The Power Couple

Posted on by

There are quite a collection of lovely people here tonight so much love for Lisa and Ron!

I want to welcome all of you, families and friends, some of whom have traveled great distances to be here tonight. We’re here to honor Lisa and Ron, who have declared their love to each other today and we bear witness to their vows. Pledging to spend their lives with each other forever is no small feat, it shows a strength of character, commitment and love for one another. To become one, yet retain their own souls and dreams. With respect for each other, together they will write new chapters in their lives going forward, each in their own style. Each of you was invited because of your relationship with the happy couple, but you may not know one or the other well. As Lisa’s Dad, I’d like to share some qualities and stories about Ron and Lisa and pay homage to the qualities that brought them together.

When I asked Ron to tell me what brought them together he told me that their mutual love of Rocknroll and heavy metal was a big part of it. Ron’s love of music inspired him to become a drummer and he plays in a band. (and one day hopes to play for the band Tool). Lisa has been going to concerts with her parents since she was a little girl seeing the likes of Van Halen, and U2. Music has been a huge part of both their lives, Ron’s parents were big rockers and played all the heavy stuff as well. Led Zeppelin, Rush, Black Sabbath and all the great British rock bands of the 70s were staples in their household. Ron told me that Lisa’s character was a big draw for him, she’s beautiful, smart, has a great sense of humor and loves to help people. Both of them have a strong work ethic and have their own businesses. Lisa heals folks every day and is a learned and accomplished doctor of chiropractic. Ron has had a tattoo business since he was 17 and recently opened the 11th Dimension in San Jose. Both Ron and Lisa put blood sweat and tears into his shop and it is now a destination for those seeking the coolest and unique artwork in the world. They have both been voted best in their craft in Silicon Valley, Lisa winning best chiropractor in the valley and Ron best tattoo shop as well.

They both love cats, they have 3 that they love and spoil. They’re both athletic, Lisa on the lacrosse field in high school and college, and as a yoga teacher and Ron on the slopes as a snowboarder. They both are teachers and mentors in their fields. Ron taught Lisa how to snowboard. Lisa helped Ron open his business and deal with the city and health departments. Ron helped Lisa remodel her office.

Most of all, they have the same chill demeanor and they are both unconventional in their thinking. This mindset that’s outside of the mainstream serves them well in today’s crazy world. Family is very important in their lives and they both dote on their nieces Margot and Magnolia. Lisa is best friends with her sister Madeline and loves her brother Matt. Ron loves his Mom Rhonda and takes care of her. He’s has been a part of the Lynch family for many years now and Caroline and I love him dearly, as if he were our own son.

We are just so fuckin proud of you both, I brag about you all the time!

Finally, I know and can see that they are crazy in love with one another and they show it in many ways every day. They’re always doing little thoughtful things to please the other one. While they are their own unique independent selves, they’re even better together. I’m going to leave you with this lyric from my favorite band Rush: The song is called Entre Nous which translates to

Just Between Us

We are secrets to each other

Each ones life a novel no one else has read.

Even joined in bonds of love

We’re linked together by such slender threads

We are islands to each other

Building hopeful bridges

On a troubled sea

Some are burned or swept away

Some we would not choose

but we’re not always free.

Just between us, I think its time for us to recognize

the differences we sometimes fear to show.

Just between us

I think its time for us to realize the spaces in between

Leave room for you and I to grow

Now, ladies and gentlemen I want you to raise your glasses and drink a toast to THE Power Couple of 2024 Ron and Lisa, wish them well in their journey together, long may they reign!

My Classy Mom

Posted on by

Gail was born in Winchester Massachusetts on August 27th, 1931 to John and Helen FitzPatrick. She grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the youngest of three children, with older sister Joan and brother John, who went by Gary. Life was hard for her family, living through the Great Depression. Dad sold life insurance and Mom took care of children, sewed and mended, anything to help make ends meet. Gail grew up loving baseball and went to games at venerable Fenway Park, rooting for her heroes like Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky and Dom DiMaggio. Games against the hated Yankees were her favorite as she cheered for her team and booed the Bronx Bombers.

