Thursday Night Win -- 5-2

Yesterday was not a good day for me for more reasons than I can remember. But all was made better at 7:00 when the puck dropped. Even with the lackluster first period and sub-par goaltending from Michal Neuvirth, I still felt better than I had all day. I only saw the first two periods. Here's what I noticed.



*Ovechkin and Semin being used on the penalty kill. Semin is less known for his defensive play than Ovie but it was still surprising to see either of them out there. My guess is that Bruce is just trying utilize their speed to create more shorthanded breakaways, much like Tampa Bay does with Marty St. Louis. No better place to try it than the preseason.



*Michael Nylander was the only player to play in both games this week. There has been talk for months about the Caps possibly shopping him around. The usually reliable Bob McKenzie even mentioned it in a TSN article last week. My guess is that he won't go anywhere. But playing in both games only adds to the speculation.



*Alex Ovechkin was by far the best player on the ice last night. His presence lifted everyone on his team and he looked stronger and faster than I have ever seem him. I recall one shift in the second period where he threw three or four hits and hardly seemed out of breath. I have no doubt he was the hardest working player in the offseason.

Sorry I can't add more. I'm going home for the weekend and my ride is almost here. Hopefully I'll be able to make practice tomorrow morning. The Caps sent 20 players to Hershey this morning so tomorrow should be mainly the guys who will be there for the regular season with a few exceptions (Varlamov, Carlson, Perreault). I'll be back Sunday night.

Wednesday Night Win--4-1

The Caps are scheduled to play seven preseason games before opening night October 10. Tonight was the first of them in Raleigh. After listening to most of the first period, I was fortunate enough to find a live feed of the game through the Canes' website. Just in time too because Steve Kolbe's voice and awful name pronunciations were getting to me. I'm pretty sure it's not Var-LOM-ov.

I only saw the second period through the live feed, but that was enough to get a feel for how we were doing. As expected, neither team played many high profile players. Nylander, Kozlov, and Bradley were the three biggest names for the Caps. In fact Bradley was given the 'C' tonight, apparently after begging Boudreau to give it to him for the night. I've always liked Bradley's leadership and it wouldn't shock me if he continues to wear the 'A' this season.

I need to go to bed so here's what I noticed about the second period. As much as it pains me to say, Flash looked like one of the better skaters on the ice. He put in two powerplay goals, one of which I saw. That is the way he is supposed to play every night. Keep in mind that it was basically an AHL game tonight. We'll see what happens.

Simeon VARlamov got the start and played extremely well from what I saw. He stopped all 20 shots that he faced and got some praise from Gabby after the game. Darren Machesney, on the other hand, was not good. He only gave up one goal in his half of the game but looked like he was overwhelmed. He gave up the penalty that led to the Canes' only goal because he picked up the puck way out of his net. It was hard to tell exactly what happened without a replay. That's what preseason is for.

I need to sleep. That's all for now.

Caps 4 - 1 Canes

Flash v. Fehr

I came across an interesting debate on the message boards this morning. The topic was a poll of who was more valuable to the Caps, Tomas Fleischmann or Eric Fehr. The hundred or so voters were unsurprisingly biased toward Fehr. About 90 percent in fact. But after thinking about it a while, I think the two are closer than the boards make them appear.

We already know that Kozlov, Clark, Ovechkin, Semin, and Laich will be five of the top six wingers on the top three lines. I guess my internal debate is, in a system with three powerful scoring lines and one checking line, who do I want as my other third line winger? Lets look at the pros and cons of both guys.

Last season was Fleischmann's first full season as a professional. He came into camp without a contract or a roster spot. Given a chance, he managed to earn a roster spot with the big club. Throughout the season he was about the most inconsistant player on the team. He managed to put up 10 goals and 20 assists. Not bad for some, but Fleishmann's game offers little else to compensate for lackluster statistics. He is supposed to be a goal scorer and point producer. He's essentially worthless if he can't do that.

