Been In St. Cloud, Mn the last couple of days on business. All went well.
Traveling home today and will be landing in time to be on DOCTOR BLOGSTEIN'S RADIO HAPPY HOUR tonight.
A special show, where we will be chatting with United States Soldier Dominick Noyes who will call in live from Bagram, Afghanistan.
Noyes, who was also in Iraq in 2004, will discuss the progress on both fronts and the hope for the future in these nations.
Also, Jonathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel, the most recognized video gamer in the world, will explain to us how he's made a career out of playing video games.
Fatal1ty will also explain his role in the new Championship Gaming Series (CGS), an international video gaming league which broadcasts to over 100 million homes worldwide.
All that, plus we'll meet the Radio Happy Hour's summer intern and hear about a Taco Bell/Major League Baseball promotion.
Listen in by clicking on the link on the Left Hand Sidebar.
Call in to chat at 646-652-4804
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It seems the legislature of Nova Scotia endorsed a resolution this past month criticizing the NHL for scheduling a playoff game between the Penguins and the Senators on a SATURDAY AFTERNOON, when few people were free to watch it!
Ummmm we are talking SATURDAY AFTERNOON here folks! For years, people in the US have complained about playoff games in other sports being played at night since then kids could not be awake to watch. Finally, a major sport decided to play a game on a SATURDAY AFTERNOON and the people of Nova Scotia are upset.
The NHL has the worst rating of the major sports, they hardly have a TV deal in the US, so they are trying to build a fan base.
OK, you can say, but the people of Canada LURVE their hockey and that is true, but the other truth here is that only SIX of the leagues THIRTY teams are even located in Canada. There are six teams that play in "Southern" US cities.
True, Canadians still make up a majority of NHL players, but Europeans now comprise 30% of the league.
True, Major League Baseball contain a growing number of Latin players, but at least the teams are still in the US.
Sorry, it just made me giggle...
My beloved Canadian readers can now sound off...but first ...remember
Kurt Vonnegut recently passed away. One of the great novelist of the 20th Century, did you know that Mr Vonnegut was hired to write for Sports Illustrated back in 1954 before they had even pusblished their first issue?
Yes kiddies, it is true. Though Mr. Vonnegut confessed to knowing little about sports he was hired.
One of his first assignments was to write a caption for a picture of a race horse that had jumped the rail at Aqueduct Raceway in NYC and galloped across the infield.
After contemplating this assignment, Mr. Vonnegut wrote one sentence and then walked out of their offices, never to return again.
His one and only caption for Sports Illustrated?
Guess we should be happy he became a novelist....think of the other possibility:
Finally, our good friend Jamie sent us an email this week.
It read:
"I like the music on your blog, but where are
THE STONES?"
hehehe...Jamie is a TKE Fraternity Brother who works in Hollywood as an Assistant Director and has worked on some wonderful films including all three Rush Hour movies, Disturbia, Stripes, The Outsiders, Revenge of the Nerds, and also did some episodes of Prison Break and Dallas.
Check out his resume HERE
Since Jamie just celebrated a birthday, and sent me this video, and especially since I hope if I could get published he would help set up a movie deal....
Ladies and gentlemen...
First of all, it's not a hockey game if it's not played at night. Haven't you heard of Hockey night in Canada? I get all tingly when I hear the music and see Don Cherry in one of his plaid suits. LMAO Seriously though, since I'm a born and bred Nova Scotian, I know why they like their hockey games at night and not on a Saturday afternoon. Since we're almost completely surrounded by water, the main industry here is fishing/lobstering, so on Saturday afternoon the men are out on the water. Not many people have Saturday's off. That's the best reason I can come up with. Don't mess with our hockey. LOL :-P
Hmmm...something tells me a certain Canuck is gonna be here shortly...BWAHAHAHA!!!!
Didn't know that about Mr. Vonnegut...I'm hanging on to that piece of trivia - thanks!!
Not a 24 fan, but did you see The Sopranos on Sunday? I have a little tribute on my blog.
BTW, STONES IS GOOD!!!
SMOOCH!!
TWYLA: As confirmed, I knew that my wonderful Canadian readers would set me straight - you just happen to be the first.. LOL
PIA: Traveling and no I did not see the show Sunday, so I am staying away from your blog until I do...I liked that Vonnegut trivia... thought it was interesting and yes, STONES IS GOOD
Well what else could you say? It was a horse, and there was a fence, and the horse jumped it. Case closed. HA!
Loved the Stones clip. The thing I always like about the Stones is you just get the balls to the wall rock - no frills, nothing fancy, just rock.
