Considering I haven't posted anything in ages does it really matter that I have decided to not to use tumblr and go back to using Blogger? How did I even come to this conclusion when I haven't written anything? Maybe I have been writing a lot of things in my head and choosing the correct platform for my imminent arrival back to the blogging world.
Or maybe I am just fickle.
Post coming soon.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Back to the Past
One of my favourite movies* is “Back to the Future”. The premise is tight, the script is clever, the acting is energetic and the movie maintains a fine balance between camp and humour. Every time I sit down to watch the movie, I find something new that entertains me thoroughly.
*I better clarify the use of “favourite” in this instance. I don’t mean “best” movie made, I mean movie that I enjoy rewatching at any time. “Schindler’s List” is a favourite of mine, but one that I wouldn’t rewatch.
I refuse to preface this paragraph with *spoiler alert* because you have no excuse not to have seen this movie unless you were born in 1995 or later. Below is a 4 minute recap of the movie set to the stellar song from the soundtrack “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis and the News. Ahhh 80s music.
The Power of Love BTTF recap
The movie starts off with such confident energy in the hands of director Robert Zemeckis*. Marty McFly’s family’s stench of “loserness” is captured in one nice succinct dinner scene. The entire introduction of the movie crams so many clues of the present that set up a perfect juxtaposition when we are all transported back to Hill Valley’s past. Brilliantly executed, “Back to the Future” was a commercial success because it grounded the time-traveling action on a personal scale while mixing it with a strong comedic sensibility.
*Can someone please ask Zemeckis to stop with his obsession of creepy human animation movies? From “Polar Express” to “Beowulf” to “A Christmas Carol”, he has lost 5 years dabbling with this animation style that is not appealing to the masses. Zemeckis used to be the master of seamless digital effects to enhance his story (“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and “Forrest Gump”) rather than make it the only focus of the story (re: “Transformers”).
Rather than time-traveling to save the world, the idea that changing our actions in the past can have great ramifications for the future (positively in the case of the McFly family) keeps the movie grounded and thus the idea of a time-traveling DeLorean isn’t too crazy. I think the movie appeals to all of us who have wondered how the decisions of the present impacts the future. It is that big "What if?" game* we all play.
*The "what if?" game always bothered me as a teacher. Students would start asking "what if" questions to try to get out if work or tests and if you didn't do anything proactive you could get what iffed forever. I liked to stop the "what if" train right away by firing back a rapid succession of my own nonsensical what ifs back at them.
Student: "What if it snows tomorrow? Maybe we should have the quiz next week?"
Me: "What if an asteroid hit us today? What if the sun exploded tomorrow morning? What if?"
That would usually end it because the student probably thought this guy is crazy and let's avoid talking to him any further.
I have often thought what my personal “Back to the Future” journey would look like. I believe all my experiences and decisions I have made have shaped me into the person I am today, whether good or bad, but I do catch myself playing the "what if" game from time to time (you hypocrite Mr. Kim). If I stepped into my own DeLorean and kept the time-traveling focus on my personal events, I could go back and warn myself not to call out my friend’s name Michael in the woods behind Village Park Elementary school (Comox represent) because that would bring the attention of the bully who tortured me for a good week in grade 1 or not to dive into the bushes at the YMCA Camp Southwind because that would cause me to sit on top of a wasp nest. I would tell myself to give mBryan to take care of while Mina and I went on vacation in the summer, so I wouldn’t have the death of an 18 year old tree on my hands. Out damn spot out. I would go tell myself to get myself diagnosed for narcolepsy much earlier*. I would go tell myself not… I could go on and on with embarrassing things I have done or things I am not proud of, but that would simply cause myself to be embarrassed all over again. On the other hand, if I started fixating on all the trials and tribulations of my journey, then what sort of person would that create--someone who hadn’t taken chances, been embarrassed, or learned from his mistakes. If I play this time-traveling game, I think you can only lose. I like my life. I enjoy my history. I am not looking for a wholesale rewrite as seen by the McFlys by the end of “Back to the Future”.
*I noticed symptoms at age 18 and got diagnosed with narcolepsy at age 32. I thought I was really lazy because I could sleep anywhere at any time. An early diagnosis may have made my three degree journey at UBC more enjoyable. My life with narcolepsy is another story for another day.
There would be only one thing I wish I could change. OK make that two.
1) I would go back and tell my despondent self after game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup run, not to leave from Pacific Coliseum and head home with Dax Naples and Mike Chipman but to go downtown with the rest of my friends. I will always remember the next day at school, Steve Williams telling me the riots were the craziest thing he had ever seen. I am not saying that I wanted to riot nor what went down in Vancouver that night was right (it was stupid), but it is not everyday you get to be in the middle of tear gas on Robson Street.
2) I would go back in time and punch myself for being such a selfish teenager, who could only moan and whine in his head about how strict his parents were and how they were not fair to him. Age gives you perspective and wisdom, both of which I was in short supply as a teenager. Now I wasn’t a bad kid, as I excelled in academics in high school and didn’t get up to more than the usual trouble of a boy of that age. But I certainly, could have treated my parents with more love and respect at that time. I look back and cringe at how wrapped up I was in my own world and I failed to acknowledge all the ways that my parents loved me and how good they were to me. I am not saying that I wasn’t at all appreciative, but I certainly could have had a better perspective about how much my parents did for me over the years. I would like to go back to the past to give myself a lecture. The selfish me needs to be told to suck it up, that my "problems" will work themselves out and be forgotten down the road, that I was lucky to have my parents love and support both emotionally and financially, that my parents sacrificed more than I ever could imagine leaving their family, friends, and country to come to Canada simply to give my sister and I a better opportunity, that I couldn't understand their love for their children until I had children of my own.
I sound like a parent, right? Well back to the future and now I am a proud parent of a handsome baby boy. Now after one month of taking care of him, I get a small glimmer of the enormity of what my parents did for me, which makes me even appreciate them more. That's the power of love.
*I better clarify the use of “favourite” in this instance. I don’t mean “best” movie made, I mean movie that I enjoy rewatching at any time. “Schindler’s List” is a favourite of mine, but one that I wouldn’t rewatch.