She told me she would also go ice skating in the wintertime on Boston Common with her brother Gary, skating for hours til their feet and skates were frozen. Gail also loved music from an early age and would often sing along with artists of the day on the radio and the phonograph. She had a great voice, I remember her singing to me a a child.

After high school, she worked as a waitress at the Jersey Shore, going to the beach with friends in the day and serving in the evening. I remember her telling me about using baby oil to get a good tan and warning me of the consequences of laying out in the sun. Later in life she would have many painful procedures to remove skin cancer, always blaming it on the those summers tanning at the shore.

Gail was a career woman before it was common, going to stewardess school for United Airlines. This was a very coveted job, with strict standards and a lot of competition for the position. She was based out of New York City at La Guardia Airport. She shared an apartment with her friend Maureen and a couple other girls. In a brush with fame, one of her roommates dated Vin Scully, the Hall of Fame announcer for the Brooklyn Dodgers, who would go on to Los Angeles and work their games for 67 years.

She met my father and love of her life at a party at her apartment. From what she related to me there was always a party at her place. They drank a lot of beer at those parties, and they even had a beagle named Rheingold, who was named after a popular beer at the time. Dad went to school, worked as a waiter at the World Famous Stork Club and was a maitre de at Mamma Leones, while Mom flew and met lots of famous people while flying.

They got married in New York City in May of 1957, moving to California to begin raising a family. They honeymooned in Carmel and settled in San Francisco. Tom got a job with Pacific Bell the local phone company. Geoffrey, the first of 5 kids came along 9 months later and we lived in a small apartment on Sacramento St. in the City.

Gail raised 5 children, after Geoffrey, came Christopher, Adam, Andrew and Elizabeth. She made us the focus of her life as Dad worked all the time, commuting to San Francisco from San Carlos on the CalTrain. Gail hooked up with other former stewardesses in the area in an organization called Clipped Wings. All those ladies had children too and Clipped Wings was a big part of Mom’s social life. She still has some of those friends to this day.

In 1971, after several years in San Carlos, and with another addition to the family, Elizabeth, we moved to Redwood City to a beautiful yet quirky Spanish style home in Edgewood Park. Dad had his first heart attack in 1974 and my Mom was called upon to be the rock of the family. It was a role she would play many times over the course of her life. Dad’s second heart attack in 1981 would prove to be tragic, as he passed way on a family ski trip to Sugar Bowl. Widowed at age 49, life presented many challenges for Gail as she raised her family without her husband.

My Mom was deeply spiritual and practiced her faith at Mt Carmel. Her faith was very important to her. She was kind to others, selflessly giving time to those in need as a eucharistic minister, praying and giving out holy communion to the ill and injured at Sequoia Hospital. Another aspect of her faith was she was passionate about Pro Life, and worked very hard in the movement. She also worked for Holy Cross Cemetery for 9 years as a grief counselor, helping folks who had just lost loved ones. It is a recurring theme in her life as you can see.

Mom loved to travel, going on trips with friends and a group called Elder Hostel to visit countries in Europe, Egypt, Canada and all over the US. One of my favorite memories is when my wife and I took her to visit New Orleans. It was post Hurricane Katrina, and we stayed at the Avenue Plaza Hotel in the gorgeous Garden District. We went on three great tours, The City tour which showed us the Lower 9th Ward, the French Quarter and jazz clubs, and the world famous cemeteries. The second was the swamp tour, where went on a covered boat on the Pearl River and saw crocodiles, egrets, bald eagles and turtles sunning themselves. It was quite spectacular. The third tour we went on was to the famous Oak Alley, a plantation on the Mississippi River.

Mom was a huge Giants fan her whole California life and loved to watch all the games. Our family has great memories of going to the games in San Francisco with her on Mothers Day, and even taking her grandkids to games. Her grandson Matt related a story of going to CandleStick Park on the bus and she showed him how to score the game. Our cousin Rick gave her an autographed Hunter Pence World Series jersey that she loved.

