br /><br />The <strong>Takeru Kobayaski Award (Part 2)</strong> for the hot dog that came back out the same place it went down goes to the one I ate in Edmonton. (Although I did receive a call later from the head of operations at Rexall Place, who was genuinely concerned about my health, and maybe it was just the chicken I ate at a restaurant earlier).<br /><br />The <strong>Ron Burgundy Award</strong> for best TV interview goes to Steve Coates, host of Coatesy’s Corner on Comcast in Philadelphia. We talked about everything but hockey and I couldn’t keep a straight face!<br /><br />The <strong>Garrison Keillor Award</strong> for best radio interview goes to Adrian Harewood at CBC in Ottawa. His erudite style, perceptive thoughts and snappy questions made me feel like Dan or Casey in Aaron Sorkin’s underrated TV show, “Sports Night” as I responded. You can <a href=" here</a>, look for the Nov 6th show.<br /><br />The <strong>Monty Python Award</strong> for silliest name goes to Nashville for the Sommet Center. The “T” is silent in Sommet, as are most people when asked what does Sommet mean? Honorary Mention goes to the Jobing.com Arena where the Coyotes play. Have you been jobing lately?<br /><br />That wraps up the first few awards.<br /><br />For those of you with HD TVs, HDNet will be running a feature on my Philadelphia Flyers visit tomorrow night (Thursday 12/13) at 6.30pm Eastern. I haven’t seen it yet, but we had lots of fun taping it, and hopefully that will come across on the air! The NHL Network will rerun the show later for those of us without HD.<br /><br />David Amber from ESPN.com also did a wrapup interview with me that you can <a href=" here</a>.<br /><br />More awards are on the way….. Click the little orange button to get an RSS feed when I update the site.2007/12/finallythe-first-of-envelopes-please.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Steve Williamson)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538796643340288991.post-4889055912670938315Wed, 28 Nov 2007 22:12:00 +00002007-11-28T17:50:08.727-05:00Rankings Are Tough To Complete...Now that 30 Games In 30 Nights is over and done, I planned to rank the attributes of each arena, but that's no easy task, so the heck with it, at least for today! Here’s a quick story from each city that I forgot to mention the first time around. This will buy me some time while I finish compiling my thoughts on each team and arena, right?<br /><br />Detroit<br /><br />Most of the Wings had pink tape on their stick blades during warmups, and I was waiting to see if anyone was brave or manly enough to leave it on for the game. No such luck.<br /><br />Los Angeles<br /><br />The Staples Center is the only arena with genuine Taito drummers instead of an organist. A super cool sound.<br /><br />Anaheim<br /><br />I went out on a limb and tried fish tacos at the concession stand. They weren’t so good, and I pretty much stuck to my hot dog diet after that game!<br /><br />NY Rangers<br /><br />Every franchise should copy the Rangers players gathering at center ice after a win and saluting the crowd with a wave of their sticks. Just like shaking hands after the playoffs, it’s one of those traditions that bond the team to their fans. Of course, I’d have preferred that the Rangers would have lost the game to Tampa Bay, then I wouldn’t have seen the salute until I got to Minnesota, where the Wild do the same thing.<br /><br />Montreal<br /><br />OK, I promise not to mention hot dogs again, but the “chein chaud” in Montreal, served fresh in butter toasted buns that were split at the top, were the best I sampled and I’d kill for one right now<br /><br />New Jersey<br /><br />On my to the game, I was pulled over by a New York State Trooper for talking on my cell phone while driving. I’m from Florida, and had no idea it was illegal. He said, “You’re lying because I saw you hang up the phone when I pulled you over”. I told him, “Of course I hung up; I was being pulled over by a cop”. I showed him my Florida license and registration, but he could care less, and I got my first ticket since 1985! <br /><br />NY Islanders<br /><br />While some venues have a plaza full of activities for the kids, the Islanders’ idea of pre-game entertainment consisted of one solitary bounce house, manned by a creepy-looking guy who scared away any kid who came near it! <br /><br />Dallas<br /><br />The Stars wore their road whites for the game, and I thought to myself, wouldn’t it look cool if they wore matching white pants as well? Think John Travolta in “Saturday Night Fever” on skates! The <a href=" wore white pants</a> for a while back in the ‘70’s, and Charlie Finley’s California Golden Seals <a href=" white skates</a> before that. Tom Hicks, whaddya say?<br /><br />Phoenix<br /><br />Plenty of Ducks fans made the trip out to Arizona and one turned me on the best beer I tasted on the road, Oggi’s California Gold Blonde Ale. I wonder who Oggi is? <br /><br />Columbus<br /><br /><a href=" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138026456689226946" /></a>The Blue Jackets presented me with a customized jersey (#30 of course) with my name on the back. I was hoping for some skates so I could sneak out on the ice for warmups, but no such luck! More musical notes….as the Blues’ Jay McKee was sent to the penalty box for hooking, they fittingly played “He’s In the Jailhouse Now”, an old country song from the 1950’s. <br /><br />Florida<br /><br />I truly can’t remember anything else interesting that happened in Sunrise. If I write a book about my trip, it will be the shortest chapter! Ooh ooh Mr. Kotter, I just remembered something. In the bowels of the building, I got to see what the NHL officials do at the game.