Flash played for Hershey under Boudreau for two seasons before making the Caps. He helped the Bears win the Calder Cup in 2006 where Boudreau said he was the Ovechkin of the AHL. No wonder Gabby has more confidence in him than most. Enough in fact to pencil him in on the opening night roster alongside Michael Nylander and Chris Clark.

This will be a make or break year for Flash. He put on some muscle in the offseason which should help his poor performance along the boards last season as well as his ability to drive the net. After seeing guys like Francois Bouchard compete at training camp, Fleischmann knows that he has guys breathing down his neck. You can expect his best stuff as he'll be looking to stick with the big club for good.

Now to the guy looking to take Flash's spot. Eric Fehr's career has been slowed signifcantly by back injuries. He was taken 18th overall in the 2003 draft in between Zach Parise and all-star Ryan Getzlaf. To this point, probably what Fehr is best known for. Obviously he has been a top prospect for a long time. He led the WHL in scoring a few years back and played alongside Flash on the '06 Bears team.

Last season was his first real opportunity with the Caps. Playing hurt for two games, three seasons ago doesn't count. Last year he played 28 games and putt up two goals (one playoff) and five assists. He didn't get any powerplay time and was mostly used on the third line.

Fehr has all the intangibles of a great player. He's finally grown into his 6'4" 212 frame and has a nose for the net. He's not afraid to get into the crease and score ugly goals Brooks Laich style. His back is also much better and no longer seems to be an issue. But does he have what it takes to play an 82 game season? I could see him being the 13th forward this year but he'll also get plenty of chances to play.

As of now, Flash is the man for the 3rd line job. But training camp isn't over and every day is a chance to either prove yourself or give it all away. My friends already know my feelings toward Flash. I personally think he's frustrating to watch. But I also think he has yet to meet his full potential. Last year was Flash's chance and he did just enough to stick. This year will be Fehr's. I really don't care which one it is. I just want one of them to break out this season and help us go deep into the playoffs.

Monday Monday

Sorry for not posting in a couple days. I'm afraid I just needed to enjoy the weekend. Saturday night was amazing. If I didn't mention it before, JMU played Appalachian State. It had been built up for weeks and it did not disappoint. I suppose a quick recap is necessary since its kind of a big deal.

The first half JMU got like two first downs. It was pretty pathetic on our part. App State went into halftime leading in pretty much every category including the big board. 21-0 to be specific. People all around us, who spent the first half standing in the stairs looking for seats, just gave up and left.

The second half was completly different. Scotty returned the second half kickoff for touchdown. After a defensive stop, Rodney Landers took draw up the middle for like 65 yards to draw the score to 21-14. Momentum is a funny thing. After we scored twice in the first four minutes of the second half, there was no stopping us.

Fast forward a bit. Less than a minute left, we led 35-32 ready to receive the App State onside kick. Students surrounding the fence ready to storm the field the second time expired. I actually think we went a little early. There should have been one more second left on the clock. But who cares? I kind of fell off the fence when I tried to climb it. I thought I had ripped the knees in my jeans open. It didn't matter, we won, and I'm sure I wasn't the only person to do that.

In other news. Training camp has officially begun. Apparently Bruce did the same conditioning test with the vets as he did with the rookies last week. No surprise was that Ovie finished first in every sprint. Thats what you get when you pay $124m.

Also, Gabby has started what will likely be a new tradition at Caps training camp for years to come. The "Gaetan Duchesne Cup" as it will be known, is a round robin of three teams who play each other once.

Per Tarik quoting Boudreau-- "Gaetan was an eighth round draft choice and made the team. The epitomy of training camp is about the guys trying their [butts] off to make the team," Boudreau said. "What better guy could we have than Gaetan?"

Team B (Fedorov, Semin, Laich, Theodore, etc.) has already beaten Team C (Nylander, Clark, Green, Bouchard, Perreault, Alzner) who will play Team A (Ovie, Backstrom, Kozlov, Varlomov). Hopefully the guys will take to it and will put forth the extra effort to win bragging rights for the rest of camp. My money is on Team A because Ovie doesn't like to lose at anything.