My classy Mom was also an accomplished water color artist. Taking art classes at Canada College, she gained skill, confidence and a whole community of fellow art lovers. Her beautiful paintings will live on forever in our homes. Her water colors of nature and our families are all very special to us. A couple of her more notable works are a painting of Jackie Robinson, and Barry Bonds in his hey day. I have several of her paintings, among them my beloved Corgis, Reilly and Angus, a painting of Half Dome at sunset and a still life of a fruit bowl. She would later paint Oak Alley, quite an experience. She had an eye for color and light that was undeniable, and her paintings are beloved by all her family.

Mom continued to live in the family home on Oakdale St in Redwood City, into her late 80s, until a terrible fall in late 2018. She moved into a nice place called Vista Terrace in Belmont. She was still close to those she loved and was well taken care of by the staff. In 2020, when Covid hit, the facility went downhill in terms of care and the quality of employees. Also, because of the pandemic, she became a virtual prisoner in her apartment. We were unable to see her for a few months at a time on more than one occasion ,as the virus swept through the facility. When we did get to see her, it was always outside in the courtyard. We were always looking for opportunities to get her out in the world. One of our greatest memories of my mom is taking her to Pacifica to see the ocean. Our brother Andrew lived one house away from the seawall, and Gail would walk down to the railing to watch the waves crash on the rocks. Later, as her mobility declined, we would go over to the beach and sit in the car, right by the rail, watching the waves and the pelican army fly by. Mom would close her eyes and listen to the surf, completely at peace.

In 2022, our brother Adam and his wife Abby opened their home to Gail, so she could receive a higher quality of care. She lived in a bedroom surrounded by her art and all things familiar to her, including family photos and her possessions. We are certain the move from assisted living to Chico extended her life, and ensured her last days were spent with loving family. Surrounded by her children and grandchildren, she passed on Wednesday morning July 19th 2023.

She touched so many lives with her kindness and big heart, She leaves behind 5 children, 12 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. We all will miss her deeply and we know that she is with the almighty, smiling down upon us.

Hockey Hardball

Posted on by

Sharks threaten to leave San Jose unless Google gets offa their damn lawn

Editor’s note: I felt this was relevant to Sharks fans…

access_timeNovember 13, 2020personNeil deMause

In a twist so backwards that I’ve had to double-check it three times before I could get myself to even type it, the San Jose Sharks owners have threatened to move out of town if — hang on, gotta check this one more time … yep, it’s for real — if the city adds new development to the downtown area around their arena:

In an urgent plea to fans for help, the San Jose Sharks on Thursday said the team may be forced out of the city because of big downtown developments near the Diridon train station that threaten access and parking at the SAP Center, where the team plays…

“We definitely do not want to leave,” Jonathan Becher, president of Sharks Sports & Entertainment, said in an interview. “This is our home. This is where we want to be. Leaving is the last resort. But it could come to that if the arena becomes unviable.”

The development at stake is a large mixed-use development that Google plans to build to replace most much (Ed. Note: see comments) of the city’s downtown, adding 65 new buildings hosting 30,000 new Google workers, plus 4,000 units of housing. (Google says the project won’t require any tax or land breaks; most of the public concerns about it have been that it will displace existing residents.) The Sharks owners are concerned about traffic problems during construction and also that Google will be using some parking lots that Sharks fans currently use, as well as eliminating some traffic lanes — there are plans for a BART train extension to Diridon, which would make it easier for fans to arrive from the East Bay by public transit, but that’s not slated to open until 2029 at the earliest.

So it’s understandable that the Sharks owners would be gripey, but moving the team, seriously? In 2015, the team agreed to extend its lease on the city-owned arena through 2040, in exchange for about $100 million in city funding for arena upgrades and rent breaks. A city memo at the time warned that “the team’s success and popularity has cities across America vying to attract the team away from San Jose with promises of new shiny buildings at no cost to the team,” which wasn’t remotely true from what I can tell, even if NHL commissioner Gary Bettman did once threaten that the Sharks could be forced to move if they didn’t get a more lucrative cable deal.