<br /><a href=" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138021637735920818" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Ottawa<br /><br />As the Sens lined up for the national anthem, six little skaters joined them on the ice and one stood next to each player, which was a touching image. Then they skated off and the fans started booing Mats Sundin loudly. Game on!<br /><br />Pittsburgh<br /><br />I know that The Igloo is a throwback building with old school fans, but I was still surprised when the entire building started doing the wave! I must confess that after a couple of laps, I actually joined in too! Is it true that Seattle Seahawks fans invented the wave back in the old Kingdome?<br /><br />Boston<br /><br />A photographer from The Hockey News brought me out onto the ice before warmups to take my picture, and I had to wear those goofy black slip-on straps under my shoes, so that I wouldn’t fall on my butt and sue the crap out of the Bruins.<br /><br />Chicago<br /><br />Poor Jay McKee. This time, when the St. Louis defenseman was sent to the penalty box to feel shame, Elton’s John’s “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues”, blasted over the sound system. A nice subtle touch from the Blackhawks.<br /><br />Washington<br /><br />The Verizon Center is surrounded by dozens of trendy bars and restaurants, but I never got to try them out because I was so late arriving. Plus the parking garage closed right after the game, so our postgame drink to celebrate the Lightning’s lone victory was not in some funky downtown dive, but at the bland Ruby Tuesday’s next to our hotel<br /><br />Colorado<br /><br />Erin from the Avalanche was so nice to me and invited me to ride on the Zamboni, but I had to say no. To me, Zamboni rides are for <a href=" kids</a> and <a href=" girls</a>. I couldn’t imagine that the sight of a 190 lb middle-aged guy strapped to the side of a giant ice-making machine would be appealing to the crowd! Erin, I hope I didn’t hurt your feelings, but you did have a sad look on your face!<br /><br />San Jose<br /><br />When I saw San Jose play in Detroit on the first night of my trip, Kyle McLaren was wearing a <a href=" yellow</a> Day-Glo visor, and didn’t play very well, but tonight he was wearing a regular clear visor and played much better. Note to hockey parents, keep those yellow highlighter pens out of your kids’ reach, they don’t help!<br /><br />Calgary<br /><br />Are they that short of cash in Calgary that they have to show regular TV commercials on the Jumbotron? Guess they’re saving up for Dion Phaneuf‘s next contract. Man, he’s a solid hockey player.<br /><br />Vancouver<br /><br />In my blog, I forgot to thank Wes, the Canucks fan who invited me to the game with him. We had fun at GM Place, and even more afterwards at the bar. Somehow, I got on the SkyTrain, found the right bus and made it safely back to the Delta Airport hotel with the fluffy towels.<br /><br />Edmonton<br /><br />For the dozens of you who asked, yes I really did get sick on the plane after the game. I felt so bad for the poor lady next to me, who was so traumatized she may never fly again!<br /><br />St. Louis<br /><br />I didn’t even wear my jersey to the game, as I felt so tired and miserable that I didn’t want anyone to recognize me. The Blues souvenir store was the best (and most crowded) I encountered, but I forgot my money and credit cards in the hotel room, so I couldn’t even buy anything.<br /><br />Philadelphia<br /><br />Before my trip, I probably hated the Flyers more than any other NHL team, but their staff and players were so nice to me that now I only hate them just a little bit! Look for a feature about my Philly visit on “Inside The NHL”, which will air on HD Net and The NHL Network in December. I’ll post the exact dates when I find them out.<br /><br />Minnesota<br /><br />Right before the faceoff, a speedy little kid skated out with flag in hand, circled the ice, executed a fancy hockey stop spraying snow everywhere and planted the flag pole right into the ice on the red line. Very cool move, now if I could only remember what flag he was carrying?<br /><br />Atlanta<br /><br />His mother named him Vaclav Prospal, but props to the Atlanta PA Announcer for calling him Vinny Prospal, just like we do in Tampa, after he assisted on Vinny Lecavalier’s goal. <br /><br />Toronto<br /><br />If you’ve been to an NHL game lately, you’ve seen the auctions of autographed memorabilia that most teams hold on the concourse to support their charitable foundation or other deserving cause. Most items sell for $300 and up and probably generate $3,000-$5,000 nightly. But think carefully before you bid in Toronto, as there is no charity involved! It looks like the money just goes straight in the team’s pockets to help pay Pavel Kubina’s $5,000,000 annual salary. <br /><br />Buffalo<br /><br />I didn’t see the “Beef On Weck” sign until I’d stuffed myself with a foot long dog, and still had to leave room for some wings at the Anchor Bar , so I never did find out what “Beef On Weck” is. Actually, I get the Beef part, but what’s the Weck? It sure looked good! I have no idea how, but I managed to lose five pounds on this trip, despite my diet. Perhaps it was the free fruit for breakfast at the Hampton Inn. <br /><br />Nashville<br /><br />I never did get to eat any turkey on Thanksgiving Day in Nashville, although I did get to watch 43 year-old Dominik Hasek flap around like a bird trying to avoid the carving knife!