I apologize if the post wasn't great. I'm really tired and I wasn't really in the updating mood right now.

A Few Things I missed.

The Flyers named Mike Richards captain for the upcoming season. I feel this is a good decision on their part. The way he carried himself and his team in the playoffs was impressive. And with the twelve year contract he signed last year, you can bet he will be the face of the Flyers franchise for a long time. I look forward to watching the Ovechkin v. Richards rivalry grow. It's less talked about but much more fun to watch than the Crosby/Ovechkin rivalry.

Tampa Bay also named their new captain to replace the departed Tim Taylor. Vincent Lecavalier will wear the 'C' for the upcoming season. No surprise really. Vinny has basically been the Lightning's captain ever since Dave Andreychuk retired. He's the teams all time leading scorer and recently signed his own long term deal to stay with the club. And he too, is the face of his franchise.

Buffalo has signed Jason Pominville to a five year extension. The deal is worth $26.5m. Not bad for a guy whose put up point per game numbers his whole career. Good to see Buffalo finally resigning a few of their star UFAs. The other 29 teams definately won't get a chance at what would have been this year's Campbell, Briere, or Drury to come out of Buffalo.

Lastly, I won't go into too much detail because it would take way too long to explain. The NHL has announced that the 2010 Vancouver games will be the last international competition NHL players will participate in. I said all throughout this year's summer games that I like winter games a lot more than summer. Can you guess why? It's certainly not for the skiing. I think it's fun to watch players I recognize represent their countries In my opinion the olympics should have the best athletes at their event. NHL players are the best in the world.

The reason the NHL is taking this measure is because they can't afford to pay player insurance. Nor do they want to stop the regular season for a month for an event that does little for their revenue stream. I feel the NHL has gone too far on this one and I really hope the NHLPA fights this on behalf of the players.

I recall an interview I read with Alex Semin maybe a year ago where he said that his ultimate goal was to win gold for Russia at the World Championships. I remember this because I was baffeled that his goal wasn't to win the Stanley Cup. Nevertheless, you think he isn't upset about this? What about Ovie wearing his Sochi 2014 t-shirt during the Beijing games? I could easily see players moving to the KHL in order to play in the olympics.

It's interesting that the NBA can afford player insurance on Kobe Bryant and Lebron James but the NHL can't pay for players who make half of their salary. Olympic Basketball is entertaining because all the best players on the planet are playing. Olympic soccer, on the other hand, is a joke. No one cares about it. If the NHL actually forbids its players from playing, olympic hockey will be the same way, a joke. I think I have made my position clear. That's all for now.

Rookie Scrimmage with Philly

Ok, I was in class for the first 2 1/2 periods of the game. But from what I read (and watched briefly) we kicked the living crap out of the young Flyers. I also noticed quite a bit of red in the stands of KCI through the streaming feed on my computer (thank God it worked this time). Here are a few things I noticed in the last ten minutes I got to see:

Oskar Osala made a great play on the penalty kill. Clearing the puck to center from his knees without a stick. He's 6'4" 220 and is skilled with the puck for a player his size. Remind you of anyone whose name starts with a V(iktor)? Kozie's contract is up after this year and I don't see the Cap's hanging onto him. Not implying anything directly, but if Osala has a good season, most likely in Hershey, you never know where he could end up.

Mathieu Perreault models his game after his favorite player, Daniel Briere. From the camera angel at the other end of the ice he did a pretty good Briere impression, weaving his way through the Flyers defense and neatly finishing off the Caps final tally of the game. Apparently the Bouchard-Perreault-Pinizzotto line was great together and has been all camp.

The last thing I noticed was a little easier to see. John Carlson sticking up for his goalie, Michal Neuvirth after taking a late push after the whistle. I've read that Carlson has a lot of natural leadership. Good to see from the guy. I've heard nothing but positive stuff from him and Alzner all camp long.

Regardless of who makes the final roster out of training camp, Hershey will be stacked this season. Wouldn't it be cool to see deep playoff runs from both the Caps and Bears? It doesn't often work out that way. This win was a great way to end rookie camp. I hope all the participants learned a lot and will do what they need to do make it to the big club.