That lease extension was technically only through 2025, though, with a series of 15 one-year renewals to follow. All references to the new lease deal on the San Jose city website now go to a dead link, so it’s tough for me to check what kind of out clauses the team has before 2040, but I’ll give it a shot once folks on the West Coast have woken up today and gone to work walked to their kitchen tables and turned on their laptops.

Even if the Sharks can relocate in 2025, though, doesn’t mean it’s very likely. They have a franchise that is solidly in the middle of the pack in terms of revenue and value, with both on the rise; they have that sweet lease deal pumping more money into the arena for renovations; and they have that BART station about to open just a few years after they could potentially leave, which should make their arena accessible to tons of new fans traveling from the north. San Francisco’s Golden State Warriors arena isn’t configured to accommodate hockey, so that would leave maybe the now-vacant Oakland arena, or … Tulsa?

Way more likely is this is just saber-rattling to get San Jose to throw the Sharks some bones in exchange for putting up with jackhammers at their front door, which is entirely what you’d expect after the team owners were able to get such a sweet deal they last time they made noise about leaving town. It’s probably something city officials should have thought of when they were negotiating that lease extension — if we’re giving them a new lease through 2040, maybe we should make sure they can’t threaten to leave 15 years early if they want to shake us down for more concessions — but nobody ever said city lease negotiators were the sharpest tacks in the drawer.

WTF Are We Supposed to Do Now?

Posted on by

Can you believe this shit? WTF happened to our country? No Sports anywhere, leagues closed, players sent home. Obviously, health is more important than sports but the few people who read this know what I mean.

Hysteria is rampant, rumors are the new source of info, Fuck Facebook, Fuck Trump and his incompetent administration, not preparing when the virus hit WuHan. All the trillions of dollars lost because of automated algorithms, sending sell signals when there was really no justification.

And don’t forget the phrase of the century, “Stay the Course” when referring to people’s investments. I personally lost about 80K because of bad advice from my own investment guy. He condescendingly told me that markets have cycles, in the long run you’ll be OK. I listened to him once a couple weeks ago and then when the shit really hit the fan, I did NOT listen to him.

I told him, get me the f out of the market, stat. He told me I had a certain amount, when the dust cleared I had $17 K less. He did, but not before getting out cost me a whole lotta cheddah. Great companies decimated because of an eerily human panicked algorithmic response to investor hysteria. Is that the wave of the future? If thats Artificial Intelligence then I want no part of it.

What can you do? Be smart for one thing, while investing your hard earned money, ask yourself if you can afford to lose money. If the answer is no, DON’T put it in the market. If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is. Wouldn’t you rather have what you started with than the promise of a gain when you could lose it all?

Economic prosperity has a cycle and we stretched out our cycle long past its end because of a false confidence gained through a political administration that took away all the checks and balances put in place in 2008 to specifically avoid what is happenig right now. Yes I blame fuck face the Orange Maggot, Mr Bankruptcy himself, Donald Trump.

Why is the Federal Reserve having to inject capital into the markets to protect liquidity? Because they are foreseeing 1929 all over again. Smaller banks are leveraged to the hilt, corporations gorged on a plentiful, cheap credit supply and now the bill is coming due. Combined with a corporate tax cut that allows companies to pay almost nothing, while the American middle class foots the bill, we are kinda fucked.

Lowering the interest rate to 0% for interbank lending is the sign of a desperate measure, the Secretary of the Treasury better be right. The hysterical bleating of the news broadcasts, with their properly pinched and concerned faces disgusts me. I can’t watch it, it only fuels fear and causes more damage to people’s confidence.

It’s a rigged system, and we really find out in a crisis who has feet of clay and who knows WTF they are talking about. So turn off your TV, go outside and think about what YOU’RE gonna do. Talk to people, share ideas instead of fear. Because whatever the govt does, its guaranteed to not be enough, you are on your own.

Eulogy

Posted on by

Rest In Peace sweet prince. You are deeply loved.