I refuse to preface this paragraph with *spoiler alert* because you have no excuse not to have seen this movie unless you were born in 1995 or later. Below is a 4 minute recap of the movie set to the stellar song from the soundtrack “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis and the News. Ahhh 80s music.
The Power of Love BTTF recap
The movie starts off with such confident energy in the hands of director Robert Zemeckis*. Marty McFly’s family’s stench of “loserness” is captured in one nice succinct dinner scene. The entire introduction of the movie crams so many clues of the present that set up a perfect juxtaposition when we are all transported back to Hill Valley’s past. Brilliantly executed, “Back to the Future” was a commercial success because it grounded the time-traveling action on a personal scale while mixing it with a strong comedic sensibility.
*Can someone please ask Zemeckis to stop with his obsession of creepy human animation movies? From “Polar Express” to “Beowulf” to “A Christmas Carol”, he has lost 5 years dabbling with this animation style that is not appealing to the masses. Zemeckis used to be the master of seamless digital effects to enhance his story (“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and “Forrest Gump”) rather than make it the only focus of the story (re: “Transformers”).
Rather than time-traveling to save the world, the idea that changing our actions in the past can have great ramifications for the future (positively in the case of the McFly family) keeps the movie grounded and thus the idea of a time-traveling DeLorean isn’t too crazy. I think the movie appeals to all of us who have wondered how the decisions of the present impacts the future. It is that big "What if?" game* we all play.
*The "what if?" game always bothered me as a teacher. Students would start asking "what if" questions to try to get out if work or tests and if you didn't do anything proactive you could get what iffed forever. I liked to stop the "what if" train right away by firing back a rapid succession of my own nonsensical what ifs back at them.
Student: "What if it snows tomorrow? Maybe we should have the quiz next week?"
Me: "What if an asteroid hit us today? What if the sun exploded tomorrow morning? What if?"
That would usually end it because the student probably thought this guy is crazy and let's avoid talking to him any further.
I have often thought what my personal “Back to the Future” journey would look like. I believe all my experiences and decisions I have made have shaped me into the person I am today, whether good or bad, but I do catch myself playing the "what if" game from time to time (you hypocrite Mr. Kim). If I stepped into my own DeLorean and kept the time-traveling focus on my personal events, I could go back and warn myself not to call out my friend’s name Michael in the woods behind Village Park Elementary school (Comox represent) because that would bring the attention of the bully who tortured me for a good week in grade 1 or not to dive into the bushes at the YMCA Camp Southwind because that would cause me to sit on top of a wasp nest. I would tell myself to give mBryan to take care of while Mina and I went on vacation in the summer, so I wouldn’t have the death of an 18 year old tree on my hands. Out damn spot out. I would go tell myself to get myself diagnosed for narcolepsy much earlier*. I would go tell myself not… I could go on and on with embarrassing things I have done or things I am not proud of, but that would simply cause myself to be embarrassed all over again. On the other hand, if I started fixating on all the trials and tribulations of my journey, then what sort of person would that create--someone who hadn’t taken chances, been embarrassed, or learned from his mistakes. If I play this time-traveling game, I think you can only lose. I like my life. I enjoy my history. I am not looking for a wholesale rewrite as seen by the McFlys by the end of “Back to the Future”.
*I noticed symptoms at age 18 and got diagnosed with narcolepsy at age 32. I thought I was really lazy because I could sleep anywhere at any time. An early diagnosis may have made my three degree journey at UBC more enjoyable. My life with narcolepsy is another story for another day.
There would be only one thing I wish I could change. OK make that two.
1) I would go back and tell my despondent self after game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup run, not to leave from Pacific Coliseum and head home with Dax Naples and Mike Chipman but to go downtown with the rest of my friends. I will always remember the next day at school, Steve Williams telling me the riots were the craziest thing he had ever seen. I am not saying that I wanted to riot nor what went down in Vancouver that night was right (it was stupid), but it is not everyday you get to be in the middle of tear gas on Robson Street.
2) I would go back in time and punch myself for being such a selfish teenager, who could only moan and whine in his head about how strict his parents were and how they were not fair to him. Age gives you perspective and wisdom, both of which I was in short supply as a teenager. Now I wasn’t a bad kid, as I excelled in academics in high school and didn’t get up to more than the usual trouble of a boy of that age. But I certainly, could have treated my parents with more love and respect at that time. I look back and cringe at how wrapped up I was in my own world and I failed to acknowledge all the ways that my parents loved me and how good they were to me. I am not saying that I wasn’t at all appreciative, but I certainly could have had a better perspective about how much my parents did for me over the years. I would like to go back to the past to give myself a lecture. The selfish me needs to be told to suck it up, that my "problems" will work themselves out and be forgotten down the road, that I was lucky to have my parents love and support both emotionally and financially, that my parents sacrificed more than I ever could imagine leaving their family, friends, and country to come to Canada simply to give my sister and I a better opportunity, that I couldn't understand their love for their children until I had children of my own.
I sound like a parent, right? Well back to the future and now I am a proud parent of a handsome baby boy. Now after one month of taking care of him, I get a small glimmer of the enormity of what my parents did for me, which makes me even appreciate them more. That's the power of love.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
We have moved...
I don't have many people following me, but I have decided to start using tumblr instead due to the easier capabilities of posting things. Check it out:
http://icecreamspinach.tumblr.com/
http://icecreamspinach.tumblr.com/
Monday, May 10, 2010
Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks: Game 6 Fallacies and Statistics
I will try to present my case on why the Canucks will prevail in Game 6 by presenting three fallacies in the minds of Blackhawks fans and refuting them through some statistics that I googled and came up with myself using my extensive statistics background from my years at UBC. I know, very scientific.
Fallacy #1: Ad Hominem
“An Ad Hominem is a general category of fallacies in which a claim or argument is rejected on the basis of some irrelevant fact about the author of or the person presenting the claim or argument. “
Example of Ad Hominem:
Canucks fan: “I believe the Canucks will win game 6.”
Blackhawks fan: “Of course you would say that, you’re a Canucks fan.”