Lastly, it's very refreshing to have your NHL roster pretty much set and also have the luxury of an AHL team stocked with players who can come in and compete on any given night. The future certainly looks bright in Washington. Now for real training camp.

Wednesday

So today is Wednesday. I've been extremely busy recently so my apologies for not updating for a couple days. The more I update, the more sane you can assume my life is. This past week was not the ideal time to be so busy. Rookie camp started. If memory serves I've only commented on day 1 of that.

Of course I've been reading Tarik and Corey's blogs, as well as all my usual rounds. From what I gather from those is that the pace is very quick. Boudreau's short list, according to Tarik, are Alzner (no surprise) and John Carlson. I'm anxious to see how Carlson performs under Dale Hunter in London this season. You can never have enough good young defensemen.

Also from camp, Anton Gustuffson hasn't practiced since the "Miracle" like suicides after day 1 of camp. Doctors have said that the herniated disc in his back will take two full years to recover from. Why did we pick him again? My guess is that he is Eric Fehr in the making. Never getting to meet his full potential because of injuries all through juniors.

Good news away from camp. OFB had a post about tickets for the upcoming season. Individual gamers go on sale Sept. 20. Both Pittsburghs and Detroit are already sold out. That means the only way for Pen's fans to get tickets is to spend a fortune on tickets at Stubhub or Ebay. You can pretty much bank on adding about 4, 000 fans a night to what we had each game last year.

I'm extremely tired. I'll write a bit more when there's something worth writing about.

Sunday Night

Aside from the Redskins playing unusually well today, the rest has been pretty awful. So I'll jump right into the thing that makes me happy.

Rookie camp started this morning. Obviously I was not there, so all the information I have on the topic is coming from outside sources. Tarik and Peerless get the credit. Both sources indicate that Coach Boudreau has things under control and is giving the young a guys a taste of what it takes to play at the NHL level.

Apparently the last 25 minutes of practice was nothing but variations of "Herbies" (blueline, back, redline, back, far blueline back, far redline, back). Tarik wrote that it looked like that scene from "Miracle" after the Norway game.

The winners (those who could stand after) of that part of practice were Karl Alzner and John Carlson. That just tells me that Karl has been preparing and is fully committed to making the team right out of camp. The losers (those on their backs at the end) were Matthieu Perreault, Anton Gustafsson and Dmitry Kugryshev.

I love the quote from Dmitry after practice. "What this training session did for me is show that I need to be 150-percent ready, not 100-precent."

I'm pleased Boudreau did this on the first day. It will undoubtedly send a message to all the kids looking to show their best stuff to the organization. Most of them won't make the big club or Hershey this year, so this experience should give them an idea of what is expected when they report to camp next year.

Also, Siemon Varlamov, Michal Neuvirth and Daren Machesney all looked good in practice. GMGM has said that they are all beyone the ECHL level and that only two of them will be in Hershey to start the season. Meaning there will be an odd man out. Whether one goes back to Europe on loan or gets dealt somewhere else, it's a good problem to have. I could definately see Varlamov as the opening night starter in two years.

Lastly, Ovie is apparently playing "Big daddy" to the young Russians at camp this week. He worked with them in Russia all summer and has had them over for dinner this week. This is wonderful to see and yet another reason why Ovie is awesome both on and off the ice.

Late Update (but still important)

Just thought it was worth mentioning that the blog has for the first time been viewed by another. After about a week in business I finally told someone about it. Hopefully it's legitimate enough at this point for them not to make fun of me. As I said in the first post, I don't anticipate many people visiting. But I was tired of no one knowing about it, especially since doing the research and typing these things takes quite a bit of time and effort.

Since it's now out in the open I'll go ahead and introduce my first viewers. My two roommates, let's call them David 1 and David 2. And my wonderful girlfriend, we'll call her Tiff. Take a bow guys and girl. Someone actually cares about you enough to write about you on the internet for the whole world to see. Guess I'll have to proof-read thise before I publish them from now on. Grr.