<br /><br />Carolina<br /><br />What can I say about Carolina that hasn’t been said already? How about, “I really like their new red uniforms with the extra white pinstripe under the nameplate.” That’ll do.<br /><br />Tampa Bay<br /> <br />I must thank Bill Wickett and the rest of the Lightning PR staff, who appreciated every aspect of my 30 Games In 30 Nights journey, and provided me with quality assistance, solid advice, good contacts and great company during my time on the road. <br /><br /><br />I’ll rack my brain and come up with some bests and worsts of my trip over the next few days, so hang in there!2007/11/rankings-are-tough-to-complete.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Steve Williamson)14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538796643340288991.post-1678457793955051402Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:21:00 +00002007-11-25T15:57:47.420-05:00The Best 30 Days Of My Life!30 Games, 30 Nights, 30,000 Miles. Now I’m ready for 30 hours of sleep! I arrived home after midnight and slept for 13 hours. You have no idea how good it felt not to hear an alarm clock today! <br /><br />Yesterday was my 30th and final game back home in Tampa Bay as the Lightning hosted New Jersey. The Devils have eliminated the Lightning from the playoffs twice in the past five years, but there isn’t the same animosity toward them as there is when the Flyers or Panthers come to town. To make a long story short, The Devils won 3-2, although the Lightning had the tying goal disallowed on a review from the war room in Toronto. I must admit, they made the right call as players, goalies and sticks crashed into the net, but somehow the puck never crossed the line.<br /><br /><a href=" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136883750575355026" /></a>The Lightning have been supportive of my trip from the beginning, and they invited me on to the ice before the game to say the invocation. I mean the three magic words you hear before every game in Tampa (and Minnesota too), “Let’s Play Hockey!” Standing out there while the anthem is playing and looking up at the thousands of fans sent tingles down my spine, and I imagine the players feel the same way.<br /><br />Similar to the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, most of the fans enter the St. Pete Times through one main entrance, which adds to the allure of any building. After a big win, there’s no better feeling than walking down the twin giant stairways into the plaza along with thousands of cheering fans. The open plaza is filled with activities for kids of all ages before the game. There’s always a live band playing, and I remember bopping to Cheap Trick out there before a playoff game a couple of years ago. There’s even a snow machine set up on the roof of the building that sprinkles snowflakes over the plaza, a nice touch when its 80 degrees outside.<br /><br />The Lightning invited a bunch of friends and I to sit in Club Level seats and treated us to dinner before the game. Most arenas have a fancy restaurant where privileged ticket-holders can eat buffet-style before the game. In Pittsburgh, I ate at the Igloo Club which had potato and mushroom croquettes to die for. Tampa Bay’s buffet restaurant is called Medallions, but this buffet is no tacky Golden Corral, we’re talking succulent roast beef, grilled sea bass, tasty veal medallions and a huge selection of sugary desserts. Plus the biggest, freshest shrimp I’d ever tasted. After an hour of non-stop gorging, Bronner, Carmen, Cary, Heather, Larry, Mike, Paul, Paula, Susan and I were stuffed, But fear not, I deliberately saved room for a hot dog later in the game!<br /><br />Inside, the St. Pete Times Forum was plainer than I remembered, especially compared to themed buildings like those in Dallas and Minnesota. I had my 30 Games jersey made up at the customized jersey booth inside the arena before my trip started, and the guys at the booth greeted me with high fives as they were so excited that their handiwork had been shown off all across the country. <br /><a href=" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136880679673738338" /></a>The scoreboard in Washington was the best I'd seen so far, but the one above center ice in Tampa is simply spectacular. They shoot all the in-arena footage in HD and it's like watching a movie on the huge wraparound scoreboard. But with the HD cameras, that show every wrinkle and imperfection, I probably looked like Rod Brind'Amour when they zoomed in on me as I did the "Let's Play Hockey" thing! So I won't show that sight, I'll show you this good-looking view instead.