Canucks fan: “What about the arguments I gave to support my position?”
Blackhawks fan: “Those don’t count. Like I said, you’re a Canucks fan, so you have to say that Canucks will win. Further, your irrational behaviour leads you to say ridiculous things.”
Fallacy #2: The Straw Man
“The Straw Man fallacy is committed when a person simply ignores a person's actual position and substitutes a distorted, exaggerated or misrepresented version of that position.”
Example of Straw Man:
Canucks fan: "I believe the Canucks will win game 6."
Blackhawks fan: "Why do you think that?"
Canucks fan: "Because the statistics show that these teams are much closer to each other than some may think."
Blackhawks fan: "If your statistics are so good, then why aren’t the Canucks up three games to two instead?"
Fallacy #3: False Dilemma
“A False Dilemma is a fallacy in which a person uses the following pattern of ‘reasoning’:
Either claim X is true or claim Y is true (when X and Y could both be false).
Claim Y is false.
Therefore claim X is true.”
Example of False Dilemma:
The Canucks win at home or lose at home.
The Canucks did not win at home last time.
Therefore, the Canucks will lose at home this time.
Here comes the crazy statistical analysis to refute the above fallacies:
The beatings that the Canucks endured in Game 3 and 4 were so horrific that it easily washed away two and a half great results for the Canucks on the road. People forget that the Canucks were up by 2 in the first period of game 2 and could have been up by a couple more. Game 3 was all Canucks for the 1st period. The dominance of the Blackhawks has been grossly overstated.
These two teams are closer than one may think. The most dominant difference and truly the reason why the Blackhawks own a 3-2 game differential is the penalty kill. When you add this series plus the LA series, the Canucks are at a lowly 67.3% How bad is that? To put it into perspective if the Canucks were whistled for 6 penalties in a game, opponents could look forward to scoring at least 2 goals a game. It is imperative that the Canucks keep the number of penalties to about four in game 6 to have a chance to win with what has been a strong team showing during 5-on-5 hockey. The Canucks have scored 28 goals 5-on-5 to the Blackhawks 19. Delving further into the Canucks penalty kill, it is surprising that the Canucks are even hanging around in these playoffs. Vancouver has allowed 15 pp goals the entire postseason to Chicago’s 5 pp goals. Add in two shorthanded goals for the Hawks and one can start seeing the huge advantage for the Blackhawks' special teams unit. Vancouver’s team plus/minus, which is not affected by power play goals, stands at +12 to Chicago’s -2, again showing how good Vancouver is when they can stay out of the box. The adage of staying out of the box has never been so true for a team like the Canucks. The Canucks also will benefit greatly with scoring the first goal as the Hawks have shown to be real frontrunners these playoffs with a 5-1 record when scoring first.
Conclusion:
A Canucks victory is certain if they can stay out of the box (maximum 4 penalties) AND score first.
Finally looking at both team’s stats over 11 games, try to distinguish which team is who:
3.82 G/G 3.18
3.27 GA/G 2.91
22.9 PP% 22.4
29.8 S/G 31.8
30.5 SA/G 27.9
55.0 FO% 49.3
The first column of stats is none other than your Vancouver Canucks. Despite two big blowouts at home, the total goals scored for this series is 18-17 in favour of the Blackhawks. The Canucks have scored 42 total goals to the Hawks 35, while defensively the Canucks have let in 36 goals to the Hawks. This series statistics show thee two teams to be quite similar which means it won’t be that easy for the Blackhawks to finish off the Canucks. The Canucks higher goals against is offset by their higher goals scored. Again, the only big advantage lies in the poor penalty killing of the Canucks. The Canucks have actually started to dominate in the face off circle versus the Hawks and this continuing trend may play a crucial part in game 6 as seen by the goals scored in game 5. Henrik Sedin won an offensive draw that lead directly to Christian Erhoff's goal, Ryan Johnson won a defensive faceoff that indirectly lead to Kevin Bieksa's first goal, and Henrik Sedin won an offensive faceoff that directly lead to Bieksa's second PP goal. Henrik Sedin (12/19) ate David Bolland (2/13) alive while Ryan Johnson went 8/9. Only Jonathan Toews had a decent night in the faceoff circle going 11/19. Game 4, the Canucks had a huge faceoff advantage as well. Continued winning of the faceoffs just may be the difference the Canucks need for a game 6 victory.
Conclusion:
We will see the Canucks @ the United Center for game 7 Thursday night. Kane and the boys shouldn’t have had packed prematurely for San Jose.
Fallacy #1: Ad Hominem
“An Ad Hominem is a general category of fallacies in which a claim or argument is rejected on the basis of some irrelevant fact about the author of or the person presenting the claim or argument. “
Example of Ad Hominem:
Canucks fan: “I believe the Canucks will win game 6.”
Blackhawks fan: “Of course you would say that, you’re a Canucks fan.”
Canucks fan: “What about the arguments I gave to support my position?”
Blackhawks fan: “Those don’t count. Like I said, you’re a Canucks fan, so you have to say that Canucks will win. Further, your irrational behaviour leads you to say ridiculous things.”
Fallacy #2: The Straw Man
“The Straw Man fallacy is committed when a person simply ignores a person's actual position and substitutes a distorted, exaggerated or misrepresented version of that position.”
Example of Straw Man:
Canucks fan: "I believe the Canucks will win game 6."
Blackhawks fan: "Why do you think that?"
Canucks fan: "Because the statistics show that these teams are much closer to each other than some may think."
Blackhawks fan: "If your statistics are so good, then why aren’t the Canucks up three games to two instead?"
Fallacy #3: False Dilemma
“A False Dilemma is a fallacy in which a person uses the following pattern of ‘reasoning’:
Either claim X is true or claim Y is true (when X and Y could both be false).
Claim Y is false.
Therefore claim X is true.”
Example of False Dilemma:
The Canucks win at home or lose at home.
The Canucks did not win at home last time.
Therefore, the Canucks will lose at home this time.