Friday Update

Just finished my last class of the week and I am in precicesly the wrong spot. Rookie camp starts on Sunday and I am going to be stuck in Harrisonburg. Hopefully this time next year I'll have a car and an invitation to come home. But something tells me that rookie camp will go on without me.

Now for the latest news from this morning. Per Tarik, Nicklas Backstrom has sprained his ankel and is walking with a noticable limp. Hopefully he'll be ready to go soon. The half full look is that he was lucky to do it now instead of three weeks from now. WE NEED YOU NICKY.

Also, my face lit up when i read this. Ovie has officially reported to camp and according to Tarik he looks very fit. Not to mention he is sporting red and blue skate blades to go with his yellow laces. I'll just give the link to Tariks blog because I'm still working out kinks of this stupid blog. Here you go http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitalsinsider/

Lastly for today is my feelings about the new "Spirit Squad". I am most certainly a fan of good-looking women in tight outfits, especially if they display the logo of my favorite team. See Alyssa Milano's line of Capitals outfits. Or the women I see at VC in the red women's cut jerseys...unbelievable.

However I feel that the implementation of cheerleaders is a slight slap in the face of 15,000 hockey fans. It implys that the fans don't show enough spirit on their own and need help. And personally, I go to hockey games to watch hockey. I don't need a distraction like that. Plus it goes against the true spirit of hockey and brings us down to the level of the Hurricanes or Lightning. Especially after last season, I feel cheerleaders are not necessary.

IT'S THE WEEKEND PEOPLE!!!

Thursday Junks and Sept 11

Hockey first. Eric Staal re-signed with Carolina through the 2015-2016 season for $57.75m. Not bad eh? But that seems high for a guy who I would barely include in the top five players in the division.

Mats Sundin still hasn't made his mind up about his future. Now Tampa Bay is rumored to be interested in him. How could you turn down $20m to play for vancouver for one year?

Tomas Fleischmann changed his number to 14 after Eric Fehr agreed to change to his WHL number 16. Just one more reason why I dislike Fleischmann. And per Tarik, Jeff Schultz has put on 10 pounds of muscle this offseason. So that's good, and quite honestly it's about time. What I would give to be in Washington on Sunday for rookie camp. Soon enough I guess.

Away from hockey now to something much bigger. Today is September 11. It kind of snuck up on us this year. Maybe it's just the isolated world of a college campus but I didn't hear a single word about that day seven years ago. Not to sound un-patriotic but that's kind of a relief. It's a sign that we're moving on. No matter what, we won't ever forget what happened. I'm just glad we don't need to have a parade or something like that to remind us.

Wednesday Afternoon

Not too much going on in Harrisonburg. I started to do an analysis of where the Caps are salary wise for the 08/09 season compared to where they could be in a few years. But I decided not to finish. Here were a few of the main things I was going to say:

-Nylander and Fedorov are in their mid/late 30's and will probably ride out their current contracts then retire. Feds after this year. Nylander after the 10/11 season. That will free up a combined $8.5m or so of cap room. By then Backstrom could be playing the top line center spot in all-star form and will be looking for a raise. Mathieu Perreault, Anton Gustuffson, Kyle Wilson, Jay Beagle and Chris Bourque will all want to make names for themselves in the next year or two because there will be spots to win up the middle.

-Kozlov probably won't be around after this season, seeing as his contract is up and Fleischmann is hanging on by a very loose thread. Francois Bouchard and Andrew Gordon will both be in Hershey this season. Both/either could be a suitable replacement in a year or two.

-On the other side of the ice, Ovie and Semin have secured the top two left wing sports but beyond that the Caps aren't quite as deep as they are in other spots. Oskar Osala is the highest rated left wing prospect and from what I have read, late round pick Stefan Della Rovere tore it up at this summer's development camp. I'm anxious to get Fleischmann out of there and fill his spot with someone who can actually play.