<a href=" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136881074810729586" /></a><br /> <br /> New this year in Tampa is the Five Guys stand. This chain started in Washington and serves burgers that are too greasy for my liking, but I love their bacon cheese dog! They slice the dog open before they grill it, and the bacon is super crispy. Mmmm mmmm good. The St. Pete Times Forum has a number of name brand concessionaires. Only in Tampa can you grab a medium rare steak from Outback and eat it in the comfort of your seat. <br /><br />On my trip, I saw eight Tampa Bay games, and the Lightning went 1-7. That was disappointing, but I’m sure I had more fun watching the games live and experiencing each arena than if I’d had to watch those depressing games at home on TV. <br /><br />I haven’t mentioned Vincent Lecavalier as much as I should have. He’s the leading scored in the league and for those of you, especially in the Western Conference, who haven’t seen him play in person, you must buy tickets when the Lightning come to town. Vinny has matured into the most solid player in the league. You can see on TV that he has wonderful hands and a wicked wrist shot, but you can’t appreciate how strong he is without seeing him in person. The goal he scored in Carolina on Friday night while shrugging off Bret Hedican who was trying to tackle him like a linebacker was simply unbelievable! <br /><br />My trip is over, but I’ll continue to share some thoughts on this site for a while. I’m going to go through my notes and rank the teams and their arenas in a number of categories, share a few more stories that I didn’t have time to write about, and thank a number of wonderful people who made this trip special.<br /><br /><a href=" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136882578049283202" /></a>Planning, traveling and watching 30 Games In 30 Nights has been the most gratifying challenge I’ve ever attempted in my life, and to have succeeded is a sensational feeling. I have had a smile on my face every night, still feel like a million bucks, and look forward to one day being the doddering guy telling my 30 Games In 30 Nights story to my grandchildren, great-grandchildren and any one else in the old folks home who will listen!2007/11/best-30-days-of-my-life.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Steve Williamson)19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538796643340288991.post-7519597720581383626Sat, 24 Nov 2007 04:01:00 +00002007-11-29T11:40:40.368-05:00Hockey In The Deep South, Lightning In Deep Trouble<a href=" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136277120804533298" /></a>After visiting 28 arenas, I thought I'd seen it all, but there is one sporting tradition that I hadn't seen at a hockey game until today......tailgating! Honest-to-goodness chicken-grilling, beer-drinking, burger-flipping, whiskey-sipping tailgating! Surrounded by Carolina pines, the RBC Center is stuck in the middle of nowhere and the parking lot was filled with BBQ grills, pickup trucks, potato salad and 18-packs of Busch! Perhaps I should have just stayed outside freezing my butt off and drinking heavily with my new friends, so I wouldn't have had to watch the Lightning blow their second straight two-goal lead in the third period.<br /><br />This one was painful. The final score was Carolina 4 Tampa 3, just the same as in Atlanta on Monday night. Deja vu all over again!<br /><br /><a href=" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136283786593776706" /></a>I felt as though I was in hillbilly hockey heaven. Hell, they showed Ric Flair on the scoreboard more often than Cam Ward! The dozens of retired NC State basketball jerseys on the ceiling dwarfed the Hurricanes Stanley Cup banner. And the crowd was remarkably unaware that coming back from 3-1 down in the 3rd period deserves a serious standing ovation.<br /><a href=" style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136302740284453970" /></a><br />Some random thoughts...I cracked up when I saw this. One of the arena billboards in the RBC Center was for HurricanesGiveway.com. I haven't been to the site, so I'm not sure if it describes how Carolina distributes game tickets or the Hurricanes defense plays on their bumpy ice! On the bright side, I had an aisle seat and didn't have to get up once for my rowmates to go to the bathroom during the game! And is there any doubt that Rod Brind'Amour is the <a href=" pro athlete</a> since Jim Plunkett? Perhaps that's why he wins so many faceoffs.<br /><br />In a few arenas, the home team fans yell during a word of the Star Spangled Banner that relates to their team. In Dallas they yell, "Whose broad stripes and bright STARS through the perilous fight". It scared the crap out of me when I heard it the first time! In Atlanta you hear, "Gave proof through the NIGHT that our flag was still there". That's a throwback to the days when the IHL Atlanta Knights were the only game in town, so I appreciate that one. Here in Carolina they borrow the concept from NC State with, "And the rocket's RED glare". Did I mention that famed Irish tenor, Ronan Tynan performed "God Bless America" in Buffalo? He's good, but he's no Kate Smith!<br /><br />Ray Whitney of the Canes is such a wonderful playmaker, and Erik Cole looked strong in his first game back from his latest injury. With Cory Sarich and Nolan Pratt (who I saw in a Sabres uniform the other night) gone, the Lightning defense looks afraid to go down and block shots like they have in past years. Other than Sugar Shane O'Brien and Mike Lundin, who show flashes of how good they'll be in a couple of years, this is a mediocre group indeed.