Glad 24 left you satisfied. Sometimes the season enders are annoying.
Bond: Have you read Consent To Kill by Vince Flynn? If so, did the final scene of 24 remind of the final scene in the book, minus the throwing of the gun into the water.
TRAVIS: Yes there was, yes there was, yes it did...bwahahahahahahahaha
Exactly, balls to the wall, though they did add some frills to their shows in the 70's....
MATT-MAN: Stands to the side so I don't get hit with the furry of the Canadians bound to come at ya...
I heart hockey.
Vonnegut....lol. I love it.
I have been living in a Stone's t shirt since outgrowing everything else that I own during this pregnancy. It's blue and purple and purty :-)
The Vonnegut bit cracked me up!! And I love hockey...used to go in Vegas all the time when they had a team. and I lived there. ;-)
*sticks the zamboni in the slingshot and gets Matt-man in her sights*
Everyone move outta the way!!
Now Bond, regardless of the location of the teams, hockey is still our national pasttime. I don't agree with the expansion of the league in the last few years (if you don't get snow at least three months of the year, you shouldn't have a hockey team!! And yes that includes LA).
And as for those Europeans, they're just wanna be Canucks. :P
AND, hockey is still more exciting than baseball....
*blows a raspberry*
So there...
SMOOCHES.
I’m sorely disappointed at your blog post for today. I’ve come to expect far more probing (yes, probing) and intelligent analyses, especially where sports are concerned.
So, here goes. You asked for it…
As you love baseball, and it seems baseball people like numbers… let’s break it down shall we?
Should you bother to do any research at all, you would, had you gone to the NHL’s website been able to pull the names of the 1011 players (approximately) on roster in the 2006-2007 season.
• Approx. 537 were born in Canada (and are dispersed about evenly throughout the NHL).
• 266 were born elsewhere in the hockey playing world.
• And 208 were born in the United States of America.
The United States has a population of roughly 301 million people (not sure if illegal aliens are included in that number).
Canada has a population of just under 30 million.
Quick ratio: 10-1 (Yet we support 20% of all NHL teams)
• NHL: 20% of the teams are in Canada (6 out of 30) – seems like hockey makes a fair export…
• MLB: Only one team out of 30 has managed to remain viable outside the U.S. of A. (Hey, what happened to ‘at least the teams are still in the US.’ ??? hmmmmm???)
When you look at it from a population point of view, on average:
• We have 5M Canadians to support each NHL team and keep it viable.
• You have 12.5M Americans that can support each NHL team.
• You have 10M Americans to support each MLB team.
We support our fair share when it comes to HOCKEY, Sir. Baseball? Not so much (maybe we don’t find it as interesting…).
Has it ever occurred to you that there are that many hockey teams in the United States because HOCKEY is an engaging sport? Besides, with 30 million people, we just aren’t a big enough country to support THAT many teams, Sir. If Canada had as many citizens as the U.S. we could support 30 NHL teams as well!
Did you know that, according to the International Baseball Federation’s website, 246 players on opening day rosters and the disabled lists were born in countries (15 of them) other than the United States? That’s 29% of the 849 players (yes, I know how to do research). Where do the Foreign players come from?
• 98 are from the Dominican Republic
• 51 are from Venezuela
• 28 are from Puerto Rico
• So, about 20% of MLB players are ‘latin’ as you put it. That’s essentially the same percentage as U.S. born hockey players in the NHL.
Heckling in sports was developed and has been elevated to mythic proportions in baseball, hoser... errr... I mean, Sir. I don’t heckle … I base myself on facts.
Now… as for the chuckle you got out of the game schedule protest. My fellow Canuck (and resident of Nova Scotia) makes an excellent point. Hockey is NOT a daytime sport. And judging by the legions of Canadian kids who play hockey, be it for a team or just plain street hockey (ahhh the sounds of kids yelling CAR! Sweet…) the sport isn’t worse for the wear.
Hockey NIGHT in Canada… I can hear the theme now…
As for the comment about changing the schedule so kids can watch:
Given a choice between getting my child outdoors, breathing some fresh air and playing a sport, or keeping her indoors to watch (overpaid) people play and be bombarded by commercials, I would pick encouraging a child to go outside.
Children should be out playing sports during the day, and inside watching hockey at night with Mom and Dad where they are safe (I did, and turned out just fine thank you very much!).
I don’t get a giggle out of efforts to turn your kids into couch potatoes, Sir. Since when is spending an afternoon indoors to watch a sport better than being outside to play one???
SHEESH!
Oh… Very cool Stones video, Jamie knows his music.