-On Defense, Green, Alzner, and maybe Schultz are the only ones from the current lineup who I could see them keeping for a long time. Everyone else has yet to prove they are worth keeping after their contracts are up. Morrison is next closest only because he is a good compliment to Green. The Caps are loaded with D-man prospects. Godfrey, Finley, Lepisto, Carlson, I could go on. You have to think that someone out of that bunch will turn into a real NHL player.

-Goal is easiest to predict. Theodore is on for two years at $4.5m each. He is just a filler until Varlomov, Neuvirth, or Machesney are ready. But none of those three will be worthy of Theodore type money when they take over the #1 job.

Any way you look at it, the Caps are loaded with young talent and are very deep at a most positions. And it couldn't have come at a better time. Veterens will retire, freeing up cap room to sign virtually anyone we want. I won't call us this year's Penguins because I think we have done it better than they have. And we have two men to thank for that. Ted and George.

CMG On: Tom Brady

This weekend in the first quarter of the Patriots v. Chiefs game Tom Brady went down with an ACL injury. It will require surgery and will end his 2008 season. As a fan of a bad NFC East team I really shouldn't have anything against the perennial super bowl favorite from the AFC East. But...I do.

Last season when the Patriots stomped everyone in their path in the regular season, going 16-0 for the first time since the Dolphins like 30 years ago. But as annoying as Mercury Morris was every week in defending his former teams perfection, Tom Brady was an even bigger prick. Each week the country got a full dose of Brady and Belichick's massive egos and it became more painful to watch as the season went on. For the first time in my life, my disdain for the Patriots caused me to cheer for the Giants. I can still remember how our dorm erupted when David Tyre caught that pass.

I think fans of every other NFL team will agree with me when they say they are glad that Tom Brady won't step onto the field again this season. However, my thought after the shock had subsided was what if that were to happen to my favorite team. Franchise players don't just grow on trees. Thinking about it for a while made me sympathize with Brady and Patriots fans.

Oct 10, 2008--Midway through the first period in Atlanta, Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin collided knees with a Thrashers defenseman. He laid motionless on the ice for several minutes as the trainer's tended to him. Unable to support any weight on his right leg he was supported off the ice by captain Chris Clark and trainer Greg Smith. X-rays later confirmed that the MVP from a year ago tore his ACL and will be out for the season.

I got goosebumps writing that. Not fun to think about at all. It really makes you think about what the Patriots are going through and will have to live with for the rest of the season. Hockey wouldn't be the same without Ovechkin. And Football will not be the same without Brady. So next time you're watching your favorite team play think about what it would be like to have your best player tear a knee and be done for the year. I bet your feelings toward the Brady situation would change.

Cap's Rookie and Training Camp Schedule Posted

Here's a look at the schedule

Hockey Please?

This weekend was great. Truly it was. Yesterday I did nothing but sit in my suite with my roommates and watch football. Three games in a row, only getting up to eat, pee, or check fantasy scores. We had waited about six months for the kickoff of NFL week 1. And it was well worth the wait.

But something was missing in all the fun that yesterday brought. The void that has brought me and millions of others endless months of sorrow and forced us to patiently wait. It taunts us as every few days there will be a sliver of news that suggests that it's almost here. But it lies. It's still months away and theres nothing you can do about it. You see pictures and articles of what the champions are doing with individual days with the Stanley Cup and you think back to what could have been.

Hockey is a necessity. The lockout of 2005 was by far the worst year of my life. I recall many great things occuring that year but nevertheless, I was unhappy. Everyone who knew me could feel it when they were in my presence. The summer leading up to the inevitable I spent hours surfing any hockey related website I could find, hoping that somewhere I would find some news that there would be hockey this year. Any news that gave me some hope.

I got all A's that year for the first time. My only time ever. Because there was nothing else to hold on to.

Summer is my least favorite season for one reason and one reason only. Do I even have to say it? But now the days are getting shorter, the air is becoming crisp, schools are back in session. All signs point to start of training camp. A new schedule, a clean slate. Newly signed young guns anxious to make a name for themselves (Bouchard, Varlamov, Alzner, etc.). Returning veterans looking for one more shot at glory (Fedorov). And an MVP looking to solidify his place in history forever.