Here comes the crazy statistical analysis to refute the above fallacies:
The beatings that the Canucks endured in Game 3 and 4 were so horrific that it easily washed away two and a half great results for the Canucks on the road. People forget that the Canucks were up by 2 in the first period of game 2 and could have been up by a couple more. Game 3 was all Canucks for the 1st period. The dominance of the Blackhawks has been grossly overstated.
These two teams are closer than one may think. The most dominant difference and truly the reason why the Blackhawks own a 3-2 game differential is the penalty kill. When you add this series plus the LA series, the Canucks are at a lowly 67.3% How bad is that? To put it into perspective if the Canucks were whistled for 6 penalties in a game, opponents could look forward to scoring at least 2 goals a game. It is imperative that the Canucks keep the number of penalties to about four in game 6 to have a chance to win with what has been a strong team showing during 5-on-5 hockey. The Canucks have scored 28 goals 5-on-5 to the Blackhawks 19. Delving further into the Canucks penalty kill, it is surprising that the Canucks are even hanging around in these playoffs. Vancouver has allowed 15 pp goals the entire postseason to Chicago’s 5 pp goals. Add in two shorthanded goals for the Hawks and one can start seeing the huge advantage for the Blackhawks' special teams unit. Vancouver’s team plus/minus, which is not affected by power play goals, stands at +12 to Chicago’s -2, again showing how good Vancouver is when they can stay out of the box. The adage of staying out of the box has never been so true for a team like the Canucks. The Canucks also will benefit greatly with scoring the first goal as the Hawks have shown to be real frontrunners these playoffs with a 5-1 record when scoring first.
Conclusion:
A Canucks victory is certain if they can stay out of the box (maximum 4 penalties) AND score first.
Finally looking at both team’s stats over 11 games, try to distinguish which team is who:
3.82 G/G 3.18
3.27 GA/G 2.91
22.9 PP% 22.4
29.8 S/G 31.8
30.5 SA/G 27.9
55.0 FO% 49.3
The first column of stats is none other than your Vancouver Canucks. Despite two big blowouts at home, the total goals scored for this series is 18-17 in favour of the Blackhawks. The Canucks have scored 42 total goals to the Hawks 35, while defensively the Canucks have let in 36 goals to the Hawks. This series statistics show thee two teams to be quite similar which means it won’t be that easy for the Blackhawks to finish off the Canucks. The Canucks higher goals against is offset by their higher goals scored. Again, the only big advantage lies in the poor penalty killing of the Canucks. The Canucks have actually started to dominate in the face off circle versus the Hawks and this continuing trend may play a crucial part in game 6 as seen by the goals scored in game 5. Henrik Sedin won an offensive draw that lead directly to Christian Erhoff's goal, Ryan Johnson won a defensive faceoff that indirectly lead to Kevin Bieksa's first goal, and Henrik Sedin won an offensive faceoff that directly lead to Bieksa's second PP goal. Henrik Sedin (12/19) ate David Bolland (2/13) alive while Ryan Johnson went 8/9. Only Jonathan Toews had a decent night in the faceoff circle going 11/19. Game 4, the Canucks had a huge faceoff advantage as well. Continued winning of the faceoffs just may be the difference the Canucks need for a game 6 victory.
Conclusion:
We will see the Canucks @ the United Center for game 7 Thursday night. Kane and the boys shouldn’t have had packed prematurely for San Jose.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Best Case and Worst Case Scenario for Canuck Fans
Best Case Scenario for the Canuck fans in the playoff series against the Blackhawks:
Game 1 highlights:
1) Henrik and Daniel Sedin pass back and forth to each other so much on one goal that they score, the stat sheet reads “Sedin 6th goal, assisted by Sedin and Sedin”
2) Luongo makes 101 saves through three periods, even making one save with his thick, curly hair after his helmet gets knocked off by Dustin Bfugly-alien. Canucks end up winning 19-0 with Andrew Alberts getting three hat tricks, one in each period.
Game 2 highlights:
1) The famous pipe organ in the United Center breaks during the team warm-up and the largest piece manages to hurtle to the ice and stab Jonathan Toews in his foot. Toews becomes the first player to have his injury report read: “Toews, Chicago Blackhawks, 5-7 weeks, foot injury due to organ.”
2) Sami Salo becomes the first player to score twice in less than one second… from his own goal line.
3) Not to be outdone, Luongo scores a hat trick with the third one coming on an end to end rush, burning Brian Campbell with a Savardian spin-o-rama at the red line. Of course, Brian Campbell gets a C7 vertebrae injury from being twisted up like a pretzel.
4) The Vancouver Canucks win 16-0, becoming the first team to score, 4 short-handed goals and 4 power play goals in one game, along with being the first team ever to hold a home-team to zero shots.
5) Two shut-outs in a row means all Vancouver Canuck fans do not have to suffer through that damn Chelsea Dagger song.
Game 3 highlights:
1) The portly opera guy retires his opening anthem shtick for one game.
2) Every Vancouver fan in attendance gets a free Canucks jersey signed by every single Canuck that has been associated with the team. Yes, that even means you, John Vanbiesbrouck.
3) The Blackhawks end up pulling Nitwit-tunamaki, their goalie in the second period after realizing, “Why bother with a goalie if the opposing team has scored 16 goals on 6 shots?” That was not a typo. Yes, 16 goals on SIX shots.
4) Ryan Kesler gets in a fight with Andrew Ladd, which ends with Ladd openly weeping on national TV in the penalty box and mouthing, “No mas.”
5) After Mikhail Samuelsson becomes the first player ever with 10 goals in one game, he even manages to repair the rift between his fellow Swede, Elin Norgren and golfer extraordinaire, Tiger Woods. “Elin, 120 or 121 mistresses, haven’t we all lost count by now? Forgive Tiger. Look at me, I have forgiven Sweden.”
6) After a final score of 22-0, Brent Seabrook can no longer take the abuse and decides to let off some steam by going to Splashdown Park in his hometown of Tsawwassen on his off day. Seabrook promptly suffers a concussion after getting thrown clear out of the “Whipper Snapper”. You know which ride I am talking about… the one which finished with those three bumps at the end of the slide.