Where to begin, how about the beginning?  Back in 2012, my wife Caroline was feeling a bit lonely and wanted a puppy to cheer her up.  Needing a companion for the many days she is home alone, she found this little fluffy corgi from up in a town called La Grange.

We met the breeder at the Bass Pro Shop in Manteca and acquired our beautiful friend.  We brought him home on 2/22/13 and what a handful he was.  He did everything at top speed, running, eating, playing, wrestling with his Dad and in general was a maniac.  Even going out to the bathroom.

As he grew into his puppyhood we went everywhere together.  He had a presence that didn’t allow you to leave him home.  We went hiking, running in the neighborhood, and to the dog parks so I could wear him out daily.  What a handful!  Every where we went, people would stare at him and remark, what a beautiful dog!

He also had a very playful side to him and cheered us up daily.  I played tug of war with him for months before he outgrew that habit, but he still was rambunctious and hyper.  After several months, he seemed to need a friend so we got Angus, a gorgeous little tricolor corgi puppy.

From the moment we brought Angus home, Reilly gently endured the crazy aggressive little Angus puppy.  He put up with a lot, torn ears, and cuts around his face from the little Tasmanian Devil puppy.  Angus helped shape Reilly’s personality and become the great dog he was because Reilly was patient and loving towards the new guy.

There was also a commanding side to Reilly, where he put Angus in his place by pinning him down once Angus crossed the line.  He would loom over him and put his big paw on his chest until Angus would say uncle. Once he was let up, Angus would resume the playful tearing and biting, Reilly would sigh and start over.

As I mentioned before, we went everywhere together including vacations to the woods in our tent trailer, and trips to SoCal to visit friends.  Have crate will travel, Reilly was perfect everywhere we went, Angus learning the ropes and becoming better as he grew.

We went to two CorgiCons in SF and had the best times.  At the first one, I was down by the water with both of the dogs and a large wave broke onto the beach, scattering people and dogs everywhere.  When I looked for Reilly he was gone!  I panicked and ran around like a chicken with my head cut off, vainly looking for him.  Couldn’t find him anywhere.  So I circled back up to where we had laid down our chairs, and there he was!  Looking at me like, What? I knew where to go, where were you?

As the years went by there were many hikes, beach days and two walks a day.  He only grew more regal and majestic as time went on.  As 2019 dawned anew, Reilly started to slow down, and hikes were no longer manageable for him.

We still went to the beach, his favorite place because thats where all his friends were.  Almost every dog he met he had an interaction with, almost always positive.  He loved to bump chests with big Labs, Huskys,  Standard Poodles and Rhodesian ridgebacks.  They towered over him, yet he could hold his own by leaping into the air like a dolphin.  Or he would come up on their flank and try to push them over so they could roll around on the sand.

Through it all, Reilly lived life to the fullest extent.  To the Nth degree.  He loved beef bones and would chew on them for hours.  When we left for hours he had to have a bone.  It was just what had to happen. Rocca’s has the best and we almost always have them in the freezer.

As I write this eulogy, I’m overwhelmed by memories, one of the strongest is in the evening, near bedtime, Reilly would be in the foyer upside down on the cool slate floor.  He would present his belly for me to rub and I would sink down to oblige.  Sometimes for five or ten minutes I would gain good karma and he would roll his eyes in pleasure because I know all the good places to scratch.

As I reflect on his life, I can honestly say I have never loved a dog more than Reilly.  I loved him more than I loved most people and will continue to think of him forever.  Angus misses his friend deeply, and has changed so much since his passing, much more reserved.  Thank God I have one little angel left, but it just isn’t the same.  Obviously….

I still cry over his death, and it was one of the hardest things I have ever dealt with.  The decision to send him over The Rainbow Bridge was made with love and certainty.  I second guess myself constantly, but in my heart I know they are just thoughts and wishful thinking. If you saw him on his last day, you would know I ended his suffering mercifully and it was right and just.

I want to thank several people for supporting me in my grief, Caroline, Peter, Brian and Linda, Andrew, my children and Charlie.

I’ll say it again, and you can say it with me:  Goodnight sweet Reilly, you are the King of all Corgis and you will live on forever in my heart.