They say the cup changes everything. But it all starts with training camp. It's almost here people. Rookie camp opens in six days. Training camp starts on the 19th. I'm getting chills just thinking about Oct 10.

Goodbye RENT

Today is a landmark day for Broadway. At 6:30 pm Eastern Standard time today, September 7, 2008, the groundbreaking rock opera "RENT" will perform one final time.

My story with RENT begins just a few years ago with the releasing of the 2005 film version. I have a close personal association with Mimi and Roger. Their story, in a way, parallels the real life story of my girlfriend and I. That is probably the reason why RENT means so much to me.

But of course that is just a small chapter of the twelve year run on Broadway. It is certainly one of the most influential and important. The story takes place in New York City's East Village. Seven friends make the best out of their struggle against life, love, drugs, and AIDS. It teaches lessons that people of every background can appreciate and should apply to their lives.

RENT will close as the seventh longest running production in Broadway history. This summer I tried to get tickets when I found out it was leaving Broadway. Unfortunately arrangements were never made and that time has run out. But with the popularity of the play, I'm sure it won't be hard to find tour dates near my area.

RENT will be missed.

JMU 56 - 7 NCCU

Although it was pretty much expected by everyone, 35-0 at halftime didn't come close to telling the story of how bad we beat them tonight. Why would a team who lost to a D-II school in week one schedule a game against a team ranked top five in every preseason poll? You really don't do yourself, your fans, or your players any favors why you drive six hours to put on a performance like that. My hope is that the school only maintains a football program so they can have a marching band they can be proud of. They were in fact very good. I especially enjoyed Michael Jackson machine gunning down a circle of backup dancers.

Also, A round of applause go to #19 for us. Running back a punt for our second touchdown and hanging tough after #5 in white cheap shotted him the very next possession. #5 gets my vote for prick of the week and should have been thrown out on the spot for that disgraceful little move. But I suppose the referees went a little easy on NCCU tonight. There were signs from the opening kick that this was going to be a long night.

Oh well, it was nice to be on the winning side of something for a change. After days of losing at pool, NCAA 08, and sitting through the Redskins game on Thursday, I was desperately in need of something like this. Good thing fantasy football starts tomorrow. Which reminds me...I am currently being plastered with trade offers from the stereotypical "takes fantasy way too seriously, has already add/dropped players before the first game, needs to calm down real bad, highschool freshman" in my Ocean's 10 league.

There's one in every league and it drives me crazy. The saddest part is that both trade offers he's made for me are kicker for kicker. Sebastian Janokazowskiki for my Kris Brown. Then Adam Vinnyteri for Brown. What is the matter with this kid? "We're gonna kill you anyway" he said. One ancient rule of FF is that kickers are a dime a dozen and mean absolutly nothing. Call me when you want to deal Adrian Peterson son.

Tomorrow (today now) is gonna be a great day. I can feel it...with one very sad exception that I will get into in the morning/afternoon depending on whenever I get up.

Note to self, don't get a triple espresso iced caramel mocah at 10:30 right after baconators. And excuse me for burping in front of Amy tonight.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog. I don't anticipate many people visiting but on the off chance someone does come across this I want to keep it inviting. I'll do my best to update as much as I can. As a student, I can pretty easily make free time for myself, so it's really just a question of motivation.


Tomorrow is week one of the NFL season and I'm in two fantasy leagues, so that's something I can talk about. Also, Caps rookie camp opens in a little more than a week. My dad and I have season tickets for the first time (11 game plan), so I'll get into that as well. We have officially completed two weeks of the Fall '08 semister and I still don't understand about 95% of what is said in my German and Islamic culture classes. So as you can see there will be plenty to discuss.


I'm not the most opinionated person and I seldom need to vent about my feelings on any matter. Why do I need this blog again? However, with the election coming up and hockey season right around the corner I think there will be more than enough to keep this thing going before I become bored with it. Thats it for now. JMU football home opener is tonight and I anticipate a good thrashing of North Carolina Central.