Hello, friends…(he says in his best Jim Nantz voice)

It’s been a long time coming…(in his best Sam Cooke voice)

Speaking, of course, about this blog. Evidently I need a lot of recovery time after vacations. I went to Vegas and didn’t write for a month or so, then I do Italy and take several weeks off! I’m back now, though, and LOVING the playoffs.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Our Griffs are done - and done too soon.

So what do I think about the season? Still not sure. It started so well, and had its moments as things progressed, but it just never seemed to “click” for the whole campaign. Whatever “it” was, it seemed to show up at times, but not on a regular basis. As Stuts told us through the year, it was a struggle to score goals, and no matter how strong your goaltending and defense are, if you can’t score, you’re not gonna win too many games.

I found the guys to be a really good group to deal with, lots of solid individuals, lots of good stories to tell.

Hope next year is the same. Although next year is along way off at this point.

WHAT DID JIM MORA SAY?

In a word – playoffs.

That’s what I’m loving right now. Working in sports for a decade and a half, I’ll admit a lot of the passion for watching games has left me. Not for the NHL, and not for the postseason. Man, I’m digging the action right now.

Montreal-Boston? Are you kidding me? The uniforms alone are worth watching. Which leads me to this: I think the new unis as a whole look great.

Except for San Jose.

Wow. How they could take a great uniform and great logo and mess it up is beyond me. Shoulder patches are cool, except when the patch is the exact same as the crest on your chest – and it’s a crest that doesn’t look nearly as good as the old one.

And the small uniform number on the front?

Why?

Do we need to make it more cluttered?

MOVING ON…

I think I’d pay money to watch Alex Ovechkin play, and I’d love to be in DC for a playoff game.

Or in Canada for the anthem alone.

Or in Pittsburgh.

Basically every arena seems to have a better atmosphere than the Joe.

Spoiled fans perhaps?

PREDICTION TIME

Nah, won’t give one, but I will say that I think a Wings-Habs final would be phenomenal, and would do great things for the NHL.

So would Wings-Rangers.

So would Wings-Pens…

Come to think of it, Detroit against anyone in the east would be big.

Although Dallas and Colorado are big cities, and decent names, I think the league needs the winged wheelers if it wants to draw some more national interest.

ONE MORE THING

I think Versus is doing a great job. Good announcers, and they cover games every night. I know it’s not a fashionable statement, so sue me, I don’t find many faults.

Until next time (which could be in 2009 for all I know).

Go Griffins!

What is wrong with me? I can’t write the blog from my desk in West Michigan, but I can write from vacation? Talk about a die hard!

Much like my installment from Switzerland last year, I got no time, and the Euro is muy expensive so I’ll be quick...

I think the boys are showing a lot of spirit lately, getting in early holes but fighting back with everything they have. I’ve also been impressed with the fan support at the Van. Hope everyone continues to come out in the stretch run.

Kudos to the youngsters who are up in Detroit (or have gone up and come back); they all performed very admirably. I also like the way Derek Meech is playing. Dude is showing that he is an NHL player, and I know the points are gonna start coming – the shots are certainly there!

Ok, important stuff. Rome was very nice, more walkable than expected and history is around every corner. Mom and I are in Florence now. We went and met the David today – dude is BIG! Pizza everywhere, but I’m a crust man and sorta disappointed.

Funniest thing is that we’re in the middle of the champions league soccer tournament and Everton is in from England to play Florencia. The town is buzzing as the blokes from the UK are here in full force. You want spirit? Even the most fervent fans in the USA can learn a thing from these euro football fans!

Here’s what I got a kick out of. The game is on Sky network so the local channels can’t show it. So what do they do? They have studio shows where two or three talking heads talk about the game in progress while the score sits in the corner of the screen. One channel even has two dudes at the game and the camera is trained on them (cuz they can’t show the game), so you see these guys watching the game and sitting pretty much in silence!

Can’t say its good TV, but the other option is Wheel of Fortune in Italian, and although their version of Vanna is HOT, I can’t really play along at home since I don’t speak the language!

Ok, running out of time and money, gotta run but not before a travel tip: use your ATM to get money. Exchanging cash or travelers checks allows the banks and exchange houses to rob you on commissions, while the ATM gives you the day’s best rate.