See you on the other side, I’ll have a bone for you.

 

 

 

 

Sharks on a Roll

Posted on by

 

 

Me and the Boys out for a skate.

San Jose

Greetings from San Ho, where San Jose has put the HoHoHo back in their season.  Apparently trying to emulate their football equivalent the San Francisco 49ers, the Sharks have ripped off an 11 out of 13 winning streak that shows their early miseries were somewhat of an aberration.

The latest dominating win came against the young, fast and upcoming Arizona Yotes, who are ahead of them in the standings.  Giving up 2 quick goals in the first 5 minutes is NOT a recipe for success, but by scoring 4 unanswered goals, they sent a message that they are not only good, but have righted the ship after an abysmal 4-10-1 start to the season.

With the addition of Hitman D Radim Simek, back from an ACL, and Patrick Marleau returning from the scrap heap, San Jose has regained an elite status, at the very least back in the playoff conversation.  The Sharks at 31 points, currently sit 3rd in the Pacific Division, well within striking distance of Arizona who has 34 and the surprising Connor McDavids (Edmonton Oilers), leading the division with 35 points.

Martin Jones, formerly nicknamed young Swiss cheese by me and other fans, has been very solid in the resurgence, only losing once in his last 11 games.  He has been playing 2016 Martin Jones hockey, when he took the Sharks to the Cup Final.  He still lets in the occasional terrible softie, but face it, the NHL has become a scorers league, with so many highlight reel breakaway chances its a wonder the games aren’t all 7-6.

Then there is the  new Captain Clutch, Logan Couture who is playing out of his mind, with several game winning goals and leading by example.  The Sharks stars, ala EK65, Brent Burns, Evander Kane and Tomas Hertl are all rounding into form.  With a return to a more defensive mindset, their game is fueled by more turnovers and clutch goals.

Run and gun is good, but they aren’t built that way, and frankly thats OK with this blogger and lifetime fan.

With the death of Reilly the Hockey Dog, my output has been but a trickle of whiz, but as time goes on I’m gonna round into form too. Losing that guy, nicknamed the Majestyk was a crushing blow to me and my family.  I hope to regain my somewhat prolific form and reign glorious again, Stanley Cup 2020!

Reilly Sleeping off a Big Day Watching Hockey,,zzz

 

The Greatest of All Time

Posted on by

Rest In Peace sweet prince. You are deeply loved.

San Jose, CA

It is with the heaviest of hearts that I write this blog, one I am writing way too soon.  Yesterday was the worst day in my life as I put down Reilly the Hockey Dog.  This year has been a challenge for the both of us, with his medical issues, my retirement and my wife’s illnesses.  Through it all, the one one constant was Reilly and his beautiful demeanor and personality.

Losing your best friend is never easy, and it was very unexpected.  He has been having issues with his mobility, and there were numerous trips to the vet to figure out why he was having trouble walking.  There  were a few instances where he could hardly walk and I was understandably concerned. The message from the vet was the same every time, he has arthritis, and by the way, he is overweight.

He wasn’t overweight, he had a spinal tumor of the worst variety, the type that grows out of the bone and is so invasive it doesn’t respond to radiation.  On the morning of his last Dr appointment to get an MRI, he was weak and haunted looking.  He was dragging his back legs and and was unable to eliminate his waste without great difficulty.  I bathed him and blow dried him so he wouldn’t be cold for his MRI.  Little did I know it would be the end of the line for him

When I took him to the vet I thought he had a disk problem, called IVDD, short for intervertebral disk disease, unfortunately fairly common in dwarf dogs. The condition is called achondroplasia, and is the word used to describe dachshunds, corgis, basset hounds and a few others.

We did the MRI and I was prepared for surgery to correct the disk problem with a long rehab and ultimately, recovery.  Getting him back to normal or at least a semblance of that was what I thought was going to happen.  When I got the news that it was cancer I was devastated.  When the options were explained to me, the most that could be gained was 1-6 months of life.  Surgery, rehab, chemo and pain and suffering to gain a few months with my beloved Corgi Reilly.