<br /><br />Am I bitter tonight, yes! My team blew it again and I'm in a crappy mood. So Carolina fans, if I have offended you with my description of tonight's game experience, I'm sorry. Just take solace in the fact that we handed you the victory tonight! Two points for you, none for us.<br /><br />In a few hours, I'll be heading home to make history as Tampa Bay takes on the New Jersey Devils. 30 Games, 30 Nights, 30 NHL Arenas. They've been the best 30 nights of my life, and I hope you've enjoyed following along. It's taken me less than an hour to write most of these blog entries and there are lots of stories that I haven't had time to share. My life has been a blur, but once I return to Orlando I'll have time to tell you a few more, so don't go away yet!2007/11/hockey-in-deep-south-lightning-in-deep.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Steve Williamson)50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538796643340288991.post-2073911896428416541Fri, 23 Nov 2007 19:45:00 +00002007-11-23T17:21:52.854-05:00Nashville - No Stars, But Enough Goals<a href=" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136162393638122498" /></a>Brooks & Dunn weren't at the game, and Hank Jr. was nowhere to be found, but I did see Jason Arnott, Martin Erat and Radek Bonk put the puck past The Dominator in Nashville's thrilling 3-2 victory over the Red Wings at the Sommet Center. This was a game that was so exciting, I didn't want to see it end.<br /><a href=" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136163523214521362" /></a><br />The Predators served me a big helping of Southern hospitality, as the bubbly and vivacious Gerry was my hostess for the evening. She sat me in the Predators luxury suite for the opening period and I got to eat as many preztels as I wanted! Detroit had six power plays in the period, including two 5-on-3 chances, but amazingly the Preds hung in there against Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Lidstrom et al, and it was 1-1 after one! <br /><br />Perhaps I was causing too much trouble in the suite, because for the second period, I went up to Section 303, where the loudest fans sit. I promise you this, you will never hear more original chants than those in Section 303. Because I was new, they even gave me a printed cheat sheet so I could join in with the abuse. Here's a couple of my favorite chants:<br />To the ref, in unison, "Zebra, zebra, short and stout, find your head and pull it out!"<br />After a big hit, one guy yells, "Somebody get a building permit", and the rest of the section yells, "Cause he just got nailed!" You get the picture. Section 303 even has <a href=" own website</a> and I had lots of laughs up there.<br /><br /><a href=" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136162028565902322" /></a><br />The Preds hooked me up with a seat on the glass for the final period, and all the action was down my end, as the Wings desperately tried to beat Chris Mason (another #30) in the Nashville net. No luck, and the Nashville fans were delirious at the sound of the final whistle! <br /><br />There were more empty seats than I had expected for a Detroit game, and I was told that the team had raised prices for this and a few other big games, which kept some fans home. Heard a great nickname for the transplanted fans that wear Nashville jerseys to the games but wear red and white when Detroit comes to town - Pred Wings fans!<br /><br />The building is pronounced the So-May Center, with a silent T in Sommet, as in French, but I never did find out who or what Sommet is! Something to do with financial services would be my guess. The arena was nothing special to look at, but they did have a live rock band, the Naked Beggars, playing in the seats behind the goal, that was a first! And props to the VeeJay for playing a timely clip from an old Kung Fu movie, where the warlord says to the prisoner they're torturing, "Take him to Detroit", and the prisoner screams, "No, not Detroit, aaarrggh!"<br /><br />Forgot to add this to my Buffalo blog, but <a href=" the video</a> of my fun intermission interview Buffalo.<br /><br />I made it to Carolina and am heading over to the RBC Center for my penultimate game tonight, where the visiting Lightning need a big win. After 29 days of travel I still feel remarkably fresh. I guess if you're doing what you love, you can just keep going and going and going!2007/11/nashville-no-stars-but-enough-goals.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Steve Williamson)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538796643340288991.post-4981585280922632175Thu, 22 Nov 2007 18:12:00 +00002007-11-22T13:51:31.199-05:00Wins And Wings In Buffalo<a href=" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135736998602290098" /></a>Remember how I told you that Mother Nature is a hockey fan? For the entire 18 hours I was in Buffalo, the temperature was in the mid-30s, and it was raining like a banshee! They must have received at least a couple of inches, and as one inch of rain equals one foot of snow, I was just a few degrees away from being stuck in two feet of snow. She IS looking out for me! It was just beginning to freeze as my plane left early this morning, and the rain was predicted to turn to sleet, then snow and continue throughout the day. <br /><br />I arrived at the HSBC Arena two hours before game time and hoped to find a parking garage, so I wouldn’t drown as I walked to the arena. No such luck, but there was a lot directly in front of the building, and parked and I sprinted the 40 yards to the arena entrance like a rookie at the NFL combine, and made in about six seconds flat (wind-aided).