See what you learn from the Griffins’ website? Who knew!

Until next time...Ciao!

Okay, it’s a stretch, but I had to make an '80s reference there. Why? No clue. I guess maybe I was thinking about the All-Star break, which made me think of the movie “Breakin,” which then became “Bloggin,” etc, etc, etc.

There.

I just wasted about 48 seconds of your life.

So the boys are on the road for a while, three games this weekend, then three next week. Heck, they’re not back at the Van until after Valentine's Day! Thinking back to the way the team started the season, and looking at where the upcoming opponents are in the standings, I feel pretty good about the Griffs’ chances.

GOTTA HAVE HART

I would be remiss if I didn’t give a major shoutout to Mark Hartigan. The dude is playing some great hockey and is a pleasure to watch. He looks primed and ready for another trip back to Detroit, but hopefully it won’t come before he helps Grand Rapids get some more points and a more secure spot in the playoff chase. Mark was also kind enough to spend a little time on the ice with me recently. He was very patient and humored me as I tried to dent the twine with a couple one-timers. You can see it on an upcoming “On the Ice” segment, just not sure when…

NEW FACES

I’m interested in seeing how some of the newest Griffins help the club. I know we’ve seen Josef Fojtik light the lamp for Flint this year, and Tyler Redenbach certainly has the credentials to help a squad in the scoring column.

Not to mention Big Mac.

It’s pretty well known that Darren McCarty is set to become a Griffin and you gotta bet that he’s hungry. Why? He’s playing for his career. If he has any hope of making it back to the NHL he absolutely has to perform in a Grand Rapids uniform. When I saw him play his first game in the IHL a few weeks back you could tell he was rusty. Since then I’m sure he’s worked through a lot of those issues. If he hadn’t he wouldn’t be coming here.

One thing is certain, he’s the same guy he always was when dealing with the media. Open, honest, funny, engaging. It will be fun dealing with him at the rink.

GOOD NIGHT

Before I leave you I have to mention a fun Saturday night. It was last Saturday and it truly was “Hockey Night in the Fox 17 Sports Office.” I had the Griffins/Chicago game on one TV, the NHL Super Skills contest on another (love the breakaway challenge, at least the potential for greatness), and another TV had the Michigan State/Michigan game on it.

The fourth and final TV?

Miss America pageant.

Hey, gotta have balance!

Go Griffins.

Okay, not my best effort as far as a title goes; guess I’m having a bit of a brain freeze. That, and the fact that I just read Corazzini’s blog and am quite intimidated trying to follow that guy’s work.

So what’s up? Hmmmm, not sure. I enjoyed my time at “The Great Skate,” didn’t fall down, and unlike Carl, I didn’t get punched by any kids. Maybe they knew of my mixed-martial arts training and were afraid of having to deal with a vicious arm bar.

Then again, maybe they just had no clue who I was, or did know and just didn’t care.

I’m betting on that one.

Nice to see Jimmy Howard back between the pipes. I hope I didn’t jinx him when I talked about how well he was playing, only to have him break a finger in the next game!

GO, DARREN GO!

Assuming it was just a coincidence, and not a jinx, I will say that Darren Helm continues to impress me. I had a chance to check out the game against Rochester earlier this week, and once again, I liked the fact that the kid goes 100 miles an hour and always seems to be on the verge of making something happen. Kinda like Dan Cleary up in Detroit; not saying they are the same type of player, rather that they both keep their legs going, and when that happens the puck seems to go in the net more often than not. Hopefully it will start going in for Darren, or at least his linemates.

PLUG AWAY

This week we go “On the Ice” with defenseman Garrett Stafford. He’ll tell us about the dangers of being an offensive defenseman, growing up playing hockey in California, and his teeth – hey, gotta ask the hockey guys if they’re real! Hope you tune in Sundays on the Fox 17 Sports Ticket.

WEAK SAUCE

Sorry, I know I didn’t bring it strong this week. Maybe I have the ‘mid-season blues,’ maybe I’m shaken up by the fact that Gene Simmons got booted from “Celebrity Apprentice.”

Seriously, how can that guy get fired? He should have won the whole thing. Granted, I don’t think he could have kept his mouth shut long enough to win, but still, he made for great TV.