Game 4 highlights:
1) Surprisingly, Patrick Kane is a game time scratch as he has a mysterious illness. There is a high correlation between his illness and the photos released from his antics the previous night at Go Bananas, the one located on 200th Street in Langley. Joel Quenneville can only shake his head at how his “No Roxy” edict actually backfires. Quenneville proceeds to lose half of his beautiful mustache after it catches fire while smoking to relieve his stress.
2) Coach Vigneault wanting to give some players a rest with a commanding 3-0 lead, convinces Trevor Linden to unretire for this game. The crowd goes bananas (a little wink towards Kane’s situation) as Linden’s #16 is brought down from the rafters before the anthem. Linden rewards Coach V’s faith with a performance for the ages→ scoring 16 times, blocking 16 shots, winning 16 faceoffs, and getting it all done in an efficient 16 minutes through two periods. Linden then goes into net, with his player’s gear, and ends up making 16 saves in the third period. At least 16 Canucks fans cry, overwhelmed by the emotion of the moment.
3) Brent Sopel shows his true allegiance for the Canucks by roofing three goals himself on Cristobal Huet.
4) The Canucks end up winning game 4, 159-0, becoming the first NHL team ever to post a higher score than their respective NBA team. Go Grizzlies! Sedins end up both doubling Wayne Gretzky’s 1985 record of 47 points in one playoff year. Canucks advance straight into the Stanley Cup finals due to the sudden plight of the Red Wings and Sharks coming down with a weird strain of the Avian flu, which requires both teams to be quarantined for one month.
5) As Gary Bettman hands over the Campbell Conference Trophy, he announces that he will be stepping down that night, but not before contracting the franchises of Tampa Bay, Florida, and Phoenix. Bettman awards the Canucks with the first ten picks of the dispersal draft in June. The Blackhawks drained from the emotional and physical thrashing they endured over the four games announce that they will all be retiring and focusing on a safer and more gentle sport like curling. And oh yeah, while we are it, Vanoc finds a ton of money hiding in a box at John Furlong’s house, which pays off the entire debt of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Worst Case Scenario for the Canuck fans in the playoff series against the Blackhawks:
The Vancouver Canucks lose the series to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Game 1 highlights:
1) Henrik and Daniel Sedin pass back and forth to each other so much on one goal that they score, the stat sheet reads “Sedin 6th goal, assisted by Sedin and Sedin”
2) Luongo makes 101 saves through three periods, even making one save with his thick, curly hair after his helmet gets knocked off by Dustin Bfugly-alien. Canucks end up winning 19-0 with Andrew Alberts getting three hat tricks, one in each period.
Game 2 highlights:
1) The famous pipe organ in the United Center breaks during the team warm-up and the largest piece manages to hurtle to the ice and stab Jonathan Toews in his foot. Toews becomes the first player to have his injury report read: “Toews, Chicago Blackhawks, 5-7 weeks, foot injury due to organ.”
2) Sami Salo becomes the first player to score twice in less than one second… from his own goal line.
3) Not to be outdone, Luongo scores a hat trick with the third one coming on an end to end rush, burning Brian Campbell with a Savardian spin-o-rama at the red line. Of course, Brian Campbell gets a C7 vertebrae injury from being twisted up like a pretzel.
4) The Vancouver Canucks win 16-0, becoming the first team to score, 4 short-handed goals and 4 power play goals in one game, along with being the first team ever to hold a home-team to zero shots.
5) Two shut-outs in a row means all Vancouver Canuck fans do not have to suffer through that damn Chelsea Dagger song.
Game 3 highlights:
1) The portly opera guy retires his opening anthem shtick for one game.
2) Every Vancouver fan in attendance gets a free Canucks jersey signed by every single Canuck that has been associated with the team. Yes, that even means you, John Vanbiesbrouck.
3) The Blackhawks end up pulling Nitwit-tunamaki, their goalie in the second period after realizing, “Why bother with a goalie if the opposing team has scored 16 goals on 6 shots?” That was not a typo. Yes, 16 goals on SIX shots.
4) Ryan Kesler gets in a fight with Andrew Ladd, which ends with Ladd openly weeping on national TV in the penalty box and mouthing, “No mas.”
5) After Mikhail Samuelsson becomes the first player ever with 10 goals in one game, he even manages to repair the rift between his fellow Swede, Elin Norgren and golfer extraordinaire, Tiger Woods. “Elin, 120 or 121 mistresses, haven’t we all lost count by now? Forgive Tiger. Look at me, I have forgiven Sweden.”
6) After a final score of 22-0, Brent Seabrook can no longer take the abuse and decides to let off some steam by going to Splashdown Park in his hometown of Tsawwassen on his off day. Seabrook promptly suffers a concussion after getting thrown clear out of the “Whipper Snapper”. You know which ride I am talking about… the one which finished with those three bumps at the end of the slide.
Game 4 highlights:
1) Surprisingly, Patrick Kane is a game time scratch as he has a mysterious illness. There is a high correlation between his illness and the photos released from his antics the previous night at Go Bananas, the one located on 200th Street in Langley. Joel Quenneville can only shake his head at how his “No Roxy” edict actually backfires. Quenneville proceeds to lose half of his beautiful mustache after it catches fire while smoking to relieve his stress.
2) Coach Vigneault wanting to give some players a rest with a commanding 3-0 lead, convinces Trevor Linden to unretire for this game. The crowd goes bananas (a little wink towards Kane’s situation) as Linden’s #16 is brought down from the rafters before the anthem. Linden rewards Coach V’s faith with a performance for the ages→ scoring 16 times, blocking 16 shots, winning 16 faceoffs, and getting it all done in an efficient 16 minutes through two periods. Linden then goes into net, with his player’s gear, and ends up making 16 saves in the third period. At least 16 Canucks fans cry, overwhelmed by the emotion of the moment.
3) Brent Sopel shows his true allegiance for the Canucks by roofing three goals himself on Cristobal Huet.
4) The Canucks end up winning game 4, 159-0, becoming the first NHL team ever to post a higher score than their respective NBA team. Go Grizzlies! Sedins end up both doubling Wayne Gretzky’s 1985 record of 47 points in one playoff year. Canucks advance straight into the Stanley Cup finals due to the sudden plight of the Red Wings and Sharks coming down with a weird strain of the Avian flu, which requires both teams to be quarantined for one month.