<br /><br />Sabres fans don’t like the Ottawa Senators, especially after their recent playoff battles, and as soon as Michael Ryan stuffed a goal past Ray Emery just ninety seconds into the game, the mocking chant of “Eeemmmmmerrrrryyyyy “ rang down from the rafters, and when the period was done, the Sabres had a 3-0 lead. Buffalo never looked like they were in trouble and coasted to an easy 4-2 victory. <br /><br />Buffalo has long been thought of as “a shot and a beer” town, and I knew the crowd would be passionate, as I’d been having a really hard time getting hold of a ticket, but didn’t have lofty expectations for the building itself. So I was quite surprised that the HSBC Arena had the biggest entrance foyer I’d seen to date. Visually, it was akin to an airport terminal with glass and steel towering all around, but the green floor looked like a blackboard filled with “X”s, “O”s and arrows like a coach drawing up plays. Quite an innovative look.<br /><br />As I was stuffing down a foot-long chili cheese dog, next to a father and his daughter, we started chatting about my trip and he told me he was a lieutenant with the Buffalo Police. He asked me if I was going out after the game, as the night before Thanksgiving is supposed to be a huge party night in Buffalo. I said I was, and he handed me his card, telling me that if I got in any trouble tonight, this would get me out of it! I need a friend like him back home in Orlando!<br /><br />I could even afford a shot and a beer, as the concession prices seemed the lowest of any arena. The large beer that was $13 a hundred miles away in Toronto was only $6 in Buffalo. I passed on the shot, as I was to be a guest on the MSG broadcast between periods with Kevin Sylvester and Mike Robitaille. <br /><br />I made up for it after the game, when I went to the famous Anchor Bar with Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell, the local guys who have been to all 121 major pro sports venues over the past few years. I got back to the hotel at 12.30 am, and when I awoke at 5.05 am, Andrew had already updated his blog with a <a href=" account of our night out</a>, saving me from having to write about it here! Lots of people ask me what’s next after I finish my trip…..how about 121 Games in 121 Nights….Hmmmmm? Never say never!<br /><br />Since I began this trip, I’ve developed a fondness for goalies who wear number 30, like Martin Brodeur, Pittsburgh’s Dany Sabourin, and a couple of others. Add Buffalo’s Ryan Miller to that list. As I was milling about by the bar on the club level, an attractive dark-haired woman stopped me and introduced herself as Ryan Miller’s mother, so we chatted for a while. During the intermission, I hear the unmistakable staccato intro to “The Chicken Dance”, and the camera keeps cutting to this lady standing up, flapping her arms and leading the crowd throughout the song. Yep, you guessed right, Ryan Miller’s Mom was doing the chicken dance! Pretty funny, as I’m sure most of the crowd had no idea who she was!<br /><br /><a href=" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135737986444768194" /></a>Relax Ottawa fans, Chris Neil seemed to be on good behavior last night, so I couldn’t find anything bad to say about him. Although I do find the caption to this picture quite fitting!<br /><br />It’s Thanksgiving Day and I’m in Nashville now listening to Arlo Guthrie sing Alice’s Restaurant, as I do every year at this time. It’s the ultimate Thanksgiving song, “you can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant, excepting Alice....”<br /><br />The Predators take on Detroit tonight in Game 28 and I’ll look for a turkey leg at the concessions stand!2007/11/wins-and-wings-in-buffalo.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Steve Williamson)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538796643340288991.post-4196833150318329400Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:03:00 +00002007-11-21T11:55:51.784-05:00The Leafs Fall Asleep Late, Just Like Me!For the first time in a couple of weeks, I slept late this morning, just like the Maple Leafs did last night. After taking an early 2-0 lead, Toronto fell asleep and let the Bruins skate by them for four unanswered goals late in the game.<br /><br /><a href=" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135337695492780962" /></a><br />The Toronto media were whining that it was poor form for Boston to start rookie goalie, Tuukka Rask (what a great name) in his first NHL game in front of Maple Leafs managment, who they traded him from Toronto to Boston in exchange for Andrew Raycroft, who has been so weak in the Leafs net, they were forced to trade high drafts picks to get Vesa Toskala from the Sharks instead. Rask looked a bit shaky, but made some big saves to get the win.