While the decision was extremely difficult, I knew what the most humane and loving thing I could do was to put hime to sleep.  They brought him into the room, wrapped in a blanket.  He still had the tube in his mouth from the anesthesia to sedate him for the MRI.  He looked so little and fuzzy, I broke down crying and stroked his fur.  He was in a twilight stage of sedation, where his eyes were half open.  I felt a deep a connection with him and and an even deeper sense of dread and loss.

His fur was soft and clean as I stroked him and sobbed, like I am now.  I kissed him goodbye as they gave him a shot to send him to heaven.  The assistant came in and helped me choose an urn to receive his ashes.  My friend Peter was with me all the way through and comforted me as I lost my shit.

As I’m writing, early in the morning,  I keep looking over where he always lays and he isn’t there.  He will always be in my heart, and my deep love for him comforts me in my grief.  I have to mention my remaining Corgi, Angus who is with me now,  He keeps looking for Reilly too and seems very sad also.  He is also a little angel and I hope we’ll have many more good times together.

Forever Immortal.  Goodnight Sweet Baby Boy,  I love you.

My Beloved Reilly

 

 

Sharks Return from Alternate Universe, Douse the Flamers

Posted on by

San Jose, CA

After a very rough start to the season, San Jose played a solid game and beat the Calgary Flames 3-1.  Apparently, Patrick Marleau is the missing piece to the puzzle for the Sharks, because frankly they looked lost against Vegas and Nashville and they’re undefeated since they resigned hm.  They played the Ducks in that horrific stretch of four losses to begin the season, losing 3-1 to an inferior team.

Last night the Sharks scored the first goal in a game for the first time this season on a goal from Timo Time, Timo Meier on a very nice finish to a nifty feed from the Captain, Logan Couture.

Timo Time again! Meier scores the 1st goal in Sunday’s game against the Flames.

It was a very up tempo game, and Martin Jones looked comfortable in net for the first time this season, making 32 of 33 saves to help San Jose win their 2nd in a row.  Kevin Lebanc also got off the Schnied with a wicked wrister to make it 2-0.

In the second, with Calgary on a power play, Tomas Hertl scored a shortie to put the Sharks up 3-1.  They put the clamp down on after that, the Flames were fruitless and futile as they skated to their 3rd loss of the young season.

Cam Talbot, the Flames newest addition to the net played OK, but San Jose parlayed two power play goals into victory, as the home crowd was treated to a win.

Quote of the night: “It was nice to score first for once,” Couture said.

Next up, A Bunch a Jerks the Carolina Hurricanes come to town with their young, exciting buncha jerks.

 

Oh Woe and Three

Posted on by

San Jose,CA

Its Our Year!

 

Hey now sports fans, welcome to the inaugural blog post for the 2019-2020 season.  0-3.  yes that is the Sharks record after three games, two of them against the Vegas Golden Showers and one against the hated Anahymen Ducks.  BTW, is there a more hideous uniform than the Ducks new sweaters?

I digress, let’s get right to the meat of the situation.  Captain Crosscheck is going to borrow Captain Obvious’s hat and say, man do the Sharks miss their former Captain America, Joe Pavelski.  Pavs now toils for the Dallas Stars down in Big Duh.

They also miss Gustav Nyquist and the DonFather, Jonas Donskoi, both gone to ply their talents elsewhere, Columbus and Colorado respectively.  They took their 100 points with them, Nyquist 60 points and Jonas 37.  Pavelski?  His 38 goals, 64 total points and his ability to magically tip the puck into the net, gone.

Not so fast you say, we still have Couture, Kane, two Karlssons, Timo Time and Father Time Joe Thornton, and Brent Burns right?  All true, but if the first three games are any indication, goal scoring is a problem.  When you take 165 points out of the lineup, the other team can key on the remaining very good players and dare the Sharks to beat you with the AHL heavy lineup they’ve run out there in the early season.

