The Vig

I added a plug-in to my blog software which finally allows me to blog from my cell phone. We’ll see how this goes.

The Hawks are currently down 2-0 to the rival Seattle Thunderbirds halfway through the first period. As bad as things look now, it’s not nearly as bad as Katie Harmon’s national anthem. If you’re planning to hit the Sheraton tonight, might I suggest finding alternate plans.

First Intermission: The Hawks have crawled back into the match, scoring a goal at the end of their second power play. This is probably the biggest crowd of the year so far. They’re a lively bunch, roaring to life for big hits.

Second Intermission: The Birds scored early in the second period on a seeing-eye shot from the blueline. The Hawks were gassed by the end of the period. Despite the disparity on the scoreboard, somehow they’re leading in shots 26-25. The Hawks will need to score early in the next period if they have any hope of winning. While they did mount a serious late game comeback earlier in the season, I don’t see it tonight. If the Hawks are down by two or more goals with less than five minutes to go, the desire to fight may prove too powerful.

Early third period: Tristan King(!) drops the mitts and gets his ass kicked about two minutes in. Thirty seconds later, Chris Francis buries a shot from right out front.  3-2 Birds. We have a hockey game.

No sooner did I hit *publish* than Bud Halloway buries a rebound on the power play. Damn.

Underschute scores with about three minutes to go. The crowd goes nuts. The Hawks get a few more chances before Seattle scores a minute or so later. They just added an empty net goal for insurance. 6-3 Birds. Now is the time on Sprockets wheb we fight!

End of the game: It’s New Years Eve and there’s no fights? Well, there was the one. But beyond that, Seattle was just the better, more physical team tonight. When, oh WHEN! will Ryan Kerr return?

Post Script:  As I packed up after the game, I watched as a Portland fan who I’ve seen for years lit into the Seattle broadcasters for being homers and disrespecting Mucha.  The guys laughed at him and wished him a good night.  Good on ‘em, I say.  The Hawks just got their asses kicked, and now fans want respect?  Please.  Take your whoopin’ and go home.

That said, I’ve always thought the Hawks organization has been too deferential to the Birds.  For example a few years back, the Hawks beat Seattle in a close one at the Rose Garden.  When it came time to hand out the three stars, Andy handed the first star to a T-Bird.  The guy may have been the best player on the ice, but the Hawks won the game.  Why not throw an extra little forearm while your rival is down?  If the same thing had happened in Key Arena, you can bet a Bird would have been #1.  And, had the Hawks beat Everett, a Hawk would have been #1.  It’s just a game within the game, I suppose.

Blazers: Did I mention I picked up a ticket package a few weeks back? I gave a few of the seats away for Christmas and will no doubt be giving a few more out as things come up down the line. 20 games for $100 is a helluva deal. Yesterday’s game against the Sixers was my second game of the season. Like a lot of folks, I thought the team was probably done for at the half. The fourth quarter Philly implosion was something to behold. Portland didn’t win the game as much as Philly just folded the tents. There was an added bonus to the game as the referee I most love to hate, Steve Javie, was in the building. He did his level best in the first half to break the streak, but he ended up jobbing the Sixers down the stretch. The NBA is the last professional league to have a cadre of celebrity referees. Baseball has killed them off. The NFL has Ed Hochuli, who did the Seahawks game today. And the NHL has Mick McGeough. But that’s about it. The NBA still has Dick Bavetta, Joe Crawford, and Bennett Salvatore. And they’ve got a fantastic new villain in Violet Palmer. For me, it’s almost as exciting to see any of those four as it is to see the home team.

Arizona Cardinals: I pegged them for 7-9. They ended up steamrolling the hapless Rams 48-19 to finish the season 8-8. Now Cards fans are caught in a no man’s land of pondering what might have been while cursing the fact they’ll be drafting somewhere in the teens come April. Meanwhile Kurt Warner pocketed a cool $1.5 million for finishing as one of the top-ten quarterbacks in the league. You’d think the Bidwills would have ordered him benched. The old man must be losing his touch.

Winter Hawks: I ended up choosing UFC over hockey on Saturday. I followed the game as best I could on my cellie. After giving up nearly 60 shots to Moose Jaw on Friday night, they kept the high flying Ams to only 38 on Saturday. And that allowed Mucha to do his thing. Once Ryan Kerr gets back, the shots against should start going down. In the meantime, what do the Hawks do at the deadline? If they decide to keep Mucha, it will be a sign to me that they believe they can win next year. I don’t see it. But then I’m an idiot.

Last but not least..

Yeah, Bro!

From Dwight Jaynes’ column this morning:

If you’re over 21, leave the replica jerseys to the kids. Honestly, even the throwbacks look weird on adults — particularly adults with potbellies.

No can do. I’m not saving my pennies for that Mitchell and Ness Twardzik jersey just so I can display it in my bedroom.  Besides, it freaks out the ladies.  And don’t get me started on the #24 Luke Schenscher road black jersey I’ll be picking up as well..

I’m with him on the earplugs though.  The tinnitus is beginning to set in permanently and going to loud arenas doesn’t help much.  It’s a matter of time before they start piping the crowd noise into the place again.  I may look stupid walking around with protection, but it beats the heck out of being unable to hear myself think over the ringing in my ears.

Should athletes who mechanically alter their bodies, rather than chemically alter them, be allowed to compete?

The Sixers arrive in Portland tomorrow afternoon riding a little three-game winning streak.  They’ve won 8 out of 11 since starting the season 5-13.  Sound familiar?

Today Philly traded forward Kyle Korver to Utah for the disgruntled Gordan Giricek, his expiring contract, and a 1st round pick.  Not too shabby.

It’s Boston’s year in the Eastern Conference.  Philly is wise to let that tidal wave wash over and position themselves for the future.  Giricek should be in uniform tomorrow.  It will be fun to see how the well traveled shooting guard fits in with his new teammates.

Hawks vs Tri Cities or UFC 79?  Decisions decisions.

So you want to live in the country? Take the kids, move away from the city, maybe get some land. Find a place near a farm. Are you really prepared to live next to a farmer? In Salmon Creek, the answer appears to be no.

Sometimes when I drive out to my parents house southeast of Oregon City, I think back to my childhood.  In the mid-to-late 70s, it wasn’t unusual to find road signs with bullet holes in them.  I guess people would come out at night and use them for target practice.  Such behavior now would get you arrested.  Maybe it’s still alright further south toward Mulino and Molalla, but I doubt it.

Time was we would walk down the road with bb guns and shoot at mailboxes or pop cans and no one would think anything of it.  I wonder what I would think if I saw a kid walking around today with a bb gun.  Would I duck?  Speed away?  I guess it’s all in context.  If the kid (or adult) were at the entrance of a 3-1/2 acre working cattle farm, I probably wouldn’t bat an eye.

Jack Bog has been all over this issue surrounding Turbo Tax mistakenly donating kicker checks to the state education fund. As he continued to dig yesterday, he brought up a fascinating observation. The state seems to be very forgiving of folks who filed electronically, but people who physically signed and filed paper forms are S.O.L.

Is an electronic signature on a tax return somehow less valid and binding than a manual signature?

That’s a heckuva question, but that’s exactly what the state seems to believe.  Yet the entire electronic tax filing cabal is based on the fact your electronic signature is the same as a physical one.  I suspect this will get resolved shortly after the bosses come back to the office next week.  I can’t believe the Feds, the state, or the electronic filing companies want this issue to fester for too long.

Welcome to Battle Ground!  I hope the teacher wins.