<br /><br />The Air Canada Centre is built to maximize every possible revenue stream. The platinum seats down low have individual private boxes behind them. You can't see the game from in there, but you can eat and drink to your heart's content. There are, private boxes, skyboxes, luxury boxes, every kind of box imaginable. Hey, there were even a few seats left for regular fans too! Toronto is still a tough ticket, despite not winning a cup in 40 years. <br /><br />My seats were up in the 300 level, courtesy of my new friend Geoffrey, who gave me a thorough tour that included every nook and cranny of the building, from the locker room hallway, to the aforementioned suites, to Rickard's Brewery where they make beer. This unauthorized tour was possible because Geoffrey seemed to know every single usher in the entire arena, who waved us through every door with a smile. We were an odd pairing as we walked around the concourse, fans greeting me, and ushers gushing over him!<br /><br />I bought a $13.00 beer at the ACC, a record that I'm sure won't be beaten. It was a big beer, and it was Molson Canadian, which tastes great, but it was still a $13 beer!<br /><br />Here's a picture from the game that seems to sum up my trip pretty well!<br /><br /><a href=" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135336136419652498" /></a>I have an easy drive down to Buffalo today and with just four games left, I'm beginning to think about what happens after my trip ends on Saturday. I'm trying to imagine what my own bed feels like, but I just can't remember!2007/11/for-first-time-in-couple-of-weeks-i.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Steve Williamson)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538796643340288991.post-974114026245051454Tue, 20 Nov 2007 05:20:00 +00002007-11-20T01:34:45.576-05:00Finally, I See A GREAT Hockey Game<a href=" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134803397266191218" /></a>What is a Thrasher anyway? I assume it's the modernist dino-bird on the roof of the Philips Center that shoots fire from its mouth whenever Atlanta scores. Tonight, my eyebrows were singed once too often as the Thrashers came back from 3-1 down to burn my Lightning 4-3 in OT.<br /><br />From start to finish, this was just a great hockey game, the best I've seen all month. With Vinny Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa on the ice, the skill level was unbelievable. No trapping, no holding, no dumping, just great passing, solid goaltending and stars doing what they're supposed to do on national TV. We Southeast Division fans get to see this skill regularly, and I hope the Versus audience appreciated what they saw. After a week of grinding, trapping and headhunting in the Western Conference, it was great to see these stars in action!<br /><br /><a href=" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134806000016372610" /></a>The stands weren't anything close to full, but the fans were loud and the overall experience was much better than I expected. Atlanta outplayed Tampa in the first period, winning all the battles, but Moose Hedberg gave up a couple of costly rebound goals in the second. I was feeling confident until the Thrash got a 5-on-3, courtesy of ref Dave Jackson, who is by far the worst official in the league (not just because of this call, but hundreds of others over the years). He wears the number 8 on his back, and I think it represents the number of calls he gets right each year! I'll blame the Lightning defense for the last two goals, as the d-men simply let the wingers skate around them twice. Why don't defensemen stand forwards up at the blue line anymore?<br /><br />They showed some weird videos on the Jumbotron. One was two minutes of a faux Lightning fan and a guy in a suit singing in the penalty box, and the second was just animal bloopers! Ever see a camel bite a guy in the butt? They loved it in Atlanta! I've learned that there is a sub-culture of important men (and women) in charge of "game presentation" or some similar title. They run the scoreboard, select the music, plan the TV timeout and intermission activities, pick the anthem singer, etc., all designed to "engage the fans" (remember that phrase from my Edmonton blog?) and make them feel like part of the excitement. <br /><br />Recently, I mentioned to one of these guys, that I thought St. Louis had the best overall game presentation, and he said that when John Davidson took over, he hired the game presentation guy from the Capitals. I thought whoever took over in Washington put on a mediocre show, and today the Thrashers told me that their game presentation guy has just been hired by the Caps. Sounds like a game of musical chairs to me, but it makes a big difference to the feel of each venue. So Caps fans, get ready for animal bloopers in the Verizon Center!<br /><br />They're moping in Toronto, as the Argonauts lost to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and aren't going to the CFL Grey Cup, but I'll be there to cheer them up tomorrow as the attention shifts back to the hapless Leafs.2007/11/finally-i-see-great-hockey-game.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Steve Williamson)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538796643340288991.post-5675036118038247692Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:49:00 +00002007-11-19T23:56:59.993-05:00Mother Nature Is A Hockey FanShe must be, as I've had no weather problems on my trip at all (knock on wood). The XCel Energy Center in St. Paul was my 24th stop, but the first time I've even seen rain since my first game in Detroit. I'm hoping my luck holds in Toronto and Buffalo this week.