Spun

I saw the Russian Five doc and read the book. I liked both. Read the book. It typically has so much more information. I read the book first so I had a better background with the stories before the doc. For those who have done neither do both! Incredible highs and tragic lows in the Russian Five story. I was able to get the book from a local San Diego library and watched the doc on the plane. The Red Wings went off by drafting numerous Russians and Swedes. Back in the day, taking such chances with the Russians was rare. The Mogilny story was gutsy. Some of those guys had military obligations which made defection even more dangerous. The thought of Bure, Mogilny and Fedorov on one line is amazing! What was Mogilny’s comment to Gerry Meehan during the whole defection process? Something like “Am I free now?”... As for the current Sabres, each new coach deserves some reset time with the drafts, trades and on ice production. Botterill has made some ”duncey” moves. Commit to the scouting and whittle down the salaries going to former Sabres. Moves like pushing Mittelstadt too fast must be avoided. There are numerous examples of former Sabres who did their AHL time before helping the Sabres (Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller). I have followed the Sabres since 1970. My family couldn’t afford to go to many Sabres games. I used to listen to the Sabres, Bills and Braves games on the radio. We didn’t have cable TV. Some nights it was the Sabres on one radio and the Braves via the transistor radio tucked under the pillow. It makes me sick to hear of what happens when Toronto comes to town. Sabres fans selling their tickets to Leaf and other games is sad. Very sad. We have been waiting for a very long time. I won’t give up. I also want much better from our hockey team. Things eventually improved with the Bills with the Pegula’s. They do care. We must learn from the mistakes and keep fighting. Keep demanding better.

TB is loaded. That said the Sabres came out strong and carried the action until the penalties started adding up. TB has a very good PP. Some of the penalties were bad as were the calls and non-calls. The shots were 43-40 in favor of the Sabres. They played better in game two but the penalty kill and the third period collapse was decisive. Giving up a goal with 1.3 seconds to go in the second was painful.. Hutton didn’t have a great game. Dahlin gets nervous handling the puck inside the Sabres zone hence the giveaways. He needs to develop some confidence. The Sabres have to commit to this experience as being one to build on. They came out sharper in game two. They adapted but ultimately their flaws hurt them. Don’t be surprised if the Lightning go far in the playoffs if not win it all. The TB fans said that usually the Lightning play flat when their backup is in net. Not last night. The Lightning fans traveled well. I first noticed it at the airport. There was one SABRES fan leading the cheers with his drum! The security entering the building wasn’t as extensive in the US. Carry a bag that isn’t visible plastic in the US and you don’t get in. A drum in Sweden? Come on in! The crowds were very quiet unlike in North America. The Swedish fans that I talked to know a lot bout the NHL. There were a sizable contingent of fans in attendance from other European countries. If the Sabres didn’t play in Stockholm, I may have missed this city. It is a cool city, I am glad that I visited.

In some ways, I think the millennials are missing out on some things because of the smart phone. I love to read the old fashioned way by way of books, magazines and news papers along with the internet. Yes, some of those modes are available on the web but I don’t think they are utilized as much. It saddens me to see newspapers, magazines and bookstores struggle. I think many millennials have an amazing passion for all the opportunities provided by current day tech advances. I learn a lot from millennials. They have very different takes on many things. As for the lazy stereotype, I think when we are young, we all have things to work on and many of us change for the better over time. I have confidence that the same will apply to millennials. Borrow from the past while keeping pace with future. I am concerned about the challenges that are facing millennials. Their world is different but I think they will do alright.

Belated Happy Canada Day! I also celebrate Canadian holidays as my Dad was from Fort Erie. I try to visit Canada once per year. It looks like Calgary will be the next visit up North! Not for everybody but I will give it a try: https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/2019/07/02/kd-poutine-national-dish-canada-smokes-vancouver/

In the video included in this link, there is a shot of Havlicek and Bob McAdoo.

Braves / Celtics could have been a great rivalry. It had a good start. The Celtics were loaded back then. I believe the only series the Braves won in their short history was against the Bullets.

Bizarro is well drawn and funny!

Allez Les Bleus!!!

I don’t know who she is but the Brazilian lady in the Volkswagen World Cup commercials has my interest...

Just finished celebrating with my Canadian friends at San Diego's hockey bar, The Stout. The place was packed! Great people, great time, great beer! Happy Canada Day!

To Kill a Mockingbird.

I have been to a few CFL games up in Montreal. It is a fun experience. They don't need the NFL although many locals do follow it. The multiple receivers in motion, the big field, the two and out makes it interesting. And if you knock back a few beers, yes, you may miss a rouge! One of these years la Coupe Grey will be decided by a rouge. Then everybody will know what a rouge is! "Faite la bruit". (Make some noise)...