Seriously dude, do NOT f*** with HOCKEY!
I could watch Mick strut his stuff all day...He's been one of those "bigger than life" entertainer's since day one. I've lost track of how many times I've seen The Stones...5? 7?
Good stuff (i do look at your sidebar)
Sounds like a busy night w/ the Doc, Bond, you guys can squeeze in calls, too?!
Ah, the stones...love 'em. You had me laughing at the placement & selection of "Real American Heroes", too...I had to swipe the Dr. Pepper off the screen at the one for Vonnegut!!
Yey for Anndi!!! I knew someone would come through and explain it all better than I ever could. Anndi you rock! :-) And I forgot to mention that if we have the chance to go outside on a Saturday afternoon, or sit inside watching sports...spending time outside wins hands down. Save the hockey games for night time when we can sit down with a cold beer and really enjoy it. :-)
"Oh, The good old hockey game,
its the best game you can name!
And the best game you can name,
is the good old hockey game!"
LOL :-)
Hi that Stones clip is well funky. I thought I'd borrow it for my new vids blog if you don't mind... of course I'll give your linkback there... btw drop by if you like. My official clip of the day's "Throwing Pies at Flies" - hilarious ....
Take it e.z.
Gleds
"Gledwood Vol 2"
you know hockey ratings are in the toilet when the OT of a deciding game is prempted on NBC to talk, just talk, about a horse race. Though, I watched the Preakness wire to wire.
108: Hey, I do like hockey, this just made me wonder
TUG: I thought the Vonnegut thing was a blast
ANNDI: OK,
53%players in hockey were not born in Canada...71% of the baseball players are from the US
You support 20% of hockey with in country teams
We support 96% of baseball in country teams
We do not care if we export the sport to other countries. We gave Canada a chance and for many years, we had two teams. The Montreal management mismanaged the team and it was exported. Toronto knows how to manage a team and it thrives.
The sport of hockey is engaging...so we do support it.. this was not a knock on hockey, it was a question regarding why the country of origin can not support more professional teams.
As Sparky pointed out, the US Network that carried the game thought a HORSE RACE was more engaging in the middle of an OT game.
As far as playing during the day or at night, you certainly made a good point regarding keeping the kids outside and Twyla pointed out the fishing industry...Thanks for engaging me on this....
LAYLA: I have only two shows under my belt, but loved them both
PEG: Sorry about the monitor
TWYLA: I knew I would get you Canadians going
GLADWOORDS: Thanks for coming by...glad you enjoyed..will stop by soon
SPARKY: hehehehehe
I guess my comment was too lengthy with too much information to process as you have failed to grasp the following:
Why doesn't Canada support as many hockey teams as the U.S.? Let me explain it AGAIN... If Canada had the same population mass as the U.S, considering the ratio of 5 million people to one hockey team we have here in the Great White North, we could support far more teams than the US does in it's OWN sport! If we had a 10 million people to one team as you do in baseball there would only be 3 teams in Canada. If we had the 12.5 million to one ratio.. there would only be 2!
The difference between hockey and baseball is that basically, it's an international sport with international appeal. We just happen to excel at it, along with a few other european nations.
You slammed us for not supporting our sport. The sheer number of players, our historical performance in the sport in world tournaments, and in the Olympics... we just happen to be good at it.. certainly isn't because we support it... I mean.. all that counts IS professional teams after all... THAT is the TRUE measure of a sport's popularity... Excuse me while I giggle...
53%players in hockey were not born in Canada.. Um.. YES, they were.
As for preempting the game with a horse race, this doesn't happen here, Sir. In the same way it wouldn't happen where baseball is concerned in your country.
Gave us a 'chance'? *rolls eyes* Oh Thank You as we bow before you for the opportunity... Good grief!
Quite frankly, we don't care about exporting it to other countries either.. it happens because it's a wonderful sport. All over the world. Thank you for making my point Sir.
Sheesh...
Last time I 'engage' you Sir...
ANNDI: You also made an excellent point on why Canada can not support the teams they used to. It is unfortunate .. but I have a better understanding of it now
Sorry you will not be engaging me further.. I throughly enjoy the give and take with my guests
GO ANNDI - and did I hit Matt with that zamboni?
I would just like to add - nah, you've been told already today. :P
Luvz ya.
That is a classic Vonnegut story.
Sounds like something I'd write about hockey! :)
You're getting to be quite the regular on Dr. Blogstein's show -- any hint of a show of your own???
ANGELL: I know..I Know.. do not f**k with hockey
MORGEN: LOL I love the Vonnegut tale...Still toying with the idea Sir, and yourself?