<br /><br />The weather forecast in the Minnesota paper simply said, "dreary", which doubles as an apt description of the Minnesota Wild's play in the three games I've seen them play in the last week. Maybe it was their new red jerseys, but the Wild came alive last night and dominated the Colorado Avalanche en route to an easy 4-1 victory.<br /><br />When I arrived at the Minneapolis airport I saw numerous guys wearing camouflage caps, vests or pants throughout the building. At first glance, I thought perhaps they were troops heading overseas, but then I realized, no, Minnesota was full of hunters. All the commercials during the Vikings game on the radio were for hunting equipment, there were sporting goods stores on every corner and I assume something was in season, as there were a bunch of pickup trucks headed out of town. As a guy whose never shot anything more powerful than a Nerf gun, it was a little culture shock!<br /><br />I bring this up because the XCel Energy Center reflects the outdoor lifestyle of Minnesotians (is that a word?) and reminds me of a giant log cabin on steroids! The colors are all browns and greens, and I even saw a couple of fireplaces in the lounges. Many Minny fans had e-mailed me to say that I would think their building was the best in all of hockey. It was a nice building, but even though their team played well, the crowd sat on their hands most of the game. Some fans did a sports doubleheader; the Vikings/Raiders game in the Metrodome at noon and the Wild game at 5pm.<br /><br />I forgot to tell you a quick story from Edmonton....Scott and I were waiting to pick up our tickets at the window and we start talking to the guy next to us, who says in this hushed voice, "My son's playing tonight". You could tell he was so proud, tuned out his son was Wild rookie James Sheppard and he had flown in from Nova Scotia for the game. He just couldn't contain his excitement, and as a father, I can understand completely. His son didn't do much in that game, but had two assists last night for the Wild.<br /><br />I am finally caught up with this blog after getting behind in Edmonton. Sorry to those of you who have e-mailed me lately and not received a response yet, I'm going as fast as I can!<br /><br />Here's a link to a <a href=" pictures from the trip</a> so far, enjoy!<br /><br />Off now to see the Lightning beat the Thrashers, I hope!2007/11/mother-nature-is-hockey-fan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Steve Williamson)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538796643340288991.post-2112979648795023815Mon, 19 Nov 2007 03:29:00 +00002007-11-19T01:46:13.199-05:00W.C. Fields Was Right....When he said, "On the whole, I'd rather be in Philadelphia". Its a down and dirty hockey lovin' city, where neighborhood kids playing street hockey outnumber skateboarders practicing their kickflips. Philly fans know their hockey, even if they do watch it through orange-colored glasses!<br /><br />It was too early for Philadelphia fans to boo Santa Claus again, but I got my share of boos as I wandered the Wachovia Center on Saturday night. My brother Pete came down from Connecticut to join me at the game and even though I'm far from a Flyers fan, the team provided us with the royal treatment. The Flyers publicist, Shauna, gave us a tour of the entire rink, from the skybox to the locker room, and a camera crew from the NHL followed us around the entire time, which was a new experience.<br /><br />As I checked out the concourse between periods, I met plenty of Flyer fans, and their reaction to my 30 Games Lightning jersey was about 50/50. Half the fans appreciated what I was trying to accomplish, and the other half treated me like I expected, with graphic descriptions of which bodily parts I could stuff my jersey into. I even got booed more than the few stray Devils fans I saw. Must be the leftover resentment from the Eastern Conference Championship in 2004 when Tampa Bay bested the Flyers in seven.<br /><br />Despite all that, I was rooting for the home team, but the final score was 6-2 as New Jersey handed the Flyers their first home loss in regulation. After just missing out on Modano's record and Roenick's freaky 500th goal, I took solace in seeing Martin Brodeur notch his 500th NHL win. It was a classy move for the Philly P.A. announcer to congratulate Marty, even though the remaining Flyers faithful booed him one last time.<br /><br /><a href=" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134436461030224722" /></a>Steve Coates is the host of Coatsey's Corner, a popular yet irreverent segment on the Flyers telecast and is a true character. We had fun taping his show together and he invited Pete and I to sit on the Flyers bench during the warmups. Shauna wasn't sure if that would be OK, but that didn't slow Coatsey down as he dragged us past security onto the bench. Being that close to the players without any glass was unbelievable, and I was hoping that the Flyers wouldn't "accidentally" flip a puck toward the head of the guy wearing the Lightning jersey. Both Jeff Carter and Mike Knuble came over to ask how me the trip was going, and where was I headed next, etc.<br /><br />As a fan, I'm completely satisfied with seeing the players on the ice. I don't collect autographs or go to player appearances at the local car dealership, but I ca