I am planning a trip to Rio and will be staying in the Barra da Tijuca area. Any advice on airports to use (Galeão International and Santos Dumont), transportation, things to do, etc.? The trip has come up fast so my plans to learn Portuguese and research the city have regrettably been limited. Thanks in advance!

At the time the OSU offense was sputtering. It wasn't just Cardale. The OSU offense also sputtered against Michigan with Barrett overthrows, dropped passes, plays that simply didn't work and the Michigan defense. The officiating is usually imperfect especially in college football. The Wolves defense dominated the Buckeye offensive line much of the game. That is until the 4th quarter and OT when the Buckeyes clicked. There was an uncustomary two missed field goals and plenty of OSU miscues in the game. By the end, Michigan looked tired.

Interesting article about former Bills head coach, Chuck Knox. http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-chuck-knox-plaschke-20160716-snap-story.html

I was in Paris this past April. Many of you gave me some good advice to get around. I found the French people to be very cool and very helpful to me. But every single day that I was there, I saw troops in the streets with machine guns. Every time I went into a hotel, I had my bags checked. And not just the hotels. Malls, bookstores, some restaurants... The wierdest thing was when going thru airport security, they didn't ask me anything. There are so many places in Paris where there are large crowds on narrow streets. The metro is especially vulnerable. There is no quick way out of the labyrinth of passage ways in the metro system. On the Paris metro, one is constantly reminded about pickpockets. I wish pickpockets were all we had to worry about. Nice, like Paris is an old city that accommodates all types of people. My feeling then was that something more was coming. This is not over. This is so sad, tragic and unnecessary. My prayers also go out to the unfortunate souls in France.

Two OHL teams seemed to get a lot of calls with this draft, the Memorial Cup winning London Knights and the Mississauga Steelheads. The Knights finished the year with a seventeen game winning streak. I can't say how their prospects are going to do but both rosters were loaded with very good players. For the Sabres, that means Nylander, Pu and Osmanski. I cannot wait for October!!!

I thought this was going to be an Amerks post...

The running game should be one of the strongest features of a "cold weather" team. Without the holes up front, a great stable can't run. I really liked the most recent draft. However, there was one major concern that was not adequately addressed: the offensive line. Boom may or may not help. From what I remember, he joined the Bills late and didn't stay long. Fix the line, run the ball, keep our defense off the field and more victories shall follow.

4.39 in the 40... Wow! Now if he can run patterns, catch and not ever get hurt!!! Not a bad finish. Not a bad draft. They can pick up some o-line muscle in the market...

A second Arkansas RB, Collins was also just drafted. Both Williams and Collins had over 1000 yards two years ago.

It seems like teams backed off of this guy because of his foot injury. I remember teams backing off of Thurman Thomas because of his knee injury. I am not saying Wiliams will be as good as Thurman. However, running backs don't have long careers. The Draft is always a gamble fest. 2nd team preseason All SEC? On a Bills team that needs to run the ball especially in December and especially on a team with a shaky QB situation? I like the gamble!

Cardale Jones led the Buckeyes to the National Championship two seasons ago as a third stringer. He played very well on a phenomenal team against Oregon. Last season, he struggled. He was inconsistent. He never started a full season so we can assume that he has a lot of learning to do. The Bills may have rushed Manuel. Bring Jones along slowly.

Thank you all for your responses! I had a feeling that this site would be a gold mine of ideas! You did not disappoint!!! I did start studying French in 5th grade but I didn't start taking it seriously until college. At Ohio State, they had this individualized study option that allowed one to do coursework on their own schedule. If I wasn't ready for an exam, I took it when I was ready. The effort paid off as I retained a lot. It worked out great for me as I approached French not as a language requirement but as a life skill. I was a student long ago but I have continued to read French via the web. I am far from fluent but I get by. Listening is the toughest part for me. I do use French on the job occasionally even though I live in California! As for my staying at a chain hotel, this option works as I work at a Hyatt and fortunately, I was able to snag rooms at the employee rate. Often times, it is very difficult to get employee discounted rooms especially, six months in advance. Some hotels don't offer much of a discount while others don't offer one at all. When I travel, I want a safe, clean, and affordable option. I was able to get a room for 92.5 euros per night which translates into roughly $105. The normal rate is ...$632. I will defer on the Hilton! Furthermore, there is a Hyatt shuttle from Charles de Gaulle airport! I have a few days to sift through your ideas and plan things out! Then I will do a little French review and off I go! Thanks again everybody!