Archive for January, 2013
Why do we have so many acronyms?
The title says it all. American Hockey League In person custom index cards tonight. I just found out yesterday that the Hamilton Bulldogs were having a practice, then a community practice with some young hockey players followed by an autograph signing. This was happening at a small rink in Ancaster, where I got some autographs during the Erie Otters training camp. This was on my way home from work so it was perfect. I didn’t have much time to get any cards or wirephotos but did a quick job on some index cards. Apparently the players got dressed at Copps Coliseum and drove to the rink. After the practice, they signed autographs as they were leaving. There weren’t a lot of people around so it was good for me. A big thanks goes to Kellin Enslev, an account executive with the Bulldogs. He was handing out sharpies to the players and giving the kids some autograph sheets. He noticed me trying to figure out who some of the players were. He would tell me who the player that was coming was and their number.So here is what I got tonight.
“He had a story about people crossing the sea to take the treasure,” says goalie James Reimer.. “When they got there they burnt their boats so they either had to take their treasure or die. That’s what ‘Burn the Boats’ means.”
After the opening game win, the Leafs are on pace to go 41-0-0-0
Anyhow, I digress from what I want to post about today.
Posted above the whiteboard at the far end of the Maple Leafs dressing room is one puzzling slogan.
“Burn the Boats” reads the mysterious and striking mantra posted at the team’s practice facility.
Legend has it that when Cortes landed in Mexico in the 1500s, he ordered his men to burn the ships that had brought them there to remove the possibility of doing anything other than going forward into the unknown
When we burn the boats and declare a point-of-no-return we can finally stop looking back and assess the way forward with clarity.
We want exit strategies and Plan B’s; but for some things in life, the only way out is by pressing further in. When we don’t burn the boats and we leave room for a way back, we also leave room for hesitation, fear, anxiety, self-sabotage, and resistance to creep in.
The mystery behind the message lies with Leafs coach Randy Carlyle. Carlyle delivered a motivational and seemingly moving speech to the team, weaving a tale into his efforts to illustrate the point.
“He had a story about people crossing the sea to take the treasure,” says goalie James Reimer.. “When they got there they burnt their boats so they either had to take their treasure or die. That’s what ‘Burn the Boats’ means.”
Essentially the story and subsequent slogan comes down to one central message.
“We’re all in it together,” said Reimer. “There’s no looking back. There’s no turning back. There’s no out. We’re in it together. We’re going to fight for each other. There’s no safe zone to go back to and regroup really.”
Okay, I guess they should have some kind of motto for their t-shirts.
Surprisingly, a couple of days later I heard the phrase again.
Chip Kelly was being introduced as the new head coach of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagle.
“We’re going to find a bunch of like-minded individuals that understand that the game of football is played by everybody, the best team wins,” Kelly said. “We’re going to surround ourselves with the best team. I’m all in. I think it was Cortez that burned the boats. I burned the boats. I’m not going back [to college], so I’m an NFL coach and this is where I want to be. I made the jump and I’m here.”
Really. You’ve got to be kidding me. Twice in one week from two different sports. Maybe it’ll join
“giving 110 percent”
we’re just taking it one game at a time”
“there’s no ‘I’ in ‘team’”
“at the end of the day…”
Go On Episode 9– Things cannot change their innate nature.
Posted: January 16, 2013 in UncategorizedGo On Episode 9– Things cannot change their innate nature.
Posted: January 15, 2013 in UncategorizedGo On Episode 9– Things cannot change their innate nature.
Posted: January 15, 2013 in Hockey MiscellaneousA leopard cannot change its spots. This species’ success in the wild is in part due to its opportunistic hunting behaviour and its notorious ability for stealth. The leopard consumes virtually any animal that it can hunt down and catch. Let’s say the wild is the Ligue Nord-Americaine de Hockey. Let’s name the panthera pardus Donald Brashear. In 1025 regular season NHL games, he accumulated 2634 PIM. Now the minor pro LNAH has the unofficial reputation as the world’s toughest hockey league; the league averaged 3.2 fights a game during the 2010-2011 season, compared with 0.6 fights in the NHL. The league has a rule that stipulates that all players must either have come from Quebec, or played junior hockey in Quebec.
From Feb 2011
From Jan 11 2013
Reminds a lot of people of the Moore/Bertuzzi incident.
Little known fact. Brashear’s great-uncle Carl Brashear, was the first African-American to be certified as a Master Diver in the U.S. Navy. He was the inspiration for the movie Men of Honor in which he was portrayed by Cuba Gooding Jr.
Another episode of Go On, showing the whereabouts and doings of former “specialists”
When will it end? Probably never or I won’t have any fodder for these posts.
Gord Gallant played in the World Hockey Association for the Quebec Nordiques, Minnesota Fighting Saints, and Birmingham Bulls. In 273 regular season games, he accumulated 849 PIM’s. Add 98 PIM’s in 14 playoff games. Let’s say he was a “specialist”
You can check out his stats here.
http://www.whahof.com/playerdetail.php?id=507
Here is how his time in Minnesota ended.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuFyB_EaYIQ
Sent these cards out to Mr. Gallant about 25 years ago.
75/76 OPC # 96 RC
76/77 OPC # 4 Penalty Minute Leaders
It appears on the top card, he is listed as Gordie and that’s how he signed. The bottom card lists him as Gord, so it looks like he just signed Gord. A great reply from a WHA only player.