5) As Gary Bettman hands over the Campbell Conference Trophy, he announces that he will be stepping down that night, but not before contracting the franchises of Tampa Bay, Florida, and Phoenix. Bettman awards the Canucks with the first ten picks of the dispersal draft in June. The Blackhawks drained from the emotional and physical thrashing they endured over the four games announce that they will all be retiring and focusing on a safer and more gentle sport like curling. And oh yeah, while we are it, Vanoc finds a ton of money hiding in a box at John Furlong’s house, which pays off the entire debt of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Worst Case Scenario for the Canuck fans in the playoff series against the Blackhawks:
The Vancouver Canucks lose the series to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Best Quote of the Olympics?
The Hamelin brothers getting fourth and fifth in short track was one of the first times I was actually mad that a Korean won. Usually if Korea wins, I am all for it. I have pride for my motherland. Koreans are just as crazy for their sports athletes, and that sense of pride is perfectly captured by this quote from a member of the South Korean Olympic committee. I did not edit this quote and I just love the abrupt transition at the end:
“I think the whole nation is in front of the television,” said John Moon, chief of staff of the South Korean Olympic Committee. “Kim Yu-na is the country’s special sister. Every athlete is important, but her medal is more important than the others. She is beautiful. She’s our pride. I think the Koreans will have a lot of drinks.”
BTW if anyone knows where I can get that Team Korea jacket that Yuna was sporting let me know. Not in her size though. Please, I know you may think it, but I am not that slender.
“I think the whole nation is in front of the television,” said John Moon, chief of staff of the South Korean Olympic Committee. “Kim Yu-na is the country’s special sister. Every athlete is important, but her medal is more important than the others. She is beautiful. She’s our pride. I think the Koreans will have a lot of drinks.”
BTW if anyone knows where I can get that Team Korea jacket that Yuna was sporting let me know. Not in her size though. Please, I know you may think it, but I am not that slender.
Olympic Sized Recap...
Of the Olympics!
I don't really know how to feel today since it is the first time in almost three weeks that I don't have some sort of Olympic-oriented goal. My wife wonders why I couldn't put the energy I spent towards the Vancouver games in some other capacity. I wonder too. I think I feel a little bit of sadness knowing that Vancouver will never see something like this ever again. I also know that I am proud of our city, prouder of our country, and am reaffirmed about how sports can play an essential part of connecting all of us in the community.
As if there are not enough reviews and recollections of these Games, I thought I would offer up my thoughts from a non-media perspective. What better way to serve up recollections with a Victory Ceremony web-style:
Fourth place finishes:
1) Cancelling tickets at Cypress. We can truck tons of snow from Manning, but we can't figure out some way to seat the general admission holders? One friend of mine was essentially robbed of Maelle Ricker's gold medal performance, since his tickets were no longer valid. Couldn't we have brought up all the Bouncy Castles from the Lower Mainland and provided that as the general admission area?
2) Long line-ups into essentially 3-D commercials. If I hadn't seen most of the pavilions before the crowds really got going, I cringe to think of how angry I might have been.
Bell Cube: Just TVs and Bell phones.
Samsung Pavilion: More of the same.
BC Pavilion: A 5 minute 3-D video of BC that would have made James Cameron chortle.
I did like the Royal Mint but deductions for waiting for FIVE hours to see the medals. Also deductions for the 1.5 hour wait into Coca-Cola House. The Bay Olympic Superstore: 1 hour wait
A lot of waiting. But really in retrospect, I only have myself to blame because I was the idiot that decided to wait in all the lines.
3) Cringe-worthy planning during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Russia's 5 minute bit in the Closings was better than almost anything Vanoc did. Except for KD Lang. That ice rink in Sochi by the water... that was crazy.
4) Juh nuh parles frankcaahs trez bien. Furlong's French. Nuff said.
5) Jamie Campbell's spotty play by play in a lot of sports he clearly knows nothing about. Did anyone see his first day calling snowboard half-pipe? The first rider took a jump and he yelled "WOAH" or something to that effect and then after two more yells you could clearly tell he thought he was witnessing the second coming of Shaun White. I believe someone told him what he saw wasn't that great, because he was real quiet for the rest of the day. Stick to calling a good game in baseball with the Blue Jays. Now don't get me wrong, he did bring a good amount of enthusiasm to his calls Re: Bilodeau, but he could have used some more experience with the Cypress events.
6) "I Believe" song by Nikki-whatever-her-name-is. Thanks for shoving this sappy song down our throats CTV. Some mornings I tried to rip my own larynx out because I would spontaneously start singing it.
Bronze Finish:
1) CTV for a decent job their first time through. Hearing Chris Cuthbert announce hockey was a trip back to the 80s when he used to do the Edmonton Oiler games for CBC. Cuthbert was excellent. Rod Black, figure skating calls were professional and polished. Vic Router was solid in curling. Brian Williams was great. Bob Costas on NBC is the man. Liz Manley needs work.
2) Streets of Vancouver: Robson and Granville area, the first weekend. The first weekend was busy and a little bit more family-friendly. This past weekend was an excuse by many to get really drunk. Well, at least everyone was friendly.
3) The Canada Line: I used to get angry on my morning commute into school, because of all the Cambie Street closures. After using the Canada Line on numerous occasions, it is nice to see at least one tangible legacy from these Games. Deductions for only having TWO ticket kiosks at most of the stations.
4) Own the Podium: We were all so quick to write off this program after that Sucky Saturday and Sunday. It is quite apparent to all that without this funding our gold medal haul would never have happened. At least we were not Russia, projecting 30 medals and leaving with fifteen. Heads are rolling in Russia.
Let's just hope that the Canadian men's hockey team follows the lead of Clara Hughes, Bilodeau, Heil, and others and donates that money back to the community. Does Luongo need another $25,000?
5) Ice Dance Pairs: The fact that I actually enjoyed Moir and Virtue's gold performance... I don't want to say anything more.