How many times have we heard that “the younger guys will just have to step up”?  A million, it seems to me, one of the oldest cliches in sports. Goaltending is a problem still, with Martin Jones giving up a few softies to fourth line grinders, (Will Carrier of Vegas comes to mind), and then having to play out of his mind to hold it to 4-5 goals.

The defense is an issue, because San Jose got rid of a stalwart D man Justin Braun (for a fuckin draft pick!), Joakim Ryan, another starter and last years dark horse hitting machine, Radim Simek is still recovering from ACL surgery.  They have tried to backfill with a retread, Dalton Prout and a cast of not ready for prime time AHL players that are more suited to, well the AHL.

Pretty grim say you?  Maybe not, but it sure hasn’t felt like the Sharks were really in any of the first three games.  The new NHL has a very small margin for error on turnovers and a high speed transition game that is all the rage in the league. Quite frankly, it appears to be here to stay and the San Jose braintrust better figure out how to be more competitive.

Are you listening Doug Wilson?  Because the trend is loud and clear, ALL teams are going to be young and fast, pounce on rookie mistakes and make you pay.  There is a fine line between gambling in the offensive zone and being able to get back to help your goalie, and getting burned Brent Burns.

OK, now that I’ve bagged heavily on San Jose, its up to them to right the ship turn it around step up blah blah blah.  It doesn’t get any easier as the Sharks travel to Smashville to take on the Preds.

Since there aren’t any highlights yet this year, I’ll leave you with these two, greatest moments from last year.

Barclay Goodrow scores the biggest goal of his career to win Game 7 in OT!

EK’s biggest goal ever!

Head Hunting Pays Off

Posted on by

St Louis, MO

Any fool can see the strategy of the Blues, beat you into submission.  Target the best players and risk a suspension.  That policy has been working since the 1st round, so why change horses midstream?

Yes I know, you say hockey is a contact sport.  It’s a man’s game, man up.  The other team is free to retaliate and those are all valid points.  What I will point out is, that style has to be in your DNA, in your identity.  As the San Jose Sharks found out, they could not compete with the deliberate maiming style of the Blues forecheck.

If your team doesn’t have the same skill set as your opponent, there is a remedy.  Punishing hits, delivered over and over add up.  The star players, the ones the FANS pay to see are rendered ineffective or too injured to play up to their skill level.  The attrition game is one that is well played by teams with less skill.

The sad part is, the NHL seems to want their game to be like the NFL, with video clips of players getting blown up, spitting out teeth, broken jaws and concussions.  Personally, that isn’t why I watch the game.  Yes, I know what you’ll say.  That’s what people want.  I don’t know if that’s really true.  I don’t really have a solution to the trend, the rules committee and the player safety organizations don’t seem to have the answers either.

As the Finals wind down, it is now best 2 out of 3.  St Louis came out last night and hit everything that moved.  To be fair to the Bruins, they withstood the onslaught well and could have stolen the game with a couple of bounces going the other way. However, I am not suggesting that Boston was robbed in any way.

Ryan O’Reilly was the hero last night, scoring 2 goals, including the winner with 10 minutes left in the game, putting in a rebound of a shot by Alex Pietrangelo.  Boston was down their best defensive D man Zdeno Chara, after he took a shot to the face.  He appears to have a broken jaw, deep cuts to his mouth and several chiclets missing.  He returned to the bench in the 3rd period but was unable to skate even one shift.  A six foot nine inch cheerleader.

To be clear, no one on Boston is whining.  They all know what has to be done, all the cliches are in play here.  I’m not going there.  But as a fan of hockey, I’m very disappointed in the way the game has continued to unravel or devolve as it were.  Some say it is because of the mandatory helmet rule, that players now bring their sticks up high with impunity.  Others say it is the reduced role of fighting in the game, that the threat of a sound beating kept most of the shenanigans out of the game.  Now that’s gone the way of the Dodo Bird.

It is a code amongst players that they’ll do ANYTHING to win a Cup.  Never has that been more evident to me than this year, as one highly skilled team after another has fallen by the wayside.  If I wanted to watch the WWF or Raw or whatever that dumbshit is I would.

What happened to my game?