Hopefully, I’ll make for great reading next time. Until then, Go Griffins!

Hello, friends. Sorry it’s been a while since we’ve spoken. I believe my last blog had a line about hitting the craps table in Vegas, and that was a month ago!

No, it wasn’t a great run where I kept the dice for three straight hours or anything, just kinda got busy and lazy over the holiday season and neglected you.

Don’t hold it against me, ok?

SO WHAT’S UP?

Well, it’s good to see that the team is playing better. I was really impressed with the stretch of close games that the boys won in overtime and shootouts last month. 

I think Jimmy Howard is very strong between the pipes, but you gotta wonder when he’ll get his shot with the big club. Chris Osgood has been out of his mind this season and just signed a new three-year deal today, and Dominik Hasek has awoken from his early-season slump to record back-to-back shutouts. I’m guessing that stuff is the farthest thing from Jimmy’s mind, and that he’s focusing on himself and his team rather than asking “what if…”

Now if only the offense can start clicking more efficiently. Although in talking with Mike Stothers, it seems that he’s resigned himself to the fact that every game is gonna be a battle, and there just aren’t gonna be a lot of blowouts.

DID YOU WATCH THE WINTER CLASSIC?

Oh you bet! (What, was I gonna watch the Michigan bowl game instead?) I thought the game in Buffalo was fantastic, and from everything I’ve read, most people agree. The weather was great – ok, we could have done without some of the snowy ice delays – the announcers were great – except for asking everyone about how much they remember playing outdoors – and the outcome was exactly what the NHL wanted with Sid Crosby scoring the winner.

I was lucky enough to have covered the Cold War between MSU and UM several years ago, so I know about the scope and spectacle, and I hope the league will do another one. Just not too soon.

They don’t want to be like “The O.C.” where writers killed a good thing by burning through the storylines way too quickly. Let the people wait a bit before they get another. It’s supply and demand, people!

ON THE ICE

This week we’re actually going “off the ice” and following several of the boys as they burn off some excess energy by playing paintball. Let’s just say they are competitive and take it very seriously!

Also, be sure to come down to Rosa Parks Circle in downtown GR to take part in The Great Skate. It’s a good time for a good cause and all of the team will be taking part along with some media members from West Michigan, some who can skate, others who may not be able to!

I, thankfully, fall in the former category. Don’t believe me? Show up with your skates and find out.

Until next time, Go Griffins!

“Come, they told me, blog blog blog blog blog….”

Boy, am I happy to have Christmas music on the radio, and to hear that song today. It’s not that it’s a favorite, rather it gave me the title for this installment.

That said, anyone over 30 has to remember how much the video for the Bing Crosby/David Bowie version of the song was played on MTV in the early-mid 80’s. And a note to anyone under 30: MTV used to actually play videos.

Wow, did that make me sound like an old man!

ON WITH THE BLOG

A not-so-wise man said in his last blog that the Griffins would get off the snide at home against Iowa. Guess who was right? Okay, so it wasn’t in the first game of the series, but still, a win is a win, and it was a convincing one at that.

As for the road trip, I’m not sure what Stuts and the boys would say, but I call it successful.

Why?

Well, coming off a “3 in 3,” the team traveled to Toronto for the start of a Neil Page/Del Griffith like road trip that took them from Yonge Street to the Alamo, to the home of Enron, then back north to the place where Laverne and Shirley bottled beer at Shotz. If I do the math that’s…well, I’m no good at math, but it’s a lot of miles. And the fact that they got two wins and an overtime loss out of the deal, I say kudos.

Hopefully the point-getting will carry over to the upcoming six-game homestand.

PLUG AWAY

Did you see this week's “On the Ice” segment?

You didn’t?

What’s wrong with you!?!?!?!?

Sorry, that kinda slipped out, I’ll try to keep it from happening again. It was about life on the road, and how the team often hops onto a bus after a home game and leaves for their next game less than 30 minutes after finishing a game at the Van. Yes, busses are more comfortable now than they were years ago, but would you want to work your butt off for 60 minutes, shower, eat, then sit for five hours, arriving at your destination at 4 or 5 am?

Makes a guy appreciate road victories a little more.