6) Mary Cirillo's great little features on NBC. The one focused on Joe Juneau's contributions working with First Nations children through hockey was so good that it made me reassess what I thought about Joe Juneau (sort of soft player with good passing skills). IF only all of use could be a little like Joe.
Silver medal:
1) Canada's short track team: Some of the most exciting races during the Olympics. I am still lamenting the fact that I sold those tickets thus missing out on two golds and one bronze awarded to Canada. But I couldn't miss Canada men's semi-finals hockey, right? Right? (as you sit there shaking your head)
2) The volunteers of Vanoc: The legion of blue made all of us proud. I was awestruck by the amount of hours these people put in during the games. 10-12 hours a day and never once did I run into a surly blue Smurf.
3) My Shaw PVR expander: My brother-in-law showed me his just as the Games started. 1 terabyte of storage finally allows me to record tons of show in HD. Without it, I wouldn't have been able to record the Olympics everyday on both CTV and NBC. Deductions for bumping up the price this week ($199 from $150). For $150 it was definitely worth it and now I can record the entire season of LOST to rewatch in the summer.
4) The Polish women's speed skating team for winning bronze after being ranked the worst country in that event. Their reaction was just pure emotion and they looked like they had won gold. Plus bonus points for beating USA.
5) The rise of curling. Had Cheryl Bernard won gold, she would have been drowning in a sea of endorsements. The men of America loved her and it is weird to see how the media called her the Curling Cougar or the Curlgar. She should have taken care of business in that 10th end. Who would have thought the men of Wall Street would become obsessed with the sport. Pretty cool to think if you join the Vancouver league that you get to play in that Olympic building. Way to go Kevin Martin, who waited 8 years for his redemption.
6) The waitress at Metropole, where we watched the gold hockey game, for finding my favourite scarf and holding it for me. I think Vancouver was the nicest place to be in the last two weeks. I haven't felt this energy and enthusiasm ever in this town.
Gold Medal:
1) Attending Canada-Russia hockey game: I cannot properly describe what it felt like with all those goals scored in the first period. The elation that jumped out of me with each goal, matched by the frenzy of those in the crowd... awesome. I bear-hugged my wife seven times and at one point, she asked "Could you please stop screaming into my ear?"
2) Attending Russia-Czech hockey game: I took my dad with me to this game. I realized how selfish of a son I had been, since I hadn't taken my dad to a hockey game in a loooong time. This was a very enjoyable moment of the Games that encapsulated spending time with family and friends. My parents stayed over the night of Yuna Kim's skate. We went with my sister and her friends downtown the past Friday to enjoy Blue Rodeo. Bumping into friends on Robson. Getting to see a curling match with my friends. Watching copious amounts of hockey with my friends. Cheering madly and jumping up and down for joy with my friends when Sid the Kid scored that overtime winner... these Olympics were all about spending time and sharing small little moments with the people you love.
3) Watching Wilco on the first Friday with my lovely wife at LiveCity Yaletown was such a great night. The fireworks show at Yaletown was thrilling and almost better than the summer fireworks because the explosions were so close.
4) The overtime goal. Pure happiness which brought me back to my more youthful days when I watched Lemieux's goal in the 87 Canada Cup. Pretty cool to think of a generation of kids will forever remember this moment. Undescribable is the only way to explain this moment in time.
5) I have to mention another Canadian athletic performance, but how do you pick between Rochette, Bilodeau, Montgomery, Ricker, McIvor, Martin etc?
I guess the fact that I just wrote their last names and you knew who I was talking about says enough of the impression these Games made on us. I am going to wimp out and give the gold to Team Canada.
6) Friday night, Slovakia vs Canada, at Metropole in Gastown, the game finishes. I decide to start belting out O Canada with my buddy. Our group joins in and then the music cuts out and all you can hear is the entire bar singing the anthem. With goosebumps on my arms, I thought, "I love this country." Spontaneous outbursts of the anthem played out all over this country. Heck, my wife and I stood every time a gold medal was given out on TV. All of you experienced the group anthem singing at some time, somewhere this week. I know you did. And we can all agree that for two weeks, our country had one voice.
Beauty.
I don't really know how to feel today since it is the first time in almost three weeks that I don't have some sort of Olympic-oriented goal. My wife wonders why I couldn't put the energy I spent towards the Vancouver games in some other capacity. I wonder too. I think I feel a little bit of sadness knowing that Vancouver will never see something like this ever again. I also know that I am proud of our city, prouder of our country, and am reaffirmed about how sports can play an essential part of connecting all of us in the community.
As if there are not enough reviews and recollections of these Games, I thought I would offer up my thoughts from a non-media perspective. What better way to serve up recollections with a Victory Ceremony web-style:
Fourth place finishes:
1) Cancelling tickets at Cypress. We can truck tons of snow from Manning, but we can't figure out some way to seat the general admission holders? One friend of mine was essentially robbed of Maelle Ricker's gold medal performance, since his tickets were no longer valid. Couldn't we have brought up all the Bouncy Castles from the Lower Mainland and provided that as the general admission area?
2) Long line-ups into essentially 3-D commercials. If I hadn't seen most of the pavilions before the crowds really got going, I cringe to think of how angry I might have been.
Bell Cube: Just TVs and Bell phones.
Samsung Pavilion: More of the same.
BC Pavilion: A 5 minute 3-D video of BC that would have made James Cameron chortle.
I did like the Royal Mint but deductions for waiting for FIVE hours to see the medals. Also deductions for the 1.5 hour wait into Coca-Cola House. The Bay Olympic Superstore: 1 hour wait
A lot of waiting. But really in retrospect, I only have myself to blame because I was the idiot that decided to wait in all the lines.
3) Cringe-worthy planning during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Russia's 5 minute bit in the Closings was better than almost anything Vanoc did. Except for KD Lang. That ice rink in Sochi by the water... that was crazy.
4) Juh nuh parles frankcaahs trez bien. Furlong's French. Nuff said.