This week we’re gonna go away from the off-ice stuff, and get a little more into the x’s and o’s as head coach Mike Stothers joins us live in the Fox 17 studios. You can hear what he thinks about his team now that they’ve played more than a quarter of their games.

Okay kids, gotta run. If you need me I’ll be at the craps table at TI in Vegas for a few days!

Hello again, friends. Anyone get the title?

I’ll give you a second…Yes, it’s a song, but not one you’d hear on the radio.

Think TV, think early 90’s, think cartoon….

It’s from "Ren and Stimpy," and was one of the originals before the voices changed and the show became a shell of itself.

NOW THAT THAT’S OUT OF THE WAY

Let’s talk hockey.

The slump continues, franchise records have been tied, hopefully new ones won’t be set. But I have a feeling that the holiday homestand with Iowa will be just what the Dr. ordered. I feel a win coming, then all the pent up bad stuff will be gone and the squad will go on a run. Hey, they’ve shown in the first few weeks of the season that they’re able to do it.

Let’s hope I’m right.

CHEAP SEATS

Okay, I’ll admit that I’m not the sports fan I once was. Hey, I do this for a living and sometimes - okay, a lot of times - sports becomes work. But I did take in Wednesday’s game against Hamilton in the seats, among the paying customers.

Thoughts?

Well, Darren Helm impressed me. The guy was going full tilt and trying to make things happen.

Also, I’ve lost the ability to cheer and clap. Don’t get me wrong, I was rooting for the Griffs, but for 13 years when I’ve gone to a game cheering isn’t allowed, and it’s not like riding a bike. It doesn’t just come back to you.

What else? Well, the press area is a great spot simply because you can see the whole game. I like being up close and feeling the speed and intensity more, but when the puck goes to the other end, it’s hard to follow.

Does that make me sound like an old man?

PLUG AWAY

Okay, time to plug the “On the Ice” segment for this week. We’re going with lighter fare this time and calling it “The War to Settle the Score,” as we pit netmiders Jimmy Howard and Adam Berkhoel against each other in air hockey.

What score needed to be settled? You’ll have to watch and find out.

OH THE IRONY!

Final thought. So I’m driving home from opening day of firearm deer season last week – didn’t get one, didn’t really want to - and what do I do?

Hit a deer with my car.

Go ahead and laugh, there wasn’t any major damage, and everyone made it out okay.

Except maybe the deer, although I didn’t go and check.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Tom Petty gets us going on the blog this week…so, I was waiting to write it until after the mid-week matinee against Quad City. I figured with myself in attendance the team couldn’t fall short.

I was wrong.

The Griffs took the 1-0 lead on Darren Helm’s first career goal, but a terrible no call on Quad City’s first marker – I can say it, I’m not the coach, and anyway, I have video to show the stick in the skates – then a deflection that handcuffed Jimmy Howard did the home side in.

The boys seemed a bit down afterwards, and it’s not hard to see why. They still haven’t won on home ice yet. I hope we’re not making too much out of this, but it is a story so we gotta bring it up.

Maybe this stuff works both ways, once they get the first win, they’ll go on a tear and start lighting the lamp on a regular basis.

WHICH BRINGS US TO THIS…

They’ve got to start going in sometime.

The game against the Flames was another one where the Griffs had a ton of shots on goal and outshot the guys who ended up getting the victory. A puck ringing off the post in the third comes to mind as a play that could have changed the game, but was denied by mere inches.

If you don’t shoot, you can’t score. But they’re shooting, so eventually they’ll start going in.

I would use a golf reference and talk about putts not falling, but if you have read any of my stuff, you know they rarely fall for me.

PLUG AWAY

Time for the cheap plug.

Not sure if you saw the first installment of “On the Ice” on the Sports Ticket, but you don’t want to miss the one this Sunday. We’re talking with forward Mark Cullen, who is not only a leader but also an inspiration.

That’s all you’ll get now. Just know you’ll view the team captain in a different light after you hear him tell his tale.

Until next time, Go Griffins, and stay safe if you’re heading into the woods for firearm deer season!

ADDICTED TO BLOG

Little Robert Palmer for ya there. I came up with a good “blog” related song today, but for the life of me I can’t remember it. Maybe being a “journalist,” I should have a pen and paper nearby at all times.

Whatever. I’ll brainstorm with some more, and if you think of any good ones, let me know. Maybe I’ll credit you.

Maybe I’ll just steal it.

ROAD SWEET ROAD

Whoda thunk that one, huh? The Griffins, unbeaten on the road and winless at home? I have absolutely no idea how or why this would happen - the team seems very loose, it doesn’t appear that they’re forcing it, and I have no doubt that they will right the ship.

Look at it this way: no team has ever gone through an AHL season without winning a game on their home ice, and it won’t happen now.

Okay, I didn’t research that, but come on, there’s no way it’s happened before.

Is there?

ALUMNI REPORT

In case you’ve missed it (and I bet you haven’t), Griffins alums are playing very, very well for the Red Wings. I mentioned Matt Ellis in my last entry, and since then Jiri Hudler and Val Filppula have both scored pretty game-winning goals.

It’s a ton of fun to get to know the guys when they’re here in West Michigan, and then to be able to follow them so easily with the big club. When the Griffs were affiliated with Ottawa this wasn’t the case. Yeah, you could try and keep up with them, but unless you had the Center Ice package it took some work.

If you don’t appreciate this already, you better start.

PLUG AWAY

Okay, time for a little cross-promotion…

With golf season coming quickly to a close (sadly - although as I’ve stated several times I was quite shaky this summer), we’re about to begin our “ramped up” Griffins coverage.

We’re calling the segment “On the Ice,” but for the most part it will be about the players “off” the ice. We’re gonna find out what they like to do and then show you what they look like when doing it.

The segment begins Sunday, Nov. 11 with forward Carl Corazzini. We join him as he watches his beloved Red Sox in the World Series, and also get a feel for what he would be doing if he wasn’t playing hockey.

Unless I really mess up, these should be pretty fun, so I hope you get a chance to watch them on the Sports Ticket.

Until next time: Go Griffins!

I figure I used a David Lee Roth line a few weeks back to open the blog, this time I’d use a little Sammy Hagar.
And yes, I’m now listening to songs trying to figure out a way to fit the word blog in there!

Well, the home-opening weekend didn’t work out too well, but it’s a long season. At least the boys got 6 points on the road and are still ahead of the game. Any talk of a “meaningless win” these days is crazy, every point means something, be it in regards to making the playoffs, a tiebreaker, home ice, whatever. Home wins will come, so I’m not concerned about that, and in my opinion, victories on the road are almost worth an extra half-point.

GONE-GORENKO

Igor, we hardly knew ye.

The highly touted prospect has left Grand Rapids, and who knows how long he’ll be in Detroit before returning to “Mother Russia.” I watched him practice a few times, and saw a little of the games this weekend, but I can’t say I remember much, although in recent days he seemed to be bonding with his ‘mates and communicating rudimentarily with them.

I’ve talked many times in this column about my love of travel, and I know how hard it can be to try and fit in someplace that you obviously stand out in. I cannot imagine being completely immersed into a place, and having to do a job on top of it. That’s why I think it would have been entertaining to watch him develop, and acclimatize into our culture over here.

ATTABOY ELLIS!

How about the former Griffin Captain embarking on a 3-game point streak in the NHL?!?!?

Myself, and just about every other person who dealt with Matt while in West Michigan would agree that it couldn’t happen to a more deserving guy. And how about the goal against San Jose? Not a bad way to light the lamp for the first time, eh?

But what stands out to me is this, even if he wasn’t scoring, he’d still be making an impact. He and the other ‘grind line’ type guys are flat-out busting their butts, and making things happen on the ice every time they step out there.

I’ll never run a franchise – and I hate fantasy sports – but I’d have to have a serious debate over keeping a guy who may not have the gifts but goes 1000 miles an hour, over a guy who has tons of talent, but may not bring it every game.

HARLAND AND I ARE IN TROUBLE!

I hope Dan doesn’t mind me speaking for him, but, after reading Carl Corazzini’s blog, I think the media goons will be exposed. Not only for our lack of hockey knowledge, but also for our lacking grammatical skills.

And don’t forget the fact that this dude has a Political Science degree, don’t let our employers know or he may be taking airtime away from us as election season heats up!