5) Jamie Campbell's spotty play by play in a lot of sports he clearly knows nothing about. Did anyone see his first day calling snowboard half-pipe? The first rider took a jump and he yelled "WOAH" or something to that effect and then after two more yells you could clearly tell he thought he was witnessing the second coming of Shaun White. I believe someone told him what he saw wasn't that great, because he was real quiet for the rest of the day. Stick to calling a good game in baseball with the Blue Jays. Now don't get me wrong, he did bring a good amount of enthusiasm to his calls Re: Bilodeau, but he could have used some more experience with the Cypress events.
6) "I Believe" song by Nikki-whatever-her-name-is. Thanks for shoving this sappy song down our throats CTV. Some mornings I tried to rip my own larynx out because I would spontaneously start singing it.
Bronze Finish:
1) CTV for a decent job their first time through. Hearing Chris Cuthbert announce hockey was a trip back to the 80s when he used to do the Edmonton Oiler games for CBC. Cuthbert was excellent. Rod Black, figure skating calls were professional and polished. Vic Router was solid in curling. Brian Williams was great. Bob Costas on NBC is the man. Liz Manley needs work.
2) Streets of Vancouver: Robson and Granville area, the first weekend. The first weekend was busy and a little bit more family-friendly. This past weekend was an excuse by many to get really drunk. Well, at least everyone was friendly.
3) The Canada Line: I used to get angry on my morning commute into school, because of all the Cambie Street closures. After using the Canada Line on numerous occasions, it is nice to see at least one tangible legacy from these Games. Deductions for only having TWO ticket kiosks at most of the stations.
4) Own the Podium: We were all so quick to write off this program after that Sucky Saturday and Sunday. It is quite apparent to all that without this funding our gold medal haul would never have happened. At least we were not Russia, projecting 30 medals and leaving with fifteen. Heads are rolling in Russia.
Let's just hope that the Canadian men's hockey team follows the lead of Clara Hughes, Bilodeau, Heil, and others and donates that money back to the community. Does Luongo need another $25,000?
5) Ice Dance Pairs: The fact that I actually enjoyed Moir and Virtue's gold performance... I don't want to say anything more.
6) Mary Cirillo's great little features on NBC. The one focused on Joe Juneau's contributions working with First Nations children through hockey was so good that it made me reassess what I thought about Joe Juneau (sort of soft player with good passing skills). IF only all of use could be a little like Joe.
Silver medal:
1) Canada's short track team: Some of the most exciting races during the Olympics. I am still lamenting the fact that I sold those tickets thus missing out on two golds and one bronze awarded to Canada. But I couldn't miss Canada men's semi-finals hockey, right? Right? (as you sit there shaking your head)
2) The volunteers of Vanoc: The legion of blue made all of us proud. I was awestruck by the amount of hours these people put in during the games. 10-12 hours a day and never once did I run into a surly blue Smurf.
3) My Shaw PVR expander: My brother-in-law showed me his just as the Games started. 1 terabyte of storage finally allows me to record tons of show in HD. Without it, I wouldn't have been able to record the Olympics everyday on both CTV and NBC. Deductions for bumping up the price this week ($199 from $150). For $150 it was definitely worth it and now I can record the entire season of LOST to rewatch in the summer.
4) The Polish women's speed skating team for winning bronze after being ranked the worst country in that event. Their reaction was just pure emotion and they looked like they had won gold. Plus bonus points for beating USA.
5) The rise of curling. Had Cheryl Bernard won gold, she would have been drowning in a sea of endorsements. The men of America loved her and it is weird to see how the media called her the Curling Cougar or the Curlgar. She should have taken care of business in that 10th end. Who would have thought the men of Wall Street would become obsessed with the sport. Pretty cool to think if you join the Vancouver league that you get to play in that Olympic building. Way to go Kevin Martin, who waited 8 years for his redemption.
6) The waitress at Metropole, where we watched the gold hockey game, for finding my favourite scarf and holding it for me. I think Vancouver was the nicest place to be in the last two weeks. I haven't felt this energy and enthusiasm ever in this town.
Gold Medal:
1) Attending Canada-Russia hockey game: I cannot properly describe what it felt like with all those goals scored in the first period. The elation that jumped out of me with each goal, matched by the frenzy of those in the crowd... awesome. I bear-hugged my wife seven times and at one point, she asked "Could you please stop screaming into my ear?"
2) Attending Russia-Czech hockey game: I took my dad with me to this game. I realized how selfish of a son I had been, since I hadn't taken my dad to a hockey game in a loooong time. This was a very enjoyable moment of the Games that encapsulated spending time with family and friends. My parents stayed over the night of Yuna Kim's skate. We went with my sister and her friends downtown the past Friday to enjoy Blue Rodeo. Bumping into friends on Robson. Getting to see a curling match with my friends. Watching copious amounts of hockey with my friends. Cheering madly and jumping up and down for joy with my friends when Sid the Kid scored that overtime winner... these Olympics were all about spending time and sharing small little moments with the people you love.
3) Watching Wilco on the first Friday with my lovely wife at LiveCity Yaletown was such a great night. The fireworks show at Yaletown was thrilling and almost better than the summer fireworks because the explosions were so close.
4) The overtime goal. Pure happiness which brought me back to my more youthful days when I watched Lemieux's goal in the 87 Canada Cup. Pretty cool to think of a generation of kids will forever remember this moment. Undescribable is the only way to explain this moment in time.
5) I have to mention another Canadian athletic performance, but how do you pick between Rochette, Bilodeau, Montgomery, Ricker, McIvor, Martin etc?
I guess the fact that I just wrote their last names and you knew who I was talking about says enough of the impression these Games made on us. I am going to wimp out and give the gold to Team Canada.
6) Friday night, Slovakia vs Canada, at Metropole in Gastown, the game finishes. I decide to start belting out O Canada with my buddy. Our group joins in and then the music cuts out and all you can hear is the entire bar singing the anthem. With goosebumps on my arms, I thought, "I love this country." Spontaneous outbursts of the anthem played out all over this country. Heck, my wife and I stood every time a gold medal was given out on TV. All of you experienced the group anthem singing at some time, somewhere this week. I know you did. And we can all agree that for two weeks, our country had